Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 601 Landing in Nanning: Guidance for the Guangxi Air Force
At Taishan Aviation School, the executive principal, along with teachers and students, waited on the playground for Fang Wen's arrival.

Half an hour later, Fang Wen drove his car into the school and stopped by the playground.

He got out of the car and walked over.

The executive principal rushed over to greet him.

"General Manager, the trainees are all here. They have finished what they needed to do and are ready to board the plane and depart at any time."

Fang Wen looked at the other person.

The executive principal's surname is Wang. He was originally one of the first batch of flight apprentices at Taishan Airlines. He was one of the first pilots trained by Shao Sishen and Fang Wen, and had flown the company's Shanghai-Fuyang and Shanghai-Jinan routes.

Later, the company's aviation training center expanded, and flight instructors were selected from among the company's pilots, so he went from being a pilot to a teacher.

Later, when the aviation school was established, he joined it and became the school's academic director.

Therefore, Shao Sichen entrusted him with the management of the school, which was a sign of his trust in him.

Clearing his mind, Fang Wen said, "No rush, let's talk."

He then strolled and talked with Principal Wang by the playground.

"Now that the school affairs are in your hands, are there any problems? If so, please let me know. Although Shao Sicheng is in Jiangxi, he still cares a lot about the development of the school."

"We haven't encountered any problems yet, mainly because the third batch of military flight cadets hasn't started. General Manager, when will the third batch begin?"

It's really hard to say.

After all, airplanes require a lot of aviation gasoline fuel.

Currently, the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army's two air regiments, plus the Independent Regiment's aircraft, as well as the logistics company's transport planes, the transport planes from Yangon to northern Myanmar, and the transport planes on the China-Myanmar transport line all need Taishan to supply aviation gasoline.

Among them, military aviation fuel is the biggest consumer, with high-powered engines and high-intensity combat endurance requiring much more fuel than civilian aircraft.

For this reason, Mount Tai has done everything in its power to provide.

This includes not only the capacity of the Yangon oil refinery, but also the fuel supply purchased by BP Myanmar.

Without fuel, how can we even talk about opening the third batch of flight cadet classes?

Of course, this matter is a top secret of Mount Tai, and Fang Wen will not tell anyone else.

He replied calmly.

"The third batch needs to be selected, so don't rush things here. By the way, how's the situation with the European flight trainee program?"

Principal Wang explained the situation.

The European flight trainee program is a regular program where students can start anytime.

The French military sent two groups of trainees, who have completed their training and returned to France on a Taishan Airlines commercial airliner.

As for Spain, according to the agreement, there was supposed to be another group of trainees with opportunities for further study, but they have not sent anyone over.

Fang Wen knew the reason for this.

The current Popular Front Republican government was ultimately unable to confront the Nazi-backed Franco government.

Faced with a constant supply of military resources and mercenary support, the Popular Front's controlled territory continued to shrink, with Aragon, Madrid, and Valencia being lost one after another.

Two months earlier, with the occupation of Barcelona in Catalonia, the entire Spanish Popular Front government finally fled to France by plane.

Among those who flew to France together was female pilot Isabella.

Fang Wen also wrote to Isabella through the European branch, asking her to come to Asia.

But the other party refused.

I shook off my thoughts.

Fang Wen chatted with Principal Wang for a few minutes, and then they went to the Guangxi Clique students.

He smiled and chatted with the students.

"I heard from the principal that you all worked very hard and graduated with excellent grades. Congratulations! Now come back to Guangxi with me."

Several Guangxi-trained flight cadets stood up straight, boarded the school's shuttle bus, and followed Fang Wen's car to the sea airport.

There, they boarded an improved gunboat and took off.

Fang Wen piloted the plane from Yangon, flying along the Myanmar-Thailand border, then turning east, crossing the Myanmar-Laos border, and flying directly to Guangxi.

As time went on, the Guangxi flight trainees in the cabin gradually became more active.

They crowded to the porthole, curiously gazing at the view below.

When we left Yangon, the view outside the window was still a dense tropical rainforest. Now, looking down, the vegetation gradually thins out, and in the distance, we can vaguely see the continuous karst peaks—a unique landform of Guangxi, the outline of their homeland that they have been away from for months.

“Third brother, look! Isn’t that the Zuo River?” Li Mingyuan, a student sitting by the window, suddenly pointed to a winding river below, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

He was a native of Guangxi, and his family had been farmers for generations. Before joining the army, he often went with his father to haul goods along the Zuohe River, so he was very familiar with the river.

