Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 331, 329: Army Reorganization and Reorganization, Japanese Special High Technology Assassination Team, Nanjing Trip
The fighting in Texas has ended.

The troops that withdrew from the south of Dezhou City arrived at the north bank of the Yellow River after a three-day march, and then crossed the river to Jinan.

Through this battle, the Taishan Independent Regiment has transformed a year's worth of training into combat experience through actual combat.

After the Third Battalion of the Independent Regiment returned, Fang Wen announced that they would rest on the spot and await further orders.

After all, infantrymen expend a lot of energy on long marches, and the previous siege battles were also very risky, so a proper relaxation is necessary for them.

Fang Wen and the pilots also took this time to rest and relax.

Of course, this kind of rest should not mean letting soldiers leave the camp and wander around aimlessly, as that would immediately cause military discipline to collapse.

To address this, Fang Wen came up with a solution: to use the team-building methods of future enterprises.

But what kind of activities should we organize for team building?

Fang Wen consulted with Wu Yingzong.

"I'm planning to organize a team-building activity for the military, so that everyone can get together and increase the bond between superiors and subordinates and comrades through fun activities."

Wu Yingzong was hearing about team building for the first time and didn't understand what it meant at first, but when she heard that it meant playing together, she understood.

Indeed, humans are social beings, and shared happy experiences can easily create lasting and profound emotional memories.

He immediately followed Fang Wen's line of thought and found locals in Jinan to finalize a team-building activity plan for the Taishan Independent Regiment.

After the arrangements were made, all the personnel of the 1st Aviation Battalion, 2nd Aviation Battalion, and 3rd Ground Combat Battalion of the Taishan Independent Regiment changed into civilian clothes.

At this moment, regardless of their branch of service, whether they were pilots, mechanics, ground crew, tank drivers, or ordinary soldiers, they all became ordinary people.

Hundreds of people left the airport and, according to the pre-arranged plan, began touring Jinan.

First we went to Daming Lake in the city, and then we arrived at Baotu Spring.

After enjoying the city's scenery, we went to the best restaurant in the city for a meal.

Catering hundreds of people was beyond the capacity of a single restaurant, so five restaurants joined together to manage the job.

(Republic of China era, Daming Lake, Jinan.)
(Guanlan Pavilion on the west side of Baotu Spring)

As the team building activities progressed, the relationships within the Independent Regiment became more harmonious, especially among the three battalions. Originally, there was some distance between them, but they communicated and exchanged ideas during the team building activities, and their feelings were enhanced during the Chinese-style banquet, gradually becoming more harmonious.

This is exactly the effect Fang Wen wanted; internal unity and cooperation are more important than anything else.

At that moment, the airport regimental telegraph operator suddenly reported to him.

While on night duty, the telegraph operator received coded messages on a designated frequency.

The coded message contained a lot of information. After the telegraph operator finished recording it, he immediately reported it to Fang Wen.

Only Fang Wen knew that the frequency was sent by Yoshida.

He immediately went into the room alone and translated the entire coded telegram.

[Special Information]

[The Army Special Higher Police's intelligence investigation into Fang Wen and its future operational plans.]

After reading the beginning, Fang Wen immediately became wary.

Yoshida is unaware of his own identity, and sending this message specifically suggests he might be suspicious.

But Yoshida is now deeply entangled in it. As long as he continues to keep things under control, there shouldn't be any problems.

He continued to read.

Fang Wen, a graduate of the last class of Nan Yuan Aviation University, initially worked as a flight specialist for China Airlines and was China Airlines' first domestic pilot.

[In 32, during the Battle of Shanghai, he participated in military operations as a civilian, destroying two of our warships, one of which was the cruiser Izumo.]

After the war, the Navy's intelligence section stationed in Shanghai conducted several operations against it, all of which failed.

Not only is he an exceptionally skilled pilot, but he is also a shrewd businessman. In just five years, he built Taishan Airlines from scratch and transformed it into a large-scale civil airline spanning Asia and Europe.

