Chapter 210: Fierce Battle
The swift and thunderous first assault by the P-47 “Thunderbolt” formation truly caught the massive Japanese aircraft group off guard, also leaving its commander, Major Teiji Yaga, stunned with rage.
He was piloting a more advanced aircraft than the Type 97 fighter, which had only been in service with the troops for a little over a year: the “Type 1 Fighter Hayabusa（ Ki-43 Oscar）”
This “Oscar” painted with the chrysanthemum（ squadron leader） emblem barely dodged the first wave of fatal strikes at the instant the P-47 dove down, thanks to its relatively superior acceleration performance and Teiji Yaga’s superb piloting skills.
“Baka yarou… Hold steady! Maintain formation! Fighter formation, counterattack immediately! Protect the bombers!”
Teiji Yaga roared hoarsely over the radio, his voice distorted with anger.
He watched helplessly as the formation he had meticulously organized was intercepted halfway before reaching the target, torn open with a massive gap in just a few minutes, with over a dozen aircraft turning into burning wreckage and plummeting—this was an utter humiliation for him.
Unlike the outdated Type 97 fixed-gear fighter, the Type 1 Fighter “Oscar” was the new elite aircraft that the Japanese Army Air Service pinned great hopes on.
It adopted retractable landing gear, effectively reducing flight drag.
The airframe also underwent certain lightweighting and aerodynamic optimizations, resulting in significant improvements in speed and climb performance compared to the Type 97.
More importantly, early models of the “Oscar” began experimentally adding basic cockpit armor plating and self-sealing fuel tanks. Although the protection level was still limited, it was a certain improvement in survivability compared to the virtually “naked” Type 97.
However, the “Oscar” was not perfect. In pursuit of ultimate lightweighting and maneuverability（ especially at medium and low altitudes）, its airframe structure was relatively fragile, and its firepower consisted only of two synchronized 12.7mm Ho-103 cowl machine guns（ early models even had only 7.7mm machine guns）, which was utterly insignificant compared to the P-47’s eight “heirloom”-level M2 heavy machine guns.
And its greatest advantage remained its outstanding horizontal turning performance, but its handling and roll rate at high speeds were inferior to the P-47.
At this moment, Teiji Yaga was piloting just such an “Oscar,” surrounded by several more “Oscars” piloted by veteran pilots as his direct escort squadron.
In the gap after the P-47’s first attack wave passed and while they were climbing again, he decisively seized this fleeting opportunity.
“First and second squadrons（ referring to Japanese fighter squadrons）! Immediately form into small teams and tangle with those Chinese heavy fighters! Don’t fight them head-on in altitude and speed! Use your maneuverability to pin them down! Third squadron, follow me! Prioritize protecting the bomber formation!”
Teiji Yaga proved himself a seasoned commander; he quickly assessed the P-47’s strengths and weaknesses and tried to use his fighters’（ mainly Type 97） numerical advantage and relatively better turning performance to harass and pin down the P-47s, creating an opportunity for the bombers to press forward.
At the same time, he personally led the superior-performing “Oscar” squadron, prowling like ferocious hyenas on the periphery of the bomber formation, seeking gaps in the P-47s’ dive attacks for lethal counterstrikes.
After the initial panic, the Japanese fighter pilots gradually organized sporadic but tenacious resistance under their respective commanders’ rebukes and orders.
Some Type 97 fighters climbed desperately upward, attempting to dogfight the climbing P-47s, but they often faltered before the P-47’s superior power and climb rate, even getting counter-bitten.
Others clung tightly around the bombers, futilely spraying machine gun fire into the high sky.
The scene in the sky grew even more chaotic and brutal.
Doolittle keenly noticed the change in Japanese tactics. He observed that the Japanese escort fighters were becoming more “cunning,” no longer easily engaging the P-47s in vertical energy fights but trying to use numerical superiority for multi-directional harassment and pinning.
At the same time, he spotted several Japanese new-type fighters（ namely Teiji Yaga’s “Oscar” squadron） that were clearly superior to the Type 97s becoming active; they lurked like venomous snakes, posing a new threat to the diving P-47s.
“‘Thunderbolt’ formation beware! The enemy’s counterattack is intensifying! We have a few aircraft with light damage!” Reports from wingmen and squadron leaders came through Doolittle’s headset.
Although the P-47 was tough and thick-skinned, it couldn’t emerge unscathed under dense anti-aircraft fire and the Japanese fighters’ desperate counterattacks.
Several P-47s had holes punched in their wings or fuselages by 7.7mm or 12.7mm bullets; even one had its engine hit, belching light black smoke, forcing it to exit the fight early and limp home under wingman cover.
“Alright, boys, we need to be even more careful now.” Doolittle’s voice remained steady, but with a hint of gravity.
“Jack, take second squadron and maintain high-altitude cover. Keep an eye on those Japanese new-model planes; they look more agile.”
“Roger, Colonel! Leave those bastards to me!”
