Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 621 Zhijiang Airport and the Soviet Volunteer Air Force, Fang Wen's surprise attack over Nanchang

When Fang Wen received the telegram from the Soviet Volunteer Air Force, he was standing in the turbine blade processing workshop at the base in northern Burma.

Technicians in Jingdezhen have just completed the sintering of the ceramic coating on the first Vitallium alloy blade. The light gray alumina coating gleams with a delicate luster under the light. When tapped lightly with a fingertip, a crisp metallic resonance can be heard, which means that the bonding between the coating and the alloy substrate is far better than expected.

"General Manager, a telegram from China." Gong Xiuneng came over with a telegram.

Fang Wen took the telegram and read its contents.

It was a telegram from Ivan, but not in his personal capacity; it was a combat invitation sent on behalf of the Soviet Volunteer Air Force.

Fang Wen's heart skipped a beat.

He had always had this idea of ​​participating in the Battle of Changsha.

But they couldn't find an opportunity.

Captain Gao of the 4th Air Group once said that he wanted to invite him to fight together, but the invitation was always blocked during the high-level review process.

This time, the air support for Changsha was entirely handed over to the Soviet Volunteer Air Force, giving the Soviets the opportunity to participate in the war.

That's definitely a place to go.

Seeing Fang Wen's delighted expression, Gong Xiuneng asked.

"Commander, what is it?"

"I am prepared to go to China to fight in the war, join the Soviet Volunteer Air Force, and support Changsha."

Gong Xiuneng, who had been by Fang Wen's side for a long time, understood Fang Wen's thoughts, but was also worried.

"Commander, are you planning to go alone?"

Fang Wen nodded: "I will pilot the fighter jet into battle alone, but logistical support will require a transport plane to deliver supplies and mechanics."

This time, the participation is different from the past. Gunships and aircraft are not very useful in this environment. It is more of a duel between enemy and friendly aircraft.

Gong Xiuneng quickly said, "Commander, I will definitely go with you. Even if I can't go to the sky and fight alongside you, you will need someone to help you at the base airport."

"You'll go there by transport plane." Fang Wen nodded.

Although he has decided to participate in the war, Fang Wen still needs to arrange the things at hand.

Two improved gunboats were to be sent to the Junshanhu anti-Japanese base area.

He needed to use his special abilities to confirm the alloy material of the jet engine.

The independent regiment also needs to have its defense arrangements made.

As for other company business, such as meat procurement in Australia and New Zealand, he didn't need to worry about it; people from headquarters would take care of it.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen's gaze fell back on the leaves.

The superpower was quietly activated, and the grain structure inside the blade, the transition layer between the coating and the alloy, were clearly presented in the mechanical perception.

After being improved with a ceramic lining, the Vitallium alloy has achieved a creep strength of 230 MPa at 900°C. The ceramic coating can further increase the upper limit of heat resistance by 150°C. Although it has not yet reached the ideal value of 1000°C, it has already made a good start.

Now, the US laboratories need to develop a new generation of Vitallium alloy according to his requirements, so that it can be combined with ceramic technology for use in the Taishan turbojet engine.

He wrote down the test evaluation on the test form, and then, with the test report in hand, summoned Jiang Wenjin and Huo Duanyang, entrusting them with the subsequent research and development.

Subsequently, Fang Wen sent a telegram to the Independent Regiment's garrison in Yangjiang, requesting the Independent Regiment to remain on alert in Yangjiang and continue training, while also coordinating with the 2nd Route Army of the Guangxi Clique to jointly resist the Japanese army's offensive in southern Guangdong.

After finishing these tasks, Fang Wen headed to the aircraft manufacturing plant.

Two improved gunboats, one seaplane, and his own aircraft, the "Qinyuan," formed a temporary flight formation.

Having an airplane is not enough; you also need to equip it with a pilot.

Pilots who went to Junshan Lake could not return in a short time; they had to stay at Junshan Lake and fight alongside the New Fourth Army's air regiment.

