Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 370, Section 368: Air-Ground Coordination Operation at Niushou Mountain; New Air-to-Air Weapons Emerge
In the afternoon of April 1, 37.

Five gunboats landed at Nanjing Water Airport.

The crew members were astonished to see the large number of civilians stranded at the seaport when they disembarked from the plane.

Many civilians stood outside the fence, holding up plane tickets and shouting anxiously.

"The plane is here, is it our flight?"

"Let me board the plane, I'm willing to pay."

One of the women held up her pregnant belly and said, "My baby is sick. Please, let my baby and me get on the plane first."

The child had his eyes closed and looked very uncomfortable.

The newly appointed pilot of the Water Tiger No. 7 gunboat, Kuang Anming, couldn't help but feel pity and went over to ask.

"What's wrong with the child?"

The woman sobbed, "I had a fever yesterday, and we've been waiting at the airport for three days just to be able to leave by plane."

Kuang Anming touched the child's forehead; it was burning hot. He quickly said, "High fever, we need to see a doctor first."

At this moment, Sun Debiao walked over, leaving a team of security guards to watch over the gunboats, and then called out, "Crew members, go to the office area. The general manager has something to discuss with you later."

Kuang Anming rushed over: "Brother Sun, there's a child here with a high fever. He probably can't take the plane. Could you arrange for him to be treated at the airport medical clinic?"

Sun Debiao glanced at the woman and child: "The infirmary is full. There are all kinds of patients there, so it's not suitable for a child. How about this, I'll have someone bring some medicine over for her."

Kuang Anming didn't want things to end so hastily. In his view, the child was in danger. He asked, "Why isn't my brother-in-law doing anything about this place? It's too chaotic."

"You kid, it's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering. The general manager is completely overwhelmed right now. Do you know how many people are waiting to fly away from here? Come on, someone will take care of the kids. Come with me."

Sun Debiao led Kuang Anming and a group of crew members away.

They arrived at the airport's office area.

Fang Wencai returned from outside after waiting there for an hour.

Under the protection of a group of security personnel, he arrived at the office area and immediately questioned Kuang Anming, who was leading the team.

How are you doing?

In public, Kuang Anming adopted a serious demeanor: "Reporting to the commander, as per your orders, we have brought double the amount of ammunition for combat this time. In addition, the ground communication equipment components have also been delivered by the Tiger 7."

Fang Wen nodded: "This is not our home ground. Ammunition supplies need to be transported from Wuhan. It's better to bring extra ammunition than nothing. Kuang Anming, Sun Debiao, take some men to unload the ground communication equipment components. Our allies will come to pick them up in a bit."

The two men received orders and led a group of crew members and security personnel back to Pier 3 where the gunboats were docked, where they moved the heavy equipment components over.

Subsequently, Fang Wen personally assembled the heavy communication equipment.

An hour later, the communication equipment, weighing 500 kilograms, measuring 1 meter in length and 0.6 meters in width, was assembled.

At that moment, trucks from the 156th Division of the 83rd Army of the Guangdong Army also drove over from the Guanghua Gate.

The seaplane base was packed with people inside and out, and the trucks of the 156th Division were stuck outside.

It wasn't until the Taishan Aviation Security Team came out to maintain order that a passage was cleared to allow the truck to enter the airport.

The truck stopped in the airport's office area.

Commander Li jumped out of the passenger seat and talked to Fang Wen, who was coming towards him.

"Commander Fang, you have done a great deed."

"I'll do my part, however small. After all, I have the ability, and if I don't, I'm afraid I'll have an uneasy life later on," Fang Wen replied.

The two walked to an open space in the office area, where newly assembled communication equipment was placed.

Fang Wen explained, "This is it. Put it in your truck and you can maintain real-time air-to-ground communication."

"Let's begin then," Commander Li said curiously.

Fang Wen waved, and several strong men lifted the equipment, carried it to the back of the truck, and carefully placed it into the cargo compartment.

Then, Fang Wen jumped onto the train carriage carrying a can of gasoline, and Commander Li followed him up.

Gasoline was poured into the inlet of the equipment, and Fang Wen shook the engine lever below, producing a slight engine roar.

"It needs electricity, and with a full tank of fuel, the engine can provide a day's worth of power. It's also very easy to operate. I've only set a fixed frequency; you just need to turn on this red switch. Once it's on, you can hear me calling out from the air."

"So simple?" Commander Li was surprised as he followed along and tried it out, then experienced the radio communication.

Fang Wen initiated communication from the Water Tiger No. 4 gunboat over at the dock.

"Airborne call to ground, please respond."

Commander Li's voice came through: "I heard that. How far can this thing make real-time calls?"

"The call quality is clear within 50 kilometers," Fang Wen replied.

"Very good, the Taishan Independent Regiment is indeed extraordinary. Now it's up to you."

