Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 487 Remote-Controlled Guided Weapon Concepts, Independent Regiment Transfer
Jiang Wenjin was taken to the semiconductor assembly plant by Fang Wen.

He explained, "This place was completely vacated due to the relocation of production capacity, so I converted it into a showroom for military industry products. In the future, it can be opened to outsiders so they can learn about the products produced by Taishan Military Industry. You are the first one to see it now."

The exhibition hall is located in the original assembly plant. It is not yet completed, and workers are hammering and moving things around.

Fang Wen led Jiang Wenjin inside, looking at each room one by one.

Each room corresponds to one product.

The aircraft engine section includes a Shiro improved aircraft engine demonstrator.

The aircraft exhibition area is the largest, but it mainly consists of pictures and text, including: the Shuiyun-1, Shuiyun-2 (military gunboat), Xuanming long-haul seaplane, Hengshan-1 strategic bomber, and Taishan first-generation fighter jet.

As for the modified Il-16 and the Shrew, which were not based on proprietary technologies, none of them were displayed.

Jiang Wenjin was quite surprised after looking at the aircraft exhibition hall.

"Your military industry actually has such powerful fighter jets. Have they been sent to the battlefield to fight?"

Fang Wen replied, "You may not know this, but our fighter jets have been involved in combat since the North China battlefield, and this continues to this day. We also have three of our latest first-generation fighter jets deployed in China."

"Only 3?!" Jiang Wenjin was a little disappointed.

Fang Wen seized the opportunity to say, "Well, it's mainly because of the lack of talent and equipment that we can only produce one or two first-generation fighter jets a month. Let's go to the next exhibition room."

The exhibition halls below include a display room for individual weapons, an aerial bomb display room, a communication equipment display room, and a Taishan Pine medium tank display room.

These military supplies broadened Jiang Wenjin's horizons, and with his wisdom, he immediately understood their usefulness after listening to Fang Wen's explanation.

I couldn't help but sigh, "So this is how much technology impacts warfare."

Fang Wen thought to himself, "There's something even more impressive. Since the other party is a physics expert, I might as well discuss it with him."

He tentatively asked, "Jiang Wenjin, I've also heard about the newly emerging quantum theory. When you were researching quantum theory, did you ever think about utilizing the energy contained in the atomic nucleus? According to Einstein's mass-energy equivalence equation (E=mc²), mass and energy can be interconverted. If we could split the atomic nucleus, could we release energy far exceeding that of a chemical explosion?"

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Wenjin responded: "Mr. Fang is absolutely right! Bohr's atomic model has already pointed out that the energy levels of electrons outside the atomic nucleus are quantized, and Rutherford's experiment has further proved that the atomic nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons. If neutrons are used to bombard the atomic nucleus, theoretically it may trigger a chain reaction... However, there is no cyclotron in China yet, so we cannot obtain enough neutron sources, let alone bombard the atomic nucleus with neutrons."

You really know that much!

Fang Wen was now certain that Jiang Wenjin truly had a talent for physics and was capable of conducting research in it.

He couldn't help but ask, "What is a cyclotron? And how do neutrons bombard atomic nuclei?"

This time, he was genuinely asking, since Future Memory lacked specific knowledge about atomic energy.

Jiang Wenjin, a physicist from the 30s, explained to Fang Wen.

"In 1932, Chadwick discovered the neutron; in 1934, Elena and Joliot discovered artificial radioactivity. Fermi's team used neutrons to bombard targets of various elements to create a variety of radioactive isotopes. I was fortunate enough to learn about this technology. To obtain a neutron, alpha particles released after the decay of radioactive elements such as radium and polonium are accelerated by a cyclotron to bombard beryllium-9, turning it into carbon-12, which releases one neutron. Then, a component is needed to generate and control the neutron beam, as well as an area to place the radioactive sample to be bombarded, and corresponding protective and shielding facilities are needed to ensure experimental safety and reduce external interference."

This must be the preliminary process for atomic energy experiments, something that 99.99% of humans would never have the opportunity to experience, yet Jiang Wenjin revealed it.

The young physicist suddenly realized the terrifying power contained within.

He did a quick mental calculation, and his expression changed drastically.

"If it could really produce nuclear fission, the energy released would be terrifying, ten thousand times more powerful than a chemical bomb of the same size."

Fang Wen feigned surprise: "Ten thousand times? That many?!"

Jiang Wenjin nodded seriously: "Yes, but to do it, you need a very large research team, as well as a huge amount of technological reserves and resources. Even Europe and the United States do not have this foundation."

He only guessed half right; he doesn't actually have that foundation now.

