Republic of China: Ace Pilot

The nobles, accompanied by their entourages, hurriedly left the hall to prepare for their boarding that evening.

Half an hour later, the first group of people returned.

Mrs. Simone and her entourage came to find Fang Wen.

Holding hands with her two children and a woman in a suit, she earnestly pleaded, "Mr. Fang, these are my children and their adoptive mother. Please make sure they get to New York safely."

Fang Wen nodded: "I will." He then instructed the staff to take the people and luggage onto the plane first.

Subsequently, more people arrived.

Fang Wen walked up to Count Emile de Exupéry and said, “Mr. Emile, I really like your collection. Does your family have anything similar? I can offer a high price to buy it, or I can fulfill one of your requests.”

Emil shook his head: “Mr. Fang, I believe your promise. It’s a pity that my family only has these in its collection. According to my grandfather’s diary, many people were involved in the Dunhuang incident at that time, and they came from different countries. Now more than 30 years have passed, and it will be difficult to find those people again. As for the fragments of the Yongle Encyclopedia, my grandfather bought them from an officer, and he only had these. The rest are probably in museums.”

Fang Wen nodded and instructed him to hand over and register the items to be transported the following evening with the staff.

It seems that the majority of the looted artifacts were still in museums.

However, the museum's collection was already moved out of Paris last year.

Whether we have a chance to get our hands on it depends on how the war unfolds.

Shaking off his thoughts, Fang Wen boarded the plane, preparing for his first night flight of the evening.

At 10 p.m., all passengers boarded the plane, the cabin doors closed, and the plane accelerated down the runway and took off.

An hour later, the plane landed at Geneva Airport.

The passengers disembarked and were taken to the branch office to rest, waiting to board a commercial airliner to Asia during the day.

Fang Wen also spoke with Lin Baoluo.

"Did German planes interfere with our civilian aircraft flights today?"

"No, but a military attaché from the German consulate has come and asked to meet with you."

“Tell him I’m not in Europe, and if anything happens, I’ll talk to him directly.”

"Ok."

After the conversation, Fang Wen piloted the plane into the air to continue the next round of nighttime shipping.

November 5st

Northern French Plain Theater.

After a night of rest, the German 7th Panzer Division launched another assault.

Rommel's 7th Panzer Division, like a steel torrent breaking free from its shackles, surged forward again towards the lower reaches of the Seine after penetrating the French 10th Army's defenses.

The roar of the Panzer III's engine echoed across the plains, and the dust and smoke kicked up by its tracks mingled with the yellowish-gray smoke, forming a curtain of gray. Along the 40-kilometer assault route, the weapons abandoned by the fleeing French soldiers and the damaged vehicles were everywhere.

The French army was completely unable to cope with the highly mobile offensive tactics of the German mechanized forces.

At 9:00 AM, the 7th Armored Division command center received a telegram from the front.

"General, the vanguard has reached the outskirts of Tilais and has spotted scattered French defensive positions ahead. Requesting instructions!"

Rommel stood on the turret of the command tank, raising his binoculars to stare at the horizon ahead.

"Ignore the flank outposts, advance at full speed, and after capturing Tire, the next target is Melu."

His adjutant couldn't help but remind him, "General, our mission is to coordinate with the attacking army group's offensive. Attacking Meru would violate the army group's combat orders."

Rommel shook his head: "I will not disobey orders. I am only sending a small force to raid Melu. As long as we successfully reach there, it will be a great deterrent to the French high command in Paris. This effect will also be beneficial to our offensive."

With the order given, the German armored groups accelerated once again.

Tank formations, in a wedge formation, tore through the hastily constructed skirmish lines of the French army, followed closely by motorized infantry in troop carriers and military tricycles, launching a crushing pursuit of the routed French troops.

The French soldiers along the way had long lost their will to resist, either surrendering with their hands raised or hiding deep in the wheat fields. No one dared to directly stop this unstoppable armored force.

The main force of the German tank units quickly arrived at Tilai.

Suddenly, the roar of engines filled the sky as 10 French "Taishan" gunboats skimmed low over the clouds and appeared above Thilet.

This new type of French air strike force, equipped with two 20mm cannons and four 50kg bombs, was quite effective against German tank units.

