Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 321 320 Aerial Tank Gunships and Aircraft: Initial Victory, Taishan Air Rescue Team
When 500 Japanese troops attacked, the 524th Regiment of the 88th Division immediately deployed for defense.

As an elite unit, the equipment of the 524th Regiment could be described as luxurious even among the National Revolutionary Army.

The standard issue rifle for soldiers is the Type 24 infantry rifle, a Chinese version that is a copy of the German standard Mauser rifle (98K).

The squad-level combat units were also equipped with domestically made copies of the Czech ZB26 light machine gun, a rare form of squad-level fire support equipment.

In addition, there were German-made M35 steel helmets and Republic of China 25-style military uniforms: officers wore green woolen uniforms and woolen overcoats, while soldiers wore khaki uniforms.

Imitation German-style leather shoes and backpacks (marching backpacks used to carry various combat items, such as raincoats, excess ammunition, and tools).
A German-style shoulder bag (imitating the German M31-style utility bag, worn crossbody for carrying personal items).
In terms of heavy weapons, each battalion has a heavy machine gun company with three platoons carrying a total of six Type 3 water-cooled heavy machine guns that are copies of the Maxim machine gun.

In addition, the 524th Regiment also possessed a German-made 75mm Krupp mountain gun.

It can be said that this equipment configuration is even comparable to that of other Nationalist Army divisions.

Despite its excellent equipment, the 524th Regiment faced an equally elite Japanese force this time.

Although the enemy only had 500 men, they possessed two new tanks that had never been seen on the battlefield before, as well as various weapons such as grenade launchers and heavy machine guns.

Using their new tanks as cover, they occupied the buildings on both sides and held their ground against the 524th Regiment.

Despite facing the enemy's diverse firepower and tank suppression, the 524th Regiment was unable to annihilate them.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen and Pan Jiafeng had returned to the seaplane on the river and were preparing for takeoff.

Fang Wen sat in the cockpit, started the plane, and gave instructions to Pan Jiafeng as the plane took off.

"You will direct the firing and watch how I operate it. From now on, we will conduct patrol support in this manner."

Pan Jiafeng nodded earnestly, showing great interest in the new flight tactics his master had proposed, and was determined to learn them.

The Tiger 1 gunship took off and flew at a low speed at an altitude of over 1000 meters.

Fang Wen adjusted the fuselage and flew along the river.

Having activated his mechanical perception, he had already located the enemy's position, but in order to better demonstrate to Pan Jiafeng, he still proceeded with the operation step by step.

The gunboat flew from west to east, with its left fuselage facing the north bank of the Wenzaobang River, where it could see the situation on the streets along the way.

Pan Jiafeng and the gunner carefully observed the situation outside through the observation port inside the cockpit.

After flying for some distance, they spotted their target.

Pan Jiafeng reported loudly, "Commander, the enemy is right here."

Fang Wen nodded, "Okay, now let's use this as our target and suppress it with firepower."

At his command, the gunners in the cockpit prepared, and the loader opened the ammunition boxes and took out the ammunition belts to reload.

Gunships and aircraft flew away from the river and began to circle over the section of street occupied by the Japanese army.

"shooting."

At a command, three 12.7 mm machine guns and one 20 mm cannon fired downwards.

In an instant, a storm of metal swept through, stunning the Japanese troops below.

The Japanese soldiers who were originally hiding behind the tanks fell in large numbers when they were hit by bullets from above.

The remaining Japanese soldiers reacted quickly and ran to the buildings on both sides, trying to use them as cover to avoid being shot.

Even so, the gunships did not stop attacking, turning their targets to the buildings on both sides of the street, with dense bullets hitting the windows on the second and third floors.

Instantly, dust filled the air from the bullet-strewn buildings, and explosions continued, so no one dared to stick their head out to fight back.

Commander Xie seized this excellent opportunity to attack.

He immediately ordered his soldiers to launch an attack.

Because of the suppressive air fire, the Japanese troops were unable to fire from the buildings they occupied, and the threat they faced became the two new tanks.

Only Fang Wen knew the details of this tank. According to the intelligence he obtained, it should be the Type 97 medium tank, a new type of tank developed by the Japanese army last year and only tested this year.

