Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 317 316 The General Offensive on the Wusong Defense Line: Shooting Down a Skilled Japanese Fighter Jet, Planning Ahead
The Battle of Shanghai, which began in early August, entered a new phase by the end of August.

During this month, the National Army deployed a large number of troops to Shanghai and its surrounding areas for defense.

At the same time, the Japanese army also completed its troop assembly.

After a stalemate of nearly a month in the landing and defense battle, a larger-scale war broke out.

First, the National Army took the initiative and recaptured some lost territory, and then the Japanese army launched a new round of landing operations.

Dawn on August 31.

Both sides launched an attack simultaneously.

Four fighter planes from the 4st Aviation Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment also set off for Wusong to join the battle.

At 6 o'clock, the plane took off from Jianqiao Airport.

We arrived in Shanghai half an hour later.

At this moment, the sky was just beginning to brighten, but smoke and fire filled the air ahead.

The battle has begun.

Fang Wen can then enter a mechanical perception state, using the mechanical eagle eye to observe the situation ahead beyond visual range.

There were 30 Japanese warplanes over Wusong, while the Nationalist Air Force planes had not yet arrived.

These aircraft and warships on the river carried out continuous bombing and shelling against the National Army.

Meanwhile, a new round of amphibious operations began. This time, the Japanese army dispatched more landing ships and immediately launched an offensive after landing, rather than building fortifications for defense.

Clearly, the Japanese army is preparing to launch a surprise attack today to tear apart the National Army's defenses in one fell swoop.

Fang Wen saw it.

Under such intense artillery bombardment and ground troop assault, one defensive position had fallen, and thousands of soldiers abandoned their defense and fled in retreat.

The Japanese army's concentrated firepower and manpower attack on one point was effective. If it were not stopped in time, they would tear a gap from there and advance straight in.

This would put nearby defensive positions in a passive position, as they would have to defend against the enemy in front while also worrying about possible attacks from the flanks and rear.

Fang Wen saw further into the distance that troops were being mobilized, but that would take time.

Just then, 20 fighter jets flew in from the direction of Nanjing; they were a mixed formation of two air squadrons.

Finally, they arrived. Fang Wen sent a secret telegram to his men, instructing them to follow the main force in launching an attack on the enemy forces over Wusong.

The number of aircraft on both sides was roughly the same, but the Japanese aircraft were slightly better in performance.

But this time, fighter jets from the 1st Battalion of the Taishan Air Force arrived.

These superior fighter jets had left a deep impression on the Japanese air force in previous battles, so they specifically dispatched seven fighters to deal with them separately.

As seven fighter jets flew in, Fang Wen sensed something unusual; the enemy had probably sent out a formidable opponent this time.

Out of caution, he did not use the fancy special tactics he had used before, as experienced opponents would likely find flaws in those tactics and thus face danger.

Immediately afterwards, the four Taishan aircraft maintained their formation and met the seven Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets.

At a distance of about 3000 meters, the enemy suddenly circled around.

This was a dogfight tactic. It was the first time Fang Wen had seen Japanese air force not engaging in direct firefights, but instead using dogfight tactics to flank and find a safe firing opportunity.

They are indeed experts; if they can maneuver around obstacles, the Taishan fighter jets can do the same.

Under the coded command, the four Taishan fighter jets also flew in a roundabout manner.

The fighter jets on both sides drew an arc in the air, but the arc eventually converged.

At the moment of imminent contact, both sides launched their attacks.

Three enemy aircraft were shot down immediately by 20mm cannon fire, but this time, the Taishan fighter jet was also hit.

The damaged fighter jet was an Il-16 piloted by Du Jiahuai.

A row of machine gun bullet holes on the belly of the aircraft.

That location is where the engine is located, but compared to the thin-skinned protection of Japanese fighter planes, Fang Wen added steel plates to protect important parts such as the engine when he modified the Il-16. These bullets penetrated the thick aluminum alloy skin, but were stopped by the steel plates.

