Republic of China: Ace Pilot

As the flames from the explosion that destroyed the oil transport convoy pierced the twilight sky, thick smoke billowed upwards, turning the last rays of the setting sun into a somber gray.

Not only did the tank crews who were there to provide support see all of this, but the Japanese central forces also noticed the unusual activity.

Just then, Fang Wen picked up the microphone and started a one-to-many broadcast on the repeater.

"Launch all forces in a general offensive!"

He instructed that the message be transmitted simultaneously to air force aircraft and ground troops via communicators.

French troops, who had been lying in ambush around the Japanese army's central garrison, moved instantly toward their designated combat zone.

In the air, Fang Wen piloted the Taishan first-generation aircraft, leading 30 P-40 fighters and 10 gunship aircraft to launch the first attack.

P-40 fighter formations swooped down, raining down aerial bombs from their wings onto Japanese tank formations, makeshift command posts, and infantry positions.

"Boom—Boom—Boom—" A series of explosions rang out one after another, the earth trembled violently, and the Japanese tanks that were stationary due to running out of fuel became live targets. One by one, they were hit by bombs, burst into flames, and their thick armor was blown open with large holes. The ammunition inside was ignited, triggering a chain reaction of explosions. Flames shot into the sky, and debris flew everywhere. The entire Japanese garrison was instantly turned into a sea of ​​fire.

After the dive bombing, the P-40 fighters did not stop their air raids. After adjusting in the air, they continued to dive and strafe, with their onboard machine guns and cannons firing at full power. Dense bullets rained down like a storm, heading towards the panicked Japanese soldiers.

Tanks could not protect these Japanese soldiers, and without effective anti-aircraft means, they could only lie on the ground in a sorry state or flee in all directions, but they could not escape the fierce attacks from the air. People kept falling into pools of blood. Screams, explosions, and the roar of warplanes intertwined to form a desperate battlefield symphony.

The 10 gunboats maintained low-altitude flight, turned their fuselages to the side, and aimed their firing ports at the Japanese assembly area, launching continuous air strikes.

The 12.7mm aircraft machine guns and 20mm cannons fired alternately, continuously inflicting damage on the Japanese troops.

Meanwhile, French ground troops also entered the combat zone and launched an attack on the Japanese army.

The mortar units deployed in the surrounding area opened fire first, and volleys of mortar shells roared out, landing in parabolic arcs in the Japanese garrison, with large explosions erupting inside and outside the Japanese garrison.

The multi-layered, massive bombardment of bullets, shells, and munitions inflicted unbearable pain on the Japanese central forces.

The Japanese central commander, seeing the rout before him, was filled with despair, yet he still did not give up the fight.

He knew that if he sat and waited for death, he would be completely annihilated by the French army. Only by moving his position and looking for an opportunity to break out could he have a chance of survival.

Therefore, he ordered: "All troops, abandon your positions and move immediately! Avoid French fire and break out towards the coast!"

Upon receiving the order, the remaining Japanese soldiers immediately sprang into action, discarding their cumbersome equipment and helping their wounded comrades as they moved toward the north side of their base.

Those tanks that had not yet been destroyed but had run out of fuel were completely abandoned on the spot, lying silently in the sea of ​​fire like cold iron coffins.

The Japanese army attempted to evade French air and ground attacks by relocating and find a way to break out, but their every move was already firmly locked onto by Fang Wen's mechanical perception ability.

"The Japanese troops are moving north. Immediately deploy the infantry artillery on the north flank to intercept them!"

After Fang Wen issued the order, the 20 French infantry guns deployed on the north side immediately adjusted their muzzles, aimed at the Japanese army's inevitable route of retreat, and opened fire intensively.

A volley of infantry guns fired shells at a low angle, the shells whistling past and landing among the retreating Japanese troops, kicking up clouds of dust. Japanese soldiers fell to the ground one after another, their retreating formation was instantly disrupted, and casualties continued to rise.

Seeing this, the Japanese commander had no choice but to order a change of direction and retreat eastward, attempting to leave from another area untouched by artillery fire.

But as soon as they changed direction, they found that the intersection on the east side had already been blocked by French tank units.

Thirty American M2A4 light tanks stood in neat formation, their guns pointed at the Japanese troops, ready to fire at any moment.

These tanks were troops that were quickly transferred to support the central front after the victory on the southern front, and they were now ready to intercept.

