Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 38, Simulated Bombing: Sinking the Izumo

The Potez 25 fighter-reconnaissance aircraft started its engines, and with the rotors spinning, the fuselage tilted down at a 30-degree angle and drove onto the runway.

The civilian workers on the runway were quickly cleared, and after a burst of acceleration, the Potez 25 fighter-reconnaissance aircraft took off.

Fang Wen, in a state of mechanical perception, is familiarizing himself with the aircraft.

The aircraft is well maintained, the engine is performing well, and no problems have been found with other parts.

He piloted the plane, circling in the air, and with each circle, his understanding of the aircraft deepened.

With the aid of mechanical sensing capabilities, it once again became one with the new aircraft.

Overall, this aircraft was designed as a versatile aircraft, capable of high-altitude reconnaissance, air combat, long-range flight, and even bombing.

No wonder it has become a military aircraft model procured by various countries.

Now, the biplane era is coming to an end, and Fang Wen is preparing to pilot it to achieve one last glorious moment.

The plane landed after circling five times.

After the plane came to a stop, the officer ran over and asked, "How is it?"

"The performance is good and suitable for this bombing mission, but I still need to test whether the bomb rack is secure and complete a few simulated bomb drops."

“Simulated bombing? How do we do that?” the officer asked.

“I only need an object weighing 800 kilograms that can be securely mounted on the bomb rack before I can drop it from high altitude,” Fang Wen replied.

A mechanic offered a suggestion.

"The boiler room was bombed. Although the boilers inside are unusable, they can be used as bombs. We just need to modify them a little."

That was a perfect suggestion. A squad of soldiers immediately went over and carried the broken boiler over.

Around 600 or 700 kilograms, just right.

The mechanics welded hooks to the four corners of the boiler and then worked together to install it on the bomb rack on the aircraft's belly.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen piloted the plane into the air again.

Next, he must master the techniques for dropping these heavy aerial bombs as much as possible in the limited bombing training he has available.

The bombing location was the same marked point where we practiced nighttime airdrops last time.

The plane circled at high altitude to determine its location and approached in a straight line.

With his mechanical senses, Fang Wen skillfully identified the opportunity for the airdrop and immediately pulled up the bomb launcher with his left hand.

The bomb rack hook on the aircraft's belly retracted, and the boiler, weighing hundreds of kilograms, fell freely and crashed to the ground.

Even without explosives inside, a crater more than a meter deep was still created upon impact with the ground.

Airport personnel arrived later to inspect the bombing.

It was only a few meters away from the target ring.

Based on this assessment, the probability of the cruiser Izumo being bombed is quite high.

They cheered for it.

Fang Wen, however, was not as fortunate as they were; dropping bombs here was not the same as dropping bombs by the sea.

Here, thanks to numerous airdrop training sessions, Fang Wen is very familiar with the environment and has taken all factors into consideration, so a high hit rate is inevitable.

However, at the seaside, the wind speed, whether the Izumo would move, and the possibility of enemy aircraft blocking the way would all be more complex than they are now, so this cannot be used as a basis for judgment.

But the necessary practice must continue.

The soldiers dug the boiler out of the ground; although it was somewhat deformed, it was still usable.

The boiler was then hung on the aircraft, and bombing training continued.

The bombing simulation training was not considered over until the fourth time it hit the ground and shattered into several pieces.

At this point, Fang Wen, who was already feeling somewhat tired, stopped training.

He climbed down the boarding stairs and went straight to his dormitory.

"I need to rest. Don't wake me unless it's something that requires action."

She slept until the morning of the next day.

Two corporals were still guarding the door, and a whole night passed without anyone coming to look for him.

Fang Wen got up, poured a glass of water from the kettle, rinsed his mouth, and then drank the remaining half glass.

"Didn't they come looking for me?"

Corporal Zhuo Hanguang replied, "Lieutenant Colonel Liu came by. He said you should go to the airport office before 10 o'clock. I figured it wasn't time yet, so I let you sleep a little longer."

Corporal Yan Fangshou interjected, "Sir, breakfast is on the table. Should we take it to the mess hall to heat it up?"

"No need." Fang Wen came out of the inner room, picked up a large steamed bun, ate it with pickled vegetables and millet porridge, and then picked up the coat hanging on the wall and went out.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the airport office, which was guarded by soldiers.

The soldiers all recognized Fang Wen, this civilian hero at the airport who wasn't in uniform, and they made way for him.

Upon entering the office, which had been converted into a temporary operations command center, many soldiers were busy at work, and there were also radios, transmitters, and other equipment. The officer who had been communicating with Fang Wen walked over.

