Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Early in the morning of June 9.

Before dawn, the French troops and the New 1st Regiment in Lang Son City set out.

The target is the Dong Dang region.

After marching for more than an hour, the Allied forces arrived at the position of the French 3rd Foreign Legion Infantry Division.

The 3rd Foreign Legion Infantry Division also spun off 500 men to join the coalition forces and head to Dong Dang.

By the time we reached the southeast side of Dong Dang area, it was already getting light.

The troops assembled here and did not advance further.

Zhang Yunfei, the commander of the New First Regiment, held binoculars and stared at the Japanese positions shrouded in smoke ahead. Behind him, more than a thousand soldiers were in high spirits, rifles loaded and grenades hanging at their waists, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

On the French side, Edmonton personally oversaw the front lines. Although the French soldiers beside him still looked somewhat solemn, they could not hide the excitement in their eyes.

Everyone saw the effects of last night's bombing; now is the perfect time to press our advantage and completely crush the Japanese forces in the central route.

Everyone is waiting for the signal.

Five minutes later, the coalition communications officer received the telegram and immediately reported it aloud.

"Commander, the Independent Regiment's air force has taken off and is expected to arrive in 20 minutes."

Edmonton's face lit up with delight. He turned on the Taishan walkie-talkie and instructed the communications officer to relay the telegram information to the New First Regiment.

The New First Regiment didn't actually need to report; they had already received Fang Wen's orders through their own radio.

20 minutes later.

Fang Wen, who returned to Hanoi overnight, led a squadron of gunboats to Dong Dang.

Fang Wen immediately used his special ability to observe the situation below.

The wildfire in the valley had not been completely extinguished, and billowing black smoke spread into the sky, turning the sky overcast.

The Japanese troops were still in chaos, with many soldiers burned by the flames and lying on the roadside, struggling and groaning.

Outside the valley, the Japanese vanguard is currently the most intact, with 30 tanks and more than 400 soldiers deployed for defense on the road.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and communicated with the ground troops:
"Airborne call to ground."

"Received, this is Edmonton."

"The gunboat squadron will launch an air raid on the Japanese vanguard in a moment. You will launch an attack together while they are attacking from the air. The Japanese in the valley are in a very bad situation. If we can defeat this tank unit, our chances of winning are very high."

"it is good."

Edmonton put down the walkie-talkie and loudly ordered the French soldiers to launch a full-scale attack.

French soldiers, including native soldiers from the Foreign Legion in southern Vietnam and French soldiers, marched forward chanting marching slogans.

Their behavior still retained the battle tactics of World War I, which made Zhang Yunfei, the commander of the New First Regiment, frown.

"What is this thing? Are they even firing volleys? They're just sitting ducks for the Japanese!" Zhang Yunfei muttered under his breath, then ordered the communications soldier beside him: "Pass down the order: the first battalion will flank from the left and get behind the Japanese tank positions; the second and third battalions will encircle from the right. Be flexible, don't try to charge like the French!"

"Yes, sir!" The communications soldier responded and left. The soldiers of the New First Regiment immediately sprang into action, splitting into two groups and rapidly approaching the Japanese positions.

In the sky, Fang Wen led 10 gunboats to attack the vanguard of the Japanese army.

After the aircraft group arrived over the tank positions, it immediately adjusted its course to form a circular encirclement, circling the Japanese defensive positions at low altitude.

The armored shields on the side of the fuselage slowly opened, revealing firing ports, with the barrels of a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and a 20mm autocannon protruding simultaneously.

"Attention all aircraft, fire freely. Machine guns should prioritize attacking Japanese anti-aircraft fire and infantry. Switch 20mm cannons to armor-piercing rounds and engage Japanese tanks," Fang Wen ordered into the microphone.

Upon receiving the order, 10 gunboats opened fire simultaneously, the ear-piercing gunfire and the roar of machine guns shaking the sky.

The bullets from the 12.7mm heavy machine gun rained down like a storm, and the dense barrage swept across the Japanese infantry positions. The Japanese soldiers who were under the cover of tanks had no time to react and were shot down in droves.

Heavy machine guns were a primary target. A Japanese heavy machine gunner had just set up his Type 92 heavy machine gun when he was hit by a burst of 12.7mm bullets. His body was instantly riddled with bullets, and he fell heavily to his gun position, whereupon the heavy machine gun fell silent.

The 20mm autocannon was even more powerful, with shells whistling as they crashed into Japanese tanks and light armored vehicles.

The armor of a Type 94 light armored vehicle was already thin. When the machine gun shell penetrated the side armor, the crew inside was instantly killed. The vehicle then emitted thick black smoke and quickly burst into flames.

The other Type 97 medium tank had thicker armor, which withstood the fire of 20mm armor-piercing rounds, but its observation window was not protected and was penetrated by a 20mm autocannon shell.

Shrapnel flew and ricocheted inside the vehicle, killing the driver instantly. The tank immediately lost control, charging aimlessly across the battlefield like a headless fly, eventually crashing into a nearby tank and becoming completely disabled.

