Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 409, 407: Aerial Drifting, Remote-Controlled Bomb, Fang Wen's Little Indulgence

Smoke filled the battlefield, and the National Army seized the opportunity to launch an attack.

Because of the smoke, the Japanese soldiers inside could not see outside and were temporarily rendered unable to fight due to the suffocation.

The Nationalist soldiers outside were the first to rush in, but were forced back out by the smoke.

Then, someone came up with a solution: soak a piece of cloth in water from a kettle and then wrap it around the mouth and nose to filter out the smoke.

This was a bit better; they charged in again and made their way towards the outer perimeter of the position.

After a while, they came out with their spoils: spears, ammunition, and swords.

Next, a gust of wind blew by, dispersing the billowing smoke and revealing the deep band of smoke.

The flames inside had been extinguished, and a large number of Japanese soldiers lay sprawled on the ground.

These soldiers did not die, but rather fell into a coma due to inhaling too much smoke.

Given this situation, how could we not seize the opportunity to storm in!

Immediately afterwards, the 59th Army received an order from the forward command to send its subordinate 13th Cavalry Brigade to launch an attack.

The 13th Cavalry Brigade was originally part of the Northwest Army. It was originally part of the 29th Army in North China, but was later broken up and reorganized into the 59th Army.

These cavalrymen rarely have a chance to play a role in modern warfare, but this time they have been given that opportunity.

So a thousand cavalrymen charged into the depths of the Japanese army's smoke-filled territory.

Following the cavalry group were the remnants of the 59th Army, who were also unwilling to give up this precious opportunity and followed suit.

After completing the vertical bombing, Fang Wen flew the plane to a high altitude but did not continue bombing. Instead, he observed the situation below.

The cavalry charge in the bombing zone was a stroke of genius.

Their timely action tore a gap in the Japanese positions, forcing the Japanese troops on both sides to fight independently.

The Japanese army also discovered this problem and immediately organized its forces to encircle the center, attempting to close the gap.

Fang Wen, of course, would not let them have their way.

He shouted, "Everyone, get ready! The second bombing is about to begin. This time it's more dangerous than the last. Japanese warplanes are very likely to attack us first, so don't let your guard down."

"Yes." The cabin echoed in unison, even the two Spanish Republican Army soldiers were no exception.

They felt how enjoyable it was to fight alongside ace pilots; the first bombing run had such an effect that they could talk about it for the rest of their lives.

After giving the instructions, Fang Wen controlled the aircraft to descend, attempting to reach an altitude of 3000-3500 meters to prepare for a second bombing raid.

But this time, just as he had predicted, Japanese fighter planes attacked.

It was the Nakajima Type 97 fighter, a new type of fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force.
One of them even flew towards us provocatively, brushing past us 800 meters away and making a provocative gesture.

(Nakajima Type 97)
Fang Wen's expression turned cold.

In the realm of the air, he was the uncrowned king, and this kind of clown annoyed him.

"Shooters, use the gunship firing method. I will point out the firing positions to you."

Gong Xiuneng and the two Spanish Republican Army gunners were immediately excited.

Among all gunboat pilots, the regimental commander's air combat command was undoubtedly the strongest.

There have been instances before where gunboats shot down Japanese warplanes; is it going to happen again?

"Did you understand what the commander said?" Gong Xiuneng asked the other two shooters loudly.

During more than a month of intensive training, the two Spanish Republican soldiers had developed some Chinese listening and reading skills in order to communicate with their instructors. They replied in somewhat broken Chinese:

"understood."

"Let's experience the textbook version of death by gunfire!"

Immediately, the three shooters stood ready.

Fang Wen also entered a state of mechanical perception, completely focused, while Isabella beside him was mesmerized.

Two enemy planes flew in a staggered pattern, attempting to outflank Fang Wen's bomber and strafe it.

This tactic is the preferred choice for most pilots when attacking large aircraft. After all, large aircraft are less maneuverable and slower than fighter jets. Once they successfully flank and rear-end the enemy, they can be destroyed in most cases.

But this time, Fang Wen was driving.

He completed a lateral rapid drift maneuver before the enemy aircraft approached.

This is a specific, extremely difficult flight maneuver that only he can perform.

The aircraft must complete a short-term turn to its position, briefly stop the engines, and stall and drift.

Any mistake during the entire process could cause the plane to roll and crash.

Faced with two Japanese fighter planes, the Hengshan No. 1 veered to the side, then its engine suddenly stopped, and the fuselage swayed backward due to stall, completing the change of fuselage position on a short 1000-meter axis.

Now that the firing position was aligned with the shooting angle, Fang Wen used his mechanical senses to check the situation inside the cabin.

The extreme mid-air drift just now also affected the cabin, but everyone was secured with safety ropes and remained at their posts.

