Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 310 309 Mechanical Eagle Eye, Terrifying Thermobaric Bomb, Dropping Auxiliary Fuel Tank Operation
The Shrike, which had transited through Guangdong, landed at Jianqiao Airport.

Carrying a 700-kilogram external bomb seems a bit of a strain for the small-sized Shrike.

However, the increased power from a powerful engine actually allows it to carry such heavy bombs for airstrikes.

His return was greeted by his men in the air force, and the three pilots looked curiously at the large bomb hanging under the fuselage.

"What is this?" Zhai Xiaojun asked.

"This is a secret weapon. It is extremely powerful, but unstable. From now on, I need you to take turns guarding the Shrike and prohibit anyone from approaching until I take off."

As Fang Wen gave a brief explanation, he issued instructions. The three pilots, sensing the importance of the matter from his tone, immediately stood at attention and listened to his orders.

Immediately, the three pilots took out their small self-defense pistols from their dormitory and stood guard beside the plane.

This is not Fang Wen making a mountain out of a molehill. In addition to the thermite, the homemade thermite bomb contains a lot of explosives that can generate high temperature and high explosion for secondary detonation. Only in that way can the 25% aluminum powder mixed in produce a strong oxidation reaction.

Fang Wen could not judge the effect of that, since a very small dose was used in the experiment.

It can be said that even without the interference of Japanese spies, improper touching by curious airport staff and soldiers could have been dangerous.

He was still worried after walking halfway, so he called over the commander of the Jianqiao Airport garrison and asked him to arrange a team of soldiers to defend the outer perimeter.

Despite not fully understanding the reason for his cautious order, the garrison commander obeyed and dispatched a company to encircle the runway and guard it closely.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen went to his dormitory and used a telegraph machine to contact the front lines in Shanghai.

On the Shanghai battlefield, the situation remained deadlocked, but the Nationalist army made progress in various regions.

The 87th Division occupied Shanghai University, while the 88th Division occupied key locations such as Wuzhou Cemetery, Baoshan Bridge, and Bazhi Bridge.

Their advance was blocked by the Japanese Marine Corps building in the HK district and the surrounding temporary military outposts.

The building controlled several blocks, and together with the surrounding military outposts, it halted the advance of the National Army.

In order to take down this tough military fortress, the officers and soldiers came up with many ideas.

Infantry artillery attacks can only breach a small portion of the outer wall, exposing the reinforced concrete structure inside.

Using high explosive charges to blast the building would be impossible, as the entire building is located at a crossroads with a wide field of vision, and any slight movement would attract attention from inside.

During the assault, the officers and soldiers suffered heavy losses and had to stop to think of other solutions.

The commander of the 87th Division was extremely anxious about this. If Hongkou could not be captured, the situation would develop as it had five years ago, becoming increasingly unfavorable to his side as the situation progressed.

His concern was the bombing the next morning. Could such a sturdy building really be destroyed by bombing?
The adjutant who returned from Hangzhou was also unsure about this.

"Commander, we have no other choice but to trust him."

Just then, the telegraph operator rushed over with a telegram to report.

"Reporting to the division commander, a call has come from Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport, the specific time for bombing is set for five o'clock."

In response, the division commander immediately organized a group of daredevils to prepare for a strong attack after the bombing.

(Strategic map of the Battle of Shanghai, red for the National Revolutionary Army, blue for the Japanese invaders. Includes scenes of stalemate, mutual attacks, advances, pursuit and interception, and various military situations.)
Time passed little by little.

The energetic Fang Wen only needs two hours of rest to replenish his energy. For the rest of the time, he can only try to wait calmly.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this solo mission; you can't afford to make a single mistake, since there's only one homemade thermobaric bomb.

If you throw the wrong item, it will not only cause the mission to fail, but it will also endanger your allies.

Fang Wen didn't want to make a mistake due to his negligence with such a powerful bomb.

As he breathed steadily, the chaos in his mind gradually subsided, and he entered a calm and clear state, yet he didn't want anything and his mind was free of distractions.

This delicate state lasted for a while until 4 a.m., when the large bell at the Drum Tower on Wushan Mountain by West Lake rang to announce the time.

(The old Hangzhou Bell and Drum Tower, also known as Zhenhai Tower, was used by Hangzhou to defend against Japanese pirates during the period when they were rampant. It contained a large bell that could be rung to warn the pirates when they came. Later, it became the city's clock tower for telling time.)
It was the fifth watch of the night, the dawn of ancient times. At this time, the sky was just beginning to lighten, a time when vigilance was relaxed, making it perfect for an air raid.

Fang Wen got up and set off in an orderly manner.

He went to the Shrike and carefully inspected the aircraft.