However, Germany should have already secretly conducted atomic energy experiments, and the United States is estimated to have gathered 100,000 scientists from around the world and spent three years building the atomic bomb four years later.

Fang Wen currently has no ambition for the atomic bomb; he merely uses it to deepen the relationship between the two sides and let the other party understand his understanding of the technology.

Now that he could reveal his true thoughts, Fang Wen said, "Jiang Wenjin, going to Chongqing to join the army is not the best way for you to serve your country. Why not join us? I need the best scientists to help me realize more and stronger weapon ideas so that we can drive out the invaders as soon as possible."

Jiang Wenjin hesitated and said, "I'm just a physics researcher who hasn't finished his studies yet. How can I help you?"

"That depends on your comprehension. Come on, follow me."

Fang Wen led Jiang Wenjin to the last room, which was empty except for a table and two stools, obviously prepared in advance for the two of them.

Fang Wen asked Jiang Wenjin to sit opposite him, and he took out paper and pen from his briefcase to draw a description on the spot.

"I mastered a new technology called semiconductor technology, mainly used in electrical equipment. The conductivity of semiconductor materials changes with external conditions, such as stronger light, higher temperature, or the addition of other impurities; its conductivity changes almost magically. Based on its excellent conductivity, I used it to manufacture the Zhongxing radio and the military Taishan walkie-talkie. The Taishan walkie-talkie enabled real-time communication between troops, greatly changing the combat situation and allowing for better troop deployment and coordination. It also served as a means to assist air and ground forces in joint attacks. But that wasn't enough. I used it, along with television technology acquired from the United States, to develop a television-guided fire aiming aid, thus addressing the problem of limited field of view during aircraft combat. But that still wasn't enough."

Fang Wen looked at Jiang Wenjin as he finished speaking.

"I want the shells to be able to hit their target exactly as I command them. Do you think that's possible?"

Jiang Wenjin answered honestly, "I don't know."

His ignorance stems from a lack of understanding of the concept; he simply cannot see through the surface.

Fang Wen continued to explain.

He drew a pattern of a rocket on a piece of paper.

"Look, this is a man-portable rocket. You just saw it. It has a range of 200 meters and flies in a straight line. If I add a movable control plate to the back of it, and use a mechanical device to change the angle of the control plate, it will generate aerodynamic lateral force and force the rocket to turn."

As he spoke, Fang Wen drew an extra protruding rudder at the tail end of the rocket.

Jiang Wenjin nodded; he understood.

"Just like piloting an airplane, you change direction by controlling the drag created by the fluid surface, but the problem is, how do you control the mechanical devices on a rocket?"

"It's so comfortable talking to smart people," Fang Wen chuckled. "While developing semiconductor technology, we also studied logic circuits. By using electrical switches to generate two opposite states, yin and yang, we can combine them to express different meanings. Then, this electrical signal is transmitted wirelessly and received by the receiver in the rocket. The receiver also restores the signal to a logic circuit, thus producing an electrical expression effect." "Using electricity to express things?! Taiji generates Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang generate the Four Symbols, the Four Symbols generate the Eight Trigrams, and so on, endlessly, ever-renewing." Jiang Wenjin had a flash of inspiration.

He actually broke out of Fang Wen's line of thinking and came up with his own method.

"I understand. Install an electromagnet at the trigger end of the mechanical device, and use the electromagnet's magnetic force to move the pointer at the front. Then connect the pointer's tail rod to the rudder. For example, if you want the shell to veer east, send an 'east' radio wave signal towards it. After the logic circuit restores the signal, the resulting current flows in the corresponding direction, driving the electromagnet to move the pointer. The pointer then moves the rudder, and the shell turns."

Fang Wen nodded, confirming that Jiang Wenjin was the talent he wanted.

With his genius-level physics talent, he understood Fang Wen's ideas and made corresponding modifications.

He asked, "So, do you want to stay at Taishan Military Industry and develop weapons to fight the Japanese devils?"

Jiang Wenjin took Fang Wen's paper and pen, scribbled and drew, and replied without looking up:

“I agree. This design is like a kite flyer pulling the string; if the string is pulled to the left, the kite turns around. Now we just need to replace this ‘string’ with invisible radio waves and use a semiconductor as an ‘ear’ to listen to the signals we send. However, this design requires very high precision to ensure the correctness of the course adjustment. Theoretical discussions alone will not yield results; we need many experiments and to compare a large amount of data to arrive at the best solution.”

Success! A scholar devoted to research will no longer be buried on the battlefield, but will instead work hard at the Taishan Military Industry for the War of Resistance.

Jiang Wenjin stayed, and the rocket research group at the Taishan Research Institute was thus divided into two. Jiang Wenjin would become the research group leader of the second rocket group, responsible for developing rocket remote control and guidance technology.

