Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 210 Fierce Battle

The P-47 "Thunderbolt" formation's swift and thunderous first raid caught the massive Japanese air force completely off guard, leaving its commander, Colonel Tetsuji Iga, both shocked and furious.

He was piloting the Type 1 Fighter (Hayabusa), a more advanced aircraft than the Type 97 fighter jet, which had only been in service with the troops for a little over a year.

The "Hayabusa," painted with the chrysanthemum (the wing commander's) insignia, narrowly escaped the first fatal blow as the P-47 swooped down, thanks to its relatively superior acceleration and Tetsuji Iga's superb piloting skills.

"Baka Yalu... Hold the line! Maintain formation! Fighter squadrons, counterattack immediately! Protect the bombers!"

Iga Tetsuji roared hoarsely into the radio, his voice distorted with rage.

He watched helplessly as his meticulously organized formation was intercepted halfway to its target, and within minutes a huge gap was torn open, with more than a dozen planes falling as burning wreckage. For him, this was an utter disgrace.

Unlike the aging Type 97 fixed-landing-gear fighter, the Type 1 fighter "Hayabusa" was a new and promising aircraft that the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force had high hopes for.

It uses retractable landing gear, which effectively reduces flight drag.

The fuselage has also undergone some weight reduction and aerodynamic optimization, resulting in a significant improvement in speed and climb performance compared to the Type 97.

More importantly, early models of the "Hayabusa" also began to experimentally install basic bulletproof steel plates for the cockpit and self-sealing fuel tanks. Although the level of protection was still limited, its survivability was improved to some extent compared to the almost "naked" Type 97.

However, the "Hayabusa" was not without its flaws. In pursuit of extreme lightweight design and maneuverability (especially at low and medium altitudes), its airframe was relatively fragile, and its firepower consisted of only two synchronized 12.7mm Ho-103 machine guns in the nose (early models even had only 7.7mm machine guns), which paled in comparison to the P-47's eight "heirloom"-level M2 heavy machine guns.

Its biggest advantage remains its excellent horizontal turning performance, but its handling and roll rate at high speeds are not as good as the P-47.

At this moment, Tetsuji Iga was piloting such a "Hayabusa," surrounded by several other "Hayabusa" pilots, also piloted by experienced pilots, serving as his direct escort squad.

In the brief respite as the first wave of attacks by the P-47s subsided and the planes began to climb again, he decisively seized this fleeting opportunity.

"First and second squadrons (referring to Japanese fighter squadrons)! Immediately, in squadron units, engage those Chinese heavy fighters! Don't try to out-compete them in altitude and speed! Use your maneuverability to hold them off! Third squadron, follow me! Prioritize protecting the bomber formation!"

Iga Tetsuji, as expected of an experienced commander, quickly assessed the P-47's strengths and weaknesses and attempted to use the number of his own fighters (mainly Type 97s) and their relatively better maneuverability to contain the P-47 and create opportunities for the bombers to continue their advance.

At the same time, he personally led the superior "Falcon" squadron, like fierce hyenas, patrolling the periphery of the bomber formation, looking for gaps in the P-47's dive attack to launch a deadly counterattack.

After the initial panic, the Japanese fighter pilots gradually began to organize sporadic but tenacious resistance under the reprimands and orders of their superiors.

Some Type 97 fighters climbed desperately, attempting to engage in dogfights with the climbing P-47, but were often defeated by the P-47's superior power and climb rate, and were even bitten back.

Others closely guarded the bombers, futilely strafing the high altitude with machine guns.

The scene in the sky became even more chaotic and tragic.

Doolittle also keenly noticed the changes in Japanese tactics. He observed that the Japanese escort fighters were becoming more "cunning," no longer engaging in vertical energy combat with the P-47s easily, but instead attempting to use their numerical superiority to harass and contain them from multiple directions.

At the same time, he also observed that several new Japanese fighter planes with significantly superior performance to the Type 97 (i.e., Tetsuji Iga's "Hayabusa" squadron) began to become active. They lurked like vipers, posing a new threat to the diving P-47s.