One-Eyed Jack’s voice came over the radio, brimming with high-spirited combat fervor. He led second squadron’s P-47s in high-altitude orbits, like overseers overlooking the entire battlefield, ready to intercept any Japanese fighters trying to sneak-attack Doolittle’s formation.
Meanwhile, Doolittle personally led first squadron’s P-47s in continuing “eagle snatching rabbit”-style dive attacks on the Japanese bomber formation below.
Every dive was carefully calculated and targeted. He prioritized Japanese bombers that were in looser formations or protruding positions.
The P-47s plunged like howling reapers from thousands of meters up, their eight heavy machine guns spewing lethal bullet barrages in a split second, shredding targets to pieces.
Then, before surrounding Japanese fighters could react, the P-47 would use the immense kinetic energy from the dive to yank up the nose and climb back to safe altitude, vanishing from the Japanese fighters’ sight.
Hit and run, never linger in the fight!
Teiji Yaga’s “Oscar” squadron, though improved in performance, found this P-47 hit-and-run rogue tactic extremely frustrating. They tried several times to intercept the P-47s’ climbs at altitude, but the P-47s’ powerful engines always gained the advantageous position first.
And if they tried dropping altitude to chase diving P-47s, they feared being “dumpling-wrapped” by One-Eyed Jack’s high-cover formation.
The air battle entered a stalemated and brutally attritional phase.
The sky was filled with the shrill roar of aircraft engines, the mad roar of machine guns, and the massive blasts of aircraft hit and exploding.
Aircraft trailing black smoke and flames frequently plummeted like wing-broken birds, smashing huge craters into the ground and sending up towering smoke pillars.
Pilots on both sides were locked in desperate death struggles.
The P-47 pilots, leveraging performance and tactical advantages along with steadfast combat will, continuously inflicted casualties on the Japanese aircraft group.
The Japanese pilots, after the initial chaos, also displayed the fearless “bushido” spirit poisoned by militarism; knowing they were outmatched, they still counterattacked madly, trying to shield the bombers’ mission with their lives.
Some damaged Japanese bombers, losing self-defense capability, even chose to ram diving P-47s for mutual destruction, but most were agilely evaded by the P-47s.
The battle’s ferocity exceeded all expectations.
This aerial meat grinder over Mount Wutai had raged for nearly half an hour.
Pilots on both sides were bloodshot-eyed, physical and mental endurance nearing limits, but survival instinct and combat will drove them in final death struggles.
One-Eyed Jack and his wingman Tom were now embroiled in an unprecedented hard fight.
As second squadron commander for high-altitude cover and free hunting, One-Eyed Jack had been exceptionally ferocious in prior combat, thanks to his superb flying skills and the P-47’s performance edge.
His masterful technique and savage attacks chilled Japanese pilots to the bone.
He and Tom Kim coordinated seamlessly like two razor-sharp daggers, relentlessly tearing at the Japanese fighters’ defensive line from high altitude, relieving massive pressure from Doolittle’s attacking formation below.
They lost count of how many dives, violent pull-ups, and brushes with death in bullet storms they had endured.
All they knew was that behind them, at least two Type 97 heavy bombers and one Type 97 fighter had become burning wrecks plummeting toward the vast Mount Wutai.
However, good luck wouldn’t favor them forever.
Just as they successfully repelled several Japanese Type 97 fighters trying to sneak-attack Doolittle’s formation and prepared to climb back to advantageous position, four Type 1 “Oscar” fighters with distinctive emblems emerged like ghosts from the clouds, swooping in at extreme speed to encircle and tenaciously entangle them!
These four “Oscars” were precisely the small team personally led by Teiji Yaga.
And the lead one had a blazing golden chrysanthemum emblem emblazoned on its fuselage side… this was Teiji Yaga’s own mount!
Teiji Yaga had also suffered considerable scares and losses in the prior melee.
He watched his bomber formation slaughtered by P-47s like chopping vegetables, his fighters taking heavy casualties, driving him nearly mad.
After several failed attempts at high-altitude dogfights with P-47s, he changed tactics, using the “Oscar’s” relatively better acceleration and agility to lead his most elite subordinates like a wolf pack, prowling the battlefield edges to ambush isolated or poorly positioned P-47s.
And One-Eyed Jack and Tom Kim had now become his prime targets!
“Jack! Watch out! It’s those new guys! They’ve got us targeted!”
Tom Kim urgently warned over the radio, slamming the stick forward for a violent evasion maneuver in his P-47, narrowly dodging a burst of 12.7mm machine gun bullets from the rear quarter.
One-Eyed Jack also felt unprecedented pressure.
These “Oscar” pilots’ skills and teamwork were clearly a cut above those of the previous Type 97 fighter pilots!
Especially the chrysanthemum-emblem “Oscar”—its pilot’s flying technique was extremely refined, tactics cunning and vicious, every attack targeting P-47 weak points, every evasion perfectly timed.
“Damn Japanese monkeys, fighting like cornered rats!”