Fang Wen said urgently, "Angle the gun muzzle upwards at 15 degrees, fire continuously."

This was a firing order rarely used by gunships. The three gunners, who were clinging tightly to the aircraft machine gun mounts, immediately adjusted their firing angle and moved the muzzle upwards.

After completing the upward movement, they pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Casings kept ejecting from the back of the gun, and bullets shot through the air.

Two Japanese warplanes rushed in and were met with a hail of bullets.

Bullets left rows of holes in the side of the first plane, and continued firing even after the plane had passed.

A second Japanese warplane then appeared in firing range, its nose and wings instantly destroyed.

Immediately, the two Japanese warplanes exploded in mid-air under this anticipated firing.

Only then did Fang Wen speak up: "Cease fire."

Immediately, the three scorching hot 12.7mm aircraft machine guns ceased firing.

Two Spanish Republican Army soldiers clapped their hands and shouted in Spanish: "Estoy en la cima del mundo" (The World).

"What are they saying?" Fang Wen couldn't help but ask.

Isabella looked at Fang Wen with admiration and explained, "They're shouting 'I'm on top of the world.' It's an expression of the joy of victory."

Fang Wen nodded; the expression was quite interesting, and he remembered it.

Now that the aerial interference has been eliminated, the remaining Japanese warplanes are engaged in dogfights with the Nationalist Air Force, and bombing can continue.

He once again used his eagle-eye ability, which was aided by mechanical perception, to observe the area below.

In the Taierzhuang battlefield below, the 59th Army, under the charge of the cavalry brigade, entered one-third of the bombing depth.

Further ahead, it became very difficult, as the Japanese troops on both sides launched a frenzied attack on them.

To deal with this pack of rabid Japanese soldiers charging forward, they had to halt their advance, and even the cavalry brigade had to rejoin the main force to fight them off.

A good charge shouldn't be ruined like this.

Fang Wen recalled that although the Battle of Taierzhuang was a rare major victory since the start of the War of Resistance, it did not completely annihilate the Japanese troops in Taierzhuang, allowing some of them to escape.

Our bombing campaign had the potential to wipe out the entire Japanese force in Taierzhuang, so we couldn't give up halfway.

Next, we'll need to use the other aerial bombs from Taishan.

Of the bombs brought this time, the left compartment contained incendiary smoke bombs, while the right compartment contained remote-controlled fragmentation aerial bombs.

Fragmentation bombs are conventional lethal weapons as defined by Fang Wen. In combat, bombs are dropped on targets, and upon impact, they destroy targets through various lethal effects such as shock waves, fragments, and flames.

Remote-controlled fragmentation aerial bombs, on the other hand, are equipped with semiconductor radio receivers that send radio signals to detonate prematurely in the air.

Aerial explosions scatter numerous bomb fragments in mid-air, which can damage infantry over a considerable area.

However, this new technology is relatively crude and cannot be used for formal military purposes. Fang Wen can only use his special ability to ensure the timeliness of the bomb's explosion.

He then raised his right hand: "There's a hidden compartment under the radio device. Give me the remote control inside." Isabella looked down and pulled out a box with wires attached. "Is this it?"

“Yes.” Fang Wen took the box.

This thing only has one detonation signal transmission button. The terminal is connected to the wireless equipment and requires specific functions to be activated in order to transmit the signal.

Fang Wen operated the radio device with his right hand, activating the remote detonation signal transmission function.

He then ordered: "Prepare for the second bombing. Unlike the last one, I will continue to issue bombing orders. The bombing team must carry out the bombing operation immediately after the order is issued, without any delay."

After giving the order, Fang Wen placed the remote control in his right hand where he could easily reach it and continued piloting the aircraft.

Under his control, the plane descended to an altitude of 3300 meters, adjusted its position, and flew towards the center of the Japanese positions.

As it approached the target area, it switched to a circling flight pattern.

This way, the 59th Army could be the center, and the bombing targets could be the Japanese troops attacking them from both sides.

As the plane reached the first predicted bombing point, Fang Wen announced, "Drop bombs. Base number 1."

The bombardier in the cabin quickly operated the bombing device.

The right bomb bay under the fuselage opened, and a row of five remote-controlled bombs fell out.

At an altitude of 3300 meters, a solid aerial bomb takes approximately 25 seconds to land.

To achieve an airborne explosion, you need to press the remote control approximately 23 seconds in.

This is physically demanding work, requiring a high degree of coordination between mental and physical abilities.

Fang Wen, whose body had been strengthened multiple times by the energy of faith, was able to multitask while piloting the plane, waiting for the flight to begin.

Without needing to look at a timing device, Fang Wen used his body's clock to keep track of time.

As the seconds ticked by, he decisively pressed the remote control button when 23 seconds had elapsed.

