Chapter 2, Cross Scissors

"Novices are not qualified to conserve ammunition." This was the reminder given to Carrera by Gao Tianxiang before their departure. Now, Carrera faithfully followed this advice, relentlessly pressing the firing button. As the four machine guns continued to sweep, countless .50 caliber bullets penetrated the thin skin of the Zero fighter. First, a large number of fragments continuously fell from the Zero, and then Yamauchi Tomohito saw a surge of orange flames erupting from the countless bullet holes. In the blink of an eye, the Zero had transformed into a massive fireball. Yet Carrera continued to shoot, and with a crack, the fragile left wing of the Zero was completely severed, sending the fireball spiraling down toward the boundless sea. First, a large number of fragments continuously fell from the Zero, and then Yamauchi Tomohito saw a surge of orange flames erupting from the countless bullet holes. In the blink of an eye, the Zero had transformed into a massive fireball. Yet Carrera continued to shoot, and with a crack, the fragile left wing of the Zero was completely severed, sending the fireball spiraling down toward the boundless sea

The Carreras, slightly to the left, suddenly shook its wings. What did it discover? The skills of this adolescent were still quite average (even Ron, who was considered technically poor by Gao Tianxiang, thought so), but his eyesight was surprisingly sharp. Looking in the direction he indicated, the fleet finally appeared at the horizon where the sea meets the sky

Gao Tianxiang is already seated in the cockpit of the P40. Half an hour later, just before sunrise, a group of transport ships will depart from the port of the Philippines to send some individuals to Australia. However, the Navy personnel (or the Army personnel) may not be able to depart on time for one reason or another, and when the sun rises, they will be exposed on the open sea to attacks from Japanese aircraft without any cover. To provide them with a shield against the rain of bullets, Gao Tianxiang and his team must take off now

You may not be able to cut the line here, as we might be retreating soon

Alright, stop just enjoying yourself, head home! Remember to look back at the 6 o'clock position every ten seconds

Damn it! That cunning American! Blood rushed to Yamabuki Tomohito's head; that American had once again toyed with him, shooting down his wingman right under his nose, causing him to plummet from the heights of his arrogance. This immense drop nearly drove him to madness, "I must take down this American devil!"

As the Zero fighters returned, only one of the four Type 1 land attack aircraft remained, and that one was severely damaged. Yamauchi Tomohito signaled (the early Zeros did not have radios) for two Zeros to escort it back, then continued to pursue the distant Gao Tianxiang crew with his own wingman. Today's losses have brought great shame to the Imperial Japanese Army, and returning now would likely mean only seppuku in apology. He must shoot down these two P-40s, even if it meant his own aircraft would run out of fuel and be unable to return.

However, this is not a game. Although he knows that 7.7 is a waste, when it actually comes to engaging, Gao Tianxiang still feels a wave of anxiety wash over him, his mouth bitter and his hands, gripping the joystick, sweating profusely. He must exert tremendous effort to restrain himself from executing a left roll followed by a pull-down dive. Just a few more seconds, just a few more seconds, and Carreras's fighter will arrive to support him, and then that little Japanese will be like meat on a chopping board, to be sliced as he pleases. He must exert tremendous effort to restrain himself from executing a left roll followed by a pull-down dive. Just a few more seconds, just a few more seconds, and Carreras's fighter will arrive to support him, and then that little Japanese will be like meat on a chopping board, to be sliced as he pleases. But before that, he must give the Japanese behind him a glimmer of hope, making him believe that he can shoot him down; only in this way can he provide the rookie Carreras with the opportunity for a precise shot.

The sun rose higher and higher, and the surface of the sea gradually appeared before Gao Tian. Looking down, a thin layer of white mist floated on the deep blue sea, which was very calm, with nothing but a few emerald-green islands resembling jade.

At that moment, the voice of Dr. Cassius came from outside the window, "Lucia, have you seen my hemostatic forceps?"

The speed of the Zero fighter is faster than that of the P-40, gradually closing the distance between them.

