Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 332 The 330th Independent Regiment's Transfer, New Layout, Meeting the Sichuan Army at Baoji Military Station
On October 12, Fang Wen prepared to leave Nanjing and fly back to Jinan.

Before leaving, Fang Wen went to the Ministry of Military Affairs again to bid farewell to the minister.

After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but say, "Now that the Japanese army has landed in Hangzhou Bay, the frontal defense is ineffective and the flanks have also fallen. I'm afraid Shanghai can't be held."

The minister was stunned.

Captain Gao was surprised by Fang Wen's directness and tugged at his sleeve, indicating that some things shouldn't be said carelessly.

After a moment, the minister spoke up: "Commander Gao, please go out for a moment. I need to speak with Regiment Commander Fang alone."

After Captain Gao left the office, the Minister of Military Affairs sighed: "I'm afraid it's just as you judged. But Shanghai has foreign concessions, and due to international pressure, they won't commit further killings after occupying Shanghai. We have already discussed the aftermath with the consuls of various countries."

Fang Wen said coldly, "If Shanghai is lost, what will happen to the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas? The reason why the airlines are requisitioning my company's planes is simply for relocation preparations."

After yesterday's negotiations with the airline, Fang Wen has realized that although the Nanjing government will not give up on evacuating to Wuhan until December, many people are already considering their own safety.

This situation, which was carried out with the permission of the higher authorities, already shows that the Nationalist government, from top to bottom, had lost its confidence in resistance after two months of fighting.

The Minister of Military Affairs sighed and recited a passage from classical Chinese text with his hands behind his back.

"In war, courage is paramount; it wanes with each second attempt and is exhausted with each third. Guofan often kept these words in mind. In essence, there is no other trick to using troops than to always maintain an inexhaustible spirit. Sun Quan's attack on Hefei was thwarted by Zhang Liao; Zhuge Liang's attack on Chencang was thwarted by Hao Zhao. Both were due to their initial excessive vigor, which gradually led to their exhaustion. Only Xun Yu's capture of Biyang, where the spirit was exhausted but then revived; and Lu Kang's capture of Xiling, anticipating that the city could not be taken quickly, conserved his strength, prepared for external support, and awaited the self-destruction of the internal forces. These are the skills of those who are adept at using their spirit."

After he finished speaking, he asked, "That's our current situation. Commander Fang, do you know who said those words?"

Fang Wen knew that this was a famous military saying that was widely circulated in the National Army. He replied, "It comes from Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty. He used Sun Tzu's Art of War as an example to evaluate the way of using troops."

"Yes, Mr. Bohan is a master strategist. He has revealed the secrets of war in a single sentence. Two months ago, our army was full of vigor. After a long battle, morale is inevitably exhausted. It is already remarkable that we have been able to hold on for two months. What we need to do now is to conserve our strength and prepare for external support."

Is this how the Nationalist government evaluates its own army?

Fang Wenxin felt cold; their military concepts were still stuck in the old mindset of armies relying on cold weapons.

But times are changing, and morale is no longer the only key to victory.

Artillery, warships, and aircraft, working in a multi-layered, combined, deep-strike manner, will be the focus of future warfare.

The Japanese army was already developing in this direction, and the Taishan Independent Regiment had this as its goal.

As for the Nationalist Army, although it had German-equipped divisions and was buying all sorts of equipment, they were mostly just for show.

Take the Battle of Shanghai as an example. Fang Wen witnessed firsthand that the air force was one faction of action, the army was another, and even cooperation between infantry and tanks was impossible.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen finally couldn't help but say, "Morale isn't everything. Our Taishan Independent Regiment has already proven with facts that if the money spent on purchasing military equipment had been used where it was needed, the front-line troops wouldn't have ended up like this."

The Minister of Military Affairs was stunned, but then replied, "I can't say that. Fang Wen, I have high hopes for you. Don't let your mouth cause trouble. Just pretend I didn't hear these words today. Do your job well, or you might get shot in the back on the battlefield."

"Thank you, I misspoke." Fang Wen took his leave. He had wanted to try to persuade the Minister of Military Affairs not to give up so easily, but he found that it was all in vain and he could only leave.

Flying back to Jinan from Nanjing.

After learning about the national military situation in Nanjing, Fang Wen had a clearer understanding of the Japanese army's movements.

