Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 39 The First Aerial Combat: Composite Tactics

The bombing mission against the Izumo is over.

According to the plan, a complete withdrawal will be carried out.

After the bombs exploded, the intercepting aircraft began to perform various tactical maneuvers to shake off the enemy and fly south along the coastline.

The three K47s flew southwest.

This is also the most dangerous situation Fang Wen is about to face.

As early as the last time he bombed warships on the Huangpu River, he realized that his own military aircraft did not cooperate at all during the retreat.

Not to mention myself, an outsider.

In a chaotic situation, friendly forces with poor flying skills and inferior performance are in the most dangerous position.

On that occasion, I managed to escape by flying my Rheinland NYP-2 at extremely low altitudes over the city, and because the Japanese army had not yet launched a full-scale offensive and there was only the threat of ground attacks from the 19th Army.

This time, he's all alone again, and he's going to fight tooth and nail for himself.

He turned his plane around and flew toward the shore, which was the angle between the two groups of withdrawing military aircraft, and also the fastest route for him to leave the battlefield.

But at this moment, the Japanese air force, because the Izumo had been bombed, was pursuing it frantically.

Almost every friendly aircraft had two enemy planes tailing it, determined to avenge the Izumo.

Fang Wen also discovered two enemy planes following behind him through mechanical perception.

It is a Type 3 carrier-based fighter jet.

Although it is also a biplane fighter, this aircraft improves its air combat capability in an extremely streamlined way.

An airplane can only carry one pilot.

The aircraft is only 6.5 meters long.

Wingspan 9.7 meters.

It looks exactly like a short-winged, wide-winged fighting sparrow.

However, this design also results in a weight of only 882 kg and a maximum takeoff weight of 1375 kg.

It is equipped with a Nakajima Hisaji air-cooled engine with 450 horsepower.

This is a small fighter jet with a short range and high speed.

In comparison, the Potez 25 is quite large.

By observing the distance between the two planes behind him using mechanical sensing, Fang Wen made a judgment.

Their evacuation route was an open area with no support.

If you try to dive low like last time, you'll have no chance of getting rid of your opponent.

It is also very likely that during a dive, it will be successfully targeted and shot at by the enemy.

To deal with them, a relatively complex tactical combination is needed.

"Come on." He pulled up the control stick, and the fuselage tilted up, actually making a climbing motion.

After dropping its bombs, the Potez 25 had transformed from a bomber back into a reconnaissance aircraft. Although it was slightly slower than the Type 3 fighter, its overall performance was not much worse.

It could even be said that its performance in all aspects is very well-balanced.

After pulling up at a small angle, the aircraft's speed did not decrease much, and the two Type 3 fighters behind it also quickly climbed up to chase and closely pursued it.

But then, the Potez 25 actually completed a series of complex and difficult flight maneuvers involving a rapid climb and descent.

The plane climbed to an altitude of over 4000 meters along a roller coaster-like arc before plunging down.

Such rapid changes in flight left the two Type 3 aircraft with no time to react. Before they could even adjust their fuselages, they had already left the enemy more than a thousand meters behind.

The two Type 3 fighters were not willing to give up their target, and after adjusting their aircraft, they also dove down.

They pushed their speed to the limit and actually closed the gap with the Potez 25.

Fang Wen's mind raced.

These complex tactical maneuvers were not merely for the purpose of escaping enemy pursuit.

More importantly, create opportunities for yourself.

The Potez 25's only air combat weapon was a forward-mounted helical machine gun. This machine gun had a high rate of fire and great power, but it was difficult to aim. It could only be fired from behind enemy aircraft.

Therefore, the tactical maneuver of climbing and descent is only to change the position of the two aircraft.

Realizing through mechanical sensing that two Type 3 aircraft were chasing after him again, Fang Wen took the third step.

He deliberately slowed down the rotor speed and shifted the fuselage to the side.

With deceleration and increased wind resistance, the Potez 25's speed suddenly decreased significantly, and two small Type 3 fighters rushed past.

This is the moment.

Fang Wen focused intently on aiming, his right hand resting on the machine gun handle.

The enemy fighter flew by, and there was only a three-second delay between it forming a firing angle with the Potez 25 fuselage. Fang Wen pressed the machine gun handle a second later.

The bullets were fired prematurely, drawing a deadly chain along the enemy plane's inevitable path.

Two seconds later, a Type 3 enemy plane rushed over and was hit by a barrage of bullets from a propeller machine gun.

In an instant, the Type 3 fighter jets were riddled with bullets.

The fuselage, which was only 6 meters long, was riddled with bullet holes. Its tight internal structure had now become a fatal weakness, with the engine and fuel tank being hit by bullets.

The aircraft exploded during the shooting.

Fang Wen was stunned. The Type 3 fighter's defense was as fragile as paper. A single shot from the propeller machine gun would be enough to destroy it.

The people who fly this kind of plane must be fearless daredevils.

Perhaps not entirely. Another enemy Type 3 aircraft, after discovering that its companion had been riddled with bullets and exploded, decisively turned around and fled.

The Type 3 fighter jet, in its escape mode, was fast and small, making it difficult to pursue. Fang Wen didn't intend to continue and flew directly back to the planned return route.

More than an hour later, the Potez 25 safely flew back to Jianqiao Airport.

After disembarking from the plane, Fang Wen handed over control of the Potez 25.

He walked toward the operations command post, which was in a mess, with papers scattered on the floor and soldiers and officers scrambling to pack up.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu watched Fang Wen enter, laughed heartily, and shook hands with him forcefully.

“This operation was fantastic. Just you wait, it won’t be long before we end this war. You’ll definitely be rewarded, and if you want to join the Air Force, I can help you find a way.”

"Thank you, but I don't want to join the Air Force." Fang Wen had no intention of joining the Nationalist Air Force; he didn't want to be under military command and bomb his own people.

Lieutenant Colonel Liu's expression turned slightly cold, but then he smiled and said, "It's alright. Everyone has their own ambitions. You've already done a lot for the country and the people. By the way, according to orders from higher command, all air squadrons can return to base for rest and repairs. You don't need to stay at the airport anymore. Should I send someone to take you to Nanjing?"

"No need, someone will come to pick me up."

"That's good. Rest assured. There shouldn't be any more major battles coming up."

"Okay, see you later." Fang Wen said goodbye and left the temporary command room.

With the National Air Force ceasing operations, Fang Wen had nothing left to do in this war.

He parted ways with Gui Hongyuan and the two corporals, packed his belongings, and then made a phone call.

The following day, Fang Wen carried a small suitcase out of Jianqiao Airport and waited outside the main gate.

Not long after, a brown sedan pulled up and stopped in front of them.

The driver's side door opened, and Yue Jinping, dressed in a cheongsam, stepped out.

"This car is nice." Fang Wen stared at the sedan. For some reason, he now had a strange fondness for all kinds of machinery.

"Stipunk, this is a friend's car, I borrowed it. It's just that it's inconvenient to drive while wearing a cheongsam, why don't you drive?"

"Okay."

Fang Wen took the key and handed the suitcase to Yue Jinping.

The moment I sat in the driver's seat and inserted the key to start the engine, that mechanical sensation actually appeared.

Perhaps this is an enhancement resulting from long-term use of mechanical perception; it can be used not only in airplanes but also in cars.

Through mechanical perception, Fang Wen easily understood the car's structure and performance. In addition, he had owned a car before, so operating it was not difficult.

After a brief period of experimentation, the car started and steadily drove away from the airport.

(End of this chapter)