Chen Zhifeng, the trainee known as "Old Three," leaned over, looked down for a moment, and nodded emphatically: "That's right! It's Zuojiang! Fly northeast along this river, and after another half hour, we'll see Nanning." He raised his hand to touch the pilot's badge on his chest—this brass badge was awarded by Taishan Aviation School, with a wing pattern engraved on the front and his name engraved on the back, a symbol of their achievements.

Fang Wen, who was piloting the plane, heard the trainees' conversation and couldn't help but smile. He called out, "You'll be flying planes on missions soon. Are you nervous?"

“General Manager,” Chen Lifeng stood up and replied, “we have undergone rigorous flight training and learned about aerial combat. Guangxi has a well-developed water system, which is perfect for gunship and aircraft operations. After returning, we will definitely apply what we have learned to actual combat and cooperate with ground troops to fight the Japanese!”

Fang Wen nodded: "You learned gunboat piloting and combat skills at school. After you go back, you will first go to Liuzhou Airport for adaptive training to familiarize yourself with the air routes and airspace in Guangxi. The front line needs pilots who can fight, and your skills will soon be put to good use."

Hearing this, the atmosphere in the cabin became even more enthusiastic. Li Mingyuan rubbed his hands together and said excitedly, "Great! I've been looking forward to this day for a long time! When we practiced simulated combat at school, I always treated the 'targets' as Japanese devils. This time, I can finally fight for real."

Zhou Mingxuan, a fellow trainee standing next to him, jokingly said, "Stop bragging. I remember once during a simulation training exercise, you wouldn't have been able to complete the circling shot if the instructor hadn't guided you to adjust the nose angle."

A burst of laughter filled the cabin. Li Mingyuan wasn't annoyed; he scratched his head and chuckled, "That was just the beginning! I'm already quite skilled now!"

While piloting the aircraft, Fang Wen observed the trainees behind him through mechanical sensing.

They were so young, full of vigor, and brimming with courage in the face of war.

But one cannot act rashly in war; one must guard against arrogance and impetuosity and act calmly.

Therefore, Fang Wen decided to remind them. "Your foundation is solid, but actual combat is different from training. When you get to the front lines, remember two things: First, obey orders and don't act like a hero; second, keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of your aircraft type. If you encounter enemy aircraft, don't engage them head-on. Launch your airburst bombs and retreat immediately. Even if the enemy aircraft chase after you, you can rely on your armor to hold them off."

This is the unique experience Fang Wen shared with them.

The armor of the gunboat was capable of withstanding 7.7mm machine gun fire from Japanese aircraft.

But this is on the premise that the opponent does not launch a sustained attack.

Those who remained stationary and attempted to exchange fire were unlikely to hit the faster Japanese fighter planes. Furthermore, the aircraft's armor plates would suffer from metal fatigue due to continuous attacks, leading to penetration. A similar situation occurred during the northern campaign with Fang Wen's gunboat squadron, resulting in shrapnel penetration and injuries to gunners at the airfield.

In response, a student asked a question.

"Wouldn't it be too cowardly of us to run away as soon as we see enemy planes coming?"

Fang Wen explained, “Operations must be adapted to local conditions. Guangxi has a complex terrain, known as the ‘Ten Thousand Mountains.’ When Japanese warplanes fly into this terrain, they lack ground reference points for navigation, except for fixed attack targets. You are different; this area of ​​Guangxi is very familiar to you, and you know exactly where to fly. Therefore, as long as you fly out of the combat zone for a while, the Japanese warplanes may become disoriented. Once they are disoriented, they cannot return along the same route and may fly towards Yunnan and Guizhou, or Hunan. In that case, they will run out of fuel and will not be able to land, leaving them with only two options: forced landing or crash.”

So that's how it can be done! The Guangxi flight cadets, who had no real combat experience, finally understood.

After giving a warning to a group of novice pilots who had no combat experience, Fang Wen said no more.

Some things need to be touched upon but left unsaid. Saying too much might not be accepted by the other party. Just point out the key points.

The plane flew downstream along the Zuojiang River and arrived at the confluence of the two rivers 20 minutes later.

The Zuojiang and Youjiang rivers converge to form a new river, the Yongjiang River, which continues to flow eastward and eventually enters the Xijiang River in the Pearl River Basin.

The Yongjiang River also flows through Nanning. The Guangxi clique built the military airfield where the gunboats and aircraft landed this time in a calm area upstream.

Below, in the Jiangbei area, there are large areas of stilted buildings supported by round logs.

The military airfield is also located on the eastern section of this area, with a dock extending from the shore as a berthing point.

