Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 346-344: Cooperation with the Sixth Air Group, Increase in Gunship Aircraft, New Capabilities Emerge
There's a saying: "The one who knows you best is often your enemy."

The Taishan Independent Regiment is in this situation now. Although it has made some achievements on the battlefield and has been recognized by the generals who participated in the War of Resistance Against Japan.

But no one truly realized the profound significance that the Taishan Independent Regiment brought to this era.

On the contrary, the Japanese army continued to pay attention to Fang Wen and his military forces. The Japanese army, which was undergoing modernization of its military, saw the changes that the new combat methods represented by the Taishan Independent Regiment might bring.

To eliminate this uncertainty, the Army Special Higher Police dispatched a special operations team to carry out the assassination.

They mingled with the refugees and were settled in the shantytowns near the north gate of Taiyuan.

Then it disappeared without a trace.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen and his independent regiment were undergoing a troop rotation.

After attending the military conference, the various troops began to be mobilized.

Fang Wen was also busy with the same thing.

The Taishan Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division were incorporated into the Reserve Corps. Their location remained unchanged, but they were required to patrol and defend the city every day and provide support to various places during wartime.

This arrangement was a special intention of the forward command.

The well-equipped Independent Regiment, its recent success in a defensive battle, and the Japanese prisoners held in the city's police station all boosted the confidence of the people of Taiyuan.

After arranging the troop deployment, Fang Wen had another important matter to attend to.

He piloted the Shrike to Zhoujiakou Airport.

The plane took off from Taiyuan, flew southeast, crossed the Yellow River, passed Zhengzhou and Xuchang, and arrived at the military airport located in Shangshui County, Zhoukou.

After circling briefly over the airport, Fang Wencai received clearance from the ground control tower to land the plane on the runway.

He had been here two months ago when the 4th Air Group of the National Air Force was stationed here.

Later, the 4th Squadron was transferred to Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport, where there was no air force stationed for a period of time.

Only now, with the military situation in Taiyuan becoming urgent, have six squadrons been transferred from several air squadrons that were assisting in the defense of Nanjing.

When Fang Wen got off the plane, several officers came to greet him.

The leader shook hands with Fang Wen and introduced himself: "Commander Fang, it's nice to see you again. I am Chen Xixia, the captain of the Sixth Squadron. We fought together in the Shanghai air battle, but we were both in the plane at that time, so I haven't seen your face yet."

Fang Wen replied with a smile, "Yes. After parting ways in Shanghai, I thought it would be difficult to meet again, but I didn't expect to be working together in Taiyuan again."

Captain Chen remarked with emotion: "Your record of shooting down more than twenty fighter jets is awe-inspiring to the Japanese Air Force. It is a great honor for our Sixth Squadron to fight alongside you."

After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Wen and Captain Chen arrived at the airport command center to discuss cooperation.

Standing in front of the military map, Captain Chen said, "This time we are facing the Japanese Army Air Force. Regiment Commander Fang has fought against them many times before, so you should give the instructions."

Fang Wen nodded and explained what he knew to the pilots of the Sixth Squadron.

"The Japanese army originally set up a military airfield in Yangmingbao within Daixian County, which was later destroyed by us and the 120th Division. Since then, Japanese warplanes have been flying in from Tianjin. Therefore, our opponents mainly come from the east, about 420 kilometers away. Their warplanes are currently still using the Type 95 biplane fighter, which has a speed of 400 kilometers per hour and can arrive in one hour. In addition, there are a small number of Type 97 dive bombers, which will form bombing formations to come and attack."

After listening to Fang Wen's explanation, Captain Chen shared his thoughts.

"There are still some troops resisting in North China. After contacting them, they agreed to monitor the passing skies and notify us by telegram once Japanese aircraft are spotted. After receiving intelligence that Japanese warplanes were flying towards Taiyuan, our Sixth Squadron would take off from Zhoujiakou Airport. However, since Zhoujiakou is 500 kilometers away from Taiyuan, it would take our Hawk II fighters 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach Taiyuan. This time difference would make it difficult to intercept the Japanese air raiders on time."

This highlights a significant deficiency in the current air defense field.

Before air defense radar became widespread, the only way to understand enemy movements was through ground monitoring.

Both the Nationalist Army and the Japanese Army were in the same situation.

But now, Taiyuan is on the defensive, and the Japanese army can send out warplanes to attack at any time. By the time the ground monitoring obtains the information about the planes taking off and sends it over, it is already too late.

By the time the Sixth Squadron took off, the enemy had probably already completed their airstrike and returned.

The Independent Regiment is in a similar situation.

The four fighter jets located at Xi'an Airport take a little over an hour to arrive in Taiyuan from takeoff.

Given this time difference, it would be difficult to intercept Japanese warplanes on time.

Fang Wen was pondering how to deal with this.

Although he can obtain aerial enemy information through radar detection devices using his special abilities.

But this is his biggest secret, and if it were to be leaked, it would be very difficult to explain.

Moreover, the key issue is that the distance from Xi'an Airport and Zhoujiakou Airport to Taiyuan is longer than the distance from Tianjin to Taiyuan.

