Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 513 The Great Victory at Beijiang is Telegraphed Nationwide: One Man and One Fleet
39年1月2日深夜3点40分，满载黄金的水虎4号在珠江江面上起飞升空。

In addition to the original flight crew, there were three more children on the plane.

The children looked on with curiosity, and Gong Xiuneng took out food for them. The hungry children hugged the compressed biscuits and gnawed on them.

"I can't bite it," the youngest girl said, but she still didn't give up.

"Oh dear, it's my fault. You're so small, how could you eat this? I'll break it up and give it to you with water."

Gong Xiuneng took the compressed dry rations, put them in the iron box, crushed them with a dagger, and then added water to make a paste.

The three children were finally able to eat, and they ate heartily.

Fang Wen withdrew his senses and looked down.

Ground troops are retreating south.

With him there, the troops below were like having a navigation system, bypassing the Japanese strongholds and heading to the banks of the Beijiang River.

An hour later, the ground troops, traveling in military vehicles, quietly returned to the Dagangding area.

Here, a 100-man Japanese army unit is forcing nearby villagers to clean up the battlefield.

The dilapidated tanks were dragged to the side of the road by mules and horses, and the corpses of Japanese soldiers were loaded onto carts.

The workers were all Chinese, and if they were not careful, they would be driven away and injured by Japanese soldiers with guns.

Fang Wen saw this and didn't mind teaching the Japanese a lesson one more time before returning.

He picked up the microphone: "William, there are about 100 Japanese soldiers at the ambush point during the day. They are forcing the villagers to move the corpses. Go over there and wipe them out. Be careful not to hurt the villagers."

Upon receiving Fang Wen's instructions, William immediately ordered the convoy to turn and speed towards the ambush point at Dagangding.

The military vehicles turned off their headlights in the darkness, relying solely on the faint moonlight for guidance, and quietly approached the target area.

"Attention all personnel, prepare for battle!" William whispered the order over the walkie-talkie.

The soldiers quickly checked their equipment, loaded their bullets, and pulled the safety pins off the grenades one by one.

The convoy stopped at the edge of a forest 500 meters away from the Japanese clearing team. The soldiers jumped out of the vehicles silently and split into three groups to encircle the Japanese.

The first group, led by William himself, circled around the Japanese flank along the ridge; the second group approached the villagers carrying the corpses head-on; and the third group ambushed at the crossroads, preparing to cut off the Japanese retreat.

"boom!"

Three grenades exploded inside a Japanese military vehicle, and William's first group launched the attack.

The second group of soldiers seized the opportunity and shouted, "Fellow villagers, lie down!" Upon hearing this, the villagers immediately fell to the ground.

The muzzle flashes of the weapons in the hands of the Independent Regiment soldiers instantly tore through the night, and bullets rained down on the panicked Japanese troops.

"Baka! Enemy attack!" The Japanese sergeant had just drawn his sword when he was shot in the head. Without command, the Japanese troops fell into chaos. Some hid behind the wreckage of Type 97 tanks, trying to put up a fight, but were dealt with by soldiers attacking from the other side.

Seeing that they were being attacked from both sides and could not fight from their cover, the remaining Japanese soldiers chose to flee.

On their way back, the soldiers of the third group completed the placement of the remotely detonated explosives and waited by the roadside.

When the enemy reached the section of road where the explosives were to be detonated, the soldier pressed the remote control.

A series of explosions were heard.

The entire road surface was lifted up, and the Japanese soldiers were carried into the air by the blast wave.

After the brief explosion, the third group launched an attack. The surviving Japanese soldiers were disoriented by the sound of the explosion and had no chance to fight back, so they were all wiped out.

In the end, the remaining dozen or so Japanese soldiers were compressed into an area of ​​less than 100 meters, struggling like trapped beasts in their death throes.

Then, an unexpected event occurred.

Two of the Japanese soldiers suddenly rushed toward the villagers nearby, attempting to take them hostage.

In the nick of time, several soldiers from western Hunan leaped out, their Miao swords flashing, and two Japanese heads rolled to the ground. The remaining Japanese soldiers were stunned and immediately riddled with bullets by the charging soldiers using submachine guns.

The final battle lasted only two minutes, and the entire battle was over; not a single survivor remained.

William kicked away the sword from the Japanese sergeant's corpse and shouted to the still-shaken villagers, "We are the Taishan Independent Regiment! Fellow villagers, those who want to cross the river, come with us. There are boats waiting for you on the riverbank!"

The villagers did not hesitate much and readily agreed to leave.

William picked up the walkie-talkie.

air.

William's voice came through the radio.

"Commander, the battle is over. We have rescued 27 villagers who were being coerced by the Japanese army. They are willing to cross the river with us."

"Take the villagers to the riverbank where the warships dock during the day and wait there," Fang Wen instructed.

He then flew to the river and instructed Gong Xiuneng to fire a signal flare.

A signal flare was fired from the sky, leaving a long trail of light across the river.

Upon seeing the signal flare, the warship below immediately made contact with the air.