Guessing

"Yes, Second Lieutenant Carreras is at your service"

"It is truly rare to have the opportunity to pilot a Zero fighter," thought Gao Tianxiang, "In the game, the Zero fighter is a rare model. Once someone takes control of it, they will immediately become the favorite target of all enemies"

Is that so? Lucia adjusted her hat with her hand, "It seems to be even more crooked than before." She stared sternly into Gao Tianxiang's eyes, until he felt as if he had shrunk by half, and only then did she suddenly reveal a smile as radiant as the sun reappearing after a heavy rain. "Even though you made it more crooked, I still want to thank you."

Yes, but we have no one left either

"They are also going to Australia." The captain suddenly slammed on the brakes, and Gao Tianxiang's head nearly hit the windshield. "Who told you we are going to Australia?"

Now! Attack with me! Gao Tianxiang first executed a 180-degree roll, then pulled the stick, and the aircraft swooped down directly towards a formation of ground attack aircraft from the direction of the sun

Early the next morning, Captain Tony drove to pick up Gao Tianxiang. Just before getting into the car, Gao Tianxiang saw Lucia hanging up bandages to dry. He wanted to ask her if they would meet again, but he said nothing, merely watching her busy with her tasks. The rising sun cast a brilliant golden edge on her white nurse's uniform and her flaxen hair, which danced in the morning breeze, and then he silently got into the car. As the car started moving, he saw her turn her head, smile at him, and wave goodbye. He watched the rising sun illuminate her white nurse's uniform and her flaxen hair, which danced in the morning breeze, with a brilliant golden edge, and then he silently got into the car. As the car started moving, he saw her turn her head, smile at him, and wave goodbye.

Four Zero fighters closely pursued the P-40, chasing it down.

Once again, it howled down.

In a Type 1 land attack aircraft, Captain Fuyuan Mufu is issuing commands: "Do not rush to admire the aerial combat; it is one-sided and uninteresting! Prepare to enter the attack course and get ready for torpedo attack!"

This did not come as a surprise to Gao Tianxiang; he remained silent, his mind still filled with the image of that small hand waving in the morning breeze and under the rising sun

The American and British pilots are truly cowardly. They do not dare to compete with the valiant Yamato warriors, and upon meeting, they immediately want to flee! In the cockpit of the Zero fighter, Yamashiro Tomohiro thought with pride. Over the past few days, those clumsy P-40s, P-39s, and F-2s have been relentlessly defeated by the invincible Zero fighters wielded by the brave Yamato warriors. He himself had already shot down four American planes; just one more and he would be recognized as an ace. Unfortunately, the number of American planes has dwindled; it is unclear whether they have been completely eliminated or are simply too afraid to show up. He had not encountered a single one in recent days. Now, the opportunity to become an ace has arrived, but there are only two enemy planes left. He must seize this chance, knowing that Fujita Isamu is also just one plane away from becoming an ace, and he must beat him to it.

The remaining three Type 1 land attack aircraft randomly discarded their torpedoes and maneuvered to evade.

"Damn, that feels good! Go to hell! Go meet Satan! That son of a dog from Japan... Hey, Ron, do the Japanese really take their rear ends as a symbol? Now Satan must be thrilled, he can really go to town on that bastard's rear end!" Usually refined and said to be from an old Spanish noble family, Carreras, in his excitement, is surprisingly foul-mouthed. Now Satan must be thrilled, he can really go to town on that bastard's rear end!" Usually refined and said to be from an old Spanish noble family, Carreras, in his excitement, is surprisingly foul-mouthed

... ...

This is truly a massacre! After igniting another Type 1 Land Attack aircraft, Gao Tianxiang, who has been shot down 1,600 times in the game, shot down enemy aircraft 2,151 times, attacked friendly aircraft 74 times, and shamelessly shot at parachutes 102 times, could not help but exclaim this, a man who has experienced death countless times and yet continues to rise again.

