Republic of China: Ace Pilot

The air raid over Haiphong lasted for a full thirty minutes.

Fang Wen piloted the gunship aircraft and circled in the air. He did not participate in the ground attack, but focused more on air command and early warning.

In this era, there were no early warning aircraft, yet his supernatural abilities enabled him to function as one.

With mechanical sensing combined with radar detection devices, the air situation map within a 300-kilometer radius is constantly being updated.

He discovered it just as the second round of bombing was about to end.

More than twenty faint points of light appeared in the east, moving toward Haiphong Port in a formation-like flight.

They are Japanese warplanes!
Fang Wen immediately used his supernatural ability to track the trajectory. The initial course of the light spot pointed directly to the Japanese airfield in Haikou. The straight-line distance from there to Haifang City was 390 kilometers. The maximum speed of the Japanese Type 97 carrier-based aircraft was 370 kilometers per hour, which meant that it would take the Japanese fighter formation an hour to reach the battlefield.

He picked up the microphone: "Attention all aircraft, conduct the final air strike. After it is over, immediately climb and assemble to prepare for return to base!"

The French pilots did not hesitate at all.

These veteran pilots, whose average age was forty, never imagined that they could fly a biplane from World War I and achieve such a satisfying suppressive effect on the Japanese positions.

All of this stemmed from Fang Wen's command.

The third batch of Potez 25 pilots gripped the control stick tightly, completing the final dive and bombing run. The bombs under the wings roared down on the remaining Japanese strongholds and anti-aircraft positions.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" After the final round of explosions, the Japanese positions west of Haiphong City were in ruins, with craters and scorched ground everywhere.

Fang Wen used radar to detect enemy targets and found that the Japanese warplanes still had forty minutes of flight time. This was the best time to make a safe retreat.

"Attention all aircraft, heading northwest, returning to Hanoi!"

Twenty-nine Potez 25 fighter jets quickly adjusted their course and closely followed the gunboat aircraft, flying towards Hanoi.

"Commander, you're amazing!" a pilot exclaimed sincerely.

Only then did the pilots speak via a fixed air frequency.

When multiple people speak simultaneously on a single frequency, the speech becomes chaotic.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and intervened: "Keep quiet. We are still in a state of war. I will organize a post-war meeting after landing so that everyone can speak freely."

His words now carried great weight, and silence fell over the radio channel immediately. Only the roar of engines and the sound of wings cutting through the air spoke of the terrifying air raid that had just taken place.

Thirty minutes later, the Potez 25 fighter jet, traveling at only 210 km/h, flew back to the Hanoi military airport.

As the aircraft group landed one after another on the runway of Hanoi military airport, the black dots of Japanese Type 97 carrier-based aircraft finally appeared on the horizon over Haiphong port.

Twenty Japanese warplanes roared over the port but did not encounter any French warplanes.

They circled in the air, looking at the bombed-out positions and burning wreckage. The Japanese pilots were stunned and could not believe that the French army dared to launch a large-scale air raid with outdated biplanes and even escape unscathed before they arrived.

"Damn it! These Frenchmen tricked us!" The Japanese wingman pounded his cockpit in anger, but could only vent his frustration in vain before returning empty-handed.

At the airport, Fang Wen stepped off the gunboat, and the colonial air force commander hurried to greet him, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement. "Mr. Fang, unbelievable! Apart from the loss of one fighter, all the others returned safely. We successfully bombed the Japanese defensive positions outside the coastal city. This is the most satisfying air raid since the Japanese landing!"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "Your pilots are excellent and willing to obey my commands. I think that as long as we maintain this level of performance, the next air raids will achieve the same good results."

The two were talking.

Ten minutes later, a military car sped up, and Governor De Gu personally arrived at the airport.

After getting out of the car, he went straight to Fang Wen, his eyes full of trust: "Mr. Fang, the first air raid was a complete success, and I have even more confidence in you! I have already ordered the mobilization of 5,000 elite French troops and 20,000 local soldiers to form an offensive force to launch a counterattack from Haiyang City, west of Haiphong City. At the same time, you will command the air force to suppress the Japanese army throughout the entire operation and make sure to force the Japanese army back to the port!"

Fang Wen replied, "My gunboat squadron can also cooperate with ground forces in combat, achieving the desired combat effect through three-dimensional saturation firepower and suppression. However..."

He paused, looking at the parked Potez 25 fighter jets.

"After this air raid, the Japanese army will be more alert. They will definitely set up observation posts in the forward areas, and there may even be spies around the military airfields to observe our take-off. Once they discover our planes taking off and promptly notify the Japanese air force to intercept them, the effect of this air raid will be lost."

The governor's expression immediately changed, and he asked urgently, "Would the Japanese really do that?"

