Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 575 Wutai Air Raid Blitzkrieg, Taishan Directional Mine
Upon receiving the telegram from the forward command center in Taihuai Town, Yan Wenwu immediately ordered all officers and soldiers of the regiment to assemble.

After the team had assembled, Fang Wen walked to the front of the line.

Two new gunboats were parked behind him, their rocket launchers gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Yan Wenwu, the regimental commander standing next to him, announced: "We have received orders to send some gunboats and 100 paratroopers to participate in the air raid. The commander of this operation is Fang Wen, the commander of the Taishan Independent Regiment."

The officers and soldiers of the Independent Regiment all looked at Fang Wen, their eyes filled with eagerness.

Yan Wenwu looked at Fang Wen. "Commander Fang, why don't you say something?"

Fang Wen nodded, his voice clear and bright, "This mission is an airborne surprise attack, targeting the Japanese supply lines near Tongqiangou. It's not about having you fight head-on, but about cutting off their supplies and harassing their reinforcements, cooperating with the 359th Brigade to encircle and annihilate Sasaki's column. Therefore, this operation prioritizes quality over quantity. I only need 3 gunship-based aircraft and 100 paratroopers. The selection process must be swift; we cannot afford to delay on this matter."

He paused, then turned to Yan Wenwu: "Commander Yan, you'll be in charge of the selection process."

Yan Wenwu did not refuse and directly assigned the task to the paratrooper company. The three gunship aircraft were piloted by the best pilots in the flight regiment.

Clearly, he also wanted Fang Wen to see the growth of the flight squadron during this period.

Once the personnel selection is completed, preparations will begin immediately.

The paratroopers, carrying parachute packs and holding submachine guns, assembled on the spot.

Meanwhile, the three gunboats that were moving together were also ready.

Meanwhile, a telegram from Wutai provided a more detailed account of the local situation.

Therefore, Fang Wen convened all the commanders and soldiers involved in the operation for a pre-battle discussion.

He unfolded a hastily drawn sketch, which showed the topography of Tongqian Gully and the situation of the Japanese army's logistics supply line. "Tongqian Gully is a winding and narrow gully, wider in the south and narrower in the north, about seven or eight kilometers long. It is surrounded by high mountains on both sides, with steep terrain, but the gully is the most suitable route for the Japanese army to advance. The Japanese army advances from Tongqian Gully, but their logistics supplies are not in the gully, but here."

Fang Wen pointed to a spot, which was a village occupied by the Japanese army. The Japanese army left some troops there to guard the logistical supplies.

That place was not only a supply depot, but also the retreat route for this group of Japanese troops.

Therefore, that was Fang Wen's first target.

The company commander of the paratrooper company was a veteran who had participated in the Baoding airborne operation with Fang Wen. He spoke up and asked, "Commander Fang, how should we fight?"

Fang Wen pointed to the area marked as the target on the map: "The Japanese army has set up two anti-aircraft machine guns in the village, and there are machine gun positions at both the entrance and the end of the village. Therefore, the first thing to do is to destroy the enemy's anti-aircraft firepower."

"Then our paratroopers can airdrop outside the village, cooperate with the local guerrillas to storm into the village, and destroy the anti-aircraft machine guns."

"No need. You need to launch a frontal attack. I'll handle the anti-aircraft fire. See the weapons on both sides of the new gunship? Those are rocket launchers. They can fire multiple powerful rockets at once. If they hit their targets, they can definitely destroy those two anti-aircraft machine guns."

Fang Wen then began to arrange offensive tactics.

However, this tactical arrangement is not fixed. Once the battlefield changes, he will use a walkie-talkie to temporarily command and change the tactical plan.

After explaining the tactics, Fang Wen had someone bring over the "directional mines" brought from Taishan Military Industry and distribute them to the paratroopers: "These things are much more powerful than hand grenades, perfect for dealing with clustered Japanese troops. But they are not suitable for throwing; they must be pre-placed and then detonated by these things."

As he spoke, he picked up a directional landmine and demonstrated how to trigger it: "Dig a hole, bury the landmine, press the button to activate it before filling in the soil. The red one on the left is for remote detonation, and the blue one on the right is for triggering detonation by stepping on it."

Landmines had appeared in small numbers in the base area, but the soldiers had never seen such advanced landmines as those brought by Fang Wen.

In their understanding, landmines are triggered by tripping on a thin wire, which is the simplest way to activate them. Pressure-activated landmines, on the other hand, are much more technologically advanced.

Not to mention there are also remote detonation methods.

Under the curious gaze of the paratroopers, Fang Wen gave a demonstration outside the air regiment's base.

Use the issued entrenching tool to dig through the soil, bury the landmine, and then simply press different buttons.

This time, Fang Wen pressed the red button, then stepped back fifty meters and had the soldiers hide behind cover before taking out a semiconductor transceiver.