"Does it hurt? Well, there's no way around it; you have to endure a bit. This is the tropics, and if you get infected, it will be troublesome." Lucia did not even lift her head, continuing to apply iodine while speaking softly.

"Puff, puff, puff," this is the sound made by the 7.7 mm caliber machine gun bullets from the Zero fighter striking the P-40. If this were in a game, this sound would provide a sense of security to the battle-hardened Gao Tianxiang. The Zero fighter is equipped with two 20 mm cannons and two 7.7 mm machine guns, and the power of the latter is almost negligible in aerial combat. The Japanese installed it because the ammunition for the 20 mm cannons was too limited (60 rounds per gun), and they hoped to use the tracer rounds from the 7.7 mm to assist in aiming the 20 mm cannons. Unfortunately, the Japanese-made 20 mm cannons have a slow muzzle velocity and a curved trajectory, which is distinctly different from the straight trajectory of the 7.7 mm. In aerial combat, if a 7.7 mm bullet hits your aircraft, it almost certainly means that the simultaneously fired 20 mm cannon rounds will miss you. However, if the 7.7 mm bullets fly over your head, you need to be cautious.

"Oblique angle shooting, this is my forte." Glancing at the Zero fighter that was transforming into an orange-red fireball, Gao Tianxiang felt as if he had returned to the world of the game

"Tony, watch your one o'clock!" Two minutes later, Carreras was the first to break the radio silence. According to prior agreement, the radio could only be used when enemy aircraft were spotted.

Turn towards me! With a sharp roll and a gentle pull on the stick, the two P-40s began to converge, while the two Zero fighters, unaware of their impending doom, closely followed behind

If we only consider sharp turns, there is nothing remarkable about it. During World War II, whether in stable or instantaneous turns, apart from the Japanese Ki-43, no other aircraft could compare to the Zero. The extremely low wing loading provided the Zero with excellent low-speed turning performance, but it also made the Zero's roll rate appear sluggish. Additionally, the overly light airframe made it difficult to overcome the torque of the propeller, resulting in a terrifyingly slow roll rate to the right. The roll is the initial maneuver for almost all aerial maneuvers, except for the barrel roll.

Four days ago, Ronnie, Bird, and Kenyon had not returned. Yesterday, Keynes, Bart, and Gregor also did not come back. Adding to the previous losses, we now have only Spike and me— I can fly with my left hand as well— and you, hmm, and Carreras.

At this moment, the voice of the old colonel came through the headphones: "Boys, the bad kids from the Johnson family are late for school again. I repeat, they are late again." The "bad kids from the Johnson family" refers to the transport fleet. This message indicates that the fleet cannot leave the operational range of the Japanese aircraft before dawn, which also means that Gao Tianxiang and his team may have to engage in a battle with a significant disparity in strength against the Japanese.

The Type 1 Land Attack Aircraft is a typical Japanese plane, boasting greater speed, range, and payload capacity than its American counterparts, albeit at the cost of its defensive capabilities. Once hit, it is almost certain to erupt into a fireball. In the game, there are few bombers that catch fire as easily as this one. (Of course, Germany has a few more peculiar models that can spontaneously combust mid-flight without any external attack.)

"They are back, and they are all back!" The old lieutenant colonel stood by the runway, holding his beloved teapot, his hands trembling with excitement, to the point that the orderly was worried he might drop his cherished teapot. He could no longer remember how long it had been since he had seen the children who had gone into battle return safely. This period truly felt like a nightmare: the children flew out, and soon after, their excited or panicked shouts could be heard over the radio, only for many of those voices to fade into silence. No matter how much you called for them, all you received in response was the static of electrical noise. This period truly felt like a nightmare: the children flew out, and soon after, their excited or panicked shouts could be heard over the radio, only for many of those voices to fade into silence. No matter how much you called for them, all you received in response was the static of electrical noise. In the end, if luck was on their side, a few children would return, piloting planes riddled with bullet holes. And when these children disembarked from the planes, their faces were always as pale as if they had just crawled out of a grave. After that, whenever these children fell asleep, they would utter fearful nightmares: "Zero fighter! Oh my, it's right at my six o'clock!"

