Republic of China: Ace Pilot

After the exercise ended, the participating troops were still on their way back.

Fang Wen was at the military airport, reviewing the loopholes in the exercise and optimizing the command process.

Of course, reconnaissance of Haiphong port is essential.

Two P-40s conduct aerial reconnaissance near Haiphong port every day. Although this operation is dangerous, it is also the best way to train.

But unexpectedly, a problem arose so quickly.

"Commander, the Air Force reconnaissance team reported an important situation after returning. The Japanese have deployed new fighter jets for patrols over Haiphong Port. They are very fast and highly maneuverable." Gong Xiuneng strode into the temporary command tent, holding the reconnaissance report in his hand, his tone urgent. "In addition, eight transport ships and four destroyers have appeared in the port overnight. The Japanese are unloading personnel and equipment overnight."

Fang Wen put down the command manual in his hand, his eyes sharpening.

It seems the Japanese army has begun a new round of landings.

Those new fighter planes must be the belated Zero fighter.

The Japanese designers eventually discovered the problem, returned to their original design approach, and produced the Zero fighter.

If the Zero fighter and the P-40 were to meet, which would be stronger?

Fang Wen didn't want to just look at the data; he also wanted to see the Zero fighter in person.

On another front, the reports from the Air Force reconnaissance team could only provide a general outline and could not accurately grasp the strength, equipment quantity, and deployment of the Japanese forces. This information directly determined the intensity and tactical arrangements of subsequent air raids.

“I’ll go there myself.” He got up and left the temporary air force command post, heading towards the tarmac.

Upon reaching that point, he directly addressed Zhou Hengli, the captain of the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Air Force, saying, "Prepare a P-40 fighter plane for me; I want to pilot it alone for reconnaissance."

Zhou Hengli was not surprised by this. Everyone in Taishan knew that the general manager was an ace pilot, and he directly assigned the newly repaired No. 3 aircraft to Fang Wen.

Fang Wen sat in the P-40, activated the mechanical sensors to sense the American fighter jet, and after confirming that there were no problems, started the engine.

A few minutes later, the P-40 fighter jet slowly taxied out of the hangar and took off.

The fighter jets climbed to an altitude of 4000 meters and flew towards Haiphong City at a speed of 500 kilometers per hour.

Because the Taishan radar was not installed, it was impossible to determine whether there were large-scale Japanese aircraft formations at a distance, so Fang Wenfei flew relatively cautiously.

Under his piloting, the plane flew around the west side of Haiphong harbor, gradually approaching it.

Five minutes later, we arrived over Haiphong Port.

Japanese warplanes did not appear, so he activated his mechanical perception ability to observe the situation below.

Inside the port, a scene of bustling activity and chaos unfolded.

Eight transport ships were docked at the pier. The ships were huge and their decks were piled with supplies and equipment. Cranes were lifting heavy pieces of equipment onto the pier.

A temporary assembly area had already been set up on the dock, where densely packed Japanese soldiers were lining up and assembling.

The most conspicuous items were the tanks that had just been unloaded.

Fang Wen's special ability clearly detected that on one side of the dock, more than a dozen Type 95 light tanks were being towed away from the dock and slowly moving towards the assembly area.

This type of tank is small in size and has narrow tracks, making it suitable for rapid advance. It was the main equipment of the Japanese mechanized forces. He counted that there were as many as 20 Type 95 tanks in this batch of unloading alone.

On the other side of the assembly area, several larger tanks were being hoisted.

That's the Type 97 medium tank, which is more powerful and better protected than the Type 95.

Fang Wen carefully observed and discovered that eight Type 8 tanks had been unloaded and were all being driven to a small grove of trees near the port area to assemble.

Besides tanks, there were also a large number of motorized vehicles at the dock.

Military motorcycles and trucks were unloaded from the transport ship.

Those Japanese three-wheeled motorcycles could carry two Japanese soldiers, one as the driver and the other to operate a light machine gun.

This is another component of the Japanese mechanized corps: motorized units.

On the other side of the port, a unit dressed in blue naval uniforms had completed its assembly. It was the Japanese Marine Corps, numbering about a thousand men, each equipped with a submachine gun and a grenade.

There was also a special unit that caught Fang Wen's attention.

Instead of vehicles, they rode bicycles, neatly lined up at the edge of the assembly area. There were about several hundred of them, and each bicycle was equipped with a rifle, ammunition, and rations. They were the Japanese army's bicycle mobile brigade.