"The river defense fleet is calling Taishan; we've seen your signal flares."

Fang Wen replied, "Request a warship to assist in the evacuation, at the same location as during the day."

"Okay, we'll arrange it right away."

After a while, a small inland gunboat sailed to the riverbank.

William and his men removed the steel pipes from the military vehicles and connected them to a gantry crane on site. One hundred soldiers worked together to hoist the military vehicles one by one onto the warship.

After loading the military vehicles, the soldiers and villagers boarded the boat together and headed to the other side of the Beijiang River.

They will return to their original outposts and await Fang Wen's next instructions.

Fang Wen, meanwhile, piloted the Water Tiger 4 towards Yangjiang.

April 1st morning.

It has been a day since Fang Wen returned to Yangjiang.

During this rare day of relaxation, he and Gong Xiuneng took their three children to Yangjiang City and bought them some clothes, toys, and food.

The three children, dressed in new clothes and no longer hungry, rediscovered their childlike innocence, adding a touch of childlike fun to the camp.

They laughed and chased each other along the track.

Gong Xiuneng stayed by his side like a nanny.

The soldiers, mechanics, and pilots of the Independent Regiment were all watching this heartwarming scene.

Even the toughest soldiers have a soft side.

Even Fang Wen is one of them.

He loved watching the children play happily, and he saw a reflection of his own unborn child in these three children.

Fang Wen couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

My own child must be very cute and smart.

Oh right, I haven't named my unborn child yet.

What names should be given to a boy and a girl?

When it comes to naming other people, it's easy, but when it comes to my own, I'm completely clueless. Maybe I should go back and telegraph my wife to ask if she's come up with a name yet.

Just then, the messenger ran over.

"Commander, a call from the 62nd Army."

Fang Wen took the telegram and read it.

The 62nd Army of the 12th Group Army withdrew from Datang and returned to Qingyuan.

The Japanese army did not launch a pursuit, but instead stationed troops in Datang.

Thus, the counter-offensive across the river came to a complete end.

But the telegram was not finished.

There's another section below.

[This great victory has been reported to higher command. Chongqing wishes to know the details of the battle. Please inform Commander Fang of the proceedings, and we will report it on their behalf.]

This telegram is interesting.

Knowing that he was at odds with the Chongqing side, he actually tried to find out about the battle from the 12th Army Group in a roundabout way.

It's probably used for advertising.

Fang Wen didn't mind this at all.

He compiled the battle reports of the Independent Regiment's operations in the south and sent them over.

Two days later, reports of the battle in the Guangzhou area were sent to the whole country.

Upon receiving the message, Fang Wen set up an electric loudspeaker at the base so that all the soldiers could hear it.

As night fell, soldiers, officers, pilots, mechanics, and ground crew all gathered and listened.

A broadcast voice came from the electric loudspeaker.

"On January 5th, 1939, good news came from the western front of Guangzhou!"

Since the Japanese invaders occupied Guangdong Province, our 30 million compatriots have suffered grief and hatred. This time, the 12th Army Group, together with the Taishan Independent Regiment and the Zhaoqing Anti-Japanese Allied Army, launched a thunderous counterattack in the Beijiang River Basin, achieving a series of victories. We are now announcing the good news to the whole country.

The Southern Route Army's first battle was at Sixianjiao! Our river defense fleet bombarded the enemy's "Anzai" gunboat, with air force gunboats providing aerial support. In one fell swoop, the enemy ship was sunk and the eastern bank fort was destroyed, and the Beijiang waterway was returned to our control.

The 62nd Army of the Northern Route Army set out from Qingyuan and successively captured the important towns of Datang and Chini.

The following day, the Southern Route Army ambushed and annihilated the Japanese Western Route Regiment.

In this battle, more than 1 enemy troops were killed, one enemy ship was sunk, 10 tanks were destroyed, and 8 enemy aircraft were shot down. A large area of ​​lost territory on the west bank of the Beijiang River was recovered.

However, our forces were not strong enough to contend with tens of thousands of Japanese troops, so we had to retreat temporarily to prepare for future battles.

This battle has demonstrated our national prestige and wiped away the shame of Guangdong. It proves that no matter how bad the enemy's atmosphere is, our loyal and brave soldiers will surely be able to break through and defeat them!

Fellow countrymen! Though the Japanese invaders are brutal, they cannot escape their demise! I urge all 400 million of my compatriots to unite in hatred against the enemy and work together to relieve our national crisis—we vow not to return home until the Japanese invaders are driven out!

The broadcast has now ended.

The content was somewhat exaggerated; it was impossible to have annihilated more than 10,000 enemy soldiers. However, this was a common propaganda tactic used by the Nationalist government, and Fang Wen did not take offense at it.

He stood up and led the applause, after which the soldiers of the Independent Regiment applauded themselves.

After the applause subsided, Fang Wen said, "This is just the beginning of our battle in the south. Everyone must remain humble and vigilant. Alright, dismissed."

The soldiers and officers were dismissed and returned to their posts and quarters.

