Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 156 The First Aircraft of the Independent Squadron!
"When we attacked the Japanese hangar, there were five planes inside. Three of them had already been destroyed by the Japanese. We captured the remaining two by attacking quickly and killing the Japanese soldiers who were about to destroy them."

Second Squadron Leader Xu Hu said happily.

The Eighth Route Army doesn't have a single plane right now. If they can fly these two planes back, their special operations brigade will have made a tremendous contribution.

The minimum guarantee is a special merit award, and there will also be opportunities for promotion beyond one's rank.

Their special operations team will also receive a lifetime of honor for this.

Zhou Weiguo was also very pleased after hearing this.

Unexpectedly, he was able to capture two precious planes from the Japanese. His original plan was simply to destroy the airport in Daixian County and then capture one or two Japanese pilots to take back with him.

That would be considered a great achievement.

"Great, Tiger, you deserve the most credit this time." Zhou Weiguo smiled broadly.

"Reporting, Captain, our Third Squadron captured three Japanese pilots. Three other Japanese pilots committed suicide before we could capture them," the Third Squadron Captain reported as he ran over.

After he finished speaking, the three Japanese pilots, who were bound hand and foot, were brought before Zhou Weiguo.

"Let me go! Do you know who I am? My uncle is Lieutenant General Noon Saburo, the commander of the Mongolian army. If he finds out you've captured me, he won't let you get away with it."

The captured Japanese pilot was shouting.

Meanwhile, the special operations soldiers around him who could understand Japanese frowned as they looked at the Japanese pilot.

Is this person a fool?

Even after being captured, they still made a fuss, as if letting them go meant the Japanese wouldn't attack their Eighth Route Army.

"Snapped!"

After a sharp crack, the boastful Japanese pilot had a handprint on his face.

"Behave yourself and stop spouting nonsense in gibberish."

The squadron leader of the third squadron of the special operations brigade slapped the Japanese pilot so hard that he stopped yelling and stared at him in disbelief.

Why did he dare to hit me? From childhood to adulthood, because of my family and my uncle, I had never been hit before.

Everyone around him crowded around him, flattering him.

Even when he joined the army to earn military merit, he didn't become a common soldier or an ordinary officer, but instead became a high-ranking pilot.

On the mainland battlefield, you could earn military merits just by flying around in a plane a couple of times, which was much better than being a poor, miserable army soldier.

Unexpectedly, the first time he was slapped in his life was by a local guerrilla fighter whom he had always looked down upon.

"Baka! You dare hit me? I'll never let you get away with this!" the Japanese pilot cursed angrily.

"Hey, you dare to curse me!" The third squadron leader was about to teach this Japanese pilot another lesson and let him know his current situation.

"Alright, Linzi, keep discipline. This Japanese soldier is a treasure now; we can exchange him for a lot of things. If he leaves any traces, we'll be punished," Zhou Weiguo said happily.

After hearing the other party's identity, Zhou Weiguo felt that he had hit the jackpot this time.

This was no ordinary Japanese pilot; it was a family member of a high-ranking Japanese officer.

While ordinary pilots might still have value in terms of defection techniques, this Japanese pilot already had the potential to become a political bargaining chip.

"Immediately transfer the Japanese pilots away. Under no circumstances should they be allowed to escape or commit suicide. These pilots are extremely important."

"Especially the relatives of this high-ranking Japanese official, their value is comparable to the same weight in gold!" Zhou Weiguo said solemnly.

"Yes."

After receiving orders, the third company commander stuffed a rag around the still-cursing Japanese soldier and secretly took him away.

This matter was of great importance, so Zhou Weiguo immediately summoned a communications officer and sent the intelligence directly to Chen Ming's command post by telegram.

Special operations battalions differ from other units because of their unique operational characteristics; they often need to operate deep behind enemy lines, making information transmission extremely important.

Chen Ming directly equipped the special operations brigade with three radios.

One is for regular use, one is a backup in case the radio is damaged and communication is interrupted, and another is a backup of a backup, so as to be fully prepared.

