Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 610 Battle of Beihai Port, Fang Wen's 'Anti-aircraft Gun' Talent

The gunboat squadron took off and returned to the Guangdong war zone.

With the help of dockworkers and fishermen, all the cargo on the ship was unloaded, and the crew found a hiding place nearby as instructed by Fang Wen.

After unloading its cargo, the cargo ship immediately departed the port and sailed towards the area south of the Beibu Gulf.

Fang Wen piloted his aircraft to escort the cargo ship away, while simultaneously reconnoitering the approaching Japanese fleet.

At this point, 10 hours had passed since the last aerial reconnaissance.

The Japanese fleet sailed more than 500 kilometers on the sea, more than 200 kilometers away from Weizhou Island in a straight line, and was roughly located on the east side of the Qiongzhou Strait.

In other words, the Japanese fleet would arrive at Weizhou Island in 5 hours.

Therefore, Fang Wen picked up the microphone and contacted the cargo ship.

"You shall sail southeast at full speed, without stopping along the way. I will escort you here."

A Taishan Airlines staff member on board replied over the radio: "Yes, General Manager."

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen piloted the plane back to Beihai Port.

The plane landed and docked. Fang Wen immediately disembarked and found the garrison at Beihai Port.

The garrison at Beihai Port was the 2nd Battalion of the 524th Regiment of the 175th Division of the 46th Army of the Guangxi Army, and the battalion commander's surname was Chao.

"Commander Chao, the Japanese army is expected to arrive at Weizhou Island in 5 hours. After they discover the situation on the island, they will probably launch an attack on Beihai Port. I will defend it with you."

Battalion Commander Chao replied with a stern expression, "If Regiment Commander Fang could annihilate the Japanese troops on Weizhou Island, we are no cowards either. You'll have to rely on us in this battle."

He immediately summoned all the port garrison troops for pre-battle mobilization.

"Some of you are my brothers who have risked your lives with me, and some are members of the local self-defense brigade who defend our homeland. Here I want to tell you something very serious: the Japanese army may attack our Beihai Port. I ask you all to hold your positions and not let a single Japanese soldier land."

Upon hearing the sound, the soldiers stood up straight in unison, their rough hands gripping their rifles tightly, the butts of the rifles striking the bluestone pavement with a dull thud.

The ranks included both seasoned veterans with weathered faces and local youths with a touch of naivety, yet their eyes burned with the same fervent light.

"We will never let the Japanese devils land!" A burly veteran in the front row roared first, his left arm still bearing the scar of shrapnel from the Battle of Taierzhuang last year.

This shout was like a spark falling into a haystack, instantly igniting everyone's fighting spirit. Shouts of "Don't let the Japanese devils land!" rose and fell.

Several self-defense members wearing gray cloth jackets exchanged glances. One of them, a dark-skinned young man, moved the large knife he was carrying on his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Our ancestors have lived by this sea for generations. If the Japanese dare to come, we'll fight them to the death!"

After finishing his speech, Battalion Commander Chao turned to talk to Fang Wen.

"Commander Fang, would you be willing to come with me to inspect the various defensive positions in Beihai?"

Although he already had some understanding of the defense situation in the North Sea from the air, Fang Wen still agreed.

He then got into Battalion Commander Chao's car and went to inspect the various defensive positions.

The first and most important position was located at the easternmost edge of Beihai Port.

The terrain there is a protruding area facing the sea, with a mountain range of 120 meters above sea level called Guantouling. It is a natural barrier for Beihai, and any ship that wants to enter Beihai Port is within the range of Guantouling's cannons.

The artillery emplacements used in the position were built during the late Qing Dynasty. They are circular emplacements constructed of stone.

But the old iron cannons from that time are gone, replaced by modern cannons manufactured during the Republic of China era.

Including: Shanghai-made 1927 75mm mountain gun and Wuhan-made 1935 75mm mountain gun.

There was even a Soviet M1939 37mm anti-aircraft gun for air defense.

Fang Wen was somewhat surprised by this: "Your equipment is pretty good."

Battalion Commander Chao said with a hint of pride, "That's right, all the assets of our division are with me in order to defend this place."

After inspecting the fortifications at Guantouling, Battalion Commander Chao took Fang Wen to the Dijiao Fort near Guantouling.

That was an extended battery specifically designed to defend against Japanese landings in the port area; in addition to small artillery pieces, it also had machine gun positions.

In addition to these two important defensive fortifications, there were also scattered temporary fortifications throughout the port area to prevent possible Japanese amphibious landings.

Finally, there was a Shanxi-made 105mm field gun in the rear.

After reading these, Fang Wen spoke with Battalion Commander Chao.

"I see that your defense system lacks support from long-range heavy artillery fire."

"Yes, our division only has that one 105mm field gun."

"I can support you in your battle, after all, this battle started because of me."

