Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 636 The Combat Advantages of Advanced Technological Weapons: A Turning Point in the Battle of Southern Guangxi
"Rocket salvo launch!"

As Fang Wen gave the order, the ten independent regiment's gunships, which had already adjusted their firing positions, opened fire.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Dozens of aerial rockets, trailing white flames, roared towards the Japanese aircraft formation.

Because it was a salvo from ten aircraft, the coverage area was extremely large.

This is also Fang Wen's ultimate move, combining his supernatural abilities with command.

In this era, who else can wield unguided aerial rockets with such mastery as he does?

The Japanese troops, 2 kilometers away, didn't react at first.

All I could see was a bright light on the other side.

Their understanding of aerial combat didn't include weapons with such a long range, so they assumed the Nationalist pilots were firing indiscriminately due to nervousness.

A few seconds later, as the two sides closed in, they saw the airborne rockets growing larger in their pupils.

The Japanese pilots panicked and frantically maneuvered their planes to evade, but the density of the rockets was too great, making it impossible to completely avoid them.

"Boom!" The first rocket exploded, and the scattered fragments hit the engine of a Type 96 fighter jet. The jet instantly emitted thick smoke and plummeted to the ground like a kite with a broken string.

The explosions continued, the sky brightened repeatedly, and then three more fighter jets were hit by rockets, their wings broke off, and they exploded in the air, sending debris flying.

A salvo of aerial rockets shot down three enemy aircraft, and the scattered shrapnel also damaged the remaining aircraft to varying degrees.

The remaining nine Japanese warplanes scattered to avoid the explosion, but dared not charge any further.

But they did not give up. Instead, they broke up their dense formation and tried to spread out and attack from the flanks.

Upon seeing this, Fang Wen immediately ordered: "Prepare airburst bombs for the gunships and aircraft, launch them from the east and west sides at an elevation angle of 35 degrees, with the detonation point in the horizontal direction."

Airburst bombs are the standard air-to-air defense weapon for the independent regiment's gunships and aircraft, so Fang Wen did not need to give them detailed instructions on how to operate them this time.

The crew members in the engine rooms of each gunboat immediately began to operate according to the procedures they had been training on.

The launch tube is placed on the launch port in the rear compartment and launched at a 35-degree elevation angle.

The airburst bombs traced parabolic trajectories in the air, and upon reaching the preset horizontal detonation point, they instantly exploded into a dense cloud of fragments. Each airburst bomb could eject hundreds of sharp fragments, forming two invisible "defense walls" on both sides of the gunship aircraft.

Japanese warplanes, which were flanking from the east and west, collided with the fragmented cloud as soon as they got close.

On the east side, a Type 96 fighter jet had its wing torn open by debris, with fuel dripping continuously from the gap. In a panic, the pilot tried to pull up, but the wing became unbalanced and the jet crashed directly to the ground. The two fighter jets on the west side fared even worse. Fragments hit the cockpit window, and one pilot was shot on the spot. The fighter jet went out of control and crashed into its comrade next to it. The two planes were locked in mid-air and exploded, with flames turning half the sky red.

The remaining six Japanese warplanes were completely stunned by the power of the airburst bombs, and their previously scattered formation became chaotic. Some pilots wanted to continue their maneuvering, but were afraid of crashing into the fragmentation cloud again; others wanted to turn back, but were afraid of being punished.

Just as they were hesitating, Fang Wen's Qinyuan suddenly burst out from the gunboat squadron, piercing straight into the Japanese aircraft like a sharp sword.

The six Japanese warplanes, facing the approaching Chinyuan, did not flee.

After all, this is a fighter jet, and they have six of them.

The Japanese pilots unanimously came up with the idea of ​​shooting down the lone enemy plane, so as to have a reason to retreat.

Immediately afterwards, Japanese warplanes flew towards the Chinyuan.