Although the war in the south was still at a stalemate, the Nationalist government, which had dispatched the nation's most elite troops, was powerless to reverse the situation.

The fall of Shanghai was only a matter of time; the Nationalist government still had two months before abandoning Nanjing.

The north is vast and has complex terrain. The troops that remain in the north to continue fighting the Japanese will continue to tie down the Japanese army in the future.

The Independent Regiment also had to follow this path, carving out a space in the Japanese-occupied zone and making the Japanese army feel like they had a bone stuck in their throat.

His goal was to establish a guerrilla zone in Fuping County, in the Taihang Mountains, which could extend to Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, and Baoding, thus planting a thorn in the side of the Japanese-occupied areas in northern Shanxi and North China.

This matter had to be completed within two months. Two months later, there was another matter for him to do: go south again and, when the Nationalist government abandoned Nanjing and the Japanese army captured it, help the people in the city to evacuate as much as possible.

He then began to act.

After their leave ended, the officers of the Taishan Independent Regiment, including the battalion-level officers of all three battalions, held a meeting together.

During the meeting, Fang Wen explained the situation.

"I have decided that the Independent Regiment will go to Taiyuan to defend against the Japanese attack together with other units. The 1st and 2nd Air Battalions will immediately prepare to transfer to Xi'an, which will become the new wartime air base. The convoy and tank company of the 3rd Ground Battalion, along with 300 men, will cross the Yellow River and travel overland to Taiyuan. The remaining soldiers will be transported to Taiyuan by seaplane."

The officers immediately took the initiative to discuss the details of the operation.

The main airport for traveling to Xi'an is Xiguan Airport, while seaplanes land on the Wei River section north of the city.

As for the air transport and temporary stopover points in Taiyuan.

Luji Airport is Taiyuan North Airport, originally an airport jointly established by the Ministry of Transport and Lufthansa for Eurasia Airlines, but it has now been requisitioned.

The seaplane docking point is on Jinyang Lake, south of Taiyuan City.

After some discussion, Fang Wen handed over the responsibility of the march of the Third Ground Battalion to Wu Yingzong, who had just returned from Wuhan.

As for transporting troops to Taiyuan by seaplane, that was done by Pan Jiafeng.

But Pan Jiafeng had never flown there before, so Fang Wen had to take him there once.

After the meeting concluded, the Taishan Independent Regiment immediately began its work.

Wu Yingzong led the fully equipped 3rd Ground Battalion convoy and tank company, along with some soldiers, up the Yellow River and crossed it at the Heqing Ferry in Pingyin County.

After crossing the Yellow River, the troops entered the territory of Liaocheng. Although they were still in Shandong, the Jin army sent a cavalry unit to meet them.

This cavalry unit served as a guide for the mechanized forces, marching along a predetermined route to Taiyuan.

Meanwhile, Fang Wen and Pan Jiafeng each piloted a seaplane carrying the first batch of 40 soldiers from the Third Battalion to Taiyuan.

Led by Fang Wen, two seaplanes arrived in Taiyuan and then landed on Jinyang Lake in the south of the city.

The plane landed and dropped off 40 advance troops. Fang Wen and Pan Jiafeng also disembarked.

He spoke with the Taiyuan garrison officers who were greeting him on the shore.

"Hello, we are the Taishan Independent Regiment."

"Nanjing has already sent a telegram informing us that we have established a regimental-level garrison camp in the south of the city, near Jinyang Lake. Why don't we go and take a look now?"

"it is good."

Fang Wen, Pan Jiafeng, and 40 soldiers from the Third Battalion followed the Taiyuan garrison officers to the garrison camp.

The place is not far, only about 700 meters away, located in the area between the Fen River and Jinyang Lake.

After inspecting the garrison camp, Fang Wen instructed the first batch of soldiers to set up camp and then bid farewell to the officers.

Subsequently, the two seaplanes flew back to Jinan.

Upon returning to Jinan, Pan Jiafeng will continue to organize seaplane teams to transport soldiers to Taiyuan.

Fang Wen then led four fighter jets from the First Air Battalion and four gunship aircraft from the Second Air Battalion to Xi'an.

Eight aircraft formed a transfer formation, took off at dawn, left Jinan, and flew westward.

