Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 443 The First Batch of Eighth Route Army Paratroopers, the Burma Road Completed

The five-day training has ended.

Bai Yunfei also returned to Fuping.

He brought a contract for the joint venture, which Fang Wen signed with him in the military camp. Two copies were made, one for each party.

The matter with the tobacco company is now settled.

Subsequently, there was another document, which was a receipt for the supplies.

The above contains a detailed list of this batch of military supplies for Mount Tai.

Bai Yunfei will be the recipient of these military funds and will be responsible for the subsequent settlement matters.

Fang Wen took him to the seaplane airport warehouse for inspection.

After the receipt was completed, Bai Yunfei spoke up: "There's something I'd like to ask for your help with. Some of this batch of military supplies is intended for transport to the south to the New Fourth Army. They are facing greater pressure but lack supplies. We originally considered sending someone to deliver it, but as you know, the south bank of the Yellow River is flooded, and there are Japanese troops there as well. The situation along the way is chaotic, making long-distance transport very difficult. You've conducted nighttime airdrops before, and they went very smoothly. Could you also use airdrops to deliver this batch of supplies to the New Fourth Army this time?"

Fang Wen nodded: "Only I can do the nighttime airdrop right now, no problem, I can carry out the airdrop. However, I also have a suggestion."

"What suggestion?" Bai Yunfei asked.

"Some of these trainees will be going behind enemy lines. It's very dangerous for them to go like this. My idea is to let them stay a few more days to learn how to parachute. I will transport them to their destination and they can parachute down. This way, they can get there directly and reduce the risks along the way. We just need to have the local underground party meet them in advance. In addition, gunboats will be delivered in the next two months. You should also consider the tactical arrangements for using gunboats for airborne operations. Why not take advantage of this time to train the first batch of paratroopers?"

This suggestion was something Fang Wen had been considering during the training period.

Aircraft are not only used for frontal combat and transport, but also as the best vehicles for operations behind enemy lines and special operations.

However, the concept of paratroopers is not yet widely known, and Fang Wen plans to develop it in China ahead of schedule.

Bai Yunfei was stunned for a moment, then pleasantly surprised. This was a very good suggestion.

"I need to report this to my superiors; we should have a result soon."

After he finished speaking, he jogged back to the city office to send a telegram.

Two hours later, Bai Yunfei returned with the results.

"The higher-ups have approved new training, and you can choose the personnel to participate in the airborne training."

Fang Wen nodded and stated the selection criteria for the first batch of paratroopers.

"In principle, participants in parachute training must meet certain physical fitness standards: 1. Good cardiopulmonary function to withstand the physiological stress of high-altitude parachuting. 2. Physical strength to withstand the impact during landing. 3. Balance and coordination to maintain body control in the air and upon landing. In addition, psychological qualities must also be up to standard."

Bai Yunfei took out a piece of paper and wrote it down, "I'll go arrange it right away."

News of the selection of paratroopers spread among the various units in the Jin-Cha-Ji base area.

The requirements are quite high; it's not enough to just be physically strong; various abilities must also be tested.

Even so, a large number of officers and soldiers still signed up to participate.

After all, the idea of ​​warriors falling from the sky was incredibly appealing to them.

With only 30 slots available, the competition was fierce, and ultimately a group of soldiers with strong qualifications in all aspects were selected.

Fang Wen, on the other hand, saw off most of the trainees, leaving only the six who were going behind enemy lines.

They also flew south and airdropped some military supplies to the New Fourth Army's area at night.

Octover 7st

Thirty selected Eighth Route Army airborne training trainees are about to arrive.

While waiting, Fang Wen was in his room receiving intelligence via radio from the Taishan intelligence station in the Shanghai concession, which had purchased the information from intelligence dealers.

This intelligence, sent by telegram every 10 days, was one of Fang Wen's important means of understanding the situation behind enemy lines and internationally.

After the telegram was recorded, Fang Wen skillfully translated the coded message.

Then he looked at the translated telegram.

[According to the British Consulate, yesterday the mayors of 13 cities, including London and Manchester, jointly sent a telegram protesting the Japanese bombing of undefended Chinese cities and calling on the people of British cities and other countries to oppose Japanese atrocities.]

The Nationalist Air Force bombed Japanese airfields in Anqing and Wuhu, Anhui Province, and Japanese warships in Hukou, destroying more than 20 Japanese aircraft and severely damaging more than 10 Japanese warships.

The CCP-organized Anti-Japanese Allied Army recovered Pinggu, Jixian, Qian'an, Yutian, Leting, Lulong, and other county towns, bringing a promising anti-Japanese situation to eastern Hebei.

