Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 665 Pre-battle Deployment: Annihilation of the Japanese 137th Regiment (Part 1)

After completing the aerial reconnaissance, Fang Wen piloted the seaplane back to base.

The plane flew over the Nalong River and headed towards the Yangjiang Independent Regiment's base.

On his return journey, he saw that the advance force of the Independent Regiment, the 4th Mechanized Battalion, had arrived at Heshan Town and was stationed in the north of the town. 20 Taishan Pine medium tanks, 3 Taishan Storm rocket launchers, and all accompanying troops were in place and making wartime preparations.

Not long after, the plane arrived at the Independent Regiment's Yangjiang base and landed at the seaplane airport.

As soon as the plane came to a stop at the sea airport, Fang Wen rushed onto the dock and headed straight for the regimental headquarters.

Upon arriving at the regimental headquarters, his first stop was the regimental command post.

Inside the command post, Wu Yingzong was communicating with various units through the regimental radio to keep abreast of the marching situation.

The locations of each unit were also marked on the map.

Upon seeing Fang Wen enter, Wu Yingzong asked, "Commander, did you spot anything during your aerial reconnaissance?"

"Yes. I'll tell you later." Fang Wen walked towards the radio station and instructed the telegraph operator, "Send a telegram to the Guangxi Army and ask where they are. Also, tell them we have important military intelligence."

"Yes." The telegraph operator quickly sat down and sent a coded telegram according to the frequency brought by Fang Wen.

Once the telegram is sent, a reply is needed.

Fang Wen then spoke with Wu Yingzong.

“I discovered in Foshan that the Japanese army had amassed a large force. They initially marched westward, but later one unit changed course, crossed the river near Pingsha Island in Xiqiao, and turned towards Jiangmen. If this unit joined forces with the Jiangmen garrison, it would have a total of 8000 men, dozens of tanks, and military transport vehicles.”

Wu Yingzong analyzed Fang Wen's statement: "The Japanese army in Guangzhou will not be mobilized in its entirety. They are attacking from three locations, but the force and equipment they have deployed to southern Guangdong are the largest and best. It seems that they are mainly targeting our side. Our Independent Regiment is not strong enough and needs to coordinate with local troops."

Fang Wen nodded: "How's it going with your task of sending people to contact the anti-Japanese forces in Taishan, Kaiping, and Xinhui?"

“We have liaison offices in Taishan, Kaiping, and Xinhui, and have already instructed these offices to notify the anti-Japanese armed forces in these three locations to make preparations,” Wu Yingzong replied.

"That's not enough. I need them to be able to cooperate with us in wartime. Here's what we'll do: take 20 paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion, in pairs, and with individual radios and walkie-talkies, parachute them to the three locations in batches to serve as a hub for communication with them. You can arrange this. Once there's a response from Taishan, Kaiping, and Xinhui, I'll fly a plane and parachute them in."

"Yes, Commander. We've been training for this for quite some time now," Wu Yingzong replied, standing at attention before turning and quickly leaving to make the arrangements.

At that moment, the telegraph operator reported, "Commander, the Guangxi Army has replied and is currently translating."

Fang Wen walked over, picked up the telegram paper, and translated the Morse code directly into his mind.

[My unit has arrived in Luoding and is ready to deploy at any time. Please send important military intelligence.]

Fang Wen then dictated the information he had gathered from his aerial reconnaissance to the telegraph operator.

Luoding County Government.

Two teams of soldiers guarded the gate. At this time, the county government had been requisitioned by the Second Route Army of the Guangxi Army.

The county government meeting room was converted into a temporary command post, where Commander-in-Chief Wei of the Second Route Army of the Guangxi Clique was reading a secret military telegram on a telegram newspaper.

Commander Wei's relaxed brows instantly furrowed into a knot. "The Japanese commander is using a feint! He made us think that the main attack was on Zhaoqing, but in reality, he was going to attack southern Guangdong."