Today, Taishan Airlines owns nearly 200 aircraft of various types, making it the company with the largest fleet in China. Its members formed the Taishan Independent Regiment, which participated in air battles in North China and Shanghai.

Fang Wen looked at the intelligence report with a serious expression. The Japanese Special Higher Police had investigated him in great detail, and a lot of information had been collected and put together.

The Japanese Special Higher Police gave their assessment based on this intelligence.

This individual was an expert in air combat and possessed a set of air-to-ground coordinated tactics, demonstrating formidable fighting power in the Battle of Texas. He utilized superior equipment and inter-service coordination to inflict significant damage on the 10th Division.

This individual's financial resources, connections, military command abilities, and exceptional air combat skills will all pose obstacles to our military in future wars.

In light of this, the Special Higher Police will establish a special assassination squad to eliminate it.

After reading the intelligence, Fang Wen became even calmer.

He understood that the more outstanding his performance on the battlefield became, the greater the danger he would be in.

But as long as he is in the Taishan Independent Regiment, those assassination attempts against him will not be possible.

They were worried that the Japanese Special Higher Police would target their own relatives and friends.

He thought of his parents, brothers, wife, and close friends in Wuhan.

These people must not be allowed to get into trouble; the security level in Wuhan must be increased.

In response, Fang Wen specifically sought out Wu Yingzong to communicate with him.

Upon hearing that the general manager was worried about problems in Wuhan, Wu Yingzong came up with an idea: "My master and his gang have been around for many years and are very good at judging people. We can have them in charge of security. They will definitely be able to find any Japanese spies who want to get close with ill intentions."

Fang Wen nodded. "Your master? Hmm, that's certainly true. Where are they now after they left Shanghai?"

“I also went to Wuhan. Let me handle this matter. I will make sure they take on this task.”

"Alright then, you can take a plane there and have Pan Jiafeng take you."

The matter was settled. Wu Yingzong and Pan Jiafeng went to Wuhan to have the five thieves placed under the security management of Wuhan.

Fang Wen, on the other hand, made a special trip to the Nanjing Military Commission to discuss the issue of troop deployment for the next phase of operations.

The Shrike landed at Nanjing Airport, and Fang Wen got off the plane.

Captain Gao, who came to greet him, gave him a warm welcome.

"Commander Fang, I heard you did very well in the north, with air and ground coordination, fighting against superior numbers, and giving the Japanese 10th Division a resounding slap in the face."

"You know?" Fang Wen asked in surprise. The battle of Dezhou had only ended three days ago, and he had not informed Nanjing of the situation. How did Captain Gao know?

Captain Gao laughed and said, "The 29th Army reported to the Military Commission that they suffered heavy losses in North China and had no victories to speak of. Your cooperation in the battle of Dezhou was very well fought, so of course they will report to Nanjing to make up for their mistakes."

So that's how it is. Fang Wen didn't say anything more about it, but instead asked Captain Gao about the battle situation in Shanghai.

Captain Gao's smile vanished instantly: "The Japanese army has taken control of the north bank of Yunzaobang. We have been trying to counterattack, but it is becoming more and more difficult. Yesterday, the major general brigade commander of the First Brigade of the First Army was killed in action on the front line."

The First Army of the National Army, formerly the Whampoa Military Academy Training Corps, can be considered the main force of the Nationalist government.

Even they were sent to the battlefield, and a major general brigade commander was killed in the Yunzaobang area, which shows how badly the war had deteriorated.

Fang Wen sighed inwardly. This passive fighting was practically a piecemeal tactic, constantly sending the National Army's elite troops to be worn down. But he wouldn't say such things; he only expressed his condolences for the major general brigade commander's death in the line of duty.

The two then boarded a military vehicle and drove into Nanjing, heading towards the Military Commission.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped downstairs at the Military Commission office building, and Fang Wen and Captain Gao went straight upstairs to the Ministry of Military Affairs.

