Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Fang Wen decided to depart for Changsha that afternoon.

He planned to fly the amphibious aircraft that came from Yangon.

This needs to be communicated to Changsha beforehand; otherwise, once the plane is over Changsha, the ground-based air defenses won't be able to distinguish between friend and foe.

After a while, the car carrying the athletes drove into the airport.

The National Games athletes, dressed in silk gowns, stepped off the bus, clutching top hats in their hands, with warm smiles.

“Brother Fang, I came here especially to see you off.” Quan Yuncai stepped forward to help Fang Wen straighten his clothes, his gaze sweeping over the still dusty hem of his garments. His tone was filled with admiration. “The news of you shooting down four enemy planes with anti-aircraft guns has spread throughout the National Government. The people in the First Division of the General Staff Office even asked me to inquire about you. They want to hold a commendation ceremony at Baishiyi Airport and award you a medal. This would not only boost morale but also let the various war zones know about you, making it easier for you to recruit soldiers later.”

Fang Wen knew that the Nationalist government's commendations were never given for nothing. Once he accepted the medal, his future actions would be more constrained, so it was better to maintain the flexibility of his current status.

Moreover, he did not want to get too close to the Nationalist government.

Therefore, I refused.

Quan Yuncai had anticipated his attitude and shook his head with a smile: "I knew you didn't care about these things. Well, I've already spoken to the adjutant's office and told them that you're eager to go to Changsha to recruit soldiers, so the commendation will be put on hold for now. But don't worry, I mentioned it to you and had the Ministry of Military Affairs send a telegram to the Ninth War Zone. Someone will receive you."

He paused for a moment, then looked at the amphibious aircraft beside him: "By the way, you're flying this plane to Changsha, right?"

Fang Wen nodded: "It's this one."

How many people can it seat?

"Fifteen people are no problem."

"Oh, it's very safe for you to fly the plane. This is a rare opportunity. Could you please take a few people with you?"

"Who are they?" Fang Wen asked.

“There are people from the military, government, and the Ninth War Zone involved, so I can’t say for sure. If you agree, I’ll go and tell them.”

Bringing people along might not necessarily help with the recruitment process, but it would at least create a good relationship.

Fang Wen agreed.

Quan Yuncai immediately used the airport phone to call the city and specifically emphasized that someone should come over immediately.

An hour later, five cars drove into the airport.

The people in the car got out, carrying their luggage, and walked up to Fang Wen.

They introduced each of them to Fang Wen one by one.

There was an officer from the Ninth War Zone's Chongqing Liaison Office.

A liaison officer sent from Chongqing to Changsha.

In addition, two inspectors from the Ministry of Economic Affairs were dispatched to Changsha to coordinate military and political affairs.

Three members of the Air Defense and Logistics Coordination Group stationed in Changsha.

One inspector from the Ministry of Military Service was assigned to supervise conscription work in Hunan Province.

There were eight people in total, which wasn't many.

Fang Wen let them board the plane and then said goodbye to Quan Yuncai: "Brother Quan, next time you come to Chongqing, I will definitely have a good drink with you."

With Quan Yuncai and Sun Debiao watching them go, Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng boarded the plane.

The cabin door closed, and the plane taxied down the runway and took off, breaking through the lingering smoke of battle over Chongqing and heading east.

The flight from Chongqing to Changsha was extremely dangerous.

After all, this direction was also the flight path of the Japanese air raiding groups that came to Chongqing.

Therefore, there have been virtually no flights to Changsha in the past few months.

Fang Wen did not dare to be careless. After takeoff, he used his special ability in combination with radar detection equipment to search for targets.

More than twenty aircraft reported from 200 kilometers away in the northeast direction.

To avoid this group of Japanese air raiders, Fang Wen flew southwards.

This maneuver allowed them to avoid encountering Japanese aircraft.

The rest of the flight was safe.

After a flight time of two hours and fifteen minutes, the plane arrived in the airspace over Changsha.

Fang Wen observes below.

The Xiang River flows through the city like a green ribbon.

On both sides of the riverbank and on Yuelu Mountain are air defense positions deployed by the Ninth War Zone.

Because of prior notification, these air defense weapons did not target the civilian aircraft piloted by Fang Wen.

Meanwhile, transport ships ply the river with all sorts of supplies, clearly indicating that water transport has become an important means of logistics for Changsha.

On the riverbank, at the location of Taishan Aviation Water Airport, officers and soldiers were waving flags on the dock as a guide.

Fang Wen piloted the plane, circling over the sea airport, adjusted the direction of the aircraft, slowed down, and landed on the river. After the plane taxied for a distance and came to a stop, it turned and docked at the sea airport pier.

Gong Xiuneng opened the hatch and tied the cable to the stone stake.

Subsequently, Fang Wen and eight other passengers disembarked.

The people who were there to greet them came over from the airport.

There were representatives from government departments and the military.

They warmly connected with the people from Chongqing.

For a moment, the dock was noisy with people, but Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng stood out from the crowd next to the plane.

