Chapter 274: 273 Repelling Bomber Formation, Air Transport Formation Escort, Encountering Bf109
In the piston-engine fighter era, air combat relied entirely on individual experience and technique, as well as aircraft performance.
There is one word that best describes this kind of combat.
Dogfight.
Both sides’ piston-powered fighter jets in the air used machine guns or autocannons to destroy opponents while also avoiding being locked by the enemy.
So, both sides repeatedly circled and chased tails, trying to launch attacks from the enemy’s rear flank.
This is just like fights between wild dogs, very vivid.
Pilots played an extremely important role in this kind of combat.
Reaction speed, experience, talent, etc., often created huge gaps.
Fang Wen is such an ace pilot at the top of the pyramid. His awareness and superpowers allowed him to quickly find countermeasures even in a three-dimensional encirclement by 12 Japanese Army fighter jets, something many pilots couldn’t do.
But he’s not the only strong one. In today’s air combat, Fang Wen encountered another.
One He.51 fighter jet actually charged head-on, then dived obliquely below Shrike Hao.
He wasn’t coming for an aerial bayonet fight.
This was the best escape route. Even Fang Wen couldn’t control Shrike Hao to make a 180-degree sharp turn to chase it down.
Meanwhile, another one showed the huge difference between a veteran and a novice.
This He.51 fighter jet actually turned around, trying to fly back to the bomber escort formation.
This turn of his was equivalent to handing his back to Fang Wen voluntarily, which in Fang Wen’s view was almost like suicide.
In a flash, Fang Wen made the judgment, abandoning the fighter jet that was escaping alone and turning to a more suitable target.
Under his control, Shrike Hao rolled to the right side of the fuselage, the airplane rotating 360 degrees around the extended line of the bottom bracket from nose to tail, performing an axial roll flight maneuver.
This was a combat maneuver rarely used in actual combat, more often shown in aerobatic performances.
But for Fang Wen, it was a very familiar basic operation.
The airplane used the aileron roll flight to quickly complete the direction change, directly charging toward the rear of that He.51 fighter jet.
The opponent never expected the enemy to complete the turn and pursuit in such a stunning way, still flying toward the bomber escort formation.
Shouts from teammates couldn’t pierce the long sky to warn him. Everything would end here.
After locking on, Fang Wen mercilessly pulled the autocannon firing lever. Two strings of shell shadows shot out rapidly, instantly hitting the tail of that He.51 fighter jet.
The tail exploded into fragments under the bombardment of 20mm autocannon shells. The airplane without a tail fin immediately lost balance, spewing black smoke as it flew toward the ground.
But the next second, another string of autocannon shells shot over, directly blowing it up in mid-air.
A large fireball erupted in the sky, countless burning fragments scattering in the air.
Solved.
Only then did Fang Wen have time to observe the situation on the other side.
The He.51 fighter jet surrounded by three high-speed modified Il-16s had no power to fight back.
Under the crossfire encirclement, it was also torn into two sections and fell to the ground.
Fang Wen immediately sent an encrypted telegram order for the 3 wingmen to regroup with him.
Next, they had to deal with the Ju.52 bombers preparing to bomb the airport.
Now the opponent only had two escort fighters. Fang Wen and his team had a full chance to take them down.
Immediately, the Asian Aviation team set off again, charging toward the front.
Just as they were about to encounter the bomber formation, Fang Wen suddenly tensed up.
In mechanical perception state, he discovered five more fighter jets coming from behind the enemy bomber formation to provide escort.
Meanwhile, those two Ju.52s actually dropped all their bombs on the open ground below, then turned to accelerate and flee.
Clearly, the opponents realized it was hopeless and hastily ended this bombing.
Plus the enemy planes flying in from behind, Fang Wen lost the desire to continue fighting.
After all, he was now operating in a fighter jet formation. Rashly entering the enemy midst might be fine for him, but it would be dangerous for his subordinates.
Immediately, he issued an encrypted telegram order. The 4 fighter jets no longer pressed forward but adopted a defensive posture in the air.
The opponent also didn’t launch another attack, covering the Ju.52 bombers to return to base.
At the same time, German aircraft over Valencia also withdrew one after another. A large-scale air combat thus ended.
Only then did Fang Wen lead his three wingmen back to Albacete Base.
（Spanish Civil War, photograph after bombing）
The first Valencia air combat involving the Asian Aviation team ended.
Four airplanes landed intact at Albacete Airport.
After the airplanes were parked, Howard and two Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant mechanics immediately began wartime maintenance.
