Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Fang Wen stood aside and explained in detail everything he saw in the aerial photography.

Although it was the first time the leaders of the New Fourth Army had seen this kind of aerial film, they had already recognized this new technology.

“Judging from these aerial photographs, they have laid out multiple layers of blockade around Maolin Town, along the passes and mountain roads that we must pass through, such as Piling, Xingtan, Gaotan, and Shijingkeng. Among them, the Xingtan, Langqiao, and Piling line is responsible for blocking us from the front, preventing us from passing through the Maolin area; the Kuomintang troops west of Maolin and in the Gaotan area cut off the southwest and northwest retreat routes; the troops deployed north of Maolin and in Jingxian County block the breakout routes to the north and northeast; and the troops deployed southwest of Maolin block the breakout route towards Taiping.”

The army commander's face was serious: "Comrades, the enemy is preparing to annihilate us. They have tens of thousands of troops, while we only have a few thousand. Once we enter the ambush zone, we will be in danger."

He looked at Fang Wen and praised him, "General Manager Fang, you have helped us a lot. If it weren't for your new aerial photography technology, we wouldn't have been able to predict the Kuomintang army's ambush."

Fang Wen smiled and explained his actions: "I also purchased this technology from Fairchild Semiconductor in the United States. It was just installed on the first low-speed reconnaissance aircraft. My idea was to use this aerial reconnaissance technology in actual combat. Therefore, when I was at Junshan Lake, I had the intention of conducting actual military reconnaissance to see the effect. I didn't expect to capture such important military intelligence."

The army commander nodded and then began to discuss the deployment of the Kuomintang army.

"Maolin is surrounded by mountains, with deep valleys and narrow roads. Only Maolin Town is passable for large troops. The Kuomintang army guarded the area where the troops passed through, intending to cut off our route and then use their superior numbers to encircle us."

"It seems they knew about our operation beforehand."

"So what do we do now? If we don't go through Maolin, how do we cross the river to the north?"

Fang Wen listened to their conversation with some surprise.

Why is Beidu heading southwest?

He couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to cross the Yangtze River to the north?"

A military staff officer explained: "Yes, the Military Commission sent a telegram ordering our troops to cross the river via Fanchang and Tongling, but those areas have been blocked by the Japanese army. The only usable crossing point is occupied by Li Pinxian's troops, and we are not allowed to pass through. There is another route, which is to cross the river via Yunling, Matou Town, Langxi, and then to southern Jiangsu, but the Japanese army is sweeping through there, so we cannot pass through there either. Therefore, we can only choose to cross the river via Yunling to Maolin and then from the northeast to southern Jiangsu."

After listening to the staff officer's explanation, Fang Wen gained a completely new understanding of the military situation here.

The Kuomintang army had probably been planning this for a long time. While forcing the New Fourth Army to move north of the Yangtze River, they also laid an ambush on the only route the New Fourth Army had to take, based on the actual situation they knew.

But now that the New Fourth Army knows about the ambush, how will they respond?
After some discussion, the New Fourth Army headquarters made a decision.

"The Kuomintang has wolfish ambitions and wants to devour us. If we hadn't discovered their intentions, they probably would have succeeded. But now that we know, we definitely won't fall into their trap. The troops will march along the Qingge River, cross Dianji Mountain, and head to Taohuatan Town."

Fang Wen, who was standing nearby, listened and pondered to himself.

This route is not easy to travel.

Dianji Mountain is a large mountain on the west bank of Qingge River. Unlike later times when mountain roads were built, in this era there were only narrow mountain paths used by villagers. It would be very difficult for an army of thousands to pass through there.

But after passing Dianji Mountain, you can reach Taohuatan Town. From there, you can march northwest through Qingyang County to reach the Yangtze River and then organize a ferry to cross the river.

In this way, they would just miss the Kuomintang's ambush area. Although the journey would be more difficult, it would be safer.

In response, Fang Wen volunteered to participate: "I can conduct aerial reconnaissance for you, and if any problems are discovered, I can notify you in advance to avoid them."

The New Fourth Army leadership readily agreed.