At the Independent Detachment Command, the telegraph operator's eyes widened immediately after the telegram was translated.

"Oh my god! This is amazing news!"

Inside the mailroom, the telegraph operator shouted loudly.

"Why are you shouting in the mailroom? Have you forgotten our discipline?" the head of the radio platoon of the independent detachment asked as he walked in.

"Reporting to Director Liang, this is fantastic news!" the telegraph operator exclaimed excitedly.

"What good news? Has it made you forget about discipline?" Director Liang took the telegram and began to read it.

Before he had even finished reading, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Great! That's wonderful! I'll report this immediately," Director Liang said excitedly.

Director Liang excitedly took the telegram and strode towards the command post.

"I have important intelligence to report."

Upon entering the command room, Chief of Staff Wang Dafei immediately gestured for Director Liang to be quiet.

After making the hand gestures, Wang Dafei pulled Director Liang out of the command room.

"The squad leader just fell asleep. He hasn't slept for almost three days. Don't wake him. Tell me any important intelligence first," Wang Dafei whispered outside the command room.

During this period, Chen Ming was exhausted from commanding the independent detachment, along with other units, local armed forces, and militia in large-scale operations covering more than a dozen counties.

Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze, just like last time, forced Chen Ming to take intermittent rest for at least an hour, and not to go without rest.

The last time Chen Ming commanded for such a long period of time, it took him seven or eight days to fully recover.

This time, the troops under his command were larger and the area involved was wider. If Chen Ming continued to work without rest, Zhang Zheng was worried that his body would not be able to keep up.

He directly forced Chen Ming to rest, otherwise he would use wartime regulations to remove Chen Ming's command for an hour and make him rest.

Chen Mingcai has just fallen asleep, and Chief of Staff Wang Dafei is temporarily taking command.

Anyway, Chen Ming had already arranged the battle plan before he rested, so the one hour during this period wouldn't have too much of an impact.

"Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Special Operations Brigade has achieved significant results. They captured two Japanese aircraft and took three Japanese pilots prisoner, one of whom is a relative of the commander of the Mongolian garrison," Director Liang said in a low voice.

"What? You captured two Japanese planes and even took a high-ranking Japanese officer's relative, a pilot, prisoner?"

Wang Dafei's performance was not much better than Director Liang's, mainly because such achievements were extremely rare.

"Chief of Staff, you heard me right, that's exactly what you said," Director Liang affirmed.

“Okay, I’ll report the intelligence immediately,” Wang Dafei said.

He could handle ordinary intelligence on his own, but this kind of important intelligence could be reported directly to the rear.

He can't make the decision himself; he must let Chen Ming make the decision.

Wang Dafei took the telegram, went into the command room, and woke up Chen Ming, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Chen Ming groggily opened his bloodshot and slightly swollen eyes.

"Is it time? Where are the various units now? What new intelligence do you have?" Chen Ming asked immediately.

"Report, only twenty minutes have passed, and there's an important situation that requires your attention," Wang Dafei said.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming realized there was crucial intelligence that would allow Wang Dafei to wake him up ahead of time. He immediately perked up and asked:
"What important information?"

"The special operations brigade just sent a telegram saying they captured two Japanese reconnaissance planes and took three Japanese pilots prisoner, including the nephew of the commander of the Mongolian army, Noon Saburo," Wang Dafei said.

"What? A relative of a high-ranking Japanese official?" Chen Ming took the telegram and read it carefully.

He smiled when he saw the special forces team successfully take over the Japanese airfield, capture two planes, and take three pilots prisoner.

However, when he saw that Zhou Weiguo planned to fly back in his own plane, his brows furrowed again.

"Isn't Zhou Weiguo being ridiculous? Does he think he's a pilot who can fly planes? Does he think airplanes are cars or tanks?"

"Even if he knows how to fly a plane, it's nighttime now, and takeoff and landing are extremely difficult. Even pilots are reluctant to carry out missions at night. Does Zhou Weiguo really have that much guts?"