This was one of the few counter-attacking forces the French army could muster at this moment. In order to hold the northern plains defense line, this gunboat squadron was transferred from the Maginot Line in the east.

"Air raid!" German troops warned each other.

But it was all too late.

Taking advantage of their low altitude and speed, the French gunboats quickly reached the airspace above the German tank units and then circled the troops below.

Flames spewed from the firing ports on the sides of the aircraft, and a barrage of 20mm cannon shells rained down on the tank formation, while the aircraft dropped its 50kg aerial bombs onto the ground through the bottom hatch.

A Panzer III tank was hit by a shell and its track broke instantly. The tank lost power and became stranded in the middle of the road.

Another Panzer IV tank was hit by an aerial bomb. The blast wave caused the ammunition compartment to explode, sending flames soaring into the sky. The turret was blown several meters away, and thick black smoke billowed into the air.

"88mm anti-aircraft guns, set them up quickly!" Rommel roared, his voice unusually agitated.

German rear troops deployed anti-aircraft artillery units towed by military vehicles, and two 88mm anti-aircraft guns turned their muzzles and opened fire fiercely on the French gunboats and aircraft flying low overhead.

However, the French pilots' flight paths were not straight and difficult to track, which allowed them to evade anti-aircraft fire.

Within just ten minutes, the German army lost five tanks and suffered 12 casualties, disrupting their advance for the first time.

Rommel stared at the French gunboats and aircraft wreaking havoc in the sky, his knuckles clenched until they turned white.

His armored divisions excelled at ground assaults but were severely lacking in effective low-altitude air defense. While the 88mm anti-aircraft guns were powerful, they were slow to deploy and inflexible in turning, making them difficult to deal with low-altitude aircraft. The anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on tanks had short range and weak firepower, and were simply no match for the French naval gun emplacements.

"What kind of plane is this? Could it be a secret weapon of the French army?" the adjutant asked in surprise.

"It's a gunship-launched aircraft from Taishan Military Industry. Both Britain and France have purchased these aircraft, mainly for ground attack and airborne operations." Rommel put down his binoculars and ordered, "Disperse the vanguard to avoid being concentrated in one area. Halt the offensive and accelerate the deployment of anti-aircraft weapons."

Under his orders, the vanguard tanks dispersed, which proved effective, significantly reducing the accuracy of air fire. In response, the French gunboat squadron, after a brief attack, returned to base.

Because of the attack by gunboats, Thilet's French troops did not collapse.

The German tank units did not launch an attack.

In the command center of the German 7th Panzer Division, Rommel is searching for a way to break the code.

He analyzed on the spot: "We must destroy this gunboat squadron, otherwise our plan to send a small mechanized force to attack Melu will be easily ruined. These gunboats are slow and cannot compete with fighters. The French army doesn't have many planes left, and it seems they won't specifically coordinate with the gunboat squadron. We only need to call in air support to take them out here."

Immediately afterwards, a telegram requesting support was sent to the German front-line air force command.

An hour and a half later, the German army launched another attack.

As the tank units launched their attack, French gunboats and aircraft once again flew over Thilet.

Just as they were preparing to attack the German tank forces, 15 Bf-109s flew in from the German rear.

Without gunboat squadrons equipped with airburst bombs, they simply cannot deal with these high-speed fighters.

The French pilot quickly turned his plane around to escape, but was soon overtaken by German fighter planes.

Ultimately, all ten gunships were shot down outside Tilai.

With the destruction of the gunboat fleet, the Germans launched another attack, and the French forces in Tilet quickly collapsed. This important town, which guarded the north of Paris, fell into German hands.

Subsequently, a German tank unit set off from Thilet and headed toward Melu, where the French troops abandoned the city and fled before the German tanks even arrived.

However, the city's telegraph office sent a message about the emergency to Paris.

3pm.

The news spread like wildfire.

On the Champs-Élysées, the elegant strollers of the past were nowhere to be seen; instead, people were rushing about, dragging suitcases and carrying children.

Long queues formed in front of the bakery as people frantically bought bread, drinking water, and other supplies. Store employees shouted at the top of their lungs, "Only a few bags left!" In the chaos, some people even got into fights.

The atmosphere inside Taishan Airlines' Paris branch was equally tense.

The nobles who had originally agreed to be transported the following night were now all crowding in the hall, their usual composure gone, replaced by anxiety and panic.

