Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 275-274 Aerial Bayonet Fight, Masters Clash, Ancient City of Cáceres
Three He.51 fighters and two Messerschmitt BF.109 fighters launched an attack on the transport escort formation.

Information about German Air Force flight formations rapidly surfaced in Fang Wen's mind.

In 35, the German Army established a three-tiered, six-level organizational structure for its air force.

Generally, a flight formation consisting of 3 to 6 fighter jets is the basic combat structure, used to deal with various air missions.

The previous formation of six fighter jets escorting bombers was like that, but this time the five fighter jets are not undertaking escort missions, which is a flight formation with a higher level of air combat interception.

Moreover, it was a 5 vs. 8 situation, and the opposing team clearly felt confident in their skills and daring, indicating they definitely had a highly skilled player.

Just as Fang Wen issued a secret telegram ordering four original Il-16s to guard the transport aircraft, while he led three modified Il-16s as wingmen to engage the enemy, the other side also reacted.

Unlike Fang Wen, who could command via secret telegram, this batch of fighter jets had clearly been planned in advance. Three He.51 fighters flew in a triangular formation, while two BF.109 fighters head-on confronted Fang Wen's four fighter jets.

As expected, the opponents were all experienced pilots. Fang Wen felt the pressure, but this was also the best practical lesson for elite pilots.

A high-level aerial combat game was about to begin.

One hundred kilometers south of Valencia, the Asian Air Force encountered a squadron of senior pilots from the Condor Legion.

The battlefield was divided into two parts.

Four Il-16s encountered three He.51s.

In air combat, the best defense is offense. In order to prevent enemy aircraft from damaging the DC-3 transport plane, four Il-16s took off head-on.

The two sides fought fiercely, with bullets raining down from the sky.

The pilots of the He.51 were clearly unprepared for such a fierce opponent, and quickly dispersed, flying in three different directions.

This tactic was specifically designed to target Asian air forces.

You're good at joint operations, aren't you? Well, that's not up to you.

The three He.51s scattered, and if even one of them was not caught, it could potentially launch an attack on the DC-3 transport plane.

Just as they had planned before the battle, the four Il-16s had to split up, with 22 in a group chasing the target.

There's another He.51 that's not being watched. Are we just going to let it attack the transport plane?

of course not.

Fang Wen's side dispatched two wingmen to block their path.

The aerial chase unfolded with a score of 6 to 3, putting immense pressure on even the most skilled pilots of the Condor Legion.

毕竟架He.51的性能比伊尔16要差，他们用技术最多与1架伊尔16周旋，2架就很是吃力了。

Through this tactical maneuver, Fang Wen thwarted the enemy's plan to launch a sneak attack, but shifted all the pressure to himself.

Now, he and Red Army pilot Du Jiahuai are facing off against the Messerschmitt BF.109 fighter.

Du Jiahuai's flying skills were considered outstanding among the pilots, but now, facing a senior German pilot flying a BF.109, the gap became apparent.

Seeing that Du Jiahuai was falling behind his opponent during the chase, Fang Wen realized that if he didn't finish off his opponent soon, Du Jiahuai might be in trouble.

He reacted immediately, and the Shrike suddenly accelerated, heading straight for the Messerschmitt BF.109 fighter.

This is the most direct and brutal form of combat in piston-engine aircraft aerial warfare.

Aerial bayonet fighting.

Fang Wen's opponent, surprisingly, made the same reaction at this moment.

The two fighter jets accelerated one after the other and charged head-on.

2000 meters, 1000 meters, the distance between the two is getting closer and closer.

This is a battle between the strong, where life and death hang by a thread.

The next second, the distance between the planes was within a few hundred meters.

The pilots of the Messerschmitt BF.109 fighters could not contain themselves and launched the first attack.

Its weapon system consists of two 7.92mm MG17 synchronized machine guns mounted above the engine hood, and another MG17 machine gun located on the central shaft below the nose.

Three 7.92mm machine guns fired simultaneously, creating a deadly hail of bullets in front.

This is the predictive firing technique used by experienced fighter pilots in this era. The pre-fired bullets act as both spear and shield; if the enemy gets within effective range, these bullets will be a deadly harvest. At the same time, they can also form a rain of bullets, preventing the enemy from firing head-on.

Faced with this situation, Fang Wen, in a state of mechanical perception, took action.

Like a shrike, the combat iron bird displayed amazing micro-management, suddenly turning its fuselage to the side and shifting the entire aircraft by 200 meters.

It was this distance bias that rendered the opponent's predictive shooting ineffective, leaving them no time to retaliate.

Fang Wen, piloting the Shrike sideways, performed a unique maneuver.

He opened the left control stick and pulled the trigger the instant his aircraft passed his opponent sideways.

A 7.92mm ZB26 light machine gun hidden in the belly of the Shrike fired bullets at the enemy.