The radio waves were transmitted and were instantly received by the bomb below.

The semiconductor device inside the bomb triggered a rapid fuse, and in less than half a second, the five-cell bomb exploded in the air at a height of 100 meters.

As the bomb exploded, a large amount of shrapnel shot through the air, covering an area of ​​hundreds of meters.

The Japanese detachment there, numbering over two hundred, had no chance to react before being hit by shrapnel, and many of them fell.

The effect was excellent; so many enemies were eliminated in one go.

Fang Wen was filled with excitement and continued.

The aircraft flew to the next target, and the same instructions were given.

Another five-barreled bomb fell, exploding 20 seconds later, causing heavy casualties among the Japanese troops in that area.

It was extremely powerful, but the cost to Fang Wen was also staggering.

His face was pale; he was also struggling to keep up due to the intense physical exertion.

The key is to control the timing of the bomb's explosion; it must be timed precisely at that point, and the aircraft must not deviate from its course.

Isabella, in the passenger seat, noticed Fang Wen's condition and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing," Fang Wen replied.

Only one batch of bombs remains; we must hold on no matter what.

He refocused his attention, circled the plane to the southeast, and dropped the last batch of bombs on the Japanese troops who were launching an attack below.

23 seconds later, the remote control was pressed precisely, and the bomb exploded in the air again, scattering shrapnel that felled a large number of enemies.

The soldiers of the 59th Army raised their guns and cheered, launching an attack on the remaining enemy troops.

Meanwhile, in the air, Fang Wen felt a heat in his nostrils.

"You're bleeding!" Isabella exclaimed.

Gong Xiuneng, who was in the rear cabin, rushed to the front cabin and asked with concern, "Commander, what's wrong?"

Fang Wen raised his hand and touched the liquid that was running down his nose to the corner of his mouth. It was blood. It seems that using mental power too intently can also cause a backlash from the body.

Behind him and around him, voices inquired about his condition with concern.

Fang Wen took the handkerchief Isabella handed him, wiped away the still-flowing blood from his nose, and replied, "Alright, the bombing is over, let's head back."

At this moment, no one celebrated the victory of the bombing; everyone was worried about him.

The plane returned to its origin.

Flying towards Nanchang.

Because it ascended directly to an altitude of 6000 meters, the return process was smooth and without any problems.

While controlling the plane's flight, Fang Wen was also sensing the state of his body.

He sensed that the damage caused by overusing his abilities and mental strength wasn't that serious.

Nosebleeds can be caused by ruptured capillaries.

This is related to continuous, high-intensity flight control, coupled with the intense, sustained remote-controlled explosion.

The nosebleed had stopped by the time the plane flew over the Huai River.

But others don't think so.

Two hours later, the plane landed at Nanchang Airport, and Gong Xiuneng couldn't wait to shout.

"Commander, I'll carry you on my back and take you to the best doctor. You'll be alright."

"I was fine to begin with," Fang Wen thought to himself.

Seeing Isabella's concerned look beside him, Fang Wen for some reason swallowed his words.

He stood up, and Isabella quickly came over to help him, as did Gong Xiuneng.

Gong Xiuneng's hands were empty; the regimental commander's choice left him disappointed.

But the next second, he saw the commander's wink and, as a bodyguard and a man, how could he not understand?

Immediately, she deliberately blocked others' concern and let the commander leave with Isabella's help, while she blocked the cabin door.

The two were walking on the airport runway.

Isabella asked about the situation with concern.

Are you feeling better? Are there any doctors at the airport?

She suddenly felt something was wrong, and when she saw that no one was following behind her, she immediately understood.

Immediately, she slowed down and changed from supporting him to snuggling up to him.

"I like the reserved nature of people from the East, but I don't like being rejected. I can feel that you like me, especially the way you look at me, but you keep rejecting me. It's contradictory, isn't it?"

Fang Wen's body stiffened, unsure how to answer.

Sometimes desires are like a wild horse; if not controlled properly, they can make people lose their minds.

Especially now, a resounding victory in battle gives him a strong sense of conquest, and he wants to conquer the exotic beauty beside him.

That's why we're in the current situation.

But as reason prevailed, another voice began to prevent it from continuing.

Even Isabella has now noticed her own inner conflict.

The woman beside him continued softly, "I'm going back to my country next week, back to Spain, to fight for my ideals. This is the last time I'm inviting you to dinner. Are you going to refuse again?"

Fang Wen stopped and looked at Isabella's face, which was exactly the same as Sophie Marceau's.

Yes, why should people live such a tiring life? In this chaotic world, why put yourself in shackles? What's the point?

Immediately, having let go of his resentment, he took Isabella and got into the car, driving out of the airport.

(End of this chapter)