Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 677 The Battle of Yangjiang, the Reorganization of the Independent Regiment, and the Mixed Infantry and Tank Company
The battle on the beachhead was extremely fierce.

The Independent Regiment used a multi-layered, three-dimensional fire network consisting of gunboats, aircraft, tanks, and mobile infantry vehicles to inflict heavy losses on the Japanese landing forces.

There were minefields behind them, and these Japanese soldiers had nowhere to go!

"Charge! Take over the left flank!" The Japanese landing force commander roared, brandishing his sword. He knew that if they remained trapped in the open, they would only become sitting ducks.

Stunned by the attack, 200 Japanese soldiers, driven by their officers, grabbed their rifles and, using the shell craters and sand dunes as cover, launched an assault on the small hill to the left of the 3rd Battalion's position. It was the only uncontrolled high point on the plain; if they could capture it, they could set up machine guns to suppress the Independent Regiment's firepower.

From this angle, the ground troops of the Independent Regiment could not detect the Japanese army's movements immediately.

But the characters in the air can.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone.

"Third Battalion, take note: the Japanese are preparing to circle around to the west. Send some of your troops to ambush them on the western sand dunes."

"Two tanks from the tank company were dispatched to cooperate in the operation."

Upon receiving the order, 3rd Battalion Commander William immediately gave the order in fluent Mandarin, “2nd Platoon, 1st Company, drive over and occupy the sand dunes on the west side. Tanks will be there to support you in the operation.”

The soldiers of the second platoon immediately withdrew from the position, boarded two military vehicles, and drove to the west.

At the same time, the two tanks withdrew from the battle and headed west.

Such mobility was unmatched by the Japanese army, allowing them to quickly seize the sand dune and drive back the Japanese troops who were trying to turn the tide.

At this point, all the deployments were complete, and it was time to wrap things up.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone:

"Rocket squadron, first and second vehicles fire simultaneously. Once the target is confirmed, third vehicle fires in succession. Target: warship at sea."

"Attention all units: launch an offensive immediately after the rockets are fired and ensure the annihilation of the Japanese landing force."

After the order was issued, Battalion Commander Liu Yubao immediately ordered the Taishan Storm rocket launcher, which was in launch preparation status, to launch immediately.

"Fire!" As soon as Liu Yubao's shout fell, rockets were launched one after another from the launchers of the two Taishan Storm rocket launchers. A total of 48 132mm rockets flew out with a whistling sound, their trails leaving gray-white arcs in the air, like forty-eight sharp blades piercing the sky.

On the sea, just as the lookout on the Japanese flagship "Isuzu" screamed "Enemy attack!", the alarm on the bridge blared shrilly.

The fleet commander, staring at the rapidly approaching volley of rockets, roared the order: "Anti-aircraft guns, intercept! Quickly!"

However, the rockets flew at speeds far exceeding the limits of the ship's guns. The gunners frantically turned the gun wheels, but before the muzzles could be raised to the intended angle, the first rocket had already struck the middle of the deck of the "Isuzu".

"Boom—!" The violent explosion shook the ship violently, tearing a hole several meters wide through the deck. The gun shields of the ship's cannons were blown off by the shockwave, and hot steel fragments rained down on the deck.

Two sailors had no time to dodge and were thrown into the sea by the blast wave. The ammunition compartment door was shaken open, and the piled-up shells rolled to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the second and third rockets hit their targets in succession. One grazed the bridge and shattered the communication antenna, while the other struck the stern.

Other ships were also hit: the steering gear of a destroyer was destroyed by a rocket and it crashed into a transport ship next to it out of control; the deck of another frigate was engulfed in flames, and the sailors ran away with fire extinguishers, but were forced to retreat by the ever-spreading flames.

The Japanese navy also experienced the same rocket barrage that the army suffered.

However, with only 48 rockets, the warheads were not powerful enough to destroy a warship weighing several thousand tons.

Meanwhile, the third Taishan Storm rocket launcher, after confirming that the firing data was valid, also launched 24 132mm rockets from its launcher.

These rockets were designed for special combat purposes, and after landing in the area of ​​the Japanese fleet, they all detonated using delayed fuses.

Large plumes of smoke billowed out with the explosion, obstructing the Japanese fleet's view.

"All aircraft deployed!" Fang Wen shouted into the microphone from the cockpit of the Qinyuan, then piloted the aircraft down from high altitude.

The strafing fire of eight quadruple-barreled aircraft machine guns inflicted horrific lacerations on the Japanese positions, sending blood mists billowing into the air.

The twenty gunboats in the air immediately split into two groups. One group cooperated with the ground troops to continue to carry out air strikes against the Japanese forces on the beach, while the other group flew to the landing craft and destroyed them.

