Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 476 Graduation Ceremony, Returning Home to Fight, Ambush in the Wutai Mountains
End of March 38.

The second aircraft manufacturing plant completed the production of two more Taishan first-generation fighter jets.

These two are also interceptor aircraft.

The reason for producing interceptor aircraft instead of fighter jets is mainly because the number of fighter jets is too small. In air combat, such high-speed fighter jets would be more effective in attacking the enemy's main important air targets in the form of interceptors.

Before returning home to fight in the war, the aviation school held a graduation ceremony.

More than one hundred students stood in neat rows.

On the makeshift wooden platform in front of the students, Fang Wen, Shao Sishen, and the school's teachers stood.

The headcount begins. Trainees call out their numbers from left to right, the class leader counts them, and then reports back.
"The flight cadet class should have 43 students, and 43 students are present."

"The mechanic training class should have 30 students, and 30 students are present."

"The ground crew should have 30 people, and 30 people are present."

After the count was finished, Fang Wen looked at Shao Sishen.

"Sishen, you are the principal of the aviation school, you go first."

Shao Sichen nodded, and without any hesitation, stepped forward and said loudly.

"Students, today is your graduation day. Since the founding of Taishan Aviation, I have been engaged in training flight cadets, and you are the best group I have ever seen. Your ability to complete your studies in such a short time is truly commendable. I sincerely hope that you will use your skills on the battlefields back home to defeat the invaders. This is my only expectation for you."

After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply.

The students in the audience applauded.

After Shao Sichen stepped back, Fang Wen stepped forward.

He braced his hands on the edge of the wooden podium.

Gazing at the students in their crisp uniforms below the stage, his eyes swept over their resolute and courageous faces.

"Like Principal Shao, I am also deeply gratified. Your performance has been truly outstanding! Many of the students here are those I have taught before and who have come here for the second time. They spent months studying diligently to build a solid foundation. You, however, have achieved such excellent results in less than two months, a process that was far more arduous than theirs. Every night, you studied late into the night in your dormitories, exchanging ideas and discussing with each other. It is precisely through double the effort that you have achieved today's results. To commemorate this process, while distributing your graduation certificates, I will also give you a small gift. Now, I will leave the time to your teachers."

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he gave his seat to the school's teachers.

The teachers and students said their final goodbyes, and then began the last part of the graduation ceremony: distributing graduation certificates.

Fang Wen called in flight attendants to act as ushers, who waited by with large red trays, each tray containing a red graduation certificate and a leather jacket.

Each student received their graduation certificate and a leather jacket with a Mount Tai logo as a graduation souvenir.

Afterwards, they took graduation photos with their teachers, each class as a unit.

After finishing all that, Fang Wen said with a serious expression, "Now, go back to the dormitory to pack your things. We're leaving for China tomorrow."

The trainees marched back to their dormitories to prepare.

Only Pan Jiafeng and Qi Baoqian remained.

Fang Wen talked to them.

"This mission to return to China involves a total of 115 people, who will travel to Yan'an on 6 seaplanes. The seaplane pilots will be arranged by the company and will return on their own after dropping off the passengers. However, the 3 Taishan first-generation interceptors will need to be piloted. I will pilot one of them, and the other two will be the responsibility of the two of you."

The two had no objection to this.

But the conversation wasn't over yet.

Fang Wen continued, "My idea is to establish an interceptor combat team after returning to China, so that we can launch more flexible and effective attacks in air combat. You two are currently the most suitable interceptor pilots. Would you be willing to leave your current positions and fight alongside me?"

Pan Jiafeng agreed without hesitation, and said happily, "Master, of course I'm willing."

Qi Baoqian did not give a direct answer: "Commander, I am personally willing to join your interceptor combat team, but I am also a Party member and a soldier, and I need the organization's approval first."

Fang Wen nodded; he was aware of the situation, of course. "When you get back, you can apply to the organization. They will understand the importance of the interceptor combat team, so don't worry about that. Now, let me briefly explain the future tactical coordination. My idea is to form a multi-layered airspace combat echelon, with the gunboat squadron as the low-altitude, low-speed combat force, the Yan'an Air Force as the medium-altitude, medium-speed combat echelon, and our three interceptors as the force that will roam the entire theater of operations, rapidly striking enemy air units."

This is his new tactical concept.

The heavily armored gunboat squadrons will serve as an air assault force in conjunction with ground troops.

The seven Il-16 variants of the Yan'an Air Force were their trump card in intercepting Japanese warplanes.

The three interceptors led by Fang Wen will be the brains in the air, capable of switching between multiple roles at any time.

After understanding Fang Wen's tactical arrangements, the two were even more excited about the battle after returning home.

The only problem is the lack of machine gunners.

Fang Wen's plane was no longer needed; he modified his own plane into a single-seat mode where the pilot operated the machine gun.

