Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 690 French Airborne Brigade, Fang Wen's Sedan Airborne Operation
On the morning of May 15, 1940.

The Malfi Forest west of Sedan.

The tracks of the Panzer III tank rolled over the wet bushes, leaving two deep ruts in the mud, and advanced toward the front line.

In the center of the mechanized forces, Guderian stood at the open top of a command vehicle, black smoke billowing from a French bunker through his binoculars.

Those were remnants of the Stuka bombing.

Now, his 19th Armored Corps has established a foothold on the west bank of the Meuse River, and a pontoon bridge is being rapidly constructed two kilometers downstream, allowing more troops to cross the river.

"General, the 1st Armored Division reports that we have encountered a French counterattack three kilometers ahead!" The communications soldier ran over to report.

Guderian put down his binoculars, sat down, and traced his fingertips across the map, which showed the road from Sedan to Saint-Quentin.

"Tell Rommel to have his 7th Panzer Division flank the French infantry and avoid engaging them in close combat. Our objective is not to capture villages, but to cut off their supply lines and prevent other French troops from supporting them."

At this moment, at the position of the French 55th Infantry Division, Private Jean Le Maire was moving a 25mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun with other soldiers.

This twin-mounted anti-tank weapon is also the only anti-tank weapon currently used by the French Army.

Indeed, the French Army, which is known as a military power, relies mainly on the 12 25mm Hotchkiss anti-tank guns per infantry regiment for its anti-tank defense. On average, there are only about 3 anti-tank guns per kilometer of infantry defense line, which is even lower than that of the Polish army.

Meanwhile, the PTR-39 14.5mm anti-tank rifle, a man-portable anti-tank weapon commissioned by the French military, is still in the research stage.

As for the blueprints for the Polish M35 anti-tank rifle, which were only acquired this year, they have only just been sent to the research lab.

Therefore, the pressure is enormous for a second-rate army like the 55th Infantry Division.

The 25mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun was pushed into a bunker 50 meters behind the front-line foxholes.

Private Jean Le Maire looked at the shell craters and corpses on the battlefield, his face pale.

"Their tanks are coming!"

The shouts in the distance brought him back to reality. He could only see the figure of a scout running at full speed, and the dust and dirt that had been kicked up around him.

All French troops at the front immediately went into combat readiness, and Private Jean Le Maire also operated the 12 25mm Hotchkiss anti-tank guns, adjusting their firing direction.

"Aim at the tracks, fire on the tracks!" the gunnery officer shouted.

Le Maire pulled the trigger, and the 25mm shell struck the armor of a Panzer IV tank, leaving only a white mark.

On this firing surface, the French had only one 25mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun, while the Germans had four tanks.

More than one tank turret slowly turned and aimed at the only anti-tank gun bunker that could threaten them.

Private Jean Le Maire instinctively let go of her hand and turned around.

The massive shockwave from the explosion propelled him far away, and the bunker behind him was leveled by the shells.

On the same morning, the GQG headquarters (Supreme Command) in Paris faced a major change.

Commander-in-Chief Gammon had just been dismissed, and Wei Gang was still on a plane returning from North Africa. The staff officers temporarily in command were arguing incessantly over the map.

"The gap in Sedan has widened to ten kilometers! German tanks are rapidly advancing on our positions!"

The operations staff slammed the telegram on the table. The yellow arrow representing the German army on the map had advanced from the Ardennes Forest, pierced the French red line, and was pointing straight into the heart of France.

On the northern front in Belgium, the British 2nd Army is engaged in fierce fighting with the German Army Group B.

Commander Montgomery of the British 3rd Expeditionary Division stood in the trench of his command post, watching the chaotic battle between British, French, and German warplanes in the sky, his brow furrowed.

He told his adjutant, "The French defenses have a fatal flaw. Our right flank is now in danger of being attacked by the Germans at any moment. Order all regiments to tighten their defenses and hold the road from Brussels to Lille. We cannot allow the Germans to separate us from the French!"

Paris on the same day.

Just four days later, the city was completely shrouded in the shadow of the frontline defeat, and an atmosphere of panic and chaos permeated everything from government offices to ordinary streets.

The street security situation has deteriorated significantly, and some people have already left Paris by car or train/ship for the western and southern regions, far from the war.

Fang Wenye has finished his visits over the past few days, and now all he has to do is wait patiently.

At 1 p.m., Pierre drove back to the Paris branch of Taishan Airlines and rushed into Fang Wen's room.

"Fang, I've brought back important news."

"What news?" Fang Wen poured Pierre a cup of tea.