Flying along the Yellow River for nearly 800 kilometers, the air formation arrived overhead.

Seven planes circled in the air, and Fang Wen, piloting the Shrike, first located the Xiguan Airport.

Guided by a secret telegram, he led three fighter jets to circle over Xiguan Airport. Subsequently, the three fighter jets landed on the airport.

Fang Wen did not land, but continued to fly northwest with four gunboats, arriving at the Wei River north of the city a short while later.

Only after the four gunboats landed on the Wei River did Fang Wen feel relieved enough to fly to Xiguan Airport.

After the plane landed, the three pilots who had landed first and the officers from Xi'an City came over.

The officer spoke up: "Welcome to the Taishan Independent Regiment for establishing an air base in Xi'an. I am Kuang Shuxun, the head of the Special Operations Section of the Xi'an Garrison Command. I hope that the Taishan Independent Regiment can use this place as a springboard to support the anti-Japanese war in the north."

Fang Wen nodded: "We will be staying here for a long time from now on. Please let us know if there is anything we need to pay attention to, so that we can prepare in advance."

The officer named Kuang Shuxun replied, "There are no special rules. It's just that your planes are in two locations, one in the west of the city and the other in the north. It's not very convenient to communicate between the two. So we've provided a military vehicle for traveling between the two places to facilitate communication."

The other party had considered things very thoroughly, proactively providing military vehicles, which Fang Wen hadn't expected.

He accepted it with pleasure.

The officer then ordered his men to bring over the military vehicle, a German-made convertible military sedan, originally belonging to the military police of the garrison command, which was now temporarily loaned to Fang Wen. (German-made military vehicle)
Fang Wen took the car, got into the driver's seat, and drove with the officer to the north of the city to check on the gunboats there.

Under his control, the car sped away.

Although it was a bit fast, it wasn't too bumpy, which surprised Kuang Shuxun.

"Commander Fang, you're not only a great pilot, but you're also an excellent driver."

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "They are all interconnected; practice makes perfect."

After a while, the car arrived at the north gate of Xi'an City.

Fang Wen couldn't help but slow down.

This is the best-preserved ancient city he has ever seen.

Seeing this scene, Fang Wen couldn't help but ask, "Can we go up to the city wall and take a look?"

"No problem, I'll take you up. We can see the Wei River from the city wall, it won't take long."

Fang Wen then drove the car into the North Gate, got out, and climbed the city wall with Kuang Shuxun.

After admiring it from the city tower for a while, I saw that the magnificent three-story city tower was intact on the outside, but the inside was dilapidated and full of debris.

The grandeur and magnificence of this ancient city are now forever confined to history and can never be recaptured.

As expected, he couldn't see it up close, and his wonderful impression instantly collapsed. Fang Wen lost his interest in traveling and immediately came down from the city wall to continue driving to the Wei River.

The Wei River was not far north of the city. Four gunboats were parked on the riverbank, with their crews waiting on the shore, and local troops were also there to meet them.

Fang Wen stopped the car and went over to find out what was going on.

"Will you be okay with landing?"

The captain of Tiger II replied, "The river current is gentle, and there were no problems with the landing."

Kuang Shuxun chimed in, "The seaplane camp is under construction right next to the riverbank. They can stay temporarily at Xiguan Airport for now."

“No need, they have supplies with them and can set up camp on the spot,” Fang Wen replied.

Immediately, the gunboat squadron crews who received the order, along with the mechanics and ground crew of the 2nd Aviation Battalion who arrived on the spot, began to move supplies and set up tents to camp on the riverbank.

Seeing that they were fully prepared, Kuang Shuxun did not continue on this matter, but instead explained other situations.

After some conversation, Fang Wen and Kuang Shuxun completed their negotiations on stationing themselves in Xi'an.

Over the next two days, he led the air force back and forth between Jinan and Xi'an, bringing the remaining supplies and personnel to Xi'an, thus completing the transfer of the wartime base.

After that, the remaining specific matters were handled by the officers of the two air battalions, while Fang Wen had more important things to do.

He took his bodyguard Gong Xiuneng and five soldiers with him, and flew in the Water Tiger No. 5 gunboat to Baoji City, 150 kilometers away.

This was originally an obscure little town, located west of Xi'an, nestled along the Wei River.

