Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 538 Secret Intelligence, Strategic Bombing of the Phoenix, Prototype of Thermobaric Weapon
After his inspection of the aviation school concluded, Fang Wen prepared to drive back.

The students were dismissed on the spot and were allowed to leave the school for a short break after the midterm exams.

Just as Fang Wen was about to get into the car, Sun Tianrui jogged over and said, "Mr. Fang, can I take a moment of your time to talk to you about something?"

"Well, tell me."

"That's right, after graduation, I want to go with them to fight the Japanese."

Fang Wen was surprised. He had sent Sun Tianrui to learn from him because he wanted to train him as a new personal disciple.

Unexpectedly, Sun Tianrui proposed to go to China to fight in the war.

That's not impossible. Men should aspire to travel far and wide. In this day and age, those who have experienced the baptism of war will mature faster, but it is also very dangerous.

In response, Fang Wen said, "They were all carefully selected from their own units. It won't be easy for an outsider like you to join. If you really want to go, I can help you put in a good word, but I must warn you first that once you're in combat, even gunboat pilots face extreme danger. Are you mentally prepared?"

“I was mentally prepared; I even wrote a letter home.” Sun Tianrui took out a letter from his pocket and said solemnly, “I am the fourth child in my family, with three older brothers. I don’t need to worry about no one taking care of my father in his final days. But this country needs millions of people like me to participate in the fight against the invaders. Mr. Fang, please give this letter to my father. Also, please help me apply to the New Fourth Army; I want to join their air regiment.”

The New Fourth Army Air Regiment is the air force that Fang Wen will be involved in forming next.

Both are primarily gunship-based aircraft, and the abundance of waterways and rivers in the south makes them even more suitable for gunship-based aircraft operations.

However, due to its proximity to the coast, it was also vulnerable to attacks from the Japanese naval air force.

The danger is still quite great.

Fang Wen looked at Sun Tianrui, accepted the letter, and patted him on the right shoulder: "Alright, if you're still alive a year from now, I'll take you as my disciple."

"Yes, sir." Sun Tianrui saluted happily, then ran back and chatted and laughed with the other students as they left the school to relax.

Watching their retreating figures, Fang Wen got into his car and drove back to headquarters.

Inside the general manager's office of Taishan Airlines headquarters building.

Fang Wen started working, dealing with the backlog of tasks.

Since it's almost Chinese New Year, there aren't many documents piling up, and nothing major is happening, so it doesn't take too much time.

After reviewing the company documents, Fang Wen took out the confidential telegrams he had accumulated over the past few days.

These coded messages were all marked with different frequencies and receiving times.

Only Fang Wen could tell at a glance where these messages came from.

They are: Japan, the Soviet Union, and Shanghai.

Furthermore, different types of encrypted messages use different encryption methods, requiring different decoding techniques.

But now, Fang Wen has exceptional mental strength and his memory has also become stronger, and he has memorized all the contents of the codebook.

After translating them one by one, he checked them one by one.

The Soviet telegram from Leningrad indicated that due to the active expansion of production, progress was good and the project would be completed half a month ahead of schedule.

In other words, it can be shipped out at the end of February or the beginning of March.

Fang Wen couldn't help but feel happy at the thought that this would lead to a breakthrough in medium-range rocket technology.

He looked at the telegram sent from the Shanghai Taishan intelligence station.

[It is reported that after the Hong Kong attacks, the traitor Wang Jingwei only appeared once and has remained secluded ever since. His previously high-profile pronouncements have now ceased.]

This was something Fang Wen ordered the intelligence station to investigate. Judging from the feedback, it's very likely that the person who turned to charcoal in the explosion was the traitor Wang Jingwei.

After all, he was the head of the entire traitorous group. Without him, the group would fall apart, and all the previously agreed-upon matters concerning the puppet government would be null and void.

Fang Wen smiled contentedly and looked at the secret telegrams from Yoshida in Japan; there were four of them.

[It is reported that on January 21, 3000 army soldiers boarded a warship in Shanghai and set sail. They were originally told they were returning home for rest and recuperation, but when the warship reached Dagukou in Tianjin, they discovered they were being transferred to Shanxi for reinforcement, leading to a mutiny. This mutiny resulted in the troop transport ship exchanging fire with other naval warships, causing numerous casualties. Ultimately, under pressure from the military police and the Tianjin army, the mutineers disembarked and were transported to the front lines in Shanxi.]

The first document wasn't of much use to Fang Wen, but it might be useful for the Eighth Route Army.

Fang Wen put it aside.

Check the second telegram from Yoshida.

The 12th prototype modification is underway, and as the head of the Navy's Emergency Readiness Promotion Department, I've been involved in the project's follow-up. The first modified aircraft is nearing completion and is expected to undergo its first test flight next month.

The Japanese Zero fighter, built using their own flawed technical data, was about to take its first flight. Fang Wen smiled, eagerly anticipating the plane stalling and crashing from the sky. He wondered how long the Zero's development would be delayed due to this accident.

He looked at Yoshida's third telegram, and his pupils involuntarily contracted.

