Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 588 From Rockets to Missiles (Part 3), Fang Wen's Family Letters (Letters to His Children)
The oscillating nozzle system with a high-temperature resistant ceramic liner was re-fired and tested.

The results are good; it's time to further refine this new weapon.

To this end, Fang Wen gathered all the technical research and development personnel of Taishan Military Industry, preparing to concentrate their efforts on realizing this groundbreaking strategic weapon.

Fang Wen is also wholeheartedly in charge of the project.

As the project leader and the implementer of future technologies and military concepts, he is well aware of the importance he can play.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to use his supernatural abilities to search for missing information from the depths of his future memories, and then combined research, design and testing to tackle technical challenges.

Once you fully immerse yourself in this state, you become like someone possessed, and you won't stop until you achieve something.

Inspired by Fang Wen's attitude, the technical researchers at the Taishan Research Institute are all striving towards the same goal.

Almost every day, discussions and debates arise, with everyone speaking freely about this unprecedented new technology.

As a visionary in technology, Fang Wen would offer forward-looking and guiding ideas after a dispute arises.

"Traditional rockets fly in a parabolic trajectory, with an error of hundreds of meters, making it impossible to accurately strike key targets such as Japanese arsenals and airfields. Therefore, the Soviet Union used cluster launches of rockets to achieve area coverage. But we cannot do what the Soviet Union did because the resources and manpower of Taishan Military Industry are limited. Therefore, our weapons must not only be powerful and have a wide range, but also have higher shooting accuracy."

"The core of the current research and development of inertial guidance is to enable rockets to 'know where they are' and 'where they are going' during flight. This relies on the cooperation of this set of mechanical gyroscopes and oscillating nozzles."

Under his leadership, even when the research encountered seemingly unsolvable problems, the research direction was not changed.

These problems became the goals that the project had to overcome.

for example:
Inertial guidance mode requires extremely high precision from the gyroscope, with an accuracy error within 0.1 millimeters. Moreover, there must be no slight shaking during high-speed rotation, otherwise the guidance signal will deviate.

Furthermore, when the oscillating nozzle was previously made of metal, it would deform slightly at high temperatures. Now that it has been replaced with alumina ceramic, although the high temperature resistance problem has been solved, ceramic is brittle. How can we ensure that it will not break during high-speed flight and attitude adjustment?

These are all problems that must be solved.

Therefore, Fang Wen used his special ability in mechanical processing.

He created the molds for the high-precision gyroscope components and personally taught the technicians how to make the high-precision components that met the requirements.

As for the toughness of the nozzle, a solution has also been found: a gradient thickness design has been made on the inner wall of the nozzle—5 mm thick at the root and 2 mm thick at the tip, which reduces weight and disperses stress.

In addition, the traditional ceramic masters invited from Jingdezhen also brought unexpected surprises to this research and development.

The concept of "ceramic lubricating coating" was proposed by these two individuals.

A glaze made from boric acid, quartz sand, and a small amount of zirconium oxide is fired onto the bearing balls. This glaze is a glassy film that reduces friction and is heat-resistant, essentially giving the bearing a "protective coat" and solving the problem of lubricating oil evaporation from the bearing balls at high temperatures.

This also improves the accuracy of the gyroscope.

With everyone's efforts, one technical hurdle after another was overcome.

The development of the Taishan inertial guided missile is underway.

The focus of future research and development will be on extensive testing and improvements.

Even with Fang Wen, a person from the future, guiding and providing technical ideas, the existing technology and foundation are too weak, and the earliest it can be realized is expected to be by the end of the year.

It was already mid-to-late June.

Fang Wen finally emerged from that state of complete absorption and began to devote his energy to managing other matters.

He left the research institute office and headed to the base office area.

There, his assistant Zhao Junping came in carrying a stack of documents taller than his head.

"General Manager, these are all the documents and progress reports that have been piling up over this period of time. I have already organized them, and you can take your time to look through them."

Despite his young age, Zhao Junping has been working hard to learn how to be a qualified assistant during this period, and he seems to be doing quite well.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "You're the assistant, so tell me the key points. Do you know how to say it?"

"Ah."