The transceiver had only one detonation button. When Fang Wen pressed it, it emitted radio waves, which quickly activated the detonation circuit in the landmine.

boom.
A tremendous roar erupted, followed by a burst of fire and smoke from the landmine site. When the smoke cleared, a crater half a meter deep and two meters in diameter was blasted into the ground, while the wooden planks used as models for Japanese soldiers nearby were riddled with shrapnel.

Upon seeing its immense power and ease of use, the paratroopers immediately fell in love with it.

However, each directional mine weighs 10 kilograms, which is not something that can be carried in large quantities. Fang Wen only brought five, and gave them all to the paratroopers with the best parachute skills.

At this moment, a telegram arrived from the Taihuai Town Command Center.

[The Japanese troops were engaged in fierce fighting with the 717th Regiment in the southern part of Tongqian Gully, and had no time to attend to their rear. The air squadron's air raid operation could begin.]

Upon seeing the telegram, Fang Wen immediately announced: "The operatives shall board the plane immediately and take off precisely in ten minutes!"

The paratroopers, carrying rifles and parachute packs, some with directional mines hanging on their chests, strode quickly toward the side hatch of the gunboat.

Fang Wen and Yan Wenwu, the flight regiment commander, watched as the soldiers boarded the plane.

After the paratroopers finished boarding, Fang Wen and Yan Wenwu exchanged a glance, then strode towards the gunboat they were piloting.

Once aboard the gunboat, start the engine and turn on the radio.

He picked up the microphone and called the internal frequency: "All units, report the situation."

The other four gunship aircraft responded in turn, confirming that there were no problems.

Immediately, Fang Wen led the way and the five gunship aircraft took off in succession.

It flew towards the northwest.

It only took a dozen minutes to reach the destination, Tongqian Gou.

The Tongqian Gully below, as described in the telegram, is narrow in the north and wide in the south, with steep mountains on both sides, making it the only place in the vicinity where troops can easily march.

Through mechanical perception, Fang Wen also witnessed the battle between the Japanese army and the Eighth Route Army.

Eighth Route Army soldiers, skilled in mountain warfare, temporarily set up ambush points on the hillsides on both sides, firing down at the Japanese troops in the valley.

The Japanese troops were caught off guard and could not pinpoint the exact location of the ambushers. They could only hide behind rocks in the valley and blindly fire at the hillsides on both sides.

In this situation, even without the firepower suppression of gunships and aircraft, the Japanese army would not be able to cross this ravine.

Not to mention, Fang Wen's purpose in this operation was to cut off their escape route.

Therefore, the five gunboats flew directly over Tongqian Gou and headed to the designated target area.

Two minutes later, the gunboat formation arrived over the southern part of Tongqiangou.

In the village below, the villagers had long since fled into the mountains due to the Japanese army's sweep. Currently, there is a Japanese army unit of two hundred men in the village, who have set up positions and machine guns at the crossroads in front of and behind the village.

In the center of the village, on a threshing ground, two Japanese anti-aircraft machine guns were pointed directly at the sky.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and said, "Everyone, stand by in the air."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he had already piloted his gunship aircraft downwards.

The aircraft rapidly descended, and as it dove, Fang Wen had already pre-aimed using mechanical sensing.

The launch trajectory was being continuously corrected. Once he was certain, he pressed the launch button.

Three rockets were launched from each of the two air-launched rocket pods on the left and right sides, flying one after another towards the two anti-aircraft machine gun positions below.

On the threshing ground, Japanese anti-aircraft machine gunners leaned idly against their guns, one of them with a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his mouth, his fingers casually stroking the cold barrel.

They've been on guard since dawn, and apart from the sporadic gunfire coming from Tongqian Gully in the distance, they haven't seen a single bird. They've long forgotten the "air defense alert" order.

The sergeant in charge of command squatted on a nearby haystack, gesturing with a map, glancing up at the sky every now and then. Seeing only a few white clouds drifting by, he lowered his head and chatted idly with the communications soldier, "After we capture Wutai, Miss Hua will be very happy."

No one noticed that the shadow of a gunboat was rapidly descending from the clouds.

The sound of the plane's wings cutting through the air echoed through the valley village, and only then did the Japanese troops on the ground react.

They looked up and saw the rocket, trailing an orange-red flame, shooting towards them like a meteor.

The sharp-eyed machine gunner jumped to his feet, the cigarette in his mouth falling to the ground with a "thud": "An airplane! It's an Eighth Route Army airplane!"

No sooner had the shout fallen than the first rocket hit the anti-aircraft machine gun on the east side.

With a deafening roar, the shockwave instantly overturned the machine gun emplacement. The gun barrels tilted in the explosion, and the Japanese soldiers nearby were sent flying like kites with broken strings, crashing into the wooden walls of the barn and falling still.

