Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 225 So it was Type Zero!
Two hours later, at the Jinshaling Airport Affiliated Hospital.

White walls, white sheets, and a strong smell of disinfectant mixed with a faint smell of blood permeated the air.

The ward was so quiet that only the faint beeping of the instruments and the suppressed breathing of the patients could be heard.

Pilot Zhang Tao, who had just woken up from a coma, was lying weakly on the hospital bed.

His head was wrapped in thick bandages, and a trickle of blood seeped from the edge of the bandages, congealing into a dark red color.

His left arm was in a cast and hung high in the air; his face was bloodless and his lips were cracked.

On the IV stand beside him, a clear liquid was being injected into his body drop by drop through a thin tube.

Despite being extremely weak, he mustered his strength and struggled to recount his experiences of the day.

Su Yaoyang, Du Lit, and Cheng Rufeng stood solemnly by the hospital bed.

They had just finished a surgical visit to another seriously injured pilot—who was still in intensive care and not out of danger.

"Zhang Tao, you should rest well and take good care of your health. That's the most important thing." Su Yaoyang felt a pang of pain in his heart as he looked at his subordinate's miserable state, and his voice became unusually gentle.

"Chief..." Zhang Tao struggled to sit up, but Cheng Rufeng gently pressed down on his shoulder.

"Lie still, don't move!" Cheng Rufeng's voice was low and hoarse. He looked at his comrade-in-arms who had come from Kunming with him, his eyes reddening slightly. "If you have something to say, say it while lying down."

Zhang Tao took a few breaths, his gaze sweeping over the anxious and solemn faces of the three officers. He knew what they most wanted to know.

"Commander-in-Chief... Instructor Doolittle... Battalion Commander..."

Zhang Tao's voice was hoarse from weakness. He licked his chapped lips and began to recall the air battle that day with difficulty.

"Today... our four-plane formation... at an altitude of three thousand meters... was carrying out its usual patrol mission in the northeast direction... at first everything was normal..." His eyes began to wander, as if he were back in that scene from today.

Suddenly... just as we were flying over a cloud... more than a dozen Japanese planes, like... like ghosts emerging from the clouds, suddenly swooped down on us! Their speed... their speed was terrifying!

“We were completely caught off guard…” Zhang Tao’s breathing became rapid, his eyes filled with resentment. “Xiao…Xiao Ma’s plane…was hit on the spot…I only saw his plane emit a huge cloud of black smoke, and then…then it just plummeted…there wasn’t even…a chance to parachute out…”

Cheng Rufeng clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Xiao Ma was also a soldier he personally trained; a skilled and cheerful young man.

Su Yaoyang and Doolittle's expressions also became even more gloomy.

Zhang Tao's voice trembled slightly: "We...we were just about to pull up and escape...but...but those Japanese planes...they're too...too strange..."

He seemed to be struggling to find the right word to describe it, but in the end he could only shake his head helplessly: "Their turning radius... is extremely small... unbelievably small! Our 'lightning' is like... like a clumsy buffalo in front of them! We can't shake them off at all!"

“We’re trying to get rid of them with vertical maneuvers,” Zhang Tao said, turning his gaze to Doolittle, because this was the standard tactic the instructors had taught the P-47 to use against agile fighters.

"But...but their climbing speed...is also...astonishingly fast! Almost...almost in the blink of an eye...they can catch up with our tails again! In just a few moments...they catch up with us again..."

The ward was deathly silent, with only Zhang Tao's labored narration echoing in the air.

“We…we fought back with all our might…but…but there were too many of them…and they were too agile…”

His voice was filled with helplessness, "In the midst of fierce fighting... Brother Li's... Brother Li's plane was also hit... I saw him parachute out... but... but below is the Japanese-occupied territory..."

"In the end... only the captain and I were left... we fought our way back... flying back for our lives... and with great difficulty... we finally... managed to escape..."

After saying his last sentence, Zhang Tao seemed to have exhausted all his strength and coughed violently, his face becoming even paler.

A nurse quickly stepped forward, adjusted his IV drip rate, and gently comforted him.

Inside the ward, the three commanders fell into a long silence, their faces extremely grave.

