Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 309, 308: Dreams Shattered, Shanghai Seeks Aid, Civil Law and Pressure Weapons
Fang Wen and Captain Gao drove into the city. On the way, Captain Gao, fearing that Fang Wen might not be familiar with the situation on the Nanjing government's side, spoke up to explain.

"A few days ago, a joint defense conference was held. The heads of the government, including the executive and legislative bodies, as well as the major generals of the three armed forces and the leaders of important provinces, all participated in the conference. Bai Chongxi from Guangxi, Liu Xiang from Sichuan, Long Yun from Yunnan, Yan Xishan from Shanxi, and even members of the Red Army were invited to attend. At the conference, I heard Director Liu from the General Office of the Military Commission talk about the situation in the north. The 29th Army in the north was fighting fiercely in North China and suffered heavy losses, with more than 5000 people killed in action. The Japanese army has deployed a total of twenty-four divisions in North China."

This was likely the largest national military mobilization meeting ever held, and Fang Wen was very concerned about it. He asked, "What results did they reach? What arrangements were made?"

Captain Gao continued, "We've divided the theater into four war zones: sixty divisions in Hebei and Shandong; fifteen to twenty divisions in Shanxi, Suiyuan, and Chahar; ten divisions in Shanghai and Hangzhou; and fifteen divisions in Fujian and Guangdong."

Fang Wen analyzed this.

The division-level military units in the Republic of China were somewhat complex, with the number of divisions varying greatly depending on the configuration.

Class A Division: 3 brigades, 9 regiments, approximately 18000 personnel

Class B Division: 3 brigades and 6 regiments, approximately 12000 personnel

Class C Division: 2 brigades and 5 regiments, approximately 10000 personnel

If we take a compromise, let's say an average of 14,000 men per division. That means the Hebei-Shandong region would need more than 700,000 troops, the Shanxi-Suiyuan-Chahar region would need 200,000 troops, the Shanghai-Hangzhou area would need 100,000 troops, and the Fujian-Guangzhou region would need 200,000 troops.

With an army of nearly a million, this should represent the vast majority of all combat-ready forces currently in China.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "When we unite, our momentum is still very strong."

Captain Gao recalled something: "That was when Chairman Liu of Sichuan boasted that Sichuan could raise 500 million soldiers within two years. But the Nationalist government would have to provide the weapons and equipment."

The Sichuan Army? In the future war of resistance, a force that dared to fight but was poorly equipped—what a pity for these fine men.

Fang Wen drove his car around the corner and arrived at the gate of the National Government.

The guards at the two posts at the entrance were armed and on guard, stopping the car to check its identity.

Captain Gao showed his identification and explained to Fang Wen, "This is a pilot from Hangzhou. He has important business to attend to at the Military Commission. I can vouch for him."

During this period, Captain Gao commanded the air force and was stationed in Nanjing. He was considered a favorite of the Nanjing government. With his guarantee, the guards stopped harassing them and let them in.

This was Fang Wen's first time entering the Nanjing government building. Under Captain Gao's guidance, the car turned right and stopped in front of a building.

That was the Nanjing Military Commission, a newly established organization in August that was in charge of the national war of resistance.

It comprises six departments: Operations, Political Strategy, Defense Industry, Defense Economy, and International Propaganda.

There are also branch management agencies for rear services, management, and medical services.

Captain Gao was taking Fang Wen to the First Operations Department, which had the authority to make decisions on military strategy. Of course, whether it would actually pass depended on reporting to higher authorities, but at least this hurdle had to be overcome first.

Before entering the minister's office, Captain Gao whispered, "We should do our best, but we can't go against our superiors. If we can, we can; if we can't, we shouldn't argue."

After saying that, he led Fang Wen into the minister's office and talked with the secretary outside.

"Is Minister Huang here? I have an important military operation plan to report to him."

The air defense situation in Nanjing has been quite intense lately. The operations department usually listens to Captain Gao's words. The secretary got up and went in to report, and after a while came out and said, "The minister wants you to come in. By the way, who is this?"

“He’s the one who drafted this plan, and he needs to come and explain it to the minister,” Captain Gao replied.

The secretary went back into the room to report, and this time both of them were allowed to enter.

Once inside, Fang Wen saw a slightly overweight man sitting behind a desk, smiling at them.

This is Minister Huang of the Operations Department. He comes from the Guangxi clique, and many officials and officers in the Nationalist government came from different factions, just like him.

He smiled and asked, "Commander Gao, you've done a great job lately, protecting Nanjing from Japanese bombing. What new plans do you have? Tell me about them."

Captain Gao did not explain, but introduced Fang Wen next to him: "This is the one who drafted the plan. He is Fang Wen, the commander of the Taishan Independent Regiment. He will be the one to explain it."

