Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Once the Tokyo military headquarters issued the operational order, the Japanese army entered into a period of intense deployment.

The 2 troops, 90 tanks, more than 6 military vehicles, and massive amounts of weapons and ammunition of the Indochina Expeditionary Army needed to be mobilized in batches from the Japanese mainland and occupied areas in China, and all of them were transported to Haiphong Port to complete the assembly.

Such a massive transport volume was simply beyond the capacity of the Southern Expeditionary Fleet's transport fleet.

The Japanese military ordered the Second Fleet, stationed in the Guangzhou Bay area of ​​the Leizhou Peninsula, to participate in the troop and equipment transport mission of the Indochina Expeditionary Army, ensuring that the "Eastern Blitzkrieg" plan would be launched as scheduled.

In the conference room of the Second Fleet's flagship, Yoshida summoned the ship captains, explained the General's orders, and then adjourned the meeting, instructing the ships to prepare.

After the officers of the various ships left, he left the conference room, returned to his room, and locked the door from the inside.

He then took out a suitcase from under the bed and retrieved a small telegraph machine.

The agreed-upon time for sending the message has not yet arrived.

He lit a cigarette, but after only two puffs, he fell into thought.

As the cigarette burned halfway down, amidst the swirling smoke, his brows furrowed, his gaze fixed on the transport orders on the table, a hint of struggle and resolve hidden in his eyes.

Yoshida was not a fanatical militarist. He had personally experienced the cruelty of the invasion of China and witnessed the burning, killing, and looting by the Japanese army. He had long been filled with resentment towards this unjust war.

And I am able to get to where I am today because of the support behind the scenes.

Adding to what he did before, if word gets out, losing his life would be the simplest punishment; the entire family would likely be implicated.

After mentally preparing himself again, he glanced at his pocket watch; it was time to go.

Immediately, he put on headphones, held the telegraph button, and pressed it repeatedly to send out the coded message.

Who would have thought that the source of the leak was actually the highest commander of the Second Fleet!
Meanwhile, in the telegraph room of the Taishan base in northern Myanmar, Taishan intelligence agents were intently monitoring the listening equipment.

Today, the Taishan Group has a very complex information channel, but it is all collected through telegrams. The telegram department of the northern Myanmar base is the place where information from all parties is collected.

The head of the telegraph department was Zhao Junping, who was only 20 years old.

Despite his young age, he had worked as Fang Wen's assistant for three years and was more capable than his peers. Fang Wen was able to entrust him with the important position of managing the telegraph department.

Suddenly, a listening device emitted regular radio waves. The intelligence personnel responsible for monitoring that frequency tensed up and immediately adjusted the frequency knob to amplify and lock the signal.

He then copied the encrypted code onto the telegram paper, stood up, and reported to Zhao Junping, the head of the telegraph department who was on duty.

"Section Chief, we have received an encrypted telegram sent from a Class A surveillance frequency."

Upon hearing that it was a Class A monitoring frequency, Zhao Junping quickly took the telegram paper. He didn't read the contents of the coded telegram, but instead hurriedly left the telegraph department with the paper in his hand.

A few minutes later, Zhao Junping arrived at the office of the Kyrgyz local language bureau in northern Myanmar.

At this moment, Fang Wen was sitting at his large desk in his office, covered with thick intelligence reports, including battle reports from the European theater and situation analyses from the Asian theater. He had just returned from the Hanoi military airfield and had taken the time to understand the current situation on all sides.

There was a knock on the door, and Gong Xiuneng's voice came from outside: "It's Zhao Junping. He says he has a top-level coded telegram!"

“Let him in,” Fang Wen said.

The door opened, and Gong Xiuneng stepped aside.

Zhao Junping entered the room with the telegram and placed it directly in front of Fang Wen.

He knew he couldn't interfere with the secret telegram, so after putting it down, he said, "General Manager, I'm going out."

"Okay." Fang Wen nodded, and Zhao Junping left the office, closing the door behind him.

Looking at the coded message, Fang Wen translated it in his mind.

"It was sent by Yoshida," he muttered to himself. "Indochina Expeditionary Army, 26,000 troops, 90 tanks, landing at Haiphong port, blitzkrieg raid on Hanoi..."

These crucial pieces of information flashed through his mind, instantly connecting the entire Japanese army's plan.

After seeing the success of Germany's blitzkrieg tactics in Europe, the Japanese actually wanted to replicate them and use them against the French in Asia.

The French in Europe surrendered, but the French in French Indochina may not have.

Fang Wen sneered. As long as he had a say in the upcoming war, he could guarantee that the Japanese mechanized forces would not achieve the same effect as the Germans in France.

Dealing with this kind of blitzkrieg was far too easy for him.

The enemy simply uses rapid maneuvering to bypass the main defensive positions, then tear apart, encircle, and demoralize the troops, thereby achieving a tactical and strategic advantage.