This is a rare side-shooting maneuver in aerial combat, and even experienced German pilots were surprised that their opponents had this tactic.

The bullets, though slightly erratic at a distance of 500 meters, still possessed considerable power, instantly creating a row of bullet holes on the left side of the BF.109 fighter jet.

The next second, the two planes passed each other.

Although the plane hadn't had time to turn, Fang Wen had already seen the opponent's situation through mechanical perception.

The Bf-109 fighter jet, whose fuselage was hit by machine gun fire on one side, did not appear to have suffered serious damage.

Fang Wen, who had a clear understanding of fighter jet structure, immediately concluded that all the important components of the Bf-109 fighter jet were concentrated in the wings and the front section. The shots fired when it passed by were mainly concentrated in the tail area behind the wings, so the opponent could continue to fight.

He immediately turned the plane around, ready to come again.

Faced with Fang Wen's ferocious attack, the opponent lost his nerve.

He no longer had the courage to engage Fang Wen in a second bayonet fight, and from this duel, he also realized that he was no match for Fang Wen.

Therefore, this Bf-109 fighter jet actually moved closer to its teammates.

Meanwhile, another Bf-109 fighter jet, realizing its teammate's intentions, actually engaged in dogfighting with the Il-16 piloted by Du Jiahuai.

As expected of a senior pilot, despite lacking air combat communication equipment, they tacitly chose the correct method.

If they coordinate successfully and shoot down Du Jiahuai's wingman from both sides, Fang Wen will face a 2-on-1 situation.

However, these two senior German pilots were unaware that Fang Wen could use coded telegrams to command his wingmen.

In response to the changes in enemy aircraft, Fang Wen issued a secret telegram.

【Tactics 11】

The brief, coded telegram contained a wealth of information.

Du Jiahuai immediately stopped fighting with his opponent and joined Fang Wen's Shrike without hesitation.

He deliberately veered away, using a dive evasive maneuver, causing the aircraft to suddenly sink and making the opponent lose sight of him.

By the time the opponent adjusted their aircraft to pursue, Fang Wen had already piloted the Shrike into Du Jiahuai's rear to provide cover.

Before the enemy could dodge, they were hit by 20mm cannon fire.

The aircraft's landing gear was hit instantly, and a 20mm cannon shell blasted the entire landing gear into pieces.

A fighter jet without landing gear would have little chance of surviving a landing, even if it was no longer engaged in combat. This shot plunged the enemy into despair.

Instead, it became even more frenzied, joining forces with another Bf-109 fighter to attack Fang Wen's Shrike.

One after the other, the former, knowing there was no way to survive, acted decisively; the latter, eager for revenge, concentrated all their firepower on the Shrike piloted by Fang Wen. This was the most thrilling moment of the entire air battle.

If the Bf-109 fighter is shot down, the rest will be a foregone conclusion.

If Fang Wen's Shrike were shot down, the escort fleet would also be in danger of losing its brain and strongest air commander.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still.

In a mysterious state, Fang Wen made a comprehensive assessment of the battlefield.

The two Bf-109 fighters appeared to be fighting desperately, but they were not without strategy.

The fighter jets in front locked onto Fang Wen's Shrike in a bayonet charge.

Enemy planes at full power are very difficult to shake off.

Turning to avoid it is impossible; once you turn, you will give your opponent an opportunity.

The enemy aircraft that followed from the rear were even more deadly. Taking advantage of the moment when its teammates were chasing Fang Wen, it also accelerated and maneuvered, preparing to launch an attack on the flanks and rear of the Shrike.

At this moment, Du Jiahuai's Il-16 had not yet completed its turn and had no time to coordinate with Fang Wen.

The fighting on the transport planes is still ongoing, so there's no way they can come to Fang Wen's aid at this moment.

The opponent was indeed very experienced, and in the face of life and death, chose the best way to fight.

At this moment, Fang Wen couldn't help but feel admiration for these two senior pilots from the German Condor Legion.

The tactics were good, and the technique was excellent, but they chose the wrong opponent.

He took immediate action.

Dive and flip in a U-shape.

This is a seemingly simple but extremely difficult flight maneuver.

The plane charged head-on towards its opponents, then suddenly veered downwards, using this rapid descent to evade the threat of the two fighter jets.

But this wasn't the end of the operation. The Shrike wasn't just trying to get two enemy planes to target Du Jiahuai, who hadn't had time to turn around.

As the plane was diving, it suddenly pulled up, first leveling the fuselage, and then tilting its nose upwards.

It sounds simple, but it's incredibly difficult and puts a huge strain on the aircraft.

Even when Fang Wen completed the U-shaped flip, he could feel that the plane was in a state of extreme tension.

Fortunately, the U-turn was completed. The Shrike changed position with a difficult tactical maneuver. The tilted fuselage also completed its aim in the instant of the roll and turn, and 20mm cannon shells swept in from below at a tricky angle.