With a serious expression, he introduced himself.

"Yesterday was rushed, and I haven't had a chance to introduce myself. My name is Liu Qiyu, and I am in full command of this operation. The plan has been finalized: at 6 PM, the ground and air forces will operate simultaneously. You will depart with the National Aviation Fleet and rendezvous with the Guangdong Aviation Fleet in Shanghai."

Fang Wen nodded to indicate that he understood, but he was not as calm as he appeared.

On the surface, this operation appears to be a collaboration among all parties, but in reality, he is a lone hero.

For example, right now, although I know the detailed plan, I have the plane, and the training is complete.

However, the other side did not explain at all how the military aircraft in the entire operation would coordinate with them during the mission.

Next, we must prepare for the worst and not expect friendly forces to support us without prior planning.

Only by preparing for the worst-case scenario can we guarantee the completion of the bombing and a safe return.

5 PM on March 2nd.

A group of men dressed in plain clothes appeared on the banks of the Wusong River. Each of them had a small axe tucked into their waistband, and the locals could tell at a glance that they were members of the Axe Gang.

One of the men in the long gown picked up a wine jar and poured a full cup for the two men in the short jackets. After a passionate speech, the two men tilted their heads back and drank the strong liquor in their bowls before boarding the boat without hesitation.

They set sail from the Yangtze River, their destination the warship a few dozen miles offshore.

An hour later, the small boat reached its destination. The two men pierced through the wooden boat, put on their wetsuits, and quietly swam towards the target, dragging a mine that was floated by an airbag.

Meanwhile, at Jianqiao Airport, planes took off one after another, and the operation began.

As the sun was about to sink below the horizon, the military aircraft group arrived in Shanghai, and four more K47s flying from the west also arrived in time to join them.

As planned, the three national air squadrons flew over the sea to form an aerial interception line.

They successfully attracted the attention of a Japanese naval air patrol, and a fierce chase ensued.

However, in terms of performance, their aircraft are not as good as the K47, and it is difficult to estimate how long they can last.

Four K47s, along with Potez 25 fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, carried out the bombing.

The aircraft swarm patrolled the sea and located the Izumo.

The captain of the Guangdong Air Force aligned his aircraft parallel to the Potez 25 and gestured downwards.

This means that they first carried out a feint attack according to plan, and Fang Wen seized the opportunity to determine the timing of the bombing.

Fang Wen nodded and returned the gesture.

Immediately, four K47s swooped down.

The battle started instantly.

The Izumo was no ordinary warship without anti-aircraft firepower; two bullet marks shot into the sky from the bow and stern.

As bullet holes swept in, the military aircraft immediately took evasive action, but one of them was not so lucky. Its right wing was hit and it flew towards the sea, billowing black smoke.

That was Shao Sichen's fighter jet, and Fang Wen felt a pang of sadness.

Hopefully, he can make an emergency landing and survive. After all, this is the sea, and the chances of survival are greater than if the plane crashes on the ground.

Clearing his mind, Fang Wen entered a state of mechanical awareness, focusing intently on aiming for aerial bombing.

He became one with the aircraft, using his own senses to determine the most appropriate time and place to drop the bomb.

The sea breeze is gentle now and won't affect the bombing much. The only problem is that the Izumo is turning around and trying to escape.

Its turning position was slightly to the right, which was opposite to the direction of the Potez 25's flight, so a bombing correction had to be made.

Fang Wen was considering how to change the timing of the bombing when flames suddenly erupted from the bottom of the Izumo on the sea.

The warships also stopped.

The suicide squad detonated a mine under the ship.

This gave Fang Wen the perfect opportunity. Without having to change the timing of the bomb release, he pulled up the bomb launcher without hesitation.

An 800-kilogram bomb falling from the sky—at that height, even without explosives, could create a large hole in a warship.

Fang Wen, who was preparing to return to base, focused intently on what was below.

Ten seconds later, the bomb landed squarely on the deck of the Izumo.

The impact fuse inside the bomb, detonated upon impact from a great height, caused Fang Wen to close his eyes involuntarily, as the enormous secondary explosion light caused him to fall from the sky.

When I opened my eyes again, there were more explosions.

Such a powerful explosion, concentrated at one point, blasted a huge gap in the middle of this main Japanese warship.

The ship was also tilting to one side, and there was a risk of it taking on water and sinking at any moment.

Become!

This warship, having lost power, became the biggest souvenir of the January 28 Incident (Shanghai Incident), and was stranded in the near sea.

Fang Wen withdrew his gaze and decisively chose to return to base.

(End of this chapter)