Upon seeing this, the Japanese soldiers hastily retaliated, raising their Type 38 rifles and firing. Some of the surviving 7.7mm machine guns were also set up and fired into the air.

The bullets struck the protective shields of the gunboat with a series of loud thuds, but failed to penetrate them.

The airstrikes continued.

The Japanese ground forces were completely suppressed.

at the same time.

On the ground, the French troops' dense line formations had advanced to within 300 meters of the Japanese positions.

The French troops abandoned their marching formations and, under the command of junior officers, launched a free-for-all attack with rifles.

The soldiers charged forward and opened fire.

Some Japanese soldiers broke free and used machine guns on their positions to fire at the French troops.

Dozens of French soldiers were shot and fell to the ground, and a large number of them immediately lay down.

In contrast, the First Battalion of the New First Regiment had successfully outflanked the Japanese tank positions, and several two-person rocket teams immediately took action.

The launcher, carrying a rocket launcher, aimed at the rear armor of the tank, which was the weak point in the Type 97 tank's defenses.

The rocket roared out and accurately hit the rear of the two Type 97 tanks. The violent explosion blew open the rear of the tanks, and the metal jet instantly destroyed the tank engines.

With the tanks rendered immobile, the threat was reduced by more than half. The soldiers of the First Battalion immediately approached from the blind spots of the turret and threw grenades into the blasted gap.

The two tanks were completely destroyed by the continuous explosions.

Meanwhile, the Second and Third Battalions also moved in and, taking advantage of the terrain, launched a bombing attack on the Japanese troops below from their high positions.

The soldiers threw grenades that rained down on the trenches dug by the Japanese overnight, and the explosions echoed one after another.

In the sky, Fang Wen piloted the plane in a circle while observing the situation below.

He saw a Japanese unit advancing towards the lead tank position, presumably to provide support.

Fang Wenke's plan was to annihilate the entire Japanese tank unit, so naturally he couldn't let that unit get close.

He picked up the microphone: "Pan Jiafeng, take planes 7-10 and attack the Japanese troops coming to reinforce us on the highway. Don't let them get close."

"Yes." Pan Jiafeng accepted the order and led four gunboats to the northeast. Soon they encountered the Japanese army. A dense hail of bullets rained down on the road, causing the Japanese troops who were marching to scatter to the sides of the road to take cover.

However, the aerial strikes by gunboats and aircraft are different from the strafing attacks by fighter jets. They can continuously strike targets. Once they disperse, the Japanese support forces can no longer regroup and go to provide support.

The battle continued.

Compared to air fire suppression, the new regiment's individual rocket launchers are more destructive in close-range attacks.

The two-man rocket team continued to leverage their strengths.

After a single-soldier rocket destroys a target, the loader immediately removes the rocket from his back, loads it into the rocket launcher, and then the launcher searches for the next target to fire.

The disabled tanks with damaged armor and broken tracks were dealt with by other soldiers. The brave soldiers of the New First Regiment climbed onto the tanks, stuffed grenades into the observation ports, and then nimbly jumped off to take cover, with explosions occurring in the tanks behind them.

At this point, the French army finally rallied.

They launched another attack on the positions of the Japanese vanguard.

This time they successfully broke into the Japanese positions and joined the encirclement and attack.

Half an hour later, all 30 tanks of the Japanese vanguard were destroyed.

The remaining small number of Japanese soldiers surrendered and were taken into custody by the French.

The troops did not linger there, but instead, carrying the momentum of their first victory, advanced into the valley.

"Attack!" Zhang Yunfei gave the order, and the soldiers of the New First Regiment climbed the scorched hillside on the east side to advance, using this height advantage to suppress the Japanese troops on the road.

The soldiers' feet crunched on the scorched earth, but this did not affect their pace of advance. They used the charred tree trunks and fallen rocks as cover as they continued to push forward.

Meanwhile, the French army advanced along the highway.

The French troops below and small groups of Japanese troops on the road were engaged in firefight, which immediately slowed down their march.

The new regiment did not stop, but continued to advance forward.

Fang Wen observed this scene from the sky and was surprised. He hadn't expected that among the special operations team, Zhang Yunfei had a special talent for commanding operations.

Compared to Wu Yingzong, who strictly follows his own requirements, Zhang Yunfei's command of operations has its own characteristics, and he can adapt to the situation on the spot.

This method of attack was clearly intended to take advantage of the Japanese army's confusion and launch a direct assault on their command center.

Fang Wen smiled. Since Zhang Yunfei could fight like this, he was willing to make this battle go even more smoothly.

Immediately afterwards, he led 10 gunboats over the French troops below and flew into the depths of the valley.

At this time, the remnants of the Japanese central army were in unprecedented chaos and despondency.

Although the fire in the valley had spread elsewhere, a large number of burn victims lay on the ground, their cries of pain and groans echoing throughout.