Zhao Junping put down the documents, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"The Soviet cargo ship has entered the Mediterranean and is expected to arrive in Yangon in a week."

Fang Wen nodded. This cargo ship was carrying a lot of supplies, including generators, tank castings, and special steel. Once the cargo ship arrived at the port, the power plant could be expanded, and the 'Taishan Pine' medium tank could be produced.

Zhao Junping continued his report.

"The first batch of 100 heavy-duty 28-inch bicycles produced by the military bicycle factory has been completed."

"The semiconductor plant was operating at full capacity last month, and components are being prepared to be shipped to Yan'an for assembly."

"The ammunition factory produced a total of 100,000 bullets, 600 hand grenades, and 80 aerial bombs this month."

"Because the technology upgrades were not yet complete, the rocket factory only produced 30 82mm air-to-ground rockets and 10 132mm rockets, mainly for live-fire testing."

After listening to Zhao Junping's report, Fang Wen decided to personally fly to China to organize an air transport team to transport military equipment, semiconductor components, and military bicycle assemblies back to China in one go, and then ship semiconductor radios and cigarettes out of the country.

By the way, what's the situation like both domestically and internationally during this period?
Fang Wen picked up the document with the fewest pages and began to read it.

Those were recent intelligence telegrams sent by the European branch and the Shanghai intelligence station.

Let's first look at the domestic war situation.

Hubei
In June of the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), in an effort to consolidate its position in Central China, the Japanese army assembled a force of approximately 100,000 men, including three divisions and one brigade, supported by the 3rd Air Regiment directly under the Central China Expeditionary Army. They launched a three-pronged offensive against Suizao and Zaoyang: the eastern route from Yingshan, the northern route from Xinyang, and the western route from Zhongxiang in Jingshan, thus beginning the First Battle of Suizao. The Japanese army intended to advance westward along the Xianghua Highway with its main force, aiming for a breakthrough in the center, first capturing Suixian and Zaoyang, then Xiangyang and Fancheng. The situation was becoming increasingly tense.

Shandong
In June of the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), the Japanese army mobilized more than 20,000 troops and launched a large-scale "mopping-up" operation against the central Shandong region. After capturing Mengyin and other county towns, they continued to advance into the heart of the Yimeng Mountains. The local military and civilians were making every effort to resist and prevent the enemy from penetrating deeper into the region.

Shanxi
In June of the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), the Japanese army launched a combined assault with infantry, cavalry, artillery, and air force on the positions of the Fourth Army Group in western Zhongtiao Mountain. The various units of the Fourth Army Group fought bravely against the enemy, resulting in a fierce and brutal battle.

Jiangxi
In June of the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), the 40th Division of the Japanese army in central Jiangxi, along with parts of the 3rd and 34th Divisions, advanced eastward along the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway. The main force of the 3rd Division, numbering approximately 6,000 men, was trapped at the confluence of the three rivers and then divided its forces along the east bank of the Fu River to launch a rapid attack on Dongxiang and Linchuan.

Upon seeing this, Fang Wen pondered.

This tiny, bullet-sized country has actually mobilized so many troops to wage war on all fronts in China.

That's truly arrogant.

This is the madness of militarism.

What is the situation in Japan?

Fang Wen pulled out the secret telegram sent by Yoshida.

He translated it and then checked it.

The secret telegram sent by Yoshida covers three aspects.

First, the development status of the Japanese Zero fighter.

Because Fang Wen deliberately allowed Japanese spies to steal research and development data containing errors, the Japanese incorporated this technical data into the development of the 12th test, which not only failed to improve the situation but also caused multiple accidents during the test flights.

As a result, they realized that the accident was not as simple as a coincidence, and subsequently stopped all research and development and organized personnel to analyze and investigate.

The cause of the multiple test flight accidents has not yet been determined, but it is estimated that it will not be concealed for long.

But that's enough. Once the Japanese have redeveloped and started mass-producing Zero fighters, Taishan Military Industry's inertial guidance air-to-air rockets can also be used in combat.

Then we'll see whether the Zero fighter or the air-to-ground rocket is faster.

