Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 640 The Final Battle in Guinan: A Battle to Fame (Part 1)

Upon discovering the urgent military situation, Fang Wen immediately returned to base, pushing the plane to its maximum speed, and flew back to Nanning in just a few minutes.

The Qinyuan landed on the airport runway and had just come to a stop when Fang Wen opened the canopy and slid down the outer wall of the aircraft.

"Commander, what's wrong?" Gong Xiuneng asked.

"Come with me." To avoid wasting time, Fang Wen didn't explain and directly led Gong Xiuneng into a military vehicle, which drove into the city.

The jeep sped through the streets of Nanning, with Guangxi soldiers reinforcing the fortifications and civilians helping out everywhere along the way.

When they arrived at the 31st Army headquarters, Commander Wei was standing in front of a map with a furrowed brow, and the staff officers around him also looked solemn.

"Commander Fang, you're finally back!" Commander Wei rushed forward when he saw Fang Wen. "I just received intelligence that a large number of Japanese warships appeared in Qinzhou Port last night, and then a large number of landing troops were dispatched to land on landing craft."

“That’s not all!” Fang Wen walked to the map and pointed along the Yongqin Highway. “During my reconnaissance at the front, I discovered that the Japanese army has assembled at least one regiment of mechanized forces, including tanks, armored vehicles, and long-range artillery. Their target should be the 135th Division’s defensive line. They have now completed their deployment and could launch an attack at any time!”

Commander Wei picked up a charcoal pencil and heavily circled the key points of the Yongqin Highway on the map: "Fang Wen, you've come at the right time. Just now, the Guilin Headquarters sent a telegram saying that the 170th and 175th Divisions of the 46th Army of the Western Route Army and the vanguard of the 5th Army of the Central Army of the Northern Route Army are accelerating their march and are expected to arrive in Nanning within two days. In the next two days, we must hold the line and not let the Japanese advance an inch!"

"To hold out for two days, ground troops alone are not enough; we must take advantage of air superiority!" Fang Wen pointed to the Japanese assembly points on the map. "My gunboat squadron can be responsible for bombing Japanese tanks and artillery positions, while the Soviet air force will be responsible for intercepting Japanese warplanes to ensure that air superiority is not lost. On the ground, the 135th Division needs to destroy the Yongqin Highway, while the eastern flank defense forces will remain stationary to prevent the Japanese from launching a flanking attack."

Commander Wei nodded in agreement and immediately ordered: "Send a telegram to the 135th Division, ordering it to carry out sabotage along the Yongqin Highway, and to mobilize all mortars and heavy machine guns to intercept the Japanese infantry advance from the high ground. Send a telegram to the 131st Division, ordering it to stay put, but to be on high alert and absolutely not lose the eastern flank defense line."

At this point, Commander Wei looked at Fang Wen with exceptional sincerity.

“Commander Fang, no, Mr. Fang. What you have done during this time has been of great kindness to Guinan. Although we have some differences in political ideology, we are both patriotic. I hope you can help me win this battle. After all, my 31st Army is powerless to deal with the Japanese mechanized forces, and we can only rely on you.”

Fang Wen responded seriously: "Please rest assured, I will do my best."

The staff officers quickly wrote down the orders and relayed them separately.

Fang Wen then used the 31st Army's radio to contact Soviet Air Force Commander Ivanov: "Comrade Ivanov, the Japanese army is about to launch a large-scale offensive and will send a large number of warplanes to cover the ground troops. Please have your air force prepared to provide immediate support upon receiving the telegram requesting support."

"Don't worry, Fang! Our I-16 is fully fueled and ready to take off at any time!" Ivanov replied.

Subsequently, Fang Wen rushed back to the airport and notified all gunboats and aircraft at the Yongjiang River upstream water airport to enter a standby state.

At the seaplane base, the ground crew immediately sprang into action, refueling, loading ammunition, and carrying out emergency repairs.

Following Fang Wen's orders, all the improved gunboats were equipped with air-to-ground rockets.

Along the Yongqin Highway, soldiers of the 135th Division were busily burying explosives in the road. In the absence of anti-tank mines, they were simply blasting the road into potholes, a good way to hinder the advance of the Japanese mechanized forces.

Landmines were buried in the sections of the road that were not blown up, as well as along both sides of the road.

On the back slope of a small hill beside the road, soldiers fixed mortars to the ground, while ammunition handlers neatly stacked shells next to the mortar positions.

What were the movements of the Japanese army at this time?

In order to gain an understanding of the Japanese army's operations, Fang Wen once again took to the air in his fighter plane.

The Qinyuan was flying at an altitude of 7000 meters. The clouds outside the cabin were thin, and the sunlight shone on Fang Wen's face through the porthole. However, he was not distracted at all. He piloted the fighter jet while using his supernatural abilities to conduct reconnaissance.

The mechanical perception ability was operating at full power, like an invisible net that enveloped the Japanese positions within a radius of tens of square kilometers below.

At such a height, the Japanese troops below did not notice anything unusual in the air, but Fang Wen was able to 'see' it all.

The Japanese positions below.

A large number of Japanese troops are assembling and forming ranks.