Six Japanese warplanes, in a wedge formation, approached the Qinyuan. Having already gained half the advantage before even launching an air raid, they wanted to make up for it on the Qinyuan, piloted by Fang Wen.

The lead Japanese pilot stared at the Chinhara in his sights, a sneer playing on his lips—in his view, a single fighter daring to charge into a formation of six was tantamount to suicide. But the next second, his smile froze on his face.

Instead of engaging in a direct confrontation, Fang Wen maneuvered the Qinyuan to make a sudden sharp left turn, bringing the fuselage almost perpendicular to the ground, thus avoiding the first volley of fire from the Japanese warplanes.

The bullets left trails along the original flight path of the Qinyuan, but they didn't even touch the fuselage.

Immediately afterwards, the Chinyuan, like an agile falcon, circled around to the side and rear of the Japanese formation, aimed at the side of the last fighter, and opened fire instantly with its 20mm cannon in the nose.

A barrage of machine gun shells was fired, instantly penetrating the side skin of the enemy aircraft.

Beneath the thin aluminum alloy skin lies the protective shell for the aircraft's engines.

However, in order to ensure speed, lightweight materials were used, so this layer of protection was almost useless. The machine gun shells easily penetrated the engine casing, and the flames that exploded ignited the fuel in the engine. The fire then spread along the fuel line, and the plane exploded into a dazzling fireball.

The Japanese pilots were dumbfounded.

In a single encounter, the enemy performed an almost magical aerial maneuver right before their eyes, not only dodging the attack but also shooting down one of their own fighter jets.

This series of actions was fluid and seamless. From a sudden turn to shooting down an enemy plane, it only took ten seconds. The pupils of the remaining five Japanese pilots shrank, and they completely abandoned their contempt.

The lead Japanese pilot immediately adjusted his formation, sending three fighters to engage the enemy from the front, while he led another fighter to circle around to the rear of the Chinyuan, attempting to form a pincer attack.

This aerial tactic is very deceptive due to the visual difference between the aircraft in front and behind.

However, Fang Wen had already grasped the other party's movements through his mechanical perception ability.

He pulled up sharply, rapidly increasing altitude to escape the Japanese aircraft's "pincer attack" strategy.

This change left the Japanese pilots bewildered, leaving them with no choice but to passively climb higher to pursue them.

As long as they pursue Fang Wen, they fall into Fang Wen's fighting rhythm.

Fang Wen sneered, maneuvered the plane to yaw to the side, and then quickly adjusted the position by rolling, capturing another Japanese warplane.

The nose cannon was aimed at the enemy aircraft's belly, and it fired instantly.

Two volleys of machine gun fire struck the enemy's lower abdomen.

The shell shattered the landing gear and also hit the aerial bombs it was carrying.

The massive explosion instantly engulfed the enemy aircraft, scattering debris everywhere.

Another fighter plane was shot down, and the remaining Japanese pilots were devastated.

On the southern defensive positions of Yongjiang, Guangxi soldiers looked up at the sky.

When the Qinyuan shot down the first Japanese warplane, the soldiers erupted in deafening cheers; when they saw Fang Wen fight six enemies at once and shoot down enemy planes one after another, the cheers were even louder.

The soldiers had never seen such incredible fighter jet maneuvering before.

"who is this?"

"so amazing."

"I know, it's Fang Wen, the commander of the Taishan Independent Regiment. He's our best pilot, and he's shot down dozens of warplanes."

"Oh, so you're Commander Fang, who's currently in charge of our Air Force."

A young soldier jumped up excitedly and shouted to the sky, "Commander Fang is amazing! He shot down all the Japanese fighter planes!"

Not only was he shouting, but shouts echoed across the battlefield.

In the 31st Army headquarters, Commander Wei put down his binoculars.

He had been paying attention since the start of the air battles.

A wave of emotion washed over me.

"Fang Wen, that kid, is a born aerial combat genius! He fought like this against 10 against 12!"