Because of the high load on the engine, fuel consumption increased, and this flight carried an external fuel tank that could be discarded at any time.

Right in front of the bomb, if the airdrop encounters Japanese aircraft, Fang Wen will immediately complete the bombing and then jettison the auxiliary fuel tanks to engage the enemy aircraft.

After refueling the auxiliary fuel tanks and carefully checking the aircraft's condition, it was 4:30 PM.

Setting off at this time could even allow us to reach the bombing site ahead of schedule.

However, considering the coordination with ground troops, Fang Wen calculated the flight time and postponed the takeoff to 4:35.

When the time came, he accelerated on the runway and flew into the sky in the Shrike.

The 160-kilometer distance from Hangzhou to Shanghai is not far for the Shrew, which travels at a speed of over 400 kilometers per hour.

Just as he calculated, he arrived over the city of SH in about 20 minutes.

At this time, the sun was only peeking out from the horizon, and the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Upon entering a state of mechanical perception, Fang Wen immediately began a comprehensive survey of the ground.

At this moment, perhaps due to the temporary strengthening of his body by the power of faith within the small cauldron last time, Fang Wen inexplicably mastered a magical ability.

He felt like a steel eagle, able to see the situation below more clearly than ever before from thousands of meters in the air.

As the aircraft descends, the clarity increases.

Fang Wen felt that this ability should be called Eagle Eye, or Mechanical Eagle Eye.

He used his newly acquired abilities to look towards the Shanghai war zone.

At this time, it was only the early stage of the Battle of Shanghai, and the fighting was mainly concentrated in the city. The Japanese invaders' offensive was also centered around Shanghai.

Especially in the Hong Kong area, around Wusong.

Meanwhile, all of Shanghai's offshore ports were blockaded by warships on the river and in the near sea.

It can be said that, under the powerful artillery cover of warships, amphibious landings are difficult to stop and can only be intercepted in deeper areas.

Fang Wen focused his attention on the HK district and found the Japanese Marine Corps Headquarters building.

This tough nut to crack stopped the Nationalist government's most elite German-equipped divisions, the 87th and 88th Divisions.

Looking at it from above makes its importance even more apparent.

As one of the tallest buildings in the HK district, it overlooks the entire battlefield, including Jiangwan to the north, Zhabei to the left, and Hongkou behind.

Its presence controls a small bridge at the intersection of Liuying Road and Tongxing Road in the HK district.

Despite its small size, the bridge was a vital transportation route connecting Hongkou and Zhabei. For the Nationalist Army to cross it, they had to pass through the dense network of fire on the Japanese Marine Corps headquarters building.

In a short time, Fang Wen understood the strategic significance of this place, and he immediately began bombing it.

The Japanese Marine Corps headquarters building below is a U-shaped building, surrounded by buildings, with an open space in the middle that can be used for training and parking.

(Image of the current Japanese Marine Corps building)
On the rooftop, Japanese soldiers were using machine guns to suppress the surrounding area from above. They also noticed the unusual activity in the air, and after confirming that it wasn't their own aircraft, some ran downstairs to report, while others set up their machine guns and strafed the air.

At this height, Fang Wen had no intention of dodging and didn't need to worry about being hurt by bullets. He was considering how to accurately throw the thermobaric bomb into the center of the U-shaped building, that is, the small open space inside the building.

Only in that way can the power of the thermobaric weapon be maximized.

Wind speed, wind direction, and flight speed were all taken into consideration.

Based on his experience with multiple airdrops and bombings, coupled with the abilities granted by his mechanical perception, he became certain.

Immediately, the plane spun around, turned its fuselage, and flew back.

This time, the plane suddenly swooped down with lightning speed, and judging from the way it looked and the angle of the descent, it looked like it was about to crash into a building.

Faced with this situation, the Japanese soldiers on the enemy tower were terrified, fearing that they would be hit by the plane. They even dropped their machine guns and ran downstairs.

While they were taking cover, the Shrike had already flown to within 500 meters of the Japanese Marine Corps building.

With his mental energy highly concentrated, Fang Wen performed several operations simultaneously.

The bombs are dropped, and the aircraft pulls up.

The 800-kilogram bomb mounted under the fuselage was instantly detached.

As it detached and fell, the fuse attached to the bomb snapped, triggering the internal detonation mechanism.

The thermite in the bomb's core began to burn with the aid of a catalyst.

In just a few seconds, the Shrike changed from a dive to an upward flight, and the bombs landed precisely in the open space in the center of the Japanese Marine Corps building.

The bomb, with its hard outer shell, remained undamaged, half of it embedded in the soil.

The Japanese soldiers inside the building were all watching the bomb, but they didn't notice it explode.