Fang Wen also saw officers below waving, signaling them to land.

The aircraft then adjusted its position, lowered its altitude, and landed on the water.

After gliding for a while, it came to a steady stop at the dock.

The plane is parked.

The trainees disembarked.

Fang Wen prepared to leave for Yangjiang.

However, the officer who was there to pick him up insisted on doing so.

"Commander Fang, it would be extremely impolite of you to come to Nanning and not stay for a simple meal."

"Let's have lunch now before we leave."

Unable to refuse their hospitality, Fang Wen led Gong Xiuneng off the plane, and together with the officers who came to pick them up and the trainees, they went ashore.

Once ashore, Fang Wen suggested, "Let's not go too far. Let's just have a simple meal nearby."

"That works too. Let's go to Jiangbei Tower nearby."

The group then headed to a restaurant about 100 meters away.

That was the stilted house on the riverbank that Fang Wen had seen. It looked very simple from the river, but it looked quite nice from the street on the other side.

Led by the officer, the group entered Jiangbei Tower, went straight to the second floor, and chose a window seat facing the river.

Below this location is the stilted house supported by wood, the whole place is suspended in mid-air.

Gong Xiuneng was a little worried: "Commander, the space below is empty. How about we change our location?"

"It's alright, we eat here every day," the officer said with a smile.

Fang Wen thought about it and realized it wasn't a big deal. With his current physical condition, he could handle it even if the stilted house collapsed.

The group then split into two tables and sat down.

The officer then ordered a table of dishes with local specialties.

The dishes were served quickly, and the officer warmly invited, "Commander Fang, please have a taste."

Fang Wen picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of Jiangbeilou's specialty dish: lemon duck.

The pickled lemon, along with chili and ginger, makes for a delicious and appetizing sour and spicy flavor.

There is another dish called Chicken Nest, but due to the shortage of supplies during the war, good bird's nests could no longer be found. The owner here uses pig skin to make glue to create an imitation of Chicken Nest.

It tastes quite delicious.

After the main course, the restaurant also served two plates of pickled vegetables, which were even more appetizing.

Fang Wen never expected that Nanning cuisine during the Republic of China era would be like this, and he ate three bowls of rice.

He ate well, and the officers were happy too.

However, because he needed to pilot the plane, he did not drink alcohol.

After eating, Fang Wen socialized with the officers.

"tasty."

"Is that so? Then next time Commander Fang comes, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Thank you. May I ask your honorable name?"

"No need for formalities, my name is Liu Yuanxing, captain of the gunboat combat team."

"Nice to meet you. We're all in the same industry, and we'll have plenty of time to work together in the future."

Fang Wen smiled and shook hands with Liu Yuanxing, thus formally introducing them.

The ensuing conversation mainly revolved around the Guangxi warship fleet.

Although there were only three of them, the Guangxi clique regarded them as treasures and was eager to make use of their combat power on future battlefields.

Fang Wen is an expert in gunships and air combat, and is an authority in this field. That's why Liu Yuanxing tried so hard to keep him, hoping to learn something from him.

Fang Wen was willing to help with this.

He said, "On the plane, I discussed with the trainees the things to pay attention to in actual combat. Since you are the commander of the gunboat squadron, I can offer some more suggestions."

"Please wait a moment." Liu Yuanxing instructed his men to go downstairs to the shopkeeper to fetch paper and pen, and then he took notes on the spot.

Fang Wen continued:
"Guangxi has the Yong River in the south and the Hongshui River in the north, along with numerous tributaries, making its water system well-developed. The surrounding mountains also provide a barrier, preventing the Japanese mechanized forces from advancing unimpeded. This is precisely what gives you an advantage. The ability of gunboats to land on water perfectly complements your strengths, further enhancing your advantage. My suggestion is to establish multiple seaplane bases along different rivers, serving as mobile operational bases. This will avoid Japanese air raids and allow for more flexible participation in combat. Furthermore, I suggest that you begin now to familiarize yourselves with the entire Guangxi region by flying over the entire terrain several times. Only in this way can you launch attacks from multiple directions and coordinate with ground forces."

Liu Yuanxing listened attentively, taking notes as he went, his face beaming with excitement. The gunboats, through the performances of Fang Wen, the Eighth Route Army, and the New Fourth Army, were gradually gaining recognition, and he very much hoped they could play a significant role in the war.

After the suggestions were made, the conversation at the dinner table came to an end. Fang Wen got up and took his leave, then returned to the sea airport with Gong Xiuneng. The plane took off and flew to the Yangjiang Independent Regiment's base.

(End of this chapter)