On the ground, the tank company was the first to charge out, and the infantry of the 3rd Battalion followed closely behind the tanks, rushing towards the Japanese army.

In just ten minutes, the Japanese landing force was completely scattered.

Most of the disorganized Japanese troops who wanted to escape ran towards the sea.

Many Japanese soldiers stepped on landmines and were instantly blown to pieces.

Even the Japanese troops who managed to reach the beach collapsed after discovering that their landing ships had been destroyed.

This made them afraid to run towards the sea, and they could only flee to other enemy territories.

A hail of bullets rained down, and the Japanese soldiers fell one by one.

The remaining less than one hundred people dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground, and raised their hands.

The soldiers used their rifle butts to knock them to the ground one by one, then tied them up and took them away.

William reported via Taishan walkie-talkie: "Commander, the battle is over. We annihilated the Japanese landing force and captured more than 70 enemy soldiers. It was a great victory."

Fang Wen, who had been observing the battlefield situation throughout using his supernatural abilities, pretended to be a novice and said, "Very good. Ground troops, immediately escort the prisoners to the second-line area and await further orders. Do not clean up the battlefield. The 3rd Air Battalion may return to base."

The units below, having received Fang Wen's orders, acted accordingly and quickly withdrew from the beachhead.

Ten minutes later, the smoke on the sea dissipated.

The Japanese fleet's anti-aircraft guns were pointed towards the land, on high alert.

No rockets were launched.

But the sounds of fighting seemed to have ceased on the beachhead.

The fleet commander raised his binoculars to observe.

The place was a mess, with the bodies of Japanese marines lying on the beach, turning the entire sand red.

Not a single living person.

"Where are our men?" the Japanese fleet commander roared.

“They’ve all perished,” the vice-captain replied.

The fleet commander lowered his binoculars, hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision: "The fleet must retreat. We need to reconsider how to deal with the Taishan Independent Regiment."

High in the sky, Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan and continued to circle, using his supernatural abilities to survey the entire battlefield.

The Japanese fleet below suddenly changed direction and headed towards Hailing Island.

Only after the Japanese fleet had gone far away did Fang Wen fly back over land and pick up the microphone.

"The Japanese fleet has temporarily withdrawn, and all units have returned to their bases for rest and reorganization."

A response came through the radio, and it was clear that everyone was happy.

After putting down the microphone, Fang Wen also piloted the plane back to the Independent Regiment's base on the banks of the Nalong River and landed it. As he got off the plane, Wu Yingzong, who was stationed at the Independent Regiment's base, came to greet him.

"Captain, how's the battle going?"

"Very good." Fang Wen replied with a smile. "The troops will be back soon. We'll all assemble in a bit for a general meeting. You'll find out the details then."

Just then, the troops returned.

The tank company was in front, followed by soldiers from the 3rd Battalion in military vehicles, and then infantry on foot and dozens of Japanese prisoners of war tied up with ropes.

As for the three Taishan Storm rocket launchers, they did not return and remained in a concealed area on standby.

Deputy Regiment Commander Wu Yingzong shouted, "Listen up, everyone! The regiment commander says he's going to hold a general meeting. Everyone, assemble!"

The cheers and laughter from all the units immediately ceased, and they lined up to assemble.

William walked over: "Commander, what should we do with those prisoners?"

"Putting them in a POW camp and letting them interact with other POWs will be beneficial for the upcoming interrogations," Fang Wen replied.

“Yes.” William ordered his soldiers to take the 70-odd prisoners to the prisoner-of-war camp.

The 200 Japanese prisoners of war held in the POW camp were surprised to see that new prisoners of war had been sent over.

Seeing that the guards did not prohibit contact between the two sides, one of the prisoners of war boldly asked the newcomer in Japanese.

"Where do you come from?"

The prisoners of war, who had just been captured, were exhausted and mostly unwilling to talk to him. It took several questions before they answered.

"We are Marines. Today we are preparing for a landing operation, taking over from the Taishan Independent Regiment's ambush."

"How many troops were sent for the landing operation?"

"1000 people."

"Only 1000?"

The old prisoner of war realized that these newcomers were probably the only survivors left on the battlefield.

He was going to explain the rules here to the newcomer.

At that moment, a continuous shout came from afar: "Victory is certain!" "The Independent Regiment will win!"

The Independent Regiment held a post-battle collective meeting.

The soldiers followed their respective company formations, with Pan Jiafeng, who flew in alone from Zhaoqing, representing the Third Aviation Battalion.

Fang Wen walked onto the makeshift platform made from empty ammunition boxes. His gaze swept over the faces of the soldiers below, still bearing the marks of gunpowder. Despite the intense fighting, these soldiers maintained their high morale.

