The War of Resistance: From Overseas Chinese Mechanics to King of Nanyang

The sky above Lashio.

Just as the morning sun pierced through the clouds, a piercing roar of an engine tore apart the tranquility of Lashio.

Upon hearing the sound, Huang Zurong instinctively raised his head, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

In the sky, a dozen Type 97 fighter planes painted with Japanese military markings were circling, drawing deadly trajectories over Lashio.

"This is..." Lin Yi said, pale-faced and incredulous.

"Japanese warplanes? What are they doing here?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Zurong said with a grim expression, "It seems the Japanese army has realized the danger posed by air support, so they have begun sending fighter jets to blockade the airspace over Lashio, attempting to cut off our supply lines."

"What should we do now?" Lin Yi asked anxiously.

Upon hearing this, Huang Zurong didn't speak. Instead, he turned around and looked at Lin Yi: "How's the situation now?"

"Commander," Lin Yi reported, "according to reconnaissance reports, there are more than twenty Japanese fighter planes patrolling over Lashio. Any aircraft attempting to enter Lashio's airspace will be attacked. Worse still, they have begun bombing our positions, and some positions have been hit by bombs, increasing casualties."

Upon hearing this, Huang Zurong clenched his fists. Wasn't this just bullying him because he didn't have any decent anti-aircraft weapons?

It's not his fault for not buying it; the British troops here simply weren't equipped with anti-aircraft weapons.

Before this, the British army hadn't expected anyone to dare bully them like this.

They are the world's superpowers.

Therefore, it is perfectly normal that there are no anti-aircraft weapons.

"Damn it, there are no anti-aircraft weapons!" Huang Zurong clenched his fists and said bitterly.

Lin Yi smiled wryly: "Commander, we have a few heavy machine guns that can barely provide air defense, but against Japanese warplanes... their effectiveness is very limited."

"Forget it, heavy machine guns are useless." Huang Zurong waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to waste his time on them.

"Commander," Long Wenzhang said, walking into the command post, still covered in mud, "just now, a stronghold in the city was bombed by Japanese warplanes. We lost three trucks and ten brothers were injured."

Huang Zurong pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "We must find a way to solve this problem. If the Japanese continue to blockade the airspace over Lashio, Allied support won't be able to get in. Although the impact isn't huge, it will have a significant effect on morale in the long run."

He walked to the map and drew a circle around Lashio's location with his finger: "Lin Yi, send a telegram to Stilwell, telling him that if air superiority over Lashio is lost, our cooperation cannot continue."

"Commander," Lin Yi hesitated, "will Stilwell send fighter support? He sent a reconnaissance squadron before, but..."

"He has to send one." Huang Zurong turned around, his eyes resolute. "He just agreed to cooperate with us. If we can't hold Lashio now, his entire investment will be wasted, so he will definitely find a way."

"Understood, I'll arrange it right away," Lin Yi replied.

……

Imphal Allied Command.

Stilwell was sitting at his desk, looking at the mountain of documents piled up in front of him.

The situation in Lashio kept him up at night. Although Huang Zurong's "trial for a month" plan was a temporary measure, it at least gave him a breakthrough.

"General!" The adjutant rushed into the command post, holding a newly received telegram. "An urgent telegram from Lashio."

Stilwell looked up at the other person and asked, "What is it?"

"The Japanese have sent warplanes to blockade the airspace over Lashio," the adjutant quickly reported. "Huang Zurong requests air support, otherwise Lashio's supply line will be cut off."

Upon hearing this, Stilwell stood up and paced back and forth. He walked to the map and pointed heavily at the location of Lashio: "The Japanese reaction was swift; they realized our reliance on air support."

"General," the adjutant asked cautiously, "what do we do? We've already sent out a reconnaissance squadron, but facing the Japanese fighter planes..."

"We don't have enough reconnaissance squadrons," Stilwell sneered. "Huang Zurong is right. If we lose air superiority, Lashio won't hold. We must send in our main fighter jets."

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Send a telegram to Chennault, ordering the Flying Tigers to be deployed."

"Flying Tigers?" The adjutant hesitated for a moment. "General, the Flying Tigers' main mission is to defend Kunming. Can they spare any fighter jets?"