The incredible tactical maneuver, including firing, was something even the two veteran pilots hadn't anticipated.

The enemy plane, whose landing gear had been shot off, was hit in the abdomen again.

A large number of machine gun shells tore through the fuselage and exploded inside the aircraft. Shrapnel instantly damaged the engine and fuel lines, and the high temperature generated at high speed ignited the aviation gasoline inside the aircraft.

An explosion occurred from the inside out, and fragments scattered in all directions.

Fang Wen had not expected the Bf-109 fighter jet to explode so violently. The debris from the explosion scratched the fuselage of the Shrike, and even the added sealed transparent cockpit canopy was deeply scratched.

He quickly adjusted his position and flew away from the explosion site. At the same time, another Bf-109 fighter jet was also affected by the explosion, with one of its wings torn off by flying debris.

The aerial duel between the Shrike and two Bf-109 fighters ended unexpectedly due to the explosion of the leading aircraft.

Another Bf-109 fighter with a missing right wing lost its balance and wobbled in the air.

Clearly, the aircraft was no longer capable of fighting, and the only thing the pilot could do was try to maintain the aircraft's balance and land it in the nearby area to survive.

First, he was shot by Fang Wen, and then he witnessed his teammates being killed by Fang Wen, which indeed made the pilot lose his fighting spirit. He disregarded everything and flew away in his wrecked Bf-109 fighter.

Fang Wen originally wanted to press his advantage and shoot it down, but then he thought that if he could get his hands on this non-threatening Bf-109 fighter, it would be of great reference value for building fighters in the future.

After all, this aircraft model had several variants during World War II and was the mainstay fighter aircraft of the German Air Force.

Upon thinking about it, Fang Wen immediately abandoned his plan to shoot it down.

He sent a secret telegram to his subordinates, instructing them to handle the aftermath, and then he followed in the Shrike.

In order to obtain the complete aircraft, Fang Wen followed at a leisurely pace in his Shrike.

The Bf-109 fighter jet ahead knew that Fang Wen was following them. It had tried to turn back, but was blocked by the Shrike. In the end, it had no choice but to give up and fly westward in a shaky manner.

The flight lasted for an hour.

Neither Fang Wen nor the opposing pilot had expected it to last so long.

The Bf-109 only made an emergency landing when its fuel was almost exhausted.

The plane swayed and descended, flying over the ancient city below, but ultimately chose to return and land in the city square.

Fang Wen did not land. He was unfamiliar with the place and the people. Although it seemed remote, he didn't know which force controlled it. If he wanted to get the Bf-109, he had to find out the situation first.

He took out a map and, based on his impressions of the planes that had flown by, located his current destination on the map.

Cáceres City.

An old town located in western Spain.

It is 400 kilometers from Valencia and located southwest of Madrid.

He lowered his altitude to observe the situation below.

Below, the residents of the ancient city of Cáceres swarmed out and surrounded the pilot.

These people were also very interested in the Shrike in the sky, and many of them waved to the sky.

It seems that this place is too remote and has no connection with the Popular Front or Franco.

Fang Wen thought for a moment, but decided not to land. Instead, he decided to return to the international brigade to find a solution.

The Shrike returned along the same route and landed at Albacete base.

At this time, the Asian Air Force had also completed its escort mission and returned home. After parking the plane, Fang Wen got off and talked with the team members to learn about what had happened after he left.

Having lost the strong support of two Bf-109s, the remaining three Condor Legion biplane fighters also lost their advantage; two were shot down, and the other escaped.

After learning about the situation, Fang Wen did not linger at the camp and immediately went to the International Brigades headquarters.

As a regular visitor here, the guards did not stop him, and he went directly to the headquarters.

A meeting was being held at headquarters, with a group of officers discussing something around a sand table. The adjutant of the International Brigade commander saw Fang Wen and came over to ask him something.

"I heard the transport plane escort formation was attacked. Is the situation alright?"

"Things went well. We shot down three aircraft and successfully completed our escort mission," Fang Wen replied.

The adjutant was very surprised: "Your Asian Air Force is really amazing."

Fang Wen didn't discuss this further with his adjutant; he had urgent business to attend to. He then explained how he had tracked down the Bf-109 and had it forced to land in Cáceres.

For the Soviet Union, the Bf-109 fighter represented the newest and best fighter in Europe and had high research value. Therefore, the Soviet officers of the International Brigades unanimously agreed to go to Cáceres to bring back the Bf-109 fighter.

Fang Wen also had a request: that Fang Wen go with him and that he be allowed to study the Bf-109 fighter jet as a trophy first.

The officers at the International Brigades command had no objection to this request; as long as the aircraft remained at the base, they didn't care how much they studied it.

They then began organizing their forces to head to Cáceres.

(End of this chapter)