"Oh, you're the general manager of Taishan Airlines. Everyone says you're the top ace pilot in the country. What are your plans?" Minister Huang asked with a smile.

Fang Wen glanced at the office furnishings. On the wall opposite Minister Huang hung a map, a military topographical map of the Nanjing-Hangzhou area.

This was perfect for demonstrating and explaining his action plan. He walked up to the map and circled the points with his hand.

"The Japanese army is currently landing at Liuhe Town and Wusong, but its forces are limited and cannot pose a threat to Shanghai. However, according to my intelligence, the Japanese army will transport a large number of combat troops from the Japanese mainland by sea. This force is twice the size of the current forces fighting in Shanghai, and there will be more in the future. Once they join the battle, the defensive pressure on Shanghai will increase significantly."

As Fang Wen spoke, Minister Huang stood up, walked to the map, and looked at the sea area that Fang Wen was pointing to.

"You mean the Japanese army would send troops to Shanghai and the surrounding coastal areas by sea? This is indeed a common tactic used by the Japanese navy. Unfortunately, our navy is too weak to stop it."

This was a very good opportunity. Fang Wen and Captain Gao exchanged glances, and Fang Wen continued:
"If the navy is no good, the air force may still have a chance. The air battles during this period have shown that our air force is no worse than the Japanese air force. If we gather our elite air force and bomb along the troop transport line, it will have a miraculous effect."

This was Fang Wen's battle plan, simple, brutal, and effective. If successful, it would halt the Japanese offensive.

Minister Huang, however, was not excited by this.

He sat back behind his desk, tapping his fingers on the surface.

After a while.

"No. I can't let those air squadrons do such dangerous things."

Captain Gao quickly replied, "They are not afraid of danger; the Nanjing air defense battle is proof of that."

"Xiao Gao, how can you not see clearly?" Minister Huang explained helplessly, "In ancient times, defending Nanjing and fighting bravely was called 'reaching the ears of the emperor,' so everyone risked their lives in the battle. But your operation involves gathering the best pilots from all the air squadrons to carry out a dangerous mission. If you succeed, you'll only get a medal of honor; if you fail, you'll lose your life. Tell me, do you think those people will be willing to do that?"

These words are very honest and have exposed the hypocrisy of the Nationalist Air Force.

Fang Wen instantly realized what was happening.

He was harboring unrealistic fantasies. He should have seen things clearly during the Republic of China era, but because of a strategic action plan that could change history, he naively believed that these air force pilots would fight bravely for the country.

Perhaps some of them are like Captain Gao and his brave pilots, but most are just after profit. Wasn't that what we saw during the arguments when we arrived?

Therefore, this plan is too far-fetched and impossible to achieve.

Fang Wen stood up straight and calmly replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Minister Huang. I understand. I'll take my leave now and not disturb you any longer."

After saying that, he turned and left. Captain Gao explained somewhat awkwardly, "Minister Huang, he may be like that, but he has a good heart. Please don't take offense."

"How can we blame him? He was a man of great talent, capable of making a fortune comparable to that of a nation in business, and able to fight against the best pilots of enemy countries when it came to flying. It's just a pity he was born at the wrong time; this era was not suitable for him," Minister Huang said with a sigh.

Captain Gao quickly said goodbye and went out to find Fang Wen.

Fang Wen waited in his car downstairs, not leaving Captain Gao behind. The two talked in the car: "This plan won't work. What are your plans now?"

"I will continue to be stationed in Hangzhou; they need me here."

Fang Wen calmly replied that the war here was very important to the entire China, and if possible, he hoped to play his role in this great battle.

Late August.

In order to drive the Japanese troops at the two landing points back into the sea, the National Army launched a series of military operations.

Not only did they fight the Japanese army at the two landing points, but they also sent troops to launch a strong attack on the Marine Corps headquarters and surrounding military defense points in the concession.

With a force several times larger than the enemy, they launched a fierce attack on the Japanese army in Shanghai and occupied the city.

In contrast to Shanghai, Hangzhou has been relatively quiet for the time being.

Until an officer drove up to Jianqiao Airport.

The officer was in a hurry, but because he did not have the seal and documents of the Aviation Commission or the approval of the local Hangzhou garrison, he was stopped outside the airport.

He shouted, "Let me in. I have important matters to discuss with Commander Fang. It concerns the military situation in Shanghai and cannot be delayed."

Judging from his appearance, he came from Shanghai. Du Jiahuai reported this to Fang Wen.

"From Shanghai?" Fang Wen was worried because he didn't know much about the situation in Shanghai, so he went out to let the officer pass.