"Comrades, we have won the battle of Yangjiang Beach that just ended!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous cheers erupted from the audience. Soldiers waved their arms vigorously, and shouts rose and fell.

They were venting their excitement, and Fang Wen did not stop them.

After the cheers subsided, Fang Wen continued, "Some say that the Japanese army was very strong, and that our Chinese soldiers needed a six-to-one ratio to eliminate one Japanese soldier. We paid a huge price for this, yet we still couldn't stop the invaders' advance. But I don't think so. In my opinion, China has the strongest soldiers in the world. In terms of will and physique, they are no less than the Japanese. The only difference is that we lack weapons and equipment. Over the years, I have been trying to prove this point. To this day, our Taishan Independent Regiment has aircraft, artillery, tanks, and high-quality individual weapons. We have developed our own combat methods and, while defeating the enemy time and time again, have proven that with better weapons and equipment, the sons and daughters of China can do better than the Japanese."

After a pause, Fang Wen continued: "1000 Japanese soldiers landed, with naval support, and in the end, only 70 prisoners were left kneeling on the beach! This was not luck, but a victory won by our Taishan Independent Regiment with airplanes, tanks, rockets, and the courage and fighting spirit of every single one of us! The Japanese fleet could not stop our rockets; their boasted invincible army could not break through our firepower!"

The crowd erupted in cheers once more, the soldiers shouting, "The Independent Regiment will prevail! China will prevail!"

Even William and the foreign mercenaries were moved by Fang Wen's words and shouted the same slogan together.

Wartime speeches are meant to maintain the morale of the entire unit, but simply saying nice things won't do. Fang Wen's tone turned serious.

"But I must remind everyone that the Japanese fleet is only temporarily retreating. They will not be willing to accept defeat and will definitely continue to launch attacks. What we will face next are more enemies, ships, and planes. At that time, holding our ground here will become our weakness. Therefore, I have decided to abandon the Yangjiang garrison and learn from the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army to fight guerrilla warfare against the Japanese."

The sounds below immediately disappeared.

The soldiers and officers of the Independent Regiment had fought alongside Fang Wen all the way, and they had boundless admiration and trust in him.

They awaited Fang Wen to reveal the new battle plan.

Fang Wen continued, "The existing troop structure is no longer able to fully utilize our equipment advantages. Therefore, I have decided to change the current troop structure and reorganize the existing forces into three mixed mechanized companies."

He was on stage explaining his ideas.

It was actually a mixed infantry and tank company.

A mixed mechanized company has 3 tanks (tank platoon) and 2 mobile infantry platoons.

This arrangement allows for better coordination between infantry and tanks, and enables coordinated command and control operations via walkie-talkies and vehicle-mounted radios.

Only in this way can the Independent Regiment be divided into three parts, moving rapidly in the Yangjiang area. They can operate separately or quickly converge with high mobility to attack targets together.

When combined with air-to-ship gunships, the firepower becomes even greater.

Fang Wen's supernatural command mode is the most crucial element.

The officers and soldiers had no objection to Fang Wen's request to reorganize the independent regiment. The advantages of combined arms operations had already been demonstrated during the battle in southern Guangdong, and they could all accept it.

Therefore, the original structure was temporarily broken up.

Wu Yingzong was the commander of a mixed company, which had a tank platoon consisting of four tanks and two mobile infantry platoons under his command.

William was the commander of the mixed 3nd Company, which consisted of a tank platoon with three tanks and two mobile infantry platoons.

Qi Zhihao was the commander of the mixed 3rd Company, which had a tank platoon consisting of 3 tanks and two mobile infantry platoons under his command.

Liu Yubao continued to command the rocket launcher unit.

The 2nd Air Battalion remains unchanged.

After the integration was completed, the rocket launcher unit retreated to the north of Yangjiang City, the first integrated company was in the southwest of Yangjiang, the second integrated company was in Yangjiang City, and the third integrated company was in the southeast area of ​​Yangjiang.

Because the Independent Regiment's base was temporarily abandoned, Fang Wen was unable to take off and land aircraft at the base. He had to fly the Qinyuan back to the base in northern Myanmar and replace it with a gunboat for command and combat.

Two days later, the Japanese army launched a renewed offensive.

This time, the Japanese fleet gave the Independent Regiment sufficient attention.

First, they dispatched thirty aircraft to launch airstrikes simultaneously from Guangzhou military airfield and the sea.

Two groups of Japanese warplanes flew over the Independent Regiment's garrison and dropped a large number of bombs.

Explosions continued, and the Independent Regiment's base was engulfed in flames.

Subsequently, the Japanese fleet split into two directions and deployed landing forces in each direction.

(End of this chapter)