Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 500 Tax Police Corps, Guangzhou Espionage (1)

At 11 p.m., Water Tiger 4 took off.

Fang Wen kept an eye on Tang Yuandong behind him while piloting the plane.

Although the person had agreed to cooperate, he was still nervous.

This is only natural, after all, he wanted to return to Guangzhou, which was occupied by the Japanese army, and if he was discovered, he would be doomed.

Gong Xiuneng encouraged him in response.

"Brother, don't be afraid. The Japanese are just paper tigers. They only have the advantage because they are better equipped than us and they secretly sent many spies to gather intelligence on all sides before the battle. What you need to do now is the same. If we can obtain important intelligence about Guangzhou through you, we can give the Japanese a chance to deal a heavy blow."

Tang Yuandong smiled wryly: "I understand. I've been in the army too. But I can't help feeling really anxious."

In response, Fang Wen also said, "Don't try to gather intelligence on purpose. First, infiltrate the enemy's ranks and try to gain the trust of the man surnamed Lü. After all, he also needs to cultivate his own confidants, and you are the person he wants."

Fang Wen's words put Tang Yuandong at ease, and he earnestly pleaded, "Commander Fang, this time I'm going, it's all or nothing. I'm not afraid of death, but I don't want to die in vain, or even die as a traitor. You must take back Guangzhou!"

"Definitely." Fang Wen replied seriously.

Afterward, Tang Yuandong stopped worrying and instead used the last bit of time to memorize the number codebook one last time.

He muttered to himself, while Gong Xiuneng checked the codebook.

The hundreds of five-digit Chinese characters were all correct.

Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but sigh, "You have such a good memory, it's a pity you don't pursue academic studies."

Tang Yuandong laughed and said, "No chance. This good memory isn't useless, at least I've relied on it to remember and calculate cards for the rest of my life, and I'll never have to worry about food and drink."

Half an hour later, the plane arrived in Foshan, south of Guangzhou.

It's only a dozen kilometers away from Guangzhou city.

Fang Wen used his mechanical sensing eagle eye to observe the situation below.

Foshan also had a large number of Japanese troops stationed there.

The rendezvous point mentioned in the telegram from the Guangzhou underground party was in the area between Foshan and Guangzhou.

The specific location is in Shamian.

That area was the British and French concession in Guangzhou, and it is currently the only area that has not been occupied by the Japanese army.

With the help of his mechanical, eagle-eye perception, he found it.

An oval-shaped sandbar island located on the north bank of the Pearl River's back channel.

(Aerial view of Shamian Concession, Guangzhou, 1938)
The entire Shamian concession covered an area of ​​300 mu (approximately 20 hectares), with the British concession occupying the majority and the French concession accounting for one-fifth.

The underground party telegram said they would meet us in the southeast.

While controlling the plane to circle at high altitude, Fang Wen kept an eye on the area south of Shamian.

He saw it.

Two people were using flashlights, turning them on and off in the air, using short flashes to provide guidance.

Surprisingly, no Japanese patrol boats were seen on the river near their location, as it was a concession area.

This would allow Tiger 4 to land undetected.

Fang Wen said, "Tang Yuandong, I will control the plane to glide and land, and try to reduce engine power and noise, but the Japanese army will still be able to detect us. Therefore, after landing, I will not go ashore. You will have to jump out of the plane and swim to the north shore. There are people on the shore who will meet you and arrange for you to enter the city. During this process, the Japanese troops may be attracted. I will create a false impression to draw the Japanese army away, and then you can take the opportunity to leave."

Tang Yuandong nodded and stood by the cabin door waiting.

Fang Wen then reduced the engine power by half and used a gull-wing gliding flight.

With its mechanical power greatly reduced, the Water Tiger 4 descended at low speed by relying on its gull-wing design.

This kind of flight minimizes noise and makes the aircraft as undetectable as possible.

The plane then landed on the river, creating a large splash.

After the plane glided a distance on the water, it decelerated. Fang Wen immediately got out of the cockpit and opened the cabin door with Gong Xiuneng.

He pointed out the hatch and said, "Tang Yuandong, see the flash on the shore? Swim in that direction, that's where your people are coming to pick you up."

Seeing the flashlight beams on the riverbank not far away, Tang Yuandong suddenly jumped into the Pearl River and swam vigorously towards the shore.

After swimming a distance, Fang Wen asked Gong Xiuneng to close the cabin door, and he returned to the pilot's seat to start the engine and take off.

The plane accelerated across the river and took off into the sky.

At that moment, Japanese patrol boats also sailed in from the distant river.

The searchlight on the ship swept across the river and shone directly on the Water Tiger 4.

Gong Xiuneng said nervously, "Commander, we've been discovered."

