Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 697 Dunkirk (5), An Unexpected 'Ceasefire', British Pilots Arrive

May 23, 1940, at night.

Fang Wen led the seaplane formation to continue the clandestine nighttime airlift.

Thanks to the operational measures implemented yesterday, the transportation process tonight went much more smoothly.

And at the same time.

Dozens of miles from Dunkirk, in a noble villa on the banks of the Oise River, generals gathered in a makeshift meeting room of the headquarters of the German Army Group A.

The meeting hadn't started yet, and the general with a smoking habit was outside smoking a cigar.

The important person they were waiting for was several kilometers away.

A convoy rolled along the muddy country road in the night, splashing up strings of murky mud.

The three black Mercedes-Benz cars in the middle were covered with curtains, so it was impossible to see who was inside.

However, one can see the outside view through the gaps in the curtains from inside.

Along the roadside, German soldiers marched with weary expressions, broken tank tracks leaned crookedly against trees, and large clumps of charred mud were scattered about.

Soon the convoy arrived at the villa gate, where Field Marshal von Rundstedt, commander of Army Group A, was already waiting with a group of generals.

The man with the mustache stepped out of one of the cars, his dark gray military uniform adorned with a prominent Iron Cross badge on the collar. His boots were stained with mud from the road. His gaze swept over the tattered French flag at the corner of the courtyard wall, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. Without uttering a word, he walked straight into the temporary meeting room deep inside the villa.

The heavy velvet curtains in the conference room blocked out the natural light from the windows, leaving only a dim, yellowish glow from the brass chandeliers to illuminate the giant battle map spread out on the long wooden table. Red arrows snaked and weaved like venomous snakes around Dunkirk, forming a tightening net around the city. The foremost marker was only 10 miles from Dunkirk beach, the vanguard of Guderian's armored forces.

The man with the mustache sat in the main seat, his gaze fixed on Dunkirk on the map, his face expressionless. No one knew what he was thinking.

On the left, Rundstedt was hunched over, his eyes bloodshot. Three consecutive days of intense command had left this septuagenarian marshal, a veteran of World War I, utterly exhausted. "Your Excellency," he said, "it is an honor for the army that you have come to the front lines. But I must report to you that the armored forces have advanced more than 300 kilometers. Half of the tanks in Guderian's 19th Panzer Corps need their tracks replaced, and fuel reserves are down to only 30%. Even more dangerous is that the main infantry force is still over 100 kilometers away, and the flanks of the armored forces are completely exposed. In addition, yesterday de Gaulle's 4th Panzer Division launched a counterattack in Abbeville. Although it was repelled, it is enough to warn us that the French army has not completely lost its fighting capacity."

He picked up the brass command stick and slammed it heavily on the blue area around Dunkirk on the map: "This is the Flanders marshland. The rain has reduced the ground's bearing capacity by nearly half. Twelve canals crisscross the area, and the mud can submerge tank tracks. I fought here during World War I. Our tank units could hardly move an inch here and would only become sitting ducks for Allied anti-tank guns."

The man with the mustache was moved: "You're right, Rundstedt. The armored forces are the soul of the Imperial Blitzkrieg, our capital for attacking southern France, and even for dealing with the Bolsheviks in the East in the future. We can't afford to waste them in this quagmire."

"Your Excellency!" Air Force Commander Göring on the right immediately leaned forward, his gold-trimmed uniform making him appear even more flamboyant. "The warriors of the army have gained a decisive advantage. Now that they need time to rest, it's time for the Imperial Air Force to take the stage! I assure you, with our bomber fleet alone, we can reduce the Anglo-French forces at Dunkirk and all the ships at sea to ashes, ensuring they never leave there!"

"Führer!" At the end of the long table, Guderian stood up abruptly, a button on his uniform popping off from the sudden movement. He clenched his fist, his knuckles white, his eyes filled with anger and resentment. "Our vanguard is only 10 miles from Dunkirk! A few more hours of advance and we can completely encircle the Allied forces! Stopping now will cause the advantage of the blitzkrieg to disappear, and once they recover, it will be even more difficult for our army to annihilate them."

Ultimately, such debates require the head of state to make the final decision.

At this point, the man with the mustache looked at Army Chief of Staff Halder.

"What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, the British and French troops at Dunkirk remind me of a military case from the East. Two thousand years ago, there was a military commander in China called Hegemon-King. His troops were trapped on the banks of the Wu River. His opponent, Liu Bang, did not choose to attack directly because Hegemon-King's troops, with no way to retreat, would launch a fearless counterattack for survival. Once soldiers are no longer afraid of death, their fighting power becomes quite terrifying."

