Chapter 471: Smoke over the Golden Triangle (Part 3)

After the telegram was sent, Lin Yi did not relax at all and immediately called William.

After the Mandalay fighting ended, during the troops' rest period, the st Division, which served as the main force in this battle, lost two thousand soldiers and therefore needed time to recuperate.

The combat aircraft originally assigned to Frontline Combat were reallocated; Lin Yi had already secured the aircraft usage rights and planned to have William lead a fighter squadron to escort transport planes heading to Jingdong while also scouting the Thai Army's movements.

"William, assemble your squadron immediately, fly P‑38 Lightning, and carry out two missions."

On the other end, Lin Yi's tone was solemn and firm, without any hesitation, "First, escort the transport planes to Jingdong to ensure the safe arrival of supplies and personnel; second, after the escort, fly immediately toward Da Qili to scout the Thai Army's troop deployments and movements. If the enemy is spotted, report immediately; if the situation is urgent, you may launch an attack outright."

On William's end, his voice was steady and strong, with a touch of American military efficiency: "Understood, Captain Lin! I will assemble the team at once, take off in ten minutes, and guarantee mission completion!"

William is now an experienced fighter Pilot, an ace.

He flies P‑38 Lightning across domestic and overseas battlefields, especially the Zhejiang‑Jiangxi Campaign, the Yichang Campaign, and the Jingzhou Campaign, and is deeply familiar with this aircraft's performance.

During the earlier Yichang Campaign, he shot down several Japanese Army fighters while piloting a P‑38.

The P‑38 Lightning's distinctive twin‑tail aerodynamic layout, powered by two Allison V‑1710 series liquid‑cooled piston engines, together with a 20 mm cannon in the nose and four. 50‑inch Browning machine guns, gives it formidable firepower, making it a weapon for ground attack and aerial interception; it can also carry bombs under the wings, rendering its combat capability extremely strong.

Ten minutes later, Lashu Airport rang with deafening engine roars as twelve P‑38 Lightnings lined up on the runway, their silver‑gray skins glinting in the sun, and the distinctive twin‑tail shape looking especially imposing.

William, dressed in flight suit and helmet, briskly boarded the lead aircraft, skillfully checking all the plane's systems.

Engines, weapon systems, fuel reserves—no detail was overlooked.

As the battalion commander, he always maintained a rigorous style, fully aware that each takeoff concerned the mission's success and his comrades' lives.

"All units, attention: check equipment and prepare for takeoff!"

William transmitted the order over the radio to the entire squadron; his voice traveled clearly through the waves to every pilot's ear.

"Copy!"

All the fighter pilots responded in turn.

Then the engine roar grew louder.

Ten P‑38 Lightnings rolled out of the runway one after another, like ten soaring eagles, gradually climbing and heading toward Jingdong.

The flight from Lashu to Da Qili took only about an hour; the P‑38 Lightning can reach a maximum speed of 667 km/h. During the flight, William kept the formation steady, the aircraft smooth, and the auxiliary tanks under the wings supplied ample range.

He piloted the aircraft while maintaining radio contact with Lin Yi, promptly reporting flight conditions and vigilantly scanning the surrounding airspace to avoid interception by Japanese or Thai Army fighters.

William was not worried about the Japanese air force in Myanmar, because most of Japan's fighter‑bombers there had already been destroyed by his Ghost Battalion.

Intelligence shows the Thai Air Force is weak, but it must still be guarded against.

When the formation flew over Jingdong, William deliberately lowered altitude, quickly scanning the ground below.

Jingdong city was calm; the transport planes had arrived safely at Jingdong Airport and were unloading supplies, while ground troops stood ready, detecting no abnormal activity.

"Captain Lin, Jingdong is all normal; the transport planes have arrived safely and are unloading supplies."

William reported over the radio to Lin Yi, "Now I will lead the squadron toward Da Qili to conduct a reconnaissance mission."

"Copy, stay safe; if you spot Thai Army forces, report immediately and respond flexibly," Lin Yi's voice came through the radio with a hint of admonition.

"Understood!"

William replied, then adjusted course and led the formation toward Da Qili at speed.

At that moment, he did not yet know that the battle at Da Qili had already quietly begun.

With less than ten minutes left to Da Qili, the sky gradually became veiled by a faint haze of gunpowder smoke, and the air faintly carried the scent of artillery fire.

At that instant, a wingman's voice crackled over the radio, urgent: "Battalion commander, there's fire ahead! In the direction of Da Qili, it looks like the battle has already started!"

William instantly looked up, following the wingman's indicated direction.

In the distant horizon, thick rolling smoke rose and flames shot skyward; even from high altitude, the ground's fierce combat could be seen clearly.

The dense gunfire and explosions interwove, and one could glimpse countless soldiers locked in melee on the trenches, as well as massive elephant units charging wildly—these were the Thai Army's elephant troops.

"All units, attention: lower altitude, fly toward the target, confirm its identity; once confirmed as Thai Army, engage freely!"

William's gaze hardened, and with a firm tone he issued the order while maneuvering his aircraft to gradually descend, the fuselage tilting slightly as he flew toward the Da Qili battlefield.

He knew that at Da Qili the Reinforced Camp of the 93rd Division was surely locked in a hard fight, and his P‑38 squadron was their savior.

"Copy!"

All the fighter pilots responded in unison, adjusting their altitudes and tailing William's lead aircraft, racing toward the battlefield.

As they descended, the ground combat scene became increasingly clear.

The Thai Army surged like a tide, charging the Reinforced Camp's positions, with elephant units at the forefront; their heavy armor stopped rifle bullets, and their massive hooves collapsed trenches, leaving many Expeditionary Force soldiers lying in pools of blood.

On the front, the Expeditionary Force's 93rd Division soldiers, despite heavy casualties, continued to resist stubbornly; machine‑gun and rifle fire never ceased, hand grenade explosions rose and fell, and with flesh‑and‑blood they held every inch of the line.

"Target confirmed: Thai Army! Commence attack!" William ordered, leading his lead aircraft to strike the Thai forces on the ground.

He skillfully maneuvered the plane, pointing the nose at the elephant units below and pressing the weapon fire button.

The 20 mm cannon immediately spewed a flame jet, and the four Browning guns fired in sync, bullets raining down on the elephants and Thai soldiers, producing a harsh "tat‑tat‑tat" sound.

If the armor on the elephants could, by luck, stop 7.92 mm rounds, the beasts' thick, rough hide and a coating of mud also offered protection.

But against a 20 mm cannon, the elephant's head would be shattered.

The P‑38 Lightning's firepower is extremely fierce; the 20 mm cannon's shells are massive, and upon striking the elephant's armor they instantly penetrated, ripping into the beast's body. Many elephants, once hit, screamed in pain, rampaged wildly, and even began trampling nearby Thai soldiers.

The Browning machine‑gun bullets precisely hit the charging Thai soldiers; each round took a life, and the frontmost Thai troops fell, their screams unending.