While piloting the plane at high altitude, Fang Wen used his supernatural abilities to carefully count the Japanese troops and equipment:

The motorized infantry numbered approximately 2,000, the Type 95 light tanks numbered no fewer than 40, the Type 97 medium tanks numbered at least 20, the bicycle motorized battalion numbered around 1,000, the marines numbered 3,000, and with the escort fleet added, the total Japanese force for this landing was close to 7,000.

According to the intelligence we had previously obtained, there were only about 10,000 Japanese troops left. With just one or two more transports of this size, they would all be able to reach Haiphong Port.

The aerial reconnaissance was over. Fang Wen took one last look at Haiphong Harbor, memorizing the Japanese deployment, assembly locations, and unloading progress. He then maneuvered his fighter jet to turn around, preparing to write down the reconnaissance intelligence and send it to the army after returning.

Fang Wen was maneuvering the P-40 fighter jet to turn around, preparing to return to base, when his supernatural vision of mechanical perception in his mind suddenly detected an anomaly.

Five slender, silver-gray figures were rapidly approaching from the direction of the Beibu Gulf.

The outline of the wings and the lines of the fuselage were exactly the same as the Zero fighter he had imagined; they were the new cruise fighters that the Japanese army had deployed in Haiphong Port.

(Type Zero)
Five Zero fighters, in a wedge formation, sped toward him at great speed, their wings cutting through the air and leaving faint contrails. They had clearly spotted the P-40 fighter that had intruded into their patrol range.

Fang Wen showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he suppressed the thought of turning back and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Since they've come to us, we might as well test the Zero's strength firsthand and also examine the P-40's true combat capabilities.

He was well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both: the Zero was light and agile, with an advantage in turning and climbing, and was virtually unbeatable in close combat, but it was thin-skinned and vulnerable, lacking armor protection and a self-sealing fuel tank. If a vital point was hit, it would instantly become an "airborne lighter".
While his P-40, which he piloted, had a slower climb rate and was less maneuverable horizontally than the Zero, it was superior in terms of robust structure, powerful firepower, and damage resistance that the Zero could not match. In addition, his mechanical perception ability allowed him to anticipate every movement of the Zero, which was his greatest source of confidence.

"Well done." Fang Wen muttered to himself. Under his control, the P-40's engine instantly unleashed even stronger power, and the speed soared to 520 kilometers per hour. Instead of choosing a head-on confrontation, he controlled the fighter jet to slowly climb the altitude, ascending towards the 4500-meter airspace.

He was taking into account the situation of a normal pilot flying a P-40 engaging in combat with a Zero, and deliberately avoiding the low-altitude dogfighting that the Zero was good at.

Upon seeing this, the five Zero fighters immediately dispersed and formed a flanking maneuver, closely following behind. Their wings flexibly adjusted their angles, and their climb rate far exceeded that of the P-40. In just over ten seconds, they closed the distance between the two aircraft.

The lead Zero fighter was the first to attack, its 20mm cannons on both wings roaring, and the shells came flying with sharp whistles, leaving white bullet marks in the air.

Fang Wen, relying on his mechanical senses, anticipated Zero's firing intentions and, as the enemy opened fire, maneuvered his P-40 to make a slight side roll, easily avoiding the attack.

Instead of turning back to fight, he continued to climb, doing what a pursued pilot should do.

As expected, the Zero fighters behind them did not give up after their initial attack failed. Two Zeros circled around from the left, while two others flanked from the right. The one that had just launched the attack pursued closely, trying to surround Fang Wen's P-40 and engage in their most proficient close-range dogfight.

The Zero's maneuverability was on full display, with an extremely small turning radius and a very fast rolling speed. Its fuselage was like a nimble seabird, weaving through the air as a barrage of shells rained down on the P-40, so dense that it almost formed a net of fire.

Fang Wen remained calm throughout and was not swayed by Zero's rhythm.

He knew that once he got into a circling dogfight, the P-40 would surely be destroyed, so he always adhered to the tactic of "not engaging in close combat, only fighting one-on-one," using his mechanical senses to avoid every encirclement by the Zero in advance.

When the two Zero fighters on the right approached to within 500 meters, Fang Wen suddenly pulled the control stick sharply, and the P-40 instantly changed course, diving towards the sea below.

The P-40's dive speed soared instantly, the engine roared even more violently, and the fuselage sped towards the sea like a meteor, quickly exceeding 600 kilometers per hour.

Seeing this, the Zero fighters behind them immediately followed and dove to pursue, but they had only been diving for a short time when their fuselages began to shake violently and their wings made a creaking sound as they were about to collapse.

The Zero fighter had an empty weight of only 1.6 tons and a full weight of 2.6 tons. Its structure was very fragile and could not withstand such a high dive speed. Therefore, they had to reduce the speed and dive angle.

