Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 822 Sea-skimming torpedoes sink enemy ships, sonar locates U-boats

Fang Wen led a group of seaplanes to the airspace where the "Atlantis" was located and launched an air attack on the German raiding ship disguised as a neutral cargo ship without any prior warning.

The bomb racks under the wings were unlocked, and the fuselage was tilted slightly, pointing at the slowly moving gray ship below.

The cargo ship's crew was thrown into chaos. Some waved white flags and shouted into the air, claiming that they were innocent civilians on board, trying to confuse the fighter jets in the sky.

However, this clumsy disguise had already been exposed by Fang Wen's X-ray vision, and it did not stop any of the fighter jets from attacking.

The bombs fell, some exploding on the sea near the ship, and some exploding on the hull.

Faced with the sudden air attack by this unknown force, Captain Bernhard Rogge of the Atlantis's expression changed drastically, and he immediately ordered a counterattack.

The crew frantically ripped off the canvas covering the deck weapons, instantly revealing the monstrous fangs of the seemingly ordinary cargo ship:

Six 150mm main guns and four torpedo tubes.

Its air defense weapons consist of four naval-version Flak 20mm C/30 shipborne anti-aircraft guns mounted on both sides of the ship.

(Flak30)

This is the most common single-barrel close-in weapon system in the German Navy, capable of engaging both surface and air targets, and is also the only anti-aircraft weapon on board.

The sailors quickly deployed the Flak 30 anti-aircraft carrier cannons, which rose under the drive of electric motors and unleashed a barrage of fire at the incoming seaplanes, creating a massive fire net in the sky.

Although this single-barrel air defense weapon has a very low accuracy rate, it is even difficult to aim at the flight path of the seaplane attack aircraft of Taishan.

But anything can happen on the battlefield.

What Fang Wen needs to do is nip this accident in the bud.

His eyes sharpened, and without the slightest hesitation, he immediately steered his aircraft to dive down.

The fuselage was at a 45-degree angle to the sea surface, and the rocket launchers under the wings were aimed at the anti-aircraft gun closest to the bridge.

After completing the pre-aiming with his special ability, Fang Wen pressed the launch button. Two air-to-ground rockets, accompanied by a sharp whistle, flew out of the launch pod, trailing long white plumes of smoke, and sped toward their target.

After launching the rocket, Fang Wen continued to maneuver the fighter jet into a dive.

Seven seconds later, two loud explosions rang out one after the other, and the aerial rockets accurately hit the area where the anti-aircraft gun was located.

The massive shockwave overturned the gun barrel, threw the operator into the sea, and blasted a sizable hole in the surrounding deck, sending debris flying and thick smoke billowing out. The arrogant anti-aircraft gun instantly went silent.

But the German counterattack did not stop. Another 20mm anti-aircraft gun located at the stern of the ship, under the desperate control of the operator, quickly turned the dial, trying to aim the muzzle at Fang Wen's diving aircraft.

His every move was under Fang Wen's supernatural observation.

Before the enemy could even calibrate, Fang Wen had already piloted his fighter jet into effective firing range and quickly pressed the fire button on the 20mm aircraft cannon.

The machine guns fired rapidly and fiercely, and a dense barrage of bullets, like a silver fire dragon, poured towards the machine guns at the stern of the ship, accurately hitting the gun barrels and the operators.

The operator fell to the ground, and the cannon barrel was deformed and could no longer be turned.

The two anti-aircraft cannons on this side have completely fallen silent.

Immediately, Fang Wen quickly increased the aircraft's altitude and turned to the other side of the warship to launch an attack.

On the other side, two anti-aircraft guns were firing at the air, and were specifically prepared for dive attacks, with observers providing real-time position reports.

This time, Fang Wen did not launch a dive attack. Instead, he released the four 50-kilogram high-explosive bombs he was carrying, which landed on the deck on the port side of the warship, immediately destroying the last two anti-aircraft weapons.

A warship without air defense weapons is just a sitting duck.

Immediately, Fang Wen picked up the microphone: "Attention all crews, take turns diving, focusing on the enemy ship's main guns and torpedo tubes!"

The four seaplanes immediately took turns diving as instructed.

Faced with such a large target as a warship, the hit rate of various airborne weapons has been greatly improved.

The deck of the Atlantis was a scene of devastation, with thick smoke billowing and flames shooting into the sky. The 150mm main guns were hit by rockets and the gun barrels were blown apart. The torpedo tubes were also destroyed by aerial bombs and could not be launched.

The four carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft were also destroyed in the air attack.

Bernhard Rogge stood on the bridge, his face pale as he watched the fighter jets swooping down from the sky. He had never imagined that his carefully disguised raiding ship would be so utterly helpless against an unknown aerial force.

