Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 367 365 Establishing contact with the Eighth Route Army in Wutai, the Yunnan Army and Shaanxi Army in Taihang Mountains
Water Tiger 4 flew over.

The soldiers below were somewhat nervous.

Clearly, they had never seen a gunship before, but they were very restrained and did not raise their guns.

Fang Wen realized that simply dropping the airdrop bag would probably not achieve the desired effect.

He said, "Gong Xiuneng, go to the back cabin and get the megaphone. Talk down to the people below."

"Okay." Gong Xiuneng quickly ran to the rear cabin and took out a specially made megaphone.

This thing is a modified phonograph speaker, which amplifies the sound through an electroacoustic conversion device.

Gong Xiuneng opened the bottom hatch, pointed the loudspeaker downwards, and asked, "Commander, what should I say?"

“Just say we’re from the Taishan Independent Regiment and we’ve come here to establish contact with them,” Fang Wen replied.

At the same time, Fang Wen reduced the engine power, allowing the aircraft to glide and hover in the air.

In this way, the aircraft's speed is significantly reduced, and the levitation force of the aircraft's gull wings becomes the primary factor.

Although the speed was reduced to just over 100 kilometers per hour, the plane remained stable, which gave it an opportunity to call out to those below.

Gong Xiuneng took a deep breath and shouted into the microphone: "Listen up, brothers! We are from the Taishan Independent Regiment, here to contact the anti-Japanese forces in the Taihang Mountains. Did you hear me? Repeat it."

As he spoke, Fang Wen also observed the situation below, wanting to know how the people below would react.

The soldiers understood the message from the plane and were clearly familiar with the Taishan Independent Regiment, so they relaxed their guard somewhat.

"Gong Xiuneng, tell them that we have brought some gifts and important documents, which will be airdropped from the plane. Let them choose an open location to receive them."

"That's a lot to say," Gong Xiu thought for a moment, then shouted loudly.

"Brothers down here, we've brought you some gifts, and something very important, which we're going to drop from the plane. This isn't a convenient spot for an airdrop, so let's find a more open area. I'll say it again..."

Hearing Gong Xiuneng's call, the Eighth Route Army soldiers below discussed it briefly and then waved to guide him.

They sprinted along the treacherous mountain ridge, carrying the plane to the appropriate drop point.

There, a cluster of red buildings stands on the mountainside, covering a large area; it is indeed the most spacious place in the surrounding mountains.

And even if airdropped supplies fall nearby, they are easy to pick up, making it much more suitable than the previous locations.

Immediately, Fang Wen ordered the crew to begin the airdrop.

Ten airdropped supply bags were thrown out of the bottom hatch, and parachutes bloomed in the air and drifted downwards.

These supply bags were also marked with nine white labels and one red label. Inside the red bag, in addition to compressed military rations, there was also a letter.

After the airdrop, Fang Wen did not leave immediately. Instead, he hovered in the air for a while, watching the Eighth Route Army soldiers collect the airdropped supplies before flying away.

The delivery of 300 kilograms of supplies, along with the establishment of contact information, marked the beginning of communication with the Eighth Route Army in the Wutai Mountain area.

There is also a supply on board, which can be airdropped after finding a second friendly location during the rest of the flight.

What's the second one?

Fang Wen chose to fly south to see if any troops remained in the nearby mountains to resist after the Battle of Taiyuan ended.

The plane climbed to a higher altitude and flew above the clouds. There was no more snow here, and there was no need to worry about being discovered by the Japanese army.

Thus, flying south along the Taihang Mountains, Fang Wen focused his attention on observing the situation below with his eagle-eye ability of mechanical perception.

Although the clarity is reduced due to the height of the observation, some traces of human activity can still be seen.

This allows us to determine whether there are any anti-Japanese troops remaining in the mountains.

The plane flew over the Yangquan and Shouyang areas.

This was an important passage for the Japanese army to enter Shanxi, and a place through which large forces could pass. It was heavily guarded by Japanese troops, and it was virtually impossible for any anti-Japanese forces to be present.

It was this very line that allowed the Japanese army to divide the Taihang Mountains into northern and southern ends. This also meant that as long as Fang Wen could contact the anti-Japanese forces in various parts of the Taihang Mountains, he could launch a pincer attack from the north and south and reclaim this vital Jingxing Pass, which had been contested since ancient times.

As Fang Wen conceived his plan, the plane flew over Jingxing, one of the eight passes of the Taihang Mountains.

Discoveries were made in the south.

There are signs of military activity in the Yushe County area, a mountainous region southeast of Taiyuan.

There are thousands of troops scattered in the mountains, carrying out road sabotage operations.

Fang Wen descended to a lower altitude and observed more closely, noticing the Third Army and the 169th Division on the soldiers' armbands.

He remembered that these two units were the eastern front defense forces, and they must have come here after retreating from Niangziguan.