"Now!"

A glint flashed in Fang Wen's eyes. As he dove to an altitude of 3000 meters, he quickly pulled up, performed a beautiful half-roll, and instantly turned the nose of the fighter jet to face the Zero fighter behind him, which was adjusting its attitude due to the rapid dive.

With their noses facing each other, the opportunity was fleeting. Without hesitation, he pressed the fire button, and the six 12.7mm machine guns on the P-40 opened fire simultaneously. A dense barrage of bullets poured out like a torrential rain, accurately hitting the Zero's fuselage.

With a deafening roar, the Zero's fuselage burst into flames. Its unarmored body was torn apart by bullets, its fuel tanks exploded instantly, and the flames stained half the sky red. The wreckage fell towards the sea like a kite with a broken string.

With a single shot, a Zero fighter was completely destroyed, even more vulnerable than other Japanese warplanes that Fang Wen had previously shot down.

Upon seeing this, the remaining four Zero fighters panicked. They hadn't expected that in just a few exchanges, they would not only fail to shoot down the enemy plane, but also lose one of their own.

The Japanese pilots who were able to fly the new Zero fighter were not novices and did not believe that their skills were inferior to their opponents.

They developed the illusion that their opponents were just lucky.

In response, the Japanese pilots in the four Zero fighters roared and continued to attack the P-40. Two of the pilots took out their combat medicine, 'Assault Tablets,' and immediately entered a state of high excitement.

Fang Wen remained calm in response.

To deal with such a fragile character, he only needs to ensure accuracy and dodge attacks to handle it.

Immediately, the plane veered upwards, shaking off the Japanese fighter group that had finally managed to gather.

The four Zero fighters quickly turned around and continued their pursuit.

Fang Wen used the same tactic as before, pulling up the fuselage again and then suddenly diving, using the extremely fast dive speed to shake off the opponent.

One of the Zero fighters had its cockpit piloted with Assault Pills, making him completely fearless of death. He roared as he tried to close in again, wanting to avenge his comrade.

Under the influence of war drugs, he disregarded the possibility of damage to the aircraft's wings during this high-speed dive and rapidly approached the P-40 fighter.

Fang Wen noticed this through mechanical sensing. He sneered and suddenly reduced the engine power, adjusting the aircraft's dive angle.

In that instant, the aircraft's position and speed changed, and the Japanese Zero fighters that were rapidly pursuing it suddenly rushed past.

Fang Wen pressed the fire button at the optimal firing time, and another round of intense fire ensued.

This time, the bullet hit the Zero's wing, which broke off instantly. The fighter lost its balance and tumbled into the sea.

Within minutes, two Zeros were shot down. The remaining three Zeros finally realized that their opponents were too strong and they could not win in a battle involving spatial transformation. They had no choice but to give up the pursuit and try to regroup, hoping to rely on their numerical advantage to fight back.

This strategy means that if Fang Wen doesn't make a move, they won't be able to deal with him; it's a conservative tactic.

If Fang Wen were to leave in his P-40 fighter jet, they would not pursue him.

Fang Wen saw through their intentions, but did not want it to end there. He manipulated the P-40 to climb again, while constantly changing course, maneuvering against the Zero at high altitude.

The three Zero fighters, which should have been more agile than the P-40, were now cowering and hesitant to spread out, while the P-40s were constantly changing positions and provoking the P-40s.

Finally, another Japanese pilot who had taken Assault Pills lost control of his emotions and piloted his Zero fighter away from the formation, attempting to outflank the enemy. Fang Wen anticipated this and dove down, his machine gun fire accurately hitting the fuel tank, destroying another Zero.

The remaining two Zero fighters were completely panicked, losing all their previous arrogance, and turned around to flee the battlefield.

Fang Wen did not pursue them. He had already achieved his goal: to witness the Zero's strength firsthand, to verify the P-40's tactical advantages, and to understand the Zero's weaknesses.

The Zero's high speed and agility were achieved through a minimalist aircraft structure and a lightweight design. Its defenses were virtually nonexistent, and even a hit from an aircraft machine gun within its effective range would cause considerable damage.

To deal with this type of aircraft, you need to use the advantage of firepower range. Aircraft like the P-40 with six machine guns, the British Spitfire, and the early Taishan aircraft can all pose a threat to it.

The P-40's shortcomings are also obvious; it is not as flexible as the Zero, and this deficiency can only be compensated for through tactics.

Fang Wen planned to return and discuss new air tactics with the pilots. (End of Chapter)