The green covers on more than 30 Type 95 tanks and 7 Type 94 armored vehicles have been removed.

Japanese infantry and armored officers are negotiating to move the infantry units behind the tank formations.

Behind the position, on the open ground, six 105mm howitzers had been set up, their muzzles raised high and aimed at the 135th Division's defensive position.

Fang Wen frowned slightly, took out a map and pen with his right hand, and quickly marked the map with one hand.

The Japanese mechanized forces were divided into three echelons: the first echelon was a mixed formation of tanks and armored vehicles, responsible for breaking through the forward defenses of the 135th Division; the second echelon was an infantry regiment of about 1500 men, carrying light machine guns and mortars, which would clear the Guangxi Army strongholds on both sides of the defense line under the cover of tanks; the third echelon was an artillery unit, responsible for suppressing the 135th Division's mortar positions and heavy machine gun bunkers with long-range artillery fire.

After completing the recording, Fang Wen did not immediately return to base, but instead conducted radar monitoring of the Beibu Gulf region.

It's 200 kilometers south of here.

There is radar feedback from a large number of ships.

However, there has been no radar feedback from Japanese warplanes yet.

Fang Wen pondered in his heart.

The Japanese aircraft were intended to support the attack on the 135th Division's positions and to break through the subsequent defensive lines; they would only take off after ground troops had been deployed.

At a distance of 200 kilometers, it would take Japanese warplanes half an hour to reach the battlefield.

In other words, the Japanese military could launch multiple air raids in a single day.

The Soviet air force from Zhijiang Airport needed to fly 600 kilometers to reach the battlefield, which took an hour and a half.

Two round trips in a day is already the limit.

Therefore, this air battle must not be a war of attrition, but rather a decisive, one-hit kill.

Otherwise, our air power would not be able to gain air superiority.

So how can one kill with a single blow?

Fang Wen thought that the air-to-ground rockets carried by the gunships and his own high-speed fighter jet could only be surgically destroyed using this type of air-to-ground weapon, and then the Soviet air force could take the opportunity to clean up the mess.

To achieve this, my current superpowers are not enough; I must once again enter that extremely taxing superhuman state.

Although his energy reserves were running low, Fang Wen still decided to do it.

At this point, the situation below changed.

The Japanese tank units set off first.

Fang Wen immediately used the airborne telegraph to send a message to Zhijiang Airport, requesting that the Soviet air force depart immediately.

One hour and twenty minutes later, the Japanese mechanized troops had arrived in the 135th Division's defense zone.

More than 30 Type 95 tanks roared forward, their tracks crushing the cratered road surface, which severely hampered the advance of the Japanese mechanized forces.

The tank guns turned to both sides and opened fire on the trenches and bunkers of the 135th Division. Shells landed next to the bunkers, sending mud and gravel flying. The Guangxi soldiers in the trenches could only cling tightly to the trench walls to avoid the flying shrapnel.

"Boom!" A tank's track ran over a landmine laid by the 135th Division, the track was instantly blown off, and the tank lay paralyzed on the road.

The following Japanese tanks did not stop, bypassing the damaged tanks and continuing to advance, while the Japanese infantry following behind carried rifles and marched at a bent-over position on both sides of the road. But after only a few steps, another landmine exploded, blowing two Japanese soldiers into the air, their bodies falling into the grass beside the road.

Commander Su of the 135th Division stood in his forward bunker, peering through binoculars at the Japanese troops, his lips clenched: "Mortar company, target: the infantry group behind the Japanese tanks, fire!" The mortars hidden on the hill responded immediately. With a whoosh, shells landed among the Japanese infantry, exploding in bursts of light. The Japanese infantry were thrown into chaos; some ducked for cover, while others frantically fled towards the rear of the tanks.

However, the Japanese offensive did not weaken.

Six 105mm howitzers began long-range bombardment, with shells landing on the 135th Division's positions.

Taking advantage of the artillery fire, Japanese engineers began repairing the road surface.

Just as the 135th Division's defenses were on the verge of collapse, the familiar roar of engines came from the sky.

Immediately, a soldier exclaimed with delight, "Our plane is here! I can recognize that sound; it sounds better than the Japanese engines!"

Yes, the Chinwon arrived at the battlefield with 14 gunboats.

Fang Wen led his gunboat squadron and appeared over the Yongqin Highway. Through his supernatural abilities and radar detection devices, he had a thorough understanding of the air situation of both sides.

The Soviet air force will arrive in 15 minutes.

The first large-scale air raid squadron dispatched by the Japanese army will appear from the south in 10 minutes.

This 10-minute gap is his precious time to make arrangements.

In order to make this long-range aerial ambush a success, Fang Wen took out all his secret treasures.

Caribbean Mystic Masace gemstone, Native American bronze tripod, Sichuan vertical eye bone bead, Viking rune ring.

He extracted a portion of the energy from these treasures.

The infusion of a large amount of faith power has further enhanced the mechanical perception ability.

That extraordinary, disdainful, and all-controlling state has returned.

The treasure floated in the air, rotating around Fang Wen.