The marching plan was changed, and the New Fourth Army headquarters immediately issued an order:
The entire army turned and marched along the north bank of the Qingge River.

There was no explanation that the marching route had been changed; the troops still believed they were heading to Maolin Town, but had simply taken a different route.

Several thousand troops marched along the mountain trails along the Qingge River. When they reached the foot of Dianji Mountain, the troops suddenly turned and entered the mountain.

Dianji Mountain is towering and steep, and there are no proper roads, only narrow paths worn out by the mountain people.

Thousands of people carried guns, helped the wounded, and groups of mules and horses carried supplies, trudging along the rugged mountain roads.

They used both hands and feet to go uphill, and helped each other to go downhill. When they were hungry, they ate some dry food, and when they were thirsty, they drank from mountain springs. For a whole day and night, they managed to cross this mountain that even ordinary people would find difficult to traverse.

The next evening, the troops finally emerged from the mountains and arrived at Taohuatan Town.

The town was only occupied by a Kuomintang security regiment, which usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly. They never expected that a large army would suddenly emerge from the deep mountains.

Before the sentry could even shout, the New Fourth Army scouts had already rushed forward, their dark gun barrels pointed at them.

Without firing a single shot, the entire security force was disarmed and, to prevent the news from leaking out, they were all imprisoned in the town hall.

The troops rested briefly here, replenished their water and food supplies, and then continued their advance northwest.

……

While the New Fourth Army was marching, Fang Wen's gunboats were conducting aerial reconnaissance in southern Anhui.

He would fly ahead of the New Fourth Army's marching route, find out whether there were troops stationed in the villages, intersections, and hills along the way, or whether there were Japanese patrol teams, and then report all of this to the army headquarters by radio.
Sometimes it would turn back and fly towards Maolin to monitor the movements of the 80,000 Kuomintang troops lying in ambush.

Maolin area.

The Kuomintang troops waited for two whole days at the passes, hilltops, and key roads.

From anticipation to anxiety.

Not to mention the main force of the New Fourth Army, not even a single company entered.

"They...didn't even leave Maolin?!"

A brigade commander slammed his hat to the ground, his face filled with disbelief.

"How could they possibly bypass such a well-laid trap?!"

The generals gathered together, and after some deduction, they quickly realized the truth:
The New Fourth Army must have detected the ambush in advance and changed course to another location.

The most likely scenario is that they crossed the mountain and went to Taohuatan Town.

Therefore, they sent a telegram to Taohuatan to inquire.

There was no response.

This situation made them even more certain.

"Chase!"

We must not allow them to cross the river successfully!

The Kuomintang's 8 troops immediately broke camp and left Maolin Town for Taohuatan.

However, they were more than a day late, and secondly, they were unfamiliar with the mountain roads, so their heavy equipment, artillery, and vehicles simply couldn't keep up.

By the time the vanguard finally arrived at Taohuatan Town, the New Fourth Army had already left, leaving only 200 security guards who remained obediently at the town hall.

The pursuers could only gaze at the distant mountain road, unable to catch up.

……

High in the sky, Fang Wen piloted the plane away.

He saw all of this clearly from the air, and after flying his plane over the New Fourth Army's marching column, he picked up the microphone.

"Taishan Fangwen is calling the military headquarters."

"Received from military headquarters. Any findings?"

"The Kuomintang troops have already set out from Maolin. The vanguard has arrived at Taohuatan Town. Because they were unprepared, all their heavy weapons were left behind, and their ranks are very long. If they maintain this marching speed, they will not be able to catch up." "Very good. Please continue aerial reconnaissance."

After the call ended, Fang Wen piloted the plane to the front of the marching column.

The troops will be 30 kilometers ahead of Rongcheng Town, the seat of Qingyang County.

That area is under the control of the Kuomintang army, and under the current circumstances, it will likely be intercepted by the stationed Kuomintang troops.

But passing through there is the shortest and fastest route.

Therefore, the New Fourth Army decided to pass through outside the city.

As thousands of troops passed through, a part of the Kuomintang 22nd Army Group, which was guarding the city, immediately sent a telegram to the war zone commander to report the situation.