"They must be mobilized," Stilwell said firmly. "Tell Chennault that Lashio is crucial to the safety of the entire Yunnan-Burma border. If Lashio falls, Kunming will also be threatened. Therefore, the Flying Tigers must support Lashio."

The adjutant nodded: "Understood, I'll arrange it right away."

"And one more thing," Stilwell continued, "tell Chennault that he will be personally in charge of this mission, and I want him to understand the importance of Lashio."

"Yes, General."

Stilwell walked to the window, looked at the gloomy sky outside, and his heart was filled with determination.

If the Flying Tigers can seize air superiority over Lashio, Lashio can be defended; if not, the entire northern Myanmar region and the entire Yunnan-Myanmar defense line will collapse completely.

More importantly, the fact that the troops in Lashio had just pledged allegiance to him were then wiped out by the Japanese army would be a blow to his prestige, so he absolutely could not allow this to happen.

…………

Kunming, Wujiaba Airport.

Colonel Chennault stood by the runway, watching the B-25 bombers that had just landed, his brow furrowed.

His Flying Tigers were formed in August 1941, originally tasked with defending Kunming and attacking Japanese bomber formations.

But now, he must transfer his precious fighter jets to Lashio.

"Colonel," the adjutant stepped up behind him, "General Stilwell's telegram has arrived. He requests that we immediately deploy to reinforce Lashio."

Chennault took the telegram, read its contents carefully, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "That old man Stilwell really knows how to assign tasks."

"Colonel, how many fighter jets should we send?" the adjutant asked.

"Should we refuse this order?"

After all, their salaries were paid by Shancheng, and they were directly under Shancheng's command.

Therefore, they can refuse this order.

Moreover, Stilwell had repeatedly tried to sideline Chennault, a fact that was an open secret.

The meaning behind the adjutant's words is quite clear.

No, you can refuse.

Surprisingly, this time Chennault did not refuse.

After all, he knew very well that once Lashio was lost, the Japanese army would inevitably launch an attack on Kunming.

At that time, the Flying Tigers would probably have faced even more Japanese combat opportunities.

Although he had conflicts with Stilwell, he was not confused about important matters.

After a moment's thought, Chennault said, "Send two squadrons, sixteen P-40 fighters, plus eight B-25 bombers."

"Colonel, such a large-scale operation?" the adjutant asked, somewhat surprised.

"It has to be this way." Chennault walked to the runway and looked at the fighter jets parked on the tarmac. "Lashio's strategic position is too important. If Lashio falls, the Burma Road will be cut off, and our entire layout in the Burma theater will collapse. Therefore, we must go all out."

"This is not a matter of personal feelings. We must ensure that the overall situation is not compromised. We can discuss the rest later."

After Chennault finished speaking, he turned to his adjutant and said, "Pass down the order: pilots, prepare immediately. Takeoff in half an hour."

"clear."

Half an hour later, sixteen P-40 fighter jets took off, formed a neat formation in the air, and flew towards Lashio.

Their wings were laden with bombs and auxiliary fuel tanks, which gleamed blindingly in the sunlight.

.........

Over Lashio

Huang Zurong stood on the city wall, listening to the distant roar of engines, his brows furrowed.

Japanese warplanes had been circling over Lashio for two hours, and any aircraft attempting to approach Lashio would be driven away or shot down.

"Commander," Lin Yi reported, "our scouts report that a large formation of aircraft, numbering over twenty, is approaching from the northwest."

Huang Zurong squinted: "Looks like reinforcements have arrived..."

Before he finished speaking, a black dot appeared in the distant sky.

The black dots got closer and closer, and soon the wing paint scheme—the shark mouth logo—was revealed.

"It's an Allied fighter jet!" Lin Yi immediately recognized it and shouted excitedly.

Huang Zurong nodded, a smile playing on his lips: "Stilwell really went all out this time; it certainly exceeded my expectations."

In the sky, the Flying Tigers' P-40 fighters quickly climbed to gain altitude advantage.

Japanese pilots quickly spotted the formation and immediately launched an attack.

"Type 97 fighter squadron!" Lieutenant Rector shouted over the radio. He was from the 3rd Squadron and was in charge of the operation.

"Be wary of their numerical advantage, maintain formation, and use your height advantage to attack."

The P-40 fighter group quickly dispersed, splitting into several squadrons that launched attacks on Japanese aircraft from different directions.

