Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 555 The New Fourth Army Air Regiment's First Battle: Wucheng Town, Poyang Lake

In the afternoon, the inventory of supplies was completed and the handover was finished.

Fang Wen, Shao Sishen, and several officers from the New Fourth Army were discussing the formation of the air regiment in the wooden cabin.

Old Li began by saying, "My superiors appointed me as the acting commander of the flight squadron. To be honest, I have absolutely no experience with flight squadrons, so I shouldn't offer any opinions. There are many things that I need to learn and explore to improve."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Fang Wen: "Comrade Fang, you speak first. You have extensive experience in this area."

Fang Wen nodded, not being modest, and continued, "I've been involved in the formation of the Independent Regiment's aviation battalion and the Eighth Route Army's flight regiment, so I do have experience in this area. Now, I'll offer some suggestions regarding the formation of the flight regiment. Your flight regiment will have 10 gunboats and a radar station, and it needs to handle core functions such as combat, maintenance, early warning, and logistics. The departmental setup needs to be tailored to actual combat requirements, and the personnel configuration needs to be streamlined and efficient. Here is my suggested specific structure:..."

He shared his ideas.

The main arrangements are in the flight operations department (pilot and crew management), radar intelligence department (radar station), and aircraft maintenance department (ground crew and mechanics).

Old Liu and several other officers took careful notes in their notebooks.

After saying this, Fang Wen continued, "The formation of a flight regiment involves other aspects, such as logistics, garrison troops, communications departments, and regimental headquarters. I think you all have the experience and ability to handle these well, so I won't presume to do so. Now, I would like to ask Comrade Shao Sishen to tell everyone about the flight regiment's training plan."

Military advisor Shao Sishen of the flight regiment stood up. "Fellow colleagues."

"Cough cough."

Fang Wen coughed and reminded that Shao Sishen, who had returned to the army, still retained the colloquial habits of the old army.

"Comrades," Shao Sishen quickly corrected himself. "The flight regiment currently has 10 gunboats, but the crew is severely understaffed. The aviation cadets we brought this time will serve as pilots, mechanics, and radar station operators for the regiment. Of the remaining crew members, each aircraft also needs one communications officer, three gunners, and three ammunition handlers. These all need to be selected and trained from the troops. In addition, the radar station also needs to increase the number of operators on rotation, and we need to recruit three more."

Old Li nodded: "I will arrange these people, but what exactly is this radar station you mentioned?"

"I forgot this," Fang Wen quickly explained, "It's used to scout out the situation of Japanese aircraft. It can give an early warning half an hour to an hour in advance so that the ground can prepare in time."

Old Li and several other officers had experienced numerous Japanese air raids. Often, when the air raid siren sounded, the planes were almost there, leaving them with little time to react.

If the radar station Fang Wen explained is really as useful as he said, that would be great.

Fang Wen laughed and said, "It has to be useful. Otherwise, how can we avoid it if the Japanese discover it? Why don't we start setting it up today?"

"Okay," Old Li said eagerly, as he was very concerned about the safety of the flight group.

Immediately afterward, the impromptu meeting ended, and the group came out and organized the soldiers of the garrison to go to the material storage area.

There was a pile of material boxes labeled as building materials.

Inside are precast steel plates with rivet holes. You can connect two precast steel plates by simply driving in rivets.

Fang Wen, along with the mechanics, radar operators, and soldiers, worked together to first lay the foundation piles, then assemble the iron tower, and finally install the radar equipment on the tower.

The radar station was built in a day and a half and then tested and was ready for use.

Afterwards, Shao Sishen piloted the No. 1 gunboat and led the other nine gunboats in their first flight exercise, which they also did very well.

Subsequently, soldiers with good psychological qualities and physical fitness were selected from the stationed troops to participate in the training, and crew members and radar operators were selected from among them.

These exercises aren't difficult; you just need to practice them a lot.

The key lies in the command of the lead aircraft and the coordination between the pilots of each aircraft.

But time was of the essence. Although the flight regiment was not yet ready, the telegram requesting support from Nanchang was relayed to the flight regiment.

3 month 23 day.

Fang Wen, who was originally planning to return, held another meeting with the members of the flight squadron headquarters to discuss the matter.

Regiment Commander Lao Li explained the situation: "It was a telegram from the 4th Squadron of the Nanchang National Aviation Group requesting assistance. It was sent to the military headquarters, and then forwarded to us. The content requested assistance in providing air support to Wucheng Town. The military headquarters' intention was that if they had the capability, they would cooperate with the 4th Squadron; if they did not, they would refuse for the time being."

"Where is Wucheng Town?" Fang Wen asked.

The flight squadron's staff officer brought over a military map, spread it out on the table, and pointed to a spot, saying, "This is it."

Fang Wen looked at the military map; it showed a defensive point on the lower reaches of the Gan River.

