Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 667 Independent Regiment Tactics: Annihilation in Progress

Inside the wooden cabin by the lake.

Fang Wen stood beside the octagonal table in the center of the room, on which was spread a densely marked map of southern Guangdong. The county magistrate of Taishan, the leaders of the anti-Japanese armed forces in Kaiping and Enping, and representatives of the Xinhui Vanguard Team sat in a circle.

After listening to the Taishan County Magistrate's vivid account of the spectacular air battle at Shuibu Town, everyone's faces were filled with undisguised excitement.

Therefore, they paid close attention to Fang Wen's next operational plan.

"Although the Japanese 137th Regiment has lost its logistics, the army is still there and will never give up easily. Once supplies arrive in Jiangmen, they will definitely continue to advance towards Yangjiang. We must set up a second ambush before that happens. But I cannot tell you the specific ambush location today."

Upon hearing this, a slight commotion arose inside the room.

A local anti-Japanese special operations team leader took the lead and asked, "Commander Fang, we were just about to discuss tactics, but you've hidden an ambush point. How are we supposed to fight this battle?"

"It is precisely because we want to win that we must keep it secret." Fang Wen raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. "The Japanese have been cultivating this war of aggression in China for many years. They have spies all over the country. As far as I know, in many battles, there are Japanese agents lurking and passing on intelligence. I am doing this just in case. It is hard to guarantee that there are no spies in our ranks. If the ambush point is leaked in advance, the Japanese army will definitely be prepared and will send a large number of planes to bomb it. In that case, all our previous efforts will be in vain."

His statement made it difficult for those present to argue further, as such a possibility certainly existed.

No matter how good the weapons of the Taishan Independent Regiment were, they could not confront the Japanese army head-on. Once the Japanese learned of the ambush positions, they would send out a large number of aircraft to bomb them and launch a ground attack in conjunction with the ground forces. Then the ambush would turn into a positional war.

Seeing this, Fang Wen continued, "Don't worry, everyone, the ambush will definitely not be delayed. The communications team I've assigned to you can receive my orders in real time. Just follow the instructions when the time comes."

The commander of the Taishan County Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps said, "I have a deep understanding of the communications team sent by the Independent Regiment. They really conveyed Commander Fang's orders in real time. It is precisely because of this that we were able to coordinate with the Independent Regiment's military aircraft."

This explanation was met with nods of agreement from the crowd, but Li, the regimental commander of the Enping Self-Defense Force, immediately raised a new question: "Even if the ambush point is kept secret, our teams are divided into three counties. Normally, we fight our own battles. But when we get to the battlefield, who will listen to whom? If the command is in disarray, even the best ambush point will be useless."

This is precisely the core point that Fang Wen is about to discuss.

"Commander Li has hit the nail on the head. There is a prerequisite for this ambush: from now until this Japanese force is defeated, command of all anti-Japanese armed forces in the three counties of southern Guangdong will be temporarily handed over to me for unified command."

The room fell silent instantly, and even the chirping of insects outside the window could be clearly heard.

The captain who had raised the objection earlier said in a deep voice, "Commander Fang, the brothers in our special operations unit were all recruited by the local gentry with money raised from their own pockets, in order to protect their family businesses. I'm afraid they won't listen to outsiders..."

"I am not an outsider, but a comrade-in-arms who fought alongside you all." Fang Wen interrupted him, his tone sincere. "I know that the transfer of command is a major event, so let's establish some rules first: First, during the operation, I will only be responsible for tactical deployment. The personnel and supply ownership of the troops will remain unchanged. Once the battle is over, command will be handed back to you immediately. Second, my orders will be relayed by the communications team. You will still be the actual commanders of the troops, but you must give me a guarantee here that you will listen to me for the next few days."

The Taishan County Magistrate spoke up at the opportune moment: "Gentlemen, in the battle of Shuibu Town, if it weren't for Commander Fang's precise cover from the gunboats and aircraft, our self-defense force would probably have been completely wiped out in Shuibu Town. He is truly fighting for the people of southern Guangdong, and I, as the county magistrate, guarantee that."

There was no immediate response.

The captain, however, suddenly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Good! I trust Commander Fang! The 180 men of the special operations team will be at your command from today onwards!"

With one person taking the lead, others followed suit and expressed their opinions.

"Commander Fang is both brave and resourceful. We are confident in following you to fight the Japanese!"

"The Enping Self-Defense Force has 600 members, and they will obey your orders!"

"Xinhui Vanguard Team, at the command of Regiment Commander Fang."

Fang Wen finally felt relieved after seeing that the wartime meeting had achieved the desired effect.

With the cooperation of various anti-Japanese forces in southern Guangdong, he was able to better implement his plan.

After the meeting, people from Enping and Kaiping left by seaplane.

The Taishan County Magistrate also took his leave with his entourage.

Fang Wen was the only one left in the meeting room.

Gong Xiuneng came in from outside: "Commander, everyone has left."

"Oh." Fang Wen's gaze was still on the map.

