12dz Chapter 310 Top Attack
Chapter 310 Top Attack
72 attack helicopters—the current inventory of the 5th Army's Aviation Brigade, directly under the 112th Army Group—represent the number of the Allied forces' temporary first-generation specialized H-1 (R4 improved) helicopters. Following Yang Hong's recommendations, the H-1A, equipped with a general-purpose cannon, and the H-1B, equipped with rockets. Due to the powertrain of first-generation helicopter engines, the aircraft utilizes a single rotor with a tail rotor, offering excellent flight performance and maneuverability. The H-10A features an open cockpit with a 1mm-thick, limited-protection hull, and glass windows in front and on both sides of the cockpit. The H-8A has a row of eight rocket launchers on the bottom, armed with eight 8mm armor-piercing rockets. The outer tube brackets have been extended to serve as stabilizer brackets. The H-80B, on the other hand, is equipped with two 1mm general-purpose cannons on the bottom with a 25-round ammunition supply. Fuel tanks are located at the rear of the fuselage, and a 300mm general-purpose machine gun is located in the nose.
The H-1 attack helicopter is operated by two people: a pilot and a weapons operator. This is the result of Pu Zhengsong's meticulous design based on a unique time and space configuration. With the exception of the engine, its performance essentially matches and even exceeds that of the Vietnam War-era configuration, truly realizing the purpose-built nature of a military helicopter.
Following Yang Hong's suggestion, the helicopter unit increased tactical training in low-altitude and team combat, especially top attack training against tanks. From the very beginning, they implemented special tactics for attacking ground armor. As the training improved, the time for them to be deployed to the battlefield was getting closer and closer.
In mid-April 1946, the Allied forces in Italy broke through the Benevento Line. Simultaneously, with naval support, they landed again in Naples and surrounded Caserta, a key German defensive city in central Italy. The German 4th Army was forced to concentrate its 87th, 144th, and 266rd Armies in preparation for a decisive battle on this front. The German 353th Tank Corps was the largest mobile force stationed in central Italy, possessing nearly 144 tanks of various types, including over 500 Tiger II and Ferdinand tank destroyers, forming the core of the defense against the Allied advance. Originally, the 120th Army possessed 144 of these heavy equipment, but a surprise attack in Puglia three months earlier had made the Germans more cautious. For this operation, General von Mainz-Osterding, commander of the German Central Army, meticulously orchestrated the deployment. On either side of the 180th Army were the 3th and 144rd Shock Corps, both boasting exceptional firepower and mobility, representing the strongest configuration the Germans could muster in central Italy.
The German ground forces were supported by the entire southern air force. In the confined airspace, both sides deployed hundreds of aircraft, with the Germans outnumbering the Allies by 1:1.5. However, the Germans' technological advantage in jet fighters prevented the Allies from completely gaining air superiority. In addition to the three aforementioned armies, the Germans also had garrisons, extensive heavy artillery, and a complex network of bunkers. The Allies hoped to test their plans for a French invasion through the Battle of Naples and Caserta.
The main offensive force was the US Fifth Army and the British Fourteenth Army, while the Chinese deployed the 5th Army and its subordinate Aviation Brigade in support. General Patton was appointed commander. Clearly understanding the importance of this battle, Patton personally visited General Yang Hong and requested his assistance and support, which ultimately led to the participation of the 14th Army and its Aviation Brigade.
On the 12th, the 11th Armored Division of the US 45th Corps spearheaded the attack from Afragola, reaching Aversa, west of Caserta. The German garrison fiercely resisted, and the battle was tense from the outset. The main force of the 11th Corps seized the opportunity, advancing along the coastline and seizing key positions and roads west of Aversa, poised to rapidly penetrate its rear. This forced the two divisions of the German 353rd Corps to deploy early, entering the southwestern defenses of Aversa.
The 14st Corps of the British 21th Army seized the opportunity and launched an offensive against the positions outside Caserta. Since Caserta's eastern flank, towards Benevento, was mostly mountainous, the German 266th Corps, with only one division and its existing garrisons at various fortresses, concentrated its forces against the British southeastern front. This presented the 112th Corps with an opportunity. Under the personal guidance of Yang Hong, the 112th Corps immediately deployed two divisions, with regiments and battalions as detachments, to launch a surprise attack. After an overnight raid, they captured all the key strategic positions on Caserta's eastern flank.
Patton immediately saw the opportunity. He proposed to the theater commander General Weimed that the 13th Army of the Chinese Army on the Eastern Front should turn its full strength to attack the eastern wing of Caserta. In this way, the Allies could capture the strategic location of Caserta in one fell swoop and completely break through the German central front.
Weimade was not one to be fussy about details. Although this approach violated the strategic depth of the landing drill, it would allow the capture of central Italy to be achieved with the greatest speed and minimal losses. He immediately reworked his plan: after capturing central Italy, he would land on the Lido front and attack Rome.
Upon receiving the order, Yang Hong acted decisively, ordering the 13th Army Group to coordinate closely with the 112th Army to launch a swift attack on the outskirts of Caserta. He also dispatched an army corps as a shock force, advancing along the river valley and directly into the heavily defended Italian hinterland.
On the 15th, a division of the 13st Corps of the 51th Army advanced north of Caserta, where it encountered a German reinforcement, a grenadier division of the 154th SS Corps. Instantly, a hail of bullets erupted, and a thrilling and fierce battle ensued. The soldiers of the 51st Corps fought bravely, but after a bloody night, they were ultimately unable to break through the strong German defenses. A tense standoff ensued, 70 kilometers from Caserta.
The German commander, Colonel-General Osterding, fully aware of the dire situation, decisively ordered the 144th and 266th Armies to launch a counterattack to re-open the Aversa line of communication. The sudden German counterattack was like a devastating blow, catching the Americans completely off guard. Despite rapid reinforcements from other units of the Fifth Army, the bulk of the 5th Army was trapped in a narrow strip of land near Aversa, close to the coastline.
To save the beleaguered US 11th Army, Yang Hong unhesitatingly bypassed Patton and directly ordered his Army Aviation Brigade into battle. At dawn on the 16th, the assembly area of the German 144th Army's heavy armored forces came under a sudden and mysterious attack. Numerous tanks and armored vehicles, before they could even detect the enemy, were struck with fatal force. Many tanks' roofs were still open as countless armor-piercing rockets rained down from the sky, instantly engulfing the entire assembly area in explosions, fire, and smoke.