Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 505 Joint Amphibious Operations: Battle of Sixianjiao

Inside the pavilion on the water at Seven Star Crags, everyone looked at Fang Wen and his group, while Fang Wen also observed them.

An official from the ZQ municipal government, standing nearby, said, "This is Commander Fang Wenfang, who is also the owner of Taishan Airlines. The day before yesterday, he launched a surprise attack on Guangzhou City. Taking advantage of the Japanese high-ranking officers' collective meeting, he killed a large number of Japanese high-ranking officers in one fell swoop. Now the Japanese offensive on all sides has obviously stalled. I guess they are waiting for a new general to come and take command."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh; since the fall of Guangzhou, this was one of the few pieces of good news that could bring them joy.

Next, city officials introduced both parties.

Among these people were both local gentry representatives and savvy, dark-skinned river warriors.
Fang Wen smiled and chatted with them.

The next few officers were unexpected by Fang Wen.

They are the captains of five warships of the National Navy: "Jianru", "Zhongkai", "Zhongyuan", "Feipeng" and "Hushan".

And people sent by the Guangdong-Guangxi River Flood Control Headquarters.

Fang Wen asked in surprise, "There are warships in Zhaoqing?"

The captain of the Jianru ship spoke up: "We retreated from Humen to Zhaoqing when Guangzhou fell, and are now under the jurisdiction of the Guangdong-Guangxi River Defense Headquarters. Originally, we also had a ship called the Zhixin. On October 29th, we were ordered to launch an attack on the Sanshuihekou and Sixianjiao strongholds in the Japanese-occupied area of ​​the lower reaches of the Xijiang River. We engaged in a three-hour artillery battle with the Japanese on the shore, destroying four enemy artillery batteries. Unfortunately, the Zhixin was hit by enemy artillery and sank. We hope that this time we can join forces with the Taishan Independent Regiment to avenge the Zhixin."

"Could you briefly describe your warships?" Fang Wen asked hastily. In a water-rich area like Guangzhou, having warships to coordinate operations would be much more effective.

The five captains introduced their respective warships.

The Jianru ship is a shallow-draft gunboat with a displacement of 225 tons, making it the largest of the five ships currently in service.

The Feipeng and Hushan ships were also shallow-draft gunboats, but much smaller in tonnage.

The Zhongkai and Zhongyuan ships were inland river gunboats with a displacement of only 60 tons.

After listening to them, Fang Wen sighed inwardly. This was already the strongest ship the National Navy in the Guangdong region had at present, yet it was not even as good as the Chidori-class torpedo boat that he had sunk in Guangzhou.

The Chidori-class torpedo boats had a displacement of 500 tons, demonstrating the huge gap between the two sides.

But it's better than nothing.

Fang Wen asked, "You can fight alongside us. I have a very good battle plan. We were just missing the sea route. It would be great if you joined us."

The five captains did not answer.

Instead, the representative from the Guangdong-Guangxi River Flood Control Headquarters spoke up: "I'm sorry, we can't agree to your request immediately. We need to understand your operational plan first."

Fang Wen nodded, saying that it was probably impossible to get all five warships to cooperate with his troop deployment; he estimated that he would be lucky to get one or two.

Shaking off his thoughts, he spoke loudly: "Gentlemen, the reason you are gathered here is because you are all patriots who are determined to resist the Japanese invasion. Our individual strength is weak, and it is difficult to shake the three divisions of the Japanese army in Guangzhou. Only by working together can we have a chance of victory. I am here today to discuss with you the matter of launching a counterattack on Guangzhou."

When they arrived, everyone had some guesses, but when they heard Fang Wen say it, everyone couldn't help but become eager.

Someone asked, "Commander Fang, we are willing to fight alongside you. Why don't you come up with a plan so that we don't all go our own way when the battle starts and end up making things worse?"

This person wasn't arranged by Fang Wen. He originally wanted someone from the underground party to speak and start a conversation, but someone else spoke first.

Fang Wen replied, "That's why I'm here. The Japanese army's command system is currently experiencing problems, lacking unified command, so they are all holed up in defense, which is a good opportunity for us to attack. But this joint operation is completely different from your previous battles. I can show you how I command operations."

At this point, Gong Xiuneng and two soldiers behind Fang Wen stepped forward.

They took out the Taishan walkie-talkie from their backpacks and demonstrated a new combat method of real-time wireless communication via walkie-talkie.

Representatives from various anti-Japanese forces watched with envy, wondering if this was the winning formula of the Taishan Independent Regiment.

Someone asked, "Will these Taishan walkie-talkies be distributed to us?"

Fang Wen replied, "As long as we participate in combat, every unit will be assigned a communications soldier from our Independent Regiment to facilitate real-time communication."

He didn't go into too much detail, and even the air command wasn't revealed at this meeting.

After all, their own command system is the essence of the Independent Regiment, and they can't let outsiders know too much about it.

Everyone present readily agreed.