Fang Wen took the three pilots back to the camp and gathered the other four for a post-battle summary.
Everyone sat down. Fang Wen looked at the pilots who participated in today’s combat and called out Red Army pilot Qi Baoqian.
“Qi Baoqian, tell us about today’s combat, share your experience with everyone, and give a summary.”
This was an essential part of actual combat training. Elite pilots exchanged experiences with each other to help everyone improve.
When talking about flight combat, Qi Baoqian was clear-spoken and came right out with it.
“Yes, General Manager. In today’s air combat, we used formation combat mode, attacking with numbers against fewer enemies and with advantages against disadvantages, producing very good results. In contrast, the German army fighter jets lacked mutual cooperation. They seemed to be operating as a group but were actually fighting individually. Compared to us, our advantage was huge. All of this was due to the encrypted telegram orders designed by the General Manager. Without them, we couldn’t have achieved today’s results.”
This wasn’t flattery, but fact.
The Asian Aviation team led by Fang Wen was currently one of the few to achieve true real-time air communication in formation combat squadrons.
Plus the performance and firepower, they achieved such battle records on the battlefield.
After the summary, when Qi Baoqian talked about combat details, the other four pilots who didn’t participate immediately took out notebooks to record.
When they had questions, they would ask, discussing with each other.
Through this timely post-battle experience exchange, everyone could improve.
After they finished discussing, Fang Wen spoke up:
“Post-battle summaries can’t just talk about the good parts. Didn’t you find any problems?”
Pilot Shao Deqing from the Red Fourth Front Army hesitated and spoke up: “I think the visibility isn’t great. Also, during coordinated formation flight combat, consistency is still lacking. If we could achieve better coordination and unity, the effect in combat against the enemy would be better.”
After hearing Shao Deqing, Fang Wen nodded: “The visibility of the enclosed cockpit is indeed not as good as the open cockpit, but the enclosed cockpit is better for flight stability. The canopy structure has issues affecting partial visibility. I’ve already asked Howard to modify it. As for consistency, you need more practice. Experience and tacit understanding come from practice. Here’s the plan: starting tomorrow, when there’s no military mission, you can conduct free cruise drills.”
With more time to practice, the elite pilots were of course happy.
Fang Wen looked at his excited subordinates and spoke again: “One more thing, regarding airplane markings. You’re allowed to have a fuselage group battle record marking area. Airplanes jointly shot down can be drawn and marked in this area.”
At this, the pilots stood up one after another. Although they had no personal battle records yet, they had long been eager to paint on the fighter jets themselves, even if it was group battle records.
Immediately, the group asked Fang Wen for permission and scattered, grabbing paint and rushing to the three modified Il-16s to start painting.
Fang Wen also walked over with interest, watching them draw the markings. There were 3 group battle records. The pilots chose the middle underside of the fuselage, drawing icons of He.51 biplane fighter jets and also writing the names of the participating pilots.
Seeing them so eagerly drawing the markings, Fang Wen got interested too. He carried a paint bucket to Shrike Hao’s side and drew the two new battle records on the airplane.
After finishing, some old acquaintances came over.
They were literary celebrities from the International Brigades, Hemingway and others.
From far away, Hemingway shouted: “Fang, I’m here to interview you. Oh, and there’s a reward of good stuff for you.”
Fang Wen put down the paint bucket and smiled back: “What reward?”
“Iberian ham and Galician octopus.” Hemingway stepped aside and pointed behind him.
At Albacete Base Asian Aviation Team Camp, pilots and mechanics were busy.
Because they shot down Vulture Legion airplanes and blocked the bombing of the military airport, the higher-ups rewarded them with large hams and dried octopus.
These things had their own ways of eating for Chinese people.
They started the pot to boil water, washed the ham clean and sliced it into pieces or shreds, soaked the dried octopus and cut it into cubes.
They added red peppers, garlic, and local Spanish spices saffron, rosemary, bay leaf, parsley, to make a pot of seafood ham risotto.
Once the rice was ready, everyone sat around together, eating and chatting.
Hemingway took out a wine pot and poured Fang Wen a cup: “Fang, I really envy you, having such great flying technique. Now the International Brigades are all talking about your story. But be careful. The Vulture Legion must have their eyes on you. Be careful in the next air combat.”
Fang Wen took the wine cup and sipped it.
But he felt vigilant inside.
He had brought the team here to learn actual combat experience. Now that the war had entered a fever pitch, the more he stood out, the more dangerous it would be in the future.