Du Jiahuai and Shao Deqing were assigned to security duties, concealing pistols and guarding Fang Wen.

The gate opened, and the officer drove in. After parking, he got out eagerly and said, "Commander Fang, everyone in the country knows that your flying skills are the best. Our 87th Division launched a strong attack on the Japanese Marine Corps headquarters in Shanghai. The enemy's defenses are solid, and even if we bombard them with small cannons, we can't break through. The division commander sent me to ask you for help. Could you launch an air raid on the Marine Corps headquarters to damage its interior and provide an opportunity for the attack?"

That’s what happened.

When Fang Wen kidnapped Nagano Osamu, he frequently appeared near the headquarters of the Japanese Marine Corps and was very familiar with the area.

That building was specifically constructed for war, and it has strong defensive capabilities; ordinary cannons cannot destroy it.

This building, however, could support the Japanese forces at the two landing points, forming a triangular defense with each other as fulcrums.

If the defenses of the Marine Corps headquarters building are breached, it would indeed be beneficial to the local strategy in Shanghai.

Fang Wensheng became interested in this and had a detailed conversation with the officer.

“Bombing is possible. I can guarantee the accuracy and that it won’t damage nearby houses. But the destructive power is another matter. Although air raids can hit vulnerable spots from above, without bombs of sufficient power, they won’t pose a threat to them.”

"What kind of bombs could pose a threat to them?" the officer asked.

Fang Wen immediately thought of napalm, but it was not the right time to expose this weapon.

As for other bombs that could damage such sturdy military structures, he pondered.

A bunker buster is a bomb designed to penetrate and destroy underground or solid building structures, where it would certainly be most effective. However, the principles and construction of such a bomb are very complex, and there is currently no way to implement it.

Cluster bombs and high-explosive bombs may not be able to achieve the desired destructive effect.

Oh, right, there's another weapon.

That's a thermobaric weapon.

This is a new type of bomb that he discussed with the chemical genius Huo Duanyang.

Fang Wen, with his forward-thinking vision, provided the idea, while Huo Duanyang was responsible for its implementation.

Huo Duanyang used the simplest aluminothermic reaction to create this bomb.

Aluminum has a high affinity for oxygen. It combines with oxygen in oxides to undergo a redox reaction, releasing a large amount of heat. Once this reaction is achieved, the resulting effect is quite remarkable.

The aluminothermic oxidation reaction instantly consumes oxygen in the air and generates temperatures reaching 3000 degrees Celsius, which can cause extremely devastating damage to narrow, enclosed areas.

When Huo Duanyang designed this bomb based on Fang Wen's idea, he hesitated.

He said it was a devil bomb, and the consequences would be extremely serious.

But now, it's time to use it.

Fang Wen remained calm. This was war. If you didn't eliminate the enemy, the enemy would destroy you. There was no mercy involved.

Immediately afterwards, he personally piloted the Shrike plane from Guangzhou to Yangon.

Upon arriving in Yangon, Fang Wen immediately sought out Huo Duanyang.

"Duan Yang, where is that thing you made last time?"

"You mean the Devil Bomb? General Manager, are we really going to use it?" Huo Duanyang hesitated, trying to dissuade him.

Because he knew the consequences of using it; once it was deployed in a narrow, enclosed area, it would instantly turn into a living hell.

“We absolutely must use it; Shanghai needs a breakthrough,” Fang Wen replied firmly.

The brief hesitation vanished instantly, and Huo Duanyang led Fang Wen to the warehouse specifically for storing bombs.

There is only one of these, weighing 800 kilograms, and it is cone-shaped.

The bomb contains a reactive detonation device, with different areas containing thermite (a mixture of aluminum powder and metal oxides), an igniter (magnesium ribbon), and an oxidizer (potassium chlorate, which provides oxygen for the magnesium ribbon to continue burning inside the thermite).
This type of bomb has an external switch connected to the bomb holder. Once the switch is activated, the bomb detaches from the bomb holder and triggers an internal reaction. When the bomb hits its target, it causes a terrifying thermobaric explosion.

This is a primitive thermobaric bomb created using chemical technology during the Republic of China era. It was incredibly powerful, but very unsafe.

Fang Wen and Huo Duanyang found several steady workers and together they carefully moved the bomb out of the warehouse and then carefully installed it on the bomb holder.

With everything ready, Fang Wen did a thorough check to ensure everything was correct before piloting the Shrike fighter jet back to Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport.

After the plane landed, he used the communication frequency left by the officers of the 37th Division to communicate with the Shanghai war zone.

After some telegram negotiations, it was decided that the air raid would be launched the following day.

To ensure the safety of the attack, Fang Wen specifically instructed that the attack must not be carried out until ten minutes after the bombing.

(End of this chapter)