Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 506: Air, Sea, and Land Operations on the North River; Sinking of the Japanese Ship Atake

In the Baoyazhou section of the Beijiang River, the Japanese warship Ataka is sailing upstream.

Five kilometers upstream, three National Army warships are urgently turning around to deal with the situation.

The offensive across the river also slowed down.

If we can't deal with the Japanese warships, this operation will be pointless.

However, due to the paralysis of the National Army's intelligence system, the three warships do not yet know what kind of opponent they will face.

Fang Wen knew.

Through mechanical perception, he gained a relatively comprehensive understanding of this Japanese warship.

This warship is slightly shorter than the Chidori-class torpedo boat, about 70 meters long.

The ship is equipped with two Type 2 120mm single-mounted guns, one at the bow and one at the stern.

Two Type 6 76mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted in the middle of the ship, and six 6.5mm Maxim machine guns were also mounted on both sides of the ship for strafe.

Moreover, the fact that this warship has a vertical mast looks rather odd.

However, judging from the ship's draft, Fang Wen felt that its tonnage was higher than that of the Chidori-class, belonging to the heavy category of inland river gunboats.

It is estimated to be no more than 1000 tons, but higher than 500 tons, possibly more than 700 tons.

In comparison, it is far superior to the three Nationalist Army warships.

One of them is equivalent to three of the National Army's "Jianru Ships," not to mention the other two 60-ton ships.

If it were a battle of artillery on the river, the Nationalist army's warships would definitely lose.

But now, with air power, things are different.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and switched the air communication frequency.

"Attention all gunboat squadrons, fly 5 kilometers downstream of the North River."

The gunboat squadron flew over as ordered, and in the short time he waited for them, Fang Wen observed the enemy aircraft's movements through mechanical sensing.

Because the raid on Sixianjiao was not under the control of the Japanese army, no military aircraft have taken off at sea yet. Only 10 fighter jets have taken off from Guangzhou and are flying towards this side.

In other words, those six fighter jets would arrive within 6-8 minutes, and our side would have to deal with the Japanese fighter jets while attacking the warships.

That's a bit difficult!
Moments later, the gunboat squadron arrived over Baoya Island, with the Japanese warplanes still 30 kilometers away.

Fang Wen picked up the microphone and continued, "Attention gunboat squadron, do not attack the warships below yet. Follow me and fly north. All airborne weapons are in horizontal firing positions. Pilots, listen to my commands."

Immediately afterwards, the gunboat squadron followed the Qinyuan across the river and headed towards the enemy aircraft flying from the direction of Guangzhou.

The gunners and loader in the cockpit were also preparing nervously.

Using a low-speed aircraft to shoot down a high-speed aircraft is generally impossible for pilots. Only during the Battle of Taiyuan did Fang Wen successfully shoot down a Japanese warplane once.

This time, he was about to lead another operation, and his subordinates all had great confidence in him.

Two minutes later, the gunboat followed the Qinyuan to the airspace above Shishan Town.

Fang Wen's command voice came through the radios of each gunboat.

"Enemy aircraft will be encountered in one minute. All aircraft will fly sideways at an altitude of 3300 meters."

Under his command, the gunboat squadron was reorganized.

Two minutes later, ten Japanese Type 97 fighter planes appeared, just in time to encounter a gunboat squadron flying sideways at the same altitude.

10 Type 97 anti-ship aircraft versus 10 gunship aircraft.

Japanese pilots clearly had a comprehensive understanding of gunship aircraft, knowing that while they had high defensive capabilities, their slow speed made them unsuitable for air combat.

Therefore, even though they were evenly matched in the number of fighter jets, they did not hesitate to launch an air attack on the gunships.

At the same horizontal altitude, the Type 97 fighter jet, with its engines at full power, charged madly toward the gunboat squadron flying to the side.

Fang Wen remained highly focused, ready to issue the firing order at any moment.

He gave the order when the enemy aircraft was 1500 meters away.

"Horizontal sweeping fire."

Upon hearing the order, all the gunboat pilots shouted in unison, "Horizontal strafing!"

The marksmen, who had been preparing for a long time, gripped the 12.7mm aircraft machine guns and 20mm aircraft cannon grips and began firing horizontally with great excitement.

Bullets flew out, sweeping horizontally in the air. Because it was an attack launched simultaneously by 10 gunships, a considerable bullet belt was formed.

Meanwhile, ten Japanese warplanes were flying in with great effort. Their 7.7mm aircraft machine guns had a range of only 800-1000 meters, and it would take them 4-5 seconds to launch an attack on the gunboats.

It was this four-second range difference that turned this aerial attack into a nightmare.

Ten Type 97 fighter jets flew towards the bullet trail at a speed of 400 kilometers per hour, and two of them were immediately shot down in mid-air.

