Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 609: Annihilation of Japanese troops on Weizhou Island; Emergency unloading at Beihai Port; Enemy fleet imminent.

The Japanese warplanes, which had just emerged from the smoke of exploding aerial rockets, had very little room to dodge when faced with the horizontal barrage of gunboats and aircraft.

Some Type 97 fighter jets pulled upwards, while others dove downwards, attempting to use the spatial difference to evade such a fierce barrage of fire.

But this behavior was also expected.

As the air commander, Fang Wen promptly ordered, "Initiate directional firing."

Immediately, the gunners in each gunship and aircraft quickly adjusted their angles according to the established firing directions and angles, and carried out strafing at different angles.

Under this targeted aerial fire, Japanese warplanes suffered even greater losses.

Some aircraft were hit by 20mm machine guns during their climb, instantly tearing a half-meter-long gash in their wings, causing half of the wing to fold and fall off.

The diving plane was even more unlucky; its cockpit canopy was pierced by machine gun fire, and the Japanese pilot was killed instantly.

Since the launch of the rocket, 6 out of 10 Japanese warplanes have been shot down.

The remaining four fighter jets were fortunate enough to break through the sniper fire net.

In response, Fang Wen was preparing to have the gunboats fire airburst bombs to restrain the enemy planes that were trying to get close, but unexpectedly, those Japanese planes chose to escape.

There's nothing that can be done about it, since the speed of gunship aircraft can't keep up with those Type 97 fighters.

In the line of sight, four enemy planes, with their engines running at maximum load, rapidly moved away and gradually became small black dots.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "The enemy planes have escaped. Remain on high alert."

Ten minutes later, the radar detection system reported that the enemy aircraft had moved away. Fang Wencai then lifted the alert and ordered the gunboats and aircraft to cooperate with the ground troops to clear the battlefield.

Japanese support aircraft were defeated and fled, and three warships burned. The situation is now much better.

However, this level of fighting would inevitably provoke a counterattack from the Japanese naval fleet, leaving Fang Wen with little time.

Therefore, Fang Wen planned to end this joint air and ground operation as soon as possible, bringing the operation to a perfect close.

He uses mechanical perception to understand the overall situation.

Through supernatural abilities, they gained a comprehensive understanding of the current situation of the ground forces on the island.

After capturing the central airfield, 200 paratroopers split into two groups to attack Dongjiao and Hengling.

The Japanese troops in both locations have now been annihilated, and the remaining puppet troops have surrendered without resistance.

As of now, the remaining Japanese troops on the island are only stationed in two locations: Beigang and Nanwan.

The Beigang area is equipped with coastal defense guns and anti-aircraft guns to monitor the direction of ships entering and leaving Beihai Port.

Nanwan is right next to Nanbu Port, and a group of Japanese soldiers were also stubbornly resisting in the buildings.

In response, Fang Wen immediately began to coordinate.

He adjusted the radio frequency to communicate with ground troops in both locations, ordering them to launch a major attack on the Japanese forces in Beigang.

The heavy firepower there is directed towards the sea, and the anti-aircraft guns pose little threat to infantry, making it ideal for paratroopers to conquer.

On the other side of Nanwan, the main force consisted of naval officers stranded on the island, but they lacked heavy weapons and anti-aircraft capabilities, so the task was left to gunboat squadrons and a small number of ground troops to attack.

After the order was given, the troops split into two groups and began their operation.

Outside the Beigang outpost, more than 100 paratrooper squads had reached the sand dunes about 100 meters from the defensive fortifications.

William, as the leader, used the sand dunes as cover to observe the layout of the outpost through binoculars.

There were three Type 88 75mm anti-aircraft guns arranged in a triangular pattern, with Japanese gunners sitting on the gun mounts, ready for battle.

Next to the anti-aircraft gun was a machine gun bunker, where several Japanese soldiers were defending themselves.

Further ahead are two coastal defense guns aimed at the sea.

"Proceed according to plan. First, take out the machine gun bunker, then blow up the coastal defense artillery!" William said in a low voice, his words clear and distinct, and his appearance was indistinguishable from that of a Chinese person.

At his signal, a squad of soldiers launched an attack, drawing the attention of the Japanese troops.

At this moment, a two-person individual rocket launcher team moved out, with the launcher suddenly standing up from behind the sand dune and quickly aiming at the bunker to the right front.

Before the Japanese troops on the other side could react, the trigger was pulled.

The individual rocket, trailing a plume of flame, hurtled off and struck the bunker moments later.

After the explosion and the resulting flames, a breach was blasted open at the location where the bunker had been hit.

This also silenced the machine guns inside the bunker.

The troops immediately seized the opportunity to launch an attack. Under the cover of fire, they rushed to the blind spot of the bunker and then fired rifle grenades into the gaps created by the individual rocket-propelled grenades.

After an explosion, the bunker was captured.