At this time, Commander Gu of the war zone was still leading his troops in pursuit of the New Fourth Army. Not wanting to give up halfway, Commander Gu ordered the garrison of Rongcheng Town to intercept them.

The 2000 defending troops left the city, but faced with four times the number of New Fourth Army soldiers, they had no will to fight.

The officer in charge shouted through a megaphone: "Brothers of the New Fourth Army, we have to obey orders and leave the city. But we will never fire the first shot. You may go."

Under the watchful eyes of both sides, the New Fourth Army troops gradually moved further and further away.

Only when the shadow disappeared from sight did the Kuomintang officer breathe a sigh of relief.

After passing Rongcheng Town, the journey ahead will be tough.

There is no turning back once you leave.

The area along the river ahead is all under Japanese control.

To cross the Yangtze River, we must quickly capture the Japanese troops stationed along the river and then rapidly organize a ferry fleet to cross.

This process had to be quick and completed in one go; otherwise, the Japanese gunboats deployed on the Yangtze River would pose a significant threat to crossing the river.

After marching for two days and one night, the New Fourth Army entered the area on the south bank of the Yangtze River controlled by the Japanese army.

This area was controlled by a Japanese regiment, with its troops scattered across several river crossings, villages, and watchtowers on high ground, forming a tight blockade along the river.

Even before the troops arrived, Fang Wen had already piloted a gunboat to conduct reconnaissance of the Japanese army's deployment on both sides of the Yangtze River. He reported the location of each stronghold, the number of pillboxes, and the troop deployment in detail to the New Fourth Army headquarters.

Based on this accurate reconnaissance intelligence, the military had already formulated a surprise attack plan, clarifying the core strategy of "quick victory, multi-pronged attack, and seizing the crossing point", striving to take the south bank crossing point before the Japanese gunboats on the river could arrive as reinforcements.

At the command of the military headquarters, the New Fourth Army soldiers immediately put aside their fatigue and quickly split into three groups. Taking advantage of the terrain such as the reeds and earthen slopes along the riverbank, they silently approached the Japanese stronghold.

The crisp sound of gunfire shattered the tranquility of the river. The New Fourth Army soldiers, like tigers emerging from the mountains, launched a fierce attack on the Japanese stronghold.

At the same time, 10 gunboats from the New Fourth Army's air regiment arrived over the battlefield on time. Fang Wen personally served as the air commander, sitting in the cockpit and coordinating the aircraft group via radio: "Attention all crews, our primary target is the Japanese pillbox on the riverbank. We will carry out continuous fire suppression to create an opportunity for the ground troops to attack!"

After the order was given, the 10 gunboats quickly dispersed, flew low over the Japanese stronghold, and conducted circling fire on the target.

The aircraft's side-mounted 12.7mm machine guns and 20mm cannons strafed the Japanese positions, and a dense barrage of bullets rained down on them.

Machine gun shells exploded one after another on the pillbox, sending dirt and rocks flying and flames soaring into the sky.

The pillboxes built by the Japanese army lacked air defenses and were completely unable to attack the New Fourth Army's ground forces under heavy air fire.

The New Fourth Army soldiers acted swiftly, carrying cluster explosive packs with grenades strapped to them, running to the pillbox, pulling the pins, and then quickly running away.

With a loud bang, the pillbox collapsed.

Of course, the New Fourth Army now also has some siege weapons, so it doesn't need to risk getting close to the demolition site like that.

Individual rocket launchers and rifle grenades are good weapons, but for soldiers, explosive charges are still the most powerful!

One after another, the pillboxes collapsed with a roar. The Japanese soldiers inside had no time to react and were buried in the ruins. Their fierce firepower was instantly silenced.

Taking advantage of the situation, the ground troops launched an offensive, broke through the Japanese defenses, and advanced step by step toward the crossing.

Just as the ferry crossing on the south bank was about to be completely captured, two Japanese gunboats suddenly appeared downstream of the Yangtze River.

