IJSF: Time-Traveled to 1901, Changing History with 21st Century Tech

Chapter 1 - Devil of Nomonhan

September 1939

Nomonhan

"Shit! Shit! What the hell is that plane? Is that really a Japanese plane!?" exclaimed Soviet Red Army Lieutenant Petrakov as he gripped the controls of his I-16.

Several enemy planes emerged from the clouds far above his squadron, rapidly descending in reverse and launching an attack from behind.

The flight's wingmen immediately dispersed to evade, but Junior Lieutenant Kleinev's plane was hit.

Petrakov, belonging to the Soviet Mongolian Expeditionary Brigade, had been dispatched to bomb the Nomonhan area illegally occupied by the Japanese Army. The Soviet Union had air superiority, and it should have been a relatively simple mission, akin to routine shopping. Usually...

"Junior Lieutenant Semkov! Junior Lieutenant Kleinev is down! Gain altitude and engage the enemy planes. Follow my lead!"

The quality of our country's poor radio equipment made it dubious whether the wingman received the message, but Petrakov believed it had and pulled the control stick. There was no response from the wingman.

Chasing the rapidly descending opponent was a foolish move. The enemy was faster, and lowering altitude risked giving the enemy an advantage.

"What about the other flights?"

Looking around, it seemed other flights were also under attack. This mission involved six flights of I-16s (18 planes) and 24 bombers. Currently, the Soviets had air superiority at Nomonhan. The I-16, with bulletproof steel plates behind the pilot's seat, was nearly impervious to the 7,7 mm machine guns of the Japanese Ki-27s (Type 97 fighters). Self-sealing had been applied to the fuel tanks, making fire unlikely even if hit directly. Against Japanese planes, the I-16 was expected to be nearly invulnerable.

Smoke rose as friendly planes descended. It seemed several had been lost in the initial encounter.

"Hasn't the squadron leader given any instructions yet?"

If enemy planes were attacking, it wouldn't be surprising for the squadron leader to issue orders. Listening closely, the radio emitted more significant noise than usual.

"Fuck! This piece of junk radio! Malfunctioning at a time like this!"

Cursing the poor quality of the country's industrial products, Petrakov gained altitude while visually tracking the enemy planes that had attacked earlier. The enemy planes, identifiable by the Japanese roundel, were undoubtedly Japanese military aircraft. However, they were unfamiliar. Larger than the previously encountered Ki-27s, with significantly different speeds. Additionally, their landing gear was not fixed; it seemed Japan also had planes with retractable landing gear.

After a rapid descent, the enemy plane rolled and executed a steep climb. Incredible speed and agility. If an I-16 attempted such maneuvers, the wings would likely fail to withstand the stress. Moreover, a normal pilot wouldn't endure such movements.

The Japanese plane ascended rapidly, reaching around 6.000 meters in altitude faster than themselves, who had climbed earlier. Then, from a rearward position, it rotated, dominating the airspace above their rear.

"No, we can't escape! What kind of monsters are those Japanese fighters!?"

The I-16's maximum speed was about 460 km/h. However, the enemy aircraft appeared to exceed 600 km/h. During the rapid descent, it might have even surpassed 800 km/h.

"This is unbelievable! What is this!?"

Performance beyond comparison with previous Japanese aircraft. No, in this era, could such a high-performance aircraft exist?