"Use your plane? No, the plane has already left."

"In the current situation, heavy ground-based firepower is more effective than aircraft."

His idea was to use the independent regiment's rockets for long-range strikes, with tanks supporting the defensive positions.

Battalion Commander Chao was overjoyed and immediately agreed.

Immediately, Fang Wen ordered 10 Taishan tanks to assemble in the port area, while rocket launchers were deployed in the rear.

at dusk.

The Japanese fleet is about to arrive at Weizhou Island.

Beihai Port has also made defensive preparations.

To maintain communication, Fang Wen provided Battalion Commander Chao with a walkie-talkie so that they could communicate with each other from the air.

He then piloted the plane into the air and flew south.

According to the radar detection system, the Japanese fleet was 100 kilometers away.

There was a signal from an aircraft in the air that it was flying this way.

It was probably a Japanese reconnaissance plane.

Fang Wen sneered. Even without piloting a high-speed fighter jet, he could still teach the other party a lesson.

He pre-aimed using radar targeting devices and adjusted the firing angle before the enemy aircraft entered his field of vision.

Subsequently, enemy aircraft came into view, and 10 rockets were fired in advance toward the enemy aircraft's flight path.

Three Japanese reconnaissance planes were engulfed by the blast radius of the rockets, and two of them instantly lost control and crashed into the sea while emitting smoke.

The other aircraft fled back to the fleet in a panic.

Fang Wen was wary, thinking, "I can't go there." Even with his superpowers, it would be extremely dangerous to pilot a gunboat into the firing range of the Japanese fleet.

He activated his powers to the maximum and observed from a distance.

According to Yoshida's intelligence, the other side should be the Fifth Fleet, which was only established last year, and its commander is Kondo.

The flagship was the heavy cruiser Myoko, with a displacement of 13000 tons.
On either side are the light cruisers Nagara and Natori.

The outer perimeter was escorted by the 23rd and 45th Destroyer Squadrons. In front of the fleet were four destroyers from the 28th Destroyer Squadron and the 12th Minesweeper Flotilla.

The entire Fifth Fleet has more than 10 warships and is very powerful. As Fang Wen said before, the Taishan Independent Regiment is not strong enough at present.

After completing the reconnaissance, Fang Wen immediately returned to Beihai and explained the situation to Battalion Commander Chao.

After 2 hours.

The Japanese fleet arrived in the waters south of Weizhou Island.

Of the three warships outside the southern harbor, one has sunk to the bottom of the sea, leaving only a small part of its stern flag on the surface, while the other two are still engulfed in flames.

Because the port was too small for large warships to enter, the fleet dispatched a minesweeper to the southern port for reconnaissance.

After some investigation, the situation was relayed back to the flagship via telegram.

"Commander, the entire garrison on Weizhou Island has been wiped out. More than a hundred bodies have been found on the island, and some soldiers and officers are missing, most likely captured. In addition, the island's fortifications, six aircraft at the airport, and three warships have all been lost."

"Baka!" Fleet Commander Kondo slammed his fist into the metal leg of the table beside him, making a dull thud. "A bunch of useless trash! Weren't the soldiers stationed on Weizhou Island supposed to be handpicked marines? They couldn't even hold onto a small island! Planes and warships destroyed, and officers captured? It's a disgrace to the Imperial Navy!"

The staff officers in the command center all hung their heads, not daring to breathe.

Everyone knows that Weizhou Island is an important outpost for the Japanese army in the Gulf of Tonkin. Its easy capture not only cuts off the fleet's forward supply points but also delays the strategic offensive against Beihai Port, completely disrupting subsequent operational plans.

“Commander,” a staff officer stepped forward cautiously, handing over a newly translated supplementary telegram, “the signs of battle found on the island indicate that the enemy had a large amount of air support in their operations. Currently, the only unit in China with this air-ground coordination capability is the Taishan Independent Regiment.”

"It's Fang Wen from the Taishan Independent Regiment again!" Kondo frowned even more. This man was someone that all the Japanese armies wanted to eliminate. His traces could be seen everywhere from north to south.

However, this person is extremely vigilant, skilled in flying, and has a large industrial base, making him very difficult to deal with.

He suddenly looked up in the direction of Beihai Port.

Why attack Weizhou Island?

“Because this is our strategic location,” the staff officer replied.

"No, this is not their zone of defense for the Independent Regiment, and they have no reason to fight here. Unless, the Independent Regiment has a reason to attack Weizhou Island."

The staff officers pondered, and one of them spoke up: "We control Beihai Port through Weizhou Island, could they be transporting supplies to Beihai Port?"

"It's possible that since they attacked Weizhou Island and disrupted our plans, they might attack Beihai Port ahead of schedule."

Kondo made a decision.