Gao Tianxiang was not unaware of this; he also knew that Carreras had just completed a leap and was about to dive toward the enemy aircraft. What he needed to do was to give the Japanese a glimmer of hope, to make that damned little Japanese focus all their attention on himself, thereby creating conditions for Carreras's attack

As a fan of World War II flight games, Gao Tianxiang is quite familiar with the history of the Pacific War. He knows that the Japanese army's attack on the Philippines was notably successful; through surprise attacks, Japan destroyed most of the American air power in the Philippines. Subsequently, the American forces retreated step by step, with the last contingent (including MacArthur) withdrawing to Australia, while some were unable to evacuate in time and were forced to surrender to the Japanese army, leading to the tragic Bataan Death March

Shan Jing You Ren made a gesture, continuing to bite down on Gao Tian Xiang, while his wingman, Kondo Mitsuo, followed another enemy aircraft.

What do you have to say?

"Yes, although there hasn't been an official notification, everyone is aware of it." The captain restarted the car, "However, Ron, there is one more thing I need to tell you." The captain seemed a bit hesitant, "You know that we don't have many pilots left, you, you may have to take to the skies even if you're injured."

The navy's ships are currently busy loading more people onto the vessels to take them to Australia. The navy no longer has significant escort capabilities, but fortunately, the Japanese seem preoccupied with occupying more islands and do not appear to be keen on sending warships to cut off their retreat, only occasionally dispatching aircraft for harassment. The retreat can still proceed, but the pilots responsible for air defense are nearing their breaking point. In recent days, the Zero fighters have become an undeniable nightmare. There are still six P-40 aircraft left at the base, but only four pilots remain alive. The retreat can still proceed, but the pilots responsible for air defense are nearing their breaking point. In recent days, the Zero fighters have become an undeniable nightmare. There are still six P-40 aircraft left at the base, but only four pilots remain alive. Fortunately, the airfield itself is still outside the operational radius of the Japanese aircraft, thus it has not suffered direct attacks.

This urgent transfer indicates that Gao Tianxiang has temporarily escaped from the cannon of the Zero fighter, but Yamauchi Tomohito believes that in no more than 3 seconds, he will be able to latch onto his opponent again and blast him to pieces with a series of 20mm shells. Moreover, his opponent has made a mistake—he did not immediately dive. Compared to the nimble Zero, most American aircraft are sturdy and clumsy; their heavy weight allows them to accelerate faster in a dive, and their robust structure enables them to withstand greater wind pressure, achieving higher speeds. The Zero 21 can dive at a maximum speed of about 580 kilometers per hour, at which point it faces the risk of structural failure and can hardly maneuver. In contrast, the P40 can easily dive at speeds exceeding 700 kilometers per hour, allowing it to quickly escape from danger.

"Separate to the sides." Gao Tianxiang calmly issued the command to Carreras. The two aircraft immediately separated to either side

In recent days, I have thought of a method to deal with the Zero fighter.

After speaking, she slightly lowered her head and turned around, running out like a proud little deer, leaving Gao Tianxiang dumbfounded in the hospital room. Throughout that night, Gao Tianxiang could not sleep soundly.

Well done! Carreras! Stop shooting, conserve your bullets! He is already finished. Let's go home! Just narrowly avoiding the last two rounds of 20mm cannon fire, Gao Tianxiang issued orders to Carreras over the radio

But this time was different; the plane was still taxiing when the excited young men could no longer contain themselves and stood up from their seats, waving and cheering to the ground crew on either side of the runway who had come to welcome them home. The morning sun shone on their faces, reflecting a brilliant light that the old colonel had never seen before. The old colonel knew that it was hope shining brightly on their faces. New tactics and new victories had restored hope! He understood that the most difficult times were behind them, for his young men had traversed the valley of despair. There may still be more and tougher battles ahead, there will be bloodshed, there will be sacrifices, but the morning sun shone on their faces, reflecting a brilliant light that the old colonel had never seen before. The old colonel knew that it was hope shining brightly on their faces. New tactics and new victories had restored hope! He understood that the most difficult times were behind them, for his young men had traversed the valley of despair. There may still be more and tougher battles ahead, there will be bloodshed, there will be sacrifices, but after all, hope shines ahead.

