For high-speed aircraft, hitting them with anti-aircraft guns is extremely difficult. Even for the latest modern twin-barrel 35mm anti-aircraft guns equipped with gun-aiming radar, a certain level of skill is required.
Not to mention the ordinary anti-aircraft guns placed outside; firing them at the sky is practically just spraying and praying. The hit rate is essentially negligible.
However, if the direction, speed, and time of the incoming aircraft are precisely known, it's a different story. Anti-aircraft guns can be positioned along the opponent's flight path, allowing the shells and the aircraft to "kiss" at the same time and space.
Operating missiles requires rigorous training. Even Zhang Feng, a military academy graduate, couldn't guarantee that he could make a missile hit a plane.
But operating anti-aircraft guns is much simpler. Even in later generations, reserve soldiers trained with them. Sitting in the operator's seat and turning the crank, the gun follows the rotation. When it reaches the right spot, pressing the switch fires the shell. It's not much harder than using a rifle.
"Everyone, follow me. We're moving the anti-aircraft guns!" Zhang Feng said.
After speaking, Zhang Feng strode toward the anti-aircraft artillery positions.
Anti-aircraft guns were actually quite good; at least they weren't affected by electromagnetic interference. Although Israel's long-range raid this time wouldn't be hindered by AWACS, there was no guarantee they wouldn't carry electromagnetic interference pods on their wings.
Zhang Feng was an optimist. He walked toward the position with great interest. Looking around, dozens of anti-aircraft gun barrels pointed straight at the sky. There were even a few soldiers sitting in the rotating seats!
Zhang Feng was deeply moved. The guys operating the air defense missiles had all run away—they could have at least hidden in their vehicles to avoid the sun—yet these anti-aircraft gunners were sticking to their posts under the scorching sun!
"Who is the officer in charge here?" Zhang Feng asked.
Seeing a large group approaching, including a few sentries they recognized, the artillerymen knew that some important figure had likely arrived.
"Reporting! I am Wahrih, Commander of the 4th Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, 35th Division." Wahrih stood up and answered loudly, "My company is on combat duty here."
"Good. I now order you to immediately move all anti-aircraft guns to the side of a lake twenty kilometers to the west," Zhang Feng said.
Move to a lake twenty kilometers away? Wahrih was dumbfounded. His anti-aircraft position was meant to protect the nuclear reactor, not a lake. He couldn't help but look at Zhang Feng with doubt.
"Just do it. I'm absolutely right. By tomorrow, you could be promoted to battalion commander, or even regimental commander," Zhang Feng said. "Please trust me, I am Qusay Abdullah ibn Saddam Hussein." He switched to a patient tone.
Hearing the man's identity, Wahrih was very surprised and excited. A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier; he naturally wanted a promotion.
"At your service, Excellency Qusay. My company has two towed anti-aircraft artillery platoons with eighteen towed guns and one self-propelled anti-aircraft platoon with nine self-propelled guns. Since we're going twenty kilometers away, we should take the self-propelled guns," Wahrih said.
A company has three platoons, and a platoon has three squads. For anti-aircraft guns, a squad has two guns. Two people are enough to operate one gun; the other three are responsible for loading and moving ammunition.
There are two types of anti-aircraft guns: one has no power and needs to be towed by a truck, and the other is self-propelled and can reach its destination on its own. Comparing the two, the self-propelled guns are naturally much more advanced.
"No, we're only taking the towed guns. Have the soldiers switch them to marching mode immediately. My men will help you. We must depart within fifteen minutes," Zhang Feng said.
Deploying towed guns in a position requires spreading out various outriggers and folding the wheels. Switching to marching mode takes several people working together.
Wahrih was startled. To go twenty kilometers away, self-propelled guns were obviously the most suitable. Why would Excellency Qusay, the President's second son, choose to use old towed guns?
Zhang Feng, however, knew what he was doing. He was fully aware of the Israeli Air Force's plan. They would fly at low altitude all the way until they were 20 kilometers from the Osirak Reactor, passing over a lake used as a navigational landmark. Then they would climb to attack.
The reasoning was simple: after a long flight, there would definitely be errors in the flight path, and it was impossible to fly over the reactor a second time for bombing. Therefore, they had to choose a suitable reference point beforehand—this lake. Finding the lake confirmed the location of the nuclear reactor. Then they would climb and fly quickly across the remaining twenty kilometers to attack.
In Zhang Feng's mind, this lake was the grave for the enemy's planes!
