A few days before Kazuya arrived at the Canary Kingdom's Capital.
In Earth's past there was an aircraft which turned Japan's fields into a sea of flames. Dropping roughly 140,000 – 170,000 bombs all over the land of the rising sun, and once again it flew in the skies of another world.
That aircraft was known as the B-29『Superfortress』, a strategic heavy bomber.
「It's seems the General must have it hard as well」
「Major LeMay, is something the matter?」
Soaring at an altitude of 4000 meters, the incredible roar of the B-29's four 2200 horsepower engines resound on both its wings. Taking a break from the monotony of things Major Curtis LeMay casually leaks his thoughts, while his co-pilot hesitantly asks what's the matter.
「No it's nothing, its not a big issue but I heard a little bit of gossip from a little bird whose a part of the General's entourage. Apparently they encountered a princess from the Canary Kingdom, and she has become quite attached to him during their travels. Yeah that's what I heard. What's more, this mission that we were tasked with, it was meant to increase the General's status so he could use his ability to increase our military, but it appears he's actually doing it to help that princess」
「Oh, is that right? But if that's the case why didn't the General tell us right from start? If he gave the order, we would oblige to anything he commanded us to do」
「Well, there may have been a lot going through his mind」
「Ah, I see」
「Haha, and I also heard another interesting story」
「What did ya hear?」
「That little princess from the Canary Kingdom, apparently she's sticking close to the General at every chance she gets, giving our Lieutenant Colonel quite the trouble, I hear things got really heated」
「Wow, he must be having it pretty hard right now」
「I know right?」
「Yeah」
「「It's because his second in command is Lieutenant Colonel Katayama」」
Saying their exact thoughts in unison, both pilots look at each other and laugh.
「Hahaha, the Lieutenant Colonel is the most passionate subordinate out of all of us. If the General doesn't take care of his second in command, won't the princess their escorting get stabbed? 」
「How about we just leave things at that, pray that the General has everything under control and the princess won't get stabbed by the XO」
「Sure, hopefully」
Turning on the planes intercom to notify the crew, Major LeMay settled his laughter, and as the planes Captain spoke up.
「We have 15 minutes remaining before we enter the target airspace, all crew members get to your stations」
As soon as the crew members heard Major LeMay on the intercom they moved to their designated places.
Their aircraft didn't carry any ordinance, on the other hand it was retrofitted with the latest communication & sensory equipment. Extra fuel tanks had been packed on board in place of bombs, as radio operators stood by and began relaying information to each wing formation.
The airstrike group consisted of 35 B-29 Strategic Heavy Bombers and escort aircraft of 20 P-51 Mustangs for a total of 55 aircraft.
All the aircraft participating in this operation were carrying some variation of explosives, this included the escort aircraft as well. (That was with the exception of 5 B-29 Superfortresses, as one was retrofitted with communication equipment, enhanced radar and an added fuel tank. The remaining 4 B-29 Superfortresses were modified for air-to-ground support, in place of bombs, they were equipped with Bofor 40mm anti-air auto-cannons and a Type 91 10cm howitzer installed on the nose of their aircraft.)
The B-29s were divided into three formations, each group carried a wide variety of explosive ordinance for the mission. (Navy Type 97 Mk 6 [60 kg]・Navy Type 98 Mk 25 [250 kg]・ No. 80 Ground Bomb [800 Kg]・E46 Incendiary Cluster Bomb・ Tallboy [5,443 kg])
The P-51 Mustangs also carried either rockets or a Type 99 No.3 Mk. 3 bomb (White phosphorus with metal pellets, intended for anti-air).
The two monster nests were located in separate regions, 800 kilometres away from the base outpost one monster nest was located on a mountain. Whereas in a forest 290 kilometres away from the mountain was the second monster nest. The revised plan (Version 2) was to commence an aerial bombing on the forest and mountain nests while razing the area with air-to-ground weaponry.
This plan was deemed to be the most successful. The P-51 Mustangs & B-29 Superfortress carrying up 9100 kilograms worth of E46 Finned Cluster Incendiary bombs, were to encircle the monster nests creating a ring so the monsters would head towards the mountains.
The next formation of aircraft carrying the small to medium sized explosives would then carpet bomb the monsters trying to escape
And for the monsters which try to escape by taking shelter within the caves of the mountain, they would drop some Tallboy's also known as the earthquake bomb, which should destroy any underground cavern.
And any remnant monster appearing from the rabble would be swept up by the retrofitted B-29 Superfortresses air-to-ground weaponry.
Intelligence from their Type 2 Reconnaissance Aircraft, was able to confirm flying monsters from the nests, and those were to be dealt with the P-51 Mustangs rockets & Mk. 3 bombs.
「All aircraft, this is "Big Cigar" we are entering the designated battlespace. Each Wing is to act in accordance to their briefed operational guidance」
Having received their guidance from Major LeMay, the First Wing of B-29's descended to an altitude of 1500 meters and began their bombing run.
Bomber cargo holds opened their bay doors, lined with E46 cluster incendiaries with fins ready to be dropped, they stood by for order to start.
But before they began their bombing run, a transmission from their P-51 Mustang escort came through.
『Big Cigar, this is Guardian 1, we've confirmed enemies at low altitude, moving to intercept, over』
As soon as the warning order was sent out, the first squadron of P-51 Mustangs providing escort dive one after the other.
The P-51 Mustang escort began their descent, going into a steep dive, increasing their speed to the horde of monsters below. Dragons not in the skies began to lift themselves off the ground one after the other.
「Guardian 1, you have the greenlight, engage, over!!」
Having assembled in formation, a 2nd squadron of P-51 Mustangs close the distance with a group of flying creatures.
