Chapter 274: Target: Japanese Gunboats

Yangtze River, Yichang direction, the water is swift.

Jiang Anguo stared at the word "warship" on the telegram in his hand, his brows knotting into a lump.

Warship? He quickly calculated in his mind. Little Devil in the Upper River, Yichang direction, what large fleet could there be?

Destroyer? Cruiser?

Impossible!

The Yangtze River channels are complex, the water is swift and there are many shoals; large warships simply cannot enter. This is perhaps only those Little Devil inland fleet gunboats.

In his mind the shape of those things appeared, probably only a few hundred tons, the boat equipped with a few crooked machine guns and one or two small‑caliber rapid‑fire cannons. Such a thing in the sea is just a small fishing boat, yet in a river like the Yangtze it poses a huge threat to the banks.

Especially for a ground war zone lacking heavy firepower, you stand on the shore, helplessly watching it run rampant on the River Surface, mowing you down with machine guns and artillery, while you have no means to stop it. It is a moving waterborne bunker.

Jiang Anguo does not know exactly how many such gunboats are on the Yangtze, but it is certain that where there are gunboats, there must be other Little Devil transport ships following. He can even imagine those black‑sheltered transport ships packed with Japanese soldiers bearing loaded rifles.

Even if only a battalion's strength were to slip by waterway around to the rear of the New Wall River Defensive Line, for the main forces of the th War Zone fighting to the death beneath Yueyang City, it would be a fatal blow. The entire counter‑offensive plan would thus collapse completely.

Jiang Anguo paced back and forth in the mud twice, his military boots splashing mud and water. His mind raced, weighing pros and cons. He cannot let the Little Devil so easily slip behind the th War Zone; he must ensure their safety, otherwise at first light, when this fleet reaches Yueyang, trouble will ensue.

Jiang Anguo abruptly stopped, turned and gave Xiao Si the order: "Immediately telegram Changde Airport, notify Yan Xing and William, have them launch fighters, patrol along the Yangtze River, keep a tight watch on me! If you see any Little Devil ship, whatever it is, sink it for me!"

After Jiang Anguo left Changde, all dispatches in Changde were handed over to Yan Xing, Yan Xing commanded, and supplies to the Tertiary War Zone and the th War Zone had already stopped.

Changde Airport now only has fuel and fighter aircraft ammunition, bombs.

"Yes!" Xiao Si did not hesitate, answered immediately, turned and rushed toward the radio station, letting the telegrapher send out this top‑priority command at the fastest speed.

Jiang Anguo watched Xiao Si's silhouette disappear into the rain curtain, hoping to sink the Little Devil's ship before they reach the New Wall River.

Fortunately, Xu Guozhang and Yao Quanyi discovered it early. If… he dared not think further. Now, all hope rests on William and the pilots.

The runway at Changde Airport had become a reflective mud swamp. Torrential rain fell, visibility under a hundred meters. Taking off in such dreadful weather was tantamount to suicide.

But even if it's that difficult, they must take off!

When the order was issued from Chief of Staff Yan Xing's command post, ground crew rushed into the heavy rain.

Before Jiang Anguo left Changde, the upgrade performed on the Ghost Battalion now showed incomparable value. This batch of P‑38 "Lightning" fighters has advanced airborne radar installed in the nose.

Thus, William's Ghost Battalion truly became ghosts in the night. They no longer relied on naked eyes and crude ground guidance; radar could pierce rain and darkness, capturing the moving metallic echoes on the River Surface. Night and heavy rain were no longer obstacles, but their best camouflage.

Fast! Fast! Fast!

Ground crew shouted, slipping and scrambling in the mud. They quickly loaded each P‑38 with bombs. For the Little Devil gunboats, machine‑gun strafing is only harassment, while these several‑hundred‑pound bombs are the best way to send them home.

William, wearing a Flight Jacket, briskly walked to his own aircraft. He looked up at the elegant lines of the twin‑body monster, rain streaming down his helmet. He climbed into the cockpit, skillfully checked the instruments, and finally tapped his finger lightly on the radar screen.

Ghost One ready. His voice came over the radio, calm and clear.

Ghost Two ready.

Ghost Six ready.

As the roar of each engine tore through the rainy night, two, four, six… blue‑red flames burst forth in the darkness, illuminating the rain‑soaked yet hopeful faces of the ground crew.

The aircraft slid out, bouncing on the muddy runway, then suddenly pitched up, roaring as it surged into the endless darkness and storm.

Tonight, they are the true ghosts of the night!

William's flight squadron circled over Changde, like a flock of eagles awaiting prey. Soon, six P‑38 "Lightning" fighters formed a perfect diamond formation, and under William's lead, flew north toward the great river.

After about half an hour of flight, piercing layer upon layer of rain, a massive ribbon shimmering faintly in the darkness appeared before them.

Yangtze River.

All aircraft, descend!

William's command was crisp. Six Ghost fighters dove like hunting falcons, instantly dropping altitude, hugging the River Surface. Below the wings, rolling waves and riverbanks battered by wind and rain.

Ghost Second Squad, reply if you hear. William's voice rang over the radio, clear and calm.

Zzz… Ghost Second Squad received. The radio crackled with Chen Youping's steady response.

Proceed with segmented flight along the Yangtze River. Platoon One follow me downstream, Platoon Two patrol the upstream area. Maintain radio silence, use radar to search.

Understood!

Chen Youping piloted his P‑38, leading his wingmen toward the upstream waters to the northwest. On the radar screen, aside from chaotic signals representing the riverbank, there was calm.

Captain, look, what is that! Suddenly, the wingman's voice carried a hint of exclamation.

Chen Youping immediately looked forward. In the pitch‑black rain curtain, aided by a faint glimmer like a navigation light, he finally captured the target! Not just one, but a string! Quietly lined up on the River Surface, flowing downstream.

Little Devil gunboats! They have already reached Jiangling! Chen Youping's heart sank sharply; Jiangling is a crucial node on the Yangtze River. Once past here, the gunboat fleet will flow unimpeded downstream, and within hours could reach Yueyang City's doorstep!

Reply if you hear, this is Ghost Second Squad, enemy spotted! Repeat, enemy spotted! Over Jiangling's nearby River Surface, enemy vessels number five or more, moving at high speed downstream! Chen Youping called urgently, trying to locate William's signal amid intense static interference.

Rain pounded the cockpit glass wildly, the forward view a blur.

Ghost One, received! William's voice finally cut in, with undeniable decisiveness, "Two, three, follow me!"

William thrust the control stick sharply, his P‑38 carving a graceful arc in the sky, executing a sleek side roll, swiftly adjusting its flight angle, like a shark sensing blood, dashing toward the direction reported by Chen Youping.