Next, the topic shifted to how to conduct joint operations.

After Guangzhou fell, Zhaoqing became the front line of Guangdong's resistance against Japan.

But the situation here is quite chaotic.

The ZQ municipal government has no soldiers.

The army had the Tax Police Corps, as well as scattered anti-Japanese forces from various factions.

The navy has five warships under the management of the Guangdong-Guangxi River Defense Headquarters.

It was not an easy task for Fang Wen to gather a military force to launch a counterattack on Guangzhou.

He must present a solution that satisfies all parties in order to impress these people.

Before discussing the plan, he said seriously, "The Japanese are masters of using spies to gather intelligence. I've seen too many of them over the years. They are ubiquitous and impossible to guard against. The military plan we're discussing today is top secret. To ensure it won't be leaked, I hope that after you go back, you won't tell anyone else, not even your closest relatives."

After speaking, Fang Wen focused intently, observing the micro-expressions of everyone present.

Under his observation, everyone affirmed that they would absolutely keep the secret.

Fang Wen couldn't detect anything amiss from the micro-expressions either.

He then asked Gong Xiuneng to take out the map and explain it on the spot.

"Now that the Japanese army in Guangzhou is in disarray due to its command system, and the Japanese troops in other areas are forced to retreat and defend, this is the best opportunity for us to send troops. The 12th Army Group has agreed to participate in this military operation, and we will attack from the north and west. Our target is the Sanshui and Foshan area."

He paused for a moment, then pointed to the Xijiang River in Sihui on the map.

"The Japanese army has about 50,000 troops in Guangzhou, distributed in Guangzhou and the surrounding areas. They have strongholds along the West River: Sanshuihekou and Sixianjiao, which block the waterway with ships and coastal artillery, and have built a group of bunkers for defense. Our first battle is to break through the West River defense line, and then let the army cross the North River to fight. Originally, my plan was to draw the Japanese army's attention from the front, and then use paratroopers to airdrop behind enemy lines to fight, but the enemy ships on the river were a problem, so I arranged the operation to be carried out at night. But now, we have a better plan. We can launch an attack from the air and the water at the same time and directly annihilate the Japanese ships on the West River."

After explaining the plan, Fang Wen looked at the representative from the Guangdong-Guangxi River Flood Control Headquarters.

Since that person couldn't make the decision, Fang Wen was just about to demonstrate the effects of the Taishan walkie-talkie.

He then sent a soldier from the Independent Regiment with a walkie-talkie to go back with him.

An hour after the person left, Fang Wen's walkie-talkie responded.

He picked up the walkie-talkie microphone in front of everyone.

"Hello, I am Fang Wen from the Taishan Independent Regiment."

A voice came through the walkie-talkie: "This is Huang Tian from the Guangdong-Guangxi River Defense Headquarters. I know your plan. We can still handle the Japanese warships on the West River, but the artillery fire on the shore is hard to defend against, and there is also Japanese aircraft bombing. How do you plan to deal with this?"

Fang Wen replied, "There's something you might not know: during that operation in Guangzhou, our regiment sank a 500-ton Chidori-class torpedo boat."

There was silence on the walkie-talkie.

After a while, a sound was heard.

"If you can sink the Chidori-class, no ship will be able to stop you from crossing the West River. I can send the Jianru, Zhongkai, and Zhongyuan ships to join your operation. But there is a condition: you must ensure the safety of the three ships and do not send them deep into enemy territory alone."

"Okay," Fang Wen agreed.

The addition of three warships has made this military plan more comprehensive.

He went on to explain the action plan.

Representatives from various factions joined the discussion. Through the discussion, they understood what they needed to do in the operation.

Subsequently, representatives from all sides left Qixingyan to return and mobilize their troops.

In addition to the three warships.

Among those willing to send troops from Zhaoqing were several self-defense forces from Gaoyao County and Sihui County, as well as civilian anti-Japanese forces, totaling 1600 people.

They all assembled at the outpost of the 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment, awaiting the start of the operation.

August 12th at 30 am.

Under the cover of night, the various teams launched their operations.

The force of more than 1800 people, led by ten military vehicles from the 3rd Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment, set off from the Suijiang outpost towards the Sixianjiao area in the southwest.

Sixianjiao is a waterway where the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers meet, and it is the most convenient waterway in the Pearl River Delta region.

After the fall of Guangzhou, the Japanese army occupied Sanshui and built forts on the east bank of Sixianjiao and other places to control the waterways of the West and North Rivers. At that time, in order to recapture this important place, six National Army warships launched a bombardment on the forts, but failed to capture them and instead had one of them sunk.

Now, war has broken out again.

While the ground troops were advancing, three warships on the Xijiang River were also heading towards Sixianjiao.

On the deck of the lead ship, the "Jianru," sailors wrapped in wet raincoats were stuffing the last box of shells into the ammunition compartment.

