Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 675 Aircraft Mine-Laying Devices, Yangjiang Anti-Landing Operation (Part 1)

Japanese warplanes took off from the Guangzhou military airfield with the intention of attacking Taishan No. 1.

Unexpectedly, two of their aircraft were destroyed by intense firepower right at the start.

The remaining eight fighter jets were still climbing, attempting to shoot down Taishan-8.

Fang Wen remained calm in the face of this.

He took this situation into account when he was designing and modifying Taishan No. 1.

Long-range strategic bombers must have the ability to protect themselves.

Just like the B-29 long-range strategic bomber used by the US military later, the aircraft's defensive capabilities alone could withstand attacks from Japanese 7.7mm machine guns.

Taishan-1 also adopted the same defense plan, with a 3mm aluminum alloy skin and bulletproof steel plates added to various important internal parts.

In particular, the pressurized cabin design was equivalent to adding a protective shell inside the aircraft, which was more effective in resisting strafing by Japanese aircraft machine guns.

Of course, that's only when Fang Wen is surrounded by a large group of aircraft that he can't handle, he'll use his fuselage to withstand the attack.

Now, Fang Wen has more ways to deal with the eight Japanese Type 8 fighter planes.

He controlled the aircraft to climb at an angle of attack while shouting, "All machine gun positions, enter free fire mode!"

The gunners of the eight 4-barreled aircraft machine guns immediately gripped their grips, their eyes fixed on the outside of the firing ports, ready to unleash a barrage of bullets once a target was spotted.

The massive Taishan No. 8 soared into the sky, followed by eight Japanese aircraft.

Bullets from both sides streaked through the air, leaving trails of light.

Without Fang Wen's direction of fire, the accuracy of the Taishan No. 1 machine gun dropped significantly, with only one Type 96 machine gun hitting a rear-mounted aircraft.

The enemy aircraft did very little damage to the Taishan-1, leaving only a few bullet holes and bullet marks on its skin.

This scene was also witnessed by residents of Guangzhou.

People went out into the streets and looked up at the sky.

A little boy asked his mother.

"Mom, is this our airplane?"

The mother glanced at the people around her and whispered, "Yes. Do you think it's amazing?"

"Amazing! One against ten! I want to fly a plane someday and drive the Japanese devils away!" The little boy's eyes lit up.

Ordinary people on the street, looking up, were delighted that China could possess such powerful weapons of war.

"Stop looking! The Japanese are coming!" The waiter from the teahouse ran over to warn everyone.

"Don't look! Go home and close your doors and windows!" The Japanese patrol captain, along with the self-defense force and puppet troops, came over and reprimanded the people.

Just then, two more Japanese warplanes fell from the sky, which made people less afraid of these devils than before.

High in the air, Fang Wen climbed the plane to an altitude of 8000 meters.

This altitude was the combat altitude he chose.

The optimal combat performance of the Japanese Type 96 carrier-based aircraft was concentrated below 5000 meters. Above 5000 meters, although it could still fly, its performance would be greatly affected.

The Taishan-1's engine uses a unique compressor improved by Fang Wen, and its performance can be further enhanced by deformable materials, so it will not be greatly affected even when flying at higher altitudes.

He reached under the control panel with his left hand, opened a cover, and pulled out a new control lever.

That was a specially designed top-mounted remote-controlled turret that Fang Wen had created for himself.

Given the current technological conditions, he is the only one who can use his superpowers to perform these actions.

As Fang Wen operated the system, the top skin of the Taishan-1 unfolded to the left and right, and a 20mm cannon turret rose up.

The cannon barrel rotated, and after aiming was completed, it began to fire.

One 20mm cannon shell after another was fired. Although it did not have the firepower density of a four-barreled rotary machine gun, it was more accurate and powerful.

It immediately hit a Japanese warplane, causing it to explode repeatedly in the nose of the enemy aircraft.

The turret did not stop firing, but instead adjusted its firing direction to another direction and continued firing.

Another Type 96 fighter jet was hit.

This situation deterred the remaining Japanese warplanes from approaching.

They could only watch helplessly as Taishan-1 climbed to an altitude of 10,000 meters and disappeared into the clouds.

Taishan-1 returned to its base in northern Myanmar.

After the plane flew out of the Japanese-controlled area, it lowered its altitude, as prolonged high-altitude flight would affect the aircraft's metal structure.

A few hours later, Taishan-1 arrived over the airport in northern Myanmar and landed on the runway of the No. 2 aircraft factory.

The plane was parked in the hangar, and Fang Wen stood up to make the announcement.

"This strategic bombing mission has been successfully completed. All participants will be recorded in the archives. After the invaders are driven out, these deeds will be passed down so that future generations will always remember what you did."

These words made the crew members feel a little embarrassed.

An engineer spoke up on behalf of everyone: "General Manager, we're just doing what we're supposed to do; there's no need to write it down."

