Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 860 Building Trust Through Victory, Laying Out Defense

High in the sky, Fang Wen observed the situation below.

Fire swept through the rainforest, thick smoke rising hundreds of meters into the air, darkening the sky.

Explosions of ammunition and landmines continue to occur.

Infantrymen who rushed into the woods to escape the air raid suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors were tormented by the smoke and heat.

The Type 97 tank's outer shell was scorched red by the intense heat, and the rubber plates under the front fenders were fused together by the high temperature.

Nearly 10 tanks exploded due to fuel and ammunition on board.

At this moment, the radar detection device detected the aircraft's feedback.

A group of more than ten aircraft flew in from the northwest.

It was clear that the Japanese air force had come to provide support.

Fang Wen thought that he had achieved the combat effect he had envisioned, so he ordered the gunboat squadron to return to port.

Ten Taishan gunboats changed course and returned to Penang Island.

Fifteen minutes later, all the gunboats landed smoothly at the temporary sea airport on the west side of Penang Island.

As the plane landed, Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "All aircraft are to rest and the flight mechanics are to conduct maintenance."

After issuing the orders, Fang Wen got off the plane and headed to the command post on the island.

At that time, Lieutenant Colonel Terri was in charge of the command post, coordinating the island's defense and resettling the evacuated soldiers and civilians. When he saw Fang Wen return, he immediately got up to greet him.

"Mr. Fang, what's the situation on the North Suburb Highway?" Lieutenant Colonel Terry asked.

Fang Wen explained the situation.

"Our unit set up minefields on the northern suburban highway to intercept the enemy and launched an air raid after the Japanese advance was stalled. The effect was very good, and the Japanese advance suffered heavy losses."

Lieutenant Colonel Terry's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with astonishment and shock.

He originally followed Fang Wen's advice and agreed to lay minefields in order to hold back the Japanese vanguard and ensure the evacuation of Butterworth's war supplies and troops across the sea, nothing more.

He never dared to hope that he could cripple the elite armored forces of the Japanese Imperial Guard Division by relying on a minefield along a highway.

This made him unable to believe Fang Wen's words.

"You mean, a severe blow? I'm sorry, I find that hard to believe."

Fang Wen thought that by this time, the Japanese air force should have returned empty-handed.

If Lieutenant Colonel Terry had seen the aftermath of that air raid with his own eyes, he would surely have believed it.

At present, the British troops on the island are mostly defeated and demoralized, and they are afraid of the Japanese armored forces. This victory has just shattered the defenders' fear of the Japanese.

Therefore, he smiled and replied, "If the lieutenant colonel has any doubts, I can take you to the airspace of the interception point to check it out in person."

Terry didn't hesitate at all: "Sure, I need to witness the outcome of this battle with my own eyes."

The two immediately set off for the sea airport.

The plane took off again, heading straight for the airspace over the highway north of Butterworth.

After a flight of more than ten minutes, we arrived at the target airspace, and it started raining.

It is estimated that the rolling heat wave from the battlefield just now, carrying smoke and dust, gathered in the air to form a low-pressure cumulonimbus cloud.

After being washed away by the heavy rain, the wildfires that had raged across the mountains and forests had subsided.

Fang Wen, who was piloting the plane, said to the person behind him, "Gong Xiuneng can teach Terry how to use the bomb observation scope to observe."

Gong Xiuneng said to Lieutenant Colonel Terry in broken English, "This is the observation camera. The one on the right is the observation azimuth lever, and the one on the left is the camera adjustment. I've already adjusted it. You just need to lie down and look, and use the observation azimuth lever on the right to adjust the observation angle. Don't touch the one on the left."

Lieutenant Colonel Terry nodded, bent down, and pressed his face against the airborne bomb observation scope to look down.

The rainforest stretches on both sides of the highway have been turned into scorched ruins, with tree trunks carbonized and bent, and ashes covering the ground.

Scattered among the scorched earth are the armored remains of Type 97 tanks, numbering approximately eleven or twelve.

There were also burnt military truck frames, and the scattered fragments of military equipment and charred remains were a shocking sight.

The road in the middle was riddled with craters and devastated.

These shocking images convinced Terry of what Fang Wen had said.

At this moment, Fang Wen said, "We need to take some aerial reconnaissance photos. Terry, please have my men operate them."

Lieutenant Colonel Terry stood up and made way for Gong Xiuneng to lie down and operate the equipment.

Gong Xiuneng skillfully adjusted the airborne aerial photography equipment, focusing on the minefield below, tank wreckage, and burned forest, capturing the entire aftermath of the ambush.

After aerial photography and evidence collection were completed, Fang Wen pushed the throttle stick, and the fighter jet slowly increased its cruising altitude.

The next step is to locate the whereabouts of the Japanese vanguard.

He discovered it very quickly.

The vanguard of the Japanese army retreated 30 kilometers and set up camp in an open plain in the rear.

Judging from the current situation, the Japanese army will not dare to cross the minefield to attack in the short term.