Huang Tian, ​​commander of the river defense fleet, also joined the battle. He stood in front of the bridge, looking at the opposite bank, stroking the Browning pistol at his waist, and whispered, "Can the Taishan Independent Regiment really sink a 500-ton warship?"

The captain of the "Jianru" ship stood to the side and said, "It should be true. I heard that their gunboats are seaplanes that need to land on the river. If the Japanese warships were there at that time, they would have to be sunk before they could land."

"It's hard to believe when we developed such a strong air force," Commander Huang exclaimed.

“Only the Taishan Independent Regiment has this kind of power. I heard they are very close to the Communist Party,” the captain replied.

"This matter should not be mentioned again; we are now allies in the same trench."

"Yes."

The conversation ended, and the warship sailed in silence.

At 6:00 a.m., three warships arrived in the area near Sixianjiao.

The communications soldier from Taishan on the ship used a walkie-talkie to make contact.

"This is 'Jianrujian,' and we have arrived at Sixianjiao."

In the sky, the gunboat squadron had arrived.

Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan aircraft carrier and directed operations from the air.

He used his mechanical, eagle-like vision to look down.

An 1800-strong ground force has arrived near the west bank of Sixianjiao.

Meanwhile, three warships were also on standby on the Xijiang River.

He picked up the microphone: "Taishan is calling on Jianru. Your side should immediately launch an artillery barrage to draw the enemy's attention."

After he gave the order.

The eight 76mm guns on the HMS Kenru roared simultaneously, their muzzles spewing flames that turned the night sky crimson.

The Japanese counterattack came swiftly, with tracer bullets streaking across the sky above the ships like meteors, exploding into towering columns of water on the river.

"Hard to starboard!" The captain's roar mingled with the piercing sound of the ship's horn. The "Zhongkai" suddenly turned, and the machine guns on its sides unleashed a barrage of fire, shattering the Japanese boats attempting to board into pieces.

The river water was boiling, and the smell of blood and gunpowder filled the deck.

While the Japanese army's attention was drawn to the warships on the river.

Ground troops also launched an attack on the Japanese troops stationed on the west bank of Sixianjiao.

Soldiers from the Independent Regiment dismounted from their military vehicles and aimed the towed infantry guns at the Japanese positions on the west bank, firing them.

While the artillery was firing, other troops launched an attack.

At the same time, the gunboat squadrons in the air also lowered their altitude and split into two groups to launch air fire suppression against the Japanese troops on the east and west banks of Sixianjiao.

The Japanese troops at the Sixianjiao East Bank Fort, who were still firing at the river, had no air defenses and were wiped out by the barrage of bullets from the sky.

Meanwhile, the Japanese positions on the west bank of Sixianjiao were also subjected to aerial strafing.

Under the powerful aerial fire, the Japanese artillery and machine gun positions were all silenced.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the ground troops launched an assault.

A large group of soldiers charged forward.

Suddenly, a hidden Japanese bunker opened fire, the spewing machine gun flames bringing the attacking troops to a halt.

The two single-soldier rocket launcher operators of the independent regiment began their operation. The launcher carried the rocket launcher on his shoulder, while the ammunition handler loaded the rocket. With skillful coordination, they completed the aiming, loading, and firing process.

The rocket, trailing a fiery exhaust, was launched, instantly destroying the bunker, and the suppressed troops immediately resumed their charge.

Thus, the western bank position of Sixianjiao was easily captured, but the battle had only just begun.

In order to recapture the west bank of Sixianjiao, Japanese reinforcements have arrived from the direction of Sanshui.

Meanwhile, small gunboats on the Beijiang River attempted to land on the west bank of Sixianjiao and recapture this strategic military location.

In response, ground troops immediately set up defenses on the west bank and aimed their guns at the river.

Meanwhile, three National Army warships are also passing through the Sixianjiao waterway, preparing to enter the Beijiang River.

The gunboat squadrons in the sky were also busy, using the Beijiang River as a circling point to fire at the Japanese warships on the river.

Bullets churned up waves on the river, and under attack from three sides, the Japanese warships could only retreat to the east bank of the Beijiang River.

With the small gunboats no longer on the river and the artillery positions on the east bank of Sixianjiao falling silent, the three Nationalist warships successfully passed Sixianjiao and entered the Beijiang River, preparing to bombard the Japanese warships and shore positions on the east bank.

Fang Wen had the situation below under control.

Not only did Fang Wen need to observe the situation in this war zone, but he also needed to monitor the surrounding area and use radar detection devices to detect whether Japanese warplanes were attacking.

This is the essence of his command in battle.

It is precisely because of this holistic perspective that we can remain invincible.

At this moment, in a battle that seemed to be in his grasp, he discovered a problem.

A warship sailed in from the lower reaches of the Beijiang River; it was a Japanese river gunboat stationed on the Beijiang River.

Fang Wen even saw the Japanese name 'Atakego' written on the hull.

He immediately called out to his own warships: "Attention, the Japanese heavy river warships are about to arrive."

(End of this chapter)