However, Qi Baoqian and Pan Jiafeng cannot multitask like this; they need a gunner to assist them.

In response to their concerns, Fang Wen smiled and said, "There's no need to worry. I selected two gunnery operators from the independent regiment's gunnery pilots who came to learn this time."

The gunboat pilots of the Independent Regiment were all trained in gunboat aerial firing so that they could fill in if the gunners were injured or killed.

In their subsequent studies, they not only learned to fly the first-generation fighter jets, but also learned to fire the gunnery skills of interceptors, which allowed them to cooperate well with Pan Jiafeng and Qi Baoqian.

The next day, six seaplanes fully loaded with students took off.

After it took off, three interceptors also took off from the aviation school's airfield.

Escorted by three interceptors, it flew north.

Now that Wuhan has fallen, the only safe domestic flight route left is the one connecting Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. While flying in Yunnan and Guizhou, nothing seems amiss, but once you reach Sichuan, the situation changes.

Large numbers of defeated troops arrived in Sichuan, particularly concentrated around Chongqing.

These resentful defeated soldiers had a significant negative impact on local security.

Even Chengdu was affected.

However, this situation had one advantage for Fang Wen's flight: he did not encounter any difficulties when landing at Chengdu Jiang'an Water Airport.

Those people probably wouldn't care about the local dialect at this point.

Therefore, after transiting at Jiang'an Water Airport, the aircraft group successfully flew out of Sichuan, crossed the Qinling Mountains, and arrived in Yan'an.

Six seaplanes landed at the sea airport on the Yellow River section of Yanchuan, unloaded the trainees, and then returned to base.

Fang Wen and his three interceptors landed at Yan'an Airport.

The arrival of the brand-new fighter jets in Yan'an immediately attracted attention, and Fang Wen also served as a guide for several days, introducing the new aircraft.

At the same time, Qi Baoqian also applied to his superiors to resign from his position as captain of the Yan'an Air Force and join the interceptor combat team.

Subsequently, Fang Wen attended a tactical discussion meeting specially prepared for him, during which he explained his tactical plan in detail.

This new air coordination tactic also allowed for new arrangements in operational plans.

With the end of the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese front lines were stretched thin, and the Nationalist army had retreated into the mountainous areas of Sichuan and Shaanxi, which were not conducive to mechanized warfare.

The Japanese offensive shifted to areas already under their control, as well as those in the central and southeastern regions that had not yet fallen.

The Jin-Cha-Ji base area on the northern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, as a deep iron nail driven behind enemy lines, made the Japanese uneasy day and night, and a new mopping-up operation was launched.

The Japanese army launched attacks on the Jin-Cha-Ji base area from multiple directions. From the west, the Japanese army carried out a sweeping operation in the Jinzhong Basin between the Lüliang Mountains and the Taihang Mountains from the direction of Chahar. From the east, the Japanese troops stationed along the Pinghan Railway line made a full-scale approach to the eastern part of the Taihang Mountains.

Another force attacked from Jingxing.

But they didn't expect that this time, they would run into a tough opponent.

11 month 3 day.

The first phase of coordinated air and ground operations has begun.

Seven Il-16s from the Yan'an Air Force, along with three interceptors led by Fang Wen, took off simultaneously.

After the plane took off, Fang Wen, in his capacity as air commander, conducted aerial communications.

He switched to the internal air frequency and first communicated with Du Jiahuai, the new captain of the Yan'an Air Force.

"Du Jiahuai, this time the target is the Wutai Huashipian area. I will lead the flight, your team will follow."

"Received," Du Jiahuai replied. The ten fighter jets, arranged in three in front and seven in the rear, flew northeast.

The plane flew over the Yellow River and then northward along the Taihang Mountains.

As they approached Taiyuan, Fang Wen activated his mechanical perception.

He first used radar detection devices to determine if Japanese warplanes were present in the vicinity.

There are 10 aircraft in the northeast.

But those weren't Japanese aircraft; they were 10 gunboats from the Eighth Route Army's air regiment.

Meanwhile, more than 200 kilometers to the north, eight aircraft reported the news.

Those were probably warplanes that flew in from the Japanese military airfield in Chahar, used to cover the Japanese army's operations in the Wutai Mountains.

After all, in mountain warfare, tanks and vehicles cannot move, and only aircraft are the best means of support.

Fang Wen sneered. Now the tables have turned, and the Japanese's eight fighter jets are really no match for them.

He even hoped that the Japanese would send more warplanes to their deaths, so that all the warplanes he had come to greet them would not have been in vain.

The next flight needs to be precisely aimed at the target area.

As the air commander, Fang Wen had to ensure that all participating aircraft reached their designated positions.

Now that his abilities are activated, he is monitoring the movements of all the aircraft and also investigating the location of this air-ground coordinated ambush operation: Huashipian Village.

