Inside the Zhengtai Railway Administration building in Shijiazhuang, the crystal chandelier shook violently amidst the explosions at the airfield. Yoshijirō Umezu, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Army's North China Area Army, furiously hurled a ceramic teacup against the wall. The shattered pieces scattered, perfectly covering the coordinates of the destroyed air base on the operations map.
"Baka! The Empire's air base has suffered a second devastating blow. This is an utter humiliation!" Umezu's roar made everyone's eardrums ring.
Chief of Staff Asasaburō Kobayashi picked up a charred, deciphered fragment of a telegram, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and said, "Your Excellency, the enemy aircraft's flight path points directly toward Tangshan. The Xiaoguanzhuang Airfield has completed its anti-aircraft artillery cluster deployment. Of the twenty-four Zero fighters, eighteen have taken off in three groups for patrol, while six are undergoing refueling and munitions loading on the ground."
Chapter 478