"Return the telegram to Zhou Weiguo and tell him to make sure that the Japanese pilot is brought back successfully. He and the special operations team will be awarded a major merit."

"As for the Japanese planes, it doesn't matter if they are bombed or dismantled into parts and brought back, but they are not allowed to fly the planes back on their own."

"How can one Japanese plane compare to an outstanding and important cadre of our Independent Detachment? Even ten planes are not as valuable as Zhou Weiguo's life."

"Furthermore, send a telegram to Wang Gui, instructing him to abandon his mission of suppressing the Japanese in Shuiquan and head north to meet Zhou Weiguo and bring the Japanese pilots back," Chen Ming ordered solemnly.

Zhou Weiguo said he could fly a plane, and Chen Ming didn't doubt it too much.

The other party studied at the German Military Academy, which is known for cultivating well-rounded talents, with courses covering multiple fields such as armored forces, artillery, and aviation.
It's possible that Zhou Weiguo said he can fly a plane.

However, even if the other side knew how to fly it, Chen Ming would not agree to Zhou Weiguo risking flying the Japanese plane back.

Putting aside the differences in operation between German and Japanese aircraft, Zhou Weiguo had never flown a Japanese plane before, so he might be unfamiliar with them and cause an accident.

Even if you could actually fly a plane, there would be enormous risks involved at night.

Moreover, the base area had no airport, making a forced landing very risky.

As for the airport in Yan'an, Chen Ming would not allow Zhou Weiguo to land his plane there for various reasons.

Moreover, Zhou Weiguo had never been to Yan'an, couldn't even find where Yan'an was, let alone the location of the airport.

In this era, there was no radar navigation; navigation relied more on the experience of pilots and ground facilities.

Zhou Weiguo is very likely to get lost on his way back; the risk is extremely high.

Now that Chen Ming knows Zhou Weiguo can fly planes, he is even less likely to let him.

How could Chen Ming possibly let an outstanding cadre who was skilled in special operations, armored warfare, and aviation take such a risk?

It's just an airplane. Even if they don't have one now, they will in the future.

But if the person is gone, then they're truly gone. "I'll call back right away," Wang Dafei said immediately after receiving Chen Ming's instructions.

Dai County Airport.

Zhou Weiguo was deeply moved after receiving Chen Ming's telegram.

This is a captured aircraft. Given that the Eighth Route Army didn't have a single plane, its value is immeasurable.

But now, for his own safety, Chen Ming has chosen to give up this precious plane and his only chance to own one.

In a telegram sent by Chen Ming, he said that in his heart, ten airplanes were not worth as much as him, which deeply moved Zhou Weiguo.

On the Nationalist side, if such a situation occurred, the superiors would absolutely order the planes to be flown back at all costs.

This is a tremendous achievement, and whether the people responsible for flying the plane will face any risks is not something they need to consider.

A human life is no match for a captured Japanese plane.

"Report back to command and say that I am confident I can fly the plane back, and even if I can't, I can guarantee my own safety."

"The Japanese planes have parachutes. I can parachute to safety in case of any accident. I will live up to the organization's expectations."

“I, Zhou Weiguo, am also a revolutionary fighter. I have never been afraid of sacrifice. I don’t want to give up something that can contribute to the revolution.”

Zhou Weiguo said to the communications officer.

The telegram was sent back to the command post again. Chen Ming stared at the telegram sent back by Zhou Weiguo, speechless for a long time.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Tell Zhou Weiguo that you agree to his actions. We will urgently clear a landing site in Ping'an and Wuzhai and provide guidance."

"If the situation doesn't allow it, make sure he's prepared to abandon the plane to save himself. I want him to come back alive."

Chen Ming ordered his men to issue the command.

At Daixian Airport, after receiving Chen Ming's order, Zhou Weiguo put the telegram in his pocket and checked the German-made RZ-1 parachute that had been assigned to the relative of that high-ranking Japanese official.