The Third Army was a Yunnanese army unit that had participated in the encirclement and suppression of the Red Army two years prior, and was subsequently transferred to the Gansu area.

Now, however, they are fighting alongside the 18th Group Army, which was reorganized from the Red Army, against the Japanese invaders. Their troops have been fighting in various places for many years and have a certain combat capability.

The 169th Division was a Shaanxi Army unit. After the July 77 Incident, its division commander volunteered to cross the Yellow River to fight, making it an elite force in the Shaanxi Army.

These two units were dispatched to the Taihang Mountains, presumably with the intention of sabotaging and delaying the Japanese advance into the area.

He chose to descend to a lower altitude in Yuci County, where the army was most concentrated, and then spoke.

"Gong Xiuneng, you performed well at Wutai Mountain. This time, it's your turn to make the announcement."

Gong Xiuneng was very happy after being praised by the regimental commander.

"Commander, what should we say this time?"

"Identify yourself first, then have the soldiers below inform the officer."

"okay."

Gong Xiuneng opened the bottom hatch and placed the loudspeaker in preparation.

After a short while, the plane descended to a lower altitude and made a sound.

"Brothers, this is a plane from the Taishan Independent Regiment, here to deliver airdropped supplies to your superiors. I'll say it again."

The thousands of soldiers outside the county town below were initially somewhat flustered when they discovered the plane.

But he quickly calmed down.

Clearly, they had seen the gunboats of the Taishan Independent Regiment, and these aircraft, which were very different from Japanese aircraft, left a deep impression on them.

That is why they readily accepted Gong Xiuneng's appeal.

Some soldiers immediately ran into the county town.

Fang Wen saw that they went to a restaurant in the county town. After they went in, several military officers came out and rushed to the outskirts of the county town.

Ten minutes later, officers from inside the city arrived outside, looked at the gunboats circling high in the sky, and saluted with clasped hands. Seeing this, Fang Wen said, "Tell them to prepare to receive the supplies."

Gong Xiuneng shouted loudly, and then dropped 10 airdropped supply bags.

Seeing the supply bags lying on the ground and being collected, Fang Wen piloted the plane back to base.

For three consecutive days, planes flew back and forth over the Taihang Mountains, searching for troops left behind to fight the Japanese.

Fang Wen left them his contact information by airdropping supplies.

After that, Fang Wen did not go out, but stayed in the camp to receive telegrams.

The troops that received the supplies used specific frequency radios to call and establish contact with the Independent Regiment.

After compiling the statistics, Fang Wen obtained detailed information on the anti-Japanese forces in the Taihang Mountains area.

North of Jingxing, since it was completely occupied by the enemy, only the Eighth Route Army, the Taishan Independent Regiment, and the Provisional Seventh Division were present.

South of Jingxing, a large number of troops were discovered.

Among them were the Third Army of the Yunnan Army and the 169th Division of the Shaanxi Army.
In addition, there were parts of the 14th and 17th Armies of the Central Army and the 47th Army of the Sichuan Army.

After establishing contact with these troops, Fang Wen convened a meeting to arrange work in Fuping.

Senior officers from the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division attended the meeting.

Whitney wanted to participate, but Fang Wen refused.

During the meeting, Fang Wen presided over the meeting and said, "It's almost December now, and the weather will get colder and colder. Under such circumstances, all units will be unable to conduct combat operations. This is expected to continue until February next year. During this time, you must continue to maintain the intensity of your training."

After a pause, Fang Wen continued, "In addition to training, each unit has specific arrangements. Pan Jiafeng, Battalion Commander of the 2nd Aviation Battalion of the Independent Regiment, listen to my orders."

Pan Jiafeng stood up: "Here."

"Your task is quite challenging, as you'll be responsible for two things simultaneously. First, continue the night transport flights, but the weather conditions are complex now. If you encounter blizzards, don't force it; you can stop flying and wait. Second, manage the gunboats of the 2nd Air Battalion. I plan to continue providing material assistance to the anti-Japanese forces in the Taihang Mountains this winter to ensure they can get through the cold. Can you do it?"

After speaking, Fang Wen looked at his personally trained apprentice with a serious expression. He trusted Pan Jiafeng very much and put a lot of pressure on him, hoping to help him grow up quickly.

Pan Jiafeng nodded firmly: "I guarantee I will."

"Sit down," Fang Wen said with a smile, then issued a new order: "William, acting battalion commander of the Third Battalion of the Independent Regiment, your duties are to oversee the military discipline and conduct of the Fuping military camp, as well as troop training and defense in the county town."

William stood at attention and replied in fluent Chinese, "Yes."

The orders are still being issued.

"Wu Yingzong, acting commander of the Provisional 7th Division, you are to complete the defense of the Fuping area within these two months. You must set up sentry posts at the high points of major passes and equip them with telegraph machines so that any situation can be reported in a timely manner."