The staff officer continued, “Three days ago, a unit of the Japanese 116th Division sailed south from Hukou in 50 boats, crossed Poyang Lake, and launched an attack on Wucheng Town, where the Xiu River and the Gan River meet. The 721st Regiment of the 141st Division of the 32nd Army and the 5th Reserve Division were stationed there. The telegram also said that yesterday, the Japanese suddenly intensified their attacks, and there were also air raids. They requested support from the 4th Air Group stationed in Nanchang, but the 4th Air Group ended up contacting us.”

Fang Wen understood that the Fourth Squadron had approached the Flight Regiment because of him, and Captain Gao was well aware of his aerial combat and command capabilities.

It seems that Captain Gao wants to use his abilities to help with the defense of Wucheng Town.

Clearing his mind, he said, "Before I leave, I can lead the flight squadron on a live-fire exercise to improve everyone's combat experience. The target is Wucheng Town, what do you think?"

Regiment Commander Li was overjoyed: "Great, let's do it that way. We'll board the plane and go together. The people at the flight regiment headquarters can't just be empty talkers."

The other officers in the regiment also agreed.

Fang Wen nodded and said, "Alright then, I'll fly aircraft number one, and Shao Sishen will fly aircraft number two. That'll be two gunship aircraft participating in the operation. With our skills, it shouldn't be a problem. If you're going, you can act as the gunner and ammunition handler for aircraft number one. Is that okay?"

"Sure, we practice together during training, we all know how to do it," the squadron leader, Old Li, replied with a smile. It seemed he was very interested in operating gunships and weapons in combat.

The same was true for the other officers in the regimental headquarters.

They then got up to prepare.

The New Fourth Army's air regiment had only been established for a short time, and the personnel training was not yet complete when it began to carry out its first combat mission.

Fang Wen boarded aircraft number 1, and officers from the regimental headquarters also boarded the plane. Under the supervision of Gong Xiuneng, they conducted a pre-operation drill.

Although their movements were somewhat clumsy, they were all done according to the training guidelines and there were no mistakes.

Gong Xiuneng reported loudly, "Commander, they are still qualified."

Fang Wen nodded and picked up the phone: "Shao Sishen, how are things on your end?"

"It's fine on my end."

"Stay on standby."

After putting down the microphone, Fang Wen asked Gong Xiuneng to send a telegram to the 4th Squadron of the Nanchang Aviation Group.

[Our unit will dispatch two gunship-launched aircraft to assist in the battle. What are the arrangements?]

A while later, I received a call back.

[Wucheng Town is currently under attack by Japanese aircraft. We suggest that we depart simultaneously in half an hour. Based on flight speed, our unit will arrive first and engage the Japanese aircraft. Your unit will follow and be responsible for suppressing Japanese ground forces with firepower.]

Fang Wen couldn't help but ponder this.

As arranged in the reply.

Once the Japanese break free from their entanglement with the 4th Battalion and turn their attention to attacking the gunboats, the gunboats will be in danger.

This is also why he only arranged for himself and Shao Sicheng to fly the plane. The other pilots were too young, and the crew members had not been trained for long, so they probably couldn't handle this situation.

Of course, he has some trump cards up his sleeve to be able to go.

Half an hour later, he picked up the microphone and called Shao Sichen: "We can take off now."

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he put down the microphone, started the aircraft, accelerated on the runway, and took off. After aircraft number 1 took off, aircraft number 2 also taxied onto the runway and followed.

Subsequently, Fang Wen, as the host, led the way to Wucheng Town, 80 kilometers to the north.

Two gunboats flew towards Wucheng Town.

Eight Il-16 fighter jets flew over from the west at a faster speed, entering the battlefield ahead of schedule.

Fang Wen activated his special ability to turn on the radar target acquisition device and search the nearby airspace.

According to radar feedback, the eight nearest points of light were Il-16s from the 4th National Aviation Group, while further north, ten fighter jets were flying towards them.

That direction must have come from Jiujiang.

The intelligence Fang Wen obtained indicated that the Japanese army had amassed a large number of ground troops and air force forces near Jiujiang, and a local military airfield had become an important base for the Japanese air force to carry out air raids.

The 106th Division, which was dispatched to fight this time, was stationed near De'an County, which is adjacent to Jiujiang. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Japanese planes that bombed Wucheng Town took off from Jiujiang Airport.

Judging from their flight speed, these aircraft should be Type 96 fighters from the Army Air Force, whose performance is slightly inferior to that of the Il-16.

So, with 10 aircraft against 8, the Japanese fighter planes were basically unable to spare any resources.

Clearing his mind, Fang Wen focused on piloting the plane.

Twenty minutes passed quickly, and two gunship aircraft arrived at the battlefield.

Fang Wen saw the situation on the battlefield.

Japanese Type 96 fighters were engaged in a fierce battle with the 4th Group's Il-16s, chasing each other as bullets flew through the air.

