Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 400, page 398: Gunships Arrive in Spain, Battle of Teruel

Fang Wen piloted the modified export version of the Taishan gunboat to Europe.

He was accompanied by five mechanics and his bodyguard, Gong Xiuneng.

The plane took the same secret route that the Asian air force had used on its return trip. It first flew to Ankara via a commercial route, then to Athens, then across the Mediterranean Sea without passing through Italy, transiting through Benghazi, then crossing the Gulf of Sirte, refueling and resupplying in Tripoli, then flying to Algiers, and finally crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Algiers to Spain.

This is the safest route, relatively speaking, and will not be intercepted by any forces associated with Franco.

(Secret routes for the sale of gunboats and aircraft)

After a long flight, the gunboat finally arrived in Algiers.

Fang Wen once brought two International Brigades soldiers here, and out of politeness, he asked about them while refueling.

Subsequently, a man in a wheelchair was pushed by his wife to Algiers Airport.

He was the French International Brigades soldier who looked like he was about to die at any moment.

I survived, but I can't walk.

After talking with him for a while, Fang Wen said goodbye and took off.

The plane takes off.

With his superpowers and radar detection activated, Fang Wen avoided potential aircraft in advance.

It took more than an hour to finally reach the airspace over the Valencia region.

At this point, Fang Wencai turned on the aircraft's radio and had a mechanic send a telegram to the ground.

Shortly after the telegram was sent on a specific frequency, two Il-16s took off, flying as escorts, one on the left and one on the right.

Fang Wen announced, "Attention everyone, our destination is Teruel, and we'll be there soon."

The passengers shook off their fatigue and waited for landing.

Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but ask, "Commander, is Teruel really that important? Why did the Spanish National Army and the Republican Army fight there for three months?"

Fang Wen explained, “Teruel is the junction of Madrid, Aragon, and Valencia. If Franco’s forces in southern Spain take this place, they will be able to travel unimpeded from south to north to Aragon, and will also be able to control Madrid and Valencia.”

Gong Xiuneng didn't quite understand, so Fang Wen simply took out a map from the storage slot on his right hand and gave it to him to look at himself.

After looking at the map, Gong Xiuneng nodded and said, "I understand. Teruel is located at the center of the three regions. If the National Army occupies this place, they can attack Valencia to the east, go to Madrid to the west, and head to Aragon to the north. They can also prevent the three regions from supporting each other. It is indeed very important."

Fang Wen continued, “For this reason, the Republican Army has committed a large number of troops, and the International Brigades have also fully supported the battle there. We just happened to come across this opportunity. The Republican Army high command heard that gunship aircraft could provide strong firepower suppression on the ground and were also suitable for mountain warfare, so they gave us this opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities. This battle has also attracted much attention from European countries and the United States. If the gunship aircraft performs well, it will leave a deep impression on all countries.”

As they approached their destination, Fang Wencai revealed the key to the military sales sample demonstration, making Gong Xiuneng and the mechanics understand its importance.

Half an hour later, the plane arrived in the Teruel region.

Fang Wen and the other passengers in the cabin were observing the situation below.

Below is a city built on a plateau, composed entirely of traditional Spanish architecture.

However, many of the buildings are in ruins, clearly the result of repeated artillery fire and air raids.

The troops inside watched the sky warily; they were Franco's National Army.

Fang Wen looked towards the northeast of the city, where there was a flat, temporary airport.

There is no water here, so it can only land on the ground. Therefore, this gunship aircraft has been modified into a land-based version.

He said, "Lower the landing gear."

Immediately afterwards, in the rear cabin, Gong Xiuneng and a mechanic cranked a lever to raise the landing gear that was folded flat on the belly of the aircraft.

After completing the operation, Gong Xiuneng opened the bottom hatch to check whether the landing gear was fully deployed before reporting.

"Commander, position the landing gear."

Fang Wen, who already knew all this through mechanical perception, controlled the aircraft to adjust its position, decelerate, and dive to land on the temporary airfield.

With the landing of the gunship aircraft, the two Il-16s completed their escort mission and returned home.

Gunships landed on the hard runway.

Because the runway was temporarily leveled, the aircraft swayed slightly.

But there's nothing seriously wrong.

After the plane came to a stop, a group of people walked onto the runway to greet them.

Fang Wen and the crew members disembarked from the plane.

Among these people were the Republican Army commanders and accompanying officers who attacked Teruel, as well as Fang Wen's old acquaintances and comrades-in-arms from the International Brigades.

Among them was Ernest Hemingway, the American war correspondent and writer.