Although Zhang Tao's description was fragmented, it clearly outlined a new fighter jet with extremely superior performance.

After a long silence, Doolittle finally spoke, his voice dry and heavy: "Its speed is extremely fast, it has a very small turning radius, and an exceptionally high rate of climb..." As a seasoned top pilot and engineer, he immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

He looked at Su Yaoyang, his eyes filled with unprecedented seriousness: "Sir, I can ascertain that this is definitely a brand new Japanese fighter jet that we have never seen before!"

Its performance in some aspects, particularly horizontal maneuverability and climb rate, is even comparable to our P-47 'Thunderbolt,' and in terms of climb rate... it may even surpass it!

The P-47 "Thunderbolt" fighter jet, renowned for its powerful engine, high-speed dive performance, and robust airframe, was a typical "energy fighter." However, it also had significant drawbacks, namely relatively poor maneuverability and a less-than-ideal climb rate.

The new Japanese aircraft described by Zhang Tao has an overwhelming advantage precisely in the weakest link of the "Raiden"!

This means that in future air combat, if the pilots on both sides are equally skilled, once a "Thunderbolt" pilot is caught by this new aircraft, it will be very difficult for him to break free!
Cheng Rufeng's expression was solemn. As an ace pilot, he certainly understood what this meant.

This is a terrifying adversary capable of overturning existing air combat tactics! He said in a deep voice, "It seems that the Japanese came prepared this time! They deliberately used this new aircraft to ambush our patrol team, just to test our strength and give us a warning!"

Su Yaoyang remained silent, listening quietly with a calm expression.

But beneath his calm exterior, his inner turmoil was constant.

When he heard the words "extremely fast speed", "extremely small turning radius" and "amazing rate of climb" combined together, a familiar name clearly came to mind!
He didn't need Doolittle to determine it; he was almost 100% certain—

This new Japanese aircraft, which caught the "Raiden" fighter off guard and caused them heavy losses, must be the same aerial killer that once ravaged the skies over the Pacific and struck fear into the hearts of Allied pilots in another timeline of history.

Zero fighter!
Mitsubishi A6M, the "Zero Fighter"!
He remembers clearly that in the original history, the Zero fighter was not officially deployed to the Chinese battlefield until the second half of 1940. In its battles with the Soviet-made I-15 and I-16 fighters in the Chinese Air Force at the time, it achieved an overwhelming advantage and created the so-called "Zero fighter myth".

And now, it's only February 1940!
Zero fighters have appeared on the Shanxi battlefield ahead of schedule! Moreover, they are directly confronting one of his most advanced aircraft, the P-47 "Thunderbolt"!
Yoshio Shinotsuka... that old devil actually managed to get his hands on such a deadly weapon!
Could it be that my appearance caused the Zero type to enter the Chinese battlefield ahead of schedule?
Su Yaoyang's conjecture was correct. The history of this timeline did indeed take a slight turn because of his appearance, which led to the emergence of a regional military force in Shanxi.

In particular, this military force also possesses considerable air power, and inflicted heavy losses on a Class A division, even taking its commander prisoner.

That was bad enough, but even the commander of the First Army was transferred because of him. In addition, the continuous fierce battles led to the near annihilation of the Sixth Division's air squadron stationed in Shanxi. This was tantamount to slapping the Japanese in the face.

In view of this, at the request of Yoshio Shinotsuka and Hisaichi Terauchi, the Japanese General Headquarters specially transferred the first batch of newly commissioned Zero fighters to the Shanxi battlefield, hoping to use this new type of fighter to severely damage or even eliminate the air power of the Shanxi militia.

That's why we had that ambush today.

After figuring out that the new Japanese fighter planes that the Japanese army ambushed this time were most likely Zero fighters, Su Yaoyang immediately ordered all flight squadrons to temporarily suspend patrol flights. The next evening, all the pilots gathered at the auditorium of Jiuquhe Airport.

The next evening, at 8:00 PM.

The largest auditorium inside Jiuquhe Airport was brightly lit.

More than 900 pilots, including newly graduated flight cadets who have not yet truly stepped onto the battlefield, as well as battle-hardened ace pilots with outstanding combat achievements, have all gathered together. Dressed in neat flight suits, they sit quietly in their seats according to their respective unit formations, filling the huge auditorium to capacity.

