Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 407, Section 405: Hengshan Type 1 Bomber, Aerial Reconnaissance over Taierzhuang
Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant Large Aircraft Project Team General Meeting.

Fang Wen went on stage to give a motivational speech.

He looked solemn.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is something important I need to tell you. According to the latest news, a major battle has broken out at Taierzhuang. The situation is urgent, and I want to use this large aircraft for air strikes there."

The engineers had much to say about using the newly completed aircraft in actual combat.

Someone advised, "General Manager, it's best not to take such a risk. The new aircraft hasn't completed its test flights, and many problems haven't been identified. Sending it to fight in China like this is too dangerous."

Many people share his thoughts.

Fang Wen replied, "The bombing equipment on the aircraft has been installed, and I have conducted two test flights. The results were good, and there were no major problems."

He said no, which stemmed from the mechanical sensing during the test flight, and he was quite confident.

But in the eyes of others, it was a very risky move.

Seeing that they couldn't persuade the general manager, several people immediately raised their hands to apply.

"General Manager, our team requests to go along, so that if any problems arise, we can repair them in time."

“Let our team go. Our team installed all the internal pipelines of the aircraft. No one knows the internal structure of the aircraft better than us.”

"The bombing equipment was set up by our group. Now it's time to bomb domestic sites, so it's definitely our turn."

Fang Wen was somewhat troubled by their request.

Since the new aircraft lacks a crew, sending a group of engineering and technical personnel would suffice, since the aircraft was manufactured under their supervision.

But with so many people applying, his choice of whomever he chooses will affect the enthusiasm of others.

Fang Wen looked at Lin Yifei; it was better for the factory director to handle this kind of thing.

Lin Yifei stepped forward and said, "Alright, stop arguing. The general manager asked me to make the selections. Come and register."

Immediately, the crowd surrounded Lin Yifei.

Fang Wen took the opportunity to go out and clear his head.

But outside the hangar, another group of people were waiting.

They were trainers for the Spanish Republican Army.

They have already received full training on gunboats and are just waiting for the delivery of the three gunboats before sailing them back to Spain.

I'll be going back in about two weeks.

What are they doing here?

Under Fang Wen's watchful gaze, Isabella was pushed forward.

"Fang, I heard your new large aircraft is going back to China to participate in the war?"

This has become public knowledge at the aircraft manufacturing plant, and now even the Spanish trainees know about it.

Fang Wen replied, "Yes."

"Can we join as well? I heard your troops are all in the north, you must be short of air force personnel."

"The crew is already on board."

Fang Wen declined, saying that the large aircraft was still in the factory testing phase and he preferred to use his own people.

Seeing that this approach was ineffective, Isabella changed her tactics: "Our Republican army also lacks bombers. If your aircraft are suitable, we will definitely request additional purchases from our superiors when we get back."

Fang Wen's heart skipped a beat.

The export version of the DC-3 has already been produced by the Soviet Union and Japan, which intercepted it, and there will be more in the future.

It can be said that the production of DC-3 derivative aircraft during World War II was astonishing, ranking among the top in terms of aircraft production during the entire war.

Its practicality and durability are both very high, making it a viable option for mainstream export military aircraft products.

Fang Wen needed a lot of funds to develop military products, and the export of semiconductor radios could not fill this gap, so he sold gunboats and other high-profit military aircraft to foreign countries.

However, gunship-based aircraft are not commonly used, and many countries will not be immediately interested in them.

However, the DC-3 modified bombers were more likely to be favored by foreign buyers.

Fang Wen couldn't help but think of the Spanish Civil War. The German Junkers 52 transport plane was designed for both transport and bombing purposes, and he had heard that some small countries were already buying Junkers 52 modified bombers.

Thinking of this, Fang Wen smiled and said, "You're right. Our military aircraft have high performance but the lowest price in the world, making them a good choice. Alright, I'll give you three spots. Come back to China with me tomorrow."

"Okay." Isabella happily went back.

The bomber, named Hengshan Type 1, was taken out of the warehouse and parked on the test runway of the aircraft manufacturing plant the next day.

Fang Wen, Gong Xiuneng, two engineers, four technicians, Isabella, and two other Republican Army cadets boarded the plane.

After boarding the plane, Fang Wen said, "There are 11 of us in total. We need to have a clear division of labor before takeoff. Let me explain. I am the pilot, the engineering team of 6 people is responsible for the bombing equipment and daily maintenance, Gong Xiuneng, you and Ingram, and McKinney will operate the machine gun position."

This arrangement is quite reasonable. Outsiders are not yet familiar with the new mechanical bombing device, so having the engineering team operate it can avoid mistakes.