Fang Wen gestured to Hemingway to speak with the Republican commander first.

The other party looked at the gunship and asked, "Is this your aerial fortress?"

The name "Sky Fortress" was coined by Paul, the manager of Taishan Airlines' French branch, to give the Popular Front a powerful image.

Fang Wen thought the nickname was good, so he agreed.

When asked about it, he smiled and said, "Yes. It has 10-15 mm protective steel plates on the front and bottom, which can withstand bullets of 8 mm caliber or smaller."

The officers were very sensitive to this data and made a point of checking around the aircraft.

Then, he asked about the aircraft's other performance characteristics.

"I heard it can use various machine gun models?"

"That's right. We designed a light machine gun mount that can accommodate various light machine gun models, and a heavy machine gun mount that is suitable for heavy machine guns with bases."

"What about landing and takeoff? This isn't the best landing and takeoff point, and I'm worried that other pilots won't be able to handle it."

"It is a low-speed military aircraft, and it is not difficult to fly. Any pilot who can fly the Il-16 proficiently can definitely handle it."

What other functions are there?

"The aircraft is equipped with radio voice communication equipment, which can communicate with the ground at short distances. In addition, there is a radar early warning system that will issue a warning if an aircraft is detected within 200 kilometers, but it cannot provide the specific location. There are also air-to-air bombs that can affect enemy aircraft attacks."

Fang Wen answered each question.

This military aircraft is primarily designed for ground attack and sustained fire suppression.

It was also equipped with some stripped-down auxiliary equipment. For example, the radio equipment used old-fashioned vacuum tube equipment, which could not communicate with ground walkie-talkies. The radar early warning system was also a useless feature; it couldn't determine the enemy's location at a range of 200 kilometers, so it was better than nothing. However, the airburst bombs were quite unique.

However, compared with other military aircraft of this era, its functionality is completely different, and it has its own unique value.

Teruel's officers had never seen aircraft in actual combat, and immediately requested that gunboats participate in the ensuing battle.

Fang Wen came here for this reason, so of course he agreed.

Therefore, both sides agreed that Fang Wen would serve as the main pilot, the Republican Army would send a co-pilot to learn, and the combat personnel inside the aircraft would be selected from the Spanish forces.

Fang Wen specifically suggested that members of the International Brigades be the first batch of marksmen.

This would have a better effect on the propaganda surrounding gunboats.

The Republican commander agreed to this.

After handing over the next operations to the appropriate personnel, he left the temporary airport.

The Republican Army personnel left, but a large number of International Brigades arrived.

They had all dealt with Fang Wen before and were familiar with each other. When they heard that the gunship aircraft needed a group of air combat personnel, they all came to participate.

This kind of situation was commonplace in the International Brigades, where discipline was not strict, and Fang Wen accepted all comers.

He said loudly in English, "Everyone, come with me into the plane and take a look. The ground attack mode of this military aircraft is very simple. It can use a variety of burst-fire weapons. Bring all the machine gun models you have now, and I'll show you."

Subsequently, a batch of International Brigades military machine guns were moved to the temporary airfield. True to their reputation as an International Brigades, they had several different machine gun models.

The British Lewis light machine gun, the Czech ZB26 light machine gun, and the Soviet DP28 light machine gun.

The heavy machine gun was the DShK machine gun, provided by the Soviet Union.

The key point is the DShK machine gun.

Fang Wen was surprised to find that this Soviet-made heavy machine gun, although it looked very simple, was very suitable for operation on gunships.

By simply moving the DShK machine gun into the slot and fixing it with a bracket, a better firing angle can be achieved.

Fang Wen then instructed the soldiers of the International Brigade to move various types of machine guns into the aircraft and taught them on-site how to assemble and use the aircraft's gun mount system.

(DShK machine gun)

An afternoon passed quickly. The International Brigades soldiers, who had learned how to use gun mounts to fire from inside the plane, started a fire and cooked a meal at the makeshift airfield.

They were well-supplied with supplies, including sausages, ham, smoked meat, and bread.

Fang Wen also asked Gong Xiuneng to take two boxes of military food out of the plane.

He opened it while explaining.

"These two types are military rations developed by our Taishan Research Institute. The first type is a compressed type, which contains peanuts, wheat flour, dried meat, cooking oil, and various spices. It can be used to make soup or eaten dry. The second type is field combat rations that can be heated and eaten without starting a fire."

The two types of military food he displayed were not surprising; European armies were already using canned food and biscuits during World War I.

The second type, however, was something that soldiers from various countries in the International Brigades had never seen before.

Self-heating food is so convenient.