Commander Li happily rode away in a truck, looking forward to a new kind of war.

The ground communication equipment for the 156th Division has been installed.

Ten representatives of aerial observation were also selected from among the university students who remained in Nanjing.

Everything is ready.

12 month 2 day.

Ten university student representatives arrived at the sea airport.

They gathered in the airport's office area.

Before boarding, Fang Wen assigned these college students to different roles.

Five gunboats, two university students per plane.

Subsequently, the assigned university student observers boarded the plane with their respective crews.

On Fang Wen's side, in addition to the two university student observers, there was also Whitney.

He participated alone this time; neither his wife nor his assistant came, which can be described as a very bold and risky act.

After everyone boarded the plane, Fang Wen picked up the microphone.

"Are all crew members ready?"

The pilots of the other four gunship aircraft answered in turn.

After confirming everything was correct, Fang Wendao said, "Take off now, in formation."

Five gunboats, led by Fang Wen piloting the Water Tiger No. 4, took off one after another.

The university student observers in each gunboat were deeply moved by what they saw.

This is completely different from what they know about the military.

The gunboats and aircraft of the Taishan Independent Regiment gave them a completely new experience.

This was the effect Fang Wen wanted. He picked up the microphone and addressed the student representatives in each gunboat.

"Times are progressing, and so is warfare. From ancient swords to modern firearms, human warfare has begun to move away from hand-to-hand combat. You have learned a lot of new knowledge in university, and you should also have a broad perspective. Is war simply a matter of exchanging weapons? No, I don't think so. We can also apply more technological achievements to warfare. For example, this kind of radio communication can shorten the distance and make warfare more efficient."

After a pause, Fang Wen continued, "The Japanese invaders took the lead and possessed a stronger military than China in a short period of history. However, as long as we do not surrender, we will definitely be able to catch up. For you, the knowledge you possess is the catalyst for our development. Knowledge is power, and technology is power. Next, I will show you the technological warfare achievements of the Taishan Independent Regiment."

Fang Wen's words gave the student observers and Whitney high expectations.

Everyone is eagerly anticipating what will happen next.

Now, it is time for the actual war, and Fang Wen entered a serious state of mind.

He first used mechanical perception to understand the current military situation outside Nanjing.

With his mechanical perception expanded to the maximum extent, Fang Wen saw a lot.

Today, Nanjing has five layers of defense.

The outermost fifth line of defense is the line of Wulong Mountain, Qixia Mountain, Qinglong Mountain, Chunhua Town, Niushou Mountain, and Dasheng Pass.

These areas were the front lines of the Battle of Nanjing.

The fourth line of defense is the line of Houtou Mountain, Dalian Mountain, Hushu Town, Moling Pass, and Jiangning Town.

These areas formed a semi-circular defensive line around Nanjing. Once the fifth layer of defense was completely breached, they would be responsible for blocking the Japanese troops. After that, there would be an inner ring defense.

The third line of defense included Tangshan Town, Zhenjiang, and Qixia Mountain, which served as Nanjing's outer perimeter and were heavily fortified.

Among them, the 154th Division of the 83rd Army of the Guangdong Army was deployed on the west side of Tangshan.

The second line of defense mainly consists of Zijin Mountain and Yuhuatai, which are important high points and strategic locations in Nanjing.

It is also the area defended by the strongest National Army forces.

The 88th Division of the 72nd Army was responsible for the defense of the area near Yuhuatai, from Shuixi Gate and Zhonghua Gate to Wuding Gate and Yuhuatai itself.

The 36th Division of the 78th Army was responsible for the defense of Xuanwu Gate, Hongshan, Mufu Mountain and Yijiang Gate near Longwang Temple, and cooperated with the Mufu Mountain Fortress.

The Training Corps was responsible for the defense of Guanghua Gate, Zhongshan Gate to Taiping Gate, Zijin Mountain, Qilin Gate and Tianbao City.

The 87th Division of the 71st Army was responsible for defending the Tongji Gate and Guanghua Gate area.

Military Police: Responsible for the defense of Dinghuai Gate, Hanzhong Gate, and Qingliang Mountain.

The last line of defense, namely the city wall defense line, mainly relied on the Nanjing city wall for defense.

The area was divided into two garrison zones, with Beijige, Gulou, and Qingliangshan as the boundaries, and core strongholds were set up at commanding heights such as Qingliangshan.

This is the overall defense deployment in Nanjing.

Fang Wen sighed inwardly, realizing that, like the Battle of Shanghai and the Battle of Taiyuan, this was another passive defense.

This passive approach to warfare will only embolden the Japanese army and will not change anything at all.

This is how Shanghai was lost, and this is how Taiyuan was lost.

To this day, the Nationalist government still uses this strategy and tactics without any change.

