Republic of China: Ace Pilot

On the runway of the Japanese military airfield in Chahar, 10 Type 96 attack aircraft took off and sped toward Datong.

Twenty minutes later, a deafening roar also sounded at the Japanese military airfield in Tianjin, as another batch of 10 Type 97 attack aircraft took off.

Two groups of fighter jets echoed each other, forming an air support echelon and rushing towards the Datong battlefield.

The atmosphere was heavy inside the Japanese North China Theater Air Force Command in Beiping.

Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Sato stood before a huge battle map, his finger firmly pointing to the location of Datong, his expression grim and resolute.

As soon as the news of the attack on the Datong Black Lead Factory came, he immediately realized that he had encountered an old adversary again.

Such precise air support and flexible low-altitude combat tactics are something that no other unit could achieve except for the elusive Taishan Air Force.

"General, the two groups of fighters from Chahar and Tianjin have taken off and are expected to arrive at the Datong battlefield in an hour." The staff officer reported, bowing slightly, his tone tinged with worry. "However, the Taishan Air Force's fighters are too agile. They've skillfully evaded our attacks many times before, but this time..."

Sato raised his hand to interrupt the staff officer: "Of course I know."

He walked to the window, gazing at the silhouettes of fighter jets disappearing into the distance, and slowly said, "The combat methods of the Taishan Air Force are indeed very special, but I have learned enough about them. They use low-speed gunships and aircraft in conjunction with ground troops for low-altitude suppression and precision strikes. This tactic is indeed more lethal than simple air raids."

After a pause, Sato's tone became more resentful and determined: "But how can they repeatedly evade our air support? It's nothing more than their familiarity with the terrain and their ability to anticipate our moves. This time, I will shatter their illusions!" He turned around and pointed to the flight path on the battle map, "I have already ordered the suspension of all air operations in other areas of the North China Theater Command. Multiple batches of 10 fighter jets will be dispatched from Chahar and Tianjin airports, at 20-minute intervals, to continuously reinforce Datong."

"Multiple batches?" The staff officer was stunned. "General, this will consume a lot of fuel and severely weaken air combat plans in other regions!"

“I know!” Sato said firmly, “But we can’t lose the Datong Black Lead Factory. Graphite is the lifeblood of the Empire’s military industry! And the greatest victory for our air force would be to completely annihilate the Taishan Air Force. No amount of loss would be too much!”

The staff officer dared not refute further and could only bow and reply, "Hai!"

Over the southern battlefield of Datong.

After providing air support to the cavalry, Fang Wen led the gunboats in a fierce air strike against the Japanese front lines.

Heavy machine guns and aircraft cannons rained down bullets, hitting the Japanese defensive fortifications. Explosions rang out one after another, the Japanese positions were shrouded in smoke and dust, and Japanese soldiers were constantly being killed by bullets.

On the ground, taking advantage of air support, the Eighth Route Army launched an assault. The soldiers charged towards the Japanese positions like tigers descending a mountain. The Japanese front line was teetering on the brink of collapse and was on the verge of collapse.

Just then, Fang Wen suddenly frowned.

One of his supernatural abilities was connected to the airborne radar target acquisition device, maintaining surveillance of the surrounding airspace.

Just now, he discovered that in the north, a group of 10 fighter jets was rapidly approaching Datong.

Expected arrival in forty minutes.

It seems we need to speed up our operations.

Fang Wen commanded the gunboat squadron to launch an even more ferocious attack on the ground.

After this round of attacks, he planned to temporarily return to base and launch the next round of attacks after the Japanese warplanes left.

But ten minutes later, he suddenly discovered the situation again.

In the east, the tracks of another group of 10 fighter jets appeared on radar.

They were both heading towards Datong.

Looking at it this way, we can see the problem.

Twenty minutes after the northern military aircraft attacked, the eastern military aircraft arrived.

This would cover the time difference and ensure that Japanese warplanes would provide long-term support over Datong.

"Oh no, it's multiple waves of air support!"

Fang Wen's heart sank, and he instantly understood the Japanese army's intentions.

This is to cut off Taishan's air guerrilla warfare tactics.

Subsequently, more waves of Japanese warplanes will surely attack in the same manner, leaving Taishan with no opportunity to strike.

It should be noted that while the gunboats of the Taishan Air Force were agile in low-altitude combat and had strong firepower, their endurance and high-altitude combat capabilities were far inferior to those of the Japanese Type 97 and Type 24 fighters.

If it were just a single batch of 10 fighter jets, Fang Wen was confident that he could use his superpowers and flexible tactics to lead the gunboat squadron to evade attacks and even seize opportunities to counterattack.
However, the Japanese army used multiple waves of support, each wave arriving 20 minutes apart, so the gunboats and aircraft had no chance to launch an attack.

"Avoid their sharp edge?" Fang Wen shook his head, rejecting the idea in his heart.

Multiple waves of Japanese warplanes had already severed their aerial guerrilla tactics.