Faced with this situation, the remaining Japanese warplanes did not change their strategy and continued to charge head-on regardless of the consequences.

A brief but thrilling aerial exchange took place over Lion Mountain Town.

After four Japanese aircraft were shot down, the Japanese finally rushed into firing range. Six Type 97 fighters flew at high speed and fired a dense barrage of 7.7mm bullets at the gunboat squadron.

At this point, the new Soviet-made special steel bulletproof plates that replaced the gunboat's armor came into play.

The 7.7mm bullets struck the aircraft's exterior with a clanging sound, but only left shallow bullet marks, unable to penetrate it at all.

"Kill!" the shooters roared furiously at the enemy, unleashing a torrent of bullets for revenge.

Two more planes were hit, lost their balance, and tumbled to the ground.

At this moment, Fang Wen suddenly issued an order: "All gunships and aircraft, lower your altitude by 500 meters."

The gunboat pilots, who had been waiting for this moment, immediately executed the command and lowered the aircraft's altitude.

Thus, when the last four Type 4 fighters were preparing to crash into the gunship with the intention of a suicide attack, they suddenly discovered that the enemy, hundreds of meters ahead, had disappeared on the horizon.

They instinctively prepared to descend and pursue, but the Qinyuan suddenly appeared.

At an altitude of 5000 meters, as the gunboats descended, Fang Wen piloted the Qinyuan and dove down.

During the dive, he had already completed his aim, and the external 20mm cannon fired deadly shells downwards.

A Type 97 aircraft was hit in the back. As the back frame deformed, the entire aerodynamic shape of the aircraft collapsed, and the aircraft folded in half from the middle before crashing to the ground.

The machine gun fire did not stop. As Fang Wen dove, he slightly adjusted the direction of his aircraft and fired at the second target.

The Type 97's fuel tank was hit, and the splashed fuel ignited the inside of the plane. The Japanese pilot, engulfed in flames, forced open the cockpit canopy and jumped out.

The flames engulfing his body were extinguished by the strong wind, but the next second, he frantically waved his arms and legs in the air and struggled to fall to the ground.

He didn't have a parachute; this jump was definitely the end for him.

Two Type 97 fighter jets abandoned their attack and fled to Guangzhou.

Fang Wen had no intention of pursuing them; he wanted to save his ammunition for the next possible wave of air support and not waste it.

Therefore, he flew to the front of the gunboat squadron, picked up the microphone, and said: "Now return to the river and prepare to attack the Japanese warships."

After a victorious air battle, everyone on the gunboat was overjoyed.

Every time I go out into battle with the captain, it's a pleasure; it seems that the captain is omnipotent as long as he's in the air.

They were more confident about the battle ahead.

However, the next target, the Atake river gunboat, was armed with two Type 2 76mm anti-aircraft guns. Whether these guns could hit high-speed aircraft depended largely on luck, but they were extremely deadly to gunboat-based aircraft.

The bulletproof plate, which could withstand 7.7mm bullets from the Japanese army, could not stop the fire of this anti-aircraft gun.

Therefore, the two anti-aircraft guns located in the middle of the ship must be eliminated.

Only Fang Wen can accomplish this.

Fang Wen used his mechanical senses to observe the situation below in real time.

The Japanese warship Atake was billowing black smoke from its smokestack as it sailed at full speed toward Sixianjiao.

It also witnessed the fierce battle in the air a few minutes earlier.

Japanese soldiers were operating two anti-aircraft guns, aiming the muzzles at the sky and firing blindly.

However, if the target is outside the firing range, this kind of shooting is completely ineffective.

After the first round of firing below was completed, the soldiers were busy changing their magazines, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Fang Wen immediately drove the Qinyuan at high speed down the slope.

As the engine ran under high load, the roaring sound made Fang Wen's eardrums ache, and the cockpit also shook.

At that moment, it reached an astonishing speed of 700 kilometers per hour.

At such a speed, it only takes a little over 50 seconds to swoop down from an altitude of 1 meters.

It would be impossible for Japanese soldiers to change the gun barrel and adjust the firing angle in just one minute.

Therefore, when the Qinyuan flew low over the warship, the anti-aircraft gunners showed expressions of fear.

They were too late to react.

The 20mm cannon, equipped with armor-piercing rounds, accurately fired at the two anti-aircraft guns.

The armor-piercing shells penetrated the weak points in the anti-aircraft gun's protective plates and imploded inside the guns, successfully destroying both anti-aircraft guns.

Meanwhile, the warship Ataka arrived at Sixianjiao.

Faced with this powerful adversary, the three Nationalist warships resolutely opened fire.

The shells hit the outer armor of the warship but failed to penetrate it.

It seems that the Japanese military used all of its best steel on the navy.

But this time, its opponent is Fang Wen's flight team.

Gunboat squadrons flew around the warship like a swarm of bees, with 12.7 mm aircraft machine guns and 20 mm cannons on one side spewing out blazing tongues of fire.

