Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 263, page 262: The 1st Division Mutiny in Tokyo, Auxiliary Fuel Tank Bombs, p220 Night Bombing of Tokyo
One kilometer south of Yoshiwara in Tokyo, there is a temple called Senso-ji.

The residential houses next to Senso-ji Temple were one of the hiding places for Imperial Way Faction officers.

Yoshida stayed there.

We have to stay there for six days until the operation begins, at which point we can leave.

The Imperial Way Faction officers eagerly awaited that day, anticipating what they believed would be the moment that would change Japan's destiny.

Yoshida, however, did not think so, but he dared not show it.

2 PM on February 21st.

The garrison officer called out from outside, "Dinner time."

The Imperial Way officers left their rooms, went to the mess hall to retrieve their food boxes, and then returned to their rooms.

The same goes for Yoshida.

He closed the door, opened the box, and ate natto rice, miso soup, and a small sea fish.

After finishing my meal, I put the lunchbox outside and then just sat there in a daze.

At 8 p.m., he locked the door from the inside, quietly took out the telegraph machine, and listened with his earphones.

Upon hearing the radio broadcast, he was overjoyed and quickly took notes.

The coded telegram, once recorded, was translated into his mind.

[Ascertain the details of the operation as soon as possible, including the time, location, and objectives.]

Yoshida silently tore up the words recording the coded telegram and swallowed them, then disassembled the telegraph machine and put it away.

He got up, went out, and knocked on his friend Okayama's door.

Okayama happily led Yoshida into the house and began to talk to him.

The two talked about their time as classmates at military academy and their respective careers in the military.

As the conversation progressed, the topic naturally turned to the operation itself.

Because it was such a secluded place, and no one could leave, Okayama frankly stated:
"We were forced into this situation. If we didn't take action, we would have no future."

In his account, the First Division, the backbone of the Imperial Way Faction, was originally stationed in Tokyo and, in the eyes of the Imperial Way Faction, was the Emperor's personal guard.

However, in December of last year, Yanagawa Heisuke, the commander of the 1st Division and a staunch member of the Imperial Way faction, was transferred to Taiwan to serve as the garrison commander.

The 1st Division, which had been stationed in Tokyo for 30 years, was also transferred to Northeast China and became a member of the Kwantung Army.

For the Imperial Way faction, this behavior was a signal that factional war was about to break out.

Since the 3st Division was to be deployed abroad in March, they had to take action before then.

Yoshida looked like he had just realized something.

"Therefore, in addition to us, the First Division is also involved in this operation."

“Of course, if the 1st Division doesn’t participate, our operation will be suppressed by the 1st Division immediately,” Okayama replied.

"When will the operation take place on the 26th?"

"The main force behind the attack was several infantry regiments of the 1st Division; we were there to assist in the offensive."

"Then who will they target?" Yoshida asked again.

Okayama lowered his voice: "Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, military, Metropolitan Police Department, everyone who obstructs us must be executed."

"Understood. Thank you." Yoshida stood up, said goodbye, and left.

He returned to his room, immediately locked the door, and reported the situation back.

Wuhan, Fang Wen's residence.

Fang Wen was in his bedroom listening to radio waves with headphones on.

His wife, Kuang Mingzhu, peeled an orange and held it to his lips, saying, "Honey, have some fruit."

"Hmm." Fang Wen ate a slice of orange. February is the season for oranges to ripen, and the oranges his wife chose were juicy and sweet enough.

"Are you going out again?" Kuang Mingzhu asked. As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and she was quite reluctant to see her husband leave after being reunited with him for a while.

"I won't go out, but I will take a long-haul flight." Fang Wen thought for a moment. His wife had been through so much with him, so there was no need to hide this from her. He then explained the situation in a low voice.

"Is things going to get chaotic in Japan?!" Kuang Mingzhu exclaimed softly, covering her mouth.

"It shouldn't cause any chaos, but I want to add fuel to the fire and make things more exciting," Fang Wen said with a smile.