Fang Wenze kept Wu Yingzong and Pan Jiafeng behind for a short meeting.

In the conference room, Fang Wen presided over the meeting, saying, "Intelligence from Guangzhou indicates that the Japanese army has indeed replaced its commander. This person is named Sato, who participated in the command operation the day before yesterday, leading to the loss of the 62nd Army at Chini Town. At the same time, he also sent three forces to try to encircle our army. His command style is unpredictable and he will adjust according to the battlefield situation. I feel that he is a very difficult opponent. But judging from the situation in the past two days, the Japanese army in the Guangzhou area seems to have changed its strategy, concentrating its forces in Guangzhou city and reducing the troop deployment at strongholds in the suburbs. What do you think this new commander's intentions are?"

Pan Jiafeng said, "I feel that he is using a retreat as a tactic to lure us into sending troops."

Fang Wen nodded: "That makes sense. Wu Yingzong, what about you?"

Wu Yingzong replied, "That's also possible. He needs time to integrate with the troops below him. After all, he doesn't have much prestige in the army. If he doesn't establish authority, it will be difficult to control the three divisions to cooperate in combat."

"That's possible. Either way, it means that there won't be any large-scale battles in the short term. I'm going back to Yangon. I'll leave this place to Wu Yingzong. The gunboat squadron will head to Zhaoqing. I've already discussed it with the River Defense Fleet Command and they'll arrange a seaplane base for the gunboat squadron to take off and land. As for Pan Jiafeng, you'll have to fly to Yangon with me first. Currently, only you can fly the Taishan No. 1."

After Fang Wen announced the new arrangements, Pan Jiafeng quickly asked.

"Commander, why are you sending the gunboat squadron to Zhaoqing?"

Fang Wen explained, “Gunships and aircraft cannot engage in air combat, so there is little point in you staying in Yangjiang. On the contrary, it will attract Japanese air attacks from the sea. There are anti-aircraft firepower and river defense fleets in Zhaoqing. It is more flexible and safer to garrison there.”

To make his intentions clearer to Pan Jiafeng, he spread out a map and continued, "Zhaoqing is 30-50 kilometers from Beijiang, which is also the Japanese army's forward position. Once a battle breaks out, gunboats and aircraft can provide support within 10 minutes to prevent the fall of Beijiang. Only by holding Beijiang can we have more strategic room for maneuver. Don't think that the Japanese army is easy to deal with just because we won one battle. They have a clear advantage now and can afford to lose many times, but we cannot afford to lose even once."

Yes, the invaders occupied half of China and used the looted resources and wealth to expand their military. Now, the remaining troops fighting against the Japanese are all extremely valuable.

Pan Jiafeng lowered his head in shame: "Commander, I understand."

On January 6, Fang Wen personally led the gunboat squadron to Zhaoqing.

Ten gunboats landed at the newly built sea airport on the Xijiang River. After Fang Wen had a brief chat with ZQ city government officials and Commander Huang of the river defense fleet, he and Pan Jiafeng flew a gunboat back to Yangjiang.

He then boarded the Chin Yuan, preparing to lead the transport fleet back to Yangon.

The Qinyuan took off and, while in the air, activated its mechanical sensing system to detect nearby airspace using radar detection devices.

There are flights traveling between Guangzhou and Daya Bay from the northeast.

No trace of the aircraft was found in other locations.

This is the perfect time to take off.

He used a radio device to notify the transport team below to take off.

The transport team pilots stranded in Yangjiang boarded the plane one after another. Also boarding the plane were the wounded who were to be brought back to Yangon, as well as Gong Xiuneng, Sun Tianrui and three orphans.

Pan Jiafeng also boarded the Taishan-1 strategic transport aircraft to stand by. The cabin contained 80 gold ingots weighing one ton each.

Half an hour later, Taishan-1 and the seaplane took off one after another, forming a flight formation, and Taishan-1 led the way to Guangxi.

At this moment, Fang Wen suddenly noticed that the radar target acquisition device was receiving dense signal feedback.

It is located in the southeast, 200 kilometers away, and is not an aircraft.

It should be the Japanese fleet. If Japanese warplanes had taken off to pursue them at that time, it would have been possible to catch up with the transport planes.

To ensure the safe departure of the transport fleet, Fang Wen did not accompany the fleet on its flight, but instead turned and flew towards the sea.

A Japanese fleet is sailing southwest in the waters near Hong Kong.

This includes the aircraft carrier Fengxiang.

Soldiers were cleaning the flight deck, while fighter pilots chatted amongst themselves.

Twenty minutes passed, and everything remained the same. The fleet then sailed to the waters near Macau.

Suddenly, the observer blew the alarm whistle, and all the ships began to prepare for action in a chain reaction.

Anti-aircraft guns were raised, searching for aerial targets, while fighter pilots awaited orders to launch.

Under their watchful eyes, the Qinyuan flew rapidly at a speed of over 500 kilometers per hour.

It even circled provocatively in the air.

(End of this chapter)