Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 305, Section 304: Captain Gao is promoted; Fang Wen remains in Hangzhou for air defense against overwhelming odds.

The Japanese naval bombing in mid-August was intended as an aerial deterrent to support naval offensives, but it did not go as smoothly as they had anticipated.

Over the past five years, it's not just Japan's military strength that has increased.

The Nationalist government spent a huge amount of money, although only a portion of it was actually put into practice, but it still managed to train a group of pilots with strong combat capabilities.

It can be said that this was the peak period of the Nationalist Air Force in the early stages of the War of Resistance against Japan.

In response to the Japanese bombing, the Nationalist Air Force also launched a counterattack.

Results:

The Japanese naval air groups of Kanoya and Kisarazu launched bomber formations to attack airfields in Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Cao'e.

The 9th Squadron of the Chinese Air Force shot down four Japanese aircraft over Cao'e.

The 4th Group and the Taishan Air Force shot down 18 Japanese aircraft over Hangzhou.

Such a result only made the Japanese side even more frantic.

They assembled a larger air force to carry out large-scale bombing and to challenge the National Air Force.

At Jianqiao Airport, the Fourth Squadron achieved remarkable results yesterday, severely damaging the invading bomber formation.

Even today, the pilots who participated in this battle are still immersed in joy.

In contrast, Fang Wen and his group were much more indifferent. As they participated in more aerial battles, they became more and more accustomed to the victories in aerial combat.

But regardless, celebration is a must.

A small, private celebration was held inside the airport. At the celebration, which was attended by airport staff, military officers, and their families, a gramophone played songs by Shanghai singers, and men and women danced and socialized on the dance floor, or gathered in twos and threes to chat.

Fang Wen and his group gathered in a corner of the venue and also participated in the celebration.

Although it was only their second day there, they had already become celebrities at Jianqiao Airport and were very popular.

Two ladies approached him shyly and invited the pilot from Mount Tai to join them on the dance floor.

Du Jiahuai and Shao Deqing blushed and refused, but Zhai Xiaojun was very willing to participate.

As for Fang Wen, given his status, no one will bother him.

He was quite content to relax and watch the excitement from the sidelines, a glass of wine in hand.

The reaction of the three subordinates was understandable.

Du Jiahuai was the company commander of the reconnaissance company of the First Front Army. He was skilled in reconnaissance and assault. His family was poor when he was young, and both his parents died. He later joined the Red Army, but he had never been in a relationship. His behavior in this regard was completely different from his calm and brave appearance in battle. On the contrary, he was somewhat shy.

Shao Deqing was even younger, only 20 years old. He was also quite young when he joined the Fourth Front Army. As a cavalry communications officer and now a pilot, he got along well with horses and was also adept at flying planes, but he dared not touch a woman's hand.

Zhai Xiaojun, on the other hand, has experienced a lot in Southeast Asia and is open-minded and proactive when it comes to romantic relationships.

Fang Wen walked over with a smile and sat down next to Du Jiahuai and Shao Deqing, asking them questions.

"Why don't you go dancing? If you like, I can help introduce you to someone."

The two Red Army pilots immediately shook their heads, indicating that they had not considered that possibility.

Fang Wen understood that they were true warriors with ideals, striving to build a new China, and therefore they could suppress their desires and move forward for their ideals.

Fang Wen had seen this situation more than once.

The Red Army officer Shu Zhitao, who used the alias Bai Yunfei and maintained contact with the airport at Xiangxi Airport, was also the same person.

And then there were the Red Army soldiers who overcame their physical limits through sheer willpower.

They were all quite young, and should have been enjoying their youth, but unfortunately, they were born at the wrong time and became the strongest warriors.

Fang Wen sighed, deciding not to joke about the matter, and got up to walk over to Captain Gao.

He wanted to discuss the air combat matters for the upcoming Battle of Shanghai with Captain Gao.

The two walked out of the celebration venue and strolled and chatted along the airport runway.

"Captain Gao, what's your take on the situation in the south?"

"I think there seems to be a lack of coordination between Japan's land and sea operations. The army is attacking in the north, while the navy is launching operations in the south. Clearly, there is a conflict and competition between them."

“Competition is not a bad thing, especially for our enemies; it makes them more destructive,” Fang Wen replied.

"Yes. Five years have passed, and the Japanese navy must be stronger than it was five years ago. We achieved this victory by gathering the best pilots in all of China, but only a few can fly and fight. If this continues, the war will inevitably be a war of attrition, and we can't afford to lose."

Captain Gao, as a mid-level officer in the National Air Force, was very familiar with his own situation, and every word he spoke came from the bottom of his heart.

Don't be fooled by this victory.

But what about the actual situation?

Nine air squadrons, with a total of more than 300 aircraft, of which 200 are combat-ready.