It is said that a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, and following Fang Wen, Kuang Mingzhu, a lady from a prominent family, has changed a lot. She is also very patriotic and can't help but wonder what her husband will do.

After hearing her husband explain the plan, she couldn't help but act coquettishly.

"Honey, you have to take me this time, just like the last bombing. I'll do just as well as anyone else."

"Alright, alright, we'll see how it goes." Fang Wen had just calmed his wife down when the radio came through.

He took notes of the coded telegram with a serious expression, and then translated it.

[On February 26th, the 2st Division led the attack, with us accompanying them. Targets: the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, the military, and the Metropolitan Police Department.]

Looking at the translated telegram, Fang Wen was surprised; such a big move!
He pondered to himself that such a large-scale rebellion was unlikely to take place at night, because targets could easily escape under cover of darkness.

If you were to take action during the day, it would be difficult to fly the plane and add fuel to the fire.

But the rebellion wouldn't end so quickly. On the night of February 26, it wouldn't be impossible for him to infiltrate the rebellion and carry out a targeted bombing.

That depends on whether Yoshida cooperates or not.

He then sent a reply.

Houses outside Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Yoshida received a reply.

On the evening of February 26th, find an opportunity to create distance, then activate your radio equipment and aim it at your target.

[Targets include: Imperial Way faction military officers who know your identity, as well as the Prime Minister's official residence, Cabinet ministers' official residences, the military headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Department, and other locations.]

You will receive a $5 reward for each significant target that is successfully identified.

The content of the reply made Yoshida ponder.

It turns out that the equipment I brought back was actually an aerial bombing guidance device.

That mysterious organization is clearly not affiliated with the Chinese government; it is most likely Russian.

He felt little remorse for becoming a Russian spy; instead, he was thinking about how to take this opportunity to get rid of the Zodiac officers who knew him and make some extra money.

Anyway, on February 26th, those places will definitely be in chaos, and a little more chaos probably won't hurt.

The operation scheduled for February 26 has been finalized.

The Imperial Way Faction and the First Division of Japan were preparing for this.

Fang Wen is also preparing for this.

To bomb Japan, the Xuanming seaplane was unsuitable; only the Taishan-1 could do it.

However, the Taishan-1 has a range of only 2000 kilometers, and a round trip to Tokyo is 4000 kilometers. Even with the modification of the auxiliary fuel tank, it still has to depart from a coastal airport.

The problem is that there are Japanese spies outside Jinan Airport, and even more at Shanghai Airport.

Taking off from Xiangxi Airport and traveling 6000 kilometers round trip, it exceeds the limits of the F.220.

Simply adding auxiliary fuel tanks to both sides of the aircraft cannot solve this problem of triple fuel consumption; a larger fuel capacity is required.

Fang Wen racked his brains to find a solution.

How can we increase the fuel capacity?

After some time of thought, Fang Wen came up with an alternative solution.

The auxiliary fuel tanks are designed to be jettisoned during wartime.

Why not make an aviation fuel bomb? It can serve as a temporary auxiliary fuel tank before flying to Tokyo, and then be dropped as a bomb after reaching Tokyo.

This idea prompted him to put it into practice immediately.

Six oversized auxiliary fuel tank bombs were manufactured. These auxiliary fuel tank bombs were mounted on the F.220's bomb rack, with the upper part being the fuel compartment and the lower part being the napalm bomb. Their destructive power was absolutely astonishing.

In this way, the airdrop of aerial bombs became a formalized practice.

Given the educational significance of this bombing raid, Pan Jiafeng would definitely go along, as would Shao Sishen, a key instructor. It would also be a valuable learning opportunity for the three Red Army flight cadets, so naturally they would go as well.

Fang Wen therefore abandoned his plan to involve his wife.

2 month 25 day.

With everything ready, Fang Wen put on his flight suit and went out.