Faced with aerial fire suppression, the Japanese troops on the Atake could only dodge.

Bullets exploded on the deck, turrets, and ship's sides, sending sparks flying, and stray bullets occasionally struck the hiding Japanese soldiers.

The 20mm machine gun, equipped with armor-piercing shells, also fired holes in the hull.

Compared to the outer armor of a warship, the other parts of the hull can still be easily destroyed.

方文通过无线电厉声指挥：“潘家峰，你和3、5、8、9号机，去摧毁舰桥和轮机舱！2、4、6、7、10号机压制甲板火力。“

The ten gunboats immediately split into two attack waves and launched their attacks. Machine gun shells rained down on the bridge of the Atake, and the command room on the bridge was reduced to ruins under the fifth salvo. The Japanese colonel who was commanding the ship inside could not be found with a complete body.

It was the air firepower suppression from the gunboat fleet that allowed the three Nationalist warships to continue their bombardment without any worries.

Under intense shelling, the forward hull of the Ataka was riddled with bullet holes, causing the ship to begin taking on water.

Even so, the warship did not sink.

On the shore, William watched the scene through his binoculars and said, "There's a small boat abandoned by the Japanese army on the shore. Team Rocket, come aboard with me."

Twelve single-soldier rocket operators followed William onto the boat and headed out onto the river.

Amidst constant gunfire overhead, the small boat approached the Ataka.

At a distance of 100 meters, they stopped and one of them took the first shot.

The rocket, trailing a plume of flame, was launched and struck the lower middle section of the ship. The explosion dissipated, revealing a bullet hole.

Seeing that this was effective, William immediately ordered the other rocket launchers to aim and fire.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Japanese soldiers hit by bullets were falling from the ships from time to time.

2、4、6、7、10号炮舰机编队，正在对甲板上日军进行持续火力压制。

The 12.7 mm machine guns on the side of the gunboat swept down rows of sailors running on the deck.

Faced with such intense firepower, the Japanese troops had no way to surface and operate the two 120mm guns at the bow and stern of the ship.

The attack on the bridge also left the warship without command.

However, some Japanese troops still attempted to put up a stubborn resistance, operating machine guns to fire into the air.

Unfortunately, bullets of this caliber cannot penetrate the bulletproof shields of gunships and aircraft.

Despite this, the Atake train continued forward.

What is it going to do?

Fang Wen, who was directing operations from the air, watched the strange behavior of the warships below, completely baffled.

Was he attempting to ram three Nationalist Army warships before he died?
It shouldn't be; it's opening towards Sixianjiao.

I understand, it wants to turn around and escape from this place.

Now that things have escalated to this point, Fang Wen certainly won't let him leave.

Using his mechanically sensed eagle eye and X-ray vision, he spotted the location of the Ataka's engine room and immediately shouted, "William, aim two meters above the waterline and fire armor-piercing rounds!"

Fang Wen's order was transmitted to William via the Taishan walkie-talkie.

William then ordered his soldiers to aim all the remaining individual rockets at that spot and fire.

Ten armor-piercing rockets punched holes in the steel plates of the warship, causing them to emit white smoke.

The most lethal shot pierced through the boiler room, and the high-pressure steam instantly scalded the five engine room crew members to a pulp.

The speed of the Atake immediately halved, and black smoke poured out from all the ventilation openings.

"Attention, river defense fleet!" Fang Wen shouted into the walkie-talkie after switching channels. "Enemy ships' engines are damaged. Close in and attack immediately!"

Three Nationalist Army warships took the opportunity to close to within 800 meters. The "Jianru" ship's 120mm main gun hit the stern repeatedly, blasting the enemy's 120mm gun barrels into a pretzel.

The two 60-ton gunboats, like sharks smelling blood, relentlessly attacked the immobilized Atake, their 67mm rapid-fire guns specifically targeting the breaches in the armor.

Finally, this 700-ton heavy river gunboat could not withstand the various attacks and lost power, coming to a stop on the river.

Subsequently, the ammunition compartment exploded, sending a huge mushroom cloud into the Beijiang River. The scorching heat even capsized several nearby Japanese boats. When the smoke cleared slightly, only the stern of the once majestic Ataka remained above the water, and the Rising Sun Flag, burned to half its original size, slowly sank into the murky river.

"Target destroyed, all units report." As the air commander, Fang Wen checked the situation of each department one by one to prepare for the next operation.

When it was the turn of the National Army's naval forces, there was complete silence on the other side's radio.

Several seconds passed before Commander Huang's voice rang out: "Is this what air-land-sea coordinated operations are? If we all had equipment like this, how could the Japanese possibly fight us?"

Fang Wen replied, "That's for later. Let's take down the Japanese stronghold on the other side of the river first."

(End of this chapter)