Japanese aircraft carried out large-scale bombing raids on Wuhan and Guangzhou, while the Nationalist Air Force conducted multiple air raids on Japanese warships along the Yangtze River.

[The Japanese forces in the 1st War Zone, including Cheng's troops, advanced to Keluxi, Juye, Heze, and Dingtao, and retreated to Jining.]

[Li's troops in the 5th War Zone captured Woyang in northern Anhui.]

[Furthermore, special intelligence source: The National Government Military Commission has decided to focus the defense of Wuhan on the Jiangnan region, with the first defensive zone consisting of Nanchang, Jiujiang, Huangmei, and the Dabie Mountains, to be resisted step by step; and the second defensive zone consisting of Pingxiang, Tonggu, Ruichang, Guangji, Luotian, Macheng, and Wusheng Pass, to be used for a decisive battle. The 3rd and 4th Army Corps of the 5th War Zone will be responsible for the defense of the eastern foothills of the Dabie Mountains; the 1st Army Corps of the 9th War Zone will be responsible for the defense of the line from Nanchang to De'an, and the 2nd Army Corps will be responsible for the defense of the line from De'an to Jiujiang; the Wuhan Garrison will defend Wuhan.]

Looking at this military intelligence, Fang Wen's mind was filled with thoughts.

The battle has now reached a fever pitch. The Japanese offensive still seems fierce, but our Chinese troops are gradually launching a counterattack, and the situation is no longer as one-sided as before.

However, the outlook remains pessimistic. If things continue this way, it will still take several more years to end this war.

After all, the gap in resources and military equipment is still too large.

He turned to the last page of the telegram.

The Yunnan-Burma Highway has been completed, extending to Lashio, Myanmar. It is 800 kilometers long and cost 200 million yuan.

The Burma Road is completed!
Fang Wen's face lit up with joy.

This highway was the main reason he established an industrial base in Myanmar.

This vital highway, crucial to the war effort, allows access to maritime supplies from the Bay of Bengal via Myanmar, and will continue to supply various resources to the country in the coming years.

With it, Taishan's military equipment can be transported to China more easily, no longer relying entirely on air transport, which is quite troublesome.

It seems I'll have to go to Wuhan after things are settled here.

After all, the Burma Road was controlled by the Southwest Transportation Office under the Military Commission, and if you wanted to transport goods through this road, you had to negotiate with them.

Just then, Gong Xiuneng's voice came from outside the door: "Commander, the men have arrived."

Thirty Eighth Route Army paratroopers arrived, and Fang Wen led them to the military camp.

The same training location as before.

There are still six underground workers there who are about to go behind enemy lines.

Fang Wen asked the two groups to gather and form a 6x6 queue.

These soldiers possessed excellent military skills. Without Fang Wen needing to say much, they spontaneously found their places and lined up according to height. After the ranks were formed, Fang Wen sized them up.

They're all elite soldiers!
He spoke up: "Gentlemen, the airborne training will transform you into a new combat force. In the future, as the number of fighter jets increases, you will be airdropped into enemy-occupied areas in organized units. Does anyone know what this means?"

Someone in the queue raised their hand.

Fang Wen pointed at him: "You answer."

"Sir, I believe that this method of warfare can directly attack important targets behind enemy lines, such as command posts, artillery positions, and airfields."

Fang Wen nodded. "Yes, airborne troops possess the ability to deploy rapidly and conduct deep strikes, quickly altering the battlefield landscape and thus exerting strong psychological pressure on the enemy. Airborne troops are highly mobile, capable of rapid deployment to any location on the battlefield via air transport. This capability allows them to respond swiftly to emergencies and effectively control the situation. This is something other land-based branches cannot do, thus enabling them to achieve strategic objectives. For example, in war, airborne troops can conduct deep operational maneuver warfare, seize key operational areas, disrupt enemy deployments, and launch rapid maneuver strikes, thereby accelerating the pace of the campaign and altering the course of the war."

His words were more organized, and those present were all veterans who had fought for many years, which made them understand the special significance of this new branch of the military.

For these soldiers who have endured years of encirclement and suppression and fought along the Great Wall, their expertise in mobile warfare allows them to appreciate the allure of high mobility even more deeply.

As a result, the trainees were in high spirits.

Fang Wen smiled and continued, "That's good. Now let's begin the first lesson. Let me see if you're afraid of heights. Turn left and follow me."

The column turned left and followed Fang Wen with neat steps to the back of the barracks.

There was a newly built parachute tower there, with a thick pile of river sand underneath.

Gong Xiuneng and Wu Yingzong stood atop the 30-meter-high parachute tower.

Fang Wen raised his hand to signal, and Wu Yingzong, carrying a parachute pack, jumped out.