The adjutant exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, that's right! The gunboat is a ground-attack aircraft, and in his hands, he actually shot down all the Japanese planes. This plane is truly invincible in his hands! Hey, Commander, look! The remaining Japanese planes have escaped!"

Commander Wei quickly looked through his binoculars—and saw that the remaining four Japanese warplanes dared not linger any longer, turned around, and fled southeast with all their might.

The Chinyuan did not pursue, but circled once in the sky, as if to declare victory, before leading its gunboat squadron toward the 135th Division's battle zone. Now that the supporting Japanese air force had been repelled, the situation was much better for the 135th Division, which could recapture the positions captured by the Japanese with air support.

As the Qinyuan led a formation of ten gunboats and aircraft, skimming low over the Yongqin Highway, the 135th Division's positions below were shrouded in smoke.

Despite losing air support, the mechanized units of the Japanese 5th Division still attempted to capture the remaining positions of the 135th Division using their mechanized equipment.

Three Type 95 tanks drove along the road, their cannons aimed at the trenches of the Guangxi Army on both sides, firing. Infantrymen took cover behind the tanks and continuously strafed with light machine guns. The 135th Division's charge was suppressed many times, and the soldiers lay prone in the trenches, only able to occasionally peek out and fire.

The four gunboats and aircraft of the Guangxi Army that were sent here earlier failed to suppress the Japanese mechanized forces.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and gave orders to the two gunboat squadrons.

He ordered the gunboats and aircraft to concentrate their firepower on the Japanese infantry and not to waste firepower on the Japanese tanks.

After all, the 12.7mm aircraft machine guns and 20mm cannons equipped on gunships are good at hitting military vehicles and armored vehicles, but they are not easy to penetrate tanks with thick armor.

Fang Wen will handle these three tanks. In the previous air battle, he used 20mm cannon shells, and he hasn't used the 20 air-to-ground rockets he carried yet.

Upon receiving the order, all gunboats and aircraft immediately complied.

Their advantage becomes much more obvious without even needing to deal with tanks.

A barrage of bullets rained down from the sky, sweeping across the Japanese troops behind the tanks.

Under such a fierce attack, the Japanese infantrymen hurriedly scattered and took cover, no longer able to coordinate with the tanks.

At the same time, Fang Wen also piloted the Qinyuan fighter jet down, with the rocket launchers under the wings aimed at the tank. With a "whoosh" sound, the rockets shot towards the ground, leaving trails of flame.

"Boom! Boom!" A series of explosions occurred around the three tanks.

Two of the rockets accurately struck the tracks of the two tanks behind, instantly rendering them immobile and stranded on the road. The tank in the lead, seeing this, tried to turn and escape, but that was impossible. Fang Wen quickly pulled the aircraft up and swooped down again, launching a second wave of aerial rockets.

This time, the rocket barrage once again covered three Japanese tanks, and the explosions and flames engulfed that section of the road.

The air-to-ground rocket penetrated the armor of the first tank and hit its fuel tank.

Another explosion occurred, flames shot into the sky, and the tank was rendered useless.

Such an air raid instantly turned the tide for the 135th Division's front-line positions.

Now that the Japanese troops have lost the cover of their tanks, it is the best time to attack and take them down.

Upon seeing this, the commander of the 135th Division immediately shouted, "Issue the counter-offensive order! Brothers, wipe out this group of Japanese devils!"

Upon receiving the order to counterattack, the soldiers of the 135th Division leaped from their trenches, bayoneted rifles, and charged toward the Japanese troops.

Without the cover provided by tanks, and with continuous attacks from gunboats and aircraft overhead, the Japanese troops were simply unable to organize a defense.

Guangxi soldiers, who had rushed from their positions on both sides of the road, engaged in close-quarters combat with the Japanese army on the road.

Fang Wen, who had destroyed three tanks, drove the Qinyuan tanker high in the sky, closely monitoring the battlefield situation.