This problem cannot be solved even with superpowers.

(Schematic diagram of the three airports during the Battle of Taiyuan)

He recalled the situation during the Spanish Air War.

At that time, in order to maintain long-term air strikes in coordination with Soviet tank regiments and Spanish militia, the Asian Air Force conducted multiple round-trip air raids, which were very effective and could cover a long period of time.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen replied, "How about we split into multiple patrols and intercept Japanese warplanes if we encounter them? If not, we can harass and strike Japanese ground troops."

One of the pilots from the Sixth Squadron asked, "But if we do that, we'll have far fewer fighters than the Japanese. If we get surrounded by Japanese fighters, we might suffer losses."

The pilot added, "I'm not saying this because I'm afraid of dying, but because fighting outnumbered is too reckless."

Captain Chen rebuked, "I think Regiment Commander Fang's suggestion is excellent. Only in this way can we eliminate the air threat to Taiyuan. Besides, the Japanese have more warplanes than us. In Shanghai, wasn't it a case of fighting with fewer troops? You fought bravely in Shanghai, so why are you so timid here?"

Without needing Fang Wen to explain, Captain Chen sided with him.

Judging from their words, it can be seen that some members of the Sixth Squadron are not enthusiastic about the upcoming air battle over Taiyuan.

However, only a minority of people held this attitude. That person and another pilot left in anger, while the others who remained supported Fang Wen's proposal.

Fang Wen then explained the plan in more detail.

"I have transferred four fighter jets from Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport to Xi'an, so now we have eight fighter jets available to fly. Two jets at a time, departing every half hour, so that at least two fighter jets will appear over Taiyuan every half hour."

Captain Chen nodded and added, following Fang Wen's words, "Your eight aircraft, in four batches, can only fly two round trips a day per batch at most. That's four hours of combat time. The remaining time will be given to our Sixth Squadron, which will allow us to conduct fighter jet coverage during the ten hours of daylight."

Fang Wen continued, "At the Taiyuan seaplane base, I also have gunboats that can cooperate in combat at any time and share the harassment pressure of small waves of aircraft."

“I think we can do better. This kind of multi-wave flight operation, combined with the monitoring intelligence from North China, can be adjusted at any time. The first wave of fighters can harass, your gunship squadron can provide support, and wait for the next wave of fighters to come and fight the enemy together.”

The plan was discussed and became more detailed.

After spending half a day, Fang Wen and the Sixth Squadron finalized the details of the joint air operations and left a dedicated communication frequency to maintain contact.

He then boarded the Shrike and flew to West An.

The Shrike landed at Xiguan Airport in Xi'an.

At this moment, there are 7 Il-16 modified fighter jets parked at the airport, plus Fang Wen's Shrike, making a total of 8.

Fang Wen summoned all the pilots and informed them about the multiple combat operations.

These elite pilots had all participated in the Spanish Air War, and even Pan Jiafeng had heard about it from other pilots many times, so he was quite familiar with it.

Fang Wen then sorted the items into batches.

Shao Deqing and Pan Jiafeng were in the first batch.

Qi Baoqian and Deng Zhongyu are in the second batch.

Du Jiahuai and Zhai Xiaojun are in the third batch.

Fan Bosheng and Rao Minghe are in the fourth batch.

Although he himself was the best pilot, the Taiyuan airspace needed someone to oversee the overall situation. Therefore, he had to give up piloting fighter jets and continue to command aircraft and ships in the air.

At this point, the fighter jet's operational plan was finalized.

Fang Wen did not return to Taiyuan immediately, but instead contacted the headquarters of Wuhan Taishan Airlines.

He sent a telegram.

How many gunboats produced in Yangon have been delivered?

Wuhan, headquarters of Taishan Airlines.

Deputy General Manager Kuang Mingzhu was arguing with someone in her office. She rarely argued so fiercely with anyone.

"You're not allowed to go. You're the only son of the Kuang family. If something happens to you, how will I explain it to my parents?"

Kuang Anming, however, remained resolute: "Sister, I'm not the same person I used to be. In Spain, I saw people fighting for their ideals. It was my brother-in-law who told me that my ideal is China, and even if I have to fight, it must be for China. That's why I chose to learn to fly and fight the Japanese invaders alongside my brother-in-law. You can't stop me."

“That’s a battlefield. You’re not married or have children yet. Our Kuang family has only had one son for three generations.”

"What about your brother-in-law? Don't you and your brother-in-law also not have children?"

Kuang Anming's words left Kuang Mingzhu speechless.

A moment later, she came up with an idea.

"Alright, we'll let your brother-in-law decide. You can only go if he agrees."

“Okay, my brother-in-law will definitely agree,” Kuang Anming said confidently.

Immediately afterwards, Kuang Mingzhu called her husband back.

Fang Wen received a reply at Xiguan Airport.

The remaining six aircraft have all been delivered and are docked at Wuhan Water Airport.

Fang Wen ordered the headquarters to arm the remaining six gunboats produced by the Yangon Aircraft Manufacturing Plant and fly them all to Taiyuan.