They then opened the two boxes of military rations and began to eat them.

After the meal, everyone started chatting.

Hemingway, standing next to Fang Wen, couldn't help but ask, "Have you been fighting in the East for the past year or so?"

"Yes, we have suffered heavy losses fighting the invaders, but as long as we persevere, we will surely win," Fang Wen replied.

He also asked Hemingway, "I heard the fighting here is fierce?"

Hemingway nodded with a sigh: "It started last December. The Republicans have been attacking the city, but the enemy is very tenacious and has been fighting ever since."

He was a war correspondent who was very good at telling stories, and he described the long battle to Fang Wen.

Initially, the Republican army planned to concentrate its forces for a surprise attack to take this place.

They mobilized a large number of troops, with a total strength reaching as many as 10.

Because of the complex mountainous terrain, the International Brigades were not initially involved in the battle; Hemingway and his men joined later.

The Republican army launched its offensive on December 15, 1937. At that time, heavy snow prevented air support, and the terrain also made it impossible to transport heavy artillery to the area.

The Republican army surrounded Teruel before evening, and Franco's National Army retreated its defensive lines into the city to hold them.

On December 21, the Republican army captured Teruel.

Hemingway and New York Times reporter Herbert Matthews accompanied Republican troops into Teruel for interviews, where they witnessed firsthand the fierce street fighting in the city.

Until Christmas Day, the National Army still occupied the government, the Bank of Spain, the Santa Clara Monastery, and the seminary.

But then, Franco's reinforcements arrived.

The German Condor Legion also provided support.

Adding to the stalemate, four days of heavy snow caused a significant drop in temperature, ultimately leading to the Republican army's withdrawal from Teruel, and the two sides entered another stalemate.

In the ensuing battle, the International Brigades joined the fray, but the situation remained deadlocked, and they were unable to break through any further.

Fang Wen frowned after hearing Hemingway's words.

It seems that if they want to make a name for themselves as the Taishan gunship aircraft, they need to perform well in the upcoming battles.

But he didn't have much of a clue as to how to do it.

A major military event occurred the following day.

As the night passed, the alarm suddenly sounded.

This foreshadows a major upheaval.

Fang Wen quickly got up and called Gong Xiuneng to come out and check.

He saw the International Brigades soldiers hurriedly transferring at the airport and couldn't help but grab one of them to ask a question.

"what happened."

"The National Army has launched an attack on us! We have been ordered to defend it."

The soldier said something and hurried away.

Fang Wen did not obtain much useful information.

He looked around and saw that the International Brigades soldiers who had agreed to fly into battle yesterday were gathering to the north, and bursts of gunfire could be heard.

With everyone gone, how can we even launch a combat mission?

At that moment, Hemingway and several war correspondents rushed back from outside.

"Fang, the National Army has launched a cavalry charge. We don't have enough troops on our side, and we probably can't hold out. You need to take a plane and leave immediately."

Fang Wen asked, "Can you operate a machine gun? I need a group of gunners to support the troops below from the air."

Hemingway nodded subconsciously, and three of the other war correspondents also raised their hands.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen boarded the plane with four war correspondents, Gong Xiuneng, and five mechanics.

The machine gun was already installed on the gun mount in the firing position inside the aircraft during yesterday's demonstration.

There were also prepared ammunition boxes nearby.

Fang Wen strode to the front cockpit, sat down, and started the aircraft while issuing commands:

"Gong Xiuneng can shut down the engine room."

"All the mechanics acted as marksmen."

"And you four, find your places and get ready."

"From now on, follow my instructions."

After issuing the commands, which were a mix of Chinese and English, Fang Wen started the aircraft and accelerated into the air.

The gunship took to the sky, and Fang Wen, who had activated his mechanical perception, used his mechanical eagle eye to observe the situation below.

I immediately understood my current situation.

South of Teruel, the Republican army amassed a large number of troops in preparation for an attack on the city.

The airport is located north of Teruel, where there are fewer Republican troops, and because it is close to the Aragon region, everyone naturally assumed that the National Army would not attack this area.

But who would have thought that today, the National Army would actually dispatch a large number of cavalry units to outflank and launch an attack on the Republican Army troops north of Teruel?

Once the densely packed cavalry forces break through the Republican Army's positions north of Teruel, they will directly sever the main force of the Republican Army south of Teruel from their rear.

In that case, the main force of the Republican Army, without logistical support, would face a huge crisis.

After understanding the situation, Fang Wen made a decisive decision.

"We are about to launch a ground suppression attack, which will last for a long time. Everyone should be prepared."

(End of this chapter)