Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 635 Outnumbered but Unyielding: The Independent Regiment Joins the Battle

After the battlefield was divided into several sections, the Guangxi Army soldiers launched a fierce offensive, charging towards the fleeing Japanese troops with bayonets fixed to their rifles.

The Guangxi Wolf Soldiers are renowned for their close-combat prowess, and at this moment they displayed their ferocity to the fullest. A young soldier, shot in the left arm, his uniform soaked in blood, gritted his teeth and lunged at a Japanese soldier, his bayonet piercing the man's chest with pinpoint accuracy. Meanwhile, a squad leader brandished a broadsword, the blade flashing as it cleaved a Japanese rifle in two, the blade then striking the Japanese soldier's shoulder, his screams echoing across the battlefield.

The Japanese army's once-proud firepower advantage vanished during this dispersed breakout.

Some Japanese soldiers tried to hide in the shell craters to resist, but were thrown grenades by the Guangxi soldiers; others fled towards the mountains and forests, but were shot by rifles from behind after only a few steps and fell into the grass.

The remaining few dozen Japanese soldiers were squeezed into a rice paddy outside the town. The muddy water in the paddy was mixed with blood and became murky. They huddled in the muddy water, their rifles were out of ammunition, and their eyes were filled with despair.

"Put down your weapons! Surrender and you will not be killed!" The Guangxi Army soldiers formed a circle and shouted at the Japanese soldiers in the rice paddies. A Japanese corporal tried to resist, raising his sword and charging at the Guangxi soldiers, but was shot by several soldiers at the same time and fell into the muddy water.

Upon seeing this, the remaining Japanese soldiers threw down their weapons, covered their heads with their hands, and stood up from the rice paddy, covered in mud and water, looking utterly disheveled.

By noon, all the enemies had been wiped out.

The battlefield was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and the Guangxi soldiers returned to their units one after another with their spoils and prisoners.

Fang Wen led the air force team across the Yong River to conclude the air support mission and return to base.

The three officers reported to the command post via walkie-talkie: "The ambush at Pumiao Town is over. The entire 800-man Japanese detachment has been wiped out. 72 people have been captured, and 15 light machine guns, 10 grenade launchers, 5 mortars, and 30 submachine guns have been seized!"

Upon receiving the report, Commander Wei immediately ordered the prisoners to be escorted to the 31st Army headquarters.

A group of Guangxi soldiers, carrying rifles, escorted 72 Japanese prisoners across the river in the same boat they had used the night before, and led the prisoners into the city.

The unarmed prisoners, linked together by ropes, staggered forward—having suffered a crushing defeat, they had long lost their former arrogance. Some kept their heads down in silence, while others occasionally looked up at the distant Yong River with complex expressions.

When the town's residents learned that the prisoners were a group of Japanese soldiers, they flocked to the streets, cursing and throwing vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at them.

During the journey, one of the prisoners suddenly broke free of his ropes and ran towards the riverbank, attempting to jump into the river to escape.

The Guangxi soldiers reacted quickly, shooting him in the leg. The prisoner fell onto the sandy beach by the river and was dragged back screaming.

"Behave yourself! Move again or we'll kill you!" the soldiers shouted sternly. Seeing this, the other prisoners dared not make any further moves.

As evening fell, the prisoner group finally arrived at the 31st Army headquarters.

Commander Wei and Fang Wen were already waiting outside the command post. Looking at the prisoners being escorted in, Commander Wei sneered: "I never thought that the Japanese army's 'elite' would be like this today."

Fang Wen stared at several soldiers among the prisoners, dressed in different uniforms, his brows furrowing slightly—their uniforms were thicker than those of ordinary Japanese soldiers, and they had special badges embroidered on their collars, making them look unlike ordinary army soldiers.

He did not voice his doubts.

The 31st Army will definitely make these prisoners explain this matter clearly.

"Take those officers away for separate interrogation," Commander Wei ordered.

The adjutant immediately led his men forward, pulled several prisoners in special uniforms from the ranks, and took them into a small room in the command post. The remaining prisoners were taken to a prisoner-of-war camp outside the city, where they were heavily guarded.

In the small room, a kerosene lamp was lit.

Several prisoners were tied to chairs, heads bowed, refusing to speak.

"You're not going to talk, huh? You'll regret this. Go and call Ma Laoliu and the others over here," the adjutant said coldly.

A moment later, the soldiers brought in three bald men carrying small wooden boxes.

"These Japanese officers are yours to handle. Use your family's traditional skills to get them to confess as soon as possible, but don't kill them."

"Yes, sir. You can rest assured and leave it to us brothers."

When Ma Laoliu and his two companions entered the small room, they placed the small wooden box they were carrying on the table and put on aprons.

Although the Japanese prisoners of war could not understand the specific meaning, they sensed danger from the strange behavior of Ma Laoliu and the others. They raised their heads slightly, and their eyes became more vigilant.

Ma Laoliu slowly opened the small wooden box—inside were not the gruesome instruments of torture he had imagined, but only several rows of neatly arranged silver needles, a porcelain bottle containing a dark red liquid, and a small, polished copper knife. He picked up a silver needle and held it up to the flame of the kerosene lamp; the needle reflected a cold light that shone on the face of the captured officer.