The Eighth Route Army did the same during the Hundred Regiments Offensive.

However, this kind of mobile warfare actually relies on information asymmetry to carry out operations. It has a drawback: the enemy cannot know the army's movement route.

Fang Wen, however, can quickly grasp the enemy's movement trajectory through mechanical perception and flight, and thus take targeted countermeasures.

Thinking of this, he smiled, somewhat looking forward to dealing with this Eastern blitzkrieg.

However, the Japanese army is still preparing, and the French army is also preparing; they will not take any real action for at least twenty days.

Fang Wen placed the coded telegram on the table and continued with today's work, reviewing the intelligence data compiled over this period to gain a clearer understanding of the current situation on the Eurasian and African battlefields.

The first thing he looked at was the intelligence sent by the European branch.

This intelligence was collected by the branch office itself, and there was also some analysis.

[Intelligence 8: It is reported that the British and German bombing raids have intensified. On New Year's Eve, German forces bombed and destroyed London, severely damaging Old Bailey, City Hall, and eight Wren's churches. British air raids also targeted the Bremen Aircraft Factory and the Kiel Canal Bridge.]

[Intelligence Analysis: Currently, the German forces are unable to gain an advantage in air combat, and the British Navy still controls the Channel, thus hindering the successful implementation of the amphibious landing operation. However, due to the disruption of sea transport, Britain has begun implementing rationing, leading to shortages of supplies.]

[Intelligence 2: At the beginning of the month, Germany negotiated with Bulgaria, demanding permission for German troops to cross the border to attack Greece. On the 3rd, the German 10th Air Force entered Italy.]

Intelligence analysis indicates that these signs suggest the German army will launch a joint operation with Italian forces to attack the Balkans and Greece.

Upon seeing this, Fang Wen's thoughts began to wander.

This is roughly the situation in southern Europe at present.

The Balkans had not yet fallen into German hands, Greece was still resisting Italy, and Yugoslavia was wavering.

Turkey, adhering strictly to neutrality and occupying the Anatolian Peninsula, neither allied with Germany nor joined the Central Powers, thus becoming a delicate and crucial balancing point at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

So what's the situation in Europe this month?

He continued reading.

[Intelligence 3: An unexpected victory; Greece defeats Italy.]

[The Italian army launched 46 attacks on Greece, all of which were repelled, and the Greek army counter-offensively advanced into Albania.]

What?! Italy has been defeated by the Greek army!

Fang Wen wouldn't be surprised if the British defeated Italy; after all, the title of "Axis power burden" wasn't given lightly. He had personally witnessed the Italian army's attack on France's southwestern border, only to be stopped by a small contingent of non-mainstream French troops. So how did the Greek army defeat the Italian army?
Fang Wen carefully read the description.

The matter began with Italy's offensive against Greece.

In late October last year, Mussolini invaded Greece from Albania, with 95,000 troops against 36,000 Greek troops.

However, due to chaotic command, inferior equipment, and poor mountain warfare capabilities, they were completely defeated by the Greek army within two weeks.

In November of last year, the Greek army launched a counter-offensive, penetrating into southern Albania and capturing key cities such as Ginocaste and Korca.

Last December, the Italian army changed its commander and frantically increased its troops to more than 20 divisions, but the defense line is still shaky.

By early January of this year, the Greek army's target was the Krizula Pass, a strategic pass in central Albania that controls the transportation lines to Berat and Vlora. Taking it would divide the Italian army and allow them to advance directly to the coast.

The battle lasted only five days, from January 6 to 11.

As a result, Italy, with its superior forces, failed to hold out.

On January 11, the Greek army completely captured the mountain pass, and the Italian armored forces were almost completely wiped out. M13 tanks were destroyed in large numbers by Greek anti-tank guns and mountain infantry.

In the Battle of Krisula alone, the Italian army suffered more than 20,000 casualties and prisoners of war, and the total number of casualties on the entire Albanian front exceeded 100,000, with seven divisions crippled.

The Italian army's entire front collapsed, forcing it to retreat towards Berat and Tirana, while the Greek army penetrated dozens of kilometers into Albanian territory.

The intelligence report was followed by a paragraph containing a news article written by an Italian war correspondent. The article was not published due to its sensitive content, but the European branch bought the content.

In January 1941, in the icy wilderness of Albania, the Italian army was experiencing its most humiliating defeat since World War II. At the Battle of the Chrysula Pass, the elite Centaur Panzer Division was utterly crushed by Greek infantry and artillery, the wreckage of M13 tanks littering the valley. Seven Italian divisions were decimated, 1 officers and soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured, desertions were rampant, and even executions by the supervising officers could not stop the collapse of the front lines. Lacking food and ammunition, and suffering from cold and hunger, the Italian troops abandoned their armor and weapons, retreating hastily towards Berat and Tirana. The entire southern Albania had fallen into Greek hands. Mussolini's dream of a "new Roman Empire" was shattered completely in the mountains of the Balkans.