Fang Wen smiled and said, "What's done is done. I want what we do to leave a mark on history. Alright, you don't need to worry about this. Go and rest. I'll give you two days off. Return to your posts when the holiday is over."

"It's the general manager." The crew members happily left the plane.

Only Gong Xiuneng and Fang Wen remained in the cabin.

"Commander, what do we need to do now?" Gong Xiuneng asked.

"Go to Yangjiang and wait for news from Guangzhou."

After Fang Wen finished speaking, he led Gong Xiuneng off the plane and took off again in a gunboat.

The round trip covered 3000 kilometers, and it was already night when we arrived in Yangjiang.

The torches lit at the Yangjiang Independent Map Station's seaplane base served as a guide for Fang Wen's landing.

The plane descended to a lower altitude, landed on the water, and then disembarked at the shore.

Wu Yingzong, who was waiting at the dock, reported the latest situation to Fang Wen.

"Commander, we haven't received a reply from Guangzhou yet."

"No need to rush, the Japanese probably don't even know how much they've lost yet." Fang Wen wasn't surprised.

Gong Xiuneng said, "Yes, we are using thermobaric bombs. As long as they explode inside a house, they will be like shrimp being steamed. Not a single Japanese soldier will survive."

"A thermobaric weapon, the kind used in Shanghai!" Wu Yingzong exclaimed in surprise.

Fang Wen nodded, his face serious: "Yes. I estimate that the Japanese command in South China will be paralyzed again this time, but the Japanese will also pay more attention to our Independent Regiment, and there will probably be attacks against us next. Therefore, we must remain highly vigilant."

The group entered the regimental headquarters conference room and convened a meeting of mid- to high-ranking officers to discuss defensive measures in response to the Japanese attack.

The meeting began.
Fang Wen presided over the meeting and said, "Now that we have annihilated the Japanese troops that invaded southern Guangdong and destroyed the Japanese command center in South China, their army will probably be unable to launch an attack on us in the short term. Now the main thing to guard against is a possible landing operation by the Japanese navy."

As he spoke, he stood in front of the map.

"Yangjiang has a terrain that is high in the north and low in the south, nestled between mountains and the sea. It is protected by Tianlu Mountain in the northeast and surrounded by Yunwu Mountain in the northwest, with the Moyang River flowing through it. Our regiment was stationed there to guard the coastline and prevent the Japanese navy from invading."

An officer from the Independent Regiment raised his hand to ask a question, and stood up after receiving Fang Wen's permission.

"Commander, I've always had a question: wouldn't the Japanese navy choose other places to land?"

This was a question that other officers also wanted to ask; no one understood why the Independent Regiment had to guard the coastline around Yangjiang.

Fang Wen already had the answer in his heart, so he simply explained it. He pointed to the map.

"Most of the southern Guangdong region is mountainous, except for Yangjiang, which has flat terrain. If the Japanese navy wanted to land in southern Guangdong, this would be the most suitable place. What we need to guard against now is the Japanese sending a large number of troops to force a landing operation. Everyone is welcome to share their ideas and brainstorm together."

The officers remained silent.

This is a big issue, and no one dares to speak carelessly about it.

Fang Wen looked at Wu Yingzong, who said, "Don't hold back, say whatever comes to mind. I'll start. Our regiment has planes, tanks, artillery, individual weapons, and military vehicles, giving us sufficient mobility to operate in the Yangjiang area. The key issue now is not knowing where the Japanese will land. If we can prepare in advance, I think our Independent Regiment can hold them off."

No sooner had Wu Yingzong finished speaking than a rough, hoarse voice rang out from the corner: "Commander, I have an idea!"

Everyone turned to look and saw Qi Zhihao, the company commander of the newly established 4th Mechanized Battalion's tank company.

This former college student, after two years of war, has become a seasoned officer.

“Go ahead,” Fang Wen replied.

"The Japanese landing operation cannot be separated from the cover of naval guns. Our Taishan Storm rocket launcher has the range and power of a 150mm cannon, and its firing range can cover the near sea. It can also move freely to change the launch position. I suggest setting up multiple rocket launch points first. Once the Japanese landing point and the location of the near-sea ships are determined, the Taishan Storm rocket launcher can carry out cluster rocket strikes from the corresponding launch points."

Fang Wen nodded. "That's a great suggestion. Does anyone have any other suggestions?"

The platoon leader of the Third Battalion's engineering platoon spoke up: "During the last operation in southern Guangdong, our platoon laid anti-tank mines and bounding mines. Bounding mines are particularly deadly to soldiers and are well-suited for laying on beaches. However, considering the uncertainty of the Japanese landing points, I'm wondering if our Taishan Military Industry could develop a mine-laying device that can be launched during combat. In addition, there are naval mines. If we could lay mines on the sea surface that the Japanese ships cannot detect, it might be effective."

This suggestion was very useful, Fang Wen thought to himself.

There are many types of remote mine-laying devices in the future.