Just then, an officer in a yellow woolen uniform with the rank of colonel pushed through the crowd, looked at Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng, and finally focused on Fang Wen, giving him a standard military salute: "Excuse me, are you Mr. Fang Wen from Taishan Airlines?"

Fang Wen nodded: "Exactly."

"I am Li Zhanlin, Operations Staff Officer of the Ninth War Zone Command. I have come to greet you on the orders of Deputy Commander Luo." Colonel Li's tone was respectful, but his eyes held a hint of inquiry. "Deputy Commander Luo has received a telegram from the Ministry of Military Affairs and knows the purpose of your visit. He specifically instructed me to take you to the headquarters for a meeting immediately."

The other party was very friendly, and Fang Wen smiled and said, "Then let's go."

He left two local employees who remained at the Changsha Water Airport office to guard the plane, while he, along with Gong Xiuneng and the officer, boarded a military vehicle and left.

The military vehicle bumped along the uneven road, heading towards the city along the dirt road beside the Xiangjiang River.

The walls of the houses along the road were covered with slogans such as "We will defend Changsha to the death" and "Support the front line." Occasionally, wounded soldiers in gray military uniforms would walk past the vehicles with crutches.

Further ahead lies the area that was recently bombed by planes.

The wooden houses were burning, and firefighters were spraying water at the fire with hoses. Many of the nearby houses that had already been extinguished were now just skeletons, and smoke filled the air.

Colonel Li grumbled, "The Japanese planes come every two days. This road is bombed and repaired, then bombed again. You came from Chongqing, what's the situation there?"

“The same goes for Chongqing,” Fang Wen replied.

The military vehicle drove slowly on the road, and the officer changed the subject.

"Mr. Fang, you may not know this, but when the military order from the Ministry of Military Affairs came down, there was quite a bit of discussion in headquarters. After all, all the units at the front are short-staffed, and no one is willing to let the veterans go. However, Deputy Commander Luo said that the Burma Road is our lifeline, and the safety of the transport line at the military post you established is a major issue, and it should be supported." Fang Wen smiled faintly and didn't reply. He knew in his heart that verbal support and actually releasing the soldiers were two different things. General Xue was extremely strict in his military discipline, and even though General Luo was only a deputy commander, he might not be able to make a decision easily. The subsequent negotiations would probably not be so easy.

Half an hour later, the jeep passed through a makeshift checkpoint and entered Changsha. Compared to Chongqing, the streets of Changsha were sparsely populated, most shops were closed, and only a few food vendors set up stalls on street corners, but business was slow.

The car eventually stopped in front of a small building, where a sentry stood ramrod straight at the entrance, and an anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted on the roof.

Colonel Li got out of the car and opened the back door: "Mr. Fang, please. Deputy Commander-in-Chief Luo and several officers from the staff are waiting for you inside."

Fang Wen got out of the car, straightened his clothes, and looked up at the lintel of the small building, where a plaque hung that read "Headquarters of the Ninth War Zone Commander-in-Chief".

Following Colonel Li, Fang Wen entered the command center, while Gong Xiuneng waited outside.

Deputy Commander Luo, who was discussing matters with his staff, walked over with a broad smile.

"Fang Wen, I have long admired your name. Meeting you today, I can confirm that you are indeed a hero."

"General Luo is too kind. I am just an ordinary person with a patriotic heart."

"You're too modest. Please have a seat."

Fang Wen sat down, and Deputy Commander Luo also sat down.

An aide brought two cups of tea and placed them on the coffee table.

"It's wartime now, and supplies are scarce, so there's not much good tea. Please don't mind."

Fang Wen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I have no knowledge of tea ceremony; as long as it quenches my thirst, that's fine."

“Sure, let’s talk about recruitment. When I received the order from the Ministry of Military Affairs, Commander Xue and I discussed it specifically. During the last battle, you and the Soviet pilots supported Changsha at Zhijiang Airport and did a great job. We remember that friendship, which is why we agreed. But there has to be a limit to the number of recruits. We can’t let you take all our best soldiers. Tell me, how many people do you want to recruit from the Ninth War Zone?”

"The British agreed to let me form an army of 2 men. I plan to recruit 1000 men in Changsha and then another 1000 men in Guilin."

"Only 1000?!" Deputy Commander Luo was stunned.

To resist the Japanese army, a total of 24 troops were stationed in the Changsha area.

Recruiting only 1000 people will have no impact on the Ninth War Zone.

He couldn't help but say, "You still want to stick to your elite force tactics. I can give you 1000 men, but you'll have to exchange them for supplies."

"How to change?"

"Of course, it's in exchange for military supplies. How much do you think is worth 1000 veteran soldiers?" Deputy Commander Luo asked with a smile.

Fang Wen couldn't help but ponder.

What should we use to replace it?
As for ordinary weapons and equipment, Taishan Military Industry does not have a professional production line and its inventory is not abundant.

Furthermore, the recruited soldiers also need to be equipped with gear.

What we have in surplus right now are rockets.