At this moment, he was calculating with extraordinary mental power, comparable to a supercomputer.

A large amount of environmental data was input, and various possibilities were calculated and then eliminated.

In just a few seconds, he completed a very complex deliberation and made a decision.

Subsequently, the results derived from this extraordinary state were implemented under his command.

The 10 gunships quickly adjusted their formation and lined up in a row, with each aircraft adjusting the firing direction and angle of its rocket launchers differently.

Just as the deployment was completed, a formation of Japanese warplanes flew in from the south.

Twenty-six Type 10 Japanese carrier-based aircraft, ten of which were carrying aerial bombs.

"emission."

At Fang Wen's command, all 10 gunship aircraft launched all their aerial rockets.

These aerial rockets, each targeting a different location, perfectly covered the entire formation of Japanese warplanes.

They even pinpointed the possible escape routes of Japanese warplanes after the attack.

Seconds later, 200 aerial rockets exploded simultaneously in different directions in the sky, creating a huge aerial firework display.

It covered all 26 Japanese warplanes.

This scene shocked everyone present.

The fighting on the ground paused briefly as everyone looked up at the magnificent fireworks display in the sky.

Moments later, before the fireworks had even faded, planes began crashing one after another, billowing black smoke, while others exploded in mid-air.

The Japanese warplanes that survived the attack scattered in all directions like headless flies.

At that moment, the Soviet air force arrived.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "Comrade Ivanov, it's your turn to act."

A voice came through the radio: "It seems we've missed a great show, so let's wrap it up."

Soviet Il-16 fighters flew over the gunboat squadron and attacked the scattering Japanese aircraft.

Inside the cockpit of the Qinyuan, the suspended treasure landed, and Fang Wen reverted to his extraordinary state.

Now that the Japanese air superiority is gone, it is time for our own air force to launch an air raid.

He picked up the microphone and ordered the gunboats to launch an air raid on the Japanese troops below.

Fourteen gunboats lowered their altitude and conducted multiple bursts of aerial fire suppression against the Japanese attacking force.

The intense aerial bombardment prevented the Japanese infantry from marching in formation, and they scattered to avoid the bullets from the air.

But this wasn't all that Fang Wen had arranged for them.

In preparation for this decisive battle in southern Guangxi, Fang Wen ordered the Independent Regiment's gunboats to drop napalm bombs as well.

The high temperatures generated by the continued combustion of napalm could also be used against Japanese tanks.

As a result, a large number of incendiary bombs the size of teapots fell from the sky.

These seemingly insignificant little bombs explode rapidly upon landing, scattering sparks of fire that continue to burn no matter where they land.

The fires that landed on the tanks and armored vehicles conducted heat energy into the tanks.

The already stuffy tank became unbearable for the Japanese tank crews as the temperature rose further.

One by one, the tank hatches were opened, and the Japanese soldiers hurriedly crawled out.

Under such circumstances, the Japanese offensive was gradually disintegrated. The commander of the 135th Division saw all this through his binoculars and exclaimed with delight, "Brothers, the Japanese tanks have stopped firing, and their infantry is being suppressed by our aircraft. Give them a good beating!"

The situation in the ground battle suddenly took a dramatic turn.

The morale of the 135th Division soared, and they launched an attack on the Japanese army.

With the assistance of gunboats and aircraft, they fought with increasing ferocity, and some positions even launched their own assaults.

The Japanese troops at the front were completely suppressed, but artillery fire from the rear was still being fired.

There were also six 105mm mountain guns at the Japanese positions; these long-range weapons had to be eliminated.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and instructed the Independent Regiment and the two gunboat squadrons of the Guangxi Army to maintain air fire suppression, while he piloted his fighter jet toward the enemy's position.

Although the artillery positions where the six 105mm mountain guns were located had been concealed under green netting, Fang Wen still managed to spot them.

The Qinyuan swooped down from high altitude, launching all its aerial rockets at the artillery positions.

The 20 aerial rockets caused a series of explosions, which also detonated the artillery shells stacked on the position.

After the explosions, not a single 105mm mountain gun remained intact.

Thus, the Japanese army's general offensive in southern Guangxi suffered heavy losses on the very first day.

Thirteen fighter jets, seven tanks, two armored vehicles, and hundreds of infantry casualties.

Such enormous losses made it impossible to continue the offensive.

The Japanese frontline troops suddenly retreated entirely and began constructing fortifications in the coastal area, clearly abandoning their plans to continue the offensive in the short term and instead turning to a stalemate.

Subsequently, reinforcements from the western and northern routes of the Guangxi clique arrived, which completely stabilized the situation.

At this point, Fang Wen prepared to conclude his trip to southern Guangxi and return to his base in northern Myanmar.

This battle made him realize many issues, such as the enormous advantages of air-to-ground rockets and the urgency of achieving rocket guidance capabilities.

If it cannot be guided, then this weapon is merely a toy of his superpower; for others to use it is simply a weapon with enormous consumption and a low hit rate.

In this era, perhaps only the Soviet Union, Germany, Britain, and the United States could withstand such attrition; Taishan Military Industry could not afford it.

(End of this chapter)