There was no laughter and joy at the graduation ceremony, nor the lighthearted banter of daily training. A lingering solemnity hung on everyone's face.

Senior pilots, led by commanding officers from various units such as Doolittle, Cheng Rufeng, Ye Qiyuan, and Feng Mingqian, sat in the front row. Their expressions were particularly serious, their eyes fixed intently on the podium.

A huge white curtain hangs in the center of the backdrop to the stage.

In front of the curtain, Su Yaoyang stood upright in his military uniform.

Su Yaoyang's gaze slowly swept across every young or mature face below the stage, taking in everyone's expressions. He didn't utter any empty words to boost morale, but instead spoke first in a calm and steady tone:
Good evening, brothers.

After a brief greeting, he got straight to the point, his voice clearly transmitted through the microphone to every corner of the auditorium.

"First, I would like to inform all personnel about the situation yesterday when my 'Thunder' squadron's patrol team was attacked by Japanese aircraft."

His tone was devoid of any emotion; he was simply stating a cold, hard fact: "Our four P-47 fighters were ambushed by at least twelve new Japanese fighters."

During the fierce battle, our side successfully shot down one enemy aircraft. However, our side also lost two aircraft and severely damaged two others.

Second Lieutenant Ma Jun and Lieutenant Li Weiguo were killed in action. Captain Zhang Tao and Lieutenant Wang Dahai sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving intensive care in the hospital.

Each name struck like a heavy hammer against everyone's heart. The atmosphere in the auditorium grew increasingly heavy, and some pilots who were closely associated with their fallen comrades silently lowered their heads.

Su Yaoyang paused for a moment, allowing everyone to process this painful news, before his tone suddenly changed, becoming sharp.

"We paid a heavy price! And the culprit behind all this was a new type of fighter plane that the Japanese army deployed to the battlefield!"

He emphasized, "Based on the intelligence our forward personnel risked their lives to relay back, and my analysis of the available information, we can now confirm the official name of this fighter jet—"

He said, enunciating each word clearly: "Zero fighter!"

The unfamiliar name "Zero fighter" caused a slight stir among the pilots.

Su Yaoyang didn't give them much time to discuss; he gestured to the projectionist behind him.

The lights in the auditorium went out instantly, plunging the hall into darkness. Then, a beam of light shot from the projector behind the stage, and clear moving images and sound began to appear on the huge white screen!

A top-secret "documentary" about the Zero fighter plane, which Su Yaoyang "produced" overnight using his "knowledge," has begun its premiere.

"In order to replace the outdated Type 96 carrier-based fighter and seek air superiority in future wars, the Japanese Navy put forward a demanding 'Test 12 Carrier-based Fighter' program to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1937..."

Accompanied by a calm and objective narration, black-and-white images of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factory and a portrait of designer Jiro Horikoshi appeared on the screen.

"In the end, the A6M1 design proposed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was selected."

To meet the military's extreme requirements for speed, range, and maneuverability, Mitsubishi's design team made a core trade-off that permeated the entire Zero fighter design philosophy—sacrificing all protection in exchange for extreme lightweighting!

On the screen, a 3D perspective view of a Zero fighter plane slowly rotates. The narration clearly points out that there are no armor plates behind the pilot's seat! The fuel tanks inside the wings also lack any self-sealing devices or fire suppression equipment!
Upon seeing this, Doolittle in the front row had a glint in his eyes and nodded subconsciously. As a top aviation expert, he instantly understood the enormous risks inherent in this design approach.

Immediately afterwards, a simulated flight video began playing on the screen. A silver-white Zero fighter performed a variety of dazzling maneuvers in the sky. Its elegant yet deadly horizontal turns and incredibly rapid climbs elicited suppressed gasps from the pilots below.

"The Zero fighter possesses exceptionally high horizontal maneuverability and climb rate, thanks to its extremely low wing loading and powerful Sakae-12 engine. At low to medium altitudes below 4000 meters, its maneuvering and dogfighting capabilities surpass those of any fighter currently in service with us!"

