Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 288, Section 287: Nanjing Trip, Commercial Escort Permit, Long-Awaited Domestic Fighter Jets Over North China

For the sake of the Taishan Airlines commercial escort team, Fang Wen piloted the plane alone to land at Nanjing Airport.

Because airlines need to maintain good communication with the Nanjing government in various aspects, there is now a Taishan Airlines office here, which is specifically responsible for matters with the government.

For convenience, a car is also provided.

Fang Wen went directly to the office and drove into the city.

As the car drove through Nanjing, the city remained the same, but the familiar faces were no longer there.

Is Yue Jinping doing well in Shanghai now?

Fang Wen couldn't help but think of her. The last time, because of the battlefield medical kit incident, Fang Wen and Yue Jinping had become somewhat estranged.

Although they were simply working for different masters, they had ultimately become strangers.

Shaking off his thoughts, Fang Wen drove westward and arrived at Beiping Road.

The area is lined with garden villas on both sides, and the entire area is a residential area for the families of Nanjing government officials.

Unlike other crowded and chaotic places, this place was newly built in recent years, with excellent planning and plenty of greenery, making it a beautiful and livable environment.

Fang Wen turned right and entered the residential area surrounded by Beiping Road and Xikang Road.

There were guards at the entrance, and their attitude was even stricter than when they went to the Nanjing government in the past.

Fang Wen parked his car, gave the homeowner's name and address, and then parked his car next to the road to wait.

Because they had been notified in advance, a man in a long robe jogged through the residential area.

“Mr. Fang, I am the family’s housekeeper. Please come with me. The master is waiting for you at home. Oh, by the way, it’s not far. You can park your car in the parking lot next door and we can walk there.”

Fang Wen parked the car under the butler's guidance and followed him for more than a hundred meters until they arrived at a small Western-style building with blue bricks.

The small building is surrounded by many trees, and there are ivy climbing on the walls, making it look lush and pleasing to the eye.

It certainly has a certain refinement in terms of style.

Fang Wen followed him upstairs to the study.

The talented athlete, waiting in the study, put on airs and stood up to welcome him with a smile.

"General Manager Fang has finally come to my humble abode to have a heart-to-heart talk with me, the chairman. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time. Please have a seat, let's talk slowly, and then have a simple meal later."

Fang Wen sat smiling on the sofa in the study, while Quan Yuncai sat back in his seat.

"What does General Manager Fang think of my place?"

"It's good. The environment is livable and has a unique charm. The overall planning of the residential area is also good, and it can be considered one of the best layouts in China," Fang Wen replied truthfully.

"That's true, but it also depends on the region. Beiping can be described as: the capital city facing south overlooking the Central Plains, with the imperial aura surging through Jizhou for thousands of years. Nanjing, on the other hand, is: a beautiful land south of the Yangtze River, the imperial capital of Jinling. Living in Nanjing inevitably adds a touch of elegance and refinement."

The National Games' use of classical allusions does have some merit.

Following up on the other person's question, Fang Wen asked, "What about Shanghai?"

"The river surges and flows into the sea, exotic sentiments reside in elegant and common buildings. It is not a royal land, yet undercurrents are surging." This is how Quan Yuncai described it.

The conversation that followed remained vague, circumvented by Quan Yuncai's cryptic remarks.

The other side relied entirely on tricks; it was better for Fang Wen to set the precedent.

Fang Wen went straight to the point: "Chairman Quan, you are the major shareholder of Taishan Airlines' domestic branch. Currently, the company's seaplane route on the Haihe River has been harassed by Japanese military aircraft. Fortunately, the plane only managed to make an emergency landing on the water. But once this precedent is set, Japanese military aircraft will definitely continue to cause trouble. What do you suggest we do?"

Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Quan Yuncai could only say helplessly, "Now that the Nationalist government has given up North China, the army can't go north. What can I do?"

"The army can't go north?" Fang Wen's anger rose, but he knew he couldn't afford to escalate the situation. Suppressing his anger, he continued, "Throughout history, the most important things for merchants and travelers are convenient and safe transportation. In ancient times, to prevent bandits and robbers from entering the mountains, people would hire guards or use escort agencies. Some even formed their own guard teams to ensure safety along the way. If the National Government doesn't care about North China, can't our Taishan Airlines form its own escort team?"

"An escort team?" Quan Yuncai asked in surprise, then asked, "What are you planning to do?"

“I have an escort squadron overseas, consisting of seven fighter jets. As long as there are no problems here, we can return to China immediately to protect the company’s flight path,” Fang Wen replied.

Quan Yuncai dared not make a decision on this; he needed to consult with the real big boss.

However, Fang Wen could not get involved in this matter. So, he said, "General Manager Fang, we need to discuss this. I'll be out for a while. Wait for me at home."

"Ok, I will wait for you."

I just left home for the National Games.

