Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 277-276 The First Cluster Bombing by the Asian Air Force, the Battle for Cáceres
The Shrike flew northwest of Cáceres.

Below, hundreds of Phalanx soldiers are marching.

They have a very eye-catching logo: red berets.

This is the uniform of the royalist Carlos faction, and later the Falange faction.

These hundreds of soldiers had a clear objective: to reach the city of Cáceres.

Fang Wen was puzzled. Why had Cáceres suddenly become such a hot commodity? Why had this group of rebels suddenly appeared? Was it all to rescue the pilots of the Condor Legion?

That's unlikely. They're not that well-informed, and they wouldn't react that quickly.

Unless, of course, these rebels already had designs on Cáceres, which would clash with their plans.

Thinking about it this way, Fang Wen felt that this was the most reliable approach.

But now that things have come to this, we absolutely cannot let these rebels into the city.

Without his teammates, Fang Wen became less restrained. He entered a state of mechanical perception, becoming one with the machine, and the machine suddenly swooped down.

All of a sudden.

The Shrike was at full power, diving downwards at extremely high speed, getting lower and lower until the rebels on the ground could see it.

The hundreds of soldiers panicked immediately, and officers shouted orders for them to take evasive action.

But the soldiers reacted in different ways; some ran to the sides of the road, while others lay down on the ground.

Some even dared to raise their guns and fire into the air.

These people became Fang Wen's targets.

The Shrike flew past at an astonishing speed of 480 kilometers per hour, while its two 20mm cannons on either side of the nose fired.

The 20mm explosive warheads were fired at the ground; some exploded on the road, while others hit soldiers directly, creating an explosive trajectory.

The 20mm cannon shells, capable of tearing through the aluminum alloy armor of aircraft, also caused enormous damage when dealing with ground soldiers.

Those soldiers who were firing from the road, and those who didn't have time to escape, were plowed by machine gun fire, resulting in numerous casualties.

After strafing the enemy, the Shrike pulled up and circled in the air, preparing for the next attack.

The enemy below, stunned by the sweeping barrage, rushed back from both sides to treat the wounded, despite the casualties on the road.

This was the consequence of not having undergone air raid training. The Shrike in the sky adjusted its position and swooped down again.

This volley of dive-bombing caused even greater damage and shattered the enemy's morale.

The officers shouted loudly, but instead of rallying the soldiers, they ordered them to flee the way they had come. Hundreds of soldiers, no longer in their orderly ranks, ran in panic back the way they had come.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen's Shrike had not stopped its attack and continued to circle in the air, seemingly ready to continue strafing at any moment.

Under the pressure of this superior offensive, the Phalanx soldiers who were originally preparing to enter the city ran even faster.

Even so, Fang Wen did not stop, continuing to harass from the air, and would occasionally come back to dive and straf the area.

This desperate air-to-ground threat caused the rebels to scatter and flee in all directions.

With morale shattered, it will be impossible to regroup these soldiers and launch another attack on Cáceres in the short term.

After a series of air-to-ground attacks, Fang Wen temporarily resolved the threat outside the city.

But the situation was not good; he felt that something big was likely to happen.

With this premonition, he landed in the city square.

The city square is still under the control of the action team. Powerful airborne machine guns block the entrances to the city square, preventing the enemy from getting close at all.

He got off the plane, ran quickly to the Boeing 247, took out the refueling hose, and refueled the Shrike.

"General Manager, let me do it," Deng Zhongyu said as he ran over.

Fang Wen handed the gas hose to Deng Zhongyu and spoke with him.

“There are hundreds of Phalanx soldiers outside the city who are about to come over. I just scattered them, but this situation won’t last long. I suspect there is a rebel camp nearby, and they may send more troops over.”

Deng Zhongyu exclaimed in surprise, "How could there be so many rebels? They couldn't possibly be here because of us, could they?"

Fang Wen nodded: "It should have nothing to do with us. Judging from their marching direction, they are most likely coming from Portugal. I estimate that they are troops that Franco transferred from overseas colonies."

Franco's rebels had many supporters in Spanish overseas colonies, and this civil war was only started with the support of these overseas colonies.

If Fang Wen's judgment is correct, the rebels who landed in Portugal were preparing to launch an attack from the southwest, with their target being Madrid.

No wonder the defense of Madrid wasn't so intense before; it seems Franco's army was mobilized from overseas, attacking simultaneously from both the east and west. The east was a strong attack on Valencia with the support of Germany and Italy, while the west was an attack on Madrid from the southwest with the tacit approval of Portugal.

Fang Wen and his group's encounter with the advance force here was merely an accident.

After clarifying the situation, Fang Wen immediately convened an emergency meeting of the action team in the Boeing 247.

He explained the situation to the members of the action team.

The international fighters in these action teams discussed this.

They were largely in agreement, all wanting to do something in this unexpected situation, but none of them were afraid or wanted to retreat.