Contact me on m.hetushucom.com, and we will attack again

Damn it, just a little more, this time I will definitely hit you! With several 20-millimeter shells missing their target, the bloodshot eyes of Yamabuki Tomohito seemed ready to burst from their sockets; he could hardly see anything except for the swaying P40 in front of him

"Do you think you can shake me off by turning? Dream on! Just get a little closer, and I'll take you down too!" Kondo Mitsuo stared intently at Carreras ahead, his eyes wide open, filled with a bloodthirsty gleam. ... At that moment, he saw another P40 swooping in from a diagonal direction, its wings flashing with four tongues of fire.

"Doctor Cassius is looking for me, and I just finished my work, so I have to leave now." Lucia stood up and walked towards the door. When she reached the entrance, she suddenly turned back, her face adorned with a mysterious smile that was both proud and shy.

However, Gao Tianxiang need not worry about Badan's death march, nor about the subsequent Japanese concentration camps. As a pilot, he would certainly be among those retreating, provided he does not die in battle before the retreat. Ron's physique is indeed exceptional, and his injuries are not severe; he merely has a 7.7 mm bullet lodged diagonally in his abdomen, resulting in excessive blood loss. After about a week, he will be nearly recovered. He is relatively comfortable in the hospital, although he is scheduled to return to the airfield tomorrow. The only issue is that there are too many wounded soldiers in the hospital, and the numbers keep increasing. Lucia—the green-eyed nurse—is particularly busy, to the extent that the romantic stories between the wounded soldiers and the beautiful nurse have yet to unfold. Not only is there no time for them to play out, but there isn't even time for rehearsals. That afternoon, the nurse took the initiative to approach Gao Tianxiang, which made him quite pleased. However, little did he know that she wanted him to help with something (after all, he was nearly recovered)—to hold down a patient while Kashu performed surgery on him, but there was no anesthetic available.

Shan Jing You Ren has already maneuvered the P40 into the halo, believing that if he could get within 50 meters, he would surely be able to shoot down his opponent. In aerial combat, a distance of 50 meters is merely a moment. At that moment, the P40 suddenly executed a 90-degree roll to the right, followed by a sharp turn

"Carreras?" Gao Tianxiang still has some impression of this person from Ron's lingering memories. "Did he just leave the flight school? It's too early for him to take to the skies."

This is not a good thing; they have not yet arrived here, and they will surely be captured by the Japanese. According to the memories left by Ron, his last aerial battle took place here—this area is already within the operational range of Japanese aircraft.

Will they also retreat to Australia

I... I didn't do anything. The act of mischief was caught in the act, and Gao Tianxiang still felt quite embarrassed, "I noticed your hat is crooked, I wanted to..."

Subsequently, Dr. Cassius and the nurse discovered that the pilot Ron's consciousness was gradually beginning to recover. Although he still often forgot certain things, and his English sometimes appeared peculiar (occasionally, he would inadvertently use some new vocabulary), the doctor felt that these phenomena were entirely understandable—after all, his head had bumped during the landing

Captain Tony flew directly towards the fleet with Spike, while Gao Tianxiang, accompanied by Carreras, turned eastward and began a sustained ascent

You have tilted my hat; why didn't you help me straighten it just now

Now, four Zero fighters, as if awakening from a dream, have turned around and are rushing back. Unfortunately, the American pilots are truly cunning. Just moments ago, two P-40s, accompanied by the Zero fighters, made a shallow dive to escape. Now, the Zero fighters have not only distanced themselves from the battlefield but have also descended to an altitude of about 500 meters. It is no easy task to return now.