According to the plan.

The 716th Regiment of the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division set up an ambush there, targeting the Japanese Nono Battalion, which was isolated deep in the mountains.

The ambush site was located in a place called Huashipian in the Wutai Mountains.

We need to find that place first, and then gather the air force.

Fangwen Mechanical Sensing Eagle Eye is activated, searching the area below.

He found it very quickly.

It was a valley nestled among mountains.

Japanese soldiers are walking among them.

What about the Eighth Route Army's ambush points?
Fang Wenjia's eagle-eye perspective allowed him to see even more clearly.

He saw that on the high ground on both sides in front of him, Eighth Route Army soldiers were lying in ambush.

Their grass-green military uniforms made it impossible to tell that anyone was lying in ambush when they were still.

Fang Wen immediately picked up the microphone and switched frequencies to make a call.

"Calling Commander Yan of the Eighth Route Army Air Regiment, please respond if you hear me."

A moment later, Yan Wenwu's voice came through the radio: "Communication received."

Even though he knew the other party's location, Fang Wen still asked first, "Where is your unit currently located?"

“We have entered Wutai County,” Yan Wenwu replied.

"Our forces are about to reach the ambush area and will deploy smoke grenades for guidance. Please pay close attention to the ground situation," Fang Wen replied.

"receive."

call ended.

Fang Wen then communicated with the Yan'an Air Force.

"I will conduct a target-guided airdrop. Once the target smoke appears, your unit can drop all the ordnance to the target location."

Finally, communication with the ground is also required.

He switched to a specific frequency on the Taishan walkie-talkie.

"Mount Tai calls out to the Yellow River, please respond if you hear me."

Ground response: "Yellow River received."

"An air strike will begin in 2 minutes and will continue until the end of this battle."

"Received. We have entered combat readiness and are ready to engage in battle at any time."

Fang Wen ended the call, piloted the plane alone, and descended from an altitude of over 6000 meters.

At a high speed of 500 kilometers per hour, the altitude drops rapidly, and soon it reaches 2000 meters.

At this altitude, Fang Wen reduced his speed, but the dive angle remained unchanged.

The plane quickly descended, and at an altitude of 1500 meters, Fang Wencai pulled up.

At this moment, the plane had arrived directly above the canyon.

The bombing began, the safety latches on the two bombs were released, and the bombs flew downwards with high-speed inertia.

The Japanese battalion below had 1300 men, including soldiers, mules, horses, and laborers.

Fang Wen chose a target position at the front of the team, which was perfect so that he wouldn't accidentally injure the coerced laborers.

As the bomb fell, a burst of light erupted, followed by billowing smoke.

The Japanese troops, shrouded in smoke, were thrown into a panic, but quickly realized they had suffered no significant losses.

They were surprised, thinking there was something wrong with the bombs falling from the sky, but they had no idea what they were about to face.

Seven Il-16s descended from the sky, dropping their aerial bombs on the target area.

A series of explosions occurred, scattering the Japanese vanguard.

The chaos among the Japanese vanguard was the perfect signal for battle.

On the high ground on both sides, the Eighth Route Army soldiers opened fire on the enemy below upon receiving the order to attack.

The more than 1000 Japanese soldiers in the canyon were in complete chaos.

However, some Japanese soldiers attempted to retaliate, setting up mortars and trying to bombard the high ground.

The mortar shell flew over the hill and landed on the rear beam.

Just as the Japanese soldiers were about to adjust their angle, the Eighth Route Army's air force gunboat squadron arrived.

Guided by the smoke in the valley, the gunboats descended one by one and began to strafing the Japanese troops below.

Under such circumstances, the Japanese were stunned. They did not expect that the enemy's equipment would be so good when they attacked in the mountains.

Given such a disadvantage, they were focused on escaping and had no intention of continuing the fight.

Therefore, under the orders of the Japanese commander, they abandoned their baggage, ignoring even the mules, horses, and laborers, and sped towards the exit of the canyon ahead.

They wanted to escape this ambush point, but how could they?

The initiative in this battle is now entirely in the hands of the Eighth Route Army.

The Eighth Route Army soldiers on both sides of the high ground got up and ran to change their ambush points.

Meanwhile, 10 gunboats flew over the Japanese troops, passing to the side in front of them.

The machine guns on the plane opened fire again, and a hail of bullets blocked the enemy's path.

At this moment, the Japanese warplanes that Fang Wen had previously scouted also appeared.

Eight Type 8 fighter jets entered the battlefield, attempting to attack the gunboat squadron and relieve pressure on ground troops.

Seven Il-16s, which had been prepared in advance, came to meet them.

At the same time, three interceptors brought by Fang Wen flew over at high speed and launched an attack from behind.

(End of this chapter)