He left the mansion area and took a car to Changfu Street, south of the Presidential Palace.

There is a large mansion here, covering an area of ​​3000 square meters, where people who live are also high-ranking officials in the Nationalist government.

Quan Yuncai was very familiar with this place, and it was obvious that he came here often. The guards at the entrance did not stop him from entering.

Upon entering the mansion, he met its owner.

His usual demeanor vanished instantly, and with a slight bend in his waist, he explained why he had come.

After listening, the master of the Chen family spoke up:

"Fang Wen is an ambitious man. He gave me concessions in order to gain a powerful backer. But in the past two years, I have basically done nothing, yet I have received so many dividends for nothing."

Quan Yuncai quickly replied, "Sir, you can't say that. Without your name, Taishan Airlines wouldn't be able to operate in the domestic market. It's all thanks to you that it's been able to get to where it is today."

"Old Quan, let's not talk nonsense between us. Fang Wen came here to see my attitude. If I don't take care of this, his heart might not be on my side anymore. Therefore, what needs to be done must be done. Moreover, don't think that Fang Wen's escort team is small-scale. He brought several pilots he trained himself in Europe, and they've made a name for themselves. I'd like to see how his fighter jets compare to Japanese military aircraft back home."

"Sir, are you going to step forward? Although the current situation calls for unity against Japan, it might not be appropriate for you to be the first to step forward."

“Who said I would get involved? Do I need to get involved in this? You don’t understand government affairs, so don’t worry about it. Go back and tell Fang Wen to stay in Nanjing for two days. Whether it works out or not depends on the situation in the next two days.”

"Yes, sir. I'll be going back now."

"Let's go."

Fang Wen received a promise from Quan Yuncai that he would provide the results within two days.

These past two days, he's been staying in Nanjing, traveling around with Quan Yuncai.

Two days later, the news came out.

The Ministry of Transport proposed that, given the safety concerns of Taishan Airlines' North China routes, they should agree to allow the establishment of an escort team.

The clever thing about this proposal is that it is neither a military force nor a local armed group.

Instead, it's a security detail assembled by a commercial company to protect its own assets.

This is something that many businesses do, so it's not necessarily the case that Taishan Airlines is the only one that shouldn't be allowed to do it.

Although the situation in North China is delicate, the circumstances have now changed, and it is not unreasonable to make a start.

Therefore, the Ministry of Transportation approved it.

Later, the National Games team returned with an official document, which was considered to be official permission.

With the approval in hand, Fang Wen immediately left Nanjing and went directly to Yangon.

The Taishan Air Force fighter escort squadron from Yangon was immediately reorganized and dispatched. In addition to the fighter escort squadron, there were two gunboats and a 100-strong mercenary regiment responsible for ground protection.

In addition, there are logistics and maintenance personnel.

These personnel, at most 150, formed the Taishan Aviation Escort Team.

Once the reorganization in Yangon is completed, the Taishan Air Escort Team can begin its return journey home.

The escort formation of seven fighter jets followed the route from Yangon to Xiangxi Airport and then to Wuhan.

The two gunboats and the seaplane carrying more than 100 ground personnel all traveled via Yangon-Jinghong-Kunming-Guiyang-Yuanling-Wuhan, transiting through seaports on multiple waterways.

Along the way, since Taishan Airlines' seaplane routes were already operating on various waterways, it did not attract any attention from the local authorities.

1937 October.

The Taishan Aviation Escort Team was officially established in Wuhan.

Fang Wen began designing the escort plan for the escort team in North China.

To ensure the safety of the Haihe River shipping route in North China, a faster departure airport is needed.

Wuhan Airport is definitely not an option; we have to depart from Jinan Airport.

Therefore, the airport in Jinan became the departure point for the escort team's fighter jets. In order to ensure local security, the escort team's ground personnel were also stationed at Jinan Airport. At the same time, two gunship aircraft were also docked at the seaplane airport on the Yellow River near Jinan.

Of course, it was very dangerous to have all the fighter planes stationed at Jinan Airport. If the Japanese planes broke through and bombed them, they could all be destroyed there.

Therefore, Fang Wen divided the escort team into four shifts, with two fighter jets on each shift stationed at Wuhan Airport for patrols, while the rest of the aircraft remained at Wuhan Airport. This way, due to its location in the heart of China and the limited flight range, there was no need to worry about the threat from Japanese military aircraft.

With everything prepared, the Taishan Air Escort Team began its patrol.

Eight high-speed fighter pilots, including Fang Wen, began patrolling over the Haihe River, with each shift lasting two days, for a total of four shifts rotating.

This is the first time in several years that fighter jets have flown over North China.

Although few in number, it still brought hope to North China.

Not only in North China, but also in Beijing and Tianjin.

Those who still remained in Beiping and Tianjin, constantly harassed by Japanese aircraft from time to time, finally saw their own fighter planes appear.

