Canteen System Assistance Notes

The Chinese did bomb the Japanese mainland; those Brazilians weren't lying. Besides possessing four-engine bombers, they also had a comprehensive infrastructure and regulatory framework to support reconnaissance and bombing raids against Japan. Therefore, given sufficient resources, they could certainly repeat these raids.

In this case, General Ernest Joseph King's idea did have a basis. If an air force serving the Allies was established here, very close to Japan, it would not only allow bombing of the Japanese mainland, weakening their war potential, but also help the Navy regain some face after the huge political loss of Pearl Harbor.

And if I can play a key role in this process...

John H. Towers suddenly had a bold idea.

"Ahem, Commander Mr. Luo."

He cleared his throat and said, "Just now you said that your aviation force can rely on the airports in Shandong Province to carry out bombing and reconnaissance on Japan.

"Then, I would like to ask, do you have any recent plans for reconnaissance of the Japanese mainland?

"If you do, can you take me with you?"

Chapter 581: Curry-flavored Americans

During World War II, conflicts between the US Navy and Army also arose. However, compared to the Japanese, where they called each other "red deer" and "horse manure," these conflicts were largely controllable and reconcilable, serving the supreme interests of the United States. For example, the famous Doolittle Raid is an example of close cooperation between the Navy and the Army.

But in other words, as long as they serve the same goal, the navy and the army are still happy to trip each other up and compete for the first place.

This had another meaning for John H. Towers, a veteran of American naval aviation who aspired to command naval aviation. As a seasoned rear admiral, he had been urging the Navy Department to transfer him to command an aircraft carrier in engagements with the Japanese, earning meritorious service that would warrant another promotion. However, the Navy Department's Pacific Theater of Operations favored "latecomers" like Aubrey W. Fitch and William Frederick Halsey, Jr. As for Towers, they simply assigned him to organize shore-based aviation.

This made Towers complain a lot, but...what if I became the first American general to fly over the Japanese mainland? he thought.

At this point in January 1942, even without Comrade Liu Helian's "special aircraft" that could not be shown to the public, the Eighth Route Army still had a certain ability to conduct reconnaissance against North Korea and Japan. The "Xianglang" monitoring antenna that had been built in Shandong Province could capture all direct, reflected, diffracted and diffracted ground and sky waves within a 360-degree range.

In addition, with the support of the computer system, it is possible to use the secret text attack mode to violently

By deciphering all telegrams from the Japanese navy, army, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Special High Section, the Eighth Route Army was able to grasp almost all of Japan's flight operations and corresponding reporting situations.

At this time, by taking off the twin-engine Lockheed L18 "Polaris" transport aircraft from Shandong Airport, the Eighth Route Army could rely on the "Polaris"'s "relative" in Japan - the Kawasaki KI56 transport aircraft, to blend into the normal flight operations of the Japanese army, and then carry out camouflaged reconnaissance of North Korea and the Japanese mainland.

While it's true that if this behavior were repeated frequently, a normal nation would inevitably discover it. However, Japan at this time was clearly not normal: the navy and army were at odds with each other, treating each other as enemies, and naturally wouldn't share flight information. So, the Eighth Route Army's "Polaris" disguised themselves as army planes, navy planes, and then as rare civilian airliners, flying for ages without being detected.

However, this is ultimately a reconnaissance mission to the Japanese mainland! An American major general is going to fly over Japan in January 1942. What if he is really discovered and shot down? Although this mission itself is high-risk, bringing an extra American to "seek death" is unbearable. The Shandong Provincial Military District said that they can't bear it, so please go back.

"No, no, friends of the Eighth Route Army, thank you for your kindness. I remember that you were at war with Japan more than ten years ago, right?"

Towers clapped his hands on his chest, as if surrounded by countless halos, a glorious and righteous aura, as if he were truly selflessly willing to take the risk alongside the Eighth Route Army pilots. "Now, America is at war with Japan. Although I'm a major general, I'm also expendable, just like a soldier on the front lines."

However, after several comrades from the Shandong Provincial Military Region stared at him for a long time as if they were watching a bangzi opera, Towers finally compromised: "Okay, to save everyone's trouble, I will draft a telegram and send it to the Admiralty - your high-powered radio can reach Midway Island, right? If I get permission from the Admiralty, can I go with you to the skies over Japan?"

Well, our reconnaissance mission will be carried out normally regardless of whether the Americans are included or not. So if this American can get permission from Washington, then let him do whatever he wants.

The Eighth Route Army in Lu Province decided to put aside their motives for helping others and respect their fate. Meanwhile, the Eighth Route Army in Fushe believed that the mature leadership of a mature military branch in a mature country would not allow such a reckless act to be approved. With this in mind, Towers was allowed to borrow the Eighth Route Army's antenna in Lu Province to transmit a skywave signal to the US military radio station on Midway Island, which would then be forwarded back to China via Hawaii.

Towers chased away the young Navy officer carrying the radio and the secrecy machine, and began operating the transmitter himself. The officer sent a vague message to Washington: "We have learned that the Eighth Route Army in northern China is conducting a reconnaissance operation into the Japanese-occupied areas. To demonstrate the U.S. Navy's resolute struggle against Japan, would you be willing to cooperate in this reconnaissance?"

