Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 34, Spy Captured, Long-Term Battlefield Support Mission
That single Japanese sentence immediately revealed their identities, and a large number of soldiers rushed in, only to be forced back by a burst of gunfire.

"Brothers, don't let a single Japanese soldier escape. If you capture one, the higher-ups will reward you. I'll parade you through the streets with big red flowers, plus ten silver dollars." The words of the garrison commander energized the soldiers.

They exchanged fire with the Japanese spies inside the courtyard from behind the door, while those who had built ladders on the other side of the courtyard wall secretly jumped down the wall and went around to the outside of the house. A few of the bolder ones even climbed directly to the roof.

Then they carried the firewood outside to the roof and lit it all.

The firewood, which hadn't been dried yet, burned and produced a lot of white smoke, most of which poured into the room.

Immediately, the gunfire inside subsided, and bursts of coughing could be heard.

The battalion commander, holding a megaphone, leaned against the wall and shouted, "You little Japanese, surrender and you won't be killed. Hand over your weapons and surrender obediently, or we'll suffocate you!"

They were still struggling inside. A gunshot startled the battalion commander, who shrank back.

Enraged, he shouted, "Keep setting fires! I refuse to believe these guys will fight to the death!"

The fire continued to intensify, and soldiers kept fanning the flames, pouring thick smoke into the room.

Finally, a man dressed entirely in black rushed out, shouting, "I surrender."

Soldiers immediately tackled him to the ground and carried him out of the yard.

Once one was enough, another followed. Soon, the other Japanese spies couldn't hold out any longer and raised their hands to come forward.

There were four Japanese spies in total, and they were all captured.

This was a great achievement for both Yue Jinping and the battalion commander.

Immediately afterwards, Yue Jinping borrowed twenty soldiers and a military vehicle from the garrison commander, and left with the vehicle full of spoils.

Fang Wen, who watched the whole thing, felt a little regretful. He was held back by Yue Jinping the entire time and couldn't get close to watch at all. He didn't even fire a single bullet.

Because of the Japanese spy incident, coupled with the fact that the air force had already lost two aircraft, four crew members killed in action, and two wounded, and that the aircraft were also damaged to varying degrees, making it impossible to continue air combat for the time being.

But the overall battle will not stop because of this.

While staying at the airport, Fang Wen could only learn about the situation in Shanghai through the radio.

Three days passed in this way, and it was February 23rd.

On this day, a military officer arrived at the airport.

The officer went straight to the air force captain and talked with him for a long time.

Then, the two walked over to Fang Wen, who was inspecting the aircraft.

The captain squatted down and said, "Fang Wen, stop what you're doing. There's something very important I need to talk to you about."

Fang Wen, covered in engine oil stains, crawled out from under the plane and washed his hands with soap.

"Captain, you speak, I'm listening."

"This is from the Logistics Department of the 19th Route Army. He has something he wants to talk to you about."

The 19th Route Army and the Guangdong Air Force were one family, so they must be familiar with each other. Fang Wen didn't know why they were looking for him, since he was just a temporary participant and an outsider.

He dried his hands with a towel and looked at the other person.

"I heard about the fighting these past three days on the radio. You are heroes."

These words brought a smile to the other party's face, and they immediately stated their purpose.

"Thank you for your air raid last time. Although the rear ammunition depot of the 9th Division was destroyed, they were able to replenish their ammunition reserves by sea. Starting on the 21st, thousands of Japanese soldiers launched a fierce offensive under the cover of aircraft, artillery, and armored vehicles."

Our 19th Army is still holding out, but as the war progresses, supply problems have arisen. Some positions of the 19th Route Army have been cut off from logistical support by the enemy, lacking basic medicines and even experiencing shortages of ammunition. Although some supplies and medicines have been obtained through the spontaneous organization of Shanghai citizens, most of the supplies still need to be replenished from the rear in a timely manner.

The problem now is that we need a pilot with excellent flying skills, especially at night, to fly a transport plane from Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport to Shanghai for a low-altitude nighttime drop mission.

Can you do it?

Fang Wen's expression was solemn, and he did not answer immediately.

There are several points that need to be carefully considered regarding the other party's demands.

Can the pilot master the type of transport aircraft in a short period of time?

Flying from Hangzhou to Shanghai would be more vulnerable to interception by the Japanese army. Even though night flights offered greater safety, the enemy demanded low-altitude nighttime drops.

This is different from the previous nighttime aerial reconnaissance mission.

Shanghai now has many high-rise buildings, so it is necessary to accurately locate the delivery point while preventing low-altitude flights from colliding with the buildings.

This requires maintaining an altitude between 500 and 1000 meters, while also being able to pinpoint locations accurately.

“It’s difficult,” he answered truthfully.

“We just discussed this. Currently, only you can fly at night in Shanghai; no one else can,” the flight captain interjected.

"What kind of aircraft did you use?" Fang Wen asked in return.

"The Rhein NYP-2, which flew from Guangzhou to Hangzhou, is the one you piloted."

This is good news; the familiar model gives us a greater sense of confidence.

"I can't guarantee success, but I can do it," Fang Wen replied.

"That's what we've been waiting for. Whether we succeed or not, just do our best," the logistics officer of the 19th Route Army quickly agreed.

"Then I'll have Shao Sichen take you there."

The flight captain summoned Shao Sishen, and they were about to take off.

Because of the urgency of the matter, Fang Wen simply changed his clothes, boarded a plane, and left Nanjing Airport.

After a flight of more than two hours, the plane arrived at Jianqiao Airport.

This is an unfamiliar environment for Fang Wen. Below it is the largest military airport in the Republic of China era, where the most military aircraft were parked.

After receiving landing clearance, the aircraft landed on the airport runway.

Shao Sichen leaned out and said to Fang Wen, who had just gotten off the plane, "Don't worry, your skills will definitely work. I'm waiting for your good news."

Fang Wen smiled back and stood outside the airport runway.

Shao Sishen piloted the plane to turn around and return directly to its origin.

Without Shao Sichen, Fang Wen didn't know what to do in this completely unfamiliar environment.

He remembered the instructions given by the logistics officer of the 19th Route Army before takeoff: go to the airport control tower and find a man named Gui Hongyuan, who would arrange everything.

The control tower is the tallest building in the airport. Fang Wen crossed the runway and walked straight towards it.

There were no soldiers guarding the command tower, so he went straight up.

It was bustling inside, with more than a dozen officers busy with their own tasks.

An officer saw Fang Wen standing at the door and asked, "Which department are you from?"

"I'm looking for Gui Hongyuan. He just came from Nanjing Airport," Fang Wen replied.

"Oh, you're the night pilot." The officer turned around: "Gui Hongyuan, a pilot from Nanjing is here to report for duty. Make arrangements for him."

The officer, who was working at his desk, looked up, saw Fang Wen, and got up to come over.

He assigned Fang Wen his task.

"You will be carrying out a very important night flight operation. If the operation is successful, you will be able to drop supplies to the Shanghai theater every night. This is crucial for the ground forces' combat operations, as it will provide them with various supplies they urgently need. I hope you succeed."

Fang Wen understood that this kind of mission would not be a one-time or two-time event, but would continue until the end of the war.

This didn't exist in the original history, after all, flying at night is not an easy thing.

He nodded and was then led to the hangar by Gui Hongyuan.

The Rheinland NYP-2 was parked there quietly.

Outside the hangar, a military vehicle was unloading cargo.

"Come with me. You're on your night flight mission, and there are two more crew members. Let me introduce them to you." After saying this, Gui Hongyuan led Fang Wen to the transport plane, where two burly soldiers were standing.

(End of this chapter)