However, Beihai Port is not suitable for warships of 1000 tons or more to enter, so the Fifth Fleet cannot launch a full-scale attack and can only send some warships to carry out amphibious operations.

"Order the 28th Destroyer Squadron to lead the way, carefully survey the sea area, and clear any possible mines; the 23rd and 45th Destroyer Squadrons to provide escort on both sides, with the light cruisers Nagara and Natori following the flagship, ready to bombard the coastal defenses of Hokkaido Harbor!"

Upon receiving the order, the Japanese fleet immediately adjusted its formation and sped toward Beihai Port.

At Beihai Port, Fang Wenzheng and Battalion Commander Chao stood on the lookout tower of Guantouling Fort, closely monitoring the sea's movements through binoculars.

Upon seeing the silhouette of the Japanese fleet on the distant horizon, Fang Wen picked up the walkie-talkie and ordered: "Tank and rocket teams, take note! The Japanese fleet is approaching and is expected to enter artillery range in half an hour. Prepare for battle!"

Battalion Commander Chao shouted to the communications soldier beside him: "Notify the corner gun emplacements and all temporary fortifications to strengthen their vigilance. Once the Japanese troops enter firing range, open fire immediately!"

Soon, the defensive positions at Beihai Port were bustling with activity.

On the Guantouling fort, soldiers loaded shells into Shanghai-made 1927-type 75mm mountain guns and Wuhan-made 1935-type 75mm mountain guns, slowly raising the muzzles to aim at the sea. The crews of the Soviet M1939 37mm anti-aircraft guns were also on high alert, vigilant for possible Japanese warplanes.

The Shanxi-made 105mm field guns, positioned at the rear, were adjusted to their angles, ready to attack distant targets at any moment.

Fang Wen arranged for 10 Taishan tanks to be scattered throughout the port area, either behind houses or in alleys, with their cannons pointed at the sea, waiting for an opportunity.

The rocket launchers were hidden in concealed locations at the rear. The launch pads had already been set up, and the firing range and angle were all determined. They were just waiting for orders to be given so that they could unleash a barrage of fire on the Japanese fleet.

Half an hour later, the Japanese fleet gradually approached, and the main guns of the heavy cruiser Myoko fired first. Huge shells, with a piercing whistling sound, attacked Guantouling Battery.

"Boom! Boom!" Shells landed near the gun emplacement, kicking up clouds of dust and debris several meters high, and the entire Guantou Ridge trembled slightly.

"Counterattack!" Battalion Commander Chao shouted the order.

Instantly, the cannons on Guantouling Fort roared in unison, and shells flew toward the Japanese fleet.

The shells landed near the Japanese destroyer, creating huge columns of water.

One of them was very lucky; it hit the deck of a Japanese minesweeper directly, causing a small explosion.

However, the 75mm gun was clearly insufficient in power.

The Shanxi-made 105mm field gun at the rear then fired, the huge shell traveling thousands of meters toward the Myoko heavy cruiser.

Although it didn't hit him directly, it gave Kondo a fright, and he immediately ordered a course change to avoid the artillery fire.

The two sides exchanged artillery fire, and the amphibious landing operation also began.

One after another, landing craft carrying Japanese soldiers sailed toward the port.

At the same time, 20 aircraft took off and carried out airstrikes over the port area.

Anti-aircraft fire was fired into the air, but it missed the enemy aircraft.

Then, Japanese warplanes swooped down and strafed the anti-aircraft guns and other artillery.

The anti-aircraft gun operator fired a bullet, and his deputy also fell into a pool of blood, his fate unknown.

Immediately, the anti-aircraft guns on Guantoushan fell silent.

As a frontline defensive position, without anti-aircraft guns, it would face endless air raids from Japanese warplanes.

Seeing this, Battalion Commander Chao said, "Regimental Commander Fang, you go back first. I'll take command here."

He didn't want Fang Wen to be in danger here, so he wanted to take Fang Wen to a safe place.

Seeing this, Fang Wen hesitated for a moment, but still rushed out of the fortifications.
"let me."

He took over the operation of the anti-aircraft guns.

Fang Wen had never operated this Soviet M1939 37mm anti-aircraft gun, but its working principle was based on the Swedish Bofors M34 40mm anti-aircraft gun, and its firing operation principle was similar to that of Taishan's own anti-aircraft gun.

Not to mention, with the aid of mechanical perception, Fang Wen quickly became one with the anti-aircraft gun.

He skillfully operated the anti-aircraft gun and adjusted its firing direction.

The cannon was pointed at the sky and fired a long string of shells, which happened to meet an enemy plane.

boom.
The Type 97 carrier-based aircraft exploded in mid-air.

The soldiers cheered.

But this was just the beginning. Fang Wen continued to operate the anti-aircraft gun, turning the muzzle 70 degrees and firing in another direction.

Another plane has been shot down.

(End of this chapter)