Pierre downed his tea in one gulp and replied, “Reliable sources say our Prime Minister spoke with the newly appointed British Prime Minister, Churchill. I immediately sensed something was wrong at the front, so I used my personal connections to find out. He told me the Germans have reached Sedan, and you were right. The Germans launched a surprise attack from the Ardennes Forest, and with a large number of tanks. Our troops deployed at Sedan simply couldn’t stop them. Now we can only transfer troops from both flanks of Sedan to fill the gap.”

Fang Wen frowned after hearing Pierre's explanation.

"If that's the case, it's probably even more dangerous. The Germans wouldn't be unaware of this. Once their forces are redeployed, the German army will also change its strategy, and they will maintain the initiative."

“What can we do? This is all we can do!” Pierre sighed.

Fang Wen did not answer, but simply refilled Pierre's empty teacup with tea.

Pierre sat down as well, and the two drank tea in silence.

The day seemed to drag on forever.

At 2 p.m., Gong Xiuneng came in: "Commander, the French Air Force is here to see you."

"Let them in."

"Yes."

Gong Xiu went out and soon returned with two officers.

After introducing themselves, the two explained their reasons.

"Mr. Fang, there has been a change of events at the front. The 10 gunship aircraft we purchased from you will be used in actual combat. We would like to ask you to go to the front to guide the operation."

Fang Wen shook his head: "Ten gunships and aircraft will be of no use in Sedan."

After all, those were early gunship models, lacking even air-to-ground rockets capable of threatening tanks. Faced with a massive tank formation, they were merely sending them to create ripples.

In response, an officer produced a document.

"This is your bet, and the property deed you won. My colleague deeply regrets not believing your analysis. Sedan is now a huge threat to us, and if we can't find a solution, we will be defeated. Therefore, we are willing to pursue any hope or possibility."

Another officer added, "Your track record in the East, and your expertise in airborne tactics, will be of great help to our operation. How can you agree to participate in our operation?"

Fang Wen accepted the bet and the house deed, his mind racing.

This is also an opportunity; it's a good time to offer conditions to poach talent.

Therefore, he replied, "My Taishan military industry needs a large number of technical personnel, which is why I came to Paris. However, such technical personnel are very difficult to recruit and are subject to your government's control. If you loosen the restrictions in this regard, I can consider it."

“No problem, the military will help you apply, and I think the government will agree,” the officer replied. Fang Wen shook his head and took out a piece of paper from his bag: “I need it right away. This is a list. If you can get half of the people on the list on board, I’ll agree.”

The list contains 100 people, all of whom are mid-level and lower-level technical personnel, distributed across several military industrial enterprises. The information was obtained by Pierre using his personal connections.

Fang Wen asked the French military to help him recruit half of the people into Taishan Military Industry, which would have been impossible under normal circumstances, but now, a turning point has emerged.

"I need to make a phone call."

"The phone is over there, please go ahead."

The officer walked over, picked up the receiver, and dialed a number.

After a while, he replied, "The army can only guarantee that no one will make things difficult for you, but whether those people agree or not depends on their own wishes."

"That's it."

Fang Wen looked at Pierre: "You take care of the recruitment. You can raise the requirements appropriately. I'll talk to these two."

Pierre got up and left.

Next, Fang Wen had a formal discussion with the two officers.

"The situation is urgent. The German army has crossed the Meuse River and is launching an attack on our forces from the west bank. They have too many tanks and a large number of aircraft supporting them, making it difficult for our troops to hold out. We need to send troops to support us from both flanks. At the same time, we are also preparing a decapitation strike to raid the German command center. The raid will be carried out by the gunboat squadron, which will transport 200 paratroopers for airborne operations. The gunboats will also provide air support. The reason we hired you is to put you in command of this force."

Fang Wen's expression turned slightly cold after hearing what the other party said.

"This unit will die there, whether or not it completes its mission."

“They know. But you don’t. After you finish giving instructions, you can return to base.”

So that's how it is. The French army wanted to take a risky gamble, using the lives of a small number of soldiers to change the course of the war.

This was ultimately a matter for the French people, so Fang Wen didn't dwell on it too much and continued discussing the details of the operation.

According to the plan, he will fly to Lauter, a region on the Maginot Line on the French border, to join the gunboat squadron there.

Then, the discussion turned to the departure time of the operation, the location of the airborne operation, and the status of the ground support personnel.

Another point is that Fang Wen requested that his identity not be recorded in any military files during this operation.

The two officers agreed.

At 5 p.m. on May 15, Fang Wen boarded the plane and set off with Gong Xiuneng.

As the plane took off, with only the two of them in the air, Gong Xiuneng stood behind Fang Wen's seat and muttered to himself.

"Commander, we're sure we'll lose this battle."

