Agents of the Republic of China

"Commander Chai!" Seeing Chai Yixin who hadn't seen him for a long time, Lin Xiaotang subconsciously stood at attention and raised a standard military salute.This made Chai Yixin flustered and rushed to return the gift.

Entering the living room, Chai Yixin still insisted on letting Lin Xiaotang take the main seat, "Although you once stayed in the 57th Division for a while, but now you are a military commander, or are you a war supervisor appointed by Shangfeng? Li, you are my officer!"

Lin Xiaotang was not happy anymore. He still remembered the time he spent in the 57th Division in his heart. Although the life in the barracks was a bit harsh, the passion and fighting spirit have always lingered in his heart for so many years. Sometimes Lin Xiaotang would I wondered if I hadn't joined the military command, would I have become a qualified officer now, leading Paozawa and the Japanese to start a bloody fight head-on?

Lin Xiaotang brought a cup of hot tea to Chai Yixin with his own hands, "Commander Chai, you are my real commander. I am a soldier from the 57th Division. I have never forgotten the days of training under your command for so many years." I still remember what you said when we parted: as long as you are a soldier from the 57th Division, you will be a member of the 57th Division for life. No matter where you go, as long as you encounter difficulties and return to the 57th Division, the 57th Division will definitely cover All these years, I have worked hard in the enemy-occupied areas, and I have not forgotten your words. Now, I will return to the old army soon, and please don't treat me as an outsider."

Chai Yixin was also a little moved by what he said.Before coming, he had obtained Lin Xiaotang's real identity from Yu Chengwan.Yu Chengwan has been instructed by Yu Gong and Xiao Shanling, please take care of one or two, and Chai Yixin has also been entrusted by his old acquaintance Bai Qi. From these two aspects, Chai Yixin will do his best Lin Xiaotang's protection.

But when they met, Chai Yixin was moved by Lin Xiaotang's words.Back then, Chai Yixin reluctantly handed over Lin Xiaotang and Datou to the military commander. After so many years, he would often think of these two soldiers who impressed him deeply back then. Unexpectedly, there would be a moment of reunion today.The slight fear of Lin Xiaotang's status as a military commander disappeared in an instant.

Chai Yixin chatted with Lin Xiaotang about their experiences over the years, and soon changed the topic to the current Changde.

As the Japanese southern army set its attack target on Burma, in order to ensure the safety of the Burma Road, at the repeated requests of Britain, the United States and other countries, the Nationalist Government decided to send an expeditionary force into Burma to fight.Under such circumstances, in order to effectively contain Japan's use of troops in Yunnan and Burma, the Japanese Chinese Expeditionary Army assembled seven divisions with a total of about 10 troops, and sent them to the junction of the Sixth Theater and the Ninth Theater, the important town in northern Hunan, Changde, the Sichuan-Guizhou portal, launched an attack.And the revolutionary troops guarding Changde are the Eight Thousand Tigers under the command of Yu Chengwan of the 57th Division.

Lin Xiaotang was very familiar with Yu Chengwan. Although he had never dealt with him when he was in the 57th Division, over the years, Yu Chengwan, as a well-known defensive warfare expert in the Communist Party, has become famous all over the world. Do you want to know? It is also difficult.In the battle of Shanggao, Yu Chengwan stood alone and attracted the strength of the three divisions of the Japanese army, and made great contributions to the main force of the Japanese army in severely injuring the 34th division of the Japanese army. He also received a "martial arts certificate" issued by Chiang Kai-shek himself "Hu Ben" got its name from this.

This time to encircle Changde, the sixth war zone and the ninth station area work together. The strategy is still based on encirclement and reinforcements, and Changde is one of the most critical points.

Lin Xiaotang said with deep emotion: "Mr. Yu's defensive ability is well known in the world. It is also my luck to be able to follow Mr. Yu to garrison Changde this time!"

Chai Yixin gave a wry smile, "Brother Youzhong, in fact, Master Yu and our 57th Division are the ones who can't tell. The war of resistance has reached this point, and our losses are too great. Take the 57th Division as an example. The army of that year has long been changed. The veterans of hundreds of battles have already consumed 57% to [-]%. The newly recruited soldiers havetily entered the battlefield without systematic training. Why has the casualty ratio of ** remained so high in recent years? , because the proportion of new recruits is too high, now with the assistance of the Americans, the weapons and equipment and supplies are much better than in previous years, but the battle is more difficult than before. I am afraid that I will lose all my elites, and I will not have the confidence to speak in the future, so it is not uncommon for us to shirk and argue. Our [-]th Division was unlucky this time and was placed in Changde. Whether we can escape unscathed depends on our luck. "

After Chai Yixin posted this complaint, he realized that it was really inappropriate, and hurriedly explained: "Youzhong, don't worry, no matter how difficult the battle is, Master Yu has made arrangements to ensure your safety."

Lin Xiaotang smiled bitterly.He knew that Chai Yixin was reassuring himself. During the past few years of the war of resistance, the bad news of the death of major generals and lieutenant generals on the battlefield followed one after another. It can be seen that the battle situation was tragic. The 57th Division was trapped in an isolated city. The fate is handed over to the rescue allies. Once the rescue of the allies is not timely, the result of waiting for the defenders can be imagined. Besides, are there few examples like this?

At this time, Guo Zhui and other subordinates had already packed their luggage and supplies, Lin Xiaotang looked at the time, "Brother Zegao, let's go, the order from above is to leave immediately, we don't want to delay any longer."

