Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 352 350 The Final Battle of Taiyuan: Airport Transfer, High-Low Encirclement
A surprise night raid had different impacts on all parties in the Taiyuan war zone.

Because the high-ranking officers of the 20th Division were wiped out, the various units lost coordination and command, and had to temporarily retreat as required by the Japanese military headquarters, waiting for the arrival of a new division commander and investigators.

This news also reached Taiyuan and the forward command post south of Taiyuan.

Because they were unaware of what had happened the previous night, they only knew that something serious must have happened to the Japanese forces on the eastern front, which was why they had to retreat.

Only the Taishan Independent Regiment could have caused this situation.

Therefore, early on, a military vehicle arrived in Taiyuan and headed directly to the Jinyang Lake seaplane airport.

At the seaplane airport, since most of the ground troops had been sent to the front lines, the defense forces left behind by the Independent Regiment were concentrated here. When the military vehicles arrived outside the airport, they were stopped by the guards.

Because of the previous incident where Japanese spies infiltrated the camp, the guards were very wary of any strangers, no matter what uniform they wore.

"Halt! This is a military restricted area. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter."

Hearing the guard's words, the officer was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "We do need to be on guard. Our commander just said that he would send a battalion to be stationed nearby to prevent any espionage or sabotage. Please report to your regimental commander that the Taiyuan garrison commander requests his presence in the city."

"How can you prove you're from the garrison command?" The guard remained unmoved.

The officer produced his identification from the Taiyuan Garrison Command, but still couldn't persuade the guards.

At this moment, Gong Xiu, who was walking around inside the airport, saw this and quickly came over to inquire about the situation.

"what happened?"

The guard replied, "He said he was from the Taiyuan Garrison Command and wanted to invite our regimental commander into the city. At this time, I dare not send a message casually."

Gong Xiuneng glanced outside. He recognized the officer; he had been standing next to Commander Fu when he went with the regimental commander to warn the garrison headquarters.

“You are one of Commander Fu’s men. We’ve met at the Garrison Command.”

“Yes, I saw you last time when you and Commander Fang came,” the officer quickly replied.

That resolved the issue. The guards allowed them to pass, and Gong Xiuneng led them to see the regimental commander.

At this moment, Fang Wen was in contact with the mobile unit.

He did not immediately send mobile units north, but instead planned to conduct aerial reconnaissance first before deciding on the course of action.

Gong Xiuneng, who came in from outside, reported: "Regimental Commander, the Taiyuan City Garrison Command has arrived and requests your presence in the city."

"What are you going to the city for?" Fang Wen asked.

"He didn't say he's outside. Should we let him in?"

Fang Wen nodded in agreement, and Gong Xiuneng went out to bring the officer in.

The officer explained the situation: "The commander wants you to come into the city to talk about what happened last night, and he also wants to discuss some military arrangements with you."

The Taiyuan Garrison Command was the command center overseeing the entire defense of Taiyuan, and Fang Wenshen, being in the midst of it, naturally had to cooperate.

He and Gong Xiuneng drove their own military vehicle, following behind the other vehicle into the city.

Two vehicles entered the city from the south gate. At this time, there were few pedestrians on the streets of Taiyuan. Many people had already fled south, and those who did not intend to leave stayed at home and did not come out.

As I traveled along, I mostly saw soldiers, police officers, and security troops patrolling the city.

After driving for a while, the car arrived at the garrison command headquarters.

After parking the car, Fang Wen followed the officer up to the third floor and into the room where he had met Commander Fu last time.

With a broad smile, Commander Fu looked at Fang Wen with admiration: "Regimental Commander Fang, you are a genius. You are first-rate in business, first-rate in flying planes, and also a master at commanding battles. Tell me, what exactly happened last night?"

Fang Wen was not going to keep the identity of the person in charge of the Taiyuan Defense Battle a complete secret.

He stood in front of the sand table and explained to Commander Fu what had happened the previous night.

This included the Provisional 7th Division drawing the attention of the Japanese army, while mobile units bypassed the Japanese and infiltrated behind enemy lines.

Commander Fu was incredibly surprised as he listened to Fang Wen's explanation.

"How did you come up with such a brilliant command strategy?"

Fang Wen, of course, couldn't reveal his special abilities, so he changed his story.

"During the daytime operations, I paid special attention to the movements of the Japanese ground forces. I discovered that the southernmost Japanese garrison was located in Nanbeihu Village, and there were no Japanese troops in the area below Nanbeihu Village. By going north along the foot of the mountain from there, we could reach the rear of the Japanese forces. Therefore, I devised a nighttime surprise attack plan behind enemy lines to destroy important facilities and command centers in the enemy's rear."

Fang Wen didn't mention any specific details, and Commander Fu didn't ask for them either.

After all, this is a military secret of the Taishan Independent Regiment, and also a secret to victory. If outsiders knew about it, they would take targeted measures to restrain them, so it is not something to be asked about casually.

He suddenly changed the subject: "Heroes have always emerged from among the young! Commander Fang, what are your thoughts on the Battle of Taiyuan?"