He resolutely boarded the plane, preparing to fly it back to the emergency landing coordinates Chen Ming had given him.

Accompanying him was a communications soldier from a special forces unit, who was responsible for carrying the radio that the Japanese had provided to the Ki-46 reconnaissance aircraft of the Type 100 Command, and for communicating with his own troops to assist in the forced landing.

However, although the Japanese plane did not have a locked cabin door like the Zero, it still had serious design flaws.

In the event of any unforeseen accident, the people in the back seat have almost no chance of survival.

Faced with such a risky mission, the communications soldier who volunteered to take the back seat to be in charge of communications was also prepared to sacrifice himself at any time.

In his final telegram, Zhou Weiguo reported the battlefield situation, the aircraft's status, and the estimated flight time.

Upon receiving the telegram, Chen Ming immediately gave the following order:
"Give me a telegram to Kong Jie, telling him to use whatever means necessary to create a 1,000-meter emergency landing runway for me in the Wuzhai River Valley and on the road between Ping'an and Shuiquan."

"At the same time, we will provide guidance to ensure that the plane can make a successful emergency landing."

When the telegram reached Kong Jie's troops guarding the city, Kong Jie immediately ordered an emergency assembly to be sounded.

"Command has ordered that our army has captured an aircraft that is flying toward us. This is our first flyable aircraft, and we must ensure that it lands successfully and becomes our own."

"Now everyone is ready. Mobilize all the people you can, gather all the troops, and immediately level out a runway for aircraft to land on the highway outside Ping'an County and in the Wuzhai River Valley."

"At the same time, take out all the hand and electric lights, and use the piles of firewood without flashlights as guides to point our plane in the right direction," Kong Jie urged.

The officers of the Second Battalion, along with the officers of the detachment headquarters who remained in the base area, were all excited when they heard that a captured Japanese plane was heading their way.

If they can land this plane safely, their independent squadron will be in the limelight and have made a great contribution!
"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

The soldiers shouted excitedly.

The order was quickly relayed to all units within the base area.

In the direction of Ping'an County, the soldiers stationed in the county town urgently assembled and began to level the road that they had set up to prevent a surprise attack by the mechanized troops of the Japanese army in Shuiquan.

Meanwhile, the soldiers from Wuzhai County led the local people to level the river valley and make the ground flat.

All the soldiers and a large number of civilians in the base area were mobilized.

For a time, the mountainous areas between Daowuzhai and Ping'an in Daixian County were all flashing with the light of flashlights and fire.

During this period, flashlights were extremely precious to our army; a flashlight was equivalent to half a life.

Therefore, there are three ironclad rules for not using it: it should not be used when the moonlight is brighter than 50%, when the marching distance is less than 3 kilometers, and when it is not used for non-combat/first aid missions.

The use of each battery requires the instructor's approval.

But this time, regardless of the losses, they took everything out, just to guide the captured planes to find their way home at night.

The unusual actions of the Independent Detachment within its defense zone directly attracted the attention of the Japanese Taiyuan Command, who suspected that the Independent Detachment was about to launch another major operation.

Yansong was woken up abruptly from his sleep.

After hearing the report from his officers, he couldn't figure out the purpose of the Eighth Route Army's actions. However, given the Eighth Route Army's limited resources, producing so many flashlights was definitely not a small matter.

Yansong dared not send troops out to scout, lest they be ambushed by the Independent Detachment again.

The only option was to order all units to strengthen their defenses, and for everyone to stay up all night and be ready for battle at any time.

As long as the Independent Detachment doesn't do anything big to his First Army, he doesn't care what kind of conspiracy the Independent Detachment might have.

He had just been reprimanded by Okamura not long ago, and if he were to lose more troops, his reputation score would immediately turn negative.

To be honest, during the time when the Independent Detachment went north to northern Shanxi and caused trouble in the territory of the Mongolian army, Yan Song breathed a sigh of relief and even felt a little schadenfreude.