Compared to the Type 89 tank, this tank has much stronger defense, mobility, and firepower. It was probably deployed to the battlefield for the first time to test the power of the new tank.

Without air support, these two medium tanks would be an insurmountable obstacle, and the 524th Regiment would have no chance of advancing.

But now, without infantry cover, the 524th Regiment has an opportunity.

Dozens of soldiers scattered and rushed forward quickly. This skirmish line prevented both tanks from firing at them all to block them. After paying a certain price, several soldiers rushed into the blind spots of the tanks' fire.

They placed the prepared explosive charges under the tank tracks and then detonated them.

After a series of explosions, the tracks of the two tanks broke, rendering them unable to move.

In this way, there's no need to worry about it changing position. Commander Xie immediately ordered the soldiers on the nearby street to carry out a flanking maneuver and encircle it.

At this point, the Japanese troops, suppressed by gunboat and aircraft fire, finally realized the problem with the attack.

They no longer remained trapped in the buildings, but rushed out, attempting to repel the attack of the 524th Regiment using tanks.

But this time, there's no chance.

The two Type 97 medium tanks with damaged tracks could only defend against frontal attacks, but could not change positions to deal with flanking maneuvers.

Before long, the soldiers of the 524th Regiment, who had been maneuvering along the streets on both sides, completed the encirclement of the Japanese army.

They first launched a blast attack on the Japanese troops holding their positions by throwing grenades, and then launched a surprise attack after a series of explosions.

The battle lasted for two hours before ending, and 500 Japanese soldiers, along with two new tanks, suffered heavy losses in the battle.

In the end, only one-third of the Japanese troops escaped; the rest were all annihilated on this street.

(Type 97 medium tank)

Throughout the entire battle, Fang Wen's Water Tiger No. 1 gunboat only participated in the first half. After completing the fire suppression, Fang Wen had already piloted the gunboat back to the river to land while the 524th Regiment was flanking and encircling the enemy.

After landing, Fang Wen and Pan Jiafeng exchanged experiences from this patrol attack.

"You see? Patrolling the Wenzaobang River section can cover a depth of 1 kilometer on the entire north bank. Once enemy activity is detected, it can quickly coordinate with ground forces for a joint attack. But in my opinion, there are still problems with this attack. Have you noticed?"

Pan Jiafeng thought for a moment and replied, "I've figured it out. After the gunship aircraft detects the target during patrol, it launches a circling attack. In the current environment, the complex terrain of the streets will affect some of the firing angles, and it cannot achieve the same effect as in field operations."

Fang Wen nodded. "There's one more thing you need to consider. In this environment, the biggest threat when circling and firing doesn't come from the ground, but from the air. Be careful of Japanese warplanes. What will you do if you get targeted by them?"

This problem stumped Pan Jiafeng. In terms of speed, gunboats simply cannot escape the pursuit of high-speed fighter jets.

He tried to answer: "We've added protective armor to the sides and bottom. If we encounter enemy aircraft, we can't escape anyway, so why not fight them head-on? Killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus."

This is the only solution.

Fang Wen's question was intended to elicit an answer from Pan Jiafeng.

He earnestly explained to Pan Jiafeng, "When the gunboat was designed, this was taken into consideration. Because of its speed, the gunboat couldn't compete with fighter jets. But to improve the gunboat's battlefield survivability, its defenses were significantly modified. The 8mm thick protective steel plates on the sides can withstand 7.62mm bullets at a firing distance of over 500 meters. The Japanese Type 96 fighter used a 7.7mm machine gun, which could also withstand that. Therefore, before the enemy aircraft are equipped with 20mm cannons, you don't need to worry about the Japanese fighters firing at you. Just engage them head-on."

Fang Wen's explanation surprised Pan Jiafeng. Although Pan Jiafeng knew that gunboats had bulletproof protection, he did not expect that they could withstand the fire of Japanese warplanes.

This is equivalent to becoming an aerial tank, not only having firepower but also being very durable.

Of course, whether this design is truly accurate remains to be seen, depending on actual combat encounters with enemy aircraft.