Commander Zhou of the 170th Regiment leaned over and traced his finger along the highway from Jiangmen to Yangjiang: "Commander-in-Chief, the Japanese have 8000 troops and dozens of tanks. They're going to swallow Commander Fang's Independent Regiment whole! If Yangjiang is lost, the entire southern Guangdong coastline will fall into the hands of the Japanese."

"What's the panic? We came to Luoding to support them, didn't we?" Commander Wei said in a deep voice. "Commander Fang's ability to detect their movements in advance has bought us time. His Independent Regiment is not to be underestimated either. Although they are few in number, they are all elite troops, and their equipment is even better than that of the Japanese. As long as we can join forces with the Independent Regiment in time, we still have a fighting chance in this battle."

He picked up a brush and circled two points on the map. “Commander Zhou, you will lead the main force of the 170th Regiment and march overnight along the Luoyang Highway toward Yangjiang. You must reach Heshan Town within two days.”

"Yes, sir!" Commander Zhou snapped to attention, turned, and left.

Commander Wei then gave another regimental commander an order: "You lead the 171st Regiment and move towards Enping along the Jinjiang Valley. Once you reach Enping, the Independent Regiment will send someone to contact you. Be sure to cooperate with the local armed forces to resist the Japanese army."

The regimental commander said with difficulty, "We can't stop 8000 Japanese soldiers!"

"Are the Independent Regiment's planes and artillery just for show? Have you forgotten Fang Wen's past achievements? As long as you can coordinate well with Fang Wen, we might not necessarily lose this battle," Commander Wei rebuked angrily.

Fang Wen's achievements in southern Guangxi were widely discussed among the Guangxi army generals; they were indeed impressive. The regimental commander stopped arguing and went out to lead his troops to set off.

Subsequently, Commander Wei continued to mobilize troops. On the battlefield, deception and trickery were not something only the Japanese devils could do. He also had to guard against the Japanese army's suspicions, so he needed to dispatch troops to support Zhaoqing.

The Yangjiang Independent Regiment's garrison.

A telegram from the Guangxi Army arrived.

After reading the telegram, Fang Wen informed the deputy regimental commander, Wu Yingzong.

"Luoding sent two regiments, which split into two groups. One group joined us in Heshan Town, and the other went to Enping. There were about 4000 troops."

Following Fang Wen's instructions, Wu Yingzong marked the map.

He then analyzed, “Commander, the Guangxi Army has 4000 reinforcements, we have 2000, the Xinhui Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps has about 800, the Taishan Self-Defense Corps has about 1200, the Kaiping Self-Defense Corps has about 600, and there are also 200 members of the Kaiping Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Special Operations Team. Adding them up, we have more than 8000. Now, in terms of numbers, our strength is no less than that of the Japanese army.”

Fang Wen replied, "These people have varying combat abilities. If they cooperate with us, we only have a chance to fight once. Once we encounter adversity, we may not be able to win. Therefore, we need some trustworthy people to cooperate with us. The number of people should not be large, but they must be familiar with the local terrain."

Wu Yingzong nodded: "Commander, there are such people too. Didn't you ask me to cooperate with the Xijiang Guerrilla Team? During this period, the Xijiang Guerrilla Team has also developed anti-Japanese detachments here. There is the Anti-Japanese Vanguard Team in Daze Town, Xinhui, and the Coastal Guerrilla Team in Chixi Town, Taishan. Although their numbers are small, they are very familiar with the local situation."

The two then discussed the arrangements for the paratroopers, and once they were finalized, the paratroopers began immediately.

At 3 p.m., 20 paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment boarded the plane fully armed.

They worked in pairs, with one person responsible for the individual radio and the other for the Taishan walkie-talkie, in addition to the parachute pack and individual weapons.

After 20 people boarded the plane, Fang Wen started the engine, and Gong Xiuneng closed the cabin door.

The plane accelerated by gliding across the water and took off.