Gong Xiuneng walked over, scratched the back of his head, and said, "Commander, could you tell me about your plan? I don't understand what you're trying to do."

Fang Wen withdrew his gaze and asked, "Have you read Sun Tzu's Art of War?"

"I've read a bit of it, Commander. Did you learn this from Sun Tzu's Art of War? I don't think it's in the book."

"Of course there is. There is a saying in the 'Military Maneuvering' chapter: 'The difficulty of military maneuvering lies in turning the indirect into the direct and turning adversity into advantage.' This means that when encountering an enemy stronger than oneself, one should avoid the enemy's strength and use indirect tactics to strike at their strategic weaknesses, thereby gradually weakening them. There is also a saying in the chapter: 'Avoid their sharpness and strike when they are tired and exhausted,' which means that when the enemy's morale is high at the beginning of the battle, one should first wear them down and then launch a decisive battle when their morale is low and their supplies are insufficient."

After hearing Fang Wen's explanation, Gong Xiu suddenly understood. "I get it."

"You should read more books when you have time." Fang Wen patted Gong Xiuneng on the shoulder. He decided to cultivate this trusted confidant who had always been his bodyguard, thinking that he might become another Wu Yingzong in the future.

Therefore, he patiently discussed with Gong Xiuneng the relationship between his plan and ancient military strategy.

"Our ancestors endured countless battles and left behind a wealth of military wisdom, far beyond just Sun Tzu's Art of War. Take our current combat strategies, for example. Wu Zi's Art of War states in 'Assessing the Enemy': 'Attack when the enemy is newly arrived from afar and their ranks are not yet set; attack when they have eaten but are not yet equipped; attack when they are on the run; attack when they are exhausted; attack when they have not gained the advantage of terrain; attack when they have lost the opportune moment; attack when they have traversed a long road and are still marching; attack when they are halfway across a river; attack when they are on a dangerous or narrow path; attack when their banners are fluttering erratically; attack when their formations are shifting; attack when their general is separated from his soldiers; attack when their hearts are filled with fear.' The Six Secret Teachings also contain related military ideas: 'First seize their morale, then their weapons, and finally their provisions.'"

This time, Gong Xiuneng finally understood.

"We are now seizing their food supplies, but the Japanese soldiers still have high morale and ample weaponry."

Fang Wen praised, "That's right. That's why I ambushed them a second time to break their morale and destroy some of their tanks. That way, even if the Japanese army manages to reach Heshan Town, they'll be at their last gasp."

"Where should we ambush them?" Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but ask.

Fang Wen looked at the map.

The Japanese army now only has one path to take.

That is the "Taiyang Highway" (Taishan to Yangjiang), which was built in the late 1920s of the Republic of China. It is about 80 kilometers long.

Fang Wen did not determine the specific ambush location.

He decided to fly his plane early the next day to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the highway.

The night passed, and early in the morning, Fang Wen took off from Qiandao Lake in a seaplane to begin military reconnaissance.

The first destination, naturally, is Taishan.

Ten minutes later, the plane appeared over Taishan.

Fang Wen used his special ability to observe the situation below.

8000 Japanese troops were stationed in Shuibu Town and Taishan City.

Because both towns had been evacuated in advance, the Japanese soldiers didn't even manage to loot much food.

Only a few officers were receiving the meager military rations.

Therefore, after daybreak, the Japanese army dispatched looting teams to plunder in Taishan County.

But they didn't know that because of this battle, the people of Taishan had retreated to Qiandao Lake, making it impossible for them to get any food.

Fang Wen sneered, turned around, and began aerial reconnaissance of the Taiyang Highway.

Starting from Taishan City, the first town the highway passes through is Chonglou Town.

After passing Chonglou Town, the highway turns southwest, approaching the coastal plain, and arrives at Doushan Town.

The highway passes through the middle of Doushan Town, heading southeast, and arrives at Guanghai Town after 10 kilometers. The highway is about 3 kilometers from the town center and close to the town's bay.

This place served as a frontline outpost for coastal defense, where anti-Japanese armed forces from Taishan monitored the movements of Japanese warships along the coast.

But now, there's no one left in the town.

Upon arriving at this location, Fang Wen failed to find a suitable ambush point.

These sections of road are flat and located in the south, making them unsuitable for ambushes.

Fang Wen continued his aerial observation. The highway turned northwest from Guanghai Town.

A bay about 30 kilometers long separates Taishan and Yangjiang.

This bay is called Zhenhai Bay. There is no bridge to cross it, and the highway has to detour to the north.

Finally, we arrived at Heshan Town.

The road after Guanghai Town no longer passes through plains but becomes mountainous, making it suitable for ambushes.

But which route should we choose on such a long stretch?

Fang Wen observed and pondered at the same time.

Ultimately, he chose Nalong Town, which is 10 kilometers north of Heshan Town.

There were suitable ambush sites there, and anti-Japanese armed forces from three locations could be quickly deployed to cooperate with the Guangxi Army in the operation.