Before leaving, he whispered to his wife, "As you can see, I'm going to train a group of military pilots. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to participate if I took them." Kuang Mingzhu didn't get angry about it, but gently reminded her husband, "I know. Be careful and stay safe. Don't be arrogant just because you're capable."

Fang Wen was warmed by his wife's concern. He stood up straight and replied earnestly, "I promise to be careful and never act arrogantly. You don't need to see me off, so as not to give anyone away."

Kuang Mingzhu nodded and watched her husband leave.

Fang Wen entered Wuhan Taishan Airport alone and met up with Pan Jiafeng and the others in the airport hangar.

We didn't board the Taishan No. 1 until evening and flew to Xiangxi Airport.

At the Xiangxi Airport, there were auxiliary fuel tank bombs and one hundred napalm bombs.

Once everything is ready, all that's left is to wait.

Time passed, and the night went by until the early morning of February 26th.

Actions have begun in Tokyo.

Yoshida and the officers of the Imperial Way Faction left the hideout together.

They were accompanied by 1000 soldiers from the 1st Division.

These men seized weapons from the armory at their base and set off, under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," to assassinate the "bad guys" around the Emperor.

Three hundred of them were targeting the Prime Minister's residence.

Yoshida was among them.

They stormed into the Prime Minister's residence with machine guns, grenade launchers, and rifles.

A battle ensued with police officers responsible for protection, and four resisting officers were killed.

Okayama shouted, "If you encounter the Prime Minister, kill him on sight, without hesitation!" Immediately, the soldiers began searching the Prime Minister's residence.

Yoshida, who had intended to quietly follow along and blend in throughout the entire journey, was instead assigned five soldiers by Okayama to act alone.

This made him hate Okayama even more, thinking that tonight would be the day his classmate died.

But now, we still have to keep up the pretense.

He dawdled as he led the soldiers to search each room one by one.

After a while, an old man in a bathrobe suddenly ran out, and the searchers immediately opened fire on him.

After a burst of gunfire, the man fell into a pool of blood, and everyone came over to observe.

After they rolled over, someone shouted, "The Prime Minister is dead! We killed the Prime Minister!"

Cheers erupted, greatly boosting the morale of the rebels.

Yoshida sensed something was amiss. He had visited the Prime Minister with General Nagano Osamu. The Prime Minister's face was fatter than this man's. Although this man looked similar, he must be the Prime Minister's secretary. The two looked somewhat alike.

However, when the servants at the Prime Minister's residence were brought in, they also identified the body as that of the Prime Minister. The Imperial Way faction began to publicize this good news, so Yoshida did not reveal it.

But he felt that the Prime Minister was probably hiding in the residence.

An idea suddenly occurred to him: if he could find the hidden prime minister and rescue him, he would gain another connection.

Then, taking advantage of the troops being stationed at the Prime Minister's residence, he found an excuse to wander around.

The most suspicious room is the one where the person in place of the deceased ran out.

He quietly pushed the door, only to find it closed from the inside.

This made Yoshida even more suspicious.

He spoke into the doorway: “Prime Minister, I know you’re in there, but this method of hiding will be discovered sooner or later. If you trust me, open the door tonight and escape with me.”

After a short while, a voice came from inside: "Is it really possible to escape?"

Yoshida was secretly pleased and added, "My name is Yoshida, and I am Nagano Osamu's adjutant. I met you with the general last time."

The voice from behind the door relaxed: "Oh, it's you. I'll leave it to you then."

While the assassination attempt took place at the Prime Minister's residence, other assassinations were also underway.

The Grand Minister was shot dead in his bed, riddled with dozens of bullets.

Subsequently, a separate unit from this force attempted to assassinate the Minister of Education, but during the assassination attempt, he resisted and was beheaded.

In addition,

The Minister of Education, who lived near the palace, was shot and stabbed to death.

The Emperor's chief bodyguard was seriously injured.

The former minister, Duke Saionji, and Count Makino, who were assassinated by the House of Nobles, escaped.

The Army Ministry and General Staff Headquarters southwest of the Imperial Palace were sealed off.