"The point is to let them spot you. Gong Xiuneng, I'll give you the angle to fire at the patrol boats below," Fang Wen said.

"Yes, Commander, how could I forget you are the King of Night Flight!" Gong Xiuneng excitedly ran to the machine gun position, turned the joystick, and raised the gun mount.

Although he was the only one operating the machine gun, without any ammunition handlers to help, he still quickly completed the preparations for battle.

At this moment, the plane also flew over the patrol boat and circled around it.

At the same time, Fang Wen also provided the shooting parameters.

"Lower the angle by 28 degrees, aim at the fixed position slightly to the left, and wait for the firing command."

Gong Xiuneng quickly adjusted the firing angle and gripped the machine gun handle with both hands, waiting.

A moment later, the plane flew to a suitable firing position. "Fire!"

Upon hearing the command, Gong Xiuneng excitedly pulled the trigger.

The 20mm cannon barrel was shaking, and cannonballs were being fired continuously.

In the darkness, the patrol boat below was instantly hit by a barrage of machine gun fire, and the explosions illuminated the river surface.

In less than a minute, Gong Xiu had used up the entire ammunition belt. The patrol boat below was also tilting to one side. The Japanese soldiers on the boat were either lying on the deck groaning or hurriedly jumping into the river.

Such a commotion immediately attracted more Japanese troops.

On the riverbank, boats from upstream and downstream were all converging on this spot.

Fang Wen took the opportunity to check the situation on Shamian Island.

Tang Yuandong had already made contact with the underground party members on the shore, and the three of them passed through the trees on the embankment and entered the concession.

The personnel flight operation was successfully completed. Therefore, Fang Wen controlled the aircraft to climb and head towards Sihui.

Ten minutes later, the plane arrived at the Sihui war zone, 50 kilometers away.

Even at night, the riverbank there is still brightly lit.

Meanwhile, at the forefront of the horse stables, the two sides were exchanging fire across the river from time to time.

Fang Wen controlled the plane to fly over the Beijiang River and enter the airspace above Dasha Town.

There, the 2nd Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment, led by William, had completed the encampment of the outpost.

He picked up the microphone: "Tiger 4 calling the ground, please respond." A moment later, a response came from the radio.

"Commander, our base is on the south bank of the Sui River. There is a row of guiding torches along the riverbank. You can land there."

Fang Wen then located the landing spot and successfully landed.

The plane landed safely in the Sihui war zone. Because it was late at night, Fang Wen did not immediately make contact with the local army.

Instead, they rested for a few hours and waited until dawn before setting off with William.

As usual, Fang Wen drove, William sat in the passenger seat as a guide, and Gong Xiuneng and two soldiers sat in the back.

"Commander, head south to Dasha Town. The headquarters of the Guangdong Tax Police Corps is there."

Following William's directions, Fang Wen drove to Dasha Town, 2 kilometers away.

The town is now deserted; the intact houses have all been requisitioned by the army, and fortifications made of sandbags are everywhere.

When Fang Wen drove to the town entrance, he was stopped by roadblock soldiers. William took out a pass stamped with their mark and explained, "We are from the Taishan Independent Regiment, and we have come to visit your commander."

The sentry checked the pass and allowed them to pass.

The car drove into town and, guided by William, stopped in front of a large house in the south of town.

Fang Wen and his party got out of the car and negotiated with the guards at the gate. Shortly after the guards reported the situation, the tax police corps leaders came out to greet them.

"Welcome, welcome. I have long admired the name of Fang Wen, commander of the Taishan Independent Regiment, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you today. I am merely the commander of the Guangdong Tax Police Regiment, and I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

Fang Wen smiled and shook hands with him. The two walked into the command building and talked in the regimental commander's office on the second floor.

When it was just the two of them in the office, they were much more relaxed when they talked.

Chief Zhang of the tax police corps sighed.

“Our unit was also ordered to take on this task in a time of crisis. If the 12th Army hadn’t all fled, we tax police wouldn’t have had the chance to take charge on our own.”

“Your tax police fought bravely, no less so than other units. I saw them in Shanghai. It’s a pity they suffered heavy losses and were reorganized,” Fang Wen replied.

"Yes. We are willing to fight, but we are isolated and without support. The Japanese army is on the other side of the river. If they launch a strong attack, I'm afraid my small force will not be able to hold out."

After capturing Guangzhou, the Japanese army did not seem to intend to continue their advance.

Based on his future memories, Fang Wen analyzed: "Guangzhou is an important port in South China. The main purpose of the Japanese army in capturing Guangzhou was to cut off the international supply line through Hong Kong, rather than to penetrate deep into the heart of South China. At this time, the Japanese army had basically achieved its goal of blockading the southeast coast of China, and the urgency of continuing the offensive decreased. More importantly, they stretched their battle lines too far and simply did not have enough troops to maintain the situation."