After finishing this task, it was already evening. Lucia personally changed the bandages for Gao Tianxiang, who was covered in sweat. Gao Tianxiang took off his shirt and sat on a high stool, while she squatted down and gently applied iodine with a cotton swab to his wounds. The sting of the iodine on the wounds made Gao Tianxiang grimace in pain

Lucia still did not look up; she merely kept her head down as she wrapped bandages around his wound. Her delicate fingers occasionally brushed against him, causing a tingling sensation in his heart. He lowered his head and saw, illuminated by the slanting rays of the setting sun, the flaxen hair beneath Lucia's white nurse's cap radiating an alluring golden-red halo. Gao Tianxiang reached out his hand, wanting to touch this mysterious glow.

Four P-40s slowly ascended into the pitch-black night sky, with darkness enveloping the cockpit, and the only sound was the dull roar of the engines. As the aircraft reached an altitude of 3,000 meters, the first rays of dawn illuminated Gao Tianxiang's cockpit. He turned his head to look around and saw the vast ocean still sleeping in darkness, while the other three fighter planes were bathed in a crimson glow from the dawn light. It seemed that to the eyes of those below, these four P-40s must appear like four bright morning stars.

Guessing?

At four thirty in the morning, the airport is still filled with countless stars, indicating that the next day will be another good weather day. In peacetime, such weather would greatly please both pilots and sailors, but now, this kind of weather only means that as soon as dawn breaks, they will inevitably face attacks from Japanese aircraft. The Japanese Zero fighters and Type 1 land attack planes will certainly not remain idle in such ideal weather.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Lucia stood up, her small face taut, looking down at Gao Tianxiang from a height, her eyes seemingly filled with anger

Gao Tianxiang's method is actually not remarkable; it is what is known as the "Thach Weave." This tactic was originally invented by U.S. Navy Lieutenant John Smith Thach during the Battle of Midway to counter the Zero fighter. In the realm of virtual aerial combat, this tactic is widely known. Since the relatively clumsy F4F can achieve an exchange ratio comparable to that of the Zero using this tactic, the P-40 can similarly employ this strategy against the Zero.

Gao Tianxiang observed that there were a total of 8 enemy aircraft approaching, divided into two formations. The aircraft positioned at a higher altitude were smaller, clearly indicating they were Zero fighters, while the other group was likely Type 1 land attack aircraft

It is basically fine, but I still need to wait another week before the stitches can be removed. However, I must free up a bed for the new patients.

After speaking, she squatted down again to continue bandaging him

Right now! Yamashiro Tomohito and Carreras opened fire almost simultaneously. Just as several 20-millimeter shells were being fired rapidly towards Gao Tianxiang, a whip made of .50 caliber machine gun bullets struck fiercely against Yamashiro's Zero fighter.

"Ron, is your injury completely healed?" Captain Tony asked while driving.

"No... it doesn't hurt..." How can a man be afraid of pain? "It tickles, you made it too ticklish, I'm just afraid of being tickled..."

The enormous body of the Type 1 Land Attack aircraft grew larger in the sight, it was time! Four tongues of fire erupted from the wings of Gao Tianxiang's P40. Gao Tianxiang gently pulled the nose up, showering the aircraft with a barrage of .50 caliber bullets from head to toe. As he pulled the fighter up to climb, his headphones were filled with Carreras's frantic shouts: "Ron, you hit it, it's on fire, it's done for!"

Besides Australia, where else can we go? Could it be California?

Captain Tony's crew was the first to engage, and four Zero fighters immediately abandoned the bombers to pounce on Tony's P-40. The P-40 formation made a turn, seemingly attempting to evade the Zeros

He is still 500 meters away from you! 450 meters! In the radio, Gao Tianxiang and Carreras continuously reported the positions of the enemy aircraft trailing behind each other. In aerial combat, the strength of the team is the most powerful guarantee of victory! A group of coordinated novices can easily take down an ace without team support