A dozen minutes later, the plane arrived at the first drop point, Enping City.

Two umbrellas opened in the air and drifted towards the south of the city.

The Enping County police force on the ground has already sent people to meet them.

Subsequently, Fang Wen parachuted into each location, deploying all 10 parachute teams to the designated areas.

These airborne communications teams will play a vital role in this operation.

At dawn, a large number of Japanese troops gathered outside Jiangmen city.

Commander Seicho Matsumoto of the 137th Regiment of the Japanese Army stood on the command vehicle, looking through binoculars at the highway leading to Yangjiang.

He said to his adjutant, "Ono, how long do you think it will take us to take Yangjiang City?"

“Apart from the Taishan Independent Regiment, no one in southern Guangdong can stop us. Although the Taishan Independent Regiment is an elite force of China, its size is its biggest weakness. We have more than four times the manpower, which is enough to annihilate it,” the adjutant, Ono, replied.

Matsumoto was satisfied with the answer. He raised his sword and ordered, "Order! The armored squadron will lead the way, followed by the 1st Infantry Battalion, with the supply corps in the middle and the 2nd Battalion bringing up the rear. Advance at full speed along the Taiyang Highway. We must reach Shuibu Town before noon today!"

The Japanese troops set off in a grand procession.

Shuibu Town is located north of Taishan City, only a few miles from the county seat.

The Japanese army's intention was clear: to take Taishan County first.

Although this county town is not large, it is very prosperous and is known as "Little Guangzhou".

The wealth of the county town and nearby overseas Chinese communities became a target for the Japanese army to plunder.

(Taishan County Town Street)
The Japanese invaders committed numerous atrocities, and anti-Japanese armed forces were being organized everywhere to protect themselves. Taishan was no exception. People in the city contributed money and labor, forming an anti-Japanese force of 1200 people. Now, they were assembled and preparing to set off to fight the Japanese army.

The county magistrate addressed the troops loudly: "Fellow villagers, the Japanese devils have been burning, killing, looting and committing all sorts of atrocities wherever they go. The people in the city have not yet been evacuated. I hope you can do your best to stop them."

After saying this, he called over two liaison officers from the Independent Regiment and introduced them: "I have delegated command of this operation to the Independent Regiment. These two are the liaison officers of the Independent Regiment. Commander Wu, you must coordinate well with the Independent Regiment. Their planes and artillery are the key to this battle, understand?"

Commander Wu of the Taishan Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Force responded loudly: "Rest assured, County Chief, everyone in southern Guangdong knows the Independent Regiment. We will definitely cooperate well."

"Alright, you can set off now."

After finishing his speech, the county magistrate jogged away.

Commander Wu looked at the two liaison officers from the independent regiment and asked, "So what should we do next?"

The liaison officer of the Independent Regiment, holding the Taishan walkie-talkie, replied, "Wait for orders."

high in the sky.

Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan aircraft carrier to conduct aerial reconnaissance and command.

For the war in southern Guangdong, he flew back to northern Myanmar overnight yesterday and brought over the modified Qinyuan.

The movements of the Japanese troops below are clear at a glance; they have already reached the eastern area of ​​Shuibu Town.

The town was deserted and undefended.

Meanwhile, a large-scale evacuation is also underway in Taishan County, just a few miles away.

Meanwhile, the radar detection system indicated that a formation of 10 Japanese warplanes was flying from the direction of Guangzhou, and there was also a flight response of 10 warplanes from the sea to the southeast. In the northwest, 20 gunboats from the Independent Regiment were also flying in that direction.

The Japanese army not only had tanks leading the way, but also air force support in its operations.

The Independent Regiment, however, currently only has its own 20 gunboats.

The ability to attack air units is a major problem.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone.

"Calling 2nd Air Battalion, you can hear the response."

Thanks to advancements in semiconductor technology, the wireless communication devices installed on aircraft can now achieve interference-free communication over a distance of 20 kilometers, proving particularly useful in this battle.