For example, the U.S. military's mine-laying system is carried by tactical missiles and deploys multiple anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in a predetermined area through a pinpoint launch method.

The system was tested in the Gulf War to block Iraqi army's rear supply lines, forcing the enemy to detour through the desert and slowing their movement.

In the absence of missiles, rockets can be used instead. By deploying a large number of mines at once using multiple rocket launchers, it is possible to deal with large-scale enemy tank forces.

Of course, this is not easy to achieve.

Wait a minute, Fang Wen thought of an easier way to implement it.

Airborne mine-laying system.

By simply installing a mine-laying pod on the aircraft, the mines can be deployed in one go by opening the pod.

After being dropped by the aircraft, the mines landed via parachute, and were detonated by radio detonation.

Whenever enemy landing traces are detected during wartime, the missiles are dropped into that area and then handed over to ground troops for targeted detonation.

This makes landmines more adaptable to the battlefield, instead of passively waiting for the enemy to step on them.

There are also naval mines, which need to be deployed in advance; once they are detonated, it's a surprise.

With this in mind, Fang Wen kept this in mind and continued to listen to advice.

The meeting ended two hours later.

Fang Wen immediately sent a telegram to the base in northern Myanmar.

In his telegram, he instructed the base in northern Myanmar to manufacture mine-laying pods according to his requirements, and to send over the mines and radio-guided mines prepared by the bomb factory.

The mine-laying pod is not a complicated device; it can be opened via mechanical linkages.

However, air-dropped landmines require parachutes, which necessitates a large number of small parachutes to match them.

To this end, female staff members and their families from various units at the northern Myanmar base were mobilized to collectively make small parachutes.

Time passed little by little.

The bombing ruins of Guangzhou have been cleared, but the Lan Agency and the South China Command have suffered heavy damage.

The planned military operation targeting Guangdong was forced to be halted.

The Japanese Navy, however, formulated a military action plan targeting Yangjiang and sent the plan to the Naval General Staff.

The Naval General Staff is the highest-level department in the Japanese Navy that issues military orders, and it is on par with the Ministry of the Navy (military administration).

The two departments share an office area and frequently interact.

After get off work, officers from both departments would meet up at an izakaya (Japanese pub).

Yoshida is one of them; because he doesn't eat at home, he participates in this activity almost every day.

On this day, the officers came to the izakaya again.

After a few cups of sake, some people started to chatter.

"Are you aware that something has happened in the South China Theater Command?"

"Yes, I know. A merchant militia defeated an army regiment."

The officers laughed; the army and navy had a long history of discord, and they were pleased with the army's defeat.

Everyone drank several times more and became even more talkative.

"This time our navy is going to be deployed to attack that merchant militia. As long as we annihilate it, we can apply to our superiors for full control of the war situation in South China."

Yoshida's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "When do we take action?"

"We just finished deliberating today and are preparing to launch an attack the day after tomorrow," the officer mumbled, then slumped onto the table, probably not remembering what he had said when he woke up.

Yoshida got up and, as usual, took a bag of eel rice and left the izakaya.

After leaving the house, he quickened his pace, returned home, closed the door, took out the telegraph machine, and waited for the contact time to send out the intelligence he had just learned.

Yangjiang, by the sea.

Fang Wen piloted an aircraft in the air to guard against the laying of mines.

No enemy traces have been detected in the surrounding area according to radar feedback.

Meanwhile, on the sea below, two fishing boats were at work, and workers at the bomb factory and soldiers from the Independent Regiment were carefully placing prototype mines, one meter in diameter, into the water.

These mines are relatively small in size, but very powerful.

Furthermore, it is a semi-submersible type, with the mine floating 2 meters below the water surface by controlling the internal air ratio.

This makes it very difficult for Japanese naval ships to be observed with the naked eye, and once a collision occurs, it would be enough to cause serious trouble for the Japanese warships.

It took half an hour to install one mine, and then the fishing boat sailed to another location to continue laying mines.

When the Japanese fleet approached, Fang Wen would use a radio to call down below, instructing them to bring their ships to shore for cover.

After the Japanese warships left, the mine-laying team boarded the ship again to begin mine-laying operations.

Although these actions were intermittent and seemed very dangerous, they were never discovered by the Japanese army.

As night fell, the last mine was laid, the ship docked, and Fang Wen piloted his plane back to port.

After he returned to base, as soon as he got off the plane, a telegraph operator from the regimental headquarters came to report with a telegram.

"Commander, there's a special call. I've recorded the Morse code."

Fang Wen took the telegram, glanced at the code, and knew it was a telegram from Yoshida, an insider in Japan.

He translated it in his mind.

[Urgent Intelligence: The Navy has decided to attack Yangjiang, to be carried out the day after tomorrow.]

Fang Wen was not nervous because of this intelligence.

What's coming will eventually come; it all depends on whether everything the Independent Regiment has done will be effective in defending against the Japanese landing.

(End of this chapter)