Upon seeing the French tank force, the Japanese soldiers were instantly gripped by even greater panic. They were already out of fuel and unable to use their tanks to fight back; faced with the French tank force, they were utterly helpless.

Unwilling to give up, the Japanese commander ordered his soldiers to concentrate their fire on the French tank units in an attempt to force them back and open a way to break out.

However, the Japanese light weapons were completely unable to penetrate the armor of the M2A4 light tank. The bullets that hit the tank only left small bullet holes and could not cause any damage to the tank at all.

Upon seeing this, the French tank commander ordered the tanks, which had little fuel left, to attack.

After these tanks were deployed.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and gave orders to the tank unit commander.

"Maintain distance, fire from a distance, and don't give the Japanese a chance to get close! They're out of fuel and can't keep up with our speed. As long as we drag the fight out, the Japanese will be at our mercy!"

As the order was given, 30 M2A4 light tanks opened fire simultaneously, their 37mm main gun shells whistling through the air, hitting groups of Japanese soldiers and a small number of surviving tanks and armored vehicles.

Japanese soldiers fell in droves, and tanks that were hit instantly burst into flames and lost power.

Some Japanese tanks also rushed out of the artillery fire zone, attempting to approach the French tank units, but unexpectedly, the French tank units retreated.

This caused great distress to the Japanese tank crews.

If you chase after them, you won't catch up, and you'll get separated from the main group.

If we don't pursue them, they'll definitely come back and fire again.

Left with no other choice, they had to grit their teeth and engage in mobile warfare with the French tank forces.

After a while, the Japanese army was exhausted. Their already dwindling ammunition was being depleted, and the soldiers' morale collapsed completely. Many laid down their weapons, collapsed to the ground, and had no strength left to resist.

Their tanks, which had already run out of fuel, were completely depleted during these repeated transfers and harassment, leaving not a trace of fuel. Tanks were left stranded on the pursuit route, utterly rendered useless scrap metal.

Fang Wen piloted the Taishan first-generation aircraft, overlooking the battle situation on the ground from high altitude. His mechanical perception ability clearly captured the movements of the Japanese army.

He knew the Japanese army was in dire straits, but he did not let his guard down. He continued to command the air force and ground troops, relentlessly tightening the encirclement and giving the Japanese no chance to escape. As night fell and darkness completely descended, the flames on the battlefield still burned fiercely, illuminating the entire night sky.

The Japanese commander in the central flank watched as fewer and fewer soldiers dwindled around him, while the French encirclement tightened around him. His hopes gradually faded.

He knew that breaking out was hopeless, and continuing to resist would only cause more casualties and ultimately lead to his annihilation by the French army.

But as a Japanese commander, he could not let go of his so-called "honor" and was unwilling to lay down his weapons and surrender, so he could only make a last-ditch effort.

"All tank crews, abandon your tanks and rendezvous with the motorized units. You will use your last remaining forces to break through to the border between Haiyang and Haiphong under the cover of night!"

The Japanese commander issued the final order to break out, his tone filled with helplessness and despair.

He knew it was just a futile struggle, but he still wanted to make one last attempt.

The remaining Japanese soldiers, though exhausted and demoralized, obeyed their commander's orders. The tank crews abandoned their tanks, which were out of fuel, and joined up with the remaining motorized units. Under the cover of night, they quietly moved toward the border between Haiyang and Haiphong.

They moved cautiously through the night, not daring to make a sound, for fear of being discovered by the French army.

But how could their plans escape Fang Wen's mechanical perception ability?

As early as when the Japanese army began to reorganize its forces and prepare to break out, Fang Wen had already detected their movements and clearly grasped their breakout route and troop deployment.

He then notified the ground troops: "The Japanese army currently has only one escape route, the transport road between Haiyang and Haiphong. I order the tank units to circle around to the front of the Japanese breakout route and intercept them; the ground infantry units to pursue from both sides and make sure to annihilate all the Japanese troops during their breakout, leaving no one to escape!"

Fang Wen's instructions were issued swiftly.

Upon receiving the order, the French tank units immediately sprang into action. Utilizing their agility and mobility, they quickly circled around to the front of the Japanese breakout route and formed ranks again at the only passage between Haiyang and Haiphong, ready to intercept them.

The French infantry on the ground split into two groups and quietly pursued the Japanese from both sides, gradually narrowing the encirclement and forcing the Japanese into the pre-set annihilation zone.

