Chapter 38: 38, Simulated Bombing, Sinking The Izumo
Potez 25 fighter reconnaissance aircraft engine started, accompanied by the rotation of the propeller, the fuselage lowered thirty degrees, and taxied onto the runway.
The civilian workers on the runway were urgently cleared, and after a burst of acceleration, the Potez 25 fighter reconnaissance aircraft took off into the sky.
Fang Wen, in mechanical perception state, was familiarizing himself with this aircraft.
The aircraft was well maintained, the engine performance was good, and no problems were found with the other parts.
He piloted the aircraft circling in the air, and with each lap, his understanding of the aircraft deepened.
With the assistance of mechanical perception ability, he once again merged as one with the new aircraft.
Overall, this aircraft was designed as a versatile model, capable of high-altitude reconnaissance, air combat, long-range flight, and even bomb-carrying bombing.
No wonder it became a military aircraft procured by various countries.
Now, the biplane era was about to end, and Fang Wen prepared to pilot it for one last glorious mission.
After circling five times, the aircraft landed.
After the aircraft stopped, the military officer ran over and asked, “How is it?”
“Performance is good, suitable for this bombing mission, but I still need to test if the bomb rack is secure and complete a few simulation drops.”
“Simulation drop? How?” the military officer asked.
“I just need an object weighing eight hundred kilograms that can be securely attached to the bomb rack, then perform a high-altitude drop.” Fang Wen replied.
One aircraft mechanic made a suggestion.
“The boiler room was bombed, the boiler inside can’t be used but can serve as a bomb; we just need to modify it slightly.”
This suggestion was perfect, and a team of soldiers immediately went over and carried the scrapped boiler back.
Around six or seven hundred kilograms, just right.
The mechanics welded hooks on the four corners of the boiler, then collectively installed it on the aircraft belly bomb rack.
Immediately after, Fang Wen piloted the aircraft and took off again.
Next, he had to master the drop skills for this weight-class aerial bomb as much as possible in the limited bomb-dropping training.
The drop location was the same marked point used for last time’s night airdrop practice.
The aircraft circled at high altitude, confirmed the position, and approached in a straight line.
In mechanical perception, Fang Wen skillfully determined the airdrop timing, and his left hand immediately pulled the bomb release.
The aircraft belly bomb rack hooks retracted, and the several-hundred-kilogram boiler free-fell, smashing toward the ground.
Even without explosives inside, upon impact with the ground, it still created a dirt pit over one meter deep.
Airport personnel who arrived afterward inspected the drop situation.
It was only a few meters off from the target ring.
Judging this way, the chance of bombing the Izumo cruiser was very high.
They cheered for this.
But Fang Wen in the air was not as celebratory as they were; dropping here was not the same as dropping at the seaside.
Here, due to multiple airdrop trainings, Fang Wen was very familiar with the environment, considered all factors comprehensively, and a high hit rate was inevitable.
At the seaside, factors like wind speed, whether Izumo would move, enemy aircraft interception, etc., were all more complex than now, so this could not be used as a basis.
But necessary practice still had to continue.
The soldiers dug the boiler out from the dirt; though somewhat deformed, it was still usable.
The boiler was hung on the aircraft again, and the bomb-dropping training continued.
Until the fourth time, when it smashed into pieces upon hitting the ground, the simulation drop training finally ended.
By then, the somewhat fatigued Fang Wen stopped the training.
He climbed down the aircraft via the boarding ladder and headed straight to the dormitory.
“I need to rest; don’t wake me unless it’s about the action.”
He slept until the next morning.
Two corporals were still guarding outside the door; after a night, no one had come looking for him.
Fang Wen got up, poured a cup of water from the water bottle, rinsed his mouth, and drank the remaining half cup.
“They didn’t come looking for me?”
Corporal Zhuo Guang replied, “Lieutenant Colonel Liu came. He said to go to the airport office before ten o’clock; I thought it wasn’t time yet, so I let you sleep more.”
Corporal Yan Fangshou interjected, “Officer, breakfast is on the table; want me to heat it up in the canteen?”
“No need.” Fang Wen came out from the inner room, picked up the large steamed bun, ate it with pickled vegetables and millet porridge, finished it in big bites, then took the jacket hanging on the wall and went out.
A few minutes later, he arrived at the airport office, guarded by soldiers outside.
The soldiers all recognized Fang Wen, the airport civilian hero not wearing military uniform, and proactively stepped aside.