Before encountering the resistance of the 4th Squadron, the Type 96 fighter had already dropped all of its bombs on the battlefield.

The roof of the century-old ancestral hall at the entrance of the town was engulfed by flames, and the orange-red flames spread with the wind, soon licking at the houses next door.

This was the only well-preserved building in the town, but it was eventually destroyed in a bomb attack.

The Japanese army's firepower attacks did not stop there.

Fang Wen also saw that mountain guns were continuously bombarding from concealed positions on the shore of Poyang Lake, and shells were exploding all over the town.

The Japanese soldiers, dressed in khaki uniforms, advanced into the town in several groups, crouching low.

The Nationalist soldiers hiding in the trenches continued to fire at the Japanese troops, while supply teams were carrying weapons and ammunition to the defensive positions.

Suddenly, Fang Wen saw a group of Japanese soldiers wearing gas masks. They set up grenade launchers and fired specially made shells into the town.

As the shells landed, plumes of smoke billowed out.

The Nationalist soldiers without gas masks coughed, covering their throats. One young soldier couldn't take it anymore and struggled to crawl out of his bunker. He hadn't run more than a few steps when he staggered and knelt down, digging his hands into the mud and gasping for breath. Finally, his body went limp and he collapsed at the edge of the poisonous fog.

This is the daily combat situation of the Japanese army, using poison gas, incendiary bombs, heavy artillery, and mechanized equipment.

The defending Chinese army, equipped with only rudimentary military gear, continued to hold its ground.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "Shao Sishen, the Japanese have an artillery position outside the town. Let's take it out first. It's located 15 degrees northwest. Follow me."

After speaking, Fang Wen piloted the plane toward the Japanese heavy artillery position and circled the target area.

While flying, he also gave orders to the rear cabin: "We are circling. Gunners, begin free aiming and firing."

This command was designed for air regiments, since not every gunship pilot can accurately predict the firing angle for the gunner.

It would be more effective to let the shooters aim freely and fire.

Upon receiving the order, Lao Li gripped the 20mm cannon handle with both hands, lifted it forcefully, and lowered the scale by 15.

Coincidentally, this aiming scale was precisely what directed the machine gun to fire at the artillery position below.

He pulled the trigger, and the gun barrel and base shook, with spent cartridge cases constantly ejecting.

A barrage of machine gun shells rained down on the artillery positions.

Like him, there were two 12.7mm aircraft machine guns, constantly spitting fire.

Meanwhile, the gunboat piloted by Shao Sicheng also quickly began circling and firing, launching an attack on the area below.

The 20mm cannon shells whistled as they hurtled towards the Japanese artillery positions, and the first shot hit the barrel of a mountain gun that was being loaded precisely.

With a loud "boom," the cannon barrel flew to the side, knocking a Japanese soldier far away.

A barrage of machine gun shells then struck other parts of the mountain gun, bending and deforming the barrel, and the flying debris caused the surrounding soldiers to scream in agony.

Then, as the gunboats circled around, the machine gun ammunition belts swept to the right, hitting the ammunition pile directly.

The once neatly arranged shell boxes were shattered into pieces, and yellow propellant was spilled all over the ground.

The fact that it didn't explode was a relief to the Japanese soldiers who were carrying the ammunition.

But then, their laughter stopped.

The bullets from the 12.7mm aircraft machine gun swept across the artillery positions like an impenetrable rain curtain; a single hit would render the target incapacitated, even if they didn't die.

Then, another gunship aircraft joined the barrage of fire.

A dense hail of bullets rained down from the sky, covering the entire artillery position, and the once invincible roar of the cannons disappeared.

There were also Japanese soldiers who tried to resist.

He picked up a 7.7mm machine gun and fired into the air.

The fighter jets he was targeting were only 1000 meters high, so the bullets could reach them because of the surrounding fire suppression.

However, being able to hit them does not mean that they can threaten the gunboats and aircraft that were specifically modified to target Japanese equipment.

The volley of bullets only left a few marks on the aircraft's armored surface.

Inside Wucheng Town, the Nationalist soldiers, who had been suppressed by artillery fire and unable to raise their heads, were somewhat bewildered by the sudden silence.

Is the Japanese army up to something again?
An old soldier lying in the trench poked his head out, squinting at the northwest direction. When he saw the two planes ravaging the Japanese artillery positions, his cloudy eyes instantly lit up. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "They're our planes! They're attacking the artillery positions! Great! We can't get past them. We get bombed every day. I never thought the Japanese would have a day like this."

The young soldier next to him spoke up: "Company commander, should we go over and help?"

The veteran had a sudden inspiration and came up with an extremely bold idea.

He then led a squad of soldiers down the slope of the position, attempting to bypass it.

Their actions are generally unlikely to succeed.

But this time, Fang Wen saw it from the air.

(End of this chapter)