Moreover, the ground forces were still engaged in fierce fighting with the Japanese army. If the gunboats and aircraft could not provide support, while the Japanese army received long-term air support, they would inevitably suffer heavy casualties, and the previous gains would be lost. Furthermore, they would be unable to transport the high-purity graphite from the black lead plant and the rescued miners.

At this critical moment, Fang Wen suddenly had an idea.

The Japanese tactics seemed unsolvable, but in reality, they had a fatal weakness: the number of aircraft in each wave was limited to only 10, and there was a 20-minute interval between each wave. These 20 minutes were their breakthrough point! As long as they could concentrate their forces to defeat each wave of Japanese aircraft, and then take advantage of the interval to eliminate the next wave of Japanese aircraft, they could end this seemingly invincible multi-wave air support with huge losses.

However, it would be extremely difficult for the 10 gunboats of the Taishan Air Force to continuously defeat multiple waves of Japanese warplanes, and they might even pay a heavy price.

We must seek support, and air support at that! A thought flashed through Fang Wen's mind instantly—the Yan'an Air Force!

Although the Yan'an Air Force has a small number of fighter planes, its members are all experienced and have flown over the airspace north of the Yellow River. They are familiar with the airspace and terrain in the area. If they can come to support the Yan'an Air Force and work together with the Taishan Air Force, they can form a pincer movement and thwart the Japanese army's multiple air support plans.

Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Wen immediately instructed Gong Xiuneng to operate the airborne telegraph equipment and send a telegram to the Yan'an Air Force. The telegram was concise and urgent:
[The Datong battlefield encountered multiple waves of Japanese air support and requested the Yan'an Air Force to immediately dispatch fighter jets for joint operations to break the Japanese air raids.]

Yan'an, within the air force.

Captain Qi Baoqian was reading the telegram he had just received when his expression changed. He immediately picked up the telegram, went outside to report the situation to his superiors, and requested approval to send fighter jets to support the Datong battlefield.

Upon receiving the report, the superiors, fully aware of the urgency of the matter, immediately approved Qi Baoqian's request.

Once granted permission, Qi Baoqian immediately returned to the airport and loudly ordered the air force team, "All assemble! The Datong battlefield has encountered multiple waves of Japanese air support. We have been ordered to take off immediately to provide support and conduct joint operations with the Taishan Air Force!"

"Yes, sir!" the airmen responded in unison, quickly boarded the fighter jet, checked the equipment, and started the engine—a series of actions performed skillfully and swiftly.

A moment later, 10 fighter jets took off in succession, their wings cutting through the sky as they sped toward Datong.

at the same time.

Having just notified the ground troops to cease their offensive and be wary of air attacks, Fang Wen led the gunboat squadron back to the seaplane base to land.

In preparation for the upcoming coordinated operations, the gunboat squadron needs to replace its equipment.

The 12.7mm machine gun and 20mm autocannon were moved away by a slide rail, and rows of airburst rounds were installed in the firing port.

Gunships with poor anti-air capabilities could only use area coverage attacks to deal with Japanese warplanes.

When such a wide-area attack occurs, Fang Wen will promptly notify the Yan'an Air Force to evade it.

In addition to airburst bombs, the rocket launcher of the gunboat piloted by Fang Wen himself was also equipped with a new generation of 82mm TV-guided rockets.

Because these rockets are launched from the aircraft, the aircraft's speed makes it impossible to control the firing in time via the television-guided fire control system, rendering them practically useless in actual combat.

However, Fang Wen, who possesses supernatural abilities, can control it in time to adjust the firing direction during launch.

Therefore, Fang Wen planned to use television-guided rockets to attack Japanese warplanes in the upcoming battle.

Time passed little by little.

The first wave of Japanese warplanes was less than 100 kilometers from the Datong battlefield. Upon receiving Fang Wen's notification, the ground troops immediately ordered a halt to the offensive, rapidly adjusted their deployment, reinforced their fortifications, set up anti-aircraft machine guns, and prepared to counter any Japanese ground counterattacks and air raids.

The Yanbei cavalry and the Shuoxian guerrillas also quickly withdrew, relying on trenches and earthen slopes to join the main force, and maintained a tight defense while waiting for news of air support.

A dozen minutes later, Japanese warplanes arrived in the airspace south of Datong.

Without encountering the Taishan air force, they could only launch airstrikes on the ground.

But the Eighth Route Army of today is no longer the kind of force that had no air defense capabilities.

The 12.7mm caliber Taishan-made dual-purpose heavy machine gun is pointed at the sky, ready for battle.

As the Japanese warplanes swooped down, heavy machine guns fired a barrage of bullets, whistling as they flew away.

A Japanese warplane flew right into the trajectory of the heavy machine gun, and a series of 12.7mm heavy machine gun bullets hit the nose armor.

The thin skin and armor of the Japanese warplanes provided absolutely no protection. The nose of the plane was instantly pierced, and the pilot in the cockpit was riddled with bullets and killed instantly.