“Little devils, it’s a great pity that we brothers didn’t go to the battlefield. Now that such a good job has come to us, we’ll definitely serve you well.” As Ma Laoliu spoke, he took a silver needle and walked up to a Japanese officer: “If you talk obediently, we can leave you a hot meal; if you don’t, this needle will go into your fingernail and let you taste what it means to be ‘connected to the heart’—when my ancestors were officials, they used this skill to interrogate many tough guys, and no one could withstand it.”

The Japanese prisoner officer stood stiffly, cursing under his breath, clearly unwilling to submit.

Ma Laoliu wasn't angry. He walked up to a prisoner who looked younger, pinched his finger, and aimed the silver needle at his fingernail.

The prisoner trembled with fear, struggling to get away, but was firmly held down by Ma Laoliu. "If you don't talk, I'll stick the first needle in." Ma Laoliu's tone was calm, but his grip remained firm.

At this point, the interpreter in the interrogation room also translated Ma Laoliu's words into Japanese.

After understanding what was being said, the young prisoner did not confess.

Immediately, the three Ma brothers took action. Two of them grabbed his arms and legs, and Ma Laoliu inserted the silver needle into his finger.

It is said that the ten fingers are connected to the heart, and this kind of needle torture will make you feel the pain to the maximum.

When the second needle was inserted, the young prisoner started crying and muttering something incoherently.

The young prisoner said he belonged to the Japanese Marine Corps Special Operations Detachment, but the 5th Division Reconnaissance Regiment was also on the mission.

He was not a high-ranking officer and did not know much.

Subsequently, the interrogation was conducted by different people.

Screams and cries of pain echoed from inside the torture chamber. After a while, the adjutant emerged with a confession, seemingly satisfied.

He arrived at the command room and reported, "Commander, the Japanese devils couldn't hold out. They confessed everything before Ma Laoliu even had a chance to use his tricks."

"What did they confess to?"

"They are an assault force composed of the 5th Division Reconnaissance Regiment and the Marine Corps Special Operations Team. In addition to these 800 men, there is also a 200-man squad that has infiltrated the north bank of the Yong River, preparing to sabotage the telephone lines that our army has set up outside the city."

Commander Yan snorted coldly. The 31st Army and the troops on the south bank of the Yong River could communicate via telephone lines, which was more convenient than using telegrams.

The Japanese army's attempt to sabotage telephone lines, coupled with their occupation of Pumiao Town, clearly indicated a planned three-pronged attack.

Unfortunately, the great victory at Pumiao Town has now prevented the Japanese from carrying out their plans.

He ordered his men to gather troops to search the riverside area and not let any suspicious persons slip by.

He then chatted with Fang Wen with a big smile on his face.

"Commander Fang, to my shame, I didn't agree with your air-ground coordinated combat theory before. But today I understand that your approach is the key to building a strong army. If our Guangxi clique can be equipped and trained according to your method, we can definitely fight the Japanese devils."

He paused, his smile fading. "But now, it's too late. Even if we eliminate 800 Japanese soldiers, 3 are still attacking Nanning. And our forces number only a little over 1. This battle is going to be difficult!"

Fang Wen replied, "As long as we hold on, reinforcements will arrive."

Commander Wei patted Fang Wen on the shoulder. Because of today's battle, he acknowledged Fang Wen's abilities and thus spoke his mind.

As he said.

Currently, the garrison in southern Guangxi mainly consists of the 31st Army, numbering 12,000, plus the police and militia in Nanning city, totaling no more than 15,000.

These troops will be deployed across the vast land of southern Guangxi.

The 131st Division of the 31st Army was deployed in the urban area and suburbs of NN, responsible for the construction of urban fortifications and the defense of core positions; the 135th Division was stationed along the Yongqin Highway, undertaking the task of blocking the Japanese army at the front after the landing; the New 19th Division originally defended the coast of Qinzhou Bay, but retreated to the flank after the Japanese army landed.

Because the New 19th Division had been repelled and blocked by the Japanese army, it was practically impossible for it to get close to Nanning.

Therefore, the only forces actually defending Nanning were the 131st and 135th Divisions, plus scattered troops in the city.

The situation is indeed very dangerous.

Fang Wen inquired about the reinforcements.

Commander Wei also told him.

The 170th and 175th Divisions of the 46th Army, located west of Nanning, were deployed in the Chongzuo and Fusui areas to undertake flank defense and reserve duties.

The two divisions planned to flank and support the Japanese army from the west when they attacked Nanning, but they could not get there in a short time because their transportation lines were cut off by air raids.

Meanwhile, the troops in eastern, western, and northern Guangxi were unable to arrive in time due to the long distances and the Japanese air raids targeting the transportation lines.

These circumstances show that the Japanese army had been planning this landing operation in Qinzhou Bay for a long time.

They specifically chose to attack Guinan, a place with weak defenses.

Moreover, they used air superiority to suppress the Guangxi army.