He ordered the warships to retreat.

Seeing the "Atlantis" below turn around, Fang Wen had no intention of letting it go.

He wasn't seeking revenge for the cargo ships sunk by the Atlantis, but rather for the safety of his own voyage.

Once the Atlantis escaped the area, it would inevitably reveal a great deal about the air raid to the German Navy.

That would allow other German naval forces along the African route to specifically target the Tarzan-class carrier.

This absolutely cannot be allowed to happen; the only option left is for the Atlantis to sink to the bottom of the sea and join the cargo ships it sank.

However, simply dropping bombs from the air is not enough to sink this warship.

Fang Wen made a bold decision: to fly at sea-skimming angles and launch an attack on the side armor of the ship with the only Soviet-made torpedo carried by the aircraft.

Torpedoes have an upper limit on their safe water entry height.

If dropped too high, the torpedo will disintegrate, malfunction, or sink to the seabed upon impact with the sea surface.

Both German and British torpedo bombers have a mandatory requirement: torpedoes must be dropped from a height of 10 meters; dropping them higher is futile.

Such low-altitude sea-skimming flights are extremely prone to causing aircraft to crash into the sea, and even experienced pilots cannot afford to be careless.

The same applies to Fang Wen.

He was completely focused, activated his superpowers, and became one with the aircraft.

Transforming into an iron-winged bird, it swooped down, unleashing its full X-ray vision to capture the undulating waves and turbulent sea breeze below.

Following its dive trajectory, the aircraft suddenly pressed down, its nose slowly leveling out, and the entire aircraft steadily touched the sea surface, maintaining a sea-skimming height of ten meters.

The wings almost brushed against the crests of the surging waves, and the salty sea breeze slammed against the cockpit windows.

All that remained in sight was the gray, churning sea and the gray hull of the Atlantis ahead.

The aircraft swayed slightly in the turbulent waters; the slightest mishandling would send it plunging headlong into the vast blue waves.

However, Fang Wen used his special ability to accurately predict airflow fluctuations and maintain stable operation, approaching the German ship's side.

This height was precisely within the acceptable limit for a torpedo's safe entry into the water; too high and it would crash into the sea and lose its accuracy, too low and it would be struck by waves. As the distance closed, the German forces on the bridge of the Atlantis spotted it!

The soldiers shouted in panic and reported to their officers.

Some fired their guns at the sea.

But all of this was in vain.

Fang Wen locked his gaze on the side armor of the warship at the waterline, and once he was in the optimal mine-laying position, he decisively flipped the mine-laying switch.

The Soviet-made torpedo mounted on the fuselage detached from its rack and plunged into the sea at a low angle, barely creating a splash. After entering the water, it remained stable, with its tail propeller spinning at high speed, leaving a barely perceptible trail of water as it headed straight for the underside of the Atlantis.

At the same time, Fang Wen pulled up the fuselage and flew into the sky.

3 minute later.

Beneath the surface of the sea, the torpedo precisely struck the waterline armor on the side of the warship, exploding with a deafening roar.

A violent shockwave erupted from the ship's hull, tearing a massive, several-meter-wide breach in the sturdy armor. Seawater surged into the cabin like a raging beast. The keel, pipes, and compartments inside the cabin instantly twisted and crumbled, and thick smoke mixed with seawater gushed out from the breach.

The massive Atlantis shuddered violently and began to slowly list to port. German soldiers on deck who had not yet escaped lost their footing and fell and tumbled, instantly shattering the chaotic scene of their previous counterattack.

The ship tilted at an increasingly large angle, seawater rapidly flooded the deck, the smokestack tilted and broke, water entered the compartments and triggered a series of explosions, and flames and thick smoke enveloped the entire attack ship.

The German sailors completely gave up resistance and, in a panic, untied the lifeboats' anchoring cables. One lifeboat after another was hastily pushed into the sea, and a large number of sailors, disregarding the danger of the ship capsizing, rushed to jump from the ship's side into the icy water.

Some were lucky enough to land on the sea surface far from the ship and struggled to swim towards the lifeboats; others reacted a little slower and were firmly pulled by the huge whirlpool created by the sinking warship. Unable to break free, they could only be slowly swept into the deep sea and disappear under the waves amidst their terrified screams.

Cries of agony and pleas for help echoed across the sea, a scene of utter devastation.

Fang Wen hovered in the air, coldly looking down at the German remnants struggling to survive on the sea, without ordering the aircraft to open fire again.

There are bottom lines on the battlefield. Survivors who have lost the ability to resist are not worth wasting ammunition on.

He said in a deep voice into the communication microphone: "All aircraft, return to formation and return to the ship."