This telegram contained very important military intelligence.

The Imperial Conference has decided to occupy Hainan Island and is currently developing a detailed operational plan for coordinated land, sea, and air operations. I am trying to investigate this matter.

Qiongya is Hainan Island, and the Japanese army finally set its sights on Hainan Island.

Fang Wen also understood the Japanese army's plan. If they occupied Hainan, the entire coastline would be under Japanese control, completely cutting off the supply channels for materials via sea.

His gaze immediately shifted to the fourth coded telegram, which he picked up and began to read.

[Qiongya Campaign Operation Plan: The operation is scheduled to launch in the early morning of February 10th. At that time, warships will bombard Xiuying Fort, Shuchang Wharf, and Hong Kong city, and naval air force air raids will be conducted. Taking this opportunity, the army will forcefully land on the coast of Tianwei Port in Qiongshan County, northwest of Haikou.]

The plan is incredibly detailed!

It is now February 7th, and there are still 3 days left.

What military units are currently stationed in Hainan?

He had information on this, so he went to the bookshelf, took down a folder, and opened it to look at it.

It consists of the 11th and 15th Security Regiments under the 5th Security Brigade of Qiongya, with a total of more than 1600 people. In addition, there are 7 companies of the local self-defense corps with more than 1700 people and 7 standing militias with about 300 people, for a total force of about 3700 people.

In addition, there was the Communist Party's Qiongya Anti-Japanese Force. Last December, the Qiongya Red Army Guerrilla Force was reorganized into the 14th Independent Detachment of the National Revolutionary Army's GD Province People's Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps, with a number of about 300 people.

In total, there are no more than 4000 people.

It's completely impossible to defend such a large island as Qiongya.

It seems that the area has been abandoned by the Nationalist government.

Knowing he was being abandoned, Fang Wen couldn't just do nothing.

He decided to send this intelligence to Yan'an.

He then went to the telegraph room and operated it himself, sending a telegram to Yan'an reporting on the mutiny and the situation in Qiongya.

After the telegram was sent, Fang Wen stayed at the company to wait for a reply.

At noon, a telegram arrived from Yan'an, indicating that the Independent Team could cooperate with the operation and that the Independent Team could contact other Kuomintang troops on the islands, striving to teach the Japanese troops who landed on the islands a lesson.

This is also what Fang Wen wanted to do.

He was thinking in his mind.

Although the gunboat fleet in Guangdong has been moved from Yangjiang to Zhaoqing, it is only 400 kilometers away from Haikou and can provide support.

The problem is that if the gunboat squadron flies across the Qiongzhou Strait to provide support, it will inevitably encounter the Japanese air force on the sea.

What should be done if Japanese fighter planes that are bombing Haikou at that time change course to deal with the gunboat squadron?
Gunships with low speed and high defense are unable to escape and can only passively take hits, putting them in a dangerous situation and rendering them ineffective.

This is a big problem.

Without the air force, this battle cannot be effective.

Is there a solution?
Fang Wen thought of a word.

Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.

Focusing the battle effort on defending against landings would put them at a significant disadvantage. This does not align with the Taishan Independent Regiment's characteristics of mobility and flexibility.

Bombing the Japanese aircraft carriers during the Japanese landing operation might have been more effective.

He had long had his eye on the Fengxiang aircraft carrier. The previous two raids hadn't caused much damage, so this time he was specifically targeting it and was determined to strike hard.

With this in mind, Fang Wen began to make arrangements.

He abandoned the dangerous idea of ​​sending gunboats to fight at sea and instead decided to use Hengshan-1 to bomb.

In order to carry out the bombing mission effectively, Fang Wen needs to assemble a temporary strategic bomber team.

Now, due to the tight schedule, it is not feasible to transfer people from Guangdong. Therefore, Fang Wen chose to select people from the aviation school.

He went to the aviation school and explained the situation to Shao Sishen, the executive principal who was still at the school.

Upon hearing Fang Wen's words, Shao Sichen volunteered, "I must participate in this. Although I can't be a gunner or a bombardier, I can handle other positions. How can I be absent from bombing Japanese warships?"

“Yes, we were comrades-in-arms back then, we went on a mission together to destroy the Izumo.” Fang Wen grasped Shao Sishen’s hand and forcefully raised and swung it.

Six years later, the two collaborated again, but this time their target was the Phoenix.

Subsequently, Shao Sishen gathered the trainees and began the selection process.

Fang Wen addressed the trainees seriously: "We will select five people to participate in a top-secret military operation. The selected individuals will serve as bombardiers, machine gunners, and radio operators. Time is of the essence. Once the selection is complete, come with me immediately for intensive training."

The trainees stirred, and someone asked, "Is this a real battle or a drill?"

"It's real combat, and very dangerous, so please be careful when signing up," Shao Sishen replied.

His words prompted everyone to raise their hands and sign up.

These soldiers, having learned to fly, had long yearned to participate in actual combat.

Because there were so many applicants and no time to carefully select, Fang Wen decided to draw lots.