If this technology is successfully developed, the power of air force weapons will be greatly enhanced, making them more powerful against both ground and air targets.

Of course, this requires the accumulation of a large amount of research data to produce research results.

If Fang Wen uses his special abilities to join the research, it might accelerate the entire research process.

But he simply couldn't find the time.

In the following period, he had to arrange for the Independent Regiment to be transferred back to Yangon, coordinate with the anti-Japanese war in the south, and also take care of foreign military sales.

The first thing to do is to redeploy troops from Fuping.

All troops of the Fuping Independent Regiment stationed in Fuping were withdrawn, and the Provisional 7th Division would also send a number of usable personnel south.

Therefore, he flew to the northern foothills of the Taihang Mountains.

Fuping Military Camp.

The entire Provisional 7th Division assembled.

Acting Chief Instructor Wu Yingzong explained the situation.

"Brothers, due to strategic adjustments, the Provisional 7th Division will be reorganized. Some personnel will go south to join the Southern Anti-Japanese War, while the rest will be incorporated into the base area army and continue fighting the Japanese devils in the north. Now, I will read out the names. Those whose names are called, please step forward."

As Wu Yingzong called out the names, the soldiers stepped forward and formed a new team.

After a year of training and adjustment, they have transformed from Sichuan natives who had never even touched a gun into qualified soldiers.

Faced with separation, they expressed their emotions and reluctance to part, but no one disagreed with the arrangement.

Fang Wen saw all of this and, after Wu Yingzong finished reading the names, asked Wu Yingzong to arrange for the soldiers to have a final get-together. To do this, he also took out some of the stored military rations and went to the county town to exchange them for fresh meat and vegetables to make hot meals.

The soldiers ate their hot meals, chatted, and some even sang folk songs from Sichuan.

While the soldiers were having a gathering, Fang Wen also flew to the flight regiment and Yan'an Airport.

In the flight regiment, Fang Wen and Yan Wenwu discussed the previous combat situation.

Yan Wenwu looked ashamed: "It was all my poor command that caused the accidents involving three gunboats."

"What happened at the time? Can you tell me?" Fang Wen asked.

Through Yan Wenwu's account, Fang Wen learned about the situation at the time.

At that time, the air regiment fought in many places. Because of the terrain advantage of the Taihang Mountains, the Japanese ground forces could not threaten the air gunnery and ship combat. In addition, the air regiment's whereabouts were unpredictable, and the Japanese air force also missed many times.

However, even the most meticulous battle plans can go wrong. In one instance, during a multi-location operation, Japanese scouts discovered and reported the incident, which resulted in the gunboat squadron being attacked by enemy fighters during that battle.

During this time difference, the Yan'an Air Force arrived 10 minutes late, which resulted in the flight group being briefly surrounded.

At that time, the air regiment fired a large number of airburst bombs, which prevented most enemy aircraft from getting close enough to fire. However, the three gunships on the right side were out of formation and were successfully dogfighted by the Japanese, which resulted in them being severely damaged and forced to make an emergency landing.

Due to the complex mountainous terrain, the forced landing resulted in severe damage to the aircraft, rendering it unable to take off again.

Fang Wen said, "Actually, the flight regiment has already done very well. Since last year, the casualty rate of the Chinese Air Force has been extremely high, while the combat results have been mediocre. Your flight regiment, which has only been established for a short time, has carried out many air-to-ground coordinated operations and achieved very good combat results. It is difficult to avoid casualties. Five more gunship aircraft will be added to the flight regiment next month, so you need to hurry up and expand your recruitment."

Yan Wenwu was delighted to hear that more gunboats were going to join the air squadron.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Fang Wen boarded the plane to say goodbye.

His next stop was Yan'an.

We landed at Yan'an Airport using a landing ship and learned about the interceptor's combat situation after disembarking.

During this period, the interceptor aircraft took off and engaged in combat three times, each time posing a significant threat to the Japanese aircraft with its high-speed and agile combat capabilities.

In particular, the television fire control aiming system can be used more effectively to aim and control the firing, and it has a very high accuracy in firing at large bombers.

During a Japanese attempt to bomb Yan'an, three interceptors, after the Il-16s held off Japanese fighters, successfully cut in and shot down two Japanese dive bombers.

It was after that battle that the Japanese army never dared to send bomber formations to attack the patrol range of the Yan'an Air Force again.

After learning about the situation of the Yan'an Aviation Team, Fang Wen went to Yanchuan to participate in the acceptance ceremony of the first batch of semiconductor radios and take the goods with him.

The demand for transistor radios in Europe is already very high; if we don't put the product on the shelves soon, it might backfire.

(End of this chapter)