The two of them were ready to set off with a group of subordinates. Datou, Chang Huan and others sent them to the door. When parting, Shangzhi whispered: "Master, there is also news from Yugong, and he will take care of things here." , you don’t have to worry, in addition to arranging for your friends in ** to take care of you, there is also a contact point in Changde, in case of emergency, they can arrange for you to evacuate, and they will contact you after arriving in Changde.”

Lin Xiaotang nodded, "I'll leave it to you guys here. After I set off, you and Datou and the others will leave by boat. Again, don't let Nanyang know about me."

With tears in his eyes, Shangzhi didn't say anything, just nodded.

……

Yu Chengwan had already set off early because he was going to participate in the combat meeting of the Ninth War Zone. Chai Yixin had originally arranged for a waterway to go to Changsha by boat and then drive straight to Changde, but before he left, the military command sent a new order. Lin Xiaotang and the others arranged a plane to fly directly to Changsha. Everyone looked at each other and understood that the higher ups were monitoring Lin Xiaotang and the others.

So everyone went directly to the Baishiyi Military Airport in Chongqing by car.It was originally a dedicated airport for the Soviet Air Volunteer Corps, but with the entry of the United States into the war, it has become an air force base for the American Volunteer Air Force.

When we arrived at the airport, dozens of brand-new P-40C fighter planes were already parked on the runway, shining brightly under the sunlight. According to the introduction from the military commander who came to see us off, it was formed by the American Chennault. The fighter planes newly introduced by the U.S. Volunteer Air Force to China, since the European continent is already under the occupation of the German Nazis, after the United States enters the war, in addition to aiding the United Kingdom, a large number of fighter planes are also needed on the Pacific battlefield, so the current support is for the Chinese battlefield There are only so many planes, and these planes will fly to Zhijiang Air Force Base to assist the squadron in dealing with the Changde campaign launched by the Japanese.

Led by the dispatcher at the airport, Lin Xiaotang, Chai Yixin and others boarded a Sky Fortress transport plane. Since there were other people on board, they could not take off until noon.

The last to board the plane were three U.S. military officers, the leader being a 50-year-old colonel.He was tall, with a serious expression. After getting on the plane, he just looked at Lin Xiaotang and the others, and then began to chat with the other two officers on his own.

The plane took off slowly, and the loud noise made everyone's eardrums seem to be pierced. Seeing everyone's distress, the US military officer handed over two packs of chewing gum and signaled everyone to stuff them in their ears. This small gesture made Lin Xiaotang feel more fond of him.

The three Americans were still talking loudly, and Lin Xiaotang was the only one who could understand English among the people in the cabin, so he closed his eyes and began to listen quietly to their conversation.

The three of them seemed to be officers of the American Volunteer Air Force, and they were also talking about the upcoming air battle with the Japanese army. Several people admired the performance of the recently delivered P-40c fighter plane, and their words were full of disapproval of the Japanese army. The Zero was dismissive.

Although Lin Xiaotang closed his eyes, he couldn't help interjecting after hearing the three people's contempt for the Zero fighter: "Although the Zero fighter is not as maneuverable as the P-40c fighter, its maneuverability is worse than the P-40c fighter. The biggest weakness of the P-40C fighter is that the armor is too thin, or even has no armor. In actual combat, the two types of aircraft can be said to have their own advantages and disadvantages. Although the p-[-]c fighter has a slight advantage, everything depends on the pilot after all. technology!"

The cabin suddenly fell silent, only the noise of the plane remained loud.The three officers looked at each other, and they all cast surprised glances at Lin Xiaotang.

Lin Xiaotang opened his eyes, smiled apologetically, and then said in English: "Sorry, it's just my own opinion, I hope I didn't disturb you."

The leading colonel officer became very interested in Lin Xiaotang's words, and began to ask in unproficient Chinese: "Sir, may I ask your identity?"

Chai Yixin returned and said, "This is Mr. Tang Lin, the war supervisor of the Ninth Theater of the Communist Party of China."

Tang Lin is the public identity that Mao Renfeng arranged for Lin Xiaotang. This point was also greeted by the military command department and Yu Chengwan. The purpose was also to conceal Lin Xiaotang's true identity. After all, no one knows what will happen in the future, as long as Lin Xiaotang does not die , his influence in the enemy-occupied area still exists. At this time, it is better to be on the safe side. The military commander's move is also for long-term planning.

The colonel officer smiled. Due to the crowded cabin, neither he nor Lin Xiaotang could stand up and salute, so they shook hands in a friendly manner. "Can you tell me the basis for what you just said?"

Lin Xiaotang shrugged his shoulders, "It's actually very simple. Japan is a small country with thalassemia, and its steel resources are basically negligible, so they are very stretched when it comes to producing heavy equipment, such as their tanks. Of course, it is also to save military gasoline consumption. , based on these two reasons, most of their fighters are not equipped with armor. This has been verified as early as the Songhu War of Resistance. Based on their own quality, they cannot compete with the p-40c, but also because As such, it is lighter and naturally more maneuverable than American fighters."

Lin Xiaotang snapped his fingers, "There is no need to pay too much attention to this. Even if the P-40c fighter is bitten by the tail of the Zero fighter, as long as the pilot is calm enough, Wanquan can get rid of it with excellent control and climb rate, and then kill him again." one strike."

The three officers immediately laughed, and they were obviously very happy to accept Lin Xiaotang's affirmation.

The colonel extended his hand again, "I am the colonel of the American Volunteer Air Corps, Claire Lee Chennault, nice to meet you!"