Ingram and McKinney, both Spanish Republican Army personnel, had received gunnery training on naval gunners, so it was normal for them to serve as machine gunners on bombers.

Only female pilot Isabella was left unassigned.

Under her gaze, Fang Wen said, "Isabella, you will be the co-pilot. You will be in charge of operating the aircraft's radio equipment and will also be responsible for navigation."

Isabella happily agreed to the arrangement.

Fang Wen then went to the driver's seat and taught Isabella how to operate the special semiconductor radio device in the cockpit.

This marks the first practical application of semiconductor technology in the military.

Semiconductor radio devices are much smaller and lighter than before, yet their performance is much better.

Under Fang Wen's guidance, Isabella learned how to use the device. She then sat in the passenger seat, turned on the device, switched to the communication frequency provided by the National Army, and kept listening.

Fang Wen looked back and saw that the engineering team was already in operation, while Gong Xiuneng was instructing two shooters.

He sat in the driver's seat and pulled the lever to close the rear hatch. As the motor turned, the rear hatch slowly closed.

After the rear cabin door closed, Fang Wen said, "Everyone, please be seated. We're about to take off."

The plane then accelerated down the runway and took off.

After taking off from Yangon, Fang Wen proactively activated his mechanical perception mode.

Since it was a prototype, Fang Wen himself couldn't be completely sure there wouldn't be any problems. Using mechanical senses to maintain control of the aircraft was the safest approach.

In his perception, all parts of the aircraft were functioning well.

After takeoff, the keel was subjected to stress from various components, but it remained very stable and without any problems.

The aircraft skin is well sealed and there are no leaks.

The landing gear folded down smoothly.

The engine is working properly.

The oil line is normal.

There's no problem with using both air-cooled and water-circulating systems.

Air circulation and temperature control are normal.

All instruments are displaying accurate data.

After confirming that the aircraft was in good condition, Fang Wen exited the mechanical sensing state.

He turned to look at Isabella.

"Co-pilot, report navigation data."

Isabella put down the magnetic compass and map and replied, "We have now entered the Lao Plateau. The distance is 800 km. We are expected to enter China in an hour and a half. We will arrive in Nanchang in 5 hours."

The distance from Yangon to Nanchang is 2300 kilometers. The Hengshan-1 bomber, equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks, can fly 2500 kilometers, which is just the right place to land and rest.

The distance from Nanchang Airport to Taierzhuang is 700 kilometers, which allows for air strikes to be launched at any time to aid in the battle.

The problem was, why hadn't the National Army replied yet? Fang Wen glanced at Isabella, who was still listening to the radio waves, and continued flying without saying a word.

Time passed slowly, and the plane flew over Guilin, Hengyang, Yichun and other places, when it was only a little over 100 kilometers away from Nanchang Airport.

Isabella exclaimed with delight, "There's a telegram!"

She wrote down the Morse code on paper and pen and handed it to Fang Wen.

This code used a specific codebook. Fang Wen beckoned: "Gong Xiuneng, translate it."

With a pained expression, Gong Xiuneng took the code paper, took out a codebook from his bag, and began translating while scratching his head.

He finally got it sorted out when the plane landed at Nanchang Taishan Airlines' own airport.

After parking the plane, Fang Wen took the paper and read the translated telegram.

[Request received. May the Taishan fighter jet achieve even greater glory. Excellent!]

Specific bombing operations will be announced separately.

[It is recommended to conduct a reconnaissance of the terrain around Taierzhuang beforehand, in preparation for any necessary actions.]

The telegram was sent in the name of Captain Gao, an old acquaintance, which is why the first line of the translated telegram has a single character "Gao".

He's right. Fang Wen had never flown over Taierzhuang before, so it was essential to scout the terrain in advance.

Therefore, he said, "Everyone, take a one-hour break. The engineering team will be responsible for refueling. In one hour, we will go to Taierzhuang for reconnaissance."

"Yes."

There was excitement inside the airport.

They were all newcomers who had never experienced real aerial combat, so it was understandable that they were excited.

The one-hour break also includes a meal.

Staff at Nanchang Airport brought hot meals, and everyone ate them right there on the airport runway.

After finishing our meal and resting for a while, it will be time in about an hour.

Then, everyone boarded the plane and continued the flight.

The plane took off and flew northeast.

This time, Fang Wen confirmed the course himself.

With his mechanical senses activated, he could easily determine his location using ground references without needing any equipment.

The plane departed from Nanchang, flew along the Gan River, passed Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River, and crossed the Huai River.

