Chapter 271: 270, Madrid Air Sniper Battle, Ever-changing Battlefield, Shrike Hao Merits
The ground radio station sent a signal: “Asian Flying Team, please circle around Madrid to cooperate with our wartime propaganda.”
Fang Wen, who received the ground order, was to pass this command to the flying team, letting his team’s pilots act according to the order.
This era did not have a perfected voice communication method between airplanes, so special aerial contact methods were needed.
For this, many countries adopted the lead aircraft communication system, where the lead aircraft installed a transceiver, then the lead aircraft sent light signals/hand signals to lead the wingmen to initiate aerial flight actions.
Fang Wen did not do it this way.
He knew that after World War II broke out, radio devices would inevitably see great development, and adapting early would make his flying team more advanced and mature.
For this, he used the aerial encrypted telegram contact method.
Every fighter jet in the Taishan Flying Team was equipped with a radio transceiver device, which had 12 buttons corresponding to 12 encrypted telegram contact methods.
Among them, the lead aircraft had transmission permissions for 12 encrypted telegram contacts, while the other wingmen had only 4.
Thus, the lead aircraft could command the wingmen to initiate different aerial actions through 12 encrypted telegram combinations, and the wingmen could also conduct concise and effective information exchange with the lead aircraft.
This time was the first actual application of the encrypted telegram contact method; Fang Wen pressed different encrypted telegram order buttons and issued the command.
Immediately, the 3 wingmen and one fuel aircraft that received the order began adjusting their formation, lining up behind Shrike Hao in a triangular formation flying high above Madrid.
At the same time, ten airplanes also took off from a secret airport near Madrid.
These airplanes were all Soviet Union fighter jet models: Il-15, Il-16.
These airplanes formed a loose flight formation near the Asian Flying Team and flew around Madrid together.
This was the wartime propaganda effect that the Popular Front wanted, showing the revolutionary army inside Madrid City the aid from the Soviet Union and the International Brigades.
Looking at the aircraft group in the air, cheers erupted from inside Madrid City, and morale soared.
2 hours later, the Madrid cruise ended.
The Asian Flying Team returned to Albacete Base.
As soon as Fang Wen got off the airplane, he received an invitation from the base officer to attend the aerial combat coordination meeting.
This meeting was held at another secret flight base; Fang Wen flew Shrike Hao there alone.
After landing at the secret airport, he looked around and saw many Soviet-made airplanes parked on the airport.
These were exactly the ones that had cruised over Madrid with the Asian Aviation team not long ago.
Mainly biplane fighters Il-15, plus two Il-16s.
The pilots were all of Slavic appearance, probably all Soviet Union pilots.
At this time, ground crew pushed over the boarding ladder, and Fang Wen got down from the cockpit.
A Soviet Union military officer greeted him and extended his hand.
“Mr. Fang, welcome.”
Fang Wen shook hands with him. “Hello.”
The other party glanced at Fang Wen’s airplane and showed a surprised expression: “You modified the P-26 like this? No wonder those three Il-16s and our same model fighter jets have many differences.”
“I have an aircraft manufacturing plant and have been exploring aircraft modification.” Fang Wen smiled in response.
The officer nodded: “These three Il-16s were originally our aid to the Spanish Republic; now that they are in your hands, it’s even better. Let’s go to the meeting room.”
The two no longer spoke and walked toward the barracks on one side of the airport.
In the temporary meeting room of the barracks, Popular Front officers, Soviet Union Air Force officers, and Fang Wen gathered together.
The Popular Front officer presided over the meeting: “Hello everyone, I am the air combat coordination officer. I will convey military orders to you according to the Command Headquarters’ requirements, hoping that everyone can cooperate in future actions. Additionally, today’s meeting will explain the rebel army’s air force situation and our air force situation; I will make a comparison.”
At this point, the black cloth on the wall behind him was pulled off, revealing some photographs.
“Currently, we have 8 Il-15s, 2 Il-16s, and 4 modified fighter jets from the Asian Aviation team. On Franco’s rebel army side, they originally had no airplanes; they sought aid from Germany, and just as the Nazis needed a battlefield to gain Air Force actual combat experience, they sent pilots to participate in the war. They call themselves the Vulture Legion, and the airplane model they fly is: Heinkel 51.”
Immediately, everyone’s attention shifted to the German-made fighter jet Heinkel 51.
This was the first-generation fighter jet that the Nazis vigorously promoted after coming to power.
Like the Il-15, it was a biplane fighter.