The Japanese warplane swooped down and crashed straight into the ground, instantly sending up a mushroom cloud.

Seeing this, the other Japanese warplanes dared not use dive-bombing to attack the ground troops anymore, and could only circle at high altitude for a while before returning to base and leaving.

At this time, the fighter jets of the Yan'an Air Force had already flown over the Lüliang Mountains and were still 30 minutes away from Datong.

Fang Wen immediately led the prepared gunboats into the air and flew towards the northwest.

Ten minutes later, the two groups of aircraft met over Shuoxian County.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and communicated with the Yan'an Air Force.

"The first wave of Japanese support aircraft has returned, but the next wave is about to arrive. Our objective is to destroy this batch of Japanese warplanes."

Qi Baoqian, captain of the Yan'an Aviation Team, replied, "Understood."

Immediately afterward, the two groups of aircraft flew south to Datong under Fang Wen's command.

A few minutes later, the plane arrived in the airspace south of Datong and ran into 10 Japanese warplanes flying in from the east.

The two groups of aircraft suddenly met in the air. Upon seeing this, the Japanese fighters immediately implemented their pre-set tactics, with 10 Type 97 attack aircraft rapidly climbing to altitude, attempting to launch a surprise attack by taking advantage of their high altitude.

Their primary target was the slow-flying gunboats, aiming to severely damage them in the first round before engaging the Yan'an Air Force's fighters.

Their ideas were exactly what Fang Wen wanted.

"Fire the airburst bombs!" Fang Wen shouted the order.

All gunboats simultaneously fired airburst bombs from their left and right firing ports.

One after another, airburst bombs were launched and exploded continuously in the airspace around the gunship aircraft.

A ring of smoke from the explosion was formed.

Half of the Japanese warplanes didn't have time to swerve and rushed straight in.

A Japanese warplane was unable to dodge in time. Its fuselage was hit by debris, its wings were damaged, it lost its balance, and it plummeted straight to the ground, exploding with a loud bang.

Two other engines sucked in hot dust through their air intakes, causing them to malfunction and fall to the ground.

Only two aircraft managed to escape the airburst zone.

At this moment, the Yan'an Air Force launched an attack.

Four high-speed fighter jets led the way, engaging in one-on-one combat.

Six Il-16s were paired with three Type 97s.

The situation instantly turned in their favor.

A fierce dogfight ensued, with fighter jets employing various maneuvers to evade, flank, and tail-attack.

Two more Japanese warplanes were soon shot down.

In just a few minutes, only 5 of the 10 Japanese warplanes remained!

The remaining five Japanese warplanes had lost the will to continue fighting and chose to retreat eastward.

How could they let them have their way? The Yan'an Air Force pursued them relentlessly.

Fang Wen's gunboat was already waiting on that flight path.

The nose of the aircraft is aimed at the target enemy aircraft, and the crosshair on the CRT screen is perfectly aligned with the target.

Fang Wen pressed the launch button in time.

The rocket launcher fires an air-to-ground rocket, and the warhead's television camera captures the direction of its trajectory before transmitting the image back to the gunboat via radio.

On the CRT monitor, a black-and-white image showed that the airborne rocket had deviated from its current trajectory.

In a flash, Fang Wen turned the radio-controlled rudder of the air-to-ground rocket.

With his control, the rocket's tail fins adjusted, and its trajectory changed immediately.

A few seconds later, the rocket caught up with the fighter jet.

With a deafening roar, the Japanese warplane was instantly blown to pieces, its wreckage scattered across the sky.

Other Japanese fighter pilots were terrified!
How did it explode? Who attacked it?
Nobody knew what was going on.

The morale of the remaining Japanese fighter planes plummeted, and they abandoned their comrades, scattering and fleeing.

However, three of them were intercepted by the Yan'an Air Force.

Led by Qi Baoqian, the team engaged in close-range dogfights with Japanese warplanes, relying on their skillful flying techniques. The onboard machine guns fired accurately, and another Japanese warplane was hit in the tail and crashed out of control.

Subsequently, the other two aircraft also met their fate, riddled with bullet holes by machine gun fire and crashing to the ground.

Now only one Japanese warplane remained. It had flown some distance and believed it had escaped.

Little did they know, they were already being targeted.

Another rocket was launched, rapidly approaching the enemy aircraft at extremely high speed.

Just when the enemy thought they were safe, they were hit by a rocket and exploded in mid-air into fragments.

The aerial battle ended in just over ten minutes.

All 10 Japanese warplanes were destroyed, and their wreckage fell into the fields south of Datong, where they burst into flames.

Fang Wen led the gunboat squadron to join the Yan'an Air Force's fighter jets in an aerial formation.

Next, the Yan'an Air Force will not return immediately; another wave of Japanese warplanes will arrive in 20 minutes.

These Japanese warplanes lacked advanced communication equipment and were unaware of the impending danger. It was a perfect opportunity to wipe them all out, making the Japanese forces who planned multiple air support operations realize how ridiculous their actions were. (End of Chapter)