Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 318, Pilot Reassignment, Jinan Conference, Gunship Aircraft Deployment at West Lake
The Battle of Shanghai continued, with newspapers and radio broadcasting daily reports of victories and inspiring words.

In this atmosphere, people were filled with confidence in the war.

They believed the official propaganda, thinking that their superior numbers and constant reports of victories indicated they would eventually drive the Japanese invaders out of Shanghai.

Only the soldiers on the front lines knew that the situation was deteriorating.

On September 1, taking advantage of a gap in the defense line, the Japanese army launched a strong attack and landed on the Paotaiwan side, with 2000 infantrymen advancing towards the Baoshan area.

The bombardment from the warships has reached Hongkou, and enemy aircraft have appeared over Luodian Town.

It can be said that the entire Huangpu River area was engulfed in fierce fighting, while the Wusong Fort area, which is closer to the Yangtze River, had been taken over by the Japanese army.

Fang Wen saw all of this.

Every time he led a team on an attack, even if he could continue to shoot down enemy aircraft and harass Japanese ground troops.

But it was too late to change the situation.

As the war continued, he saw a lot.

The chaotic coordination between armies renders multi-service joint operations ineffective.

It's fair to say that everyone is doing their own thing.

The air force launched attacks every day, risking casualties to engage enemy aircraft, but it did not play any strategic role; it was merely a matter of blocking enemy air raids.

While the ground forces launched counterattacks and successfully drove the Japanese out of their landing positions, the lack of naval support meant that each attack was met with heavy losses from the fierce bombardment of the Japanese fleet.

Furthermore, the few military tanks that participated in the battle were not accompanied by infantry, resulting in these light tanks being quickly consumed in the fighting.

In this situation, the army's defensive positions along the river will only suffer continuous losses and attrition.

Even though Fang Wen removed the nail from the Marine Corps Headquarters building, allowing the 88th and 87th German-equipped divisions to go to the front lines for support, the Nationalist government, which valued its reputation, ultimately withdrew them to the rear for repairs.

Fang Wen's initial excitement and exhilaration upon joining the battle gradually cooled.

As a person from the future, he knew how things would unfold. This devastating war situation could not be changed by him through one or two bombing raids.

Therefore, he adjusted his mindset, believing that even if he couldn't change the overall situation, he should still do some remedial work within his capabilities.

(Nationalist Army tanks during the Battle of Shanghai-Songjiang, British Vickers MKE light tanks)

9 month 3 day.

Japanese troops engaged in fierce fighting in Baoshan County.

The Taishan Flight Team participated in air combat operations in Baoshan County and returned to Jianqiao Airport.

Upon returning, Fang Wen immediately contacted Nanjing.

The telegraph operator asked, "Commander Fang, what is the message to be sent?"

"Tell Captain Gao that the Taishan flight team has been engaged in air combat for many days, and the aircraft parts are severely worn and ammunition resupply is difficult. They need to return to Jinan for repairs and rotation."

Upon hearing Fang Wen's words, the telegraph operator was stunned. Jianqiao Airport relied on the Taishan Flight Team to maintain order. Were they about to leave?

Fang Wen noticed that the telegraph operator was in a bad mood and explained, "Don't worry, we are just rotating another batch of pilots and fighter jets. We will be back in about 3 days."

The telegraph operator mustered his courage and pleaded, "Commander Fang, you have to keep your word and come back."

"Definitely, send the message," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

Shortly after the telegram was sent, Nanjing replied, with Captain Gao requesting that Fang Wen not leave for the time being, as he wanted to come and discuss the matter in detail.

An hour later, a Hawk II fighter jet landed at Jianqiao Airport.

Captain Gao got off the plane and rushed to find Fang Wen.

"How can you leave at this critical juncture?"

“It’s not a departure. The 1st Aviation Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment has 8 fighter jets, and 4 of them came this time. They’ve been flying at high intensity and can’t continue. I will send other pilots to continue providing combat assistance,” Fang Wen replied.

Captain Gao said seriously, "Really? You can't lie to me. After fighting for so long, several air squadrons have suffered losses, but only your Taishan Flight Team is still intact. Everyone is still fighting because of you. If you really leave, it will have a great impact on the morale of the Air Force."

"I will definitely come back. Give me three days," Fang Wen replied confidently.

The two shook hands, which can be considered as reaching a consensus.

Fang Wen and the three pilots then inspected the aircraft, refueled it, and took off again for Jinan.

Two hours later, the plane landed at Jinan Airport.

As soon as he landed, Fang Wen began to get busy.

He was at the airport command center, issuing orders.

It was requested that all members of the Taishan Aviation Wartime Committee be notified to come to Jinan for a meeting.

Afterwards, he spoke with Wu Yingzong to learn about the current situation of the war in the north.

Fang Wen learned this from Wu Yingzong's explanation.

The fighting in the north is also fierce now.

The Japanese army launched a multi-pronged offensive, attacking Zhangjiakou in the west and advancing south to attack northern Shanxi.