Regiment Commander Zhang asked in surprise, "You mean the Japanese don't have enough troops?"

Fang Wen nodded: "I participated in the wars in North China, Central China, and now South China, so I have some insights into this. The Japanese have spread out such a large-scale war in just one year; they can't handle it. Next, it's our turn to counterattack."

"So you plan to launch an attack from Guangzhou? Sorry, our unit cannot abandon its post without authorization." Regiment Commander Zhang quickly refused.

"Are you afraid of the Japanese devils?" Fang Wen asked coldly.

"It's not that we're afraid, but that our strength is insufficient," Commander Zhang explained.

"The Japanese army attacked Guangzhou from Daya Bay, and originally intended to engage in a protracted war, so the city of Guangzhou could not have fallen so easily. But the 12th Army Group simply abandoned the city of Guangzhou. I don't see what makes the Japanese army so strong."

As Fang Wen spoke, a sense of frustration inexplicably welled up inside him.

The Guangdong troops he had encountered were all very strong.

Take the 19th Route Army, for example. For 32 years, they defended Shanghai and fought the Japanese army to a standstill.

Unfortunately, it was dismantled after the Fujian Incident.

During the Battle of Nanjing, the Guangdong Army was of decent quality.

But when it came to homeland defense, the 12th Army Group turned out like this.

It's truly a pity.

Discussions with Chief Zhang of the Tax Police Corps were unsuccessful.

The other side only agreed to defend together in Sihui and was unwilling to send troops across the Beijiang River.

Since they were unwilling, Fang Wen had no choice but to choose other allies.

There are still some local armed forces in the Sihui area and in Zhaoqing behind it.

These armed men visited some of them, but the result was very disappointing for them.

Most of them are lax in discipline, and would be difficult to deploy and coordinate in a war.

Such an armed force might be somewhat capable in individual combat, but if it disobeys orders and acts recklessly in joint operations, even with Fang Wen's overall perspective, it will suffer a great loss.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Fang Wen still dared not cooperate with these local armed groups.

As a result, he suddenly realized that the only ones who could cooperate with the Independent Regiment in combat were the anti-Japanese guerrilla forces led by the underground Communist Party.

Therefore, he contacted the underground Communist Party in Guangdong and explained his purpose.

The guerrillas were willing to cooperate with Fang Wen's plan to lead the Independent Regiment to launch an attack on Guangzhou.

However, a rigorous and highly successful plan is required.

In response, Fang Wen sent a coded message to Guangzhou, activating Tang Yuandong, an undercover agent already in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou City.

As large numbers of people fled, the largest city in the south became deserted and desolate.

The streets were filled with Japanese patrol units.

There were also propaganda and marching groups organized by those traitors.

Meanwhile, in the corners of the streets, the patients, corpses, and the injured lay collapsed, yet no one paid them any attention.

Those who remained in the city lost their smiles and lived each day numbly and expressionlessly.

Tang Yuandong, who had come to the city from the concession, was filled with indignation as he watched these scenes unfold.

On the surface, however, they have to pretend to be complicit in wrongdoing.

He arrived at the newly established maintenance committee and introduced himself with a fawning smile: "My name is Tang Yuandong. Vice Chairman Lü sent me here."

The gatekeeper led him into the maintenance committee building, where he met Vice Chairman Lü.

The vice president looked at Tang Yuandong in surprise: "Old Tang, how did you get back? I was worried you wouldn't make it back."

This is a verbal test; if it can't be explained clearly, Tang Yuandong's trip will have been in vain.

Tang Yuandong, his face beaming with smiles, leaned closer and whispered, "Chairman Lü, I rushed back as soon as I received your telegram. On the way, I was stopped by the Nationalist army, but I lied and said I was going to the countryside to pick up my wife and children, and managed to get away by giving them two silver dollars."

Vice President Lü narrowed his eyes: "Over in Yangjiang."

"Don't even mention it!" Tang Yuandong suddenly raised his voice, then cautiously lowered it again: "I was almost arrested as a spy in Yangjiang. Those soldiers insisted I was colluding with the Japanese. Luckily, my wife's family has some connections locally, which saved my life." He rolled up his sleeves, revealing bruises. "Look, these are all from the torture they inflicted."

Vice President Lü stared at the wound for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the table: "Good! Good! You've worked hard, brother, coming all the way from Yangjiang!" He leaned close to Tang Yuandong's ear: "We've been superior and subordinate for many years, we know each other inside and out, so I'll be frank. Whether we're with the Japanese or the Nationalist government, it's all the same; we need to get the money first."

Tang Yuandong responded with a fawning smile, "Yes, yes, that's what I think too."

(End of this chapter)