Comparatively speaking, it is not even as good as Fengxiang County, which is not far away.

But now it's very lively, with soldiers crowding the military post on the riverbank.

The soldiers were in a state of chaos, watching the gunboats and aircraft circling overhead.

"Damn it, the Japanese are attacking! Brothers, grab your weapons and fight them!"

"Don't worry, this is our rear area. Japan couldn't possibly have attacked here. There must be some mistake."

"You mean that plane is ours? Wow, that looks pretty impressive."

After an argument, they saw the plane land on the Wei River and immediately rushed out of the military post to watch.

Meanwhile, the officer in charge of the supply depot also went to the riverbank, and the soldiers made way for him.

The Water Tiger 4 landed on the Weihe River section in Baoji.

After the plane landed, the soldiers inside jumped ashore using the buoys on the outside of the plane and tied the cables to a large tree on the shore.

The soldiers who arrived one after another watched from a distance but did not approach.

Fang Wen, on the plane, also looked at the Sichuan soldiers on the shore.

Well, these soldiers were young, but generally thin and poorly dressed. Some of them didn't even have a weapon besides their uniforms.

Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but ask, "Commander, are these young soldiers capable of fighting?"

"I think so," Fang Wen replied. His confidence came from historical records he remembered. The Sichuan Army sent a large number of soldiers to participate in the War of Resistance against Japan, and many units fought bravely.

He stepped off the plane and went ashore, with Gong Xiuneng closely following behind to protect him.

The two walked straight to the soldiers, and Fang Wen smiled and talked to one of them.

"Where are you soldiers from?"

"Sichuan Army, Gong Liuyun's Regiment," the young soldier replied hesitantly.

This was a common practice among old warlords, who considered their entire unit to be their own men and would name it after themselves to demonstrate absolute control.

Therefore, nicknames like "regiment," "brigade," and "division" came about, and the soldiers got used to calling them that.

Not to mention the Sichuan Army, which is said to be home to many warlords. This time, the warlords from all over the country sent troops out of Sichuan to fight.

Fang Wen continued, "Are you willing to leave Sichuan to fight the Japanese invaders?"

"Yes," many soldiers replied in unison, surprisingly.

"Why?" Gong Xiuneng pressed.

The soldiers responded in a cacophony of voices.

"The storyteller said that our China is a great and legitimate nation, and that a small, uncivilized country like ours is trying to emulate the Qing dynasty and repeat its mistakes. This time, we Sichuanese will not agree to it."

"Going out to fight means I can eat my fill and bring honor to my family. Who knows, I might become an officer when I get back."

Some people spoke of profound truths they had heard, while others spoke practically, saying that soldiers could eat well and not go hungry.

After listening to the soldiers' words, Fang Wencai realized something that had been overlooked.

Since last year, Sichuan has been hit by a severe drought. The once fertile land has suffered a complete crop failure in many places due to the drought.

Therefore, many people in Sichuan starved to death due to famine in the past two years, and the situation only eased this summer due to rainfall.

Many of these soldiers who left Sichuan to fight were there because they wanted to have enough to eat.

Fang Wen continued talking to the soldiers.

Although they joined the army to avoid starvation, they were generally very motivated and willing to fight in war.

The problem is that the vast majority of these soldiers have not received military training, let alone possess any military skills.

At this moment, the soldiers parted and several Sichuan army generals came over.

They gave them a warm welcome.

"Commander Fang of the Taishan Independent Regiment, right? We've heard about your exploits in North China and Shanghai. You fought well, and you used airplanes and artillery. We're all very curious about that. Come, let's find a quiet place and talk about it slowly."

"That's right. We're in Sichuan, separated by the Shu Road, and news is scarce. We don't even know how the war is going on outside. Let's chat today and hear what Commander Fang has to say."

Fang Wen felt somewhat uncomfortable with the enthusiasm of these Sichuan Army generals.

They all seemed to be natural talkers; both officers and soldiers could talk. But his purpose in coming here was to build good relationships with the Sichuan Army generals, since one of the recruits was to cooperate with the Independent Regiment in its operations.

Fang Wen agreed, mimicking the Sichuan Army's colloquialisms: "Is it alright? Where can we go?"

The generals laughed heartily and immediately pulled Fang Wen to a nearby restaurant to sit down and talk.

(End of this chapter)