Israeli pilots were highly skilled; they dared to fly continuously at a low altitude of thirty meters for hours. Just as they were about to reach the attack point, their tension would be at its peak. They would penetrate at low altitude at very high speeds, unable to see the scattered anti-aircraft guns. At such a close range, a single hit from an anti-aircraft shell could tear the enemy's plane to pieces.
This was a quadruple-barrel rapid-fire gun. Using dozens of them to blockade the lake was achievable.
The F-16, such an advanced fighter, would groan under the anti-aircraft guns! Zhang Feng firmly believed his arrangement was correct.
He didn't choose the self-propelled guns because, besides the eight f16s responsible for the attack, there were also six f15s for cover. Zhang Feng wasn't sure if the enemy planes carried infrared detection devices. Once the self-propelled guns were there, their engines would give off heat, which might be detected by the enemy, putting them on guard.
In the future, Xu Sanduo carried a hot egg in his jacket for his squad leader, which resulted in him being spotted by an aircraft. Zhang Feng did not want to repeat such a mistake.
All the soldiers in the base were mobilized. In addition to Wahrih's eighteen towed guns, more than twenty towed guns from other companies were also converted to marching mode. Trucks drove out of the base, towing the guns toward the lake twenty kilometers away.
"Wahrih, leave half of your men here to take charge of the self-propelled guns," Zhang Feng said.
Although he was very certain the air raid would come from the lake, he had to leave some personnel here just in case.
"Yes, Excellency Qusay," Wahrih said.
"Are there any other air defense measures here?" Zhang Feng asked. A few days ago, the Iranian Air Force had attacked the nuclear reactor and suffered a crushing defeat. There should be multiple types of air defense here.
"Reporting to Excellency Qusay, there are also Barrage Balloons," Wahrih replied.
"Good. Assign tasks to the men staying behind. Inflate all the Barrage Balloons and launch them within an hour. The enemy aircraft will arrive at 5:30," Zhang Feng said.
"Yes, Excellency Qusay." Wahrih's shock was beyond comparison. This Excellency Qusay must have received personal authorization from President Saddam; otherwise, how could he be so sure the enemy planes would arrive at 5:30? This was too precise.
Barrage Balloons were special balloons floated in sequence and anchored above buildings to form an obstacle net to block enemy aircraft. They were low-cost and very effective; the British used them to protect London's buildings during World War II.
After leaving the instructions, Wahrih took the remaining soldiers, got into the trucks, and departed.
Zhang Feng returned to his sports car and also drove toward the lake to the west.
As he drove, Zhang Feng thought to himself that hitting fast-moving, low-flying aircraft with anti-aircraft guns was indeed very difficult. However, fortunately, he knew the enemy would enter Iraqi airspace from the southwestern border and use this lake as a navigational landmark. Here, they would leave low altitude and turn to climb, exposing their bellies to his firepower. Moreover, they would lose speed during the climb, and because their view would be blocked by the fuselage, they wouldn't be able to see the guns below at all.
Then he would just set up a pocket! Zhang Feng made a perfect decision.
Upon reaching the lakeshore, all the anti-aircraft guns were being busily deployed.
Zhang Feng had all the guns positioned on the north and east shores of the lake, forming a fan-shaped pocket. With forty towed guns in total, each with four barrels, arranged in two rows, a simultaneous volley would definitely create a curtain of death.
The only downside was that there weren't many professional gunners who came with Wahrih—only forty. However, with the other hands, they could manage three or four people per gun.
Having one professional gunner lead two or three novices was a necessary compromise. But it didn't matter; as long as the shells didn't jam, the orientation of the barrels had already been specified by Zhang Feng. The aiming point was fifty meters above the central island in the lake.
Due to the rising water, the small island had been submerged, but this didn't hinder the gunners' aiming.
All the anti-aircraft guns made creaking sounds as the cranks turned rapidly and the barrels gradually rose. Finally, all the barrels pointed to the designated spot.
Zhang Feng checked his watch. It was now 5:00 PM. In ten minutes, the Israeli planes would fly across the border at low altitude. They would arrive here at approximately 5:20 PM.
Zhang Feng turned his head and his expression suddenly changed. "Idiots! Hurry up and drive all the trucks away. Drive them back to the base! Ghassar, bring my sports car away too!"
He had used towed artillery specifically to avoid detection. Those trucks were still parked where they had just dropped off the guns. The F-15 fighters responsible for cover would be monitoring from a high altitude. If the enemy discovered the anti-aircraft position, his efforts would be in vain.
As the vehicles began to turn around, Zhang Feng's eyes suddenly lit up. He noticed some wooden crates in the back of a truck with Russian and Arabic writing on them.
SA-7 Missiles!