The safety rope snapped open the instant he jumped, the parachute opened instantly, and he landed on the ground a few seconds later.

After Wu Yingzong landed safely on the sandpit, Fang Wen said, "See? This is the basic parachute training you're going to learn. There's a sandpit below, about 2 meters deep. As long as the parachute opens in the air, there won't be any danger."

The trainees were eager to try.

Fang Wen continued, "In the initial training, you don't need to master the timing of opening the parachute. The safety rope will be pulled off when you jump. All you have to do is jump down bravely. Are you brave enough?"

"We dare!" the soldiers shouted in unison.

"Okay, climb up two by two. Someone will teach you how to do it from up there."

Under Fang Wen's command, these fearless soldiers lined up and, in pairs, followed Wu Yingzong up the parachute tower.

Above, Gong Xiuneng and Wu Yingzong helped them put on their parachute packs and attached the safety ropes for opening the parachutes to the overhead slings.

In this way, as long as the trainees bravely jump out, the safety rope will be pulled open, allowing the parachute to open.

One by one, the soldiers bravely jumped from the parachute tower, experiencing their first parachute jump.

This is the best starting point for training. After that, you can learn from scratch how to pack the parachute, the various requirements during the skydive, how to handle the parachute after landing, and how to communicate with your teammates.

Of course, skydiving training nowadays is no longer what Fang Wen did a few years ago; it has become much more standardized.

Furthermore, the advent of the Taishan walkie-talkie allowed paratroopers to establish contact and rendezvous more quickly after landing behind enemy lines.

The skydiving training lasts for ten days.

The first five days mainly focused on theoretical techniques and ground-based simulated skydiving training.

Five days later, it really happened.

Fang Wen chose Wanghuai Lake, located between Fuping and Quyang, as his skydiving location.

That's the largest body of water in the Fuping area, perfect for skydiving training.

Of course, to ensure the safety of the trainees, Fang Wen also notified the Eighth Route Army for assistance.

Therefore, during the five days of parachute training, the Quyang County team used several wooden boats to guard the lake.

Those few days were truly lively.

The surrounding villagers all came to watch this rare event. Under their watchful eyes, one parachute trainee after another jumped from the gunboat at a height of a thousand meters, turning into white flowers as they fell onto the lake.

At first, due to their lack of experience, these soldiers who jumped out of sheer courage were unable to master the methods of controlling their landing.

The landing areas were very scattered. Some landed on the lake and were retrieved by boats, while others landed on land. However, there were some exceptions, such as getting stuck in treetops, landing on the rooftops and fields of nearby villagers, and some twisting their thighs due to uneven ground and slowing down while running.

But basically no major problems have occurred.

In the following days, they gradually mastered the techniques and became more and more proficient during skydiving training.

In the last three parachute jumps, he basically met Fang Wen's training requirements.

(The current Wanghuai Lake was dammed in 1960 and became Wangkuai Reservoir.)
The ten-day skydiving training has ended.

Fang Wen delivered a graduation speech to the trainees.

Contrary to his serious demeanor during training, he wore a smile.

"Today, the training has been successfully completed. All trainees have passed the parachute training and are capable of performing rapid descent operations from an altitude of 1000-1500 meters. According to the information I have received, after the training, you will join the newly established airborne regiment and participate in airborne operations behind enemy lines once the gunboats arrive. I look forward to your performance."

The soldiers stood at attention and said in unison, "Thank you, sir."

Fang Wen nodded, responded with a salute from the Eighth Route Army, and then said, "Alright, let's pack our things and set off now."

Thirty Eighth Route Army paratroopers left the camp with their gear, leaving only six people working behind enemy lines.

Fang Wen talked to them.

"I received a telegram from your superiors; they have approved this airdrop behind enemy lines. It will take place tonight, so you should be prepared."

The six men stated that they could complete the nighttime airdrop.

Nighttime airdrops are not as simple as they seem, and Fang Wen explained to them some things to be careful about.

"Let me put it this way, right now in China, I'm probably the only one who can lead you on a nighttime airdrop. To ensure a safe landing, barring any unforeseen circumstances, you must strictly follow my instructions."

After the six people indicated that they understood, Fang Wencai said no more.

He led the six men into the classroom where he usually gave lectures, where he handed them the spy equipment they were to take behind enemy lines: eavesdropping equipment and miniature radio transmitters.

They were asked to wait patiently.

Time passed slowly, and after dinner, at 8 p.m., Fang Wen and six other personnel behind enemy lines carrying parachute packs boarded the gunboat and set off.

Their destination was Jinan, 350 kilometers away, and Xuzhou, which was occupied further south.

(End of this chapter)