Could it be a dud?
Just as they lowered their guard and were about to send someone down to investigate, the center of the cone-shaped bomb suddenly turned red.

The instantaneous high temperature melted through the steel of the bomb's outer shell, providing a better medium for the subsequent second-stage explosion.

With a loud bang, the bomb exploded, scattering the aluminum powder, which was at a critical temperature, into the air.

In an open area, there might be a vast expanse of beautiful yet terrifyingly dangerous fireworks, but here it is a closed, U-shaped building.

The dispersed aluminum reacts strongly with oxygen in the air at high temperatures, instantly generating a temperature of 3000 degrees Celsius.

These high temperatures, in turn, caused changes in atmospheric pressure, instantly turning the entire building into a high-temperature, high-pressure zone.

All of this lasted only a dozen seconds before it ended.

The suicide squad members who were preparing for battle nearby, as well as the commanders of the 87th and 88th Divisions, all saw it.

In their eyes, all they saw was a flash of red light after the Shrike dove down and dropped a bomb, but there was no sign of the building collapsing.

"Should we still go for it?" the adjutant asked.

After some hesitation, the division commander agreed: "Go ahead, better safe than sorry."

Immediately, a team of shirtless daredevils launched an attack.

This time, however, they were not stopped by the Japanese army, even though they were originally determined to die. It seemed that something strange happened after that red light.

As they approached, the temperature began to rise, and a pungent, unpleasant odor filled the air.

These suicide squad members stopped when they approached the Japanese Marine Corps building.

"How strange."

"Yes, the Japanese invaders have all disappeared."

"Could it be that a celestial being performed a ritual and took those bad guys away?"

"It was clearly a plane dropping a large bomb."

As they talked, they went into the building, where the temperature and smell became even more intense.

To find out what was going on, the suicide squad strapped explosives to the sealed window and forcibly blew open a passage into the interior.

But from inside this passage, even more foul-smelling black smoke billowed out.

Unable to bear it any longer, the suicide squad members retreated until the black smoke dissipated before crawling into the hole.

After a while, a pale-faced suicide squad member returned to report.

"Reporting to the division commander, the Japanese soldiers inside are either dead or wounded; there is basically no one left who can fight."

"What? This building has been cleared?" The division commander was overjoyed and was about to go in to check it out himself.

But the daredevil team member stopped them. According to him, although there were no Japanese soldiers inside who could fight, the environment was harsh and they would have to wait.

The harsh environment he described refers to the high temperature, high pressure, and toxic gases inside.

The building was designed so meticulously that, for defensive purposes, the external passages could be sealed off, leaving only firing and observation holes, thus turning it into a sealed coffin.

An 800-kilogram homemade thermobaric bomb explodes in this artificially created confined space. The scattered aluminum powder reacts with the air in a secondary combustion, and the resulting high temperature draws the air away, creating a high-pressure environment.

It's as if the building instantly turned into a giant pressure cooker.

Most of the people inside were injured by the high temperature and pressure. Even those who were still able to fight were overcome by the toxic black smoke that could not be released in time due to the U-shaped enclosed building.

So, after the black smoke and high temperature dissipated, the Nationalist soldiers entered the site to take a headcount and were shocked to find that 100 people had died and the remaining more than 1,000 were suffering from various physical injuries.

This bombing may be the biggest victory since the Battle of Shanghai began.

The incredible power of the bombs, due to the coincidence of the U-shaped building, produced a huge effect and brought some turning points to the battle.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen, having completed the bombing mission, encountered some minor troubles while preparing to return.

After the bombing was completed, they immediately returned to base, Fang Wen strictly adhering to his action plan.

He had no time to care about the effects of the bombing; from his perspective, the entire plan was already perfect.

As for the results, we'll have to wait until we get back to find out.

However, an unexpected incident occurred on the return journey: five Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets attacked from the sea.

Clearly, these were carrier-based aircraft that had just taken off from the aircraft carrier at sea and were conducting a combat patrol when they encountered Fang Wen.

In a one-against-five situation, Fang Wen was not absolutely confident. Moreover, because he was carrying 800 kilograms of bombs and had an auxiliary fuel tank, his flight performance was somewhat worse than normal.

He needs to fly away from the Shanghai area and drop off the auxiliary fuel tanks in order to better engage the enemy.

Immediately, the Shrike nimbly turned its fuselage, curving inwards towards the interior.

The five fighter jets seemed unwilling to give up their hard-won victory and pursued the enemy in unison.

When Fang Wen piloted the Shrike to the junction of the Shanghai suburbs and Jiaxing, he pressed the auxiliary fuel tank release switch. As the auxiliary fuel tank detached, the Shrike returned to its previous state.

(End of this chapter)