Without bunkers as a barrier, other positions simply cannot stop the paratroopers' attack.

William led his soldiers in a full-scale attack.

"Those who resist to the bitter end shall be killed without exception, and all heavy firepower shall be destroyed."

The soldiers raised their submachine guns and fired at the enemy, bullets hitting the anti-aircraft gun shields and sparks flying.

The Japanese soldiers controlling the anti-aircraft guns were immediately swept to the ground.

Next came the coastal defense artillery. The paratroopers quickly climbed onto the gun mounts, stuffed grenades into the breech, pulled the fuses, and jumped down. With a "boom," the gun barrels of the coastal defense artillery were twisted and deformed.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the remaining Japanese soldiers in the stronghold either surrendered with their guns raised or tried to escape to the sea, but were killed by paratroopers who had been lying in ambush on the shore. The rest were all taken prisoner.

Meanwhile, the battle for South Bay has also begun.

Forty paratroopers entered the South Bay neighborhood and encountered fierce resistance from the Japanese troops in the building.

The enemy had seven or eight light machine guns, which blocked the entire street.

But this defense couldn't stop the gunships and aircraft in the sky.

Eleven gunboats descended from the sky, circling and strafing the building where the stubbornly resisting Japanese troops were located. Bullets pierced the walls, leaving countless bullet holes inside the building.

The Japanese naval officers hiding inside the building were mowed down before they even had a chance to show their faces, under the suppressive fire of gunboats and aircraft.

Under intense machine gun and cannon fire, the building's walls collapsed, revealing large holes.

Under such intense aerial firepower, more than ten paratroopers rushed out from the alleyways on both sides of the street and charged toward the building's entrance.

A Japanese officer, brandishing his sword, roared and led several soldiers out of the gate, intending to engage the paratroopers in close combat.

Sorry, the Taishan Independent Regiment never talks about Bushido; they just raise their guns and start firing.

Seeing this, the Japanese soldiers quickly retreated.

The paratroopers who followed closely behind fired with submachine guns, preventing the enemy from surfacing to fire. They quickly approached the gate and fired rifle grenades into the breach.

This is an asphyxiating smoke bomb.

After the explosion, a large amount of smoke billowed out, filling the entire building, not only on the first floor but also rising upstairs, where Japanese soldiers were coughing incessantly.

The paratroopers did not rush in immediately. They had learned in training that smoke could create confusion and obstruct the attackers' vision, so rushing in was not the best option.

The Japanese soldiers inside the building were coughing incessantly from the thick smoke and jumped out of the windows. As soon as they landed, they were surrounded by paratroopers and had no choice but to lay down their weapons and surrender.

By noon, the battles at Beigang and Nanwan had ended. All Japanese strongholds on Weizhou Island had been captured.

All paratrooper units assembled at the central airport on the island, awaiting the landing of gunboats.

Meanwhile, the cargo ship had already passed Weizhou Island, becoming the first ship to dock at Beihai Port during this period.

The docks of Beihai Port were crowded with people who had come after hearing the news.

There were fishermen wearing patched shirts, dockworkers wearing old felt hats, and women holding children. They stood on tiptoe, their eyes fixed on the cargo ship slowly entering the harbor, their faces full of excitement and curiosity.

It should be noted that since the Japanese army occupied Weizhou Island and blockaded the coastline, no ships have dared to dock at Beihai Port. Fishermen have even had to hope of going out to sea to fish. Now, the arrival of this cargo ship is like a ray of light, illuminating everyone's gloomy lives.

"How did this ship get here? Aren't there Japanese warships at sea?"

Someone couldn't help but ask.

No one can answer this question; everyone is very curious.

At this moment, the Beihai garrison came in formation, and the leading officer announced loudly: "It is reported that the Taishan Independent Regiment launched an attack this morning and annihilated the Japanese troops on Weizhou Island."

The crowd cheered immediately; it had been a long time since they had heard such good news.

"Can we go back to the island now?" asked a fisherman who had fled from Weizhou Island.

"I'm afraid that won't work. The Japanese fleet will be here soon, and we can't hold that island," the officer replied.

Everyone was somewhat disappointed.

At that moment, a booming sound came from the southern sky.

Eleven gunboats flew in formation.

The people were in a state of panic.

The National Army officer quickly explained, "Don't panic, this is the Taishan Independent Regiment that attacked Weizhou Island."

The people were relieved and watched the plane fly by with curiosity.

After a while, the planes landed on the sea in the harbor and headed towards the dock one by one.

Subsequently, soldiers from the gunboat disembarked one after another, along with a group of prisoners being escorted.

Fang Wen got off the plane, shook hands with the officer who was there to greet him, and exchanged pleasantries.

"Commander Fang, you said last time that you would send a ship to transport goods, and I was wondering why you came. I didn't expect you to have taken Weizhou Island."