The other party called back:

【I am Mingzhu. My younger brother Anming wants to go to Taiyuan with me, and I cannot dissuade him. I beg my husband to make the decision.】

Fang Wen scratched his head.

This is a troublesome matter.

That kid, Kuang Anming, has been restless ever since he returned to China.

The father-in-law sent this guy to him for training, letting him learn to fly gunboats in Yangon.

During this period, he studied diligently and his flying skills improved by leaps and bounds, making him a pretty good gunship pilot.

But now, he has secretly returned to China and even wants to join the defense of Taiyuan.

This is troublesome. If he dies in the battle of Taiyuan, how will I explain it to my wife and in-laws?

But if we don't let him come, given his current temperament, he'll probably run away and join other anti-Japanese forces.

That would be even more dangerous.

Fine, at worst, we can have him work in our command center; that way, the danger will be much less.

Fang Wen immediately replied.

Tell him he can come over, but he must stay by my side.

The matter was settled.

He left the Shrike behind and returned to Taiyuan by gunboat.

With all preparations complete, the troops moved into position.

The Japanese troops from the east and north gates gradually approached Taiyuan, and a major battle was about to begin.

During this period, many unexpected events also occurred.

For example, Commander Wei became the commander-in-chief of the front, and Fu Zuoyi became the garrison commander of Taiyuan.

Meanwhile, Commander Yan, the leader of the Jin army, quietly left Taiyuan.

These changes are unknown to the citizens of Taiyuan and the grassroots officers and soldiers.

Comparatively, they were more interested in the new aircraft of the Taishan Independent Regiment.

Six gunboats flew in from the south and arrived at the Jinyang Lake water airport. Together with the original four gunboats, a total of ten were parked on the surface of Jinyang Lake.

Many city dwellers came to see the plane; the Taishan Independent Regiment was so different in their eyes.

This small independent regiment had everything from airplanes and artillery to tanks, making it even better equipped than the German-trained divisions of the Central Army.

However, they were unable to approach the seaplane base before being stopped by soldiers of the Provisional 7th Division and prevented from passing.

The townspeople who had hoped to see the spectacle left disappointed, but a few stayed behind halfway, looking for an opportunity to get closer.

They took off their civilian clothes in hiding, put on Jin army uniforms, and then headed towards the garrison of the Third Battalion of the Independent Regiment.

The guards at the entrance of the camp questioned them.

"Which unit? What's the matter?"

"The 72nd Division of the 19th Army sent us here. We have something to tell Regiment Commander Fang."

Not long ago, the 72nd Division, together with the Independent Regiment, blocked the Japanese army. The guards had no suspicions and sent one of them back to the camp to report.

In the camp.

Fang Wen is talking to his brother-in-law, Kuang Anming.

"You're such a troublemaker. You're the only son in three generations, what are you doing running around like this? Get married and have kids first, and keep your parents in line. That's the important thing."

Kuang Anming has his own opinion on this: "Having a child is not that easy, and besides, you have to get married, which is very troublesome. Moreover, I'm afraid that if I have a child, I won't have the motivation to come out, so it's better not to have any attachments."

Fang Wen glared, but said nothing. No matter the era, there are always rebellious people, and Kuang Anming is one of the troublemakers of this era.

He instructed, "Alright, you are now a crew member of the Water Tiger 4. Do you know how to fire gunships?"

Kuang Anming said excitedly, "Of course! I won first place in shooting during training."

"Alright, you'll be in charge of one machine gun."

"Why not a 20mm cannon?"

Fang Wen laughed and said, "The machine gun has a lot of recoil, so I feel more at ease handing it over to Gong Xiuneng. If you think you are more suitable than Gong Xiuneng, then you can compete with him."

Upon hearing this, Gong Xiuneng, standing behind Fang Wen, stepped forward without hesitation: "Alright, what shall we compete in?"

"Forget it. I think a machine gun is good too." Kuang Anming immediately backed down. Although he had just arrived, he knew that his brother-in-law had a very capable bodyguard, and he knew he couldn't possibly beat him.

At this moment, someone outside reported: "Commander, the men from the 72nd Division request to see you, saying that their division commander has something to tell you."

"What is it?" Fang Wen asked.

"They didn't say."

Fang Wen wanted the guards to let him pass.

But suddenly I felt a pang of heart palpitation.

A heart that's beating rapidly for no apparent reason seems to indicate that something is about to happen.

This feeling seems to have been caused by the small bronze tripod that he carried with him.

He took out the small bronze cauldron.

The small bronze cauldron, which contained little mysterious religious energy, suddenly began to rapidly deplete its energy.

The energy consumed served as a vague warning to Fang Wen.

dangerous!
This was the first time Fang Wen received a warning through the secret treasure; he realized it could be used in this way.

Fang Wen looked at the small bronze cauldron and made a vague guess.

Although different treasures all contain faith energy, their effects are different.

The small bronze tripod likely had a function primarily related to divination and prediction.

Unfortunately, he used all that energy to enhance his own superpowers, and only now has he discovered that it has another use.

Dispelling his regret, Fang Wen's expression turned serious; he needed to find out where the danger came from.

(End of this chapter)