He crumpled the slips of paper with numbers written on them into balls, threw them into the bucket, and announced the rules: "Among the slips of paper inside, only 5 have numbers, numbered 1 to 5. Whoever draws the ball is the chosen one."

The trainees lined up to draw lots.

Sun Tianrui quietly approached Fang Wen and said, "Sir, I've always had bad luck. Could you give me a chance?"

"Get lost." Fang Wen kicked him in the butt and sent him flying.

Sun Tianrui scratched the back of his head and awkwardly went to join the queue.

Gong Xiuneng whispered, "Commander, this kid is very mischievous. If you want to take him as an apprentice, he won't be as easy to teach as Pan Jiafeng."

"It's alright, I'll get some experience on the battlefield," Fang Wen replied.

The selection process ended quickly, and Sun Tianrui was not among the five selected candidates. Fang Wen then left with his men.

He, Shao Sishen, Gong Xiuneng, and five other trainees formed a strategic bombing team.

Subsequently, Fang Wen piloted a seaplane with his crew to the base in northern Myanmar.

Hengshan No. 1 was parked in the No. 2 aircraft manufacturing plant.

When the five trainees saw the large aircraft, they immediately showed expressions of joy.

They didn't expect the actual combat operation to involve such large military aircraft, and the experience was fantastic for them.

Because there were only two days of training time, Fang Wen made arrangements immediately.

"The five of you will line up in order of your aerial shooting scores from highest to lowest."

The five trainees lined up as required, and Fang Wen selected the three with the best scores to step forward.

"The three of you will be machine gunners. The other two will be bombardiers. Now come with me into the plane, and I will give you an explanation."

The trainees followed Fang Wen into the plane, and Gong Xiuneng and Shao Sishen also entered.

Fang Wen first introduced the internal structure of Hengshan No. 1 to them, giving them a general impression of the aircraft.

Hengshan-1 is a medium-sized strategic bomber modified by Fang Wen based on the DC-3.

(Li-2, a Soviet-made transport aircraft, developed based on the DC-3)

It has an external bomb load capacity of 1000 kg and an internal bomb load capacity of 1000 kg. The internal bomb load can only be deployed after the external bomb load is deployed.

The bombardier's control area is located behind the cockpit, facilitating timely communication between the pilot and the bombardier.

The bombardiers are divided into two groups: the main bombardier is responsible for bomb control, and the assistant bombardier is responsible for observation.

The machine gunners were positioned in three different machine gun positions: front, middle, and rear.

Shao Sishen was a radio equipment operator.

Gong Xiuneng is a free agent; he can temporarily fill in for other positions or accept Fang Wen's orders to carry out the deployment of airburst bombs and signal flares.

After assigning the positions, Fang Wen was responsible for instructing the grenadiers, while Shao Sishen and Gong Xiuneng were responsible for instructing the shooters.

These students had a foundation and could understand what Fang Wen and the others were saying; they basically grasped it after one or two readings.

Afterwards, Fang Wen took them into the sky to conduct simulated target throwing training at the target range outside the base in northern Myanmar.

Unlike other pilots, Fang Wen's bombing orders, if executed accurately, had a very high hit rate.

Therefore, after a day and a half of intensive training, the trainees' confidence soared.

The following day, Fang Wen allowed the trainees to rest and try to absorb what they had learned in the special training.

He then summoned the chief engineer of the bomb factory to select aerial bombs for bombing the Fengxiang aircraft carrier.

The chief engineer of the bomb factory came from Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant No. 1 and was among the first batch of university graduate engineers.

His ability to rise to the position of chief engineer at the bomb factory is a testament to his competence.

He introduced the bomb factory's new products to Fang Wen: "General Manager, we have integrated our existing technologies and developed a new type of aerial bomb. We have named it the incendiary thermobaric bomb. It weighs 20 kilograms and has an effective kill radius of about 10 meters. It can cause a combustion effect and evolve into a high-temperature and high-pressure environment."

This introduction sounds very powerful.

Fang Wen asked him to explain in detail.

It turns out that it was based on napalm bombs.

However, the sustained burning effect of napalm bombs reduces their power.

They then thought of the immature thermobaric bomb that Fang Wen had launched two years ago.

The kind of bomb that can only unleash its full power in a closed environment has a limited range of applications, but it is very enlightening.

The engineers at the bomb factory tried to combine the two effects.

They experimented for a long time and invented this bomb.

As for the principle,

The first step is to fill the ammunition with high-energy incendiary agents such as aluminum and magnesium, which will continue to burn after detonation.

Secondly, due to the explosion, a large amount of aluminum powder will be mixed in the air, and the cloud will be in a highly flammable state.

The third step involves a separate component within the bomb, whose delayed fuse triggers a secondary detonation, thereby igniting the mixed cloud of air and causing a violent explosion. This instantly releases a large amount of energy, generating a shock wave with temperatures exceeding 2000 degrees Celsius and pressure, while simultaneously consuming oxygen in the area, resulting in a suffocating effect.

After listening to the explanation, something came to Fang Wen's mind.

Isn't this just a thermobaric bomb?!
(End of this chapter)