Some of these wounded soldiers had their arms charred black, with skin peeling off to reveal the raw flesh underneath;

Some suffered severe burns to their faces and were blind, and could only grope around on the ground.
Some people even suffered respiratory damage from the thick smoke, making each breath a painful gasp.

In order to treat these wounded soldiers, Commander Akito Nakamura had to draw on a large number of able-bodied soldiers.

"Division Commander, we have lost contact with the armored forces," his adjutant reported to him.

"What?!" Nakamura exclaimed in surprise.

The presence of 30 tanks and so much heavy firepower gave him the confidence to station the vanguard as a precaution.

Given some time, he can regroup his troops and change the current predicament.

But how could they have lost contact so quickly?
He quickly pressed on, "Didn't I send people to support them? What's the situation with the support troops?"

"The support troops were hastily assembled and set off, but their original radios were destroyed in the fire and cannot be used for communication," the adjutant replied.

Nakamura Akito stood frozen in place, his adjutant's words like a thunderclap in his ears, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his uniform.

The loss of contact with the armored forces and the inability to reach the support troops created a tremendous sense of crisis for him.

Just then, gunshots rang out nearby.

How could someone fire a gun here?!

He quickly said, "Let's go see what's going on."

The adjutant ran toward the sound of gunfire, but was met by a soldier who had come to deliver the message, so he quickly turned back.

"Division Commander, it's the enemy; they're on the hillside."

"On the hillside? Wasn't that area burned by fire?" Nakamura Akito couldn't believe it.

Before he could figure it out, 11 gunships descended from the sky and launched an air attack.

The Japanese troops, who were preparing to organize their forces to confront the New First Regiment on the hillside, were routed under the attack of gunboats and aircraft.

Zhang Yunfei seized this excellent opportunity immediately.

He personally led the charge, swooping down the hillside and cutting the previously chaotic Japanese army in half.

Seeing this, the remaining Japanese troops abandoned their efforts to save the wounded and frantically raised their guns to resist.

However, the new regiment is stronger at this moment.

One by one, the Japanese troops were wiped out.

The soldiers advanced rapidly, searching for the Japanese command center.

"Yoshino" Nakamura gritted his teeth and gave the order, "Abandon all the wounded and break through to the west of Dong Dang immediately!" The adjutant was stunned and hesitated, "Division Commander, those wounded..." "Don't worry about them! Only we can survive!" Nakamura interrupted sharply, pushed the adjutant aside, and turned to rush towards the command armored vehicle parked by the roadside.

Several soldiers immediately followed and escorted Nakamura onto the armored vehicle.

The engine roared to life, and the armored vehicle, ignoring the pleas of the wounded by the roadside, slammed through the Japanese soldiers in front of it and sped off toward the west side of the valley.

The morale of the Japanese soldiers who were still resisting collapsed instantly when they saw their division commander abandon them. However, some die-hards, determined to die, launched a desperate counterattack against the New First Regiment, relying on abandoned vehicles and trenches along the roadside.

Despair spread among the Japanese soldiers, who, having been abandoned, went mad.

Those Japanese soldiers who had been burned also took up arms to fight.

In a short time, the new regiment lost more than a dozen soldiers.

"Commander! The Japanese are putting up fierce resistance, and many of our soldiers have been wounded!" The battalion commander of the first battalion rushed to Zhang Yunfei's side and reported urgently.

"Hold on, these Japanese devils won't last long!" Zhang Yunfei shouted, sticking his head out from behind the wrecked military vehicle and firing his pistol at the Japanese soldiers across the road.

From the sky, Fang Wen could clearly see the battle situation on the ground through his supernatural abilities.

Although the New First Regiment launched a swift offensive, it was ultimately isolated and deep in enemy territory. Further delay would only result in more soldiers sacrificing their lives.

This forced him to abandon the idea of ​​pursuing the Japanese commander by plane.

He then picked up the microphone and ordered: "Attention all aircraft! Target all Japanese troops on the highway, indiscriminate attack, remember, indiscriminate attack."

"Master, many of those Japanese soldiers are wounded," Pan Jiafeng asked over the communicator.

This apprentice had always focused on piloting aircraft in combat and had never personally experienced the cruelty and danger of the battlefield.

Fang Wen said coldly, "Those wounded Japanese soldiers just picked up their weapons and fought back, causing the deaths of our soldiers. As long as they haven't surrendered, they are our enemies."

Pan Jiafeng said with shame, "Yes, Master, I will obey your orders."

"Call me Commander. Now, all gunboats and aircraft will launch an indiscriminate attack on the Japanese forces on the ground," Fang Wen coldly ordered.

A hail of bullets rained down from the sky, gradually crushing the Japanese army's stubborn resistance.

Did they just let the escaped Japanese commander go?

of course not.

As Fang Wen piloted the aircraft in a circling flight, he gave orders to the crew's communications officer.

"Send a message to the special operations team, ordering their individual aerial vehicles to be deployed towards Zhennanguan. There is an armored command vehicle, possibly with accompanying troops. Shoot down the Japanese commander inside the armored command vehicle." (End of Chapter)