"Attention, 'Thunder' formation! The enemy's counterattack is intensifying! Several of our aircraft have sustained minor damage!" Doolittle's headset transmitted reports from his wingmen and squadron leaders.

Although the P-47 was tough and durable, it was impossible for it to emerge unscathed from the intense anti-aircraft fire and the desperate counterattacks of Japanese fighter planes.

Several P-47s had holes in their wings or fuselages from 7.7mm or 12.7mm bullets. One even had its engine hit, emitting a little black smoke, and had to withdraw from the battle early, returning to base with difficulty under the cover of its wingmen.

"Alright, guys, now we need to be more careful." Doolittle's voice remained steady, but there was a hint of seriousness in his tone.

"Jack, you lead the second squadron to maintain high-altitude cover. Keep a close eye on those new Japanese planes; they look more agile."

"Roger that, Colonel! Hand those bastards over to me!"

One-Eyed Jack's voice came through the radio, full of high morale. He led the P-47s of the Second Squadron, circling high in the sky, like an overseer, overlooking the entire battlefield, ready to intercept any Japanese fighters attempting to ambush Doolittle's formation.

Doolittle, meanwhile, personally led the P-47s of the First Squadron to continue their "eagle-catching-rabbit" dive-bombing attacks on the Japanese bomber formations below.

Each dive was carefully calculated and selected. He would prioritize targeting Japanese bombers that were in relatively loose formations or in more prominent positions.

Like a whistling grim reaper, the P-47 swooped down from thousands of meters in the air, its eight heavy machine guns unleashing a deadly hail of bullets in a very short time, tearing the target to shreds.

Then, before the surrounding Japanese fighter planes could react, the P-47 would immediately use the enormous kinetic energy gained from the dive to pull up its nose sharply, climb back to a safe altitude, and disappear from the sight of the Japanese fighter planes.

Strike and retreat immediately, never linger in battle!

Despite their improved performance, Tetsuji Iga's "Hayabusa" squadron was still finding it extremely difficult to deal with the P-47's hit-and-run tactics. They attempted several times to intercept the P-47's climb at high altitude, but the P-47, with its powerful engines, always managed to gain the upper hand.

However, if they tried to descend to pursue the diving P-47s, they would worry about being surrounded by the One-Eyed Jack formation, which was under high-altitude cover.

The aerial combat entered a protracted and brutal phase of attrition.

The sky was filled with the piercing roar of airplane engines, the frantic howling of machine guns, and the deafening explosions of planes being hit.

Every now and then, planes trailing black smoke and flames would fall from the sky like birds with broken wings, creating huge craters on the ground and sending up plumes of smoke into the sky.

The pilots on both sides were engaged in a fierce battle.

With their superior performance and tactical advantages, as well as their unwavering fighting spirit, the pilots of the P-47s continuously inflicted casualties on the Japanese air force.

After the initial panic, the Japanese pilots displayed the fearless "Bushido" spirit, poisoned by militaristic ideology. Knowing they were outmatched, they still launched a frantic counterattack, attempting to use their own lives to cover the bombers' mission.

Some damaged Japanese bombers, after losing their ability to defend themselves, would even choose to crash into the diving P-47s in an attempt to perish together, but most of them were skillfully avoided by the P-47s.

The ferocity of the battle exceeded everyone's expectations.

The aerial battle over Mount Wutai has lasted for nearly half an hour. Both sides' pilots are bloodthirsty, their physical and mental strength nearing their limits, but the instinct for survival and the will to fight still drive them in a final struggle.

One-Eyed Jack and his wingman Tom are now embroiled in an unprecedented battle.

As the commander of the second squadron, responsible for high-altitude cover and free hunting, One-Eyed Jack had demonstrated exceptional ferocity in previous battles, thanks to his superb flying skills and the performance advantages of the P-47.

His skillful techniques and fierce attacks sent chills down the spines of Japanese pilots.

He and Tom King worked in perfect harmony, like two sharp knives, constantly tearing apart the Japanese fighter planes' defenses from high above, relieving enormous pressure on the Doolittle Raid formations carrying out their attack missions below.