Next, it's time to test the capabilities of the gunship-aircraft carriers.

Immediately afterwards, all three aircraft of the gunboat squadron flew to Shanghai and began patrolling the Wenzaobang River section.

An unexpected episode occurred during the Battle of Shanghai.

Gunships developed by Taishan Aviation suddenly appeared and, in coordination with the 524th Regiment, annihilated small Japanese assault units.

Subsequently, the patrol of three gunboats along the Wenzaobang River became a spectacle for many residents still stranded in Shanghai. Watching the seaplanes patrolling back and forth on the river, they felt more confident about the war.

But the reality was not what they expected.

The Japanese army completed the large-scale troop assembly.

如今在上海战场，日军兵力达10万人以上，有重炮达300多门、战车200余辆、飞机100余架、大小舰只10余艘。

This size of military force is sufficient to launch a full-scale offensive.

On September 10, the Japanese army broke through the defense line in the Yangxing Town area, and the National Army retreated across the board.

They will retreat to the Luodian Jiangwan line for a final stand.

This retreat required someone to hold off the Japanese offensive, so the defense line on the north bank of Wenzaobang took on the task of blocking the enemy.

The position of the 524th Regiment was a section of the defense line on the north bank of the Wenzaobang River.

Fang Wen did not expect the war to deteriorate so quickly; the actual combat of the three gunship aircraft immediately turned from a simple version to a difficult version.

They were about to face an attack by a large number of regular Japanese troops.

This will be a huge challenge.

But things have come to this point, and there's no turning back; there's no way to back down now.

Immediately, Fang Wen began to respond and adjust in response to this sudden change.

At Jianqiao Airport, Fang Wen urgently convened a combat meeting.

He made temporary tactical adjustments with the four pilots.

"Yangxing Town has now fallen, and the Japanese army is approaching Wenzaobang. The National Army has begun to retreat, and the north bank of Wenzaobang will be a temporary blocking position. Our gunboat squadron will also become the front-line combat force. They will be under great pressure and will also be attacked by the Japanese air force. Therefore, we must fight together with the gunboat squadron. Now, everyone must be ready to attack at any time and cannot relax."

The four pilots received their orders and headed to the hangar to prepare for battle.

Fang Wen also arrived at the hangar, which now serves not only as a maintenance area but also as a temporary air command center.

The telegrams from the frontline gunboat squadrons will be sent back, and Fang Wen will respond based on the feedback from the telegrams.

Time passed slowly, and finally the urgent military intelligence telegram from the gunboat squadron arrived.

[Japanese troops have been spotted on the defensive line; some positions have already come into contact with enemy forces. Our gunboat squadron is about to take off for combat.]

Upon seeing the telegram, Fang Wen immediately stood up: "Let's go."

Immediately afterwards, five Taishan fighter jets took off from Jianqiao Airport and flew rapidly to Shanghai.

Twenty minutes later, the Taishan flight team arrived in Shanghai and quickly flew to the Wenzaobang area.

High in the air, Fang Wen used mechanical sensing to take in the situation around Wenzaobang.

Battles broke out in several places along the lower defensive line.

The most intense fighting took place at the Wusong Bridge defense line and the 524th Regiment's supply depot position.

Meanwhile, three gunship aircraft have also taken off to suppress the incoming enemy with air firepower.

Compared to the harassment by fighter planes, the firepower suppression effect of gunships was stronger. 12.7 mm machine gun shells and 20 mm cannon shells continuously fired at the Japanese troops, and the Japanese troops were completely in a passive defensive state where they were attacked.

Faced with such intense air fire suppression, the Japanese army also attempted to retaliate.

However, this group of troops did not deploy any anti-aircraft firepower. The 6.5mm bullets from the Type 38 rifles and the 7.7mm machine gun bullets could not pose a threat to the gunboats and aircraft.

The bullets struck the thickened bottom and side steel plates, creating sparks, but they could not penetrate the 8mm thick steel plates to harm the combat personnel inside.

This firepower suppression severely hampered the Japanese advance, and Fang Wen knew very well that the Japanese ground forces would definitely call for air support.

