Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 336 The arms deal is complete; the weapons are airlifted back to China; and the guns are inspected in Baoji.
October 20, Lleida City.

Fang Wen is inspecting the firearms.

Twenty military vehicles, each carrying 1650 wooden crates, each 1.2 meters long, and another 2200 crates.

These boxes contain:

16500 Kar98k rifles, and 200 rounds of ammunition for each rifle, totaling 330 million rounds of ammunition.

Total value: $48.

But not all.

Fang Wen paid an extra $5 in shipping costs just to transport this batch of goods to Lleida, including the 20 German-made military trucks.

He inspected the weapons, and had Gong Xiuneng randomly pry open a box, take out a brand-new Kar98k rifle with gun oil inside, load it with bullets, and test-fire it in a nearby open space.

The new gun performs very well, and Fang Wen is very satisfied.

Now they are just waiting for their ship to arrive at the port of Barcelona.

Barcelona was under the control of the Popular Front government, but the Mediterranean shipping route was controlled by Franco and the Italian Navy. If it weren't for this arms deal, that cargo ship wouldn't have been able to get through even if it were flying the American flag.

They should be arriving soon.

Fang Wen put away his gun and contacted the ship by telegram.

Before the telegram was sent and a reply was received, Adler hurried over.

"Fang, I received a telegram. The navy has located your cargo ship and expects to arrive tonight."

Fang Wen nodded. The specific details would need to be confirmed by the cargo ship's call.

Half an hour later, a telegram arrived, reporting that the cargo ship's account was largely the same as Adler's.

It seems we can now ship the munitions to the port of Barcelona.

He went out to greet his friends in the International Brigades and asked them for help transporting munitions.

Immediately afterwards, 200 International Brigades soldiers accompanied the convoy to Barcelona, ​​120 kilometers away.

The journey was convenient, and the march was safe, so we didn't encounter any problems.

In the afternoon, the convoy arrived in Barcelona, ​​where local guards had set up a special checkpoint outside the port and stopped the convoy.

"Please show your port entry permit. We also need to inspect your vehicle," the officer on duty at the checkpoint asked.

Hemingway, who came with Fang Wen, showed his identification: "We are from the International Brigade, and we are here on orders from the brigade commander to escort supplies into the port."

The officer on duty looked at the credentials: "Military journalist? I'm sorry, I need to inspect the vehicle."

Fang Wen didn't expect that a problem would arise here.

The arms dealing in the vehicle was done in secret, and none of the German troops, the International Brigades, or the Popular Front involved wanted to expose it.

Fang Wen didn't want his purchase of weapons in Europe to become public knowledge because of an inspection.

Once the officer on duty boards the vehicle for inspection, he will be the one who suffers.

Immediately, Fang Wen whispered to William, "Tell him that he cannot be checked. If proof is needed, someone will come and tell him."

William nodded and spoke to the officer on duty at the checkpoint in Spanish.

The officer was initially tough, but his attitude gradually changed.

He emphasized that he could only wait half an hour, and if there was no result after half an hour, he would detain the entire convoy.

Immediately, Fang Wen telegraphed the situation to the headquarters of the International Brigades.

Next, we'll wait for their internal communication.

Time ticked by, and with the half-hour deadline fast approaching, the soldiers at the checkpoint pulled up the barriers at the back of the convoy, preparing to forcibly board the vehicles for inspection.

Two hundred international brigade soldiers also got off the vehicle to protect it.

At that moment, a car sped through the city and stopped in front of the checkpoint. A man in military uniform got out of the car, shouted at them, and took out a specially made port entry permit.

Seeing this, the officer on duty realized he had made a big mistake and quickly let them pass.

After the minor incident, the convoy drove into the port and waited for the cargo ship to arrive.

Two hours later, as darkness fell, an American cargo ship entered the port. After the ship docked, the supplies for 20 military vehicles began to be loaded onto the ship.

Once loading was complete, the cargo ship set sail under the cover of night, heading west.

The cargo ship will travel west, enter the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, and then arrive at the port of Yangon.

This sea area has not yet been affected by the war; it is a busy sea route, and safety is still guaranteed.