Fang Wen explained the situation to Lieutenant Colonel Terry and asked Gong Xiuneng to take aerial reconnaissance photos.

After completing these steps, the plane returned to its origin.

A dozen minutes later, the plane landed at the seaport.

Lieutenant Colonel Terry suggested, "Fang, I think we should convene a meeting of all the senior officers on the island to explain the situation of this battle to them. This is very important; we need a victory to boost everyone's confidence."

This was also what Fang Wen had in mind, so he naturally agreed.

An hour and a half later.

Penang Island Command Center Meeting Room.

More than a dozen British Army officers of colonel rank sat around a long table on either side.

The atmosphere in the room was somber, especially among the defeated officers, who were still feeling the frustration of days of retreat and the abandonment of Butterworth.

Lieutenant Colonel Terry stood up, took out the high-definition aerial photos of the battlefield taken by Gong Xiuneng, and showed them to everyone.

"Gentlemen, two hours ago, our forces, together with Mr. Fang Wen's special operations troops and air force, completed an ambush against the Japanese at the pass north of Butterworth. We severely damaged the armored vanguard of the Japanese Imperial Guard Division, destroyed thirteen tanks, and annihilated more than a hundred Japanese infantry and engineers, forcing the Japanese vanguard to retreat thirty kilometers."

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room erupted in an uproar.

The British officers were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief, just as Lieutenant Colonel Terry had been before.

"Lieutenant Colonel, the Japanese Imperial Guard Division's armored forces are extremely powerful. Our northern defense line simply cannot withstand them. How could a minefield on a highway possibly inflict heavy damage on the main Japanese armored column?"

“We just abandoned the town and retreated to the island, and the Japanese are coming soon. This doesn’t reflect the reality of the battlefield!” Two British officers spoke up, raising their concerns on behalf of everyone.

Terry sent the photos to the officers and told them to pass them around for viewing.

The scorched earth, tank wreckage, and burned forests of the northern suburbs were clearly displayed before everyone's eyes.

They had no choice but to believe it.

One of the officers asked, "How did you do that?"

Lieutenant Colonel Terry looked at Fang Wen, who was sitting on his left: "Fang, please speak next."

Facing a group of Western officers, Fang Wen began:

"We Chinese have a very ancient military concept: there are no constant formations in warfare, just as water has no constant shape."

"Simply put, it means finding the most advantageous combat plan based on the actual battlefield situation, shifting from passive defense to proactive response."

"During my aerial reconnaissance, I discovered that the northern suburban highway is flanked by tropical rainforests and has a narrow section, making it an excellent ambush point."

"Based on this, I laid minefields and used anti-tank mines and infantry mines to prevent the Japanese army from passing through."

"But this is only the first step. Once the Japanese troops are trapped behind the minefield, and they are in the narrow road, they will be the best targets for air raids."

"Therefore, the second part of the plan was to launch an air raid on the Japanese troops after they were blocked by the minefield. The Japanese troops, unable to avoid the air raid on the narrow road, would rush into the woods in an attempt to use the trees as cover to avoid the air attack."

"And that's exactly what I wanted them to do. After the Japanese troops hid in the woods, my unit dropped a large number of incendiary bombs from the air. You can imagine the consequences."

The British officers were greatly impressed when Fang Wen explained the plan and its results.

In their view, this was simply the most ingenious battle plan.

And it was implemented perfectly.

Lieutenant Colonel Terry exclaimed, "Fang, you are the most militarily talented person I have ever met. I could never have come up with such a brilliant plan."

In response, Fang Wen said, "This kind of strategy of deploying troops according to the terrain and using the terrain to defeat the enemy has long been mature in ancient China. Eighteen hundred years ago, during the Three Kingdoms period, the military strategist Zhuge Liang relied on the terrain of rivers to flood Cao Wei's army and relied on forest fires to burn down the enemy's camps. He used the right time, the right place, and the enemy's habits to deploy troops to annihilate the enemy, which gave us the opportunity to learn from him."

Fang Wen's easy-to-understand tactical analysis, profound Eastern military strategies, and real battlefield aerial evidence impressed all the British officers present.

This pilot commander established his authority on Penang Island through a battle.

This also restored the officers' confidence.

A British major said sincerely, "Mr. Fang, you have shown us the ingenuity of Eastern military tactics, which is completely different from our rigid Western-style positional warfare thinking. We sincerely ask you how we should defend Penang Island."

His question was also something the other officers wanted to know, since the British on the island were all quite confused.

This is also Fang Wen's purpose in coming here.

His purpose in coming to Penang Island was to prevent the island from being captured by the Japanese army, to make it an important stronghold guarding the Strait of Malacca, and to protect the yellowcake factories on Little Andaman Island.

In response, he solemnly replied, "I have two things to say about protecting Penang Island."

