Chapter 1130: The Ailing Field Marshal

Wang Guangfu knew he was being tailed by that Japanese fighter, so he could only grit his teeth and maneuver his plane, rolling to evade the pursuit. The German ME-109C’s roll rate was faster than the Japanese plane’s, and he used this tactical maneuver to try and shake the Japanese plane’s entanglement.

Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa, behind him, naturally wouldn’t let the wounded Wang Guangfu, who was trying to disengage, get away. He piloted his own plane in pursuit. Just behind his Ki-43, two Chinese ME-109C fighters plunged into the Japanese bomber formation like wolves into a flock of sheep. In a single dive, they shot down a slow-flying Donryu bomber and then casually shook off the pursuit of the rookie Japanese pilots.

The 20mm cannon mounted in the nose of the German plane had excellent ballistics, and more importantly, its destructive power was outstanding. The slow and structurally weak Japanese Donryu was like a thin-skinned, overstuffed bun; it was a target just waiting to be killed in the eyes of the Chinese pilots.

Those inexperienced Japanese fighters were now tied up by the Chinese P-40s. It was no exaggeration to say they couldn’t even save themselves, let alone help the Donryu bombers being hunted by the ME-109Cs.

After just a moment, the kill ratio in the sky actually favored the Chinese Air Force. They had already shot down 9 Japanese aircraft, most of which were the large Donryu bombers. However, of the 5 Japanese elite fighters, after Wang Guangfu shot one down, they had suffered no further losses. They had already shot down 3 Chinese P-40s and 2 ME-109Cs. In terms of kill numbers, the Chinese pilots had the advantage, but upon closer analysis, the Japanese side’s (elite) combat effectiveness was stronger.

The remaining ME-109C fighter was undeterred by the brutal dogfight. The pilot calmly shook off a Japanese fighter, then latched onto another Japanese plane that was hunting a Chinese aircraft, ending the unlucky Japanese fighter with a well-aimed shot.

In the distance, Wang Guangfu was trying everything in his power to shake Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa. He used every trick he knew but couldn’t reverse his disadvantage. So, gritting his teeth, Wang Guangfu made a hard decision. He looped his plane around, back into the main combat airspace. He still had ammunition. He accelerated toward a fleeing Japanese bomber.

With fewer and fewer planes on both sides, the dogfight dragged on. The Japanese pilots were, after all, more seasoned. They had just shot down two more P-40s, bringing the kill score to 7 (Chinese losses) to 11 (Japanese losses). In the blink of an eye, a Japanese fighter seized an opportunity and latched onto the ME-109C that had just attacked. He opened fire, bullets raking the air behind the Chinese plane.

Wang Guangfu, in his damaged plane, ignored the fighter on his tail and dove at a Japanese Donryu. He opened fire, pouring his remaining ammunition into the target. The dense volley of rounds tore the bomber to pieces, and it exploded in a mid-air fireball.

However, Wang Guangfu’s fighter was hit again by Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa. A line of holes was punched into his tail. Wang Guangfu tried to change his plane’s attitude but found it no longer responded to his controls. He decisively opened his canopy and bailed out.

Just as he jumped, a distant P-40 pilot performed exceptionally, shooting down another Ki-43 piloted by a Japanese veteran. This was the third plane from the Japanese “hunter-killer” group to be shot down. Meanwhile, the last remaining ME-109C, which the Japanese desperately wanted to kill, had already slipped into the clouds, disengaged, and disappeared.

The remaining 4 Chinese P-40s saw Wang Guangfu bail out and did not linger. They immediately turned and broke off, leaving the Japanese planes behind, frustrated—unable to pursue, unwilling to just leave. They had come to hunt the Chinese Air Force, but the Chinese had scored more kills, leaving them alone and melancholy.

The loss of 3 (elite) Ki-43 fighters was an unacceptable loss for Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa. Not to mention the additional cost of 6 bombers and 5 rookie-piloted Ki-43s being shot down. Losing 6 more bombers than the Chinese army meant this Japanese “hunt” mission was a clear failure.