After a pause, the chief of staff continued, "The situation at Dunkirk is the same. If we continue the offensive, the desperate Allied forces will launch a desperate counterattack in order to survive. In that case, they will probably discover the problem with the coordination between our tank and infantry units, and then we probably won't be able to contain them."

Field Marshal Rundstedt agreed with this assessment, nodding and saying, "Yes, we now have the advantage and absolutely cannot afford to make a mistake. If Dunkirk's 30-plus troops launch a counter-offensive without any way to retreat, our current tank forces alone cannot stop them. I think we should not completely cut off their retreat. As long as Dunkirk's troops believe they can still escape by sea, they will not launch a counter-offensive. In this way, even if some of them retreat to the British mainland, we will still have an absolute advantage and thus be able to successfully occupy the whole of France."

The marshal's words, which incorporated opinions from various parties, swayed the man with the mustache.

He stood up and ordered all armored units of Army Group A to immediately halt their advance, withdraw their vanguard, and only be permitted to perform reconnaissance and surveillance missions! The task of attacking Dunkirk at this stage is now entirely the responsibility of the Air Force!

"Führer!" Guderian stepped forward urgently, his voice trembling with emotion. "You can't do this! It will ruin all our efforts and give the Allies a chance to regroup!"

The man with the mustache pierced Guderian with his sharp gaze, his tone icy: "Guderian, you want victory on the battlefield, but I want victory for all of Germany. This war absolutely cannot tolerate any mistakes, therefore, we must be meticulous!"

Guderian's body stiffened.

The man with the mustache slowly swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone softening slightly but remaining firm: "The British are among the best of the Aryan race, and I do not want to completely humiliate them. If we annihilate the British army, they will be forced into a corner and have no choice but to fight us to the death; but if we leave them some dignity, perhaps they will be willing to reach a peace agreement with us."

He raised his hand and traced the location of the British Isles on the map, a glint of fantasy flashing in his eyes: "Our real enemy is the Bolsheviks in the East. I need to concentrate all my forces on dealing with the Soviet Union. As long as Britain remains on the British Isles and does not interfere in the affairs of the European continent, we can tolerate their existence. This is for the longer-term future of the empire."

Göring bowed immediately: "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, I will not let you down! The air force will take off immediately and make Dunkirk the graveyard of the Allies!"

Lundstätter straightened up as well: "I will immediately relay your orders to ensure that the armored forces rest and hold the existing lines."

The night passed quickly.

Fang Wen led the Taishan seaplane formation to transport another 25,000 troops.

After completing their airlift mission, Fang Wen and the pilots all returned to the lounge to catch up on sleep.

Around noon, the pilots got up, assembled, and had lunch.

Compared to yesterday's meals, the British have now provided Chinese food.

Stir-fried vegetables, braised meat, and white rice.

This whetted the pilots' appetites, and they stopped heating their military rations, instead scooping up rice and vegetables to eat heartily.

Fang Wen also filled his bowl to the brim and started eating.

At this moment, the port dispatch officer came over, and Fang Wen asked, "Who made these dishes?"

“We have hired a Chinese chef from London; we hope he will satisfy you,” the officer replied.

"Satisfied." Fang Wen nodded and continued eating.

"Mr. Fang, although it may be impolite to say this over dinner, I do need your reply as soon as possible."

"You said."

"Starting at noon, the German ground offensive suddenly ceased, with only the Luftwaffe continuing its relentless air raids on Dunkirk. The Dover command believes this is the best opportunity to evacuate and is urgently dispatching ships to Dunkirk. The command asked me to inquire with you whether the number of daily transport ships could be increased?"

"Increase?" Fang Wen put down his chopsticks. "Our commercial contract involves secret nighttime shipping, which is already the limit of our capacity. Moreover, even if the German army doesn't attack during the day, the air force is still there. This is a huge danger to our pilots and aircraft. My pilots are not soldiers, nor are they British or French. They cannot pay a price that they shouldn't have to pay."

There was one more thing Fang Wen didn't say: nighttime shipping was not only safe and reliable, but it was also part of a confidentiality agreement he had signed with the British government. If they flew during the day, wouldn't that expose the operation? The Geneva route would inevitably be affected, and might even be shut down by the Germans.

Upon hearing Fang Wen's explanation, the dispatching officer didn't press the matter further and relayed the message directly back to the Dover command. In the following days, they didn't request additional shipping trips from Fang Wen; after all, ensuring continuous nighttime shipping was enough to safely transport 25,000 soldiers back daily, which was already quite an achievement.

August 24th.

The "Stop moving forward" command has taken effect.