The Independent Detachment was finally no longer just targeting his First Army. As long as they didn't cause trouble on his territory, they could get away with anything they did on the territory of the Mongolian Army without being held accountable.

So, despite the commotion within the Independent Detachment's defense zone, the Japanese First Army did nothing, only strengthening its defenses.

Within the base area, nearly 10,000 people were mobilized to urgently level the runway for emergency landings of aircraft.

It is said that there is strength in numbers, and the soldiers and civilians were all full of enthusiasm when they heard that their troops had captured an airplane.

Even if they are woken up while they are sound asleep, they do not complain. When they get to work, one person can do the work of two.

"Are we going to have our own plane?"

On the makeshift runway, a soldier asked excitedly.

"As long as we complete the mission, we might get our own plane. It was captured from the Japanese. Whether we can get it depends on whether we can build that runway," another soldier replied.

"Then we must not slack off and must work hard. In the past, Japanese planes flew over our heads and we couldn't do anything about it. Now we can finally have our own planes."

"Where did I slack off? Can't you see my basket is almost overflowing?"

"Yes, yes, I was just reminding you. Let's get to work. When the plane arrives, I want to see how it flies. How can something so big fly in the sky?"

the other side.

After a period of exploration, combined with the knowledge he had learned in Germany, Zhou Weiguo began to understand how the Japanese planes flew.

When he flew over the base area and saw the mountains and fields covered with flashlights and arrows made of piled-up firewood to guide them, he couldn't help but exclaim:

"This is the strength of our soldiers and the people. With so many people supporting us, we cannot let them down. We must successfully fly the plane back."

Zhou Weiguo was deeply impressed by the unity and mobilization capabilities of the base area.

The fact that soldiers and civilians throughout the region did their utmost to support their actions filled him with a strong sense of responsibility.

He decided that he would not easily give up on this plane, which represented the "expectations" of the entire division, unless it was absolutely necessary to save it.

below.

"Listen! The plane is coming! Our plane is coming!"

The soldiers shouted excitedly upon hearing the roar of the planes.

Previously, this sound terrified them because it was the sound of Japanese planes.

But now, the sound was so pleasant to hear, because it was being piloted by their own people, and it was their own plane.

"Yes, quickly turn on your flashlights and set up a guide. We don't know if we'll be able to see the planes flying by later."

"It has been prepared for a long time."

A short while later, the plane flew over the soldiers and, guided by the lights, flew towards the designated location.

"It's here! It's here! Our plane! Look!"

When the soldiers below saw Zhou Weiguo's plane fly by, many of them jumped up excitedly.

Their involvement was crucial to the return of this aircraft.

At 7:00 a.m., under guidance, Zhou Weiguo piloted the plane to the temporary emergency landing runway that had been leveled over Wuzhai County.

Because it was still half an hour before dawn, Zhou Weiguo chose to continue circling in the air to ensure a higher success rate, waiting for daylight and improved visibility before landing.

Before dawn, Zhou Weiguo wasn't so arrogant as to dare to make an emergency landing at such a great risk.

With the current fuel level, it can still fly for about two more hours, so there's still plenty of fuel.

Even if it is discovered after daybreak that the temporary runway in Wuzhai is not suitable for landing, there will still be enough time to fly to the highway in Ping'an County for an emergency landing.

After waiting for half an hour, dawn finally broke.

Zhou Weiguo also perked up, focusing intently on observing the runway and making landing plans.

7:42 AM.

After circling and observing for more than half an hour, Zhou Weiguo finally formulated an emergency landing plan and began to land on the temporary runway.

"Has the last telegram been sent?" Zhou Weiguo asked the communications officer behind him.

"It's sent," the communications officer said firmly.

This was the last telegram reporting the situation; if they failed, it would also be a farewell telegram.

"Alright, get ready, I'm about to land."

P.S.: Wow, so many monthly votes! I'm so touched, guys. I'm not sleeping tonight, I'm going to stay up until 3 a.m. writing!
(End of this chapter)