Fang Wen was stunned, but didn't just spout off: "Commander Fu, the military situation is changing every day. I only know about the situation on the eastern front, and I don't know about the northern front. It's not appropriate for me to comment."

“That’s right, let me tell you.” Commander Fu picked up his baton and pointed at the sand table. “The Japanese army on the northern front has already captured Yangqu Town, and the entire Yangqu County has fallen into Japanese hands. The northern front has collapsed, and it is estimated that the Fifth Division will be at the city gates tomorrow.”

"The northern front has fallen?!" Fang Wen was shocked. The Independent Regiment, the Provisional 7th Division, and the 72nd Division successfully blocked the Japanese army in the Xinkou blocking battle and won a brilliant victory. They originally thought they could delay the Japanese offensive, so Fang Wen chose to help the eastern front first and then go to the northern front.

"Yes, apart from a small portion that retreated into the city, the rest of the northern garrison has gone to the west bank of the Fen River and is retreating south, preparing to regroup in the Taigu and Jiaocheng areas to guard against the Japanese army's southward invasion via the Tongpu Railway."

Commander Fu spoke with a sense of helplessness. Although he was the garrison commander of Taiyuan, he was unable to control the troops outside the city. As a result, they all withdrew south, leaving him, the commander without troops, still guarding the isolated city of Taiyuan.

Fang Wen's face darkened. The wheels of history had ultimately rolled along that line. Although his efforts had played a certain role, they could not change its trajectory.

He did not lose faith because of this; victory would eventually come, and his efforts would not be in vain.

Banishing the rising shadows, Fang Wen said solemnly, "So how many troops are left in the city? Do you plan to continue defending it, or abandon it?"

“I am a native of Shanxi, and also a soldier. Whether it’s out of love for my hometown or my duty to defend this land, I must defend this city,” Commander Fu replied.

Fang Wen nodded. Since the northern front had fallen, let's fight the final battle of the Taiyuan Campaign in Taiyuan.

After this battle, the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division would have to enter the Fuping area in the Taihang Mountains to use it as a base and fight the Japanese army behind enemy lines.

But he had requirements for fighting in Taiyuan.

"Commander Fu, my troops can cooperate with you in defending the city, but you must promise me one thing: relocate all the residents of the city."

"Are you worried that if we hold Taiyuan, it will eventually be captured, and the Japanese army will then harm the people in the city?" Commander Fu asked.

“Yes, war is our business, and we cannot let it harm those civilians,” Fang Wen replied solemnly.

"Okay, I promise you."

The two of them high-fived each other as an oath.

The sudden change on the northern front forced Fang Wen to alter his battle plan.

He made adjustments immediately.

First, inform Wu Yingzong on the eastern front to be ready to retreat to the Taihang Mountains in the north at any time.

Furthermore, to ensure that the evacuation route will not encounter any problems, it is necessary to find a local guide now and make arrangements in advance.

Then, the mobile forces were notified to proceed to Taiyuan City.

Fang Wen's plan for the mobile force was to have them follow Commander Fu's troops south after the Battle of Taiyuan and join up with the main force of the National Army in the south.

After all, it's impossible for the mobile forces' tanks and armored vehicles to drive into the Taihang Mountains.

After making these arrangements, Fang Wen prepared to lead the gunboat squadron to the secret seaplane base in Fuping.

After all, once the battle to defend the city begins, the Jinyang Lake water airport in the south of the city will definitely fall, and a new combat base is necessary.

The Jinyang Lake waterborne airport was a hive of activity. Soldiers from the 2nd Aviation Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment were hurriedly loading various supplies onto gunboats.

After the supplies were unloaded, they all boarded the gunboat, closed the hatches, and waited for takeoff.

To avoid suspicion, ten wooden boats were moored at the dock of the sea airport. The boats were supported by branches and looked somewhat like airplanes.

A few minutes later, Fang Wen's Water Tiger 4 took off first, followed by the other gunboats.

Our destination is Fuping in the northeast.

As they flew away from Taiyuan, Fang Wen made a point of checking the situation below.

Through mechanical sensing, he observed the movements of the Japanese army.

The Japanese army on the northern front is indeed approaching Taiyuan.

However, they adopted a roundabout strategy, going in circles to reach the south of the city.

Clearly, the 5th Division had received intelligence and was preparing to launch a preemptive attack on the airfield on the Jinyang Lake side.

Unfortunately, they arrived too late. The mobile forces had already entered the city, and the gunboat squadron had withdrawn in advance. When they arrived, they could only find nothing.

Fang Wen smiled slightly. If the ground forces wanted to deal with the Independent Regiment, wouldn't the Army Air Force take this opportunity to make a move?
He activated the radar detection device, and sure enough, more than twenty aircraft responded from 100 kilometers away.

These guys are definitely headed for the airport.

Fang Wen immediately led the gunboat squadron to accelerate northeastward.

Twenty minutes later, the Japanese bombing squadron appeared.