Now that the battle has progressed to this point, the 135th Division has seen a turn of events, and he must closely monitor the movements of the Japanese army to avoid any problems.

From the perspective of those with mechanical superpowers, a problem was indeed discovered.

A group of Japanese troops attempted to outflank the 135th Division and launch a surprise attack on its rear.

The Japanese army surprisingly deviated from the expected strategy, failing to fully support the advancing troops and instead diverting its forces to cut off the 135th Division's retreat.

This all-or-nothing approach might be effective if no one knew about it.

But now, Fang Wen has seen it all.

Immediately, he picked up the microphone and switched to the 135th Division's communication channel.

"Commander Su, this is Fang Wen."

Sound is coming from the wireless equipment.

"Received. What's up, Commander Fang?"

"I discovered that a group of Japanese troops is flanking from the east, preparing to launch a surprise attack on your rear."

"Damn it, we've already wiped out the vanguard of the Japanese devils, and they still want to flank us. I'll send troops to intercept them right away."

"I also sent gunboats and aircraft to intercept them."

Fang Wen ended the call after he finished speaking.

This is the best that can be achieved with this kind of cooperation.

The gunboats will soon launch a preemptive strike, preventing the Japanese from advancing quickly and giving the intercepting forces an opportunity.

As for more sophisticated air-ground coordinated operations, that is not feasible under the current circumstances.

In the 31st Army headquarters, Commander Wei was monitoring the frontline situation in real time via walkie-talkie. When he heard that the 135th Division had recaptured most of the positions, he excitedly told his adjutant, "Quick! Send a telegram to the 135th Division, instructing them to press their advantage and not give the Japanese any chance to regroup! Also, have a battalion from the city defense forces be dispatched to support the 135th Division's flank and prevent a Japanese counterattack!"

As soon as the adjutant left, Commander Wei picked up his binoculars again and looked at the sky in the direction of the Yongqin Highway.

In the distance, our own aircraft were still hovering low in the sky.

Commander Wei couldn't help but exclaim again, "With him here, our 31st Army can finally fight a decent counterattack!"

"But they are gunships and aircraft after all. Once the Japanese realize what's happening, they might send out more fighters to surround and kill them," the adjutant warned.

Commander Wei nodded: "I'll send a telegram to Director Bai, asking him to continue pressuring Chongqing to make sure the Soviet air force at Zhijiang Airport comes to our aid."

The battle continues.

Fang Wenhe's gunboat squadron returned to port for repairs due to fuel depletion.

After the plane landed, the logistics and maintenance personnel immediately got to work, refueling, loading ammunition, and conducting wartime maintenance.

Although the previous battles were fought brilliantly, the consumption of ammunition was also enormous.

Pan Jiafeng came over to report: "Commander, we're running low on air-to-ground rockets. We only brought four rounds, and now we only have three left."

Fang Wen frowned.

In his hands, long-range weapons like air-to-ground rockets could be more effective than those used by the Soviet Union.

However, the consumption is also enormous.

A base load of air-to-ground rockets means that the aircraft's normal payload is 20 rockets (two 10-rocket launchers).

The independent regiment came to provide support this time, with one gunboat carrying 80 air-to-ground rockets (4 basic loads), bringing a total of 800.

This is no small amount; it represents 80% of the Independent Regiment's rocket stockpile.

Airborne rockets are much more difficult to manufacture than artillery shells, and their production volume is already insufficient.

Giving 1000 rockets to the Independent Regiment, 700 to Junshanhu, and 800 to Taihangshan has already used up all the rockets produced.

It's easy to use, but the energy consumption is astonishing.

This also made Fang Wen realize that the more advanced the technology of the weapon, the greater the money it consumes.

It seems that this time when I go back, I'll have to find a way to get more money and supplies so that I can continue to expand production capacity in northern Myanmar.

(End of this chapter)