After the cargo ship departed, Fang Wen also returned to Lleida in the convoy's vehicles, and then flew back to Paris in a commercial airliner that evening.

It was 10 p.m. when I arrived in Paris.

The runway indicator lights were on at the airport, and Fang Wen landed following the lights.

Paul Lin, the manager of the Paris office who arranged the overnight landing, greeted Fang Wen at the runway. As Fang Wen disembarked, he said, "General Manager, since this plane is returning tomorrow morning, let another pilot fly it. You must be tired from your journey, so you can rest on the plane."

Fang Wen disagreed with Lin Baoluo's suggestion. He believed that the most reliable thing about flying was when it was in his own hands, and besides, this little bit of fatigue was nothing to him, who was full of energy.

After declining Paul Lin's offer, Fang Wen contacted the cargo ship by telegram. After confirming that there were no problems, he settled the final payment with Adler, who was returning with him.

He beckoned, and Gong Xiuneng handed over the gray briefcase. Fang Wen took the briefcase and, in front of Adler, took out the slats of medicine bottles from inside and handed them to Adler.

"Please click here. This is the remaining 30% payment, which will be paid in medicine instead."

Adler carefully counted the items, but inwardly marveled at how precious this medicine, comparable to gold, was.

In order to continue establishing drug trading channels in the future, Adler put away the medicine and said with a smile, "I hope we can continue to trade in the future. Please feel free to tell me what you need."

Fang Wen nodded. There were still two years before the outbreak of World War II in Europe. During this time, they could obtain valuable military supplies from Germany.

He himself never expected that a trip to Europe would unexpectedly open up a clandestine arms deal with the German military.

Fang Wen, who also wanted to maintain the business relationship, smiled and replied, "There will be new deals, but I probably won't be in charge of the next one. He will be in contact with you from now on."

Fang Wen refers to Paul Lin. Previously, when the Spanish Popular Front traded penicillin, they would send people to Paris to hand over the goods to Paul Lin.

Now, Paul Lin will take over the contact with Adler.

With a businesslike smile, Paul Lin engaged in a warm conversation with Adler.

With this, the European arms deal was considered complete.

On October 22, Taishan Airlines' Asia-Europe Flight A3 returned to Asia and made a temporary stop at Yangon Airport.

Fang Wen disembarked from the plane, and the French pilot who was waiting at Yangon Airport boarded to take over, continuing their flight to Kunming.

The first thing Fang Wen did after getting off the plane was to find out the cargo ship's movements.

Two days have passed, and the cargo ship is now passing through the Suez Canal and sailing in the Arabian Sea, expected to arrive in Yangon in a day.

Although the cargo ship had not yet arrived, Fang Wen was already arranging the transportation of military equipment in advance.

16500 Kar98k rifles, each weighing 4 kilograms, totaling 66 tons. With the crates included, the total weight is estimated to be 68 tons.

Three million rounds of 7.92mm standard ammunition, each weighing approximately 24 grams, plus the boxes, amount to 75 tons.

The supplies, totaling nearly 140 tons, could equip two German-equipped divisions, making them a coveted treasure for soldiers.

With sea routes impossible, Fang Wen worried that if they went by land or water, they would be robbed by passing warlords. If word got out along the way, the chances of survival would be slim. Even if they managed to deal with one or two, they wouldn't be able to handle any more.

Fortunately, he owns an airline and has 30 spare seaplanes.

Those 30 civilian amphibious aircraft were originally intended for the transfer of refugees.

Now is the perfect time to transfer these weapons to Yangon and transport them back to China.

A single civilian seaplane can carry 2.5 tons of cargo without passengers, so 30 seaplanes would carry 75 tons, and the transport could be completed in two round trips.

He then telegraphed the airline headquarters in Wuhan, instructing them to dispatch personnel immediately.

Upon receiving the general manager's order, Taishan Airlines headquarters immediately began operations.

Thirty seaplanes from Jinan, Zhengzhou and other cities returned to Wuhan. Then, led by several pilots who had flown over Yangon, they departed in five waves to Yangon.