Fang Wen's heart tightened, and he focused his attention on the enemy plane that was shooting at Du Jiahuai.

The pilot of that enemy plane was very experienced and accurately grasped the timing of the shot; he must have been an elite member of the Japanese naval air force.

After their initial attack failed, the opponent actually tried to continue their pursuit.

They absolutely could not let the other side succeed. Fang Wen ordered Du Jiahuai to change direction and evade, while trying to go over and assist.

At this point, with three enemy planes shot down, the situation was now four against four, with each side having a single opponent to contend with.

Although Fang Wen's opponent was not as skilled as that one, he still tried to keep the Shrike occupied and create opportunities for his teammates.

Fang Wen sneered at this, suddenly accelerated, and the plane cut diagonally past. Just as the enemy thought it was going to attack from behind and prepared to change direction to evade, the machine gun on the flank of the Shrike fired a deadly bullet.

At close range, with bullets fired at intervals of 300 meters, the bullets left a long row of bullet holes on the side of the enemy aircraft.

The Type 96 fighter jet lacked the protection of the Du Jiahuai fighter. In pursuit of high speed and maneuverability, its only defense was a thin aluminum alloy shell. After bullets penetrated the shell, they damaged the equipment and personnel inside.

From this position, the bullet struck the enemy pilot squarely in the abdomen. The severely wounded pilot immediately fainted from the excruciating pain. The out-of-control enemy aircraft hurtled straight toward the riverbank before stalling and plunging down.

Fang Wen didn't have time to finish it off, so he changed direction and flew towards Du Jiahuai's fighter jet to provide support.

At this moment, Du Jiahuai was also making evasive maneuvers.

This is a roll-style emergency evasive maneuver that is frequently practiced in daily training. Under his control, the Il-16 rolled 180 degrees while simultaneously changing direction, thus escaping the pursuit of the enemy aircraft.

But soon, the experienced enemy planes caught up with them using their skillful flying techniques.

This technical performance was clearly superior to that of elite pilots like Du Jiahuai, who had only trained for a year.

He was like a seasoned hunter, while Du Jiahuai was a young knight-errant venturing into the mountains. Although the knight-errant was highly skilled, the hunter knew how to use his tools and the environment to deal with the enemy more simply and efficiently.

Du Jiahuai and his group will definitely be stronger than him in the future, but right now, they lack his combat experience.

Fortunately, Fang Wen was there, and the Shrike flew in from the sky, blocking the enemy plane's path.

Immediately, the enemy plane abandoned its pursuit of Du Jiahuai and focused all its efforts on dealing with Fang Wen's Shrike.

At that moment, Fang Wencai noticed that there were several large characters written on the side of the enemy plane.

The humiliation of five years ago will surely be avenged.

five years ago?
Fang Wen understood; the other party was a member of the naval air force from the January 28 Incident five years ago.

At that time, they were still flying Type 3 biplane carrier-based fighters, while I didn't even have a fighter jet of my own.

But it was at that time that he sank the Izumo, becoming a pillar of shame for the Japanese naval air force.

No wonder the opponent is so skilled; they've been rivals for a long time.

Fang Wen recalled the scene of being chased by Type 3 fighter jets, and his fighting spirit soared.

Five years ago, they met again; this time, they were determined to settle the score.

Under the influence of mechanical perception, Fang Wen concentrated his mind and became one with the machine. Suddenly, he veered to fly sideways, bringing his aircraft parallel to the enemy aircraft.

At the moment when the two fighter jets are parallel, both sides can see each other's faces.

The Japanese pilot had a beard and looked quite old.

Fang Wen made a throat-slitting gesture at him while simultaneously pulling the trigger of the right-side machine gun.

Just as the machine gun fired its bullets, the enemy plane suddenly descended, dodging the barrage.

This mistake made Fang Wen feel ashamed of his arrogance. He could have directly eliminated his opponent, but instead he made a throat-slitting move, causing the error. He remembered this lesson and vowed never to do such a meaningless thing again. He then took control of the Shrike to chase down his opponent.