But in reality, not that many could actually fly into the sky and fight the enemy.

There were also those who used various excuses to retire due to illness or desert the war.

Take the Fourth Squadron for example. Most of the most capable pilots in this squadron are overseas Chinese pilots. They are more willing to fight. In contrast, those who were brought in by high-ranking officials had already left Jianqiao Airport under various pretexts when a crisis occurred.

This situation is not unique to the Fourth Brigade; it is a widespread phenomenon.

That's why Captain Gao had this worry: generals are bound to die on the battlefield, and those who are capable of fighting will inevitably die on the battlefield.

If they are killed in action, can we rely on those who desert?
Fang Wen remained silent as he listened to Captain Gao's heartfelt words.

Logically speaking, this is not something he can discuss, since Taishan Aviation and Taishan Independent Regiment are not part of the National Air Force at all.

However, this situation also means that the superficial glamour will eventually collapse.

No wonder there was an eight-year war of resistance against Japan; there are reasons for all of this.

He shook off his thoughts and changed the subject.

"There may be a chance for things to turn around in the future. All we can do now is to do our best to strike the Japanese naval air force, support the ground forces, and stop them from bombing the coastal cities."

Yes, as for what the future holds, a moment of reflection is enough. The Japanese bombing continues, and cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou are under threat.

This was the disastrous consequence of lacking air and sea superiority; the bombing caused heavy losses and even death to civilians, which these pilots had to do their best to make up for.

Captain Gao's expression gradually cleared, and he began to discuss the matter with Fang Wen.

"The Japanese army will not bomb Shanghai on a large scale. After all, they have many industries there, and they also have British, French, American and German influence in Shanghai. They will not offend all of them. The bombing of Hangzhou shows that they are testing the waters. In the future, they will launch an attack on a deeper target, which I think is Nanjing."

Fang Wen did not entirely agree with Captain Gao's assessment. How could the Japanese army not launch a large-scale bombing of Shanghai? It hadn't happened yet, but it would start later.

But he agrees with other aspects.

"It should indeed be Nanjing."

Fang Wen, who frequently flew the Shanghai-Nanjing route in the early days, had his own judgment on the situation.

He took out a folded map and went into the airport office with Captain Gao to discuss it.

If the bombing were to target Nanjing, the Japanese naval air force would not have invaded from Hangzhou Bay, but would have chosen to fly over Shanghai via Rudong, Taizhou, Yangzhou, and then Nanjing.

As can be seen from the map, Nanjing had a more robust defense than Hangzhou, with three air squadrons protecting the area around Nanjing. If the Japanese wanted to bomb Nanjing, they would have to send out a larger bombing group.

It can be said that the air battles during the Battle of Shanghai were the largest-scale air battles of the War of Resistance against Japan. In the future, these aircraft and pilots will be lost in the war, and it will never be possible to have an air battle on the same scale as this one.

Fang Wen sighed inwardly, but could only do his best to participate and contribute to the Battle of Shanghai.

Putting aside everything else, every enemy plane we shoot down will reduce the chances of suffering huge losses and losing lives due to bombing by these enemies in the future.

He said, "The air raids on Hangzhou are probably just a feint. Should we request assistance from Nanjing for defense?"

Captain Gao shared the same idea. The straight-line distance between Hangzhou and Nanjing is only 230 kilometers, which can be reached in half an hour. If the Japanese bomber formation is discovered on the coastline, the distance to Nanjing is about 240 kilometers. It would be perfectly feasible to send reinforcements from Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport.

After having this idea, the two reached an agreement and jointly sent a telegram to Nanjing requesting assistance in the battle.

The telegram was sent to Nanjing.

The Nanjing authorities largely agreed with Captain Gao's assessment.

Furthermore, the Tianjin South Air Battle and the recently concluded Jianqiao Air Battle greatly enhanced Captain Gao's reputation within the Nationalist Air Force.

Therefore, the Aviation Commission did not agree to the request for assistance in defense, but instead specifically requested Captain Gao to lead the Fourth Squadron to Nanjing to cooperate with Nanjing's air defense.

At the same time, he was entrusted with an important task: to command Nanjing's air defense.

This was something no one expected. Captain Gao suddenly rose through the ranks and became the temporary combat commander of the Air Force.

Captain Gao, who was preparing to go to Nanjing, invited Fang Wen to go with him, since protecting the capital would bring greater prestige, and he was also thinking of Fang Wen's best interests.

Fang Wen, however, did not agree to this.

For Nanjing's air defense, three squadrons are already sufficient; adding a fourth squadron would only be icing on the cake.

The best arrangement would be for the Fourth Detachment to be stationed in Hangzhou to assist in the defense of Nanjing.

