Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 627 The anti-aircraft effect of the Taishan bomb, air raid on Japanese rear fuel depots

Two 'Taishan Lost Asphyxiating Smoke Incendiary Bombs' fell, the spindle-shaped bombs plummeting with a sharp whistling sound and exploding the instant they hit the ground.

There was no fire or explosion; instead, bullets scattered outwards.

These projectiles emitted thick, grayish-green smoke, instantly forming a smoke screen with a diameter of over twenty meters, completely enveloping the position of the three Type 92 anti-aircraft machine guns.

The Japanese gunners were busy inserting 30-round magazines into the magazines when a sudden cloud of smoke blinded them instantly. The irritating smoke rushed into their respiratory tracts, and the intense burning sensation caused the Japanese soldiers to cough violently.

In a panic, the assistant gunner tried to pull off the ammunition plate to move it, but the thick smoke made his limbs weak, and he involuntarily dropped the brass ammunition plate, collapsing into the mud.

This smoke grenade combines the characteristics of incendiary bombs and asphyxiating poison gas. When burning, it quickly depletes the surrounding oxygen, and the chemical gas exacerbates the enemy's breathing problems. Even if they are hiding in a truck, they cannot escape the torment of chest tightness and suffocation. The three Type 92 anti-aircraft machine guns, which should have posed a deadly threat, ultimately only made a few intermittent muffled sounds in the smoke screen before going silent.

"Well done, Captain! Your weapons are really good!" Ivan's cheers were transmitted to Fang Wen's wireless equipment via walkie-talkie.

"Ivan, Peter, drop the bombs you're carrying," Fang Wen issued the squad's operational order via radio.

Upon receiving the order, the two wingmen dropped the remaining aerial bombs all at once.

The dense smoke provided excellent targeting, improving their bombing accuracy; 70% of the bombs landed in the target area.

This completely destroyed the convoy's air defenses, allowing other Soviet warplanes to bomb it at will.

Fang Wen's three-plane squadron has now cleared out all the bombs it was carrying, thus completing its mission of air raiding the Japanese rear supply line. Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen led two wingmen back to Zhijiang Airport.

On their return journey, as they passed the Laodao River battlefield, Fang Wen used mechanical sensing to survey the battlefield in the distance.

In the air, multiple fighter jets are engaged in dogfighting.

Meanwhile, a fierce battle is raging on the banks of the Laodao River.

At this moment, Commander Xue's Qin Division and Liang Division are launching an attack, relying on the riverbank fortifications.

The vanguard of the Japanese 6th Division had just erected a pontoon bridge across the river last night, but was surrounded this morning.

Nationalist soldiers crossing the river from the west set up heavy machine guns on a small hill, and a dense hail of bullets suppressed the Japanese vanguard.

The Japanese troops on the riverbank were separated from their rear troops, and the Japanese were launching an attack in an attempt to rescue this vanguard.

Fang Wen also discovered that in the middle and rear section of this Japanese division, multiple Nationalist Army units appeared, encircling the Japanese army from different directions like a net.

The presence of the National Army on multiple high ground positions is sufficient to demonstrate that they have made ample preparations for this battle.

Faced with this situation, the Japanese army stopped crossing the river and instead focused on defense.

They used trucks to build makeshift defensive lines and fired mountain guns and mortars at the National Army in an attempt to reverse their disadvantage.

Upon seeing this, Fang Wen turned his gaze away and returned to base with his two wingmen.

The battle has progressed to this point, and there will likely be more than one combat mission today. We need to hurry back to rest and prepare for the next wave of attacks.

More than 40 minutes later, Fang Wen's three-plane squadron was the first to return.

As the three aircraft taxied into the parking area, the ground crew, who had been waiting there, immediately surrounded them, skillfully inspecting various parts of the aircraft with their tools in hand.

Fang Wen's fighter jet was inspected and repaired by Taishan's own mechanics.

He climbed out of the cockpit, slid down the outer wall of the aircraft, and said to his mechanic, "The landing gear shock absorbers need to be adjusted, but the other parts are fine for now."

"Yes, General Manager." The mechanic immediately prioritized the maintenance of the landing gear.

Fang Wen stretched his stiff neck and glanced at the ground crew who were carrying out resupply operations—Gong Xiuneng was removing the fuel line from the tanker truck in preparation for refueling the aircraft; the bomb loader pushed a cart loaded with aerial bombs to the aircraft and carefully mounted the "mountain collapse high-explosive bomb" and "Incendiary Type 2 napalm bomb" onto the racks under the wings.

Afterwards, Fang Wen went to Ivan and Peter's side. The three of them exchanged a few words about the battle they had just fought, and then headed to the lounge together to prepare for a short rest.

After a while, one after another, the other Soviet pilots returned to the lounge.

Then, before everyone could stay in the lounge for long, an announcement came over the airport's public address system to gather.