After listening to Wu Yingzong's account, Fang Wen rubbed his temples. The current battle situation was truly chaotic.

From the September 18 Incident onwards, the Japanese army spent more than five years preparing, while the Nationalist government spent five years in internal strife.

The enemy was well-prepared, but the National Army was caught off guard and had to fight. It was a tough situation.

Nowadays, the warlords who fought in the North are mostly those who survived the Central Plains War. They have fought quite hard to achieve this result.

Brushing aside his thoughts, Fang Wen instructed, "I need to sleep for two hours. Come and wake me up when they arrive."

Wu Yingzong nodded and left. Fang Wen slept fully clothed on the cot in the command post. After days of fighting and thinking about other things, even he felt exhausted.

Two hours later.

A Taishan Airlines passenger plane entered Shandong Province.

Midway through the journey, it was escorted by Taishan fighter jets, which protected it as it landed at Jinan Airport.

Those who arrived by passenger plane were members of the Taishan Aviation Wartime Committee: Kuang Mingzhu, Manager Liu, Fang Shouxin, Shao Sishen, and Pan Jiafeng.

As for Fang Shun at Xiangxi Airport, Huo Duanyang and Bai Zeshan in Yangon, they are too far away to arrive in time.

After getting off the plane, Kuang Mingzhu asked Wu Yingzong with concern, "Is he alright?"

"Very good, just a little tired. He said he'd rest for two hours and would wake you up when you arrive," Wu Yingzong replied.

"Take me there, I want to see him."

Immediately afterwards, Wu Yingzong brought Kuang Mingzhu to the command post.

Kuang Mingzhu entered the command post alone, walked to the cot, looked at her husband, and gently stroked his cheek.

Fang Wen opened his eyes and saw his wife: "You've come."

"Hmm. I was hoping you could sleep a little longer, but I didn't expect you to wake up."

“We’re on high alert during wartime. I could feel it when you came over.” As he spoke, Fang Wen sat up, and his wife straightened his clothes.

Looking at his gentle wife, Fang Wen felt a pang of tenderness in his heart, yet he had no choice but to be strong.

He held his wife's hand and asked, "Don't you complain about how hard I work?"

Kuang Mingzhu leaned gently on Fang Wen's shoulder and replied softly, "No, what you think is what I think, and what you do is what I do."

These words were Fang Wen's greatest support. He put his arm around his wife's shoulder and said something he would never tell outsiders.

"What do you think will happen if the situation in Shanghai deteriorates?"

“Shanghai has been captured, but the Japanese army will likely consider the face of the great powers, and the concessions will probably still be retained. However, the surrounding areas will probably suffer from the effects of the war,” Kuang Mingzhu analyzed.

"If the Japanese army had captured Nanjing, do you think they would have massacred the city's inhabitants?"

Kuang Mingzhu looked surprised: "If Nanjing has fallen, it means that the Nationalist government has fled to the interior. Why massacre people in a city that poses no threat?"

Fang Wen remained silent; he didn't know how to explain.

Kuang Mingzhu, however, let her thoughts wander freely: "After fighting for several months, the Japanese army has suffered heavy losses and resentment has accumulated within the army. Moreover, they have captured the capital. If the higher-ups do not stop them, it is possible that this will happen."

Fang Wen nodded. "If the Nationalist government abandons Nanjing, I think Taishan Airlines should do what it can."

He stood up and said to the outside, "Wu Yingzong, take them to the conference room for a meeting."

The group entered the airport conference room; the meeting was about to begin.

Those who attended the meeting were all Fang Wen's close confidants, but they had no idea what the meeting was about.

Everyone looked at Fang Wen, waiting.

Fang Wen, who was sitting in the main seat, spoke very directly to his own people.

"I'm back this time to discuss a very important matter: saving lives."

He paused for a moment and looked at everyone.

"The situation is chaotic right now, with both the North and South fighting against the invading Japanese army. You must all be wondering, in this situation of war and chaos, with people everywhere needing rescue, where should we go to rescue them? The rescue I'm talking about is a precautionary measure, a preparation for when the situation deteriorates to a certain extent. I announce that half of the current capacity of Taishan Airlines will be allocated for refugee relief. What are your thoughts?"

Those who attended the meeting were quite surprised to hear Fang Wen say this.

This is no easy task; it is extremely costly and yields little benefit.

Wu Yingzong and Manager Liu were particularly excited.

While Wu Yingzong and his family were fleeing from Northeast China to Qingdao by boat, their ship was rammed by a Japanese naval warship, resulting in the deaths of his family members. This was a source of lifelong pain for him.

Manager Liu lost his parents at a young age and followed the migrants to Northeast China to beg for food.

Both of them were able to understand the suffering of refugees.

Manager Liu immediately stood up and said.