Fang Wen was dumbfounded.

Italy suffered such a crushing defeat, despite defending with overwhelming superiority, that they were still defeated by a small country like Greece, and even suffered heavy losses.

No wonder Germany is sending troops to the Balkans. Clearly, given the current situation, if Germany doesn't send troops to the Balkans, its little brother Italy will collapse on its own.

Fang Wen sighed and continued reading the intelligence.

[Intelligence 4: Conflicts in the Mediterranean and North Africa]

The German army continued its bombing campaign against Malta, aiming to cut off British supply lines in the Mediterranean.

British forces captured the Italian stronghold of Badia, taking 4.5 prisoners; they then advanced towards Tobruk, causing the Italian army to collapse across the entire North African front.

Italy has lost again, and the situation in North Africa has also been lost.

To turn the tide, we'll probably have to wait for Rommel's Afrika Korps to arrive.

What about the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union?

Fang Wen flipped through the intelligence reports at the back.

He found it.

Intelligence indicates that on January 10, the Soviet Union and Germany signed the "German-Soviet Border and Commerce Agreement," under which the Soviet Union continued to supply Germany with strategic materials such as oil, food, and minerals, while Germany provided industrial equipment and technology, with the trade volume reaching 650 million marks.

Judging from this situation, it seems that relations between the Soviet Union and Germany were good.

Wait a minute, the Germans should be preparing to attack the Soviet Union.

Fang Wen recalls a term called 'Project Barbarossa'.

This plan led to the largest land blitzkrieg in the history of warfare, aiming to replicate the miracle created by the German army in Europe and to completely defeat the Soviet Union before winter.

It will definitely happen this year, but so far, there are no signs of it. The two sides are still maintaining a facade of peace, but there must be undercurrents running deep beneath the surface.

Fang Wen had an idea and jotted something down in his notebook, preparing to have the European branch pay attention to any news from Germany regarding the Soviet Union, whether it be economic, military, or civilian.

I've finished reviewing the intelligence from Europe and North Africa.

More recently, the wars have been concentrated in the Balkans and North Africa, mainly to prevent British overseas colonies from transporting resources back to the UK.

Fang Wen then looked at a piece of intelligence sent by Taishan International in the United States.

Shortly after the arms fleet left the United States, Roosevelt submitted the Lend-Lease Act to Congress, planning to provide weapons and supplies to countries such as Britain and China, marking the United States' shift from neutrality to actual participation in the war.

In other words, American warplanes will enter the Chinese battlefield through war loans, and the Flying Tigers will soon join the air combat ranks.

American arms dealers will make a fortune as a result.

His investment in a new aircraft engine factory is just beginning, and he cannot yet receive any profit sharing from it.

He put the intelligence report aside and looked at the intelligence reports from the domestic and Asian regions.

Since the Hundred Regiments Offensive, the Japanese army began to retreat voluntarily in the enemy-occupied areas north of the Yellow River, ceasing large-scale mopping-up operations and instead focusing on defending the occupied cities and railways.

The Japanese army continued its standoff with the Nationalist army in central China.

Everything seemed normal.

It wasn't until Fang Wen saw a telegram from the Junshanhu base area that he understood.

The telegram was sent by Shao Sishen.

In the telegram, he stated that everything was fine and that he would be leading a team on a mission soon.

The specific details were not mentioned, but it was indicated that it was a trip to the military headquarters.

At the New Fourth Army headquarters, Fang Wen always felt like he had missed something.

He thought about it carefully, and realized, "Oh no!"

During the War of Resistance against Japan, the New Fourth Army's greatest loss was not caused by the Japanese army, but by a sudden siege by the Kuomintang army.

This directly resulted in heavy casualties for the New Fourth Army headquarters and its subordinate units.

Fang Wen would definitely not allow it to happen again.

He tried hard to recall the whole story.

It should be that more than 9000 people from the New Fourth Army headquarters and its directly subordinate units, led by the army commander and deputy army commander, set off from Yunling, Jing County, Anhui Province, to transfer to another location.

While passing through Maolin area of ​​Jing County, they were suddenly surrounded and attacked by more than 8 troops from 7 divisions of the Third War Zone of the National Army.

Surrounded by nearly ten times the number of troops, the New Fourth Army hastily engaged in battle, but ultimately, due to being outnumbered and running out of ammunition and food, most of them were killed, lost, or captured, except for more than 2000 who managed to break through the encirclement.

It should have happened during this period. Based on the few words in Shao Sishen's telegram, Fang Wen can basically conclude that it hasn't started yet.

He immediately stood up, strode out of the office, and went downstairs to the telegraph department. (End of Chapter)