The second aspect concerns the situation at Nomonhan. Japan was widely publicizing its superiority in the battle at Nomonhan. A telegram from Yoshida mentioned that the Japanese had concentrated four air brigades—the 7th, 9th, 12th, and 15th—comprising two squadrons of light bombers, eight squadrons of fighters, two squadrons of reconnaissance aircraft, and six squadrons of heavy bombers, engaging in fierce aerial combat with the Soviet Air Force.

Fang Wen was intrigued by this and longed to participate in the war between Japan and the Soviet Union, but unfortunately, he had no opportunity to join in.

The third aspect concerns the current situation within Japan.

Japan, which was fully committed to launching the war of aggression against China, was already experiencing domestic problems.

Yoshida's secret telegram mentioned that rice prices in Tokyo were rising and supply was falling short of demand, cooking oil was in short supply, and some izakayas (Japanese pubs) were even unable to provide fish.

Due to the large-scale recruitment and labor shortage, fruit and vegetable shops, tofu shops, coal shops, pharmacies, bathhouses, laundromats, sushi restaurants, cafes, bookstores, and other businesses in the market went out of business one after another.

Even so, the whole country remained in a frenzy of militaristic propaganda.

Under the influence of public opinion, a large number of ordinary people have come to agree with this war.

Fang Wen snorted coldly.

My hatred for the Japanese invaders deepened.

After reading Yoshida's telegram, Fang Wen then looked at the European telegram.

The situation in Europe suddenly became tense this month.

Germany deployed 32 divisions to the western border in preparation for a possible attack by Britain and France.

Some media outlets reported that the Norwegian National Congress Party had close ties to the Nazis and attempted to guide the German army to occupy Norway.

Meanwhile, Germany was concentrating more troops eastward, including dozens of divisions, all of which were armored and motorized, totaling 150 million men.

Poland also sensed the impending danger and made frequent visits to Britain and France, attempting to obtain assistance from the two countries.

The telegram indicates that both Britain and France have expressed their support for Poland.

But actually.

Fang Wen knew very well that once the 150 million German troops were mobilized, Poland would not be able to stop them.

Although it included all of Germany's mechanized forces, the mobilization of over a million troops could not be accomplished in a short time.

It will take at least 2-3 months, meaning that the German blitzkrieg in Poland will begin around September.

After reading the European telegrams, Fang Wen discovered that one telegram had been missed.

He picked it up.

It was sent from Taishan International in the United States.

The telegram, however, was not about business progress; it was a reminder from his brother-in-law.

Brother-in-law, my sister is ten months pregnant and about to give birth. She doesn't want to distract you, but I have to tell you.

My wife is about to give birth!
Fang Wen froze, stood up abruptly, and the chair behind him was thrown away and fell to the ground.

He counted the days in his mind; yes, it had been more than nine months.

Damn it, I completely forgot about that.

At that moment, he felt deeply ashamed as a husband and father, and quickly left the office to go to the base's telegraph room.

In the telegraph room, Fang Wen personally operated the telegraph machine to send messages to the European branch, which then forwarded them to the United States.

After sending the telegram, he waited in the telegraph room.

Only by knowing his wife's condition can he feel at ease.

Time passed slowly, but no reply came, and Fang Wen began to get impatient.

At this moment, he no longer possessed his usual calmness and wisdom; his face was filled with tension.

"Commander, don't worry, Madam will be alright," Gong Xiuneng comforted her.

Fang Wen remained silent, still listening to the company's dedicated frequency with his headphones on.

Finally, the call came back.

He quickly recorded the telegraphic code.

[My sister is doing well and hasn't shown any signs of going into labor yet, but just in case, she's checked into the best maternity clinic in town. I showed her your telegram. She's very happy.]

These few words made Fang Wen feel even more guilty.

He was about to reply when he received another telegram.

The telegram excited him.

My water broke. I'm at the clinic now, wait for my telegram.

At this moment, although he was thousands of miles away, Fang Wen's heart had already soared across the vast distance to Las Vegas.

There was no need to send any more telegrams to inquire; he waited silently for the result.

Time passed little by little.

An hour later, the radio waves reappeared, and Fang Wen's hand trembled slightly as he recorded the Morse code.

[Mother and babies are safe and sound. Twins, a boy weighing 6 pounds and a girl weighing 5 pounds. Congratulations to your brother-in-law! Both names you came up with can now be used.]