In comparison, Fang Wen admired the Eighth Route Army's combat methods more, which dared to launch proactive attacks behind enemy lines and inflict continuous damage on the Japanese army.

Clearing his mind of his thoughts, Fang Wen returned to battle mode.

As required by the Nanjing Garrison Command, the air force of the Taishan Independent Regiment, as well as the 156th Division which left the city last night and is on standby in Jiangning, are responsible for supporting the troops in the Niushou Mountain area.

The 58th Division of the 74th Army was stationed at Niushou Mountain.

They were facing the 114th and 6th Divisions of the Japanese 10th Army, which put them under immense pressure.

Has the 156th Division entered the position yet?
Fang Wen told the communications officer, "Adjust to the 156th Division's communication frequency."

The communications officer adjusted the frequency, and Fang Wen picked up the microphone and called out: "Airborne call to ground, 156th Division, please respond."

After two calls, there was a response from the microphone.

It's Commander Li.

"I heard you. Commander Fang, I saw your plane."

"Please report your current location."

"Currently, the 156th Division has arrived at the western position of Niushou Mountain and has engaged in combat with the Japanese army."

Fang Wen immediately looked down.

There are many fortified bunkers on the west side of Niushou Mountain, but they are not yet completed.

Soldiers of the 156th Division are defending these fortifications.

Explosions were occurring intermittently on their positions, clearly indicating that Japanese artillery was shelling them.

Fang Wen also discovered through radar early warning devices that five unidentified aircraft were approaching the Niushoushan position.

Two kilometers away, a large number of Japanese troops were gathering.

One of the troops, numbering over 1000, marched eastward.

Fang Wen immediately issued a warning.

"Commander Li, a group of Japanese troops is maneuvering around to the east of your position."

Commander Li exclaimed with delight, "You saw the enemy's movements! This battle went very smoothly. I'll arrange the defenses immediately."

"No need for defense. Send a force out to attack, and I will provide air support."

"Should we take the initiative?" Commander Li hesitated for a moment, but then agreed.

Immediately, he dispatched a regiment of troops to descend the mountain via the eastern path.

As soon as they descended the mountain, they encountered Japanese troops who had circled around to their side, and the two sides immediately launched an attack.

At that moment, five gunboats led by Fang Wen descended from the sky and appeared behind the Japanese troops.

In the gunboat No. 4, Fang Wen gave the order.

"Ready to shoot."

Gong Xiuneng and the other shooters immediately stood by.

The college student observers and Whitney watched nervously from the sidelines.

They watched as Gong Xiuneng and the other shooters peered down through the observation window.

At Fang Wen's command to fire, they immediately gripped their weapons and fired at the designated firing positions.

Two college student observers and Whitney looked out through the observation window at the back of the cabin.

A barrage of bullets shot downwards, and the faint flashes of explosions could be seen on the ground.

At that moment, the two university student observers felt the thrill of war brought about by technology.

Despite having only 5 planes, they exerted a powerful suppression on the 1000 Japanese troops below.

It relies on advanced military weapons and equipment.

The university student observers understood at that moment.

The best way to end the war and drive out the invaders is not to take up arms and go to the battlefield.

You can also use the knowledge you've learned to achieve this goal.

Don't think this is just wishful thinking; Mr. Fang's Taishan Airlines is already working in this direction.

The battle continued.

Gunships flew in the air, circling and strafing the ground with heavy machine guns and 20mm cannons mounted on their sides.

The powerful air firepower stunned the Japanese army.

Upon seeing this, the 156th Division immediately launched an attack.

Under attack from both sides, the Japanese army was completely unable to withstand the onslaught.

They tried to retreat, but the gunboats in the air tracked their movements and they couldn't shake them off at all.

Ultimately, the Japanese 1,000-man unit suffered a complete defeat.

Only then was the battle truly over.

Immediately afterwards, a regiment of the 156th Division, which had been sent to intercept the Japanese army, withdrew to its position, bringing back a large amount of spoils of war.

This battle greatly boosted the 156th Division's confidence in cooperating with the Taishan Independent Regiment.

But the battle in the air did not end there.

Five Japanese fighter planes appeared in the air.

These five high-speed fighter jets spotted the Taishan gunship aircraft.

Japanese pilots had long been aware of Taishan's low-speed ground attack aircraft through the Japanese Air Force intelligence agency.

They knew that the gunboats of Mount Tai had thick armor but poor maneuverability, so they decided to use their speed advantage to try to attack.

Faced with the aerial provocation of five fighter jets, how should Fang Wen's five gunship aircraft respond?
With a confident plan in mind, Fang Wen issued orders via communication.

"Attention all aircraft, prepare to drop airburst bombs."

Airburst bombs, a brand-new air-to-air weapon, are about to be unveiled.

(End of this chapter)