They transited through branch offices' seaports along the way, heading south in a grand procession. After passing through Hunan and Guizhou cloud maps, they entered Myanmar and finally arrived in Yangon.

Before the first batch of seaplanes arrived, the cargo ship had already sailed into Yangon Port.

Subsequently, workers from Taishan Airlines in Yangon began to busy themselves with the transfer of weapons. They unloaded boxes of supplies from the cargo ship and loaded them onto seaplanes on the other side. After loading six seaplanes, a wave would depart, and then the next wave of seaplanes would arrive before the next shipment was loaded.

Fang Wen piloted the Water Tiger 4, leading the first seaplane transport team, to Baoji.

A residential house along the Wei River in Baoji. Fang Shouxin, staff from the Taishan Aviation Administration, and officers from the Independent Regiment were busy in their temporary lodging.

Fang Shouxin, the administrative director of Taishan Airlines, is very skilled in personnel management.

Therefore, it would be best if he were in full charge of the selection of soldiers.

For him, it meant spending a little over ten days conducting a personnel recruitment effort to hire 8000 people.

This was a very challenging task. To complete it, Fang Shouxin and the staff of Taishan Aviation Administration worked non-stop for more than ten days, and they were extremely tired.

Their hard work paid off, and they were very satisfied with the results of their more than ten days of work.

We're just waiting for the general manager to return so we can give him a surprise.

This expectation was immediately fulfilled.

A roaring sound came from outside, and the sentry guarding the house reported excitedly: "It's our plane, the commander is back."

Fang Shouxin and his group hurriedly came out of their residence and saw seven planes circling in the air.

The seaplane transport fleet arrived over Baoji City.

With the Wei River channel below cleared, Fang Wen directed the landing.

One civilian waterplane after another landed on the Wei River. After all of them landed successfully, Fang Wencai piloted the Water Tiger 4 and was the last to land on the water.

The Sichuan Army soldiers and officers on the shore waited anxiously.

However, none of the planes docked or opened their cabin doors.

Fang Wen's gunboat opened its hatch, and Gong Xiu grabbed the rope and jumped ashore, reaching the shore first.

Fang Wen then got off the plane.

After he landed, Sichuan army generals and Fang Shouxin and his party came to greet him.

The Sichuan Army generals were all eager.

"Brother Fang, are all those planes loaded with guns?"

"We've been waiting for you every day, and you've finally arrived. What kind of gun did you bring? Let us see it!"

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "Gentlemen, no rush. Let me speak with my subordinate, shall I?"

When someone returns from a long journey, it's only natural to listen to their subordinates' reports. The Sichuan army generals, unusually understanding, remained silent.

Fang Wen then spoke with Fang Shouxin.

How is the selection process going?

"Young Master, to be honest, this is the biggest recruitment I've ever done in my life. Our twenty-odd staff members in the administration department have been extremely busy in order to select those 8000 people."

"You've worked hard. When you get back, you and the others will have a long vacation, and your salary will increase."

"Thank you, Master."

Fang Shouxin continued his report.

After more than ten days of hard work, the 8000-strong force has been selected, and all soldiers have been registered.

These soldiers were all new recruits, and the company was based on people from the same hometown.

Although their military foundation was weak, they were very energetic and took a positive attitude towards the War of Resistance.

After listening to Fang Shouxin's explanation, Fang Wen was satisfied. New recruits without military backgrounds were highly malleable, wouldn't have any ties to their previous units, and wouldn't pick up the rough edges of veteran soldiers. Such soldiers would be easier to manage, their ideological work would be simpler, and more energy could be focused on military training.

Since the selection of soldiers has achieved its purpose.

Then we have to give the Sichuan Army generals a big reward in order to successfully take these new recruits away.

Fang Wen, with a broad smile, negotiated with the Sichuan Army general beside him.

"Gentlemen, I have finished discussing my business. Now let's talk about the weapons I brought. This time, I have obtained top-notch guns, and they are all brand new."

"Really?" Deng Jun was very surprised.

The other generals also dared not believe Fang Wen's words; their expectations were not that high.

Fang Wen continued, "You all know about the German-equipped divisions of the Nationalist government, right? They used the German Type 24 Mauser rifle."