Under the cover of night, the Japanese breakout force cautiously advanced, passing through the still-burning fuel convoy. They were about to reach the border between Haiyang and Haiphong, thinking they were about to find a glimmer of hope, when suddenly a dense burst of fire appeared ahead, and the cannons of the French tank force roared in an instant.

The sound of explosions echoed in the night. The Japanese breakout force was hit instantly, and the soldiers fell to the ground one after another, and their marching formation was instantly disrupted.

"Oh no! An ambush!" the Japanese commander exclaimed, filled with despair. Their last attempt had been foiled by the French.

He immediately ordered his soldiers to counterattack in an attempt to break through the French blockade, but by this time the Japanese army had run out of ammunition and food, and their morale had collapsed, making it impossible for them to organize an effective counterattack.

French tank units continued firing, raining down shells on the Japanese troops; French infantry units on both sides also launched an attack, with machine guns and rifles firing incessantly, and Japanese soldiers falling one after another, suffering heavy casualties.

As the number of soldiers around him dwindled, the Japanese commander knew that the situation was hopeless and there was no possibility of breaking out.

He drew his military knife from his waist, looked towards the distant Haiphong port, his eyes filled with resentment and despair. Finally, he raised the knife and committed seppuku, ending his life in this extreme way.

After the Japanese commander committed suicide, the remaining Japanese soldiers completely lost their command and their last will to resist.

Some laid down their weapons and surrendered; some tried to continue their escape but were shot dead on the spot by the French army; others collapsed to the ground, howling in despair, their former arrogance gone.

This fierce battle of encirclement and annihilation lasted from dusk until late at night. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder, burnt goods, and blood. The battlefield was littered with the corpses of Japanese soldiers, damaged equipment, and burning vehicles.

At 10 p.m., with the last Japanese soldier who tried to resist being killed, the main force of the Japanese central route was finally annihilated by the French army and the Taishan Air Force at the border of Haiyang and Haiphong.

Fang Wen piloted the Taishan first-generation aircraft, looking down at this land that had just experienced the ravages of war from the night sky. He watched the French soldiers cheering and jumping for joy on the ground, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

The mechanical perception ability slowly receded, and the fatigue of the past few days finally surged into his heart at this moment.

The battle was finally won. Thanks to precise tactical deployment and synchronized radio communication, the main force of the Japanese army in the central region was completely defeated, and the crisis in Hanoi was completely resolved.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire led the French ground troops to the annihilation zone. Looking at the battlefield before him, a relieved and excited smile appeared on his face.

He picked up the communicator and shouted to the sky, "Fang, did you see that? We won! The main force of the Japanese army in the central region has been completely annihilated. The crisis in Hanoi is over!"

Fang Wen had already turned his Taishan first-generation aircraft around and was flying towards the military airfield southwest of Hanoi. He picked up the microphone and replied, "Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire, we have indeed won, but for you as the commander-in-chief, the battle is not over yet. The Japanese troops on the northern route are still retreating. The command of the next operation will be handed over to you."

The call has ended.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Maire put down his communicator and watched as the French soldiers cheered, hugged each other, and celebrated their hard-won victory.

Instead of joining the battlefield celebration, he left in a command vehicle with his elite troops to direct the final battle.

Overnight, all the battles were over.

The Japanese troops on the northern route, having suffered relatively few losses in previous battles, showed no intention of staying to fight when faced with the French interception. Instead, they forcibly broke through to the east and withdrew.

Under these circumstances, the French army, which had no intention of fighting any longer, ultimately did not leave the Japanese troops on the northern route behind.

But the outcome of the entire battle was still very exciting.

At noon, the Free French officers reported the data of the battle to the governor.

The main force of the Japanese army in the central route, consisting of more than 2 mechanized troops, was annihilated, except for a few soldiers who surrendered. More than 100 tanks were either destroyed or left on the battlefield without fuel, and a large amount of weapons, equipment and ammunition were captured by the French army.

The Japanese forces on the southern route were completely annihilated (including the five tanks that managed to break through, which were later completely destroyed in the encirclement battle on the central route).

Only 3000 Japanese soldiers from the northern route escaped.

The governor was overjoyed after reading the report and ordered all newspapers in French Indochina to publicize the event on their front page, and also ordered the colonial radio stations to broadcast the victory on a 24-hour loop.

He then planned to hold a grand banquet to celebrate. (End of Chapter)