Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 674 Mount Tai No. 1 Returns to the Scene, Thermobaric Bomb Reappears

After meeting with the Guangxi liaison officer, Xia Wenyun returned to his residence.

Without turning on the light, he used the dim light of the streetlights outside the window to feel his way to the corner of the wall, pried open the third brick, and found an oil paper package hidden inside.

What was wrapped inside was not gold or silver, but Japanese military intelligence he had collected that had not yet been sent out: the mobilization time of the Isogai Division, the financial transactions of the Ran Agency, and information about the puppet regimes in the enemy-occupied areas mentioned by Chiyoji.

Before the war, he was just an unknown ordinary person, and few people would know about his contributions in the future.

With a creak, the sound of Japanese patrol boots came from outside the courtyard gate.

Xia Wenyun quickly put the oil paper package back in its original place and restored it.

The patrolmen outside knew that this was a translator from the Lan Agency, who was highly valued by General He Zhi, so they left without searching the house.

He breathed a sigh of relief and lay on the bed with his eyes open.

For the past nine years, he has relied on this "traitor's skin" to pass on dozens of key intelligence reports right under the noses of the Japanese army.

And now, I finally don't have to live with this kind of stigma anymore.

As dawn broke, Xia Wenyun changed into a gray cloth long gown, put the oil paper package into his bundle, and took a few changes of clothes with him before heading out.

Outside, people were already waiting.

Xia Wenyun took one last look toward the Japanese restricted area, but unfortunately he couldn't witness the destruction of the Lan Agency. He then left with the people who were there to meet him.

The countdown to the bombing of the Japanese South China Command in Guangzhou has begun.

To maximize the effectiveness of the bombing, it had to be carried out during the day.

The Japanese forces in Guangzhou had already increased their defenses due to the previous air raid by the Independent Regiment, making it impossible for them to use paratroopers to support the operation.

For this bombing mission, Fang Wen decided to carry it out solo, using the modified Taishan No. 1.

Therefore, Fang Wen flew back to the base in northern Myanmar overnight to prepare.

The Qinyuan landed on the runway of the No. 2 Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. As soon as it came to a stop, Fang Wen opened the cockpit canopy and slid down the side of the aircraft.

Lin Yifei, the factory director of the No. 2 Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, greeted him, "General Manager, the inspection of Taishan No. 1 has been completed, and no problems were found."

Fang Wen nodded and asked, "Where is Huo Duanyang?"

“He’s in the hangar of Taishan No. 1,” Lin Yifei replied.

Fang Wen went straight to the largest hangar, which was where Taishan-1 was stored.

Inside, engineers and technicians at the aircraft manufacturing plant were conducting pre-battle maintenance on the massive Taishan-1.

Huo Duanyang was also watching from the side.

Fang Wen quickly walked to Huo Duanyang's side: "Duanyang, let's talk about the bomb."

"General Manager, what kind of bomb are you planning to use?" Huo Duanyang asked.

"The target is in the central area of ​​Guangzhou, which is not suitable for napalm bombs. Ordinary explosive bombs probably won't meet my bombing requirements either. I want to use the 01 bomb."

The "01 bomb" that Fang Wen mentioned is actually the code name for the Taishan thermobaric bomb.

This type of bomb was only used once, in 37, when it was used to bomb the Japanese Marine Corps building in Shanghai.

It is particularly suitable for enclosed buildings, and once a temperature and pressure effect is generated, it can be extremely destructive to the human body.

"A Type 01 bomb!" Huo Duanyang exclaimed in surprise. "This kind of bomb is extremely destructive. Won't it harm innocent bystanders?"

Fang Wen explained: "The Japanese established a restricted area, prohibiting Chinese people from entering. The bombing targets were all in the restricted area, where only Japanese troops were present, so there was no need to worry about friendly fire."

"That's great, I'll go prepare right away." Huo Duanyang left excitedly. His current dream was to manufacture the best bombs to deal with the invaders, and thermobaric bombs would be the best.

After a while, Huo Duanyang brought the aerial bombs with the workers from the bomb factory.

Three heavy-duty military trucks were parked outside the hangar. After the canvas was lifted, the silver-gray 01 thermobaric aircraft appeared before everyone's eyes.

This bomb is nearly twice as thick as a conventional explosive bomb, with a prominent black serial number printed in the middle of the body, and a new type of fuse device hanging on the tail fin—this is a time-delay fuse developed by Huo Duanyang's team, which can ensure that the bomb detonates after penetrating the roof.

Fang Wen instructed: "Thermobaric bombs are placed in the main bomb bay, with eight 500-kilogram high-explosive bombs in the two auxiliary bomb bays on both sides. The bomb bay hooks must be reinforced. Thermobaric bombs weigh more than two tons, and there can be no mistakes when dropping them from high altitude."

The workers immediately sprang into action, and a specially designed hydraulic device slowly lifted the thermobaric bomb off the truck and aligned it with the main bomb bay interface on the belly of the Taishan-1.