The Beiping Daily reported on this matter extensively on its front page.

Since the Great Wall Resistance War, we have finally had our own fighter jets appearing in our own airspace, even if it is just a commercial airline's plane.

This enthusiastic atmosphere reignited people's anti-Japanese sentiment.

Everyone was thinking about one thing: what would happen if the Japanese military planes that routinely violated and harassed North China's airspace encountered Taishan Airlines planes?

Everyone had mixed feelings about this matter. They were looking forward to Taishan Airlines' planes giving the Japanese planes a good lesson, but they were also worried about what losses Taishan Airlines' escort team might suffer in the conflict.

But things weren't as simple as they thought.

From the moment the Taishan Air Escort Team began its escort mission on the Haihe River, the Japanese harassing aircraft suddenly disappeared.

Fang Wen judged that this was the Kwantung Army studying countermeasures against the Taishan Escort Team's actions.

After all, the escort mission of the Taishan Escort Team over the Haihe River basin had an actual combat radius that threatened areas east of Tianjin and Beiping, which were also the only places that Japanese warplanes had to pass through to reach North China.

In other words, with the Taishan Air Escort Team as a thorn in their side, Japanese fighter planes could no longer freely traverse North China as before.

The Kwantung Army issued a notice to the Nationalist government demanding a thorough investigation into the matter.

This arrogant announcement was not the first time. Similar announcements were issued when civilian anti-Japanese forces appeared in North China in the past, and the Nationalist government would even assist in handling them.

But now, the situation is different, and the response and attitude are different as well.

The Nationalist government replied to the Kwantung Army: "The Taishan Air Escort Team is a bodyguard unit funded by commercial organizations. It only protects the safety of its own waterborne flight routes in the Haihe River basin. Everything is legal and reasonable."

The reply did not mention the losses of Taishan Airlines aircraft caused by Japanese fighter planes, but it had already made its stance clear.

Seeing that they could not use the Nationalist government to force Taishan Airlines, the Kwantung Army simply sent a military attaché to visit them directly.

At Jinan Airport, a Japanese military attaché stationed in Jinan arrived with a translator, but was stopped outside the airport.

This matter reached Fang Wen, who was inspecting the operation of the escort team at Jinan Airport.

"What's he doing here?" Fang Wen asked.

The airport security captain replied, "He said he was acting on orders from the Kwantung Army and wanted to talk to you."

"Let him in," Fang Wen said, wanting to see what the other person had to say.

The security team leader returned, but instead of letting them pass directly, he demanded a strict inspection, including not only the security gate but also a body search.

After a rigorous inspection, the military attaché and translator were finally allowed into the airport.

The two were taken to Fang Wen's temporary office, where the escort team's mercenaries guarded the area, their eyes fixed on the two men, ready to attack them at the slightest sign of trouble.

Under the menacing gaze, the translator panicked: "Don't misunderstand, I am Chinese. I am just a translator to make a living. I have never done anything immoral."

"Translate with confidence. If you have a clear conscience, you don't need to worry," Fang Wen replied.

Perhaps it was Fang Wen's words that gave the translator the courage, and the meeting was finally able to proceed.

After speaking in Japanese, he translated.

"The Kwantung Army has informed him that they want to negotiate with you and want your escort fleet to stop. As for the losses caused last time, the Kwantung Army is willing to compensate you."

“Impossible. Tell him that if someone is bullying you, you have to stand up and fight back. Losses don’t matter. What I want is for a escort team to protect my property.”

After these words were translated back, the military officer became impatient.

He said that your escort fleet only has a few planes. There is a Chinese proverb that says "a mantis trying to stop a chariot." You are in the same situation. Once the Kwantung Army's planes really take action, you will not be able to stop them at all.

Fang Wen's expression turned cold at such clamor: "Then let's see if it's as you say. The escort team will not be withdrawn. Bring it on. Show them off."

The Japanese military attaché was driven out of the airport, but Fang Wen calmed down.

The escort fleet was indeed not strong enough, but this was the best it could do. Eight high-speed monoplane fighters were something even an ordinary warlord might not have.

He was well aware that his advantage lay in the aircraft's performance, but in the event of danger, communication between aircraft was crucial, and an electronic device capable of transmitting military intelligence in a timely manner was essential.

That was another facility besides the coded communication equipment, used to transmit military intelligence detected during patrols over North China back to Jinan and Wuhan over long distances.

This device is not difficult to implement; it simply involves adding an alarm switch to the secure electrical equipment. Turning on this switch will activate the long-distance radio wave transmitter installed in the aircraft.

This allows patrolling fighter jets to activate their alarm switches when they detect military activity, effectively functioning as a basic early warning aircraft.

The device was put to use shortly after it was installed.

This marked the first encounter between the Taishan escort fleet and Japanese fighter planes.

(End of this chapter)