Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 30, Ground War Breaks Out, Airborne Machine Gunners Take Position

Nanjing Airport.

Since the last air battle, Fang Wen's relationship with the pilots of the Guangdong Air Force has improved a lot.

These past few days, although there have been no flight missions, everyone has been getting together to exchange flying experiences and tips.

Fang Wen benefited greatly from his interactions with them and also shared some of his own experiences.

The experience he summarized through mechanical perception, although much of it only applies to himself, can still inspire others.

That is why both sides benefit.

The only regret is that he cannot fly the K-47 fighter jet. After all, he is a civilian pilot and does not belong to the Guangdong Air Force. No matter how good the relationship is, it is impossible for him to fly a military aircraft.

In their spare time, people talked more about the battle in Shanghai.

As soldiers, they are very sensitive to this and often express various opinions.

At times like these, Fang Wen would act as an observer, offering no opinion and simply listening quietly.

"The reduction in the number of warships on the river indicates that our bombing is effective. If we continue bombing, it will create even greater pressure."

"You're a soldier, not a student full of emotions. I'm asking you, given the current situation, how do you plan to carry out the bombing?"

"Yes. They've installed anti-aircraft machine guns on their warships, and eight to ten aircraft patrol the air every hour, forming a tight defensive formation. Once our fighter jets enter Shanghai, they'll be subjected to crossfire from the air and ground. Given that we're outnumbered and outequipped, are we just going to throw our lives away?"

The flight captain spoke up to stop the argument.

"Stop talking. Last time we caught them off guard. Now they're on high alert, and any air strike will be extremely dangerous."

Fang Wen also agreed with the air force captain's words. In the end, war is about strength. If the weaker side wants to win, it can only persevere. This perseverance will last a long time, long enough to drive some people to collapse.

He could see the future and wanted to contribute to the war effort, but he didn't want to do anything foolish when a powerful enemy was prepared.

The debate ended there.

But the conversation continued, and the drivers shifted their topic to the overall situation.

They took out newspapers shipped from Shanghai and discussed the comments inside.

"You see, the newspapers say the situation has changed, but the huge military gap between the two sides remains unchanged. Relying on their naval and air superiority, the Japanese still have the upper hand. But their biggest weakness is that they don't have enough ground troops to participate in the offensive."

"Based on the above analysis, this military action was merely a cover-up to alleviate the pressure of the Northeast Incident."

"What they want is to buy time, so that they can consolidate their gains in the Northeast before they can turn their attention to attacking the Central Plains."

This commentary is clearly endorsed by many, including many pilots in the air force.

Fang Wen, however, had a different opinion.

In his memory, the Japanese army was not a monolithic entity; the army and navy had long had disagreements.

The army easily gained control of Northeast China due to the non-resistance movement.

How could the navy possibly show weakness?

In other words, if the Japanese Navy does not get the benefits it wants, it will be suppressed by the Army in the cabinet. Therefore, this war will definitely continue, but the outcome will be a power struggle at the top.

Given the precedent of betraying Northeast China, Shanghai is unlikely to fare much better.

But before that, a large-scale war will inevitably take place.

Just as Fang Wen thought, the air battles were merely small ripples in the long river of history, unable to change the overall course of events.

The war continued until mid-February, when the 19th Route Army received reinforcements, with its most elite newly formed 5th Army arriving in Shanghai.

In the following days, no large-scale firefights occurred.

Until the 20th.

Alarms blared throughout the airport, and pilots from all three air squadrons assembled outside.

Fang Wen ran out of the dormitory and heard the captain of the Guangdong Aviation Team giving a speech.

"The Japanese army has launched a fierce offensive. Fierce fighting has taken place in Jiangwan and Miaohang. Large groups of Japanese troops are launching simultaneous attacks on the north and south sides, attempting to connect Wusong and Zhabei. Our unit has received orders to bomb their ground forces."

Immediately, the air force pilots boarded their fighter jets and took to the skies.

Fang Wen watched the plane disappear into the distance, silently wishing them well. These people would face enemies many times their number, and their journey would be fraught with danger. He hoped they would return safely. He waited for over three hours.

Planes were gradually returning to their origin in the sky.

Only five planes from the Guangdong Air Force returned.

Fang Wen and the other pilots disembarked and asked with concern, "How is the situation?"

"Chen Shouxian's plane's fuel tank was hit and caught fire."

These brief words convey the gravity of the situation, a gravity that only pilots truly understand. The fuel tank is the most dangerous part of an aircraft; whether it's a puncture causing a fuel leak or a fuel explosion inside the tank, both are fatal to the aircraft.

Fang Wen was heartbroken. The explosion of the plane's fuel tank meant that the pilot and the machine gunner were gone.

But the tragedy didn't end there. Xie Bengui, the air force machine gunner who had flown bombing missions with him, was also carried out of the rear cockpit.

He was covered in blood and had fallen into a coma; it was unknown whether he could be saved.

Fang Wen watched as Xie Bengui boarded the military vehicle and left the airport, offering his blessings.

Just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Fang Wen, we have another airstrike mission this afternoon, but we're short one machine gunner. Can you take over?"

Fang Wen was stunned.

The K-47 fighter was a two-seat combat and ground attack aircraft, with the pilot in the front and the gunner in the rear.

The gunner was responsible for controlling two 7.92 mm air-cooled MG08 heavy machine guns at the nose and tail of the aircraft, while also dropping two 50 kg bombs carried under the wings of the fighter.

It can be said that without a machine gunner, the K-47 fighter would lose its offensive capability.

The air force captain's decision to have him replace Xie Bengui was a last resort, as the only reserve machine gunner was injured and hospitalized during training the day before yesterday, leaving no replacement.

If Fang Wen disagrees, the K-47 fighter jet will be unable to carry out the afternoon's air raid mission.

Do you want to go?
Fang Wen's heart raced as he pondered.

As a machine gunner, one cannot fly the plane, meaning one's life is in the hands of the pilot in front.

This is an extremely dangerous act.

He looked at the pilot with a sorrowful face. Xie Bengui had mentioned this partner before. He was from Guangzhou, a wealthy man, but extremely brave in the air and the best pilot in the air force.

"Captain, may I talk to him?" Fang Wen asked.

"Alright, go talk to him." The captain nodded.

Fang Wen walked over.

"Shao Sishen, the captain said you'll be my partner for the afternoon flight."

"You'll be my machine gunner?" Shao Sichen looked at Fang Wen in surprise.

"Yes, you know I have some talent in the air. If I offer some suggestions during the flight, would you accept them?" Fang Wen looked at the other person very seriously, needing a positive answer before he would take the risk.

Shao Sichen hesitated for a moment. "I've heard Xie Bengui talk about you, and I've also talked with you. You do have some unique insights. If those suggestions can save our lives, of course I'll listen to them."

"That's good. I need to familiarize myself with the machine gunner's position."

Fang Wen and Shao Sichen confirmed their partnership, then boarded the fighter jet and began their exchange.

"There are two triggers here, one for the front machine gun and one for the rear machine gun. The two pull rings on the left are the bomb release switches. By the way, Fang Wen, did you study aerial combat at Nanyuan Aviation?"

"I've studied it before. There used to be a machine gun class that specifically trained machine gunners, but this term it's become a comprehensive course."

"It's good that you have experience. I was worried. You are an aerial hero. I hope we can work together to teach the Japanese a lesson."

"no problem."

Fang Wen suddenly felt a surge of excitement.

What kind of results could two airborne heavy machine guns, plus two bombs, achieve in the afternoon's operation?

(End of this chapter)