Four seaplanes adjusted their course in turn, skimmed the sea surface, and flew towards the distant semi-carrier "Taishan".

For the remainder of the voyage after sinking the Atlantis, the seas were exceptionally calm, and they encountered no further interception from German surface ships.

During the voyage, they encountered a British escort fleet sailing from the west coast of Africa. The two sides identified each other through special radio frequencies and passed each other by maintaining their respective routes.

Seeing the British fleet sailing safely through the seas, with calm waters all around, it seemed that the probability of an ambush by the Lutheran Navy was extremely low, and everyone thought that the rest of the voyage would be smooth sailing.

But no one expected that this almost improbable danger would befall Fang Wen and his group.

One day later.

The fleet sailed into the waters off the Cape of Good Hope, where the vast blue sea offered a wide and open view.

In the captain's cabin, Fang Wen was slowly sipping a fruit tea rich in Vitamin C from an enamel teacup.

Suddenly, the small bronze cauldron he carried in his chest pocket began to tremble slightly without warning.

The warnings from this treasure have never been wrong; any unusual activity is always a sign of impending doom.

Fang Wen's expression suddenly hardened. He immediately put down his teacup, strode out of the captain's cabin, and climbed the steel gangway toward the upper flight deck.

Gong Xiuneng, who was standing beside the bodyguard, followed closely behind: "General Manager, what happened?"

"I don't know yet; I'll find out after takeoff," Fang Wen replied.

He climbed onto the flight deck and shouted, "Clear the runway immediately!"

Upon seeing this, the ground crew on the deck immediately rushed to clear the obstruction, quickly removing the obstructions and tidying up the racks, and in a short time cleared a smooth takeoff runway.

Fang Wen quickly boarded his seaplane, fastened his seatbelt, and casually closed the hatch.

The engine roared to life, the propellers spun rapidly, whipping up a strong sea breeze.

The fighter jet taxied on the deck, its speed increasing. After taxiing for more than 200 meters, it suddenly burst out of the deck, its fuselage briefly hovering in the air before its nose lifted and it gained altitude.

Upon reaching a suitable cruising altitude, Fang Wen no longer held back, instantly unleashing all his supernatural abilities. His invisible perception spread across the entire sea area like ripples.

At the same time, he activated the airborne radar target acquisition device, and the radio waves swept in all directions.

The radar detection device, which can combine supernatural abilities, did not detect any echoes from any aircraft or ships.

Fang Wen's heart sank.

The lack of radar detection indicates that the threat is neither an incoming air group nor a surface attack ship.

The only possibility is that the danger is lurking underwater.

He was well-prepared for the submarines, having already encountered them in the Pacific. A military sonar detection device he had borrowed from the British escort fleet was already adapted for integration into the fighter jet's onboard system.

Fang Wen switched the equipment, and the sonar probe began to emit low-frequency sound waves into the deep sea. One invisible sound wave after another pierced into the blue waves, diffracting and echoing in the seawater.

He also perfectly integrated his superpowers with sonar: the instrument was responsible for capturing the subtle data of the sound wave echoes, while his X-ray vision and perception abilities penetrated the seawater barrier and, along the range of sonar detection, peeled away the interference of seawater, undercurrents, and thermoclines layer by layer.

The underwater structure of the entire Cape of Good Hope area instantly took shape in his mind.

The currents, trenches, and underwater reefs are all clearly visible through sound wave reflection.

He patiently screened each detection area, eliminating interference from reefs, schools of fish, and clutter from undercurrents.

Suddenly, a faint yet remarkably regular continuous echo appeared in the sonar echo, hidden in the deep-sea clutter, and could not be detected without careful observation.

Fang Wen's supernatural ability instantly locked onto that area of ​​the sea.

Across the seawater, dozens of meters deep, a German U-boat lay silently in wait, deliberately hiding beneath the thermocline, shutting down unnecessary mechanical operations, and maintaining only low-speed submersion.

Taking advantage of the seawater layer shielding it from conventional surface detection, the submarine lay lurking in the underwater shadows to the side and rear of the convoy's route, like a lurking deep-sea shark, quietly following and waiting for the right moment to launch a torpedo.

It thought it was perfectly hidden, using the deep-sea environment to lie in wait silently, avoiding the ordinary lookouts and simple detection of surface ships. Little did it know that Fang Wen, with his sonar instruments and supernatural vision, had already seen its location, depth, and trajectory clearly.

High in the sky, Fang Wen's eyes were cold as he firmly locked onto the coordinates of the U-boat underwater, having already made his decision.

The best way to deal with this type of U-boat is with depth charges.

Having engaged Japanese submarines in the Pacific last time, the planes were no longer carrying the makeshift depth charges of that era. (End of Chapter)