They lost count of how many dives they had made, how many sharp ascents they had made, and how many times they had brushed shoulders with death amidst a hail of bullets.

All that is known is that behind them, at least two Type 97 heavy bombers and one Type 97 fighter plane were reduced to burning wreckage and crashed into the vast Wutai Mountain.

However, good fortune doesn't seem to last forever for them.

Just as they had once again successfully repelled several Japanese Type 97 fighters that were attempting to ambush Doolittle's formation and were preparing to climb back up to take a more advantageous position, four Type 1 Hayabusa fighters painted with distinctive insignia emerged from the clouds like ghosts and surrounded them at an extremely fast speed, keeping them firmly pinned down!

These four "falcons" were the small squadron personally led by Iga Tetsuji.

The lead aircraft had a brightly painted golden chrysanthemum emblem on its side... This was none other than Tetsuji Iga's personal aircraft!
In the previous chaotic battle, Tetsuji Giga also suffered considerable fright and losses.

He watched helplessly as his bomber formation was slaughtered by P-47s like cutting vegetables, and his fighters also suffered heavy casualties, which drove him to the brink of madness.

After several unsuccessful attempts to engage the P-47s in high-altitude dogfights, he changed tactics. Utilizing the Falcon's relatively better acceleration and greater maneuverability, he led his elite men like a pack of wolves, patrolling the edge of the battlefield, specifically seeking out lone or poorly positioned P-47 formations for surprise attacks.

One-Eyed Jack and Tom King became his primary targets at that moment!
"Jack! Watch out! It's those new guys! They've got their eyes on us!"

Tom King gave an urgent warning over the radio, while simultaneously slamming the control stick and making a violent evasive maneuver in his P-47, narrowly avoiding a burst of 12.7mm machine gun fire from his side and rear.

One-Eyed Jack also felt unprecedented pressure.

The pilots of these Falcon fighters were clearly a level above the pilots of the Type 97 fighters they had encountered before!
Especially the "Falcon" painted with the chrysanthemum emblem, whose pilot was extremely skilled in flying and exceptionally cunning in tactics. Every attack was aimed at the P-47's weak points, and every evasion was perfectly timed.

"Damn Japanese monkeys, they're fighting like rats cornered against a wall!"

One-Eyed Jack cursed, but his hands moved with unwavering speed. He piloted the P-47, engaging in a thrilling dogfight with the Chrysanthemum "Falcon" in the air!

Two fighter jets, representing the pinnacle of their respective factions, flew, chased, fired, and evaded each other thousands of meters in the air, like two eagles fighting for their lives!
With its powerful engine and robust airframe, the P-47 attempted to use vertical maneuvers to escape the Hayabusa's pursuit; while the Hayabusa, relying on its superior horizontal turning capabilities, kept a tight grip on the P-47, giving it no chance to breathe.

Tracer rounds crisscrossed wildly between the two machines, whistling through the air. Each close-range exchange was accompanied by the piercing roar of machine guns and the terrifying sound of metal being torn apart!
In the fierce battle, One-Eyed Jack's P-47 was hit by a series of precise shots from the Chrysanthemum "Falcon" at the root of its left wing! Several muffled thuds were heard, several pieces of skin were torn off, and the internal structure of the wing was also damaged. The plane suddenly jolted and began to tilt to the left!

"Jack, your left flank skin has been hit! Watch your left flank!"

Tom shouted anxiously as he tried to attack the Chrysanthemum Falcon from the side to help it out, but the other two Falcons were tightly entangled with him, leaving him unable to attack.

"Tom! I'm fine! Just a scrape!"

One-Eyed Jack gritted his teeth and forcibly controlled the unbalanced plane, while simultaneously making a sharp reverse turn in an attempt to shake off the "Falcon" with its rear end.

But Ichiro Ieya would not let this opportunity slip by easily! He clung to the plane like a leech, and the two Ho-103 machine guns on the nose of the aircraft once again spewed out deadly flames!

"Da da da!"