Meanwhile, the reassignment of crew members is also underway.

The airdrop team, composed of engineers who had participated in live-fire airdrops, was responsible for three bomb bays.

In addition to the airdrop team, there was also a machine gun team, a total of 12 people, who operated eight Taishan 4-barreled rotary machine guns in the front, back, left, and right.

At 9:50 a.m., everything was ready, and Fang Wen and the crew boarded the plane.

As the engine started, Fang Wen controlled the Taishan-1 to slowly taxi out of the hangar, then accelerated and taxied on the runway for 800 meters before the massive Taishan-1 finally took off and flew into the sky.

The plane flew in a straight line from its base in northern Myanmar to Guangzhou.

Throughout the journey, Fang Wen activated his special ability, constantly monitoring the feedback from the airborne radar target acquisition device.

Once enemy aircraft are detected, it will be easier to take preventative measures.

Southeast sea area.

The Japanese Second Fleet is patrolling the sea.

The fleet's main mission is to blockade the waters near Hong Kong and monitor the coastal waters around Yangjiang.

Although the known intelligence on the Taishan Independent Regiment does not include any naval units, the Japanese army has not relaxed its vigilance against it.

In just two years, this civilian anti-Japanese armed force organized by the airline has grown to the point where the Japanese army has to take it seriously. In particular, the recent annihilation battle showed the Independent Regiment’s amazing combat power, which also made the Japanese army dare not attack the Independent Regiment’s controlled area again.

The flagship "Isuzu," the only one in the Second Fleet equipped with radar, continuously used its radar (air search radar) to scan the airspace near Yangjiang.

This newly configured experimental electronic equipment of the Japanese army has a detection range of 70 kilometers, which covers the coastal area of ​​Yangjiang.

However, this detection range is insufficient to detect aircraft at greater distances.

This also caused them to miss the only opportunity to intercept Fang Wen.

12:30pm.

Taishan-1 arrived over Luoding.

From the air, one can see the Guangxi Clique 2nd Route Army troops stationed outside Luoding City.

In a few minutes, the plane will arrive in Zhaoqing, which borders the Japanese army. Once Taishan No. 1 is discovered by the Japanese army on the ground, they will definitely notify Guangzhou.

Therefore, Fang Wen increased the aircraft's altitude.

The plane climbed from an altitude of 5000 meters to 1 meters and flew towards Guangzhou at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour.

Fourteen minutes later, the plane arrived over Guangzhou.

Fang Wen immediately used his mechanical senses to observe the situation below.

The Japanese soldiers below seemed unaware of the enormous creature appearing above them.

However, with the first batch of bombs dropped, Taishan-1 will definitely be exposed.

Fang Wen gave the order loudly.

"All teams, enter combat readiness and await my next command." Instantly, the teams located in various parts of the aircraft went into combat mode.

The machine gunners, positioned in front, behind, left, and right, crouched down, gripping the machine gun handles with both hands, waiting.

The bombing crew, located in the three bomb bays in the middle of the cabin, had the bombardiers lying on the ground while their assistants placed their hands on the bomb changing device.

At the same time, Fang Wen also controlled the aircraft to circle at an altitude of 10,000 meters and identify the bombing targets.

With the aid of his superpower, he quickly identified three target areas.

The Lan agency is a 300-square-meter courtyard, including a two-story building.

The Japanese South China Command was on the other side and was the largest of the targets in terms of area. Another target was the officers' residence, located between the two targets.

Once the target was identified, it could not be bombed at an altitude of 10,000 meters. After all, with the technology available at that time, the deviation rate of bombing at 10,000 meters was 10 times that of bombing at 3000 meters.

Therefore, if you want to inflict heavy losses on the enemy, you have to take some risks yourself.

Immediately, Fang Wen pressed down on the control stick, and the plane nose-down swooped down, quickly bursting out of the clouds.

Once they reached an altitude of 3000 meters, Fang Wen immediately leveled the aircraft.

And then, from the optimal drop position, the order was given: "Left 1 in the middle cabin, drop one."

The bombardier in the left bomb bay of the aircraft immediately pulled the bomb release lever.

The bomb door on the left side of the Taishan-1's abdomen opened, and the securing device of a thermobaric bomb was activated, allowing it to fall.

The silver-gray thermobaric bomb fell rapidly, crashing into the two-story building of the Lan Agency with a sharp whooshing sound.

At that moment, inside the Oda Trading Company compound, the agents were completely unaware of the bomb falling from the sky.

Only a Japanese soldier in the distance inadvertently looked up, a dark shadow flashing in his eyes.

A moment later, the dark figure landed on the two-story building.

A sharp explosion was heard.

That was the explosive charge of a thermobaric bomb detonating; the instantaneous blast force blew the roof off.

Subsequently, the thermobaric bomb that fell into the building caused a secondary explosion.

The shockwave spread outward from the explosion's epicenter, and shards of glass from the office transformed into sharp blades, instantly slicing through the throats of the guards outside. Inside, the black-clad agents were thrown into the air, crashing into the wall and becoming a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

Even more terrifying is the high-temperature blast wave that follows.