Pan Jiafeng's voice came through the radio.

"Copy that, Captain."

"Your unit is preparing to launch air-to-ground rockets. Adjust your heading to 15 degrees northeast, and keep the firing direction unchanged. Await my order to launch a salvo."

"Yes."

After the order was given, Fang Wen focused intently on using his special ability to observe the feedback from Japanese warplanes in the radar target acquisition device.

The 10 fighter jets flying from Guangzhou are getting closer and closer.

Meanwhile, 20 gunboats from the 2nd Battalion of the Independent Regiment were also approaching.

The two flight formations were flying at a 70-degree angle and were about to make contact.

Fang Wen still did not issue the order.

Fifteen seconds later, the two sides were closer together and could see the outline of each other's planes.

At this moment, Fang Wencai gave the order: "Launch."

The rocket launchers mounted on the wings of 20 gunboats were launched simultaneously, targeting 10 Japanese warplanes that were all aimed at Guangzhou.

With this level of firepower coverage, precise aiming is no longer necessary.

A dense barrage of aerial rockets, trailing orange-red flames, wove a scorching fire net across the sky.

The Japanese pilots had no idea that the Chinese army had such dense air firepower, and in a panic, they changed their flight course to try to evade it.

But with so many aerial rockets covering the area, escape wasn't so easy.

During the evasive maneuver, the flight paths of the three Type 97 fighter jets became disordered, resulting in a collision.

The fighter jet exploded upon impact, its fuselage disintegrating instantly, with debris falling into the Tanjiang River below.

At the same time, rockets also came.

Four other fighter jets were directly hit by rockets, and the flames from the exploding fuel tanks were blindingly bright from high above.

The rocket barrage, combined with Fang Wen's supernatural command, unleashed a saturation attack, reducing the formation of 10 fighter jets to a mere 3!

These three fighter jets, which were lucky enough to escape being shot down, dared not continue their attack and immediately turned around and fled back to Guangzhou.

During this attack, the gunboat squadron still had half of its rockets remaining, and Fang Wen immediately issued new orders.

"Attention gunboat squadron, course change, face southeast, rocket launchers adjusted to southeast 21. Once adjusted, maintain course."

Under Fang Wen's command, the gunboat squadron made a turn at high altitude and flew towards the southeast.

Five minutes later, Fang Wen issued another order to fire the rockets simultaneously.

Another round of volleys begins.

This salvo, with a power comparable to that of ground-based Katyusha rockets, combined with Fang Wen's supernatural command, was effective once again.

However, the number of aircraft shot down was worse than before, with only 3 fighter jets being directly hit.

Of the remaining seven aircraft, half were also affected by debris from the explosion, with some emitting black smoke.

Fang Wen immediately gave another order: "Prepare airburst bombs."

Inside the gunboat's engine room, the gunners and loaders immediately ran to the aft compartment, opened the airburst bomb cabinet, installed the launch tubes, and then fired at the enemy aircraft.

One after another, airburst bombs were launched, exploding in the airspace between the gunship aircraft and the enemy aircraft, creating plumes of white smoke.

Two enemy planes, due to their high speed, crashed into the area of ​​white smoke.

It wasn't just smoke; there were also shrapnel and aluminum powder inside.

A second explosion occurred in the smoke-filled area, and two Japanese warplanes crashed.

At this point, Fang Wen drove the Qinyuan out.

He was tasked with dealing with the remaining enemy forces in the air by himself, and ordered the gunboat squadron to launch air raids on the Japanese ground troops.

"Master, you must be careful."

Pan Jiafeng replied over the radio and led the gunboat squadron to launch an air raid on the Japanese troops outside Shuibu Town below.

Upon receiving the order, the Taishan Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Force also took the opportunity to launch an attack in conjunction with air fire suppression.

(Map of the battle in southern Guangdong)

(End of this chapter)