"Two Japanese gunboats spotted, heading towards the ferry crossing to reinforce! I will lead a team to stop them." Fang Wen immediately notified the ground command via radio and directed the gunboat squadron to fly towards the Japanese gunboats.

He picked up the microphone and said, "Once the aerial rockets are launched, the other gunships and aircraft will launch their attack."

Three modified gunboats equipped with rocket launchers, which were already prepared, quickly moved forward. These three aircraft were piloted by Fang Wen, Shao Sishen, and Sun Tianrui, respectively.

Although Shao Sishen had some problems with his hands and feet, he was still skilled at controlling the fighter jet; Sun Tianrui had a talent for flying and was considered the best in the New Fourth Army's air regiment.

"Lock onto the first gunboat simultaneously, fire a salvo!"

Under Fang Wen's command, Shao Sishen and Sun Tianrui positioned their cameras so that the nose of their cameras was aligned with the gunboat below, and the gunboat appeared on the aiming sights on the screen of the television-guided fire control device. They then pulled the firing triggers.

Three fighter jets simultaneously launched aerial rockets, more than twenty rockets trailing orange-red flames as they roared toward the Japanese gunboats on the river.

Shao Sishen and Sun Tianrui's rockets partially hit their targets, while Fang Wen's rockets all hit their targets.

"Boom—!!" A series of violent explosions rang out as the gunboat was attacked by rockets on its side, bow, and stern.

In particular, a huge breach was blasted open on the side of the ship, and the icy river water rushed into the boat. The gunboat began to tilt and sink. The Japanese soldiers on the deck could not stand and fell into the turbulent Yangtze River with screams. They were quickly swallowed by the river.

The other Japanese gunboat witnessed the horrific scene of its comrade and was so terrified that it dared not fight any longer. The gunboat suddenly turned around and fled downstream in a sorry state, fearing that it would be hit by rockets.

Fang Wen watched the fleeing Japanese gunboats but did not order a pursuit. He knew that the most important task at present was to hold the ferry crossing and open up the river crossing channel. He could not delay the battle opportunity by pursuing them.

"All aircraft return to base, prepare for airborne operations!"

The gunboat fleet quickly returned to Junshan Lake Water Airport, where ground crew who had been waiting there immediately sprang into action, refueling the aircraft, replenishing ammunition, and checking equipment. The entire process was carried out in an orderly manner, and the resupply was completed in a short time.

Subsequently, the paratroopers of the New Fourth Army Air Regiment, fully armed, boarded the gunboat.

Fang Wen led his team into the air once again, piloting fighter jets straight towards the north bank of the Yangtze River.

At this time, the ferry crossing on the south bank had been completely controlled by ground troops, and the soldiers were nervously preparing boats to cross the river. Meanwhile, the Japanese strongholds on the north bank of the river were still there, and if they were not destroyed as soon as possible, they would pose a serious threat to the troops crossing the river.

Upon reaching the airspace over Jiangbei and the appropriate landing area, Fang Wen picked up the microphone and announced: "Drop zone reached. All aircraft, begin opening your hatches and parachuting!"

The other gunship pilots immediately carried out the order, and the crew opened the hatches. The paratroopers walked to the hatches one by one and jumped out of the cabins in an orderly manner.

One after another, white umbrellas bloomed in the sky above Jiangbei, slowly landing behind the Japanese stronghold.

Thirty minutes later, the airborne troops completed their landing and assembly, and launched an attack on the Jiangbei stronghold.

Although they carried infantry weapons, they were supported by air power. Under the repeated attacks of machine guns, cannons, and aerial rockets, the Japanese defenses gradually crumbled.

Under the airborne assault and the suppression of air fire, the machine gun positions, watchtowers, and command posts of the Japanese strongholds north of the Yangtze River were destroyed one by one. The defending troops were either annihilated or fled in disarray, and soon lost their ability to resist.

Before long, the Jiangbei ferry crossing was also successfully captured, and the ferry crossings on both sides of the river were completely opened up.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone, adjusted the communication frequency, and reported to the New Fourth Army headquarters: "The north bank crossing has been secured; we can immediately organize a crossing!" (End of Chapter)