Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 329-327 Aerial Deception, Taishan Anti-Aircraft Artillery Ambush, Victory and Wounded
North of Dezhou, after suffering setbacks in its siege, the Japanese 10th Division changed its strategy from a quick attack to bombarding the city walls with artillery.

At the same time, an air raid formation from the Taishan Independent Regiment flew in from behind Dezhou City.

Fang Wen, in a state of mechanical perception, used radar early warning equipment to probe the rear of the Japanese positions and discovered that the Japanese air force was still more than 200 kilometers away.

Based on the speed of the Japanese warplanes, it would take at least half an hour to arrive.

This was the perfect opportunity for an air strike, and Fang Wen immediately ordered the air strike squadron to fly forward.

The air raid formation appeared on the Japanese positions, causing chaos as people scattered to avoid the air raid.

However, this time, the air raid squadron of the Taishan Independent Regiment did not launch an attack on them.

Using the mechanical eagle eye, Fang Wen overlooked the Japanese light infantry firing points on the front line and searched for the artillery positions deep behind the 10th Division.

Looking at the big picture from above, Fang Wen made a discovery.

To the northwest, 3 kilometers from the city of Dezhou, behind a sloping hill, three mortars are being loaded and fired.

Fang Wen, who was very familiar with the Japanese army's military equipment, immediately determined the type and power of the enemy's artillery.

This is a Type 96 150mm mortar.

This mortar even has a caliber exceeding that of some mountain guns, and its barrel weighs 700 kilograms, capable of firing 25-kilogram shells.

However, it also has significant drawbacks: short range, with a maximum range of only 3800 meters, and low accuracy, making it a rather useless weapon among medium-range firepower.

Even so, Fang Wen could not allow these 150mm shells to be fired, as they would cause great damage if they hit the walls of Dezhou.

He then issued an attack order to the air strike group.

Under his command, eight aircraft launched an airstrike on the mortar positions behind the hill.

A group of Japanese soldiers who were preparing to fire a 150mm mortar immediately abandoned the mortar and scattered in all directions when faced with the air raid.

They had witnessed the methods of the Taishan air raid formation; once targeted, the dense barrage of bullets, machine guns, and aerial bombs could destroy the target area in a short time.

Therefore, they abandoned their positions and fled without hesitation.

Even so, some artillerymen, along with their heavy mortars, were still overwhelmed by 12.7mm machine gun fire and 20mm cannon fire.

The Taishan air strike formation, which has been conducting air strikes for three consecutive days, is now coordinating very skillfully and quickly carrying out fire coverage strikes on the targets guided by Fang Wen.

After an air raid, the mortar positions behind the earthen mound were destroyed.

Ten minutes have passed.

There are 20 minutes left before the Japanese Army Air Force arrives on the battlefield.

Fang Wen continued to use his mechanical perception ability to observe the Japanese rear area, trying to find other heavy firepower points.

After all, a Class A division like the 10th Division would be equipped with a variety of weapons and equipment.

The 150mm mortar is medium-range firepower; they should also have more powerful heavy artillery.

However, after observing for a while, Fang Wen did not find anything.

Suddenly, he realized.

I overestimated the strength of the 10th Division.

Under repeated air raids, the Taishan Independent Team's convoy caused multiple instances of damage. As a result, the infantry of the 10th Division were separated from the supply and artillery convoys.

The 150mm medium mortars they can bring are probably the most powerful firepower on the battlefield right now.

Now that the 150mm medium mortars have been destroyed, the troops that arrived first from the 10th Division only have three types of weapons: Type 38 rifles, grenade launchers, and light machine guns.

Comparatively, the city's firepower was even stronger than theirs, with infantry guns, light mortars, two Taishan Pine tanks, and superior individual weapons.

It can be said that even though the Japanese army has a numerical advantage, it will be difficult for them to capture Dezhou City.

The only threat was the Japanese Army Air Force flying in from Tianjin, who were likely carrying aerial bombs to bomb Texas.

Slightly relieved, Fang Wen sensed the Japanese support aircraft formation in the distance, which was expected to arrive in about ten minutes.

He deliberately led his air strike squadron to circle outside the city, making it appear as if he were searching for targets to attack.

In reality, Fang Wen had already sent a coordinated combat order to Dezhou City via the central radio station.

Inside Dezhou City, Wu Yingzong received a radio order, immediately got up, and jogged to the anti-aircraft machine gun position behind the west gate.

That place was originally the site of the Gaozhen Temple, but now it has been reduced to ruins by artillery fire.

Five 20mm anti-aircraft guns produced in Taishan were placed there, and the soldiers were on high alert.

Wu Yingzong ran over quickly and shouted, "Get ready immediately. Operate as we did when we trained in Yangon. The air strike formation will lure the enemy planes over in a moment. You just need to fire at that airspace."

The soldiers of the anti-aircraft gun platoon of the 3rd Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment immediately assumed combat stance.

The gunner sat behind the gun barrel, his right hand gripping the rotary lever, his eyes fixed on the sky through the aiming ring on the barrel.