He and four Il-16s stood ready over Wenzaobang.

Not long after, the radar warning system detected the aircraft over the sea.

Those were Type 96 carrier-based fighters that took off from the aircraft carrier at sea, but at this time, the Nationalist Air Force's interceptor formation did not appear.

Since our allies aren't here, we'll have to rely on ourselves.

With a serious expression, Fang Wen issued a secret telegram to his four pilot subordinates, instructing the flight team to immediately climb to a higher altitude and take cover.

A few minutes later, a group of Japanese fighter planes appeared.

A total of 13 aircraft approached the skies above Wenzaobang.

Their target was the three gunship aircraft. As they flew at high speed, the 7.7 mm machine guns on the nose of their aircraft fired bullets at the gunship aircraft.

This was completely different from the battles of the past.

Gunships are slow, but they are very strong. 7.7 mm bullets only leave some dents when they hit the bulletproof steel plates on the outside of the fuselage, but they cannot penetrate them.

After being attacked, the three gunship aircraft also abandoned their ground-attack suppression and climbed to engage the enemy aircraft in a firefight.

This scene gave the soldiers fighting on the battlefield another kind of shock.

Thirteen Japanese warplanes circled around the three gunboats, but did not pose a fatal threat to them.

The slow-moving gunships also retaliated, firing 12.7mm machine guns and 20mm cannons in the air, but because the enemy aircraft were too fast, they could not hit the enemy as easily as they could with ground fire.

For a time, neither side could gain the upper hand, and the game ended in a draw.

At this moment, Fang Wen, who was concealed at high altitude, led four Il-16s to join the battle.

The surprise attack shot down four enemy planes in a single encounter, leaving the enemy completely stunned.

Upon discovering that it was a fighter-killer squadron, the Japanese fighter planes immediately abandoned their attack on the gunboats and flew towards the warships on the riverbank.

This was a familiar way for them to retreat; relying on the anti-aircraft firepower of the warships on the river, the fighter jet killer squad wouldn't be able to catch up.

Just as they had predicted, Fang Wen did not issue a pursuit order, but instead launched a harassment attack against the Japanese ground forces.

In the ensuing battle, the Japanese offensive in the area around the 524th Regiment's defensive line was repelled under the combined air firepower of gunboats and fighter planes.

Unusually, the 524th Regiment also dispatched troops to launch a counter-offensive against the enemy, and successfully captured part of the streets that had been controlled by the enemy.

This demonstrates the effectiveness of modern warfare concepts and weaponry in the Republic of China era, proving that war cannot be solved solely by sheer numbers; the combat effectiveness of a few aircraft, through tactical design and coordination with ground forces, is enormous.

Unfortunately, there were too many Japanese troops, and the National Army was already considering retreating. The efforts of Fang Wen's unit alone could not change the overall situation.

Even with excellent coordination between gunboats, aircraft, and the 524th Regiment, which repelled numerous Japanese attacks, the entire north bank of the Wenzaobang front was too long, and local advantages could not stop the attack of 100,000 Japanese troops.

A few days later, the north bank defense line of Wenzaobang fell.

The 524th Regiment, an elite unit of the German-equipped divisions, was not abandoned. Instead, it retreated to the south bank of the Wenzaobang River ahead of time when the front line collapsed.

The gunboat squadron on the river also completed its first live-fire training, and three gunboat aircraft flew back to Hangzhou West Lake Water Airport for maintenance.

With this, Fang Wen's air support mission in Shanghai came to an end.

The Battle of Shanghai will continue for some time, but it will not change the situation. The Nationalist government will abandon Nanjing and move to Wuhan, and perhaps later to Chongqing.

As the Nationalist government abandoned Nanjing, even more tragic events were about to unfold.

Fang Wen understood that now was not the time to continue fighting, but to save as many people as possible.

After all, wars will eventually end, but the civilians who suffer and die in war cannot be brought back to life. As a person from the future who knows the course of history, saving one person is one person. This is what Fang Wen has to do in this era, and it is also his mission.

Immediately, he volunteered for a break from combat and then focused all his efforts on dealing with the Taishan Air Rescue Team.

(End of this chapter)