"Oh, what brilliant idea do you have?"

"In 37, the Japanese didn't fight like this in Shanghai. The officials of the Nationalist government, like the French, thought they wouldn't land at Jinshanwei, but they still broke through from there."

Gong Xiuneng's words reminded Fang Wen of the battle three years ago.

They do look somewhat alike.

During the German attack on the Ardennes Forest, the French high command generally believed that the dense forests and rugged terrain of the Ardennes would prevent armored units from traversing quickly, and therefore only deployed second-rate infantry divisions to defend the area, essentially creating a "blind spot" in the defenses. However, the Germans concentrated their armored formations and, with the support of engineers clearing roads and air cover, rapidly crossed the mountains, penetrating deep into the French lines and tearing apart the Sedan Line in one fell swoop.

In 37, the Battle of Shanghai entered a stalemate. The main force of the National Revolutionary Army was concentrated on the Shanghai front and the Yangtze River. They believed that the Jinshanwei area of ​​Hangzhou Bay was densely covered with waterways, muddy beaches, and shallows, making it difficult for Japanese mechanized units to land. Therefore, they left only a small number of local troops and poorly equipped Hunan Army soldiers to defend the area. However, the Japanese secretly mobilized the 10th Army and launched a landing at Jinshanwei under the cover of night. The Hunan Army soldiers fought the Japanese with rifles and broadswords, but they were ultimately unable to hold the position, allowing the Japanese to break through the National Revolutionary Army's flank and rear defenses.

This Hunan Army included soldiers from western Hunan, and the soldiers recruited by the Independent Regiment in western Hunan came from the same place.

Pushing aside his thoughts, he asked, "What do you think is the logic behind this?"

Gong Xiuneng scratched his head: "I think that in war, you have to be offensive; it seems like you'll almost always lose if you're defensive."

“Yes, offense is the best defense,” Fang Wen remarked.

Without another word, the plane flew southeast and arrived over the Rhine River a little over an hour later.

This section of the Rhine River forms the border between Germany and France; the east bank is in Germany, and the west bank is in France.

The French built many bunkers and fortifications, which is what the French call the Maginot Line.

These bunkers are not just simple above-ground structures; they also contain a vast underground complex.

Unfortunately, these fortifications were of little use in the actual war, and the Germans never launched a large-scale attack from here.

Shaking off his thoughts, Fang Wen searched for a landing spot in the night.

He quickly located a small lake 10 kilometers behind the bunker, with 10 gunboats moored on the lake, military camps on the shore, and flashing navigation lights for aerial illumination. It was the camp of the French airborne troops.

Fang Wen controlled the plane to land on the water and then bring it ashore.

The cabin door opened, and Gong Xiuneng disembarked first, remaining vigilant, before Fang Wen followed.

As night fell, the camp lights came on, and more than 200 neatly dressed French soldiers lined up to await him.

One of the officers walked up to Fang Wen and saluted: "The entire French Airborne Brigade salutes you."

The soldiers saluted in response.

Looking at the faces of these soldiers, Fang Wen thought of the Chinese soldiers who died in the War of Resistance against Japan; they were so similar in some way.

He returned the salute and said, "Gentlemen, I would like to know from you whether you know what we are going to do in this operation?"

"Go deep behind enemy lines and destroy the command center of the German mechanized forces," the officer shouted.

Fang Wen responded coldly: "The command center of a mechanized force is different from that of a regular army. They are protected by tanks and armored vehicles and can be on the move at any time. Therefore, even if you have a local guide, it will be difficult for you to accurately locate and annihilate them. Even if you succeed, you will not be able to come back alive, understand?"

None of the soldiers answered; they responded to Fang Wen with silence.

Fang Wen could only feel admiration for these brave soldiers, but he did not continue with his probing words.

He then discussed the details of the operation with officers and pilots from the French airborne brigade.

"My mission is to lead you into the Sedan region. Local support personnel will send out a signal near the town of Ambrémont. Once confirmed, you must land within 30 minutes. The first objective is to capture Ambrémont and clear out the German troops within. If the German mechanized forces' command post is not in Ambrémont, the next objective is to advance north along the Meuse River within one hour. If the target cannot be found within one hour, this operation will be considered a failure, and German tanks will encircle the defensive lines from the Meuse River. My final suggestion is that the gunboats land on the Meuse River, and you immediately board the aircraft and evacuate."

The officers were surprised by the details of Fang Wen's plan.

If they follow this plan, they might still have a chance to come back alive, which is something they didn't expect.

But who wouldn't want to come back alive?

The officers agreed to Fang Wen's plan and were more willing to cooperate with his command.

(End of this chapter)