The two ammunition handlers beside him held compressed ammunition belts, ready to reload at any time.

Time passed slowly, and the soldiers were sweating profusely as they maintained their fighting stance.

(The Taishan-made copy of the Solothurn 20mm anti-aircraft gun)

Ten minutes later, the Japanese Army Air Force arrived outside Texas City.

A total of 20 fighter jets, upon discovering the air strike formation led by Fang Wen, immediately and without hesitation chose to attack the Taishan air strike formation.

For these Japanese army airmen, encountering the Taishan Independent Regiment's fighter planes was something they absolutely could not let go of; it was far more meaningful than bombing a county town.

Faced with the enemy aircraft attack, Fang Wen commanded the air raid squadron to fly towards Dezhou City.

Because the gunboats were not fast, the Japanese warplanes behind them were about to catch up after they reached Dezhou City.

At that moment, a barrage of anti-aircraft shells suddenly rained down on the city of Texas below.

A series of 20mm cannon shells exploded around the Japanese warplanes, creating plumes of black smoke.

Some of these anti-aircraft shells hit Japanese warplanes in dense formation.

Immediately, two enemy planes burst into flames from their bellies and crashed down, billowing black smoke.

This unexpected turn of events made the Japanese fighter squadron realize that the Taishan Independent Regiment had set up an ambush in Dezhou City, and that there were powerful anti-aircraft guns in the city. Moreover, they had foolishly followed the Taishan Independent Regiment's planes into the pre-set ambush area.

Anti-aircraft shells continued to explode in the sky, and the losses of the Japanese fighter squadron were increasing.

Two more fighter jets were hit by anti-aircraft artillery fire.

They had only two choices: either retreat and escape, or break out of the ambush area and continue to pursue the Taishan fighter jets ahead.

Although they lost four fighter jets, they still have nearly 20 left and maintain the advantage.

Therefore, these Japanese warplanes chose to continue the pursuit.

At this moment, the air raid formation of the Taishan Independent Regiment also stopped its escape and turned to fight back.

The eight Taishan fighters that suddenly turned around met 20 Japanese Type 8 biplane fighters.

Fang Wen issued the instructions.

Four fighter jets climbed to a higher altitude and engaged in a dogfight.

He then led the gunboat squadron to meet the attack head-on.

The gunboats circled to the side, and the gunners inside the cockpits excitedly pulled the triggers, aiming at the enemy aircraft in the air.

The enemy planes on the other side were not to be outdone and charged in.

These Type 95 biplane fighters encountered the same situation as the Japanese naval air force.

A 7.7mm aircraft machine gun bullet exploded in sparks upon hitting a bulletproof steel plate, causing numerous dents in the outer shell but failing to penetrate it.

However, they were unable to withstand the fire from the gunships and aircraft.

Immediately, four more aircraft were shot down. At the same time, the flanking fighters launched an attack from behind, and two enemy aircraft were hit in the back and exploded in mid-air.

Ground-based anti-aircraft fire also achieved another victory, shooting down another aircraft.

In this ambush, the Japanese had lost 11 aircraft by this point.

This is equivalent to half of the incoming enemy aircraft formation.

The remaining enemy planes could no longer withstand the attack and turned to flee.

As the Japanese warplanes fled, Fang Wen considered whether to send Pan Jiafeng and his men in pursuit.

He understood the principle of not pursuing a cornered enemy.

The gunboats of the Taishan Independent Regiment were too slow to catch up, so Pan Jiafeng and his men had to fly four fighter jets to pursue them.

Even if we catch up, if the enemy's dozen or so fighter jets fight to the death, it will be very dangerous without me.

Just then, the radio operator at the airport reported: "Commander, both Tiger II and Tiger III have been hit by bullets."

Someone has been shot!
Even with bulletproof steel plates, safety cannot be guaranteed 100%, and Fang Wen doesn't want the wounded to get hurt because of this.

He decisively abandoned the pursuit plan, returned to base with the air strike squadron, and notified Jinan to prepare for rescue through the central radio station.

After flying in formation for half an hour, they landed in Jinan.

Four gunboats landed at the sea airfield and, after parking, two small boats sailed toward Tiger 2 and Tiger 3 gunboats.

The cabin door opened, and the people inside the plane carefully carried the injured person out and placed them on the ship.

The small boat then returned to shore and the patient was immediately taken to the airport's medical room.

Fang Wen also got off the plane and quickly walked to the medical room to find out what was going on.

There, two wounded men lay on the bed, blood still gushing from their bodies.

Depending on the situation, one was shot in the abdomen and the other in the leg.

In response to this situation, the doctors from the Taishan medical team immediately began treatment.

The person who was shot in the thigh suffered a penetrating wound; shrapnel passed through the muscle tissue, leaving a bullet hole.

The doctor cleaned the wound, applied styptic powder, and then bandaged it with a clean styptic bandage.

Although the wound is still bleeding, the condition has improved.

The doctor was helpless against another patient who was shot in the abdomen.

Fang Wen asked, "What happened?"