The temperature at the explosion point instantly soared to 2000℃, and the wooden structure of the small building caught fire within a second. The Japanese military flag on the wall was burned down to just a charred flagpole.

In the sealed room, the air was rapidly consumed. Under the rubble, Kazuchi Takaji felt as if his lungs were being branded with a hot iron. He struggled to breathe, but could only inhale scalding smoke and dust. In the end, he lost consciousness under the dual torment of lack of oxygen and burning.

"Target hit! Destroy completely!" The bombardier in the middle compartment roared, his voice filled with excitement, as he leaned over the overhead observation camera.

Fang Wen did not dare to relax. He noticed that the Japanese troops on the ground had reacted, and the anti-aircraft gun positions next to the South China Command began to spew fire.

This kind of anti-aircraft fire was easy for him to avoid. Fang Wen simply changed his flight direction to avoid the trajectory of the anti-aircraft gun fire.

The orange-red projectiles exploded behind the plane, forming black plumes of smoke.

These troublesome anti-aircraft fires are a major problem hindering bombing efforts; they must be resolved to ensure the accuracy of the next bombing run.

Immediately, Fang Wen placed his left hand on the externally mounted aerial bomb launcher.

As the aircraft reached the optimal launch position, he pressed a launch button on the launch stick.

The two high-explosive bombs mounted on the left wing of the aircraft were released and fell to the ground.

A dozen seconds later, a huge burst of fire erupted from the ground, and a black mushroom cloud rose into the air.

The anti-aircraft gun emplacement was destroyed.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen had already flown to the top of another anti-aircraft gun and dropped another high-explosive bomb.

Within just five minutes, a series of explosions occurred at the anti-aircraft gun positions surrounding the Japanese command post.

After the explosion, all the anti-aircraft guns fell silent.

From high above, Fang Wen also issued new orders.

"Middle compartment 2, middle compartment 3, three bombs dropped in succession."

The two bombardiers, who had been waiting, pulled the bomb release lever.

Three thermobaric bombs fell from the sky on each side.

It crashed into the area where the Japanese Southeast Command was located.

Two of them landed on an open ground, failing to utilize the advantages of thermobaric weapons, but the other four crashed into buildings.

A thermobaric bomb crashed into the main building of the command center, landing on the dome of the operations command room. The reinforced concrete floor slab was torn open, and the bomb detonated after penetrating two floors.

Inside the command center, Japanese staff officers were still yelling and deploying troops around the sand table when the shockwave from the explosion instantly overturned the sand table. Wooden tables and chairs flew into the air like pieces of paper, and the screams of the staff officers were swallowed up by the loud noise.

The intense heatwave spread along the corridor, igniting filing cabinets and telephones along the way. Flames shot up the map on the wall and up to the roof, completely paralyzing the entire command system within a minute.

A thermobaric weapon hit the command's communications center.

There were more than a dozen radio stations operating simultaneously, enabling effective command and communication between the Japanese forces throughout Southeast China via radio.

The moment the bomb exploded, the metal radio was twisted into a pretzel by the shockwave, the high temperature instantly melted the electronic components, and the wreckage of the transceiver emitted black smoke. Several soldiers were stuck to the scorching machine, without even a chance to call for help.

The other two thermobaric bombs accurately struck the adjacent officers' quarters.

They carried out a deadly attack on high-ranking Japanese officers who were resting in their officers' quarters.

Because of the previous explosion, Japanese officers were hurriedly changing into their uniforms, some even rushing out the door without fastening their belts.

They thought it was just a regular air raid and tried to run to the air-raid shelter for cover. Thermobaric bombs exploded in the corridor, and the confined space amplified the power of the shockwave and the intense heat. The officer at the front was blown through the body, while those behind him suffered burns from the intense heat. Screams echoed from various rooms, eventually being drowned out by the crackling sound of flames.

Everything is proceeding according to Fang Wen's plan.

However, it's not foolproof.

Five Type 96 fighter planes took off from the Japanese military airfield to the north and headed towards Taishan No. 1.

In response, Fang Wen immediately gave an order.

"Adjust the angle of the machine gun at the nose, 10 degrees east, 20 degrees depression, continue firing."

In the machine gun compartment below his cab, Gong Xiuneng and another machine gunner each operated a four-barreled rotary machine gun to adjust its direction and then fired downwards.

They didn't actually see the target; they just blindly trusted Fang Wen and fired without hesitation.

A machine gun with a rate of fire of nearly 4000 rounds per minute is no pushover.

One spent cartridge case after another was ejected rapidly, and the ammunition belt was rapidly decreasing.

In those twenty seconds, nearly 3000 bullets were unleashed.

The trajectory of these bullets was exactly what the two Japanese Type 96 fighter planes were flying.

A dense hail of bullets struck the enemy aircraft, riddling it with holes, before two fireballs exploded.

(End of this chapter)