Munitions Empire

Chapter 1039: 961 taught by a master

The roar of the fighter jet engines waxed and waned in the sky, while the thick smoke on the ground continued to billow. Many from Shu Country were looking up at the entangled planes, unable to discern which were their own.

Due to the distance, they could not make out the models of the planes, nor could they see who was chasing whom.

The bombers known as “flying pencils” began to head home, and the fighter jet troops from Qin Country also started to retreat. Their mission was to protect their own bombers; there was no reason to stay and fight.

After all, the bombing was over, their mission was complete, and the enemy before them couldn’t be eliminated in a short period of time. Staying would only add to their own fuel burden.

Keep in mind, this is a place over 200 kilometers from the border, and their aircraft’s combat radius is just over 400 kilometers.

Plainly speaking, flying to this nearby airspace for combat means they only have a quarter tank of fuel left for fighting, which is definitely more than what the German planes had during the Battle of Britain, but it still easily causes fuel anxiety.

Because Qin Country’s airfields must also be some distance from the border, as they need to guard against the planes from Shu Country and ensure a certain safety distance.

Qin Country does not have the early warning radar system of the Great Tang Empire; they have less reaction time, so they must maintain a distance for the airfields to have enough time to launch fighter jets to intercept the enemy.

“Our fuel is running low! Break off from the battlefield! Prepare to return!” Inside the cockpit of a Qin Country fighter jet that had just returned to the bomber formation, the Qin Country fighter jet commander issued a retreat order.

The Qin Country pilots who were dogfighting with Shu Country’s fighter jets also began to respond. They had been entangled for quite some time without bringing each other down.

“Graduated from the same school, damn it, the skills are almost the same!” Another Qin Country pilot said irritably as he let go of the Shu Country fighter jet in front of him, turning his plane toward his comrades’ formation: “Their planes are pretty impressive too.”

“Isn’t that the truth! Their planes are much like ours, the flying skills as well! When I was doing a somersault just now, they did the same maneuver! The turning radius is very similar.” Another Qin Country pilot complained from his plane.

They had just looked as if they were putting on an aerobatic show, chasing each other in the sky, exchanging fire, and in the end, only a few planes were shot down.

“Maguobao was just shot down…” Someone mentioned a confirmed downed comrade over the channel: “I saw him parachute out, looks like he’ll be captured.”

Whether it was Qin Country or Shu Country, both equipped 12.7 caliber aircraft machine guns on their planes, so the destructive power was indeed limited.

In such an environment, after their planes were hit, most just started smoking and catching fire, and the armored steel around the cockpit could quite effectively protect the lives of their pilots.

So these pilots were able to parachute out, and most would not be in any life-threatening danger. This was completely different from combat against the Tang Nation Air Force.

The Datang Empire Air Force usually equipped aircraft with 20mm and 30mm caliber cannons, the power of which was truly alarming. Hit by one of those, a plane would disintegrate in the sky, leaving hardly any chance to parachute.

Thus, in air battles with the Datang Empire Air Force involved, the enemy’s parachuting rates were very low, and any enemy pilots who managed to survive were extremely lucky.

“They’re retreating!” On the other side, the Shu Country fighter pilots watched as the enemy’s planes fled in disarray, also breathing a sigh of relief.

None of them had experienced real combat like this before, and it was really quite nerve-wracking. If it hadn’t been for the extensive combat simulations they’d gone through at school, they might well have been shot down by now.

At this thought, each one of them felt immensely grateful in their hearts to those dedicated flight instructors from the Great Tang Empire; without their seriousness, they might have died here today.

As a first battle, today’s accomplishments for these Shu Country pilots were actually quite good: They had shot down two DO-17 bombers and also two Qin Country Type 36 fighter jets.

Looking down at the city emitting thick smoke beneath their feet, not a single one of these Shu Country pilots had a smile on their face.

After all, they had still failed to protect their city. Now it was ablaze, with smoke covering the skies, an utterly harrowing sight from above.

“I hear the fighting has started on the ground, those bastards!” An officer from the Shu Country Air Force said somberly over the radio.

Their nation had not been to war for nearly a century. As elite and a new type of military force, their combat power was quite reliable, but whether those ground soldiers could withstand the test was an unknown.

Today, he had reaped quite a bountiful tally of victories. As an officer, he had shot down a bomber and watched with his own eyes as the pilots were engulfed by the burning aircraft.

It gave him an indescribable rush. He so despised these invaders from Qin Country; he took so much pride in being able to soar through the skies to strike down the enemy.

Deciding resolutely to go and learn flying in the Great Tang Empire two years ago might have been the best decision of his life.

As the Type 200 planes returned, the ground crew were scared into a sweat by the sight of the fighter jets: It seemed as if only two planes were shot down, but many of the returning aircraft were riddled with bullet holes.

What they didn’t know was that it was the same on the Qin Country side. Due to the relatively low power of the weapons, many fighter jets returned home wounded but safe.

“Fix it quick!” A Shu Country pilot who emerged from his plane’s cockpit saw a bullet hole in the fuselage not far from his plane and instructed the welcoming ground crew: “Don’t damage the structure… I might need to sortie again tomorrow.”

“No fuel leak detected!” The ground crew looked at the hole and reassured him: “Don’t worry! I’ll stay up tonight and patch it up for you!”

“My plane might have a fuel system issue! The instruments are acting up!” On the other side, another Shu Country pilot who had just landed handed his leather cap and goggles to a ground crew member, then struggled to remove his parachute: “The control surface on the left needs adjusting!”

“Of course, it needs adjusting! It’s been shot off a bit!” The ground crew pointed to the portion of the wing flap that was missing due to bullet damage and told the pilot: “You’re damn lucky to make it back!”

“I’ve always been lucky!” The Shu Country pilot said with a proud smile.

——-

I’ve got something urgent today, so there’s less written. I owe you all another update…