Fang Wen said, "I have already sent Du Jiahuai to find reinforcements. We don't need to worry about dealing with these ground troops who have no space. As for the military intelligence we have discovered, Deng Zhongyu, go get the telegraph machine and send a message to headquarters to report the situation here."

Deng Zhongyu received the order to retrieve the transmitter placed inside the Boeing 247 and immediately report the situation.

At this point, Fang Wen's arrangements were not yet complete.

“We’re going to rescue George Baker. He knows the local situation, and we need his advice on what to do next.”

The team members raised their hands to volunteer to participate in the rescue of George Baker.

Fang Wen unfolded the map and pointed out the location where George Baker was trapped.

It's 800 meters from the city square, but the Phalanx army is blocking the way, so you can't just go straight through.

But the roads in this city are all interconnected, so you can go around from the other side.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen had scouted from the air and found no enemy troops.

The rescue plan was thus finalized, and the three team members prepared to depart.

They hid behind the Boeing 247 and, after the next wave of enemy attacks was repelled, sprinted to the other side of the square.

The three of them went around in a big circle to the other side of the square, and then followed the road there to the place where George Baker was trapped.

Half an hour later, the three operatives arrived at the castle-like building, quickly dealt with the guards outside, and fought their way in.

The sudden outbreak of battle made George Baker realize that his rescuers had arrived, and he led the remaining two members of the team in a coordinated attack.

With the enemy inside and outside the castle wiped out, George Baker and his party immediately returned to the city square by the same route.

The rescue operation was successfully completed, and George Baker returned to the city square.

After a brief exchange with Fang Wen, he understood the current situation and then took out a map to discuss it with Fang Wen.

"If Franco's rebels are preparing to attack Madrid from this side, they must be planning to join forces with the rebels in the Toledo area southwest of Madrid, and then launch an attack on the university district from the southwest."

Looking at the map, Fang Wen pondered for a moment before asking, "Why did the rebels send troops to Cáceres?"

George Baker pointed to the map and explained, "The terrain here is flat, except for the city of Cáceres, which is built on high ground and has been a strategic location since ancient times, controlling the entire area. Only by controlling Cáceres can they pass through here with peace of mind."

So that's how it is. Although there are no Popular Front troops stationed in Cáceres now, the rebels are still cautiously sending an advance force to occupy the area so that the main army can pass through.

Those capable of marching on plains must have been Franco's elite troops, and likely included mechanized forces supported by Germany and Italy.

If they pass through here and gather in Toledo, Madrid will be unable to hold out.

Fang Wen and George Baker exchanged glances, struggling to make a decision regarding such a crucial military matter.

After organizing his thoughts, Fang Wen spoke up. "The Condor Legion is locked in combat with the Soviet Volunteer Air Force in Valencia and won't be able to attend to this area for the time being. The Asian Air Force can help you hold off the enemy. The question is, where will the ground troops come from?"

Fang Wen's question was a big problem, as this area was not under the control of the People's Front, and the local armed forces would not help deal with the Falange Party.

At most, they can guarantee not to participate in the war, but where will the army to defend Cáceres come from?

George Baker pointed southeast of Cáceres.

"Our only hope lies here, the militia of the agricultural union. This is the only force that can be mobilized in a short time."

George Baker, who was familiar with the situation in Spain, saw it clearly, and soon a telegram arrived from the International Brigades headquarters.

Deng Zhongyu, who was standing by the telegraph machine, handed the telegram transcription paper to Fang Wen.

Please hold on for one more day; reinforcements will arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest.

Judging from this itinerary, the reinforcements are coming from the area that George Baker mentioned.

The so-called "holding on for one day" means firmly guarding the city square.

As long as someone is in the city square, it's like a nail driven into the city center, preventing the enemy from completely controlling Cáceres.

But this requirement is a bit too demanding.

Even if they only resist for one day, the action team has already lost 2 people, leaving only 13 people including the pilots.

It's alright for now, but once night falls, the enemy is likely to launch a surprise attack under the cover of darkness.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen had to be on guard.

He retrieved a toolbox from the rear cabin of the Boeing 247 and began disassembling the aircraft's lighting equipment.

Originally intended to guide the ground during nighttime flight landings, this was disassembled, and Fang Wen extended the power cord, made a simple switch, and added a cylindrical lampshade, thus creating a rudimentary searchlight.

Meanwhile, the Asian air force's flight formation also arrived over Cáceres.

Seeing this, Fang Wen immediately boarded the Shrike and took off.

The Shrike flew to high altitude and formed a fighter formation with seven Il-16s from the Asian Air Force.

After a round of air-to-ground attacks, the Shrike had only half of its ammunition left. In this air-to-ground attack, he chose to act as the commander and save the remaining ammunition for a possible crisis.

Therefore, Fang Wen, in his mechanical perception state, led the fighter squadron to begin patrolling around the city of Cáceres.

In mechanical sensing mode, Fang Wen's detection range is much larger and more precise than that of other pilots.