This also aligns with Fang Wen's strategy of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. If this can be used to break the Japanese army's morale, then the subsequent decisive battle will be much easier.

Three days have passed since the airstrike on Shuibu Town.

The Japanese army occupied an empty city and remained there temporarily.

On the third day, ten truckloads of military supplies arrived from Jiangmen.

With these military supplies, 1000 of the 8000 Japanese troops remained stationed in Taishan City, while the rest, led by tanks, marched along the highway toward Yangjiang.

At this point, the Japanese army no longer concealed their operational objectives: once they captured Yangjiang, they would be able to control the entire southern Guangdong coastline.

To support this operation, the Japanese Navy also dispatched a fleet, with carrier-based aircraft taking off in multiple waves to escort the 137th Fighter Wing in the air.

Despite their extensive efforts, they did not encounter any Chinese fighter jets.

All the way to Guanghai Town, everything was peaceful.

The Yangjiang Independent Regiment's local command post.

A radar operator strode in and reported to Fang Wen.

"Commander, after multiple radar detections, it has been confirmed that the Japanese army has now arrived at Guanghai Town."

Wu Yingzong, who had just returned from Heshan Town, asked in surprise, "Commander, when did our radar gain the function of reconnaissance of ground troops?"

"It can't scout the ground, but it can determine the location of the Japanese army by the movement of aircraft," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

Wu Yingzong suddenly understood. "Yes, the Japanese planes are escorting the ground troops. As long as we know the planes' flight paths, we can know the situation of the ground troops. I was too old-fashioned."

“You’re not being old-fashioned, you just didn’t think of it before. Now that you understand, you can use it in the future.”

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he walked over to the radio station.

"Send a telegram to Qiandao Lake, telling them to be careful and not to be discovered by the Japanese devils."

The telegram was sent immediately.

After receiving the telegram, the people hiding in the Qiandao Lake area quickly went into hiding.

An hour later, 7000 Japanese troops, led by tanks, passed by on a road 1000 meters north of the Thousand Islands.

The Japanese troops had no idea that an entire city was hiding right under their noses.

After the Japanese troops had passed through, the scouts returned and reported back, and the telegram was sent back to the Independent Regiment.

Upon receiving the telegram, Fang Wen placed the Japanese army's symbol on the red line of the highway.

"Alright, we've entered the mountains, and there are only two hours left until dark. It's time for us to move out."

After he finished speaking, he left the command post, climbed onto the Qinyuan, and used the airborne radio to notify the gunboat squadron in Zhaoqing to set off.

After receiving confirmation from the artillery fleet, Fang Wen started the aircraft and accelerated to take off from the small runway.

After the plane took off, Fang Wen immediately activated the radar target acquisition device.

The aircraft appearing to the north were identified as gunboats.

The feedback from the east was from Japanese warplanes.

After another unsuccessful escort mission, the Japanese warplanes were returning to base, and fifteen bright spots flew towards the sea.

Meanwhile, Japanese warplanes heading towards Guangzhou had ceased their flights in southern Guangdong by noon and were instead used to support two other Japanese forces.

This situation presents the perfect opportunity to strike.

Fang Wen flew his plane to Heshan Town, where he met up with the gunboat squadron.

After the gunboat squadron arrived over Heshan Town, Fang Wen picked up the microphone.

"Attention! Do not linger during this airstrike. After dropping your bombs, return to base immediately."

"Yes, Commander." Pan Jiafeng replied over the radio.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan ahead, with the gunboat squadron following behind, and flew eastward.

A dozen minutes later, the plane arrived at the target area.

The sun was setting, and a lingering glow shone on the horizon.

It was getting dark.

The Japanese troops, who had been marching for a day, were exhausted and lethargic.

Japanese soldiers spotted the plane in the air.

But they thought it was one of their own people protecting them.

Unexpectedly, large black dots fell from the sky and landed on the road and the ground on both sides.

Explosions and flames continued one after another, and the Japanese army realized that they were being attacked by air!
They fled the highway in panic, even the tanks scattered to the left and right, fearing that if they stayed in one formation they would be bombed again.

The bombing lasted for more than ten minutes before the planes flew away.

The ground was left in a mess.

At this moment, the Japanese escort fleet flew over from the sea and missed its target again.

The Japanese commander roared and angrily vowed to completely annihilate the Independent Regiment.

But he had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
After the air raid ended, the gunboat squadron returned to Zhaoqing for rest and reorganization.

They are preparing for tomorrow's battle.

The two regiments of the Guangxi Army were deployed in Heshan Town and Nalong Town, respectively.

In Nalong Town, several anti-Japanese forces were assembled, along with 5 tanks and 7 rapid-fire 20mm dual-purpose machine guns.

Meanwhile, in Heshan Town, three cluster rocket launchers and 15 tanks were used as the key to victory in the final battle.

Everything was ready; all that was left was for the Japanese army to fall into the trap.

(End of this chapter)