Fang Wen nodded: "Of course they will. They are very good at this. During the battles in China, we discovered their spies lurking near our military airfields, as well as those hiding in nearby cities. They are impossible to guard against. Moreover, it only takes half an hour for our fighter jets to fly from Hanoi to Haiphong. If they are discovered when they take off, the Japanese can quickly send out fleet fighter jets to intercept them. Their fleet is in the Gulf of Tonkin, and it will take them about half an hour to reach Haiphong, just in time to intercept us when we arrive in Haiphong for an air raid."

According to Fang Wen's analysis, the Air Force Commander suddenly remembered.

"No wonder our fighter jets were intercepted by Japanese fighter jets when they attacked Haiphong last time. I was wondering how they were so accurate."

"Is there a solution?" The governor's face was somewhat grim, and the fighting spirit he had finally mustered was waning.

"Yes, my unit has a special branch of soldiers who are specifically designed to locate enemy radio stations. We can stage a play to lure out those Japanese spies."

Fang Wen whispered his plan, and the governor nodded repeatedly after listening.

The next morning, the roar of engines filled the air at Hanoi's military airport.

Fang Wen piloted the gunship aircraft and took off first, followed closely by 29 Potez 25 fighter jets, the group speeding towards Haiphong Port.

This "expedition" was a meticulously planned show from the very beginning.

Meanwhile, in the streets and alleys of Hanoi, seven inconspicuous civilian cars were slowly driving in different areas.

Inside each vehicle sat a radio scout from the Taishan Army. They skillfully operated backpack radio detectors, the buzzing of electrical current coming from their earpieces, their eyes fixed on the ticking pointer on the instrument.

"Attention, there is a radio signal fluctuation in my detection area!" Inside a car, a radio scout reported the situation to the French action force via walkie-talkie, and the translator on the action force side immediately explained the situation to the officer.

The task force immediately set out, met up with the car, and headed to the target location.

The signal originated from a two-story building in Hanoi's Old Quarter.

The car slowly pulled up at the street corner. The scout observed the car through the window for a moment, and after confirming that everything was in order, explained the situation to the overseas Chinese translator.

"It's inside that house, but I don't know which room it is."

It didn't matter which house it was; the French action team immediately surrounded the entire building and then sent soldiers inside to search it.

Subsequently, the French military action team discovered radio equipment in a resident's room on the right side of the second floor and immediately arrested the two people in the room.

At almost the same time, another radio scout also locked onto another radio signal at a farm on the southern outskirts of Hanoi.

Inside the farm's warehouse, three Japanese spies were eagerly awaiting the results of their interception when they were suddenly surrounded by French soldiers and captured without any chance of resistance.

Within just half an hour, two Japanese spy radio stations operating in Hanoi were completely destroyed, and all the spies were captured.

In the air, Fang Wen, who was leading the team circling above Haiyang City, had a slight smile on his lips.

Feedback from the radar detection system indicated that more than twenty Type 97 carrier-based aircraft had simultaneously taken off from both the Beibu Gulf and Haikou, and were speeding towards Haiphong Port. He picked up the microphone: "Attention all aircraft, the exercise is over. You may turn around and return to base."

Twenty-nine Potez 25 fighter jets followed Fang Wen's gunship as it adjusted its course and turned back towards Hanoi.

As Fang Wen led his squadron to a safe landing at the Hanoi military airfield, the Japanese Type 97 carrier-based aircraft formation had just arrived over Haiphong port.

More than twenty Japanese warplanes circled in the air, but still did not encounter any French warplanes. The Japanese pilots were filled with rage and astonishment.

In the end, they could only return home furious.

Hanoi military airport.

The landing Potez 25 fighter jet is undergoing emergency refueling and is also carrying aerial bombs.

Fang Wen stayed inside the plane, using radar detection devices to search for targets.

After the Japanese warplanes left Haiphong City, he waited silently.

About twenty minutes later, after confirming that the Japanese warplanes had already flown over the sea and could not possibly turn back,

Fang Wen immediately got out of the plane and shouted in French, "All pilots board, prepare for action."

French pilots who were waiting beside their respective aircraft immediately boarded their planes.

Five minutes later, 29 fighter jets and one gunship took off again and flew towards Haiphong Port.

This time, the aircraft group no longer cared about the remaining Japanese spies. Even if the spies sent out the intelligence, the Japanese naval air force was still on its way back and could not receive the order to turn back.

When the French planes arrived at the Japanese positions west of Haiphong, the Japanese troops on the ground had no idea that French planes would come to attack after their planes had left, and they hastily prepared for air defense.