Finally, we arrived at Taierzhuang, located on the shore of Weishan Lake.

The plane then circled at high altitude, conducting aerial reconnaissance.

Fang Wen, having activated his mechanical perception eagle eye, saw the ground battlefield more clearly.

In the Taierzhuang area below, a Japanese army unit is fighting against the National Army.

The Japanese forces were estimated to number over 4. They established positions in Taierzhuang and fought against the Nationalist army.

They were surrounded by Nationalist Army troops on all sides, forming an encirclement.

It is estimated that there are more than 200,000 people.

This was one of the few proactive offensives launched against the Japanese army since the start of the full-scale War of Resistance against Japan.

Clearly, the Nationalist general commanding this battle had ambitious goals, wanting to wipe out the Japanese army in one fell swoop.

And judging from the current situation, it has already gained a certain advantage.

But the city was completely destroyed because of the war; there were only broken bricks and tiles everywhere, and not a single building remained intact.

It is easy to imagine how much ammunition the Nationalist Army and the Japanese Army poured into this area.

As he was watching, Fang Wen suddenly noticed a warning from the radar.

Fifteen aircraft appeared in the southeast direction.

Unsure of whether it was friend or foe, Fang Wen immediately adjusted the aircraft's climbing altitude.

The Hengshan-1 prototype aircraft adopted pressurized cabin technology from Boeing in the United States, which easily raised the aircraft's altitude to 7000 meters.

The fact that the personnel inside the cabin experienced no discomfort at this altitude demonstrates the significant role of pressurized cabin technology in military applications.

The plane, positioned 7000 meters above the clouds, quietly watched the formation of planes flying past at an altitude of 3000 meters below.

That was a formation of Japanese military aircraft; judging from their models, they belonged to the naval air force.

The planes bombed over Taierzhuang and then flew away.

But the aerial threat to Taierzhuang has not ended.

Another flock flew in from the north.

This time it was the Japanese Army Air Force, bombing from both sides alternately to support the Japanese troops below.

The ruins of Taierzhuang were undoubtedly related to their bombing.

After the two bombing squadrons left, Fang Wen lowered his altitude and continued to observe the terrain.

He needed to memorize the Japanese army's position structure so that he could carry out targeted bombing when supporting air raids.

To gain a clearer understanding of the battlefield situation, he amplified the Eagle Eye function.

With a clearer view, they also saw the scenes of brutal warfare below.

The troops from all over China gathered together and launched an attack on the Japanese army.

Fang Wen could tell from the uniforms of these troops that they came from different places.

There were Northwest Army, Sichuan Army, Yunnan Army, etc.
It's practically a ragtag bunch.

This poorly equipped ragtag army launched the strongest offensive since the start of the War of Resistance against Japan.

Armed with rudimentary weapons and dressed in thin clothing, they fought against the elite Japanese troops.

Their opponent, Fang Wen, was someone they had dealt with before.

There was the 5th Division on the northern front during the Battle of Taiyuan, and also the 10th Division fighting on the eastern front.

Fang Wen's Independent Regiment fought against both Japanese units, which can be considered the main force of the Japanese army.

Fang Wen couldn't help but admire these soldiers who fought back against the invaders with their own flesh and blood. No matter what they were like in the past, at least they were real men now.

(Battle of Taierzhuang, from the perspective of a war correspondent, restored version)
After concluding his aerial reconnaissance mission over Taierzhuang, Fang Wen piloted the plane back to base.

Upon returning to Nanchang Airport, he immediately began drawing a topographical map.

He drew up the map of the Japanese positions he had previously observed.

This aerial reconnaissance intelligence contained a very detailed record of the firepower configuration of the two divisions.

After the map was completed, Fang Wen immediately sent a telegram.

[Aerial reconnaissance successfully completed. A map showing the deployment of Japanese troops on the battlefield has been recorded. This map is extremely important; please send a specialist to review it.]

After sending the telegram, he waited quietly, thinking that the National Army would not ignore such important military intelligence.

Xuzhou Forward Command Post.

A military vehicle sped in.

Captain Gao jumped out of the car and ran quickly to the second floor.

He burst into the staff room and said to the commander who was studying military intelligence, "Commander Li, I have an important report."

Commander Li of the Fifth War Zone looked up and asked, "Captain Gao, weren't you planning to go back? Why are you back again?"

"Fang Wen from the Taishan Independent Regiment sent me a telegram. He said he was conducting reconnaissance over Taierzhuang and had drawn a military map, which marked the troop distribution and some firepower deployment of the Japanese army positions."

(End of this chapter)