The 7 pilots he brought, though they had all left wills, he didn’t want any of them to have an accident in Spain.
They would drive better fighter jets in Chinese skies to fight Japanese Army fighter jets in the future. They couldn’t afford losses here.
Fang Wen had a plan in mind. In future air combats, he needed to be more cunning and never fall into danger.
Thinking of this, he smiled and changed the topic: “Didn’t you go to Valencia? How come you’re back?”
“They think my pen is more important than my gun. They want me to write about what happened here. I’m planning to write a long novel《For Whom the Bell Tolls》, but now, I’m going to write a script first, called《The Fifth Column》.” Hemingway replied.
Fang Wen listened as Hemingway talked endlessly.
Whether script or long novel, Hemingway used the perspective of an American protagonist participating in the Spanish Civil War to show the world this revolution.
Among them, the Fifth Column was a secret organization targeting the International Brigades, a general term for enemy spies lurking in Madrid and Valencia.
Naming the script after it naturally meant the protagonist thwarted the Fifth Column’s secret plan after some twists and turns.
For Whom the Bell Tolls even described in great detail an American youth witnessing bits and pieces of the Spanish Civil War.
After hearing Hemingway, Fang Wen thought of another person and couldn’t help asking: “What about Picasso?”
“He’s in Valencia. The Popular Front welcomes him very much.” Hemingway replied.
The Valencia attack and defense battle was still ongoing.
Warriors of the International Brigades were participating in this battle with full enthusiasm.
The Asian Aviation team led by Fang Wen mainly guarded the transport flight path between Albacete Base and Valencia military airport.
But a prolonged war required massive supplies, not something Fang Wen’s Boeing 247s could transport.
As frontline supply consumption accelerated, this demand grew larger.
On December 8, an officer from the International Brigades found Fang Wen.
“Captain Fang, today two transport aircraft will land at the airport. Your aviation team will escort them from now on.”
“What transport aircraft?” Fang Wen asked in surprise.
The Soviet Union didn’t have large transport aircraft yet. How did transport aircraft suddenly appear in Europe?
The officer explained: “Ordered from the Douglas Company in the United States.”
The Soviet Union ordered large transport aircraft from the Douglas Company in the United States?!
Fang Wen was even more surprised. To revive the domestic economy, the United States dared to sell anything.
These were large airplanes that could be modified into bombers. Germany’s Ju.52 kept changing roles between passenger aircraft, transport aircraft, and bombers.
But what he didn’t expect was even more outrageous: the Soviet Union actually bought more than twenty DC-3s at a high price and even obtained modification authorization for the DC-3.
Probably, a Soviet version of the DC-3 would be produced in the future.
Brushing aside his thoughts, Fang Wen waited with the officer at the airport. More than an hour later, two DC-3 transport aircraft landed on the runway.
Crew members came down from the airplanes. Fang Wen communicated with them.
After the communication, the new mission for the Asian Aviation team was confirmed.
Escort the two DC-3 transport aircraft.
These two DC-3 transport aircraft would shuttle back and forth between Albacete Base and Valencia military airport, transporting military supplies to the frontline.
To better escort the Asian Aviation team, the International Brigades specially applied for 4 Il-16 fighter jets for Fang Wen.
Thus, all seven pilots Fang Wen brought finally had their own fighter jets to fly.
To ensure smooth fighter jet formation communication, Fang Wen also modified these newly delivered Il-16s.
These four Il-16s were weaker in power without Hornet engines and used 7.62mm machine guns for firepower. After installing encrypted telegram contact devices, they were designated as the flight formation’s second echelon, mainly for escort assistance. Main combat was still left to the original main fighter jets.
After the flight escort mission was updated, the 8 fighter jets of the Asian Aviation team brought by Fang Wen began escort operations.
At first, the flights went smoothly, with no harassment from the Vulture Legion.
But this situation didn’t last long. The continuous transport of military supplies from Albacete Base to Valencia was eventually leaked.
On December 19, south of Valencia, a group of Vulture Legion enemy aircraft suddenly flew in from the coastline, heading straight for the escort formation.
Facing the menacing enemy group, Fang Wen issued an encrypted telegram order: the second echelon covers the transport aircraft to withdraw, while he led 3 wingmen to engage.
This time’s difficulty was much greater than before.
Besides 3 He.51 fighter jets, there were actually 2 Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighter jets.
These were Germany’s main fighter jets in World War II. This battle would be hard to fight, not just because of aircraft performance, but the pilots flying the Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighter jets didn’t look ordinary either.