The battles in southern Guangxi and southern Guangdong consumed a large number of rockets. As a result, the base in northern Myanmar concentrated its manpower and resources to process and produce two types of rockets: 82mm and 132mm.

Moreover, this type of area-effect weapon is perfectly suited for large-scale operations like the Battle of Changsha.

It was less about exchanging weapons for soldiers and more about supporting the Battle of Changsha.

Thinking of this, he smiled.

“I can provide a Mount Tai Storm launcher and a sufficient amount of ammunition.”

"Taishan Storm Launch Vehicle, what is that?" Deputy Commander Luo asked in surprise.

"A type of weapon for large-scale military operations, with a single salvo covering an area of ​​approximately 6 square meters, or 90 acres."

"What? Say it again?" Deputy Commander Luo asked in disbelief.

“The area covered is 90 mu (approximately 6.7 hectares).” Fang Wen repeated.

Deputy Commander Luo immediately stood up and said to an aide, "Go and call Commander Xue back. Tell him there is something very urgent."

After a while, Commander Xue returned from outside and asked as soon as he entered, "What's wrong?"

After Deputy Commander Luo explained the situation, Commander Xue looked at Fang Wen with equal surprise.

"I remember your Independent Regiment used a special weapon in southern Guangxi and southern Guangdong. Was it this Taishan Storm launcher?"

Fang Wen nodded: "The Taishan Storm launcher is one of the models."

Could you be more specific?

The soldiers in the command post were all very interested in the military equipment and were staring at Fang Wen.

Fang Wen then offered an explanation.

"This is an area-effect weapon. The kill radius of a single high-explosive rocket is about 20 meters, and it can produce more than 500 effective fragments after the explosion. The Taishan Storm launcher can carry 24 132 mm rockets. When the 24 rockets are fired simultaneously, the impact points are scattered in an elliptical pattern, with a major axis of about 300 meters and a minor axis of about 200 meters. Based on this, the coverage area is calculated to be 6 square meters, or 90 acres."

Commander Xue nodded and asked, "What are its drawbacks?"

"The downside is that it uses up too much ammunition and the hit rate isn't high," Fang Wen replied truthfully.

“That’s hardly a drawback,” Commander Xue laughed. “When I heard about the great victory in southern Guangdong from the telegram, I was curious about how your Independent Regiment managed to repel the Japanese landing operation. Now it seems you must have fired a lot of these rockets at the Japanese.”

Fang Wen smiled and said, "That's right. It should be more effective in large-scale operations. If you agree to this exchange plan, I can also provide professional rocket launchers to operate the launch vehicles."

"How many rockets can you give us?" Commander Xue asked.

Fang Wen pondered this in his heart.

The Taishan Storm is a 24-shot burst, so giving it 5 burst bases would be enough to make it work.

He immediately replied, "I can give you a Mount Tai Storm launcher and 120 rockets. But you must let me choose the personnel myself."

120 rockets are equivalent to five rocket-propelled ground-washing operations covering an area of ​​90 acres.

From another perspective, this weapon is about as powerful as a 150mm heavy artillery piece; a single full-load firing is equivalent to a salvo from 20 150mm heavy artillery pieces.

The power is so intense, just imagining it is thrilling!
Commander Xue and Deputy Commander Luo exchanged glances and completed their communication in perfect unison.

“Okay. But it’s getting late now, Staff Officer Li, you take Mr. Fang to rest, and we’ll go select soldiers tomorrow.”

Fang Wen nodded in agreement: "Okay." After saying goodbye to Xue and Luo, he followed Staff Officer Li out of the operations command room.

Gong Xiuneng was leaning against the blue brick wall of the corridor waiting. When he saw Fang Wen come out, he immediately stood up straight.

"Mr. Fang, this way please." Li Zhanlin led the two towards the back of the headquarters. "The war zone guesthouse is nearby. It was converted from a former mansion. Although it's simple, it's quiet and has guards on duty, so you can rest assured about its safety." Along the way, they passed several offices. Under the lights, they could see officers sitting around discussing things. Maps marked with red and blue symbols were spread out on the tables, and occasionally, they could hear arguments, mostly about the deployment of defenses and the allocation of supplies.

As Li Zhanlin had described, the guesthouse was indeed a two-story brick and wood building. The walls still bore the marks of Japanese bombing, and the doors and windows had been reinforced. Inside the room were only two wooden beds, a desk, and two chairs. There was an oil lamp on the desk, and several ammunition boxes were piled in the corner. It looked more like a temporary resting place for officers.

"I'll have dinner delivered. It's all cooked by the headquarters chefs; the taste is pretty good." After giving his instructions, Staff Officer Li gave a few more words of advice to the guards at the door before turning back to the headquarters.

After the door closed, Gong Xiuneng spoke in a low voice: "Commander, has the matter been settled?"

"That's it."

At this moment, the orderly came over with a food box, and Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng opened the food box and ate their first dinner in Changsha.

Afterwards, Fang Wen lay in bed, thinking about how to communicate with the soldiers the next day. (End of Chapter)