To this end, Fang Wen spoke with the two selected civil aviation pilots.

On the tarmac of the aircraft manufacturing plant, two improved gunboats are undergoing final checks, while seaplanes float on their berths in the distance.

"Commander, the men have arrived," Gong Xiuneng shouted from below the plane.

Fang Wen stood up from the cockpit of the "Qinyuan" aircraft, slid down the outer shell of the plane, and landed easily on the ground.

Only he could disembark from a fighter jet like that; anyone else doing it would likely get injured.

Below the plane, Gong Xiuneng stood with two pilots.

On the left is Chen Mo, 28, a senior pilot of Taishan Airlines. He was among the first batch of flight apprentices and later switched from army aviation to seaplanes, flying the Yellow River route. After finishing his domestic duties, he flew seaplanes on the Yangon-Northern Myanmar transport route.

On the right is Lin Xiaotang, who has just turned twenty-five. He is a pilot who returned from Southeast Asia. He was among the group of elite pilots recruited by Fang Wen but was not selected. However, he did not lose heart because of this. Instead, he stayed with Taishan Airlines and became a pilot for Southeast Asian regional flights.

Both were promising flight talents in Fang Wen's eyes, and both proactively applied to join the combat units of the company.

That's why Fang Wen chose those two.

"Chen Mo, Lin Xiaotang, I've called you here today because I have an important mission for you." Fang Wen got straight to the point, pointing to the improved gunboats not far away. "You need to fly these two planes to the Junshanhu base area. Afterwards, you will be incorporated into the New Fourth Army's air regiment and fight alongside them."

Chen Mo unconsciously clenched his flight cap, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement: "General Manager, you mean... we're going to the front lines to fight the Japanese?"

He had always flown civilian routes and had long had the idea of ​​participating in the war, but he never had the opportunity. Now he finally got his chance.

Lin Xiaotang was more composed. Her gaze fell on the rocket launchers under the wings of the gunship aircraft, and she asked softly, "General Manager, these two gunship aircraft look different from the ones we flew during our training before."

Fang Wen nodded. "The overall performance is not much different, and you don't need to relearn how to drive it. The main difference is the rocket launcher. Since the accuracy of air-to-ground rockets is still lacking, it can only be used as a directional area attack weapon. If you two are willing to go to Junshan Lake, I can teach you how to operate it now."

The two readily agreed, and Fang Wen then led them onto an improved gunboat aircraft for on-site instruction.

If precision is not a priority, the difficulty of operating the rocket launcher is greatly reduced.

By simply considering the firing direction and range, and ensuring that the cluster of air-to-ground rockets is launched at a range of approximately 1000 meters in the general direction to create area damage, the expected launch effect can be achieved.

To help the two get the hang of it quickly, Fang Wen piloted an improved gunboat into the air and directly guided them in live-fire exercises.

At an altitude of 3000 meters, gunships launched rockets from their launch pods one after another, and with each launch, the pilots gained a deeper understanding of the operation.

After a day and a half, the two mastered the launch of aerial rockets, and Fang Wen prepared to set sail.

He had a final heart-to-heart talk with the two of them.

"We're leaving tomorrow, so if you two have any questions, feel free to ask now."

Lin Xiaotang asked, "Why did the New Fourth Army's air regiment choose Junshan Lake as its base?"

Chen Mo also asked: "Junshan Lake is an area behind enemy lines. How did the air regiment fight against the Japanese army behind enemy lines? Weren't they afraid of being surrounded by the Japanese army?"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "I will answer your two questions together. The area around Junshan Lake has many lakes and hills, which negates the Japanese army's advantage in ground combat. Our air power and guerrilla tactics can easily deal with the Japanese army's scattered forces that come to encircle and suppress us. If they want to concentrate their forces, the gunboats and aircraft can simply move their positions and the Japanese will not be able to catch up at all."