Standing ramrod straight, Wu Yingzong replied, "Reporting to the regimental commander, there's a problem. Our current equipment is excellent, but that doesn't determine everything. We conducted an exercise once where a fully armed squad was infiltrated by the enemy at night. As a result, the entire squad was wiped out, and they couldn't even send an alarm to the rear. This shows that our soldiers still have significant shortcomings in combat environments."

Upon hearing Wu Yingzong's words, Fang Wen began to ponder.

This is indeed a problem, because due to technological limitations, it is not yet possible to use electronic devices to provide early warnings, and human factors can still very likely change the course of the battlefield.

There is only one way to solve this problem: to conduct continuous targeted training, and then one will have a chance in war.

He said meaningfully, "This is also why I demand that we continuously strengthen training. Only by conducting various targeted training exercises in peacetime can we avoid various dangers on the real battlefield. You must constantly instill a truth in the soldiers: life is only once, and only by enduring hardship in peacetime training can we shed less blood in wartime."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yingzong's eyes lit up. "The regimental commander is absolutely right. The more you endure in training, the less blood you bleed in war. I will take this as a motto and make sure all the soldiers remember it."

Fang Wen was stunned; his casual remark had such an effect.

He said, "Sure, as long as the soldiers realize the importance of training."

Then, the meeting moved on to its final item.

"Over the past three days, I have conducted a comprehensive reconnaissance of the Taihang Mountains and learned about the situation of most of the anti-Japanese forces in the area. Currently, in the northern Taihang Mountains, our only allies are the Eighth Route Army, which is also fighting behind enemy lines. I feel we should take the initiative to establish contact with the Eighth Route Army so that we can stick together in the enemy-occupied area and provide timely assistance to each other should a battle break out. To this end, I request that we establish comprehensive contact with the Eighth Route Army in the Wutai Mountain area and the surrounding area of ​​Fuping within the next two months. We must also provide substantial support based on their needs. Wu Yingzong will be in charge of this matter. I will give you all their radio contact information and activity area maps."

Wu Yingzong stood up again: "Yes."

The meeting ended here.

At Fang Wen's announcement that the meeting was adjourned, the officers got up and left.

Only Wu Yingzong remained. Fang Wen handed him a map and a notebook, which contained the Eighth Route Army's radio communication methods and a map of their activity areas.

Wu Yingzong carefully put away his belongings, saluted, and turned to leave.

This scene was captured by Whitney with a Kodak camera.

Whitney added excitedly, "Just now, I felt this would be a great photo, and you'll definitely love it when it's developed."

"Thank you," Fang Wen replied with a smile.

Whitney asked, "Five days have passed. Didn't you say you were going to Nanjing?"

"Yes. Things over there are more important now, and we're leaving tonight."

"Flying at night? That's dangerous."

"We have a rigorous safety design, so you can rest assured."

"I trust you more. As long as you drive, I won't be afraid at night."

"Alright, you can go prepare now. We'll leave tonight."

Fang Wen smiled and went out with Whitney to prepare for their upcoming departure from Fuping.

When returning to Wuhan from Fuping, Fang Wen chose to join the night transport team.

As the lead pilot, he flew the lead plane at the front of the formation.

In the night sky, more than a dozen seaplanes flew south at a steady speed in a neat formation.

Those who returned to Wuhan with Fang Wen included the Whitneys, two assistants, and Gong Xiuneng. Kuang Anming stayed in Fuping and officially became a gunboat pilot in the 2nd Aviation Battalion.

The group sat silently on the benches on either side.

Only Whitney, who was accustomed to keeping a diary, wrote down her summary of what she had seen and heard over the past few days under the light of the carbide lamp in the cabin.

"Fang is a complex and eccentric person. He is very visionary and often offers interesting and effective suggestions. Perhaps his success stems from this accurate and effective judgment. On the other hand, he is also adventurous and dares to challenge the impossible."

"For example, in this war, from my outsider's perspective, the Chinese army had absolutely no chance of winning. There was a huge gap in terms of financial resources, military strength, and equipment. That's why the Japanese army was able to advance its troops rapidly in a short period of time and gain the upper hand in multiple war zones. But Fang Wen firmly believed that they would win this war. Damn foresight, damn personal charisma, I actually started to believe him."

"But achieving this change is not easy. As he said, it takes time and requires development through hardship."

He also said that he was not the only one who held such ideals. It was because of the existence of millions of people like him that the Chinese nation was able to see the dawn of hope in darkness and oppression, and stand tall under the iron heel of the invaders. These people with ideals, like sparks, gathered into a brilliant galaxy on the vast land of China, illuminating the path of resistance against Japan and national salvation.

"What beautiful and inspiring words! I'm looking forward to the rest of the journey and hope to hear everything he has to say."

(End of this chapter)