“There is fighting in both the north and the south, especially in the north, where many places have been occupied by the Japanese army. Many refugees have fled their homes and are heading south. But now transportation in many places is paralyzed, and they are only staying at train stations and ferry crossings on major rivers. If we can organize a special air force for refugee transfer and pick up these people at temporary seaplane airports, they will be able to escape their suffering.”

Wu Yingzong understood this better.

He went into more detail.

"The north-south railway is now paralyzed in Hebei Province, and refugees can only travel south on foot or across the canal. However, the number of refugees is huge, and many of them are only staying in towns and ferry crossings along the way. If we send people to inform them, they will definitely be willing to leave by plane."

Fang Shouxin interrupted, asking, "Where are these refugees being sent?"

“Just cross the Yellow River. Where they go after they cross is not something we can control,” Fang Wen replied.

This refugee air rescue team will start from the north. After Nanjing is abandoned by the Nationalist government, the air rescue team will move south to play its role.

After finishing the first arrangement, Fang Wen continued, "There's also the gunship aircraft. Have Yangon make major upgrades, and the 20mm artillery shell production line should also be put into operation this month. Inform Bai Zeshan and Huo Duanyang in Yangon that I request five gunship aircraft next month, and at the same time, the production of 20mm artillery shells should also reach full capacity."

This was the duty and task of Bai Zeshan and Huo Duanyang, who were not present at the meeting. Wu Yingzong noted it down and would later have the telegraph office send a telegram to Yangon.

After explaining these specific arrangements, Fang Wen began to talk about the situation in Shanghai.

He recounted what happened during the defense of Shanghai during this period, and overall, the situation was not as good as reported in the newspapers and on the radio.

Pan Jiafeng, a native of Shanghai, couldn't help but worry: "Master, is Shanghai really beyond our control?"

Fang Wen nodded: "The Nationalist government is reluctant to give up Shanghai, a valuable territory, but it is also unwilling to fight the Japanese with all its resources, dragging its feet and engaging in repeated back-and-forth battles. This will affect the morale of the troops on the outer lines. Once Shanghai falls, the defensive lines of the surrounding troops will probably not be very effective. Although my judgment is pessimistic, it may still happen. We must prepare for the worst. Once Shanghai falls, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas will probably be difficult to hold as well."

These words made everyone ponder.

The general manager's judgments are rarely wrong, so will things really continue to develop this way?
The meeting ended, and the members of the Taishan Aviation Wartime Committee who participated in the meeting left with their own thoughts.

Fang Wen saw his wife off at the airport, and after the plane took off, he got busy again.

He needs to arrange for pilot rotation.
Du Jiahuai, Shao Deqing, and Zhai Xiaojun will remain at Jinan Airport.

Qi Baoqian, Deng Zhongyu, Rao Minghe, and Fan Bosheng will replace them and go to Jianqiao Airport.

Also heading to Jianqiao Airport were three gunboats from the 3nd Air Battalion and 50 ground combat personnel.

These three gunboats, of course, did not land at a land-based airport, but rather took off and landed at West Lake, a suburb of Hangzhou.

Fang Wen needs to go back and discuss it with the Hangzhou local government and garrison before it can proceed.

After making these arrangements, Fang Wen stayed alone in the command post.

He was thinking about how he could change the course of the war should it develop into what happened in history.

That would be very, very difficult.

They might even lose a huge portion of their accumulated wealth in that war.

But as a Chinese person, it is something I must do no matter what.

9 month 4 day.

The 1st Aviation Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment completed its reshuffle, with 5 fighter jets taking off from Jinan Airport and flying to Jianqiao Airport.

Captain Gao flew all the way from Nanjing to welcome the returning Taishan fighter jets, and special personnel were also arranged in Hangzhou to greet them.

At the welcome dinner, Fang Wen took the opportunity to talk with the officers from the garrison command and municipal officials at his table.

"I also have three seaplanes coming to Hangzhou for defense support. Because they are seaplanes, we need to designate a section of water near the shore in West Lake as a seaplane airport for take-off and landing. In addition, we need to accommodate dozens of ground personnel who will cooperate in the operation, and we also need to build some barracks for living and training on the shore."

"Seaplanes? There are such things?" The officers of the garrison command were very surprised. The military strength that Taishan Aviation had gradually demonstrated in this war made them seem unfathomable.

He made eye contact with the municipal officials, communicating with his eyes.

Regardless, the stronger Fang Wen becomes, the better it is for Hangzhou.

The previous air defense battle in Hangzhou is a good example.

Therefore, the two readily agreed that as soon as Fang Wen selected the location, they would make the arrangements immediately.

In response, Fang Wen immediately said, "Alright, after we finish eating, we'll drive over to choose one. Once we've chosen one, I'll arrange for a plane to fly over tomorrow, and then we'll hire workers to build the barracks."

The municipal official was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Mr. Fang is indeed a capable man. He is decisive and efficient, and he can't afford to delay even a little bit. No wonder Taishan Airlines has grown so big. Then this matter is settled. After dinner, we will go to West Lake."

(End of this chapter)