Chapter 565: Singapore Campaign (3)

Inside the cockpit, Song Yunfei stared at the instrument panel, intermittently communicating with the pilots: "All crews, stay in formation, Singapore is still 30 minutes' flight away, prepare to drop bombs, and carefully verify the target coordinates."

"Copy that, Captain!"

"Coordinates verified, ready to bomb at any moment!"

At the same time, far at the entrance of the Malajia haixia, Jiang Zhiyuan led the Nanko Fleet, already ready for action; the battleships Zhenghai and Dingyuan and other main vessels were arrayed on standby, their guns primed, radar running at full power, closely monitoring the movements of the aerial bombing formation.

When the bomber wing took off, they also steamed toward Singapore at 25 knots.

"Report, Commander, the bombing formation has approached Singapore's airspace; the fleet can strike at any moment!" the communications officer reported.

Jiang Zhiyuan nodded, his tone steady: "Send the order down, keep a close watch on the bombing; once the bombing is finished, immediately sail into the strait and launch the attack!"

Inside Singapore's Johor Battery, Japanese Army soldiers were still leisurely patrolling, some leaning on the gun barrel smoking, others crouched behind the bunker chatting, completely unaware of the impending danger.

They knew nothing of what was happening in the North.

The Japanese likewise only broadcast news of victory; they never mentioned the defeat in Myanmar, and the rank‑and‑file soldiers knew even less about what had happened in Myanmar.

Suddenly, the air‑raid alarm shrieked like a wailing specter; Japanese Army soldiers were startled into panic, dropping everything, scrambling and crawling toward the anti‑aircraft gun positions, trying to fire up the guns.

But it was already too late; Song Yunfei's bombing formation descended like a divine force, already over the battery, the shadow beneath the aircraft enveloping the entire gun position.

"All crews, aim at the three 15‑inch giant guns, drop precise bombs, and blast them to pieces!"

At Song Yunfei's command, the B‑29 bomber's bomb doors opened slowly, heavy bombs roaring through the air like hellish thunder, slamming toward the core of the Johor Battery.

"Boom—!"

The first bomb hit a 15‑inch coastal gun barrel with pinpoint accuracy, a violent explosion erupting instantly.

Blinding fire lit up like daylight, and a massive shockwave surged outward.

The heavy barrel was blown clean off; the broken gun body, like a runaway beast, crashed to the ground, gouging a huge crater.

Unfired shells inside the barrel ignited, triggering a chain reaction.

"Boom—! Boom—!"

The successive thunderous blasts shook the earth itself; rocks, gun fragments, and Japanese Army soldiers' remains were hurled dozens of meters into the air, spraying everywhere, while the air instantly filled with thick smoke and the scent of blood.

"Well done! Again!" Song Yunfei gripped the control stick, a sharp glint in his eyes, and shouted.

Immediately, the second and third bombs struck the other two 15‑inch guns; one of the guns was hit on its mount, and the sturdy concrete shelter was torn apart like paper.

The gun, having lost its support, tilted and collapsed, and upon hitting the ground sparked another explosion; flames shot skyward, thick smoke billowed, shrouding the entire Johor Battery.

The three imposing, battleship‑deterring guns, in just a few minutes, were reduced to a heap of twisted scrap metal, barrels riddled with cracks, muzzles blown away, their former deterrent power gone.

Other smaller coastal guns were not spared; bombs struck the positions, mangling the emplacements, Japanese Army soldiers screamed as they fell—some blown to pieces on the spot, others buried under the rubble—while desperate wails were utterly drowned by the explosions.

Just as the bombing was about to end, William's communicator suddenly emitted an urgent alarm: "Captain! Japanese aircraft group detected! About 18 units, coming from the Malaya direction, targeting our bombing formation!"

William's face darkened, and he instantly switched communication channels, ordering all P‑38 fighter aircraft: "All units, attention! Japanese air force incoming, adjust formation immediately, establish an interception line, and do not let them get near the bomber formation! Use all machine‑gun fire to intercept, hold the Defensive Line at all costs!"

"Discard auxiliary tanks, Ghost Battalion 4th Squadron, continue protecting the bombers; the rest of the fighters, follow me," William shouted over the radio.

Eighteen P‑38 fighter aircraft suddenly broke away from the bomber formation, turning to face the Japanese aircraft.

As soon as the words finished, eighteen Japanese Zero fighters burst through the clouds, swooping toward the B‑29 bomber formation like hungry wolves; their machine guns raked the bombers, bullets pelting them like rain.

William, piloting the lead P‑38 fighter, surged forward first, the aircraft weaving deftly among the Japanese planes, its machine guns firing with precision.

"Rat‑tat‑tat—!" a stream of bullets whistled out, striking a Japanese Zero's wing, which was pierced instantly, belching thick black smoke.

The Zero, out of control, plunged toward the sea, carving a glaring arc in the sky before crashing with a thunderous splash, sending up a massive spray.

"Brothers, follow me! Shoot down all the Little Devil's aircraft!" William shouted, launching another attack.

The aircraft flipped and dove, deftly evading Japanese attacks while locking onto targets with precision, its machine guns firing continuously.

The other P‑38 fighters followed closely, forming a tight interception formation, engaging the Japanese Zeros in fierce aerial combat.

P‑38 fighter aircraft are fast and highly maneuverable, their machine guns pack a punch, and each burst can hit the target with precision.

Although the Japanese Zeros are agile, they cannot break through the Defensive Line under the tight P‑38 interception.

The key is the Ghost Battalion's wolf‑pack tactic: three‑three formations, three‑to‑one, locking onto the next target immediately after one is hit.

The prerequisite is the pilots' mutual coordination.

A Japanese Zero attempted to slip behind the interception line to ambush the withdrawing B‑29 bombers, but William spotted it in time.

"Don't even think so!"

He instantly swung the aircraft around, gave full‑speed chase, the machine guns swept fiercely, bullets striking the Japanese plane's tailplane, which snapped off; the aircraft lost balance and slammed into another Japanese plane, both exploding simultaneously, fragments scattering.

In just ten minutes, under William's command, twelve of the eighteen Japanese aircraft were shot down; the remaining six, seeing the unfavorable odds, fled in disarray toward the Malaya direction.

"Japanese aircraft have been repelled, none escaped!"

The communications officer's report came in, and William exhaled, his gaze falling on the Johor Battery below, now a ruin; the three 15‑inch guns were utterly destroyed, no longer a threat to the Nanko Fleet.

"All crews, inspect the aircraft, confirm no damage, then turn as planned and fly to Andaman Island airfield for rest!"

In just twenty minutes, all of Singapore's coastal guns were completely destroyed, the Johor Battery reduced to rubble, and Japanese defensive troops suffered heavy casualties.

Song Yunfei's bomber wing.

"Report, Captain, mission accomplished! All coastal guns have been destroyed!" the communications officer's voice came.

Song Yunfei exhaled, ordering: "Formation, withdraw, return to Mandalay!"

William watched the bomber formation withdraw safely, and over the communicator ordered: "P‑38 formation, note, escort mission complete, turn toward Andaman Island airfield for rest!"

Twenty‑four P‑38 fighters adjusted course, heading toward Andaman Island.

Meanwhile, the Nanko Fleet in the Malajia haixia, upon receiving the signal from the sky, immediately set off at full speed toward Singapore.