"First, Penang will be the last defensive point in the Strait of Malacca. It is also the only area under British control in northern Malaya. If we can hold it for a month, the troops in French Indochina will come south to our aid, and the British troops in Burma will also send troops to support us. Therefore, holding it for this month is very important."

At this point, he looked at the British officers.

He painted a picture of a pie, and a achievable one, provided that the British here were determined to hold Penang Island.

The officers' reactions were alright; at least Fang Wen could tell they didn't want to surrender to the Japanese.

Fang Wen continued, "Secondly, the biggest threat wasn't the Japanese army, but their air force. Our coastal defense heavy artillery wouldn't dare approach even when Japanese warships passed through the Strait of Malacca, let alone when the Japanese army organized a landing operation. I think many of you here have witnessed Japanese air raids. Can anyone tell me?"

Several officers volunteered to raise their hands.

Fang Wen glanced around and gestured to a British lieutenant colonel: "You speak."

The officer named was Lieutenant Colonel Roger, stationed at the Kulim Air Base in northern Malaysia, who was also the only remaining high-ranking officer among the three destroyed air bases.

He stood up, his voice dry and hoarse.

“Mr. Fang, colleagues, I was stationed at the Kulim Air Force Base for two years and personally experienced that hellish air raid.”

Lieutenant Colonel Roger recalled.

"The first air raid occurred at five o'clock in the morning. Without any warning signal, a formation of Japanese bombers appeared overhead. Their targets were hangars, fuel storage tanks, the main runway, and radar sites."

"When the first round of dive bombing hit, the fuel depot exploded directly. The towering fire covered half of the airport. Ground crew and maintenance mechanics were trapped in the warehouse because they couldn't evacuate in time. Half of our Hurricane fighters were parked on the open tarmac. The Japanese escort fighters strafeeded and hit many of them, and they didn't even have a chance to take off and fight back."

He took a deep breath, trying to relax, and continued to recount the horrific events.

"Japanese bombers launched three waves of air raids, relentlessly bombing the airfield. The escorting Zero fighters also continued to strafe at low altitude. Our anti-aircraft artillery was scarce and had a slow rate of fire. When we aimed at the Japanese fighters and fired, we couldn't keep up with their speed at all, rendering our anti-aircraft firepower useless."

"The entire air raid lasted an hour. All 42 of our base's aircraft were destroyed, more than 700 ground crew and pilots were killed, and the runway was bombed with hundreds of craters and completely destroyed. Not only Kulim, but also Alor Setar and Sungai Padang were exactly the same. The Japanese air raids were precise and ruthless, targeting the core points of logistics, air defense, and aircraft, leaving us no chance to retaliate."

"Subsequently, the field positions on the northern front collapsed, and Japanese warplanes conducted low-altitude patrols and strafed the retreating soldiers and logistics transport convoys every day. We had no air defense cover on our retreat route, and our infantry and transport vehicles became live targets. A large number of troops and war supplies were destroyed by air attacks. We were not afraid of ground tanks charging, but with Japanese warplanes hovering overhead, we were powerless to fight back. That's how morale collapsed."

After speaking, Lieutenant Colonel Roger slumped into his seat, and the conference room fell into a deathly silence.

The other officers sympathized, their faces turning ashen.

The complete collapse on the northern front was primarily due to the overwhelming air pressure exerted by the Japanese army.

Terry frowned and remained silent; his statement perfectly matched the frontline reports he had received.

Fang Wen nodded, his expression calm.

He surveyed the entire group of British officers and spoke:

"Obviously, everyone has seen the destructive power of the Japanese air raids. But have you ever wondered why this happened? Were the Japanese really that powerful?"

His words surprised the British.

Fang Wen continued, “I have dealt with the Japanese army for many years and know them very well. As far as I know, the Japanese army is not as powerful as you think. The reason they were able to achieve that effect is because your airfields and defensive positions had been thoroughly investigated by their spies and reported to the Japanese air force in advance. That is why there was that battle where you were completely unprepared, yet the Japanese air force launched a precise air raid.”

Lieutenant Colonel Terry asked in surprise, "Is that so?"

Fang Wen nodded: "A few years ago, we encountered the same thing in China. The Japanese army sent spies to infiltrate near the airport, which led to the airport's information being leaked and it being targeted by a precise air raid by the Japanese army. Later, we conducted a search around the airport, caught the spies, and the situation improved a lot. Obviously, you don't have experience in this area, which allowed the Japanese to take advantage of the situation."

"Then what should we do?" Lieutenant Colonel Terry asked hurriedly.

“I can find them, but you have to cooperate,” Fang Wen replied.

Many of the Japanese spies were local Malayans or possibly military personnel, making it quite difficult to identify them.

But Fang Wen had a solution.

These guys will definitely send a telegram to report any important military intelligence they discover.

Taishan's radio detection technology is the most advanced in the world; it can always find the other party as long as they send a message.

However, this matter couldn't be known by too many people, since Fang Wen wasn't sure if there were Japanese spies among the British officers present. (End of Chapter)