"Drop the bombs!" Fang Wen gave the order, and bombs rained down on the Japanese positions. The sound of explosions echoed through the harbor once again. The Japanese defensive positions, artillery positions, and ammunition piles were destroyed one after another, and the Japanese soldiers fled in panic.

The bombing lasted for ten minutes, and Fang Wen sensed through his supernatural abilities that the group of twenty fighter jets had just landed.

Subsequently, the Japanese military scrambled ten fighter planes to rush to Haiphong Port for support.

Fang Wen decisively picked up the microphone: "Attention all aircraft, return to base immediately!"

The fighter jets quickly climbed and retreated towards Hanoi.

When the Japanese warplanes arrived, they only saw smoke and dust filling the sky and burning positions. The French warplanes had already disappeared, and it was another futile pursuit.

In this back-and-forth exchange, Fang Wen led his squadron on three separate sorties over three days.

Sometimes they would feign an expedition to lure Japanese warplanes into intercepting them, then secretly return to base. Once the Japanese warplanes were exhausted and returned to base, they would quickly launch a bombing raid and leave.

Sometimes, they would take advantage of the time difference and retreat ten minutes before the Japanese warplanes were about to arrive.

The Japanese warplanes were repeatedly outmaneuvered, either missing their target or arriving late, failing to even catch a glimpse of the French warplanes. In fact, due to the high-intensity flights, one of the warplanes crashed in the Gulf of Tonkin due to mechanical failure.

Beibu Gulf waters.

Japanese Fifth Fleet.

This fleet was responsible for the landing operation in eastern French China.

The battle started smoothly, and they successfully captured Haiphong City.

However, the continuous bombing over the past few days, as well as the repeated missed attacks by their own air force, greatly angered the fleet commander.

"These useless idiots! They can't even handle an old biplane squadron! We must change this situation; we can't keep letting the enemy lead us around."

He reported the situation to Tokyo and received permission to deploy all the fighter jets at Haikou Airport.

Together with the carrier-based aircraft of the Fifth Fleet, they took off and flew towards Hanoi, preparing to launch an air attack on the Hanoi military airfield.

Hanoi military airport.

Fang Wen was not unaware of the possibility of an air raid.

Therefore, he told the governor his judgment and deployed a large number of anti-aircraft firepower around the airport.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen also used his special abilities and radar detection device to conduct reconnaissance of the airspace.

When he detected a large number of aircraft in the eastern sea area, he knew that the Japanese were launching an air raid on the military airfield.

Immediately, Fang Wen got off the gunboat and shouted, "Enemy aircraft spotted, heading towards the airport."

Upon receiving his warning, the airport defense forces immediately prepared, equipping Hotchkiss M1926 20mm anti-aircraft guns and Hotchkiss M1939 20mm anti-aircraft guns around the airport, all at elevation angles ready for combat.

Another Hotchkiss M1914 heavy machine gun was also adjusted and aimed at the air;
In addition, more than 30 light machine guns were deployed around the airport, forming a dense air defense fire network.

Fang Wen also led twenty-nine Potez 25 fighter jets to take off and evade.

All that remains at the airport are some old, damaged planes and wooden frames used as makeshift shelters.

Half an hour later, the dark silhouettes of the Japanese bombing squadron appeared on the Hanoi skyline.

Ten Type 96 carrier-based bombers flew in, escorted by twenty Type 97 carrier-based bombers.

Clearly, the Japanese military had made thorough preparations. If the Potez 25 fighters took to the air, they would be countered by Type 97 carrier-based aircraft, whose performance would absolutely allow them to completely defeat the Potez 25.

However, they did not encounter any French warplanes and arrived over the military airfield without any hindrance.

When Japanese warplanes entered the range of anti-aircraft fire, "Fire!" With this command, 20mm cannon shells, heavy machine gun bullets, and machine gun bullets were all fired into the sky.

Japanese bomber pilots were completely unprepared for such dense French anti-aircraft fire and were thrown into chaos.

A bomber attempted to dive and drop bombs, but was hit by a hail of bullets. Its fuselage was riddled with bullet holes, its engine shut down instantly, and it fell like a kite with a broken string.

Another bomber was hit in the tail by a shell, lost control, and crashed into a distant hillside with a deafening explosion.

The sudden attack caused heavy losses to the Japanese dive bombers.

However, the Japanese air force did not stop there; more fighter jets swooped down and joined the air raids on the military airfields.

Their targets, the disguised dilapidated warplanes and wooden frames, were destroyed one by one in the bomb explosions.

Intense ground-to-air and air-to-ground battles continued.

Just as the Japanese were determined to destroy the French Air Force's aircraft at all costs, Fang Wen led 29 Potez 25s to outflank the Japanese on their return route, preparing for a slow and swift aerial ambush. (End of Chapter)