This time, the bullet accurately hit the tail rudder of Tom King's plane! With a loud "crack," a large piece of the vertical tail rudder of Tom's P-47 was knocked off, and the plane instantly lost its directional stability and began to sway violently in the air!
"Help me...help me, the tail rudder is damaged! I can't control it! I can't hold on!" Tom King's voice was filled with terror and despair.

"Hold on, Tom! I'm coming!"

Seeing this, One-Eyed Jack's eyes widened in fury! Ignoring his damaged plane, he slammed the throttle to the maximum, turned the nose of his plane, and charged toward the Chrysanthemum "Falcon" that was attacking Tom, ready to fight to the death!
Tetsuji Iga clearly hadn't expected One-Eyed Jack to be so fearless! He had assumed that after damaging Jack's wingman, One-Eyed Jack would choose to retreat in self-preservation. Faced with One-Eyed Jack's frenzied counterattack, which seemed designed to take them down with him, he had no choice but to temporarily abandon his attack on Tom King and instead focus all his efforts on dealing with One-Eyed Jack.

At this critical moment, One-Eyed Jack fired a long string of vengeful bullets at the tail of the Chrysanthemum "Falcon" at extremely close range!
"Puff puff!"

Although most of the bullets missed, a few still accurately hit the horizontal stabilizer of the "Hawk"! The left horizontal stabilizer of the once invincible "Hawk" was completely ripped off in half! The plane suddenly lurched and became difficult to control!
"Baka yarou!" Giga Tetsuji roared angrily, never expecting to be injured himself!
Both sides' ace pilots suffered heavy losses at this moment!
One-Eyed Jack's P-47 suffered severe damage to its left wing, significantly reducing its flight performance.

Tom's P-47's tail rudder was damaged, making it almost impossible to control the direction; while Tetsuji Iga's Chrysanthemum "Hayabusa" also lost half of its horizontal tail fin, making it equally difficult to maintain balance.

Seeing this, the other two Falcons also abandoned their pursuit of Tom King and instead flew to escort Tetsuji Iga's aircraft.

"Jack! We have to get out of here right now... Hurry!" Tom King shouted hoarsely, struggling to control the teetering plane.

One-Eyed Jack glanced at his left wing, billowing black smoke, then at the fiercely contested airspace below, and at the equally damaged "Falcon," which was retreating in a sorry state under the protection of two wingmen. His eyes were filled with resentment and anger. But he knew that if the fighting continued, they would both perish here.

"Tom! Get out of here! Get home!" One-Eyed Jack gritted his teeth and gave the order to retreat.

Two battered P-47 Thunderbolts traced two erratic arcs in the air as they struggled to escape the battlefield and headed towards Jiuquhe Airport. Meanwhile, the similarly damaged Chrysanthemum Falcon, escorted by its wingman, also retreated in frustration.

The fierce air battle that took place over Mount Wutai was gradually coming to an end due to the exhaustion of both sides' main forces and the depletion of their medicine.

Ultimately, the Japanese air raid suffered unprecedented damage thanks to the valiant and tenacious interception by the P-47 formation.

According to preliminary post-war statistics, the Japanese lost more than 20 aircraft of various types in this air battle (including Type 97 heavy bombers, Type 97 fighters, and a small number of Type 1 "Hayabusa" fighters), most of which were shot down or severely damaged by P-47s and crashed. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Japanese air power in North China.

Doolittle's P-47 "Thunder" squadron also paid a considerable price.

In this air battle, four P-47s were shot down or crashed due to severe damage. Fortunately, thanks to the P-47's robust airframe design and the pilots' timely ejection, the pilots of all four aircraft survived with only minor injuries.

In addition, several P-47s were damaged to varying degrees, including the aircraft used by One-Eyed Jack and Tom King, and all require major repairs.

Although the air battle ended in defeat for the Japanese, the Shanxi militia also suffered losses. The news shocked the entire province of Shanxi. Whether it was the Central Army, the Jin-Sui Army, or the Eighth Route Army, almost everyone's attention was drawn to Wutai County, a place that had once been insignificant.
(End of this chapter)