"It's not really a capture; I couldn't have held Weizhou Island anyway. It was just that we wiped out the Japanese troops on the island, which helped us vent our anger."

"That's right, I felt refreshed when I received the telegram," the officer said with a chuckle.

He looked at the dejected prisoners and asked, "These are the ones captured from Weizhou Island?"

"Yes, most of them were wiped out; these were the ones who laid down their weapons and surrendered."

At this point, Fang Wen changed the subject and got down to business.

"The Japanese naval fleet will probably arrive soon. I need to find someone to help unload the cargo and get the cargo ship away from here."

"no problem."

The officer readily agreed.

He approached the crowd and announced loudly, "We are now recruiting a group of stevedores, preferably those who have experience in port loading and unloading, to unload the supplies from the cargo ships. These supplies were brought by the Taishan Independent Regiment, which is why they attacked the Japanese troops on Weizhou Island."

People enthusiastically signed up to participate.

Subsequently, the unloading of the equipment began.

People used the port's crane equipment to lift the Taishan medium tank from the ship and slowly place it on the flat ground of the dock.

Tanks were unloaded from the ship one by one.

As soon as the tanks landed, Taishan's tank crew members couldn't wait to rush over and climb into the tanks to operate them.

The improved Taishan Pine Tank has little difference in overall structure and function from the original model, making it easy for soldiers who have driven the older model to get the hang of it.

They drove tanks on the stone-paved roads of the port area for a test drive. The tracks made a clanging sound as they rolled over the stones, causing people to back away but still unable to resist peeking out.

Rocket launchers, spare parts, ammunition boxes... one after another, heavy equipment was unloaded and neatly arranged on the dock, forming a spectacular sight.

The dockworkers responsible for unloading were covered in sweat, but they were full of energy.

At this moment, Fang Wen took off alone in his plane to investigate the movements of the Japanese naval fleet.

The plane took off from the sea off Beihai Port and flew directly over the Leizhou Peninsula.

While flying, Fang Wen was also using his supernatural abilities and radar detection device to search for targets.

The 10 Japanese warplanes that came to support us earlier flew from the sea area 300 kilometers away, so Fang Wen's detection focus was also in that direction.

He discovered that the Japanese fleet was in the waters near Xiamen and was heading this way.

It is 800 kilometers away from Weizhou Island. At an average warship speed of 50 kilometers per hour, it would take 16 hours to get there.

After making this discovery, Fang Wen immediately returned to base.

The plane landed at the dock in Beihai Port.

As soon as Fang Wen got off the plane, he heard the commotion at the dock.

He walked over and saw the crowd unloading equipment with all their might, as well as the Taishan medium tanks that were already being tested on the stone road. His eyes showed a hint of urgency.

Sixteen hours may seem like a long time, but it's crucial to unload all the cargo ship's supplies and transfer all the equipment within that timeframe, leaving no room for waste.

At that moment, William hurried over. "Commander, what are the results of the reconnaissance?"

"The Japanese fleet is in the waters near Xiamen, heading towards Weizhou Island. It is about 800 kilometers away from here. At their average speed of 50 kilometers per hour, it will arrive in a maximum of 16 hours."

“16 hours…” William murmured, repeating the number. “Two-thirds of the cargo on the ship still hasn’t been unloaded. Time is running out.”

"So we need to hurry."

Fang Wen's gaze swept over the crowd present, and he raised his voice, "Old and young men of the dock, let's work together to unload these 'big guys'!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of enthusiastic response erupted from the crowd.

The dockworkers, who had just been wiping away sweat and resting, immediately resumed their work. The fishermen also proactively found ropes, and even several women holding children handed their children to their companions and ran to help pass on tools.

"Don't worry, Commander Fang! We have plenty of strength. We'll finish unloading the cargo tonight, even if we don't sleep!" An old fisherman wearing a patched shirt spoke loudly, his calloused hands gripping the rope tightly, his eyes full of energy.

Fang Wen felt a surge of warmth as he watched this scene. He turned to William and said, "Arrange for some soldiers to assist with unloading, and have the rest quickly find a hiding place nearby to transport the unloaded supplies there. Tanks and rocket launchers are large, so we need to find a place with good concealment."

"Alright! I'll make the arrangements right away!" William immediately turned around, gathered the soldiers, and began the operation.

Fang Wen then summoned Pan Jiafeng: "You lead the gunboat squadron back to port."

"Aren't we going to stay here and continue fighting the Japanese?" Pan Jiafeng asked.

Fang Wen shook his head: "We have achieved our goal. As long as the cargo ship leaves, we are done. Don't keep thinking about fighting. Our Independent Regiment is not yet strong enough to go head-to-head with the Japanese fleet."

Pan Jiafeng scratched the back of his head. "Master, I become stupid when I'm with you. Okay, I'll fly back right now."

(End of this chapter)