Immediately, Fang Wen and the other Soviet pilots got up and headed to the conference room.

Inside the meeting room, Captain Ivanov, who had just participated in the combat mission, stood next to the map with a serious expression, while Major Wu Youdong stood beside him holding a document.

After everyone had come in and sat down, Ivanov began, “Comrades, we just successfully destroyed the Japanese supply line along the Miluo River, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy. But that’s far from enough! According to the intelligence we just received, the Japanese still have a large amount of oil stored in Yueyang. This oil is a crucial guarantee for their current offensive. Our next task is to destroy the oil depot where that oil is stored.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Major Wu Youdong stepped forward, pointed to the red area marked on the map, and added, "Everyone, please look. This Japanese oil depot is located on the outskirts of Yueyang City. It has anti-aircraft firepower and is also patrolled and guarded by fighter jets. The mission is extremely difficult, but of great significance—if we can successfully destroy it, the Japanese mechanized forces will be in a predicament of having no oil, and the transport convoys will be unable to transport supplies to the Xiangbei battlefield, which will be very beneficial to the upcoming operations!"

The conference room fell silent instantly, and the fatigue on the pilots' faces vanished.

However, the Japanese army had strict air defense measures for this mission. If there was no solution, going ahead to attack would be very dangerous for the entire air force.

Therefore, Ivanov needs to make proper arrangements for this meeting.

His plan was to divide the air force into three echelons: one echelon would be responsible for bombing, while the other two echelons would be responsible for dealing with Japanese warplanes and ground anti-aircraft fire.

However, doing so would reduce the bombing's effectiveness and might not be able to destroy the fuel depot in one go.

But how do we deal with the large amount of anti-aircraft firepower that the Japanese army has deployed in the oil depot area?
At this moment, Ivan spoke up.

"I think we can use the Taishan aerial bombs to counter the Japanese anti-aircraft fire. During the morning's battle, our captain dropped a type of Taishan aerial bomb that produces a large amount of persistent smoke. If the smoke area is an enemy anti-aircraft position, they will lose their visibility."

Upon hearing this, Ivanov was immediately delighted and looked at Fang Wen.

"Comrade Fang Wen, what kind of bomb did you use?"

Fang Wen replied, "It's our newly manufactured asphyxiating smoke bomb, a type of auxiliary aerial bomb. In addition to creating a large area of ​​smoke in the target area, it can also disable the enemy forces in the smoke for a certain period of time."

"Great! This is exactly the weapon we need. How many do you have?" Ivanov asked eagerly.

"There are 4 left."

"Only four? That's too few."

The excitement faded from Ivanov's mind. The oil depot must have been quite large, and the four bombs probably only covered part of the area. It seemed that the remaining area would require a direct confrontation with the Japanese anti-aircraft fire.

Fang Wen saw through Ivanov's thoughts and replied, "If you are willing to trust me, then entrust me with the task of dropping these bombs. I will try my best to drop them on the Japanese anti-aircraft positions."

The pilots all looked at Fang Wen.

They suddenly remembered the case of Fang Wen in the domestic aviation textbook. Fang Wen's most famous air combat case was not his safe escape from the encirclement of 12 fighter jets in the Bohai Bay, nor his various air combat achievements, but his piloting an old biplane carrying bombs to sink the Japanese battleship Izumo.

That was a legendary feat, and to this day, no pilot has dared to claim that he could replicate it.

Therefore, Fang Wen is the best at airdrops.

Therefore, Ivanov agreed to Fang Wen's request.

"Alright, then you can drop the bomb. We'll provide cover for you. Once you succeed, we'll begin the follow-up operations. Now, everyone return to your respective aircraft immediately for pre-battle preparations."

The meeting then concluded, and everyone stood up, quickly walked out of the conference room, and headed towards their respective fighter jets.

Fang Wen followed the crowd, his blood boiling. He preferred challenging missions. He walked straight to his Qinyuan fighter jet. The mechanic had already finished adjusting the landing gear shock absorbers and was carefully wiping away the dust remaining on the fuselage.

Upon seeing Fang Wen approach, the mechanic stopped what he was doing, stood at attention, and saluted: "General Manager, the fighter jet has been inspected and repaired. The landing gear shock absorbers have been fixed, and all other performance aspects are normal. It is ready for takeoff at any time!"

Fang Wen patted the mechanic on the shoulder: "Thank you for your hard work."

He then loudly addressed the Taishan staff: "There is a new combat mission. The bomb load needs to be adjusted. Take off the incendiary bombs and replace them with smoke incendiary bombs."

Immediately, the mechanic, bombardier, and Gong Xiuneng got to work, removing the incendiary bombs hanging on the front of the aircraft and replacing them with asphyxiating smoke bombs.

The high-explosive shells on both sides remained unchanged.

After doing all this, Fang Wen put on his flight helmet and climbed up the boarding ladder into the cockpit.