But like the Il-15, it was born at the wrong time, coming out in this era when biplanes were about to be phased out.
After the officer finished explaining the enemy and friendly situations, he made a request.
“Germany’s fighter jets have put great pressure on us in these two months; I want you to unite to snipe them.”
Fang Wen spoke up and asked: “How many do they have?”
This time, the Soviet Union officer spoke: “A total of six, but the pilots are different each time; the Germans are treating Madrid as an actual combat training ground. We have an absolute numerical advantage and can conduct a joint encirclement.”
According to their meaning, using 14 fighter jets against six He 51s should be a sure win, not to mention that the opponent were all biplanes while their side had 6 high-speed monoplane fighters.
Fang Wen agreed to this plan and flew back.
（Il-15）
Fang Wen, who learned of the combat plan in advance, returned to Albacete Base and organized his subordinate pilots to discuss formation combat.
After explaining the enemy and friendly situations, he said solemnly:
“Although from the current situation we have the advantage, the battlefield is always changing rapidly; to avoid those problems, I require all members of the aviation team to stay vigilant and not act alone.”
The 7 pilots agreed without hesitation.
Next, Fang Wen began assigning their flight missions; with 7 pilots but only 3 wingmen airplanes, they could only split into 2 teams to rotate, with the extra one alternating on odd and even days.
After arranging these, he began organizing the flying team members for daily training, mainly cruising around Madrid to let his subordinate pilots become more familiar with the environment.
Time passed like this, reaching November.
Franco’s army launched an attack on Madrid.
To cooperate with Franco’s ground offensive, the Vulture Legion aided by Germany also took action.
At the same time, 10 Soviet Union military fighter jets and the Asian Flying Team led by Fang Wen also took to the air to meet the battle.
The alarm sounded at Albacete Base.
Fang Wen and three on-duty pilots quickly ran out of the camp.
On the runway outside, the ground crew had already set up the boarding ladders; the 4 people quickly climbed into the cockpits.
“Don’t panic, follow my command in the air.” Fang Wen said loudly.
“Yes.” The 3 pilots responded in unison.
The sealed canopies of the four high-speed fighter jets closed; Shrike Hao took off first, with the other three following.
The 4 high-speed fighter jets reached Madrid airspace at 400 kilometers speed; in Fang Wen’s activated radio device, the ground Command Headquarters’ order came: “Vulture Legion is in the northeast, their airplane count reaches 19; Asian Flying Team, go support friendly forces immediately.”
Sure enough, a change occurred; the German airplanes had increased from 6 to 19.
Now the numerical gap between both sides was gone, and even the German fighter jets had more; Fang Wen immediately issued an order to the wingmen, commanding them to follow him northeast.
The 4 high-speed airplane formation turned, flew over Madrid City, and in the airspace northeast of the city, encountered an enemy aircraft formation interception.
Three He 51s came head-on, trying to block the Asian Flying Team’s path.
Behind them, 16 He 51s were entangled with 8 Il-15s and 2 Il-16s.
Clearly, the opponent had made reorganization preparations for today’s air combat.
Fang Wen sneered; the elite flying team he had painstakingly built had advantages not only in pilots, but also in real-time communication and flexible aerial tactical responses.
He pressed the telegram secret order button and issued a new combination order.
“112 formation tactics.”
The so-called 112 formation tactics were a special tactical coordination for the current 4 high-speed fighter jets, with the lead aircraft and one wingman performing left-right interweaving, and the other two wingmen performing marking defense.
Immediately, the Shrike Hao piloted by Fang Wen veered left, another wingman veered right; the two airplanes arced left and right to the enemy rear.
This change caught the three He 51 formation off guard; they tried to disperse and fight individually.
This behavior brought them closer to death.
The He 51 closest to Fang Wen was immediately locked by Fang Wen using mechanical perception; he adjusted the fuselage to aim the autocannon.
In mechanical perception state, he did not need the autocannon aiming device at all; at the instant the autocannon muzzle intersected with the enemy airplane, he activated firing.
20mm autocannon shells pierced the sky, accurately entering the He 51 fuselage; an explosion appeared in the airplane, and the biplane instantly burst into a fireball.
Such powerful firepower chilled the other two He 51s and boosted the Asian Aviation team’s pilots’ morale.
The high-speed fighter jet interweaving from the right locked onto the fleeing airplane and pursued relentlessly, autocannon firing continuously; moments later, black smoke rose from the enemy airplane’s wing as it glided toward low altitude.