But now that so many planes have gone to Nanjing, what about the air defense on the Hangzhou Bay side?
With the loss of the Fourth Squadron, only the Ninth Squadron at Shaoxing Cao'e Airport remained, which would be difficult to deal with a large-scale attack by the Japanese naval air force.

More importantly, Fang Wen remembered that the Japanese army seemed to have landed in Hangzhou Bay, which was very important and could not be lost.

Therefore, Fang Wen refused the request to go to Nanjing and instead planned to stay at Jianqiao Airport.

Captain Gao understood Fang Wen's intentions. The air defense here was indeed weak. Now the commander of the theater air force, he gave Fang Wen a special privilege: full command of Jianqiao Airport.

The staff, ground crew, and garrison officers at Jianqiao Airport will all be under his command.

This arrangement, a temporary measure during wartime, gave Fang Wen the power to temporarily control the air force base.

The Fourth Brigade has left.

The airport was left with only four fighter planes from the 1st Aviation Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment, as well as some old, non-combat-capable trainer aircraft.

Taking on this responsibility means taking over the protection of the airspace over the Hangzhou area from the Fourth Squadron.

Four fighter jets are too few, and the mission is arduous.

In order to expedite the establishment of cooperation between the airport and the Taishan Aviation Battalion, Fang Wen immediately convened a meeting with airport management, ground crew, and garrison officers.

Having owned a large multinational aviation company, he exudes a strong leadership aura and took the initiative to speak after everyone had arrived.

"Gentlemen, the war is urgent. Captain Gao has taken the 4th Squadron to Nanjing, so I will take over the defense here. I have already stated that everything must be done in order to fight the Japanese. My air force's needs in all aspects must be met. I think that shouldn't be too difficult to do, right?"

The officers from all sides responded, agreeing with Captain Gao's arrangements and expressing their willingness to cooperate with Fang Wen.

With these promises in place, Fang Wen believed them.

Then, everything went back to normal.

And in the following days.

There is no fighting in Hangzhou.

Meanwhile, things were getting increasingly lively in Nanjing.

Multiple Japanese bombing squadrons attempted to bomb Nanjing.

The interception by the four air squadrons played an excellent role in this response.

On the first day of air raids, four Japanese Type 4 aircraft were shot down.

The next day, the bomber formation attacked again, and three more were shot down.

The bombing is ongoing, in multiple waves, and continues uninterrupted.

Initially, the Nationalist Air Force held the advantage, but as Captain Gao worried, this kind of war was a contest of attrition. Once the attrition exceeded the limits of the Nationalist Air Force, the situation would change.

The air battle in Nanjing was fierce, while Hangzhou remained completely silent.

Fang Wen was not in a hurry about this.

He came not for personal gain, but to protect the people from casualties caused by Japanese bombing.

In particular, the layout of Jianqiao Airport, which was built in the center of the city, would definitely affect the surrounding people if it were bombed. Not to mention that the Japanese army was cruel and might have deliberately dropped bombs on crowded areas.

Therefore, even if nothing happens, he remains calm and vigilant.

At the same time, contact was established with the Ninth Detachment, and cooperation was reached with the garrison of Hangzhou Bay to provide early warning of air raids.

These preparations proved useful three days later.

Three days later, in the early morning, along the Hangzhou Bay coast.

As dawn broke, the soldiers changing shifts yawned and waited for their replacements.

He suddenly felt that it was getting dark.

The soldier instinctively looked up.

It was a Japanese aircraft.

The soldiers quickly pulled the alarm rope and shouted warnings. The officers, awakened by the alarm, saw the situation in the air and remembered the mission they had been given. They quickly took out their telegraph machines and sent messages to Jianqiao Airport and Cao'e Airport.

At that moment, amidst the roar of gunfire, five Type 97 carrier-based attack aircraft flew in a V-formation towards China.

Protecting it from the side were ten Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets.

Such a large-scale bombing was not aimed at Nanjing, but at Hangzhou.

At Jianqiao Airport, Fang Wen looked at the alarm message from the telegraph operator and, without saying a word, sounded the alarm.

At the same time, he quickly ran out of the office.

The three pilots, who were in wartime preparation, also ran to the side of the airport runway to assemble as soon as the alarm sounded.

Fang Wen solemnly addressed his three subordinates: "Take off immediately. Remember, we only have four planes this time. Our primary focus should be on defense. We must harass and shoot down enemy planes outside Hangzhou as much as possible, so that they are unable to invade Hangzhou."

"Yes," the three pilots replied in unison.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen and the other three ran to board the plane and took off from the two runways.

Everything went according to plan; from the alarm to the assembly to takeoff, it took less than ten minutes.

As they flew out of Hangzhou, they ran into a formation of enemy bombers.

(End of this chapter)