Entering the office, it had been turned into a temporary action command headquarters, with many soldiers busy, and equipment like radio station and telegraph machine.
The military officer who had been communicating with Fang Wen walked over.
With a serious face, he introduced himself.
“Things were rushed yesterday, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Liu Qiyu, in full command of this action. The plan is set; at six p.m., ground and air act simultaneously. You will depart with the National Aviation Team, rendezvous with the Guangdong Air Force in Shanghai.”
Fang Wen nodded to show understanding, but his heart was not as calm as his surface.
In this action, though it appeared as cooperation among parties, he was actually a lone warrior.
For example now, although he knew the detailed plan, had the aircraft, and completed training.
But the other side had not explained at all how the entire action’s military aircraft would cooperate with him during the mission.
So next, he must plan for the worst, not expecting friendly forces support without a prior cooperation plan.
Only by preparing with the worst plan could he ensure completing the bombing and safely return to base.
March 2nd, five p.m.
A group of men in plain clothes appeared at the Wusong riverside, each with a small axe at their waist; locals could tell at a glance they were Axe Gang members.
One man in a long gown lifted the wine jar, poured full bowls for two men in short jackets, and after an impassioned speech, the two men drained the fierce liquor in their bowls and boarded the boat without hesitation.
The two of them headed out to sea from the Yangtze River, targeting the warship dozens of miles offshore.
An hour later, the small boat reached the destination; the two scuttled the wooden boat, put on wetsuits, and quietly swam toward the target dragging a sea mine buoyed by an air bag.
Meanwhile, at Jianqiao Airport, aircraft after aircraft took off, also beginning the action.
As the sunset was about to sink below the horizon, the military aircraft group arrived over Shanghai, and additionally four k47s flying from the west also arrived on time and rendezvoused.
According to the plan, three National Aviation Team aircraft flew toward the sea surface, forming an air interception line.
They successfully attracted the patrolling Japanese naval aviation team aircraft in the air, and both sides engaged in fierce pursuit.
But in terms of performance, their aircraft were still inferior to the k47; how long they could hold out was hard to estimate.
The four k47s then proceeded with the Potez 25 fighter reconnaissance aircraft for bombing.
The aircraft group patrolled over the sea surface and discovered the position of Izumo.
The Guangdong Air Force captain flew his military aircraft parallel to the Potez 25 and gestured pointing below.
Meaning they would first carry out feint bombing as planned, and Fang Wen should seize the opportunity to determine the bombing timing.
Fang Wen nodded and gestured back.
Immediately, the four k47s dived down.
Combat erupted instantly.
Izumo was not an ordinary warship without anti-aircraft fire; bullet marks shot into the sky from fore and aft.
Bullet marks swept over, the military aircraft immediately evaded, but one was not so lucky; its right wing was hit, and it flew toward the sea surface trailing black smoke.
That was Shao Sishen’s fighter jet; Fang Wen felt a pang in his heart.
He hoped he could make a forced landing and survive; after all, on the sea surface, survival chances were higher than crashing on land.
Brushing aside the thoughts, Fang Wen entered mechanical perception state and focused on air drop aiming.
He merged as one with the aircraft, using his own perception to judge the most suitable time and position for dropping.
The current sea breeze was gentle, with little impact on dropping; the only problem was Izumo turning to flee.
Its turn position was to the right, misaligned with the Potez 25’s flight path, requiring a drop correction.
As Fang Wen was considering how to adjust the drop timing, Izumo on the sea surface suddenly erupted in flames from the bottom.
The warship also stopped.
It was the daredevils detonating the sea mine at the boat bottom.
This gave Fang Wen the best timing; no need to change the drop moment, he unhesitatingly pulled the bomb release.
The 800-kilogram bomb fell from the sky; at this altitude, even without explosives, it could smash a huge hole in the warship.
Fang Wen, prepared for return to base, watched below intently.
Ten seconds later, the bomb accurately smashed onto Izumo’s deck.
The bomb’s internal impact fuse ignited instantly upon high-altitude collision, and the massive secondary explosion brightness made Fang Wen involuntarily close his eyes.
The next second when he opened his eyes, there were successive explosions.
Such intense explosions concentrated at one point tore a huge gash in the middle of this Japanese main force warship.
The ship hull was also tilting to one side, in constant danger of flooding and sinking.
Success!
This warship would lose power and become the biggest souvenir of this January 28th Songhu War of Resistance, stranded nearshore.
Fang Wen withdrew his gaze and decisively chose to return to base.