"Of course I know, that's the best-equipped infantry division in the country."

"Commander Fang, you didn't manage to get your hands on a German Mauser Type 24 rifle, did you?"

Fang Wen shook his head: "No, it's better than that. The German-made 98k rifle is also produced by the Mauser factory. It is the latest rifle model of the German army. The German army is currently using this type of rifle."

The more convincing Fang Wen's explanation was, the less the Sichuan army generals believed it.

"Commander Fang, you must be joking. We're serious."

"Exactly, if we take it seriously, things won't be fun from here on out."

Seeing this, Fang Wen didn't say much, but gave Gong Xiuneng a wink.

Gong Xiuneng turned around and went to the shore. He took the long wooden box handed to him by a soldier in the engine room of the gunboat. He carried the long wooden box, which weighed more than 40 kilograms, back and opened it in front of the Sichuan Army general.

Inside were ten rifles, wrapped in oiled paper.

Fang Wen took out a handful and showed it to the Sichuan Army generals.

"Look, there's still gun oil on the gun, it's brand new and unused."

This gun made the generals' eyes light up; to soldiers, it was simply too beautiful.

Commander Sun asked, "Can I help?"

“Okay.” Fang Wen handed the gun to Commander Sun.

After taking the gun, Commander Sun examined it for a while, while Fang Wen explained from the side.

"It uses a rotating bolt action, which is similar to commonly used firearms in China. There is a safety device at the rear of the bolt. You see, this is the magazine, a double-row staggered internal magazine that can be loaded with 5-round clips or single-rounds."

As he listened, Commander Sun carefully examined the gun barrel and even inspected it.

He replied, "It's a new gun, the rifling isn't worn at all. Can I test it?"

"Okay. Gong Xiuneng, give Commander Sun bullets, both magazine-fed and single-shot."

After taking the bullet, Commander Sun looked at Fang Wen, who continued his explanation.

"Disengage the safety, pull back the bolt, insert the magazine into the guide slot of the rifle receiver, and load all five rounds from the magazine into the magazine at once. This is how you install the magazine; it's very simple. As for loading a single round, pull back the bolt, push the single round into the magazine from the top of the receiver, and then close the bolt."

After Commander Sun finished loading the ammunition, the soldiers who had been watching dispersed and set up a live shooting range by the river.

A bullseye was drawn on a thick wooden board and placed in front of the sandbags.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Commander Sun skillfully aimed and fired.

His guard jogged over to check and reported loudly: "The bullet hit the bullseye, the bullet pierced the wooden board and entered the sandbag."

Seeing that he had finished shooting, the other Sichuan Army generals were also itching to try their hand at it and took turns firing.

After firing a few shots, they gained an understanding of the gun.

The gun is excellent; it's powerful, lightweight, and highly accurate, and it's brand new.

They were somewhat worried that Fang Wen might reduce the quantity of his guns because they were new.

Fang Wen didn't say anything in response, but instead showed his stance through concrete actions.

The doors of six seaplanes opened, and long wooden crates were transported to the riverbank. They were opened on the spot, and inside were brand-new 98k rifles.

He picked up a gun, raised it, and shouted, "I, Fang Wen, keep my promises. Even if it's a new gun, I won't change them. One gun, ten bullets, for one soldier. Let's begin now. Fang Shouxin, bring out the roster, you call out names."

A lively and bustling scene unfolded on the Wei River.

Fang Shouxin and the staff of Taishan Airlines' administration department loudly registered while holding the roster.

For every name called out, a selected soldier stepped forward.

When the Sichuan Army soldier stood in the line behind the Independent Regiment officer, a brand-new 98k rifle and 10 rounds of ammunition were handed over.

This scene, though seemingly strange, ended happily for everyone.

The Sichuan Army received the weapons it needed; 8000 guns were distributed among various units of the 22nd Army Group, which also improved the combat effectiveness of each unit.

The Independent Regiment also gained manpower to cooperate in the operation, which will enable it to deal with larger-scale battles.

Those selected soldiers naturally preferred to fight alongside the well-funded and well-equipped Independent Regiment against the Japanese army.

(End of this chapter)