These Japanese fighter formations arrived fully prepared, but not a single one was intercepted.

And so we arrived smoothly at Jinyang Lake in the south of Taiyuan City.

From the air, ten 'sea gunships' could be vaguely seen docked at the lakeside pier.

They immediately dropped all the bombs they were carrying.

Numerous bombs fell on the seaplane base.

The deserted airport was razed to the ground by bombs, and even the ten dilapidated wooden boats by the dock were blown to smithereens.

The explosion was blinding, and the entire airport was completely destroyed by the saturation bombing.

The Japanese bomber squadron returned home with the joy of victory.

However, some pilots wondered if the Japanese air force had been so easily defeated.

Half an hour after the bombing of the Jinyang Lake airfield, 10 gunboats also arrived in Fuping County in the Taihang Mountains.

The plane landed at the Shahe Water Airport, where more than a hundred soldiers stationed there warmly welcomed them.

Here, Fang Wen still needs to make many arrangements, such as setting up secret transport routes to continuously airlift supplies from the south of the Yellow River to ensure rapid development here.

But now, the more important thing is to coordinate with the defense of Taiyuan City.

He immediately ordered: "Unload the non-combat supplies from the planes. Don't worry about what to do with them for now. After unloading, rest immediately and wait for orders to take off and fight."

All gunboat squadron crews immediately complied with the orders.

A large amount of cargo from the aircraft cabin was piled up on the airport ground.

The mechanics urgently inspected the aircraft, repairing any problems as soon as possible and refueling any aircraft with low fuel levels.

The others rested on the spot after moving their belongings.

Fang Wen, however, maintained telegraphic contact with Taiyuan.

Through direct contact with Commander Fu and radio communication with the mobile unit, Fang Wen learned about the real-time situation.

The Japanese army had already appeared in the Di Village area, seized the bridge over the Fen River to cross the river, but did not attack the city. Instead, they crossed the Fen River and marched towards Jinyang Lake.

As Fang Wen saw from the air, the Japanese army on the northern front had intelligence sources, which they used to directly attack the Independent Regiment's garrison.

However, the source of this intelligence was inaccurate. It was probably sent back by that group of Japanese spies who were unaware that the Third Battalion of the Independent Regiment and the Provisional Seventh Division had already left.

Subsequent telegrams from Taiyuan indicated that the Japanese army had turned back from Jinyang Lake, suggesting that after their fruitless retreat, they would launch an attack on Taiyuan.

At this point, Fang Wen instructed his correspondent to send a telegram to Xi'an.

"Notify the fighter squadron that four fighters are to be loaded with aerial incendiary bombs and four fighters are to be fully loaded with air combat munitions for escort. All fighters are to be deployed."

The fighter squadron takes one hour and twenty minutes to travel from Xi'an to Taiyuan, while the gunboat squadron takes 40 minutes to take off from Fuping and arrive in Taiyuan.

There is at least a 40-minute time difference between the two sides.

Therefore, Fang Wen ordered the gunboat squadron to depart 40 minutes after notifying the fighter squadron to take off.

After resting for more than an hour, the gunboat squadron took off again, flew over the Taihang Mountains, and headed for Taiyuan.

Forty minutes later, the gunboat squadron arrived in Taiyuan.

Fang Wen, having activated his mechanical perception, immediately gained an understanding of the overall situation.

At this time, the Japanese army had troops stationed in the south, west, and north of the city.

However, due to their dispersed locations, they did not launch an attack on the city.

They are moving troops from the south of the city to the west so that they can concentrate their superior forces to launch an attack.

And what about the Japanese army's main artillery positions for attacking the city?

Fang Wen was somewhat surprised, as he did not see any Japanese artillery positions.

There were definitely artillery positions, but having learned their lesson, the Japanese army hid them.

Fang Wen was not worried about not being able to find the artillery positions. As long as the Japanese dared to open fire, he would be able to find the location of the artillery positions.

The situation of the ground troops has been clarified.

This is the situation in the air right now.

Eight fighter jets flying from the southwest are no more than 50 kilometers away and are expected to arrive in 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, twenty aircraft reported from the east.

Clearly, this Japanese air force formation was there to bomb Taiyuan.

Fang Wen sneered. The Japanese air force thought they had annihilated the Independent Regiment's gunboat squadron through bombing. Now it was time to let them see the ghosts of the Independent Regiment's gunboat squadron come back to haunt them and seek revenge.

In order to surprise the Japanese air force formation, Fang Wen made arrangements.

He ordered the gunboat squadron to lower its altitude.

The gunship aircraft landed at an altitude of over 1000 meters. Below was Dongshan, a branch of the Taihang Mountains. Flying a little further ahead was the Taiyuan Basin.

The mountainous terrain and the fog here provided a perfect cover for the gunboat fleet.

At the same time, he also ordered the fighter squadron flying from the southwest to climb to an altitude of 5000 meters.

Once the Japanese air force formation arrives, they will encircle the Japanese from both high and low altitudes.

(Taiyuan East Mountain Clouds and Mist)
(End of this chapter)