He activated his supernatural abilities to inspect various aspects of the aircraft.

They learned about everything, including fuel level, oil pressure, avionics system, engine, mechanical linkages, propeller, and bomb load.

After confirming that everything was normal, he put on his headphones, adjusted the wireless communication equipment, and waited silently.

Half an hour later, Ivanov's voice came through the radio communication equipment: "All aircraft reporting."

With the availability of Taishan walkie-talkies, communication between Soviet air force units became much easier.

One voice after another came out, and when it came to Fang Wen's team, Fang Wen also picked up the microphone: "Squad 7 mainframe Fang Wen reporting, everything is ready, we can take off."

Then came the reports from Ivan and Peter.

"Seventh Squad wingman Ivan reports: everything is ready, takeoff is permitted."

"Seventh Squad wingman Peter reports: all is ready, takeoff is permitted."

"Alright. Line up and let's go."

Captain Ivanov gave the order, and planes accelerated and took off one by one from the runway.

All 19 fighter jets took off, formed a combat formation, and flew north.

45 minutes later, we arrived in Changsha.

The battle below was still ongoing, and to avoid being detected, the Zhijiang Air Force's fighter squadron flew around from the west.

The aircraft swarm flew over Dongting Lake.

Fly over Dongting Lake, and you'll reach Yueyang.

We've reached a point where the Japanese army is heavily stationed, and we'll be discovered soon. We must find the location of the oil depot as quickly as possible.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone.

"Squad 7's mainframe is calling the team leader."

"Received, what's up?"

"Request navigation, I will lead the air force to the location of the Japanese fuel depot."

"Alright, you are allowed to lead. The air force will change formation, with the seventh squadron leading."

Immediately, Captain Ivanov, who had been leading the formation, gave up his position, and Fang Wen flew to the front of the formation.

After becoming the lead aircraft, Fang Wen immediately amplified his special ability and began to explore the east.

As they drew closer, the outline of Yueyang City came into view to the east.

Yueyang, located on the shore of Dongting Lake, has an ancient city wall, but many parts of it were damaged during the Japanese occupation.

The city is now full of Japanese soldiers and puppet troops.

Where is that oil depot?

The intelligence report stated that it was located in the suburbs of Yueyang, but did not specify the exact location.

Fang Wen couldn't help but think quickly.

His company has built several oil depots, so he is aware of this.

It is essential to locate oil depots in the suburbs to ensure safety.

However, the convenience of oil transportation and loading/unloading should also be considered.

The oil in Yueyang was transported by the Japanese army from other places, either via the Yangtze River or via the Yuehan Railway.

He then moved the mechanical viewpoint northward from Yueyang City.

In the north of the city, there is a wharf called Chenglingji, which is where the Yangtze River meets Dongting Lake.

To the east of the wharf lies the Yuehan Railway.

This kind of place, being on the outskirts of the city, is the perfect location to serve as an oil depot.

He made a more careful observation of the place.

His mechanical senses spread out like an invisible giant net toward Chenglingji Wharf and the Yuehan Railway line to the east.

At the dock, several Japanese transport ships were moored at their berths, and soldiers were busy unloading supplies from the ships into trucks. Once the trucks were full, they drove along the road.

Following the direction the convoy was traveling, about three kilometers away in an open area, Fang Wen's senses suddenly detected a large number of metal oil drums piled together.

This is the Japanese army's fuel depot!

He could clearly "see" that the oil depot was surrounded by three layers of barbed wire. In the first layer of fortifications, there were four Type 92 anti-aircraft machine guns, with gunners sitting behind cover, vigilantly observing the sky. The second layer consisted of two anti-aircraft gun positions, with the muzzles raised high and the gun crews in position, ready to be deployed. In the innermost oil depot area, dozens of cylindrical oil tanks were neatly arranged, and a wooden oil depot shed was built next to them, with unopened oil drums piled up inside.

On the open ground east of the oil depot, three Japanese Type 95 fighter planes were parked on a temporary runway, their engines already warmed up, clearly patrol aircraft ready to take off at any time.

In addition, two trucks came from the railway freight yard, also heading to this place.

Fang Wen immediately picked up the microphone: "Captain, target spotted! Three kilometers east of Chenglingji Wharf, next to the Yuehan Railway, three layers of fortifications, with anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft cannons inside, and three enemy planes on standby! I will initiate the airdrop first, and you will conduct follow-up airstrikes based on the smoke after the airdrop."

“Okay,” Ivanov replied briefly.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan and broke away from the air force, flying down from the high-altitude clouds.

Using mechanical sensing, he pre-aimed at the Japanese anti-aircraft positions below.

The first asphyxiation smoke bomb landed precisely on the anti-aircraft machine gun position.

Before the smoke could even burst open, Fang Wen threw down the remaining three balls.

(End of this chapter)