In his mechanical perception state, this entire airspace was within his awareness.

Having lost their chance to attack, the opponent decisively chose to flee and is now heading back towards the coast.

Once he chose to escape, he did so without hesitation, even abandoning his companions.

However, this kind of escape couldn't outrun the Shrike, whose speed exceeded 20%. Especially in terms of acceleration bursts, the Shrike reached its maximum speed more efficiently, closing the distance between the two.

The other party seemed to sense the threat of death and immediately tried to avoid it.

At the same time, the Shrike also made the same lateral movement, sticking close behind.

Two minutes later, the two aircraft reached the effective firing range, and Fang Wen, after aiming, fired the 20mm cannon.

The enemy plane's rear was torn apart by 20mm cannon fire. The fighter jet, having lost its tail section, instantly lost its balance and plummeted to the ground.

Fang Wen, who had no intention of letting it live, controlled the Shrike to dive and catch up, firing continuous machine gun fire until it exploded in mid-air.

After dealing with this expert, Fang Wen immediately pulled back to check on the condition of his pilots.

The battle was over, and the three enemy planes that had been entangled with them had escaped.

Currently, Du Jiahuai's fighter jet is damaged, and continuing to fight would be dangerous, but the other fighter jets can continue fighting.

Therefore, Fang Wen issued an order for Du Jiahuai to retreat alone, while ordering Shao Deqing and Zhai Xiaojun to continue fighting.

Although somewhat reluctant, Du Jiahuai accepted the order and piloted the fighter jet back towards Jianqiao Airport.

Fang Wen then gathered his two fighter jets and continued to observe the battlefield, looking for new opportunities to engage in combat.

At this moment, enemy and friendly aircraft had scattered in different areas, engaging in aerial chases and battles.

Although there was no aerial bombing or harassment, the Japanese ground offensive continued.

Warships on the river bombarded the National Army positions on both sides to prevent reinforcements from both sides, while the Japanese troops that landed sent a mechanized unit toward the gap in the position.

This mechanized unit was led by five Type 89 tanks, followed by a large number of soldiers and a squad of artillery.

(Japanese Type 89 tank)
If they occupy that breached position and use tanks as cover, it will be very difficult to take it back.

Fang Wen checked the aircraft's ammunition and found it could still launch a ground attack.

Furthermore, although it was a high-explosive machine gun shell, it might not be unable to penetrate the thin armor of the Type 89 tank.

Immediately, he gave Shao Deqing and Zhai Xiaojun the order to coordinate the attack. The three planes, unattended, suddenly swooped down and launched a strafing attack from behind the mechanized unit.

The Japanese attacking forces never expected that the enemy would launch an attack from behind.

Three fighter jets swooped in at high speed, unleashing a barrage of machine gun fire.

The troops, caught completely off guard, suffered a devastating attack.

Fang Wen, who was at the very front, set his sights on the Type 89 tank in front of the formation.

Fang Wen was very confident that this thin-skinned tank could be attacked from its weakest point, the rear.

In his mechanically-sensing state, he aimed and fired, the machine gun spitting fire, instantly concentrating on the rear of the last tank.

The flames that burst from the rear immediately shut down the tank, destroying its engine.

The firing did not stop; a barrage of machine gun shells swept over the tank's turret and then struck the rear of the tank in front of it again.

The three aircraft then took off after completing their strafing maneuvers.

This air-to-ground harassment destroyed two tanks and caused chaos among the attacking forces, but whether it could prevent them from capturing that position was something Fang Wen could not predict.

Now, after two operations, the plane's fuel was more than half full, and he gave the order for the combat team to return to base.

The plane flew back to Jianqiao Airport.

The first thing Fang Wen did after getting off the plane was to check the condition of Du Jiahuai's fighter jet.

After boarding the fighter jet and activating its mechanical sensors, Fang Wen inspected the aircraft's interior.

There were multiple dents on the engine's steel plate, and even a bullet embedded in it.