Of course, the Chinese Air Force also paid a heavy price. China could afford these elite pilots and precious fighters even less than Japan. The loss of 6 P-40s was within a tolerable range, but the loss of 3 ME-109Cs was an irreplaceable and devastating blow for China.

The ace Wang Guangfu bailing out wounded was good news (that he survived), but it was terrible news for the Japanese pilots. The Chinese victories were mostly from the ME-109s; their 20mm cannons and 13mm machine guns left few Japanese pilots a chance to bail out.

Moreover, the battle was over Chinese-controlled territory. Even if Japanese pilots bailed out, a long imprisonment awaited them. They could never return to fly again. In this air battle, China had 3 pilots killed, 2 wounded, and 4 returned safely to their units to continue fighting.

The Japanese side had 49 men killed (including bomber crews), 3 wounded, and 7 captured (including the wounded). When Ozawa led the remaining planes back to his airfield, the people awaiting news of his victory were stunned by the losses. Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa parked his plane on the runway, jumped down, and walked into his command post, intending to commit seppuku to atone for his failure.

However, his subordinates held him down, preventing him from taking his life. This pitiful Lieutenant Colonel was demoted to Lieutenant for this operation and then dispatched to the bloody Pacific theater to fight the Americans.

The Wuhan Air Battle was the largest air battle in the Asian theater of the entire war. The fierce fighting between the two sides lasted for a full 5 months, only stopping in November 1939. The Chinese Air Force, relying on American-supplied P-40s, continuously fought with Japan for air superiority around Wuhan. Both sides lost over 200 fighters and bombers in total.

The Chinese theater continued to be a bleeding wound on Japan’s long front line, consuming Japan’s already insufficient war resources. Since the war with China began, Japan had already lost over 700,000 troops of all kinds on the Chinese battlefield. After experiencing the Battle of Shanghai, the Battle of Wuhan, the Battle of Beiping, and the Battle of Shandong, Japan had still failed to completely conquer the China they had originally planned to defeat in three months.

…

Of course, Japan bleeding endlessly in China was something Akado had anticipated. It was for this very day that Seeckt had toiled so hard in his later years. Just as the battle, which would be called the “June 20th Air Battle,” was raging, Akado was summoning his favorite general in North Africa, Rommel. This commander, who had been invincible in North Africa and the Middle East, finally receiving his marshal’s baton in Egypt, had ultimately fallen to the ravages of illness.

Rommel, who had collapsed from exhaustion, had returned to Berlin due to stomach problems from never having eaten a proper meal on time. He handed over command of the North African and Middle Eastern forces to Schoerner and Friedrich, and was now lying in a hospital bed in the Berlin Imperial First Hospital.

“Feeling better?” Akado sat by Rommel’s bed, smiling at his trusted general. With him was Mercedes, the First Lady of the Reich. She was personally peeling an apple for Rommel, a gesture that left Rommel and his wife feeling overwhelmed.

“My Führer! Much better. To fall ill at such an important time, I have truly failed your trust and cultivation,” Rommel said from his bed, forcing a smile. He had held on for a long time before collapsing at his command post. If it hadn’t become serious, he would not have left a half-finished war to return home to recuperate.

It was exactly the same as in the other timeline. This warmonger was madly in love with his command. The direct result of neglecting food and sleep was that his stomach problems had arrived much earlier. Fortunately, it seemed the German victory in North Africa and the Middle East was already decided, and he, the “pillar,” was no longer needed.

“Alright! Your loyalty to me, and your ability, I know better than anyone! You just focus on getting well. When your body allows it, you can return to the front and win victories for me!” Akado gently patted Rommel’s hand, comforting him in a low voice. After speaking, he looked at Rommel’s wife and instructed, “Don’t let Erwin read too many books. Supervise his rest. This is a mission I am giving you. Carry it out, understood?”

“My Führer! I will definitely follow your orders and supervise Rommel’s rest.” Rommel’s wife nodded happily, then looked lovingly at her husband, who was grimacing on the bed. “Did you hear that? I am under the Führer’s orders to supervise you. You will rest properly during this hospital stay!”

“Hahaha.” Hearing this, Akado and Mercedes laughed out loud.

Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com