Guderian’s 19th Panzer Corps (1st, 2nd and 10th Panzer Divisions) halted its advance at Gravoline, 10 kilometers west of Dunkirk, while Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division stood by at Saint-Omer.

The German armored forces began to rest and regroup, while only infantry units slowly tightened the encirclement.

The coalition forces gained a respite.

The more than 30 coalition troops, who had no intention of resisting, were only thinking about retreating.

British Expeditionary Force and some French troops assembled on the beaches of Dunkirk. The remnants of the French 1st and 7th Armies were responsible for covering the flanks, while engineers dug foxholes on the beach and constructed anti-aircraft positions with heavy machine guns.

That night, the British army evacuated 23,000 people using the Taishan seaplane.

The number of flights was less than the previous two days because some aircraft experienced problems under high load conditions and required temporary maintenance.

Fortunately, with Fang Wen around, the problems with these aircraft could be clearly identified, and they could continue to be used after the parts were replaced.

August 25th.

After holding out for four days, the garrison in Calais (the French 12th Motorized Infantry Division and the British 30th Infantry Brigade) ran out of ammunition and food, and about 4000 soldiers were captured.

The British army shifted its main force to Dunkirk Beach, while the French army was responsible for guarding the eastern defense line (towards Lille) to prevent the German army from breaking through from the east.

At night, the Taishan seaplane formation transported another 25,000 soldiers away.

Nearly 100,000 soldiers were airlifted away over four nights.

The coalition forces still have 30 troops remaining at Dunkirk.

Now, the German army has completed its assembly and rest.

5 month 26 day.

The generator project has been fully launched.

Churchill ordered a full evacuation.

Allied forces within the Dunkirk siege, along with British naval and civilian vessels (fishing boats, yachts, and cargo ships), began to assemble at Dunkirk.

Such a huge fleet of ships filled the beaches of Dunkirk, and there were even more ships in the distance.

In response, the German Air Force dispatched a large number of aircraft to bomb the area.

The British Royal Air Force also launched a full-scale attack, and the two sides engaged in fierce combat over the Channel.

(British troops and air raids on Dunkirk beach)

(Photo of British troops boarding ships during their retreat)

5 month 26 day.

10 o'clock in the morning.

Five Bedford military trucks drove through the town of Ramsgate and directly into the port area.

A large number of soldiers disembarked from the military vehicles, wearing leather jackets distinctive to the British Royal Air Force.

The dispatch officer received them and then led the leading air force officer to Fang Wen's resting place.

Gong Xiuneng, who was guarding the door, stopped them and said in short English, "No, no, no."

The dispatching officer explained in English, "Dover has new orders, and I need to inform Mr. Fang."

Fang Wen's voice came from inside the room: "Wait for me for five minutes."

Five minutes later, Fang Wen opened the door, his face showing no signs of fatigue from not having slept all night.

The dispatching officer first introduced the person next to him: "He is Squadron Leader Spier of No. 26 Squadron, Royal Air Force."

Fang Wen shook hands with him: "Hello, Spiel."

Then he asked the dispatching officer, "What new orders does Dover have?"

"The Prime Minister announced a full evacuation, and we dispatched a large number of ships to Dunkirk and deployed warships to escort them in the straits. The German Luftwaffe sent a large number of bombers to bomb our troops on the beaches and ships at sea. As a result, we lost many transport ships. The command believed that seaplanes could be used to expand the transport routes during the day. Therefore, 50 fighter pilots were sent over, led by Major Spier, to fly these planes for daytime transport."

So that's how it is. The British were afraid of a large-scale German offensive, so they simply had their own military pilots participate in daytime seaplane airlifts.

Fang Wen didn't mind, since the plane had already been sold to the British and his own pilots didn't have to take any risks.

He nodded and said, "No problem. What are your specific plans?"

This time, it was Major Spier who explained.

“Mr. Fang, our pilots are not very familiar with seaplanes and need some special training. My idea is that after training during the day, they can also fly with us tonight.”

Fang Wen nodded: "Sure, the Shuiyun-1 seaplane was designed so that civilian pilots could master it as quickly as possible. In the past, many pilots in civilian aviation only needed a month to go from knowing nothing to being able to fly. You have experience flying high-speed fighter jets, so I think you can master it after flying it once or twice."

After the two sides negotiated, Fang Wen agreed that the flight training would begin after the pilots woke up at noon.

With two hours to go before noon, Fang Wen couldn't help but want to learn about the current situation of the British and German air force battles through this major air force officer.

"Speer, can you talk about the battle you fought over Dunkirk?"

“Of course, I’ve heard you’re an ace pilot in Asia, and I’d love to share those battles with you,” Major Spier replied.

(End of this chapter)