The engine is fine, but the fuel line at the front was punctured by a bullet and is leaking oil.

Fortunately, it returned to base in time; otherwise, the fighter jet might have crashed due to insufficient fuel.

After inspecting the fighter jet, Fang Wen gave instructions to the mechanics, telling them to take good care of it.

Afterwards, Fang Wen held a post-battle meeting with his three pilots to discuss the situation during the battle. He then disbanded the combat team and told them to get some rest.

The three pilots, however, did not let their guard down. They discussed the day's battle with great enthusiasm. Every skilled opponent excited them, just as it had for the German pilots in the Spanish Civil War.

Fang Wen would certainly not stop such beneficial and progressive discussions, but he did not participate in them either. Some things had already been theoretically explored, and what was needed was their own understanding.

Although he did not participate in the discussion, he was very concerned about the situation of the battle today and wanted to know whether the Japanese army had broken through that gap.

However, this kind of intelligence was only available in Nanjing and at the front lines.

No, there's also a secret intelligence station I set up in Shanghai.

He then returned to his residence and sent a telegram to the Shanghai intelligence station.

Shanghai French Concession.

Currently, all intelligence agencies are concentrated in the French Concession, far from the front lines of the war.

Everyone was waiting for the war to end. For them, no matter who won, the order in the concession would remain the same, and they could continue the same intelligence trading.

Among them were secret intelligence stations of the Fuxing Society and Fang Wen.

The former is shifting from overt to covert operations, preparing to remain infiltrated in Shanghai should the war turn against them.

The latter, however, has always been a secret intelligence organization unknown to all parties.

Even the secret base of the Taishan intelligence station was unknown to any intelligence agency in the French Concession.

The Taishan intelligence station base has now moved to a different location, from a building next to the Gongji Hospital by the river to an upper floor of a bar in the western part of the French Concession.

The bar below was also run by people from the intelligence station.

Because it has not received orders to operate, the intelligence station is currently in a dormant state, awaiting activation.

It wasn't until stationmaster Chen Suoxin received Fang Wen's telegram that the situation changed.

[Investigate the situation of the fighting at the front.]

Upon receiving this mission, the secret intelligence station immediately sprang into action.

After compiling information from officers sent to the front lines, deserters, and other intelligence channels, they sent back the results.

Two hours later, Fang Wen received a report from the Shanghai intelligence station.

More than 30 Japanese aircraft, along with naval guns, bombarded and shelled Wusong, and launched a landing operation. A regiment of the Nationalist Army's 61st Division, stationed in Wusong, suffered more than half its casualties and was forced to retreat. Liu Xing's 6th Division was transferred to Yangxing and Wusong to repel the landing enemy. The 88th and 87th Divisions retreated for rest and reorganization.

Currently, the lost positions have been occupied by the Japanese army, and due to the enemy's superior equipment, multiple attacks have failed to retake them.

Fang Wen couldn't help but sigh. The month-long stalemate and all the advantages gained during that time were destroyed by the Japanese army in an instant.

Now that the war has progressed to this point, it is no longer as the Military Commission had planned, which was to send only 10 divisions to garrison Shanghai. From what he knew, he estimated that there were hundreds of thousands of troops in the Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai area, and the Japanese army had nearly 20 troops.

However, in a war of this magnitude, the Nationalist government could only passively defend, while the Japanese army continued to attack.

How can we possibly win if we keep fighting like this?

After all, defense requires deploying troops in multiple locations, while the Japanese offensive can concentrate in one place.

Fang Wen had realized that his efforts could not change the overall situation of the battle.

He must plan ahead and do what he can.

For example, they should try their best to help people evacuate and prevent the Nanjing Massacre from happening.

These tasks are even more difficult than aerial combat, but Fang Wen wanted to give it his all.

He had been preparing for this for two years.

Those more than one hundred seaplanes could help a large number of Nanjing residents escape in time.

And the gunship-type aircraft should also make their appearance.

(End of this chapter)