Air supremacy!
If this were in the north, Fang Wen wouldn't have any options, but here, he could lend a hand.

Nanning is 530 kilometers from Zhijiang Airport and 400 kilometers from the Yangjiang Independent Regiment's base.

They are all on the combat route.

Therefore, he spoke up:
"Commander Wei, my Independent Regiment is willing to send air support to aid in the defense of Nanning, hoping to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. Furthermore, the major battle in Central China has just ended, and the Soviet air force at Zhijiang Airport currently has no combat missions. If you request assistance from Chongqing, perhaps the Soviet air force at Zhijiang Airport can also come to your aid. In this way, Japanese warplanes will no longer control the airspace over Nanning."

Upon hearing Fang Wen's explanation, Commander Wei nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll send a telegram to the Guilin headquarters right away, and have Director Bai go and talk to Chongqing."

He acted immediately, heading to the telegraph room to send a message.

Fang Wen also left the command post and returned to the airport to send a telegram to the Yangjiang Independent Regiment's garrison via airborne telegram.

He ordered the Independent Regiment to send 10 gunboats, 200 paratroopers, and 4 anti-aircraft guns to Nanning.

The next morning, ten gunboats painted with the "Taishan Military Industry" logo appeared in the sky above Nanning.

Having already learned in advance that these were reinforcements from the Taishan Independent Regiment, the National Army troops did not panic.

Gunships and aircraft landed one after another at the sea airport.

After landing, the paratroopers disembarked from the plane.

As they disembarked, they also removed the components of four 37mm anti-aircraft guns from the aircraft.

Under Fang Wen's command, these paratroopers set up air defense positions on the south bank of the Yong River, carrying anti-aircraft gun parts and ammunition.

In less than half an hour, the anti-aircraft gun barrels were pointed at the sky, the sights on the gun shields were adjusted, and the ammunition boxes were neatly stacked to the side.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the Japanese air raid arrived as scheduled.

Twelve Type 96 fighter jets flew in from the southeast, preparing to dive-bomb Nanning City according to their usual tactics.

Just as they approached the south bank of the Yong River, the four anti-aircraft guns suddenly opened fire, the deafening "thump thump thump" of the cannons exploding into black smoke clouds around the fighter jets.

The 37mm anti-aircraft guns were extremely deadly against the lightly armored Japanese aircraft; once hit, the result was the destruction of the aircraft and the loss of life.

The Japanese pilots hurriedly climbed to higher altitudes, but it was too late—one of their fighter planes was hit by a shell, plummeted to the ground in a cloud of black smoke, and finally exploded on the surface of the Yong River, creating a huge splash.

The remaining fighter jets dared not dive down again, and could only drop a few bombs randomly from high altitude. Most of them landed on open ground outside the city and failed to cause effective damage.

"Well done!" cheered the Guangxi Army soldiers on the south bank. Previously, Japanese warplanes had been able to enter unopposed, but now, with the support of anti-aircraft guns and the independent regiment's gunboats and aircraft, they finally saw hope for a counterattack.

10 o'clock in the morning.

Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan and circled in the air, radioing the gunboats and aircraft: "Move out en masse to support the 135th Division's defense line on the Yongqin Highway and prevent a surprise attack by Japanese ground forces!"

Four gunboats from the Guangxi Air Force and ten gunboats from the Independent Regiment formed two combat echelons and flew toward the defense line of the Yongqin Highway, dozens of kilometers away.

The arrival of the Independent Regiment's gunboats and aircraft not only curbed the Japanese air raids but also boosted the morale of ground defenses.

Along the Yongqin Highway, the soldiers of the 135th Division were struggling to hold out against the Japanese offensive. The mechanized forces of the Japanese 5th Division advanced along the highway, with tanks leading the way and infantry following closely behind. The 135th Division lacked anti-tank weapons and could only rely on grenades and explosive charges for close-range attacks, resulting in heavy casualties.

After the arrival of the gunboat squadron, the Japanese troops on the ground suffered intense air fire suppression.

With their own air support, the morale of the 135th Division soared, and they organized their troops to launch a counterattack against the Japanese army.

The battle continued, but Fang Wen was the only one not involved.

He sat high in the air, waiting for the arrival of the Japanese air force.

Twenty minutes later.

Ten Japanese Type 10 fighter planes appeared in the radar detection system's feedback.

Fang Wen immediately picked up the microphone and gave the order.

"Independent Regiment's artillery and aircraft cease attack, altitude 3300 meters, follow my instructions."

Upon receiving his order, the independent regiment's gunboats and aircraft took off one after another. The well-trained gunboat and aircraft pilots were very skilled at adjusting this formation and formed a single line in an orderly manner, following behind the Qinyuan.

The Japanese forces were getting closer and closer, and the gunboats and aircraft, under Fang Wen's command, had completed their firing adjustments.

The enemy aircraft formation was getting closer and closer, and had already come into view.

They spotted the gunboat and immediately accelerated towards it.

At this moment, Fang Wen also issued the order for the gunboats and aircraft to fire a salvo of rockets.

(End of this chapter)