He paused for a moment, then continued to explain: "Because gunboats can land anywhere on the water, it is difficult for the Japanese to determine the landing area of ​​the air regiment's aircraft. In addition, with our radar system and radio communication equipment, the chances of the Japanese air raid succeeding are even lower. Therefore, at Junshan Lake, the air regiment has the advantage of timing, location, and manpower. It is a nail firmly driven behind enemy lines, tying down the Japanese forces in Nanchang."

After hearing Fang Wen's words, the two had no more questions.

The night passed, and the temporary flight team prepared to depart.

Two improved gunboats, fully loaded with munitions and other supplies, were piloted by Lin Xiaotang and Chen Mo.

Fang Wenze piloted the Qinyuan, while Gong Xiuneng boarded another seaplane.

Four planes took off, and Fang Wen directed them using a radio device.

"A-1, A-2, Y-1, you will fly in formation, A-1 will be the lead aircraft, A-2 and Y-1 will follow."

Fang Wen did not act as the lead aircraft primarily due to the difference in flight speed. The Qinyuan had a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, while the gunboat's speed was 350 kilometers per hour, a significant difference that made group flight unsuitable. Therefore, Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan as an escort aircraft.

After giving his orders, he set off ahead to scout the area.

Whenever the flight formation behind them gets too far away, Fang Wen will slow down and return to accompany them.

After more than four hours, the plane finally arrived at its first destination, Zhijiang, Huaihua.

(Zhijiang Airport during the War of Resistance against Japan)
The Zhijiang Airport below is located in the Jiangbei area and has only one main runway.

Twenty Soviet Il-16 fighter jets were parked at the parking area next to the runway.

There was a military airfield there, and a squadron of Soviet volunteer air force was stationed there.

Fang Wen joined this same flight squadron to participate in the war.

Because of the wartime situation, three Il-16s took off immediately after Fang Wen's flight formation arrived.

Soviet pilots flying Il-16s passed each other in the air with Fang Wen's Qinyuan, and were very curious about this high-speed fighter they had never seen before.

However, since they could not communicate by radio, they could only communicate with simple hand gestures before escorting the plane to land.

Four aircraft landed: the Qinyuan aircraft landed on the airport runway, and two improved aircraft and one transport aircraft landed on the Zhijiang River.

The plane came to a stop, and Fang Wen immediately opened the hatch and slid off the plane.

He was greeted by several Soviet officers, one of whom was Ivan, whom Fang Wen knew well.

Ivan introduced the officer in charge.

"Comrade Fang, thank you for joining us. This is Captain Ivanov. Our air squadron took off from Almaty, arrived in Lanzhou, and only rested for a short while before heading here to prepare for the war."

Fang Wen shook hands with Captain Ivanov and said in self-taught Russian, "Thank you for supporting our country's war against aggression. I still need to escort two gunboats to behind enemy lines."

"Go behind enemy lines?" Captain Ivanov asked in surprise.

“Yes, our troops continue to fight the Japanese behind enemy lines, including not only the army but also the air force. The place I’m going to this time is Junshan Lake, near Nanchang,” Fang Wen replied.

"Nanchang, in addition to supporting Changsha, our mission is to conduct air deterrence against Nanchang. It's hard to imagine that you have troops near Nanchang and are equipped with military aircraft."

"We'll discuss the specifics after I return from escorting them."

After Fang Wen finished negotiating with the Soviet officer, he went to the riverbank.

At the dock in Zhijiang, transport planes were unloading cargo, while two upgraded gunboats had finished refueling and were waiting to take off again.

Fang Wen instructed Gong Xiu to coordinate with Ivan regarding the storage of supplies and the arrangement of mechanics.

He returned to the airport, refueled, and took off again, taking two gunships to Junshan Lake.

The danger increases significantly in the following part of the voyage.