After two cruising flights, he discovered the rebel vanguard's camp 50 kilometers outside the city of Cáceres.

The enemy in this camp was even more numerous, with more than a dozen military vehicles and infantry guns.

It was clearly in preparation for the attack on Cáceres.

The hundreds of soldiers who were scattered by Fang Wen earlier must have come from here.

But for the Asian air force, this place is much more dangerous.

When the air force arrived over the camp, the ground-based anti-aircraft weapons suddenly activated.

The 20mm anti-aircraft gun fired a large number of cannon shells that crisscrossed in the air.

The enemy suddenly launched an attack, and Fang Wen, who was leading the flight, immediately sent out a secret telegram.

Upon receiving the coded order, the fighter squadron immediately turned and climbed, deviating from the ground-based anti-aircraft fire.

Fang Wen, who had evaded the ground attack, was not nervous. The enemy camp had too little anti-aircraft firepower and lacked the ability to accurately aim and fire. To shoot down the fighter jet, they relied more on luck and a dense network of fire.

However, this is on the premise that the fighter jet is in a high position. For areas with anti-aircraft weapons, it is basically impossible to dive and straf.

Now we need to examine the aerial bombing capabilities of the fighter formation.

Fang Wen first gave orders for his pilots to conduct the first round of free bombing.

This is a moment to test the pilots' air strike capabilities.

Seven Il-16s emerged from the high-altitude clouds and, as they flew over the camp, activated their bombing devices. Each aircraft dropped a cylindrical bomb manufactured by a Spanish arsenal. These bombs fell from the sky, but only a third hit their targets; the rest scattered around the camp.

A one-third hit rate in cluster bombing is considered acceptable, since high-altitude bombing in this era mainly relied on pilots' manual judgment.

However, Fang Wen was not satisfied; he couldn't afford to waste ammunition like that in the next round.

He issued a secret telegram instructing the fighter jets to regroup and, under his leadership, circle back in the air.

The order for this mass airdrop was issued by Fang Wen.

Upon reaching the airspace above the camp, Fang Wen made the best assessment and pressed the coded message transmission device.

At the same time, all fighters in the flight formation that received the order dropped their bombs.

A dozen or so cylindrical bombs fell from the sky, turning into small black dots as they crashed to the ground.

A dozen seconds later, the bombs landed evenly in the camp, with nearly 70% of them hitting their target.

In an instant, a burst of fire and smoke erupted in the camp, and even bombs detonated ammunition boxes placed in an open area, causing an even more violent chain of explosions.

The area where the explosions were concentrated was the dozen or so military vehicles, which were neatly parked together and destroyed in the explosions and flames.

The chaos caused by the explosion silenced the anti-aircraft guns in the camp, and soldiers ran around putting out fires and carrying the wounded.

Meanwhile, the flight formation in the high sky also turned back and flew away.

The air raid caused enormous damage to the camp and also deterred the enemy. Fang Wen felt that, at least for today, this unit would not launch another rash attack.

After all, the military vehicles in the camp had been destroyed, and they had no mobility to reach the city of Cáceres.

These European soldiers marched 50 kilometers a day? That's highly unlikely.

The Asian air force completed its air raid and returned to base, while Fang Wen continued to land in the city square.

The enemy's reinforcements are not coming for the time being; the only thing to worry about is the 200 pikemen soldiers in the city.

For the remainder of the time, the two sides remained in a standoff.

The Phalanx soldiers dared not charge out; the power of the machine guns mounted on the road was too great, blocking the entire intersection.

Time passed slowly, and darkness fell.

As night fell, the city's electric lights were shot down one by one, signaling the start of a new operation by the Falange Party.

In the dark corners, the Phalanx soldiers dressed in dark clothes moved quietly. They had learned their lesson and began to disperse, heading to other intersections leading to the city square, attempting to spread out and encircle the enemy.

Faced with this situation, the searchlights that Fang Wen had modified during the day came in handy. Several searchlights suddenly lit up, illuminating the entire square.

Suddenly, the square was brightly lit, and the soldiers of the Longgun Party appeared one by one.

Fang Wen and his team members opened fire on the target revealed by the light.

The targets under the searchlights were too obvious. Machine guns and submachine guns swept across the area with the light, and one enemy after another fell in the square.

The long-range pistol gang failed in this surprise attack.

The remaining soldiers hastily retreated from the square.

But in the next round, they changed their tactics. These people somehow got hold of a lot of cotton quilts and steel plates, and used these things to load onto a cart, layering steel plates and cotton quilts for protection. Then the soldiers hid behind the cart and launched a new attack.

This method actually blocked the airborne machine gun's fire.

If those makeshift bulletproof carts aren't dealt with, the long-gun gang might actually come and attack.

In response, Fang Wen ran out of the Boeing 247 and climbed onto the Shrike.

After starting, the Shrike turned on the spot and aimed at the armored trolley in the distance, its 20mm cannons firing deadly flashes.

(End of this chapter)