One-Eyed Jack cursed, but his hands didn’t slacken. He flew his P-47 into a heart-pounding dogfight with the chrysanthemum “Oscar”!
The two top-tier fighters representing their sides clashed at thousands of meters: like two mortal eagles, wheeling, chasing, firing, evading!
The P-47 used its powerful engine and robust airframe for vertical maneuvers to shake the “Oscar”; the “Oscar” relied on superior horizontal turning to cling tenaciously, denying any respite.
Tracer rounds wove madly between them with whistling “whoosh-whoosh-whoosh” sounds. Every close pass brought ear-splitting machine gun roars and horrific rending metal!
In the heat of battle, One-Eyed Jack’s P-47 took a precise burst at the left wing root from the chrysanthemum “Oscar”! Dull “thuds” rang out—panels ripped away, internal structure damaged, the plane shuddering and banking left!
“Jack, your left wing skin is hit—watch the left side!”
Tom shouted anxiously, trying a side attack on the chrysanthemum “Oscar” to relieve him, but the other two “Oscars” pinned him down, leaving him no chance.
“Tom! I’m fine! Just scraped some skin!”
One-Eyed Jack gritted his teeth, forcibly righting the unbalanced plane, then yanked a reverse hard turn to shake the chrysanthemum “Oscar.”
But Teiji Yaga wouldn’t let the chance slip! Like a maggot on bone, he stuck tight, his nose-mounted twin Ho-103s spewing lethal fire again!
“Rat-tat-tat!”
This time, bullets slammed accurately into Tom Kim’s rudder! A massive “crack”—a huge chunk of the vertical tail blew off, the P-47 instantly losing directional stability and wildly fishtailing!
“Help… help me, rudder damaged! Can’t control it! Can’t hold!” Tom Kim’s voice was filled with terror and despair.
“Hang on, Tom! I’m coming!”
One-Eyed Jack’s eyes nearly popped in rage! Ignoring his own damaged plane, he slammed the throttle wide, swung around, and charged the chrysanthemum “Oscar” attacking Tom, ready for a suicidal strike!
Teiji Yaga clearly hadn’t expected One-Eyed Jack’s fearlessness! He’d thought wounding the wingman would make Jack retreat to save himself. Facing this mutual-destruction frenzy, he had to abandon Tom Kim temporarily and focus on Jack.
In this hair’s-breadth moment, One-Eyed Jack unleashed a long vengeful burst at the chrysanthemum “Oscar’s” tail from point-blank range!
“Pfft-pfft-pfft!”
Most rounds missed, but several struck the horizontal stabilizer! The arrogant “Oscar’s” left horizontal tail sheared off halfway! The plane lurched down, becoming hard to control!
“Baka yarou!” Teiji Yaga bellowed in fury—he hadn’t expected to be hit himself!
Both aces took heavy damage in this instant!
One-Eyed Jack’s P-47 had severe left wing damage, flight performance sharply degraded.
Tom’s P-47 had rudder destruction, barely controllable; Teiji Yaga’s chrysanthemum “Oscar” had lost half its horizontal tail, equally unstable.
The other two “Oscars” abandoned chasing Tom Kim, flying to escort Teiji Yaga’s mount.
“Jack! We gotta get out now… hurry!” Tom Kim struggled to steady his faltering plane, shouting hoarsely.
One-Eyed Jack glanced at his smoking left wing, the still-fierce battle below, and the similarly battered chrysanthemum “Oscar” limping away under two wingmen—his eyes burned with reluctance and anger. But he knew continuing meant death for both.
“Tom! Break off! Get home!” One-Eyed Jack gritted out the retreat order.
The two battered P-47 “Thunderbolts” traced unstable arcs through the sky, painfully disengaging toward Jiuqu River airfield. The equally damaged chrysanthemum “Oscar” withdrew bitterly under wingman escort.
This brutal air battle over Mount Wutai gradually wound down as both sides’ main forces exhausted and ammo depleted.
Ultimately, the Japanese large-scale air raid suffered unprecedented devastation under the P-47 formation’s heroic and stubborn interception.
Post-battle preliminary stats showed the Japanese lost over twenty aircraft of various types（ including Type 97 heavy bombers, Type 97 fighters, and a few Type 1 “Oscar” fighters）, most directly downed or crashed after heavy damage by P-47s. This was a heavy blow to Japanese air power in North China.
Doolittle’s P-47 “Thunderbolt” formation also paid a steep price.
Four P-47s were downed or crashed from excessive damage. Fortunately, thanks to the sturdy airframe and timely bails, all pilots survived with light injuries.
Additionally, several P-47s were damaged to varying degrees, including One-Eyed Jack’s and Tom Kim’s mounts, all needing major repairs.
Though the air battle ended in Japanese defeat, the Shanxi militia also suffered losses; news shook all of Shanxi, drawing eyes from Nationalist Army, Jin-Sui Army, and Eighth Route Army alike to this once-obscure Wutai County.