This time, he met not only with the Minister of Military Affairs, but also with people from the Aviation Department.

As soon as the gate closed, the Minister of Military Affairs said with a smile, "Commander Fang, your heroic battles in Shanghai and Dezhou have yielded outstanding results. You truly deserve to be called China's number one pilot. What I didn't expect was that you also had such skill in military command. The 29th Army's report said that you were in charge of command and dispatch throughout the entire operation, using the coordination of aircraft and ground troops to suppress the Japanese army."

After a pause, the Minister of Military Affairs sighed, "At first, I couldn't believe it. A force of just over 1600 men was able to suppress the 10th Army Corps. I heard that the 10th Division was in a very sorry state when they arrived outside Dezhou City. How did you deal with them?"

The 29th Army was of course unaware of this issue. Fang Wen briefly explained the three-day continuous air raids carried out by the Taishan air raid formation against the 10th Division's marching column.

The Minister of Military Affairs didn't seem to grasp the implications, but Captain Gao could sense the danger and mystery involved.

Captain Gao tried to put himself in Fang Wen's shoes, thinking from the perspective of an air force commander, but it turned out he couldn't achieve it at all.

How to evade the army air force coming from Tianjin, and also deal with the ground-based air defense firepower of the 10th Division, was really difficult.

Captain Gao couldn't help but sigh, perhaps this was Fang Wen's unique military talent.

After some pleasantries, we got down to the main topic of the meeting.

The Minister of Military Affairs said sternly, "You said last time that you needed a unit to cooperate in the operation, and that can be done. But your Taishan Independent Regiment will have to participate in the defense of Taiyuan."

Fang Wen pondered.

The fighting in the north is now concentrated in the Shanxi region.

The National Army, the Shanxi Army, the Eighth Route Army, the Northwest Army, and the Sichuan Army all gathered in that area, and the main force of the Japanese army was also being transferred there.

It can be said that the fighting in northern Shanxi is currently the largest battlefield in the north, with both sides caught in it.

With that in mind, he agreed without hesitation.

"can."

"That's good." The army commander stood up and pointed to the military map on the table, explaining: "The 14th Army Group is defending against the Japanese army at Xinkou, north of Taiyuan, while Shijiazhuang on the other side is also under attack by the Japanese army. We judge that Shijiazhuang probably cannot be held, and Xinkou will not be able to hold out for long either. Eventually, the Japanese army will converge on Taiyuan. Your Independent Regiment must set off for Taiyuan as soon as possible to assist in the defense there."

Fang Wen was stunned.

Shijiazhuang has been besieged by enemy troops so quickly?!
William and his men were sent to build a seaplane airport in Fuping County, Taihang Mountains, north of Shijiazhuang, in order to take advantage of the terrain there and carry out harassment operations against the Japanese army.

If Shijiazhuang cannot hold out now, Fuping County will become an isolated boat in enemy-occupied territory. Will that plan continue in the future?

I shook off my thoughts; this isn't something to decide now. I'll deal with it once I get to Taiyuan.

He replied to the Minister of Military Affairs: "I will go back and prepare for the Independent Regiment's departure to Taiyuan."

The Minister of Military Affairs pointed to the map and said, "Then let's talk about the marching route. You can go through Liaocheng, Handan, and Heshun to Taiyuan. The whole journey is more than 500 kilometers. Although it is a bit roundabout, it is a safe area. It is estimated that it will take 10 days to arrive."

This single sentence reveals the slow pace of military marches in this day and age; a transfer of more than 500 kilometers takes a full 10 days.

But for infantry, marching 50 kilometers a day for 10 consecutive days is already the limit.

However, this is based on the standard military.

Fang Wen shook his head: "If the road conditions are good, my troops can arrive in just 3 days."

"3 days?!"

"Yes, the Independent Regiment's marching force mainly consists of the Third Battalion, totaling 560 people. They are equipped with two tanks and ten trucks, which can carry 300 people for mechanized marches. I will transport the remaining 260 people to Taiyuan ahead of time by seaplane, which will only take one day."