You could feel the joy in Kuang Anming's brother-in-law's voice even from the telegram.

Fang Wen also smiled, all his anxiety vanishing with the telegram.

Instead, he started thinking about what kind of gift to give the two children.

After thinking it over, Fang Wen decided to write a letter to his two children.

He then returned to his base office, took out some stationery, and began to write.

A Letter to My Son and Daughter

In June of the 28th year of the Republic of China, as pomegranate blossoms illuminated the house and the summer heat began to rise, your mother safely gave birth to our family's twins, a boy and a girl, in a foreign land. Your father named our son "Anbang," hoping he would remember this history of our lost lands, and that your father believed we would surely win; and named our daughter "Chengning," hoping she would eventually see a peaceful and prosperous nation, and continue the wish for peace.

Now, separated by thousands of miles, I, as a father, cannot personally witness the birth of my children. I am filled with emotion and a myriad of feelings, all of which I express in this letter, for you to read together in the future.

You were born at a time of great hardship for China, when invaders ravaged the land, leaving the people starving, freezing, and displaced. Whenever I witness such human tragedy, I ask myself: can I bear to let you suffer the same pain we have endured? I do not wish for you to grow up to see your homeland reduced to a foreign land, to hear your mother tongue replaced by Japanese; I do not wish for you to have no complete textbooks, only ruins and rubble; and I do not wish for you to grow up to wield a sword on the battlefield, instead of cultivating the land and studying in the fields—this is why your father toils day and night, personally going to the battlefield, gathering supplies to aid the front lines, or researching skills to strengthen industry, all to protect your future.

Yet your father has never feared the long, dark night. On this land, heroes have emerged in great numbers; my path is not lonely. Countless soldiers have shed their blood on the battlefield; countless people from home and abroad have joined forces to resist invaders; and countless ordinary people have tightened their belts, sending grains and cloth to the front lines—this is the foundation of our unyielding China. My son, Anbang, if the future is long, I hope you possess such integrity, whether you take up arms to defend the country or develop powerful weapons, never forgetting that "every man's responsibility lies with the nation." My daughter, Chengning, if the future is long, I hope you learn from the women and children in the rear, possessing the compassion to "sew a thousand garments to warm the hearts of the soldiers," whether you practice medicine to save the people or carry on our cultural heritage, never forgetting that "women can also hold up half the nation." Your father does not ask that you become high-ranking officials or nobles, but only that you be Chinese with blood and flesh, knowing the path of your ancestors and understanding the future of our nation.

And look to the future, when the Japanese invaders are driven out and the flames of war have dissipated, your father will take your mother and you to travel all over China: in spring, to Suzhou and Hangzhou to see peach blossoms blooming along the banks; in summer, to Qingdao to hear the waves crashing against the rocks; in autumn, to climb Mount Tai to watch the sunrise and sea of ​​clouds; and in winter, to Beijing to admire the snow-covered Forbidden City. I will teach you to read the Records of the Grand Historian to understand the rise and fall of dynasties, to practice arithmetic to understand the principles of things, and to listen to Kunqu Opera to appreciate its elegance. I will let you see the magnificent rivers and mountains of China, which cannot be destroyed by invaders; I will let you believe that the cultural heritage of China will continue uninterrupted. At that time, there will be no air raid sirens in the streets, the fields will be full of rice and beans, children can chase each other in the alleys, and the elderly can fish by the stream. This "peace" is the future that your father has painted for you.

You are still young, so your mother will keep this letter for now. When you are old enough to wear your hair, she will read it to you word by word. May the day you take your first steps be the beginning of a peaceful and prosperous nation; may the day you begin to speak be the day you hear the words "peace and prosperity for the country." Though your father is not talented, I am willing to use my own flesh and blood to pave a safe road for you; I am willing to dedicate my life to bringing a bright and clear sky to our family and country.

As the ink runs dry and the lamp flickers out, words fail to express my feelings. I can only wish my son Anbang and my daughter Chengning: that they may enjoy good health year after year, always by the side of their family and country; that their lives may be smooth sailing, and that they may never forget their original aspirations.

Father: Fang Wen left his pen
June 20th, 1939

(End of this chapter)