The last He 51 was bitten by two fighter jets faster than it, seemingly unable to shake them off.
It performed a very dangerous stall drop maneuver, the fuselage diving toward the ground at a high angle, thereby dodging the oncoming high-speed autocannon shells.
It actually escaped.
This skill was definitely not that of an ordinary German pilot; Fang Wen issued an encrypted telegram order to stop the pursuit—an enemy pilot with superior skill was not more important than rescuing the Soviet Union flying group in the current situation.
Immediately, the Asian Flying Team reformed the formation and flew toward the distant aerial battlefield.
There, it was 16 against 10.
3 of the 8 Il-15s had been shot down; the 2 Il-16s, relying on speed advantage, had also shot down one He 51.
But overall, the Soviet Union flying group was in more danger than the German Vulture flying group; without numerical advantage, they were being divided and attacked by the enemy with 2-against-1 tactics.
The original sniping plan had here turned into a reverse sniping by the German Air Force.
Unfortunately, this reverse sniping plan had underestimated the Asian Aviation team’s threat.
The Asian Aviation team that quickly defeated the interceptors rapidly inserted into the battlefield; Fang Wen issued tactical orders via encrypted telegram.
“Crossfire shooting.”
This was the most effective aerial shooting method that Fang Wen discovered while training the flight formation: coordinated shooting by two or more fighter jets on the same target had far better results than one-on-one shooting.
Immediately, the Asian Aviation team locked onto the same target; 20mm autocannons fired from three directions toward the target.
This time, the He 51 biplane pilot could not perform that high-difficulty evasion maneuver and was shredded by the powerful autocannon into a large fireball.
At the same time, Fang Wen alone locked onto another He 51 fighter jet; the autocannon spat flames, instantly shooting it in half.
In an instant, two He 51s fell, while their side gained 4 powerful fighter jets; the battle situation changed instantly, with advantage shifting to the Soviet Union flying group.
The bear-like irritable Soviet Union pilots launched a counterattack and actually shot down three more enemy airplanes.
Now, victory was assured; the remaining German army fighter jets immediately began retreating.
The Soviet Union flying group was unwilling to give up the chance to expand results and actually pursued.
This was not a good sign; once entering enemy rear depth, there were not only enemy airplanes but also ground anti-aircraft fire.
Fang Wen did not want to take such a risk; he turned on the radio device to contact the ground Command Headquarters.
“Calling ground Command Headquarters, aerial sniping has a problem; Vulture Corps dispatched 19 fighter jets in ambush. Although we repelled the enemy, continuing pursuit may be dangerous. Asian Aviation team requests to abandon pursuit and join city co-defense.”
Moments later, the ground Command Headquarters replied: “Approved to abandon pursuit; Asian Aviation team may conduct free co-defense.”
After obtaining ground Command Headquarters approval, Fang Wen observed the ground battle situation.
Currently, Franco’s army was mainly concentrated in Northern China, building defensive positions outside the city; clearly, they knew they could not take Madrid in one go and were preparing for a protracted war.
After observing for a while, Fang Wen discovered that Franco’s army surprisingly had no anti-aircraft fire; this was the best dive shooting opportunity—once anti-aircraft weapons were equipped later, such dangerous attack actions could no longer be done.
He sent an order to the three wingmen.
“Free ground attack; return to base after emptying the magazine well.”
This free attack order excited the three wingmen; each circled in the air, searching for suitable targets, then dived down, unleashing the 20mm autocannons freely.
Fang Wen was doing the same; he selected a cannon position under construction, then controlled Shrike Hao to dive; as the 20mm autocannon fired, ammunition boxes on the position exploded, large explosions appearing after the airplane passed, the entire artillery position engulfed in flames.
The Asian Flying Team that emptied their magazine wells returned to Albacete Base.
The first aerial combat yielded good battle records.
In this air combat, the Asian Flying Team shot down 3 He 51 fighter jets and damaged 1.
The Soviet Union flying group shot down 5 He 51 fighter jets and lost 4, one of which crashed during pursuit.
Overall, this aerial combat caused heavy losses to the German Vulture Legion.
It also made the Asian Aviation team famous.
This battle finally satisfied one of Fang Wen’s regrets, giving Shrike Hao battle records.
Shrike Hao, which had accompanied Fang Wen for a long time, finally became a hero fighter jet.
For this, Fang Wen got paint and prepared to draw its exclusive honor mark on the Shrike fighter jet.