A wealthy man strode up to Fang Wen: "Mr. Fang, Melu is lost, and the German army will be in Paris tomorrow. Can our flight be moved up? I'm worried... I'm worried it will be too late!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other nobles crowded around him: "Yes, can we leave now?" "I'll pay extra for shipping, I just want to leave Paris as soon as possible!"

Fang Wen was somewhat puzzled by this.

The marching speed of infantry is limited, and the French army had not completely given up resistance. It was impossible for the Germans to reach Paris so quickly.
Only the German tank units could achieve this marching speed.

Tank units alone are not enough to take Paris, the French capital.

He needed more detailed information, so he sent Pierre out to gather more information.

After a while, Pierre drove back.

He breathlessly recounted what he knew.

"It was the German tank units that captured Thilet and Melu today, and the Melu telegraph office sent a telegram to Paris, which is how we found out. Now the high command is arguing about it. The Prime Minister has ordered the mobilization of troops to defend Paris, while the French Commander-in-Chief has proposed a ceasefire."

"Ceasefire?" Fang Wen was surprised. The fighting had escalated to this point, yet the French Supreme Commander wanted a ceasefire, while the Prime Minister was the one who advocated for war.

With the military's attitude like this, how can this war continue? No wonder the well-informed wealthy are so eager to leave Paris.

In response, Fang Wen walked into the company's lobby, which was used to receive passengers, and shouted to the noisy and chaotic crowd, "Everyone, please be quiet!"

The people in the hall fell silent.

“I have received the news and understand everyone’s feelings. Given the current situation, the night flight will fly its final night tomorrow. The flight time remains unchanged, so please rest assured that I will get you out safely.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, a look of relief appearing on their faces.

“But I have two requests.” Fang Wen’s gaze swept over everyone, his tone serious. “First, do not leak this information. If the news leaks and we are unable to fly, I can only apologize. Second, the streets of Paris are in chaos right now. In order to ensure that we can board the plane on time, I suggest that everyone bring their luggage and stay here. I will arrange your meals.”

“No problem! I agree to everything!” “I’ll go back and pack right away!” The wealthy people readily agreed and turned to run out the door.

At that moment, René Greu and Georges Morand hurried into the hall, their faces full of worry. "Mr. Fang, we would like to ask you for a favor."

Fang Wen's heart skipped a beat. Could this be his chance?
He replied calmly, "I did promise you that you would help me once by appraising my work, but it must be within my capabilities."

René Grué nodded: “You can do it. We just received news that the German army will probably attack Paris soon. Judging from the current situation, Paris cannot be defended. And the collections of these museums that we are transferring have not yet started to be transported. Therefore, we would like to ask you to help us move some of the collections ahead of schedule.”

"From where to where?" Fang Wen asked.

“The shipment of Château de Chambord to the south may require multiple flights,” George Morand replied.

The panic caused by the German armored forces' surprise attack actually gave Fang Wen an opportunity.

Fang Wen pretended to be hesitant: "I'm afraid that's impossible. My plan is to leave France after my flight tomorrow."

"No, you must help us with this." René Grué said urgently and frantically.

George Morand was in a better mood. "Mr. Fang, the Germans' hatred towards us could lead to some unforeseen circumstances. We are worried that they might destroy our artworks, which is absolutely unacceptable. We know you are very interested in your country's cultural relics, and we ask for your understanding."

Fang Wen nodded in response: "I understand your feelings. Those artworks carry the history of your French civilization and must not be destroyed or stolen, just like I collect the cultural relics lost from China. But the current situation is very dangerous, and I must be responsible for the safety of my company's employees."

His words deliberately mentioned his collection of Chinese cultural relics, which was a hint to the two of them.

This suggestion worked very well.

René Grue blurted out, "We can also use Chinese cultural relics as shipping costs."

Fang Wen looked at him and said, "I know that your museum has a lot of Chinese cultural relics in its collection, and I would love to get them and take them back to my motherland, but you can't make that decision."

René Grué nodded sheepishly: “I really can’t make a decision. Please give me some time. I will give you a definite answer tomorrow morning.”

Suppressing his joy, Fang Wen shook hands with René Grué. "If the conditions satisfy me, I can take the risk of transporting goods for you." (End of Chapter)