The experienced and tactically flexible American pilots quickly gained the upper hand in the air battle.

But the Japanese pilots were more tenacious than anyone could have imagined.

Knowing full well that they were outnumbered, they still bravely charged towards the P-40 formation, attempting to gain victory through suicidal tactics.

"Damn it!" an American pilot yelled over the radio. "They're really asking for it!"

Lieutenant Rector calmly directed the battle: "Don't panic, maintain altitude advantage, attack from above, utilize the P-40's speed advantage, and avoid close combat."

The battle reached a fever pitch. In the sky, the tracer rounds from machine guns intertwined to form a deadly net, and fighter jets performed various high-difficulty maneuvers in the air, trying to break free from the opponent's lock-on.

On the ground, Huang Zurong's troops and Japanese soldiers looked up at the breathtaking air battle.

On the southeast side of Lashio, there was a temporary position for the 200th Division.

General Dai Anlan stood by the trench, looking up at the fierce air battle in the sky, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Commander," Gao Jiren said softly as he walked up behind him.

"It's the American Flying Tigers; they're fighting Japanese warplanes."

Dai Anlan nodded, his tone filled with self-deprecation: "Yes, Flying Tigers, our 200th Division fought bitterly on the Burma battlefield for months, suffering heavy losses, yet we've never received such powerful air support."

Upon hearing this, no one present knew how to respond.

How should we respond to that?

Fortunately, Dai Anlan knew this too, so she continued watching the fighter jets engaged in fierce aerial combat. After a while, she said in a low voice, "Do you know what my biggest feeling is?"

Gao Jiren shook his head: "Commander, what are your feelings?"

"I envy him," Dai Anlan said frankly. "I envy him. A local security regiment commander can receive full support from the US military, while we, as the main force, can only fight alone."

Gao Jiren was silent for a moment: "Commander, this might be because Huang Zurong is directly cooperating with Stilwell, while we..."

"I know," Dai Anlan interrupted him. "The mountain city forces are wary of Stilwell, so they're unwilling to let our troops accept direct command from the US military. But what's the result? Our losses are getting heavier and heavier, while Huang Zurong's troops are getting stronger and stronger."

"Now, we have American air support, a privilege we've never had. As for the British troops, they just flee without warning, leaving us to face the Japanese alone."

"If we could have received air support like Huang Zurong, would we be in this situation now?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jiren remained silent for a moment before finally saying, "Perhaps our losses will be much smaller, and perhaps we can hold more ground."

"Yes," Dai Anlan said with a bitter smile, "but all of that is impossible now."

He understood Yamashiro's good intentions; he simply didn't want such an elite force to be used by Stilwell.

But even if they hadn't been used by Stilwell, their current situation wouldn't necessarily be much better.

The one who followed Stilwell to Imphal received just as many benefits as Huang Zurong.

Just then, an explosion was heard in the sky.

A Japanese Type 97 fighter plane was hit by a P-40 and crashed to the ground, trailing black smoke.

"Well done!" a soldier from the 200th Division couldn't help but shout.

As Dai Anlan looked at the crashed Japanese warplane, a complex smile appeared on his lips.

The sky above Lashio.

The air battle had been going on for half an hour.

Although the Flying Tigers' P-40 fighters were fewer in number than the Japanese, they gradually gained the upper hand thanks to their altitude advantage, more advanced equipment, and richer experience.

"Report," an American pilot shouted over the radio, "Two Japanese aircraft shot down, no casualties on our side."

"Keep it up," Lieutenant Rector calmly commanded. "Don't let your guard down; the Japanese might send in more planes."

Sure enough, at that moment, several black dots appeared in the distant sky. The Japanese army had sent reinforcements, this time nine Type 97 fighter planes.

"Damn it," Lieutenant Rector gritted his teeth, "they really aren't going to give up."

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly shouted over the radio: "Calling in B-25 bombers, we can drop bombs now. Target: Japanese positions."

Eight B-25 bombers quickly descended and flew toward the Japanese positions on the ground.

Japanese pilots reacted immediately, with some turning to intercept the B-25 formation while others continued to engage the P-40s.

"This is the opportunity we've been waiting for," Lieutenant Rector sneered. "P-40s, launch a full-scale attack on the Japanese aircraft providing cover for the B-25s."