To this end, Fang Wen activated his special ability to conduct reconnaissance and escort with high vigilance. Once enemy aircraft were spotted on the flight path, he would immediately order the two gunship aircraft to change course to avoid them.

However, no danger was detected during the rest of the flight.

They didn't even spot any Japanese warplanes along the way.

This is completely different from the situation when Nanchang was first occupied. It seems that the Japanese army has given up launching an attack on the Xiangdong area from the direction of Nanchang.

Therefore, Fang Wen amplified his supernatural ability to investigate the area below.

He soon discovered the reason.

The National Army constructed defensive lines in the Luoxiao Mountains and Wugong Mountains to prevent the Japanese army from bypassing Changsha via Yichun and Pingxiang from Nanchang, Jiangxi.

It is clear that the Japanese army also realized that it would not be easy to attack from the mountainous terrain here, so they abandoned the attack from eastern Hunan and instead concentrated their battle lines in the northern Hunan area.

Shaking off his thoughts, Fang Wen continued flying the two gunboats towards Junshan Lake.

The fact that there is no danger in Xiangdong does not mean that the rest of the voyage will be safe.

After all, going to Junshan Lake would inevitably mean passing through the area near Nanchang, where there was a Japanese airfield. If they ran into Japanese warplanes, it would be a real problem.

Therefore, he requested that the gunboats climb to a maximum altitude of 5000 meters.

Then, based on the detection data from the radar target acquisition device, the aircraft will transfer from Yichun to Fuzhou, and then fly to Junshan Lake.

This allowed them to bypass the flight range of Japanese military aircraft in Nanchang and fly to Junshan Lake, east of Nanchang.

When the gunboat arrived at Junshan Lake, Fang Wen picked up the microphone and made a call.

"Mount Tai is calling Junshan Lake, please respond if you hear me."

The ground response was immediate.

“Junshan Lake received, this is Shao Sishen.”

“Shao Sishen, I won’t land. You take over the two improved gunship aircraft, and the pilots will stay behind and be under your command. They will also be able to operate the new weapons on the gunship aircraft, so you can learn about them from them.”

"Okay, General Manager, be careful on your return flight."

After the call ended, the two improved gunboats landed on the surface of Junshan Lake.

After watching the plane land safely, Fang Wen adjusted the fuselage and flew towards Zhijiang.

According to the radar detection system, a squadron of Japanese warplanes was returning to base in the direction of Nanchang.

Judging from the flight path, these should be warplanes returning from an air raid on Changsha.

Fang Wen's face turned cold. He hadn't had any meat in a long time, so he used these fighter jets as a sacrifice for his Qinyuan.

He then adjusted the flight path to Nanchang and sped away.

At a speed of over 500 kilometers per hour, the plane quickly reached the airspace above Nanchang.

Those dozen or so fighter jets also flew over the airport, preparing to land.

No one noticed the sudden appearance of the Qinyuan.

Fang Wen had already pre-aimed using the radar target acquisition device.

The plane flew at high speed, 5000 meters, 3000 meters, 2000 meters.
At a distance of 1600 meters, Fang Wen pressed the launch switch for the air-to-ground rocket.

The rocket launchers on both sides of the aircraft emptied all their ammunition at once.

All 20 aerial rockets were fired toward the direction of the enemy's returning aircraft.

Near the enemy aircraft formation, a series of explosions occurred.

From the moment the dark shadows flew in swiftly to the moment the sky was engulfed in flames, only a few seconds passed.

The Japanese airfield personnel below were preparing for the planes to land one moment, and the next they were worried about the safety of the fighter planes in the air.

A series of explosions engulfed the aircraft. The explosions did not last long, and two fighter jets belching black smoke fell from the sky, while another exploded in mid-air.

Of the ten fighter jets in the formation, three were destroyed in the sudden air attack.

At this point, the Japanese troops finally realized what was happening and began searching for the attackers.

All they saw was a dark shadow flying swiftly through the air and leaving the airspace over Nanchang.

(End of this chapter)