Just as the anti-aircraft machine gunner on the west side was about to turn the machine gun to aim at the air, a second rocket exploded at his feet. Shrapnel flew through his helmet, and he immediately collapsed at the machine gun position.

The threshing ground instantly descended into chaos.

The sergeant, who had been crouching on the haystack, scrambled to his feet, drew his sword, and shouted, "Quick! Air defense! Take cover!"

His chaotic commands had absolutely no effect.

Moments later, the third rocket landed next to the haystack, the hay was ignited by the sparks and instantly burst into flames. The sergeant was engulfed in flames and let out a shrill scream.

The communications soldier, clutching the radio, tried to hide inside, but after only two steps, he was hit in the knee by shrapnel and fell to his knees with a thud, the radio collapsing to the ground.

Hearing the explosion, the Japanese sentry at the village entrance hurriedly grabbed his rifle and ran towards the threshing ground, but before he had gone halfway there, he saw the silhouette of an airplane in the sky.

Fang Wen and another gunboat began attacking the village's machine gun positions.

The aircraft machine gun on the side of the fuselage spat out fire, and bullets swept towards the sandbag position at the entrance of the village like a storm. Several Japanese soldiers had just poked their heads out when they were hit by bullets and fell behind the sandbags without a sound.

With the enemy suppressed, three more gunship aircraft were quickly airdropped.

White flowers fell from the sky.

It fell towards the area outside the village.

Thanks to the suppression of air fire, their airborne operation was not attacked by the Japanese army.

At this time.

Upon hearing the commotion, the Japanese soldiers who were eating in the village rushed out with their rifles in hand.

When this group of Japanese troops arrived at the position, the paratroopers had already completed their airdrop and made contact with the local guerrillas who were there to meet them, and then quickly launched an attack on the village.

The other three gunship aircraft also joined the air strike.

Under the suppressive fire of gunboats and aircraft, the paratroopers quickly seized the village entrance position, forcing the remaining Japanese troops back into the village.

The more than one hundred Japanese soldiers, having lost their fortifications, ran around the village like headless flies.

However, their movements did not escape the notice of the gunboat pilots, who then surrounded and attacked them.

Fang Wen also used a radio device to notify the paratrooper unit to follow up.

With the combined air and ground forces, these Japanese troops no longer possessed the elite combat power they boasted about, and were eventually disintegrated and destroyed one by one.

The village airborne blitzkrieg ended quickly.

Of the two hundred Japanese soldiers, more than 130 were killed, and the remaining few dozen surrendered.

But the war did not end there.

What would the main force of the Japanese army fighting in Tongqian Gou do if they found out that their home had been ransacked?

With their path blocked, their retreat cut off, and supplies exhausted, this Japanese force must have left Tongqian Gully to join other Japanese forces and avoid being wiped out.

Therefore, they will turn back and retreat.

Fang Wen and his team's next move was to have paratroopers, gunboats, aircraft, and local guerrillas work together to intercept the Eighth Route Army and create an opportunity for the main force.

The smoke from the battle in the village was dissipating, and calls from Taishan walkie-talkies echoed incessantly, issuing assembly orders to the various paratrooper combat teams.

The paratroopers then escorted the prisoners out from various parts of the village and assembled at the village entrance.

Guerrilla leader Lao Zhou communicated with air commander Fang Wen via walkie-talkie, pointing to a mountain ridge in the northwest: "That ridge is the only way out of Tongqian Gully. There is a narrow pass just a few meters wide below. Whether it's infantry or mules, the Japanese army has to pass through there. If we set up our position on the ridge, we can throw grenades down and blow the Japanese away."

From the air, Fang Wen issued the orders: "Platoon Leader Zhang of the first platoon of the paratrooper company, you take your men to guard the left slope, focusing on the pile of rocks on the east side of the pass. The Japanese will definitely find a place to hide there. Platoon Leader Wang of the second platoon, you take your men to guard the right side. The rest of you set up an ambush behind the pass. Once the Japanese rush through the pass, give them a good beating. Also, five directional mines must be installed at the pass. Detonate them remotely as soon as their men pass through."

The paratroopers immediately sprang into action.

Platoon Leader Zhang led his men up the left-hand hillside, dug bunkers in the ground with entrenching tools, opened the ammunition boxes they had brought, and neatly arranged the grenades next to the bunkers for easy access.

The second platoon carried the captured Type 96 machine guns and found a concealed spot under an old pine tree. The machine gunner lay on the ground and tested the angle of the muzzle towards the pass to ensure that it could cover the entire pass.

The five directional mines were all buried in the passage below, one every ten meters.

While they were conducting their operation, Fang Wen led the gunboat squadron towards Tongqian Gou, preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the Japanese army.

(End of this chapter)