Fang Wen demonstrated the uniqueness of the Taishan Independent Regiment in his own way, which made the Minister of Military Affairs smile.

Yes, he is the owner of the largest airline in the country, owning more than 100 seaplanes, so transporting his troops is naturally easy for him.

The matter of marching to Taiyuan was settled, approved by the Minister of Military Affairs, and troops would be stationed along the route to provide support.

Next, we need to discuss the manpower needed to support the Independent Regiment in its operations.

The Minister of Military Affairs pointed to Baoji, which is located in Shaanxi Province.

“There’s a military post in Baoji where the Sichuan Army, the 22nd Army Group, is gathering as it heads north to support the War of Resistance. I spoke with Commander-in-Chief Sun of the Army Group about your situation, and he agreed to send a division to cooperate with you. But there’s a condition: you have to go there in person.”

It is said that there are many warlords in the Sichuan Army, and they are all people who care about their reputation. This time is no exception. They can ask for soldiers, but their attitude is very important.

Fang Wen had no objection to this; he also wanted to see what kind of soldiers were assigned to him.

After he agreed to go to Baoji, the matter between the Minister of Military Affairs and the Minister of Political Affairs was considered settled.

Next up are the airlines.

The airline approached Fang Wen this time regarding cooperation on military transportation.

"Given the current tense situation in the war of resistance, we want to requisition a batch of seaplanes for the transportation of military supplies."

Upon hearing this, Fang Wen immediately felt uncomfortable.

Based on his understanding, the transport of military supplies was probably just a pretext. In the midst of the chaos of war, the requisitioned seaplanes would likely be used to transport the private belongings and relatives of high-ranking officials and nobles.

Helping them transport things is not impossible, but it needs to be charged; we can't just take it for free under the guise of military force.

In response, Fang Wen replied lukewarmly: "Seaplanes are not exclusive to Taishan Airlines; investors in various regions also have a share. If you requisition them like this, I'm afraid they won't approve it. Besides, I'm just the general manager of Taishan Airlines' domestic branch; I'm not the major shareholder. If you want to requisition them, you'll have to talk to the major shareholder."

"You're not a major shareholder?" The airline staff were surprised. These days, airline management isn't as rigorous as it used to be, and they really didn't know about the change in shareholding.

“Yes, the current major shareholder is Quan Yuncai, who is in Nanjing. I can talk to him.” Fang Wen replied with a smile.

Upon hearing that it was Quan Yuncai, the Minister of Military Affairs immediately understood who the real major shareholder was. He leaned back, waiting to see the show.

The airline staff didn't understand that since the major shareholder was someone else, even if they talked to the major shareholder, would that major shareholder still refuse to requisition the aircraft?
Seeing their persistence, Fang Wen dialed the Nanjing home number of Quan Yuncai and explained the situation.

Upon hearing this, Quan Yuncai immediately went to the Military Commission building.

His stance was firm; he resolutely disagreed with requisitioning the aircraft.

At first, the airline staff thought this guy didn't understand the situation, but then someone from the airline came over and explained the power that the National Games represented.

Now, the airline staff have really messed up.

Fang Wen then stepped in to smooth things over.

“I am aware that various places need to transport supplies by plane. Let’s be frank. Planes can be dispatched, and you can dispatch them through us, but there will be a fee for each flight.”

Seeing that the airline staff still wanted to argue, Fang Wen immediately added a sentence.

"They won't lack this little bit of money; the more important thing is their safe departure. We won't take all the money; we'll keep 20% of the shipping cost for you."

Upon hearing this, the argument immediately ceased, the deal was finalized, and the two parties shook hands and made peace.

With the matter in Nanjing concluded, Fang Wen immediately flew back to Jinan.

He was to organize the Independent Regiment to depart for Taiyuan. At the same time as the Independent Regiment set off, he also flew to the military post in Baoji to meet the Sichuan Army that was fighting against the Japanese.

(End of this chapter)