The Metropolitan Police Department, located at the main gate of the Imperial Palace, was also sealed off.

Tokyo newspapers and radio stations were occupied, their propaganda was published, and slogans were posted on the streets.

The entire power structure in Tokyo has been taken over, and the rebellion seems to have seized control of the situation.

However, after that, the situation entered into a struggle for interests among various parties, and surprisingly, it did not worsen.

The situation in Tokyo is currently known only to Japan, apart from Fang Wen and his group who are waiting at Xiangxi Airport.

Time passed little by little, from morning to afternoon, and then to evening.

Fang Wen stood up and said, "Let's go."

He led the way onto the plane, with the rest following closely behind.

Under the cover of darkness, the plane took off, and it wasn't until it reached the coast that Fang Wencai explained the situation.

"This time we are going to fly to Tokyo and bomb over Tokyo. This is a rare opportunity. Once radar becomes widespread, such opportunities will not be so easy to come by."

Bombing Tokyo?

Pan Jiafeng, Shao Sishen, and the three Red Army pilots were all stunned by this incredible operation.

"Master, why didn't you tell me sooner? I wasn't prepared at all. Now that you've mentioned it, I'm both nervous and excited," Pan Jiafeng exclaimed excitedly.

"You have to keep your excitement to yourself. I'm telling you now to maintain secrecy. Don't make any mistakes when you're dropping the bombs from the ammunition trays later," Fang Wen said with a smile.

"No, it won't happen." Pan Jiafeng replied confidently.

Fang Wen then asked the three Red Army flight cadets, "Qi Baoqian, Du Jiahuai, and Shao Deqing, are you three doing a good job transporting the ammunition?"

"We will definitely complete the mission," the three replied in unison.

As for Shao Sishen, Fang Wen didn't say anything; he trusted his former comrade-in-arms.

Shao Sichen took the initiative to go to the cockpit door: "General Manager, thank you for taking me on this mission. I'm glad we were able to complete this bombing mission."

Fang Wen nodded: "Tell me the actual situation. This bombing was carried out on the basis of the rebellion on the Japanese side. Our purpose is to take advantage of the chaos to bomb, add fuel to the fire, and make them even more chaotic, which will be in our favor."

After saying this, everyone stopped talking, and the flight fell silent.

The plane traversed the area where the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea meet, flew over the Korea Strait, crossed Hiroshima, Hyogo, Kyoto, and Yamanashi, and arrived over Tokyo.

The plane circled at an altitude of 6000 meters over Tokyo.

Fang Wen checked the time; it was already 3 a.m., but there was still no radio wave response.

The time agreed upon with Yoshida was between 3 and 4 o'clock, and Fang Wen could only wait silently.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence.

Despite it being late at night, the soldiers remained alert and on high alert.

They knew how important tonight was and couldn't afford to give their opponents a chance to counterattack.

This vigilance, however, made Yoshida secretly groan.

Yoshida's backpack contained a radio wave transmitter. After more than a year of research and development, this pointing device, specifically designed for Fang Wen, had been miniaturized.

To use it, simply turn on the switch and point the wireless RF head at the target.

But the key issue now is that Yoshida can't get out.

The thought of not being able to leave and becoming a member of the Imperial Way Faction, with an uncertain future, coupled with the fear of punishment from the mysterious organization, made Yoshida very worried.

How could a group of people who dared to assassinate cabinet ministers be given important positions? These lunatics.

Yoshida looked at Okamoto dancing the Awa dance by the fire in the distance, and a murderous intent rose in his heart. This guy was the one who had brought him into this predicament.

He gritted his teeth and made a decision: to blow up the Prime Minister's residence first, putting himself in a do-or-die situation.

Otherwise, we'll really be doomed.

With this in mind, Yoshida hardened his heart, activated the radio wave pointing device in his backpack, pointed the radio frequency head at the rebels in the distance, and hid near the room where the prime minister was hiding.

(End of this chapter)