Carrying two Type 99 No. 3 Mk. 3 bombs, one under each wings hard points.
「Don't be careless down there!!」
『『『Roger that!』』』
Unleashing a shower of metal, the three M2 Browning machine guns mounted on each wing shreds through the flying creatures, the 6 machine guns from each fighter were able to create a gap in the crowd of flying monsters.
The moment these dragons gave chase, the P-51 Mustangs had deployed their Type 99 Bombs with a timer delay, getting out of the range of their bombs.
As soon as these white phosphorus bombs exploded, molten metal pellets flew in all directions.
Turning monsters into fiery balls of flame and searing the wings of other flying monsters in the vicinity. Monsters whose wings were shredded or scorched to the point of being unable to fly, fell to the ground in terrible states.
The lucky few that were able to still maintain flight, were unable to fight due to other injuries they sustained from the squadron of P-51 Mustangs attack. Countless burns & wounds, some large and some small all over their bodies, caused them to flee towards the ground instead.
「We got enemies incoming, there's a whole lot of them!!」
And while the Mustangs initial attack had taken out a lot of monsters, their were still more uninjured fliers taking off from the ground below them.
By preoccupying these flying monsters at low altitudes, the Mustangs were able to protect the Superfortresses, allowing their bombing run to go unimpeded.
With the B-29's bombing course still on track, their escorts were keeping the flying creatures at bay engaging in dogfights and medium range battles. They gradually begin to drop their E46 Incendiary Bombs onto the designated targets below.
Encasing the M69 incendiary bomblet, falling to an altitude of 700 meters, the E46 Incendiary Cluster Bomb separates and shoots out 38 incendiary bomblets, a hexagonal steel pipe roughly 8cm in diameter, weighing 2.4 kg, and 50cm in length.
Once these bomblets left their original case, a 1 meter cotton streamer was deployed to maintain the vertical flight of the incendiaries. Sparking and burning as they fell to the ground, the sky glowed as though it was raining fire.
Blanketing the monsters flying in the sky as well as the monsters on the ground. Many creatures succumbed to the intense heat as these modern-day chemicals razed all it came across.
With the forest on fire, a large crowd of monsters began to run towards the mountains, away from the coming flames. Encircling the forest and converging on the mountain, the B-29 wing formations maintain their bombing runs in order to round up the monsters and cut off their escape.
Flying monsters bathed under the harsh chemicals of M69 incendiary bomblets turned into balls of flame as they fell from the skies.
With the first wing formation of B-29's completing their raid of dropping hundreds of thousands of E46 Incendiary Clusters on the forest and mountain. They began to depart from the target airspace.
But suddenly a machine gunner within the upper gun nest of one of the planes calls out in alarm.
「Bogey coming from above!! Engaging the enemy!!」
Before anyone noticed, a blood stained dragon, which appeared to have escaped from the battle with their P-51 escorts, had managed to fly above them. But by the time one of the machine gunners noticed the dragon, it had already began its plunge towards them.
Crossing lines of fire within the B-29 Wing formation, machine gun crews try to take the creature down, but it was already too late.
As several bullets managed to graze the dragon's body, it was unable to stop the creature from latching onto the right wing of the last plane within the formation.
「Commander , we're going down!! Our right wing has taken damage!!」
A voice over the radio transmits the aircraft's peril.
Desperately trying to defeat the dragon latched onto its' right wing, caused the creature to break the wing, tearing it from its base, as it sent the aircraft into a downward spiral.
The crew of the B-29 could be heard screaming from their radios as the aircraft went down, exploding on the ground below. As the flames of the debris could be seen, no voices could be heard over the radio.
「Shit!! All aircraft eyes out, scan all sectors, stay vigilant!!」
Major LeMay ordered the rest of the formation to be on alert, so as not to be caught unaware. But for the rest of the operation, no additional losses occurred.
「….. Hey did you see any chutes deploy from that aircraft?」
「....Negative, sir. With the way their plane went down, they didn't have the time to get out, their plane spiraled out of control, trapping them. Not only that….. The ground below them is packed full of monsters. They wouldn't have made it, even if they were able to parachute to safety」
「….. Damn it….. you're right….」
After the untimely mishap, the following Bomber Wing formations had reached their designated drop areas, laying waste to the crowds of monsters which tried to escape towards the mountains.
As bombs rained one after the other, turning any creature below into minced meat. Those that hid within the mountains underground caves were met with the No. 80 Ground bomb & the Tallboy, collapsing the deep caverns and leveling the mountain.
And the creatures that fled the mountains havoc and destruction were then met with a barrage of air-to-ground attacks, 40mm anti-air autocannons & 10cm howitzers. P-51 Mustangs who still had ammo after their dogfights, also participated in the sweep up of any remaining creatures.
「Our mission here is complete」
Having exhausted all their ammunition, bombs & rockets, the operation was considered complete as they turned back towards base.
As far as his eyes could see, hundreds of thousands of explosive ordinance were dropped, scorching the forest and leveling the mountain as not a single plant remained.
A few hours prior, the with countless monsters living in in the lush green forest and mountain. Now it was littered with a myriad of monster carcasses as black smoke rose in several spots.
「HQ, this is "Big Cigar" The airstrike was a success We've accomplished big gains on this run. But there are still many unconfirmed target areas. I recommend a secondary airstrike. For the record one aircraft was lost, taken down during operation. We are returning to base. Big Cigar, out」
Leaving behind the destruction of a scorched earth, Major LeMay informed Headquarters of his Strike group and that 54 aircraft are coming home.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
😎✌