The narrator makes no attempt to point out the Zero's power, even directly comparing the performance data of the P-47 and F4U with that of the Zero on the screen.

Looking at the stark red contrasting numbers, the pilots finally realized why their comrades had suffered such a crushing defeat in yesterday's air battle! It turned out that the enemy possessed an overwhelming advantage in their weakest area!

At that moment, the tone of the film suddenly changed.

"but!"

The narrator's voice became resolute, "This design, which sacrificed everything in pursuit of ultimate performance, also brought three fatal weaknesses to the Zero fighter!"

On the screen, the scene changes. A P-47 fighter is diving at high speed, with a Zero fighter in hot pursuit.

"First, its fragile airframe structure and poor high-speed performance! Due to the excessive pursuit of lightweight design, the Zero's airframe structure lacks strength and cannot withstand the enormous stress generated during high-speed dives. When the speed exceeds 500 kilometers per hour, its aileron control efficiency drops sharply, resulting in extremely clumsy roll performance! Once it enters a high-speed dive, it will be unable to shake off our aircraft!"

In the footage, the P-47 used its high-speed dive to successfully shake off the Zero, and then performed a high-angle Immelmann maneuver to catch up with the Zero's tail!
"Secondly, it has no protection whatsoever! The Zero fighter is like a warrior without any armor; though its swordsmanship is dazzling, it is utterly vulnerable! Any bullet from our 12.7mm heavy machine guns, if it hits a vital part of its fuselage, whether it's the cockpit or the fuel tank, would be enough to cause fatal damage!"

On the screen, a barrage of 12.7mm tracer rounds, like the scythe of death, easily tore through the Zero's fuselage. One of them struck the wing fuel tank, causing the fragile tank to rupture instantly, turning the entire aircraft into a massive fireball!

Upon seeing this, the pilots in the audience had their eyes light up!
"Third, it has powerful firepower, but limited ammunition! The Zero's two 20mm autocannons are extremely powerful, but each cannon only holds 60 rounds of ammunition! Once those are used up, it is left with only two weak 7.7mm machine guns!"

At the end of the film, a clear tactic targeting the Zeroes is presented – “B&Z” (Boom and Zoom), which later became known as the “hit and run” tactic.

"Never engage in horizontal circling dogfights with the Zero! Make full use of the dive speed advantage, powerful firepower, and robust airframe of our P-47 and F4U! Utilize our altitude advantage to launch high-speed dive attacks!"
If you miss your first strike, immediately disengage, climb back up, and look for the next opportunity to attack! Remember, you're wielding 'hammers,' not 'scalpels'! Our mission is to use 'hammers' to smash that flashy but impractical 'katana'!

After the half-hour "documentary" finished playing, the lights in the auditorium came back on.

Everyone was still immersed in the information-packed and impactful content of the film.

After a brief silence, the entire auditorium, like a calm lake tossed with a boulder, instantly erupted in chaos!

"So that's how it is! So this 'Type Zero' is a fragile shell!"

"That's right! As long as we don't circle around it, and instead use high-speed dive attacks, it's doomed!"

"Its fuel tank has no protection! It's practically an airborne lighter!"

"Damn it! If I run into it again, I'll turn it into a sieve!"

The fear, despair, and confusion that lingered in everyone's hearts yesterday have now vanished! In their place is a sudden realization, the excitement of finding a way to defeat the enemy, and a burning flame of revenge!

A cold, sharp light, like that of a hunter, flashed in Cheng Rufeng's eyes.

Ye Qiyuan's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, revealing a resolute expression. Even the naivety and fear on the faces of the newly graduated students disappeared, replaced by firm and confident eyes.

Doolittle stood up, turned around, and looked at Su Yaoyang with a complex expression that mixed shock, admiration, and extreme confusion.

That video we just saw wasn't intelligence obtained by any intelligence agents; it was practically the chief designer of the Zero fighter giving them a performance report on the Zero.

He couldn't imagine what kind of "intelligence channels" Su Yaoyang used to analyze the enemy's brand-new top-secret fighter jet so thoroughly, from its design concept to its performance weaknesses, in just one day! This was beyond the explanation of "intelligence"; it was simply... a miracle!
(End of this chapter)