The doctor from the Taishan medical team replied, "The shrapnel is in his abdominal cavity, causing continuous bleeding. We dare not move him, for fear of causing secondary bleeding from the wound."

Having successfully undergone two surgeries, Fang Wen knew the severity of this injury.

The abdominal cavity contains multiple organs, is very fragile and complex, and under current medical conditions, it would be very difficult to perform abdominal surgery to remove shrapnel and suture the wound.

Generally speaking, it is only possible to stop the bleeding externally and leave the shrapnel in the abdomen. Whether the injured person can stop the bleeding and survive depends entirely on their physical condition.

Fang Wen looked at the wounded soldier, whose pain moved him deeply.

As his own soldier, he couldn't bear to see him suffer so much.

He said in a deep voice, "I'm here to perform the surgery. If you survive, you're lucky. If you don't, don't blame me."

The wounded soldier opened his eyes, gritted his teeth and said through the pain, "Commander, operate on me. If you can't save me, then I'm out of luck."

Fang Wen nodded and turned to look at Gong Xiuneng, who was always by his side protecting him.

"When I'm performing surgery, someone needs to keep the wound open. This requires a steady hand and the ability to maintain that position for a long time. I doubt doctors have that kind of stamina. You can do it."

Gong Xiuneng nodded calmly, listened to Fang Wen's instructions, then cleaned himself and began preparations.

After changing into a white coat, Fang Wen began the surgery, with the medical team's doctors assisting him.

He looked at the wound on the soldier's abdomen.

There was a large gash, through which shrapnel had pierced, and blood was flowing out continuously.

The only good news is that the bleeding is not heavy, so it is unlikely that major blood vessels inside the organs have been damaged, which makes surgical treatment an option.

He carefully cut open the wound, clamped it with two clips, and then looked at Gong Xiuneng.

Gong Xiuneng took a deep breath, gripped the clamp with both hands, carefully pulled it open, and then held the position still.

In this way, Fang Wen was able to perform surgical procedures inside the abdominal cavity.

He was highly focused, carefully searching along the trail of blood.

The shrapnel was eventually found, located just below the liver and embedded in the muscle tissue.

However, removing shrapnel from this location and suturing the wound is indeed extremely difficult.

In a state of perfect harmony between mind and body, Fang Wen operated with extreme care and precision; his hands moved with mechanical ease and accuracy.

After avoiding blood vessels near the wound, the muscle tissue was cut open, the shrapnel was removed with tweezers, and then the wound was sutured.

With the internal abdominal wound sutured and the bleeding reduced, Fang Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He then sutured the external wound on his abdomen, completing the surgery.

The medical team doctors who watched the whole process were very surprised by what they saw.

He didn't speak until the surgery was complete: "Commander, if you were a doctor, you would definitely be a great doctor."

But then he sighed, "But in this world, doctors can't save too many lives. It's better to lead troops into battle."

Fang Wen washed the blood off his hands and smiled, "After the war, my second job might be as a surgeon, but for now, flying planes is better."

After saying that, he instructed the doctors in the medical team: "Please continue the treatment. Once the condition improves, send the patient to the Wuhan Sanatorium for recovery and recuperation."

After giving his instructions, Fang Wen left the medical room and went to the shore to board the Water Tiger II and Water Tiger III boats.

He wanted to see how the wounded were injured.

After starting the aircraft, Fang Wen conducted a comprehensive assessment of it and quickly discovered the problem.

The Water Tiger II was hit at the joint of the armored shield, and shrapnel penetrated through the joint and then struck the wounded.

The Water Tiger III suffered from metal fatigue, where a single point on the bulletproof steel plate was repeatedly struck, resulting in bullets penetrating and hitting the personnel inside.

Both of these situations are accidental events.

However, Fang Wen still planned to make changes to these situations during the repair process, at least by adding a thicker sealant to the joints to prevent this from happening again.

After checking the aircraft's problems, Fang Wen returned to his gunboat, which still had a communications officer and two gunners on board. They would report to Fang Wen in case of any special circumstances.

"What's the situation in Texas?" Fang Wen asked.

"The Japanese launched another attack, but it was repelled. They changed tactics, attempting to bypass the west gate and attack from other positions. However, they were attacked at both the east and north gates, and they abandoned their probing attempt," the communications officer replied.

Hearing this, Fang Wen nodded. The 1000-strong garrison had put so much pressure on the Japanese army. They probably never imagined that there were so few troops in the city.

However, this situation wouldn't last long. With the arrival of reinforcements and heavy firepower, Texas would eventually have to be abandoned.

He then asked, "Where did the people who retreated south go?"

"Some have already arrived on the north bank of the Yellow River, and the rest are expected to arrive within a day," the telegraph operator replied.

It seems that as long as we can keep watch until tonight, our mission will be accomplished.

Fang Wen immediately made arrangements for crossing the river. As for the aircraft coordinating the defense against the Japanese attack at night, that was something only he could handle.

The night bombers, which haven't been used for a long time, will once again unleash their power tonight.

(End of this chapter)