Anyway, the occupied areas in China and the "occupied areas" in Japan are all Japanese-occupied areas, there is nothing wrong with that.

The telegram was sent that evening, and Washington's reply arrived the following evening: "Major General Towers, you may participate in the Chinese Communist Party's armed reconnaissance activities against Japan, provided your safety is guaranteed. "Please note," the telegram also instructed, "that as much relevant video footage as possible should be produced."

Huh? Americans! How could you agree to it so nonchalantly? Is your navy so reckless? This time it's the Eighth Route Army's turn to be confused.

But now that the Americans have already surrendered, we must not fall behind. A strange sense of competitiveness also emerged from the Eighth Route Army. The Air Force Front Command in Shandong Province began to plan various possible route configurations and flight plans, while the ground crew responsible for aircraft maintenance began to re-examine and modify the L18 "Polaris" paint scheme, serial numbers, and Japanese military markings.

Finally, two days later, the "Elephant Fence" antenna station captured crucial intelligence information—a Japanese Army passenger plane would depart from the Korean Peninsula and fly to an Army airfield on the mainland!

The Eighth Route Army soldiers at Rizhao Airport in Shandong Province jumped up like foxes on the African grasslands or rabbits on the Northwest grasslands.

Start quickly painting the aircraft with the Japanese aircraft number and corresponding paint scheme in the intelligence

and identification numbers, even some of the "flaws" unique to each aircraft were not spared. In a short while, the Eighth Route Army's "North Star" quickly transformed into a vivid Army "Kawasaki".

"Oh, these guys are really professional, no less than the navy soldiers I've seen."

Towers, who was watching the preparations from a distance, sighed. He adjusted his small open-collared military uniform and was eager to try it out. "Then we should also..." Mr. Towers.

Several Eighth Route Army officers approached, and one, wearing glasses, spoke in an Oxford-accented English: "The plane is about to take off. Please come with us and get ready for takeoff—there are only two of you here, right?"

"No problem, yes," Towers pulled over a photographer from the expedition and ignored the guy's trembling. "I'm going with Freeman.

Soon, they reached a small room next to the hangar. The Eighth Route Army officer entered, drew the curtains, and turned on the light. Towers watched as they pulled out a key, opened a metal cabinet, and pulled out a strange assortment of clothing and accessories.

"Wait a minute, man! What's going on?"

"Mr. Towers, are you preparing for the flight?"

The Eighth Route Army officer replied, bewildered. "Aren't you going with us to investigate Japan? We certainly can't have an American officer on a plane to Japan." He displayed his Japanese general's uniform, his interpreter's round sunglasses, and a samurai sword with a large chrysanthemum pattern. "We definitely need to conceal your attire. So, Mr. Towers, you and Mr. Freeman, please change your clothes quickly."

After that, the officer took out a large bucket and pried open the lid with a knife. Suddenly, a particularly pleasant smell of Indian curry wafted out and filled the whole room. "Of course, we have to use turmeric powder to adjust your skin color. If there were two white people on the plane, wouldn't the Japanese pilots see them at a glance?"

Chapter 582: Towers's Adventure on the Plane

A few hours later, a silver twin-engine plane took off from Rizhao Airport.

Even without the Eighth Route Army's usual in-cabin fuel tanks, a range of nearly 2500 kilometers can support the Lockheed L18 to take off from Shandong Province and survey most of the three northeastern provinces, the entire North Korea and many areas in western Japan. Today, according to the scheduled reconnaissance plan, the pilots will fly to the Sasebo military port in Kyushu, Japan to scout the Japanese naval ships there.

This was a key berth for the Japanese Navy, where many ships were moored, repaired, and assembled. Maintaining surveillance of this area allowed for continuous tracking of the Japanese Navy's expansion and construction progress, providing valuable intelligence. To this end, the Roxy L18 was equipped with a Fairchild reconnaissance lens system for ground observation, enabling it to capture targets from both high altitude and sideways.

However, from the outside, this is a perfectly normal Kawasaki K56 aircraft used by Japanese army VIPs. Look, the pilots, wearing standard Japanese flight suits, kid gloves, leather pilot hats, and windshield goggles, are meticulously piloting the aircraft. And in the window of the aircraft, you can see a senior officer sitting upright, meticulously working.

But if you look closely, you can find that this "official Wei Zi" is extremely strange: only the front half of his uniform is normal, and the back is cut open to accommodate his big body; his face is stiff and twitches from time to time; at the same time, in such a cramped plane, he is wearing sunglasses and a scarf, and a small Type 98 officer's hat is like a candied cherry stuffed on the top of a mango cake, lying comically on his head.

Of course, there is also the inevitable face full of turmeric powder.

This person was, of course, Rear Admiral John H. Towers, a member of the U.S. Navy's reconnaissance team. At that moment, he felt as if his face had been coated in batter, egg, and breadcrumbs, ready for deep-frying. He was utterly embarrassed. To maintain his "makeup," he couldn't wipe it off with his hands. He even had to try to maintain a calm demeanor and minimize sweating to avoid a clown-like appearance.

The cabin was filled with a strong smell of curry. Towers sighed and glanced at Freeman, the Disney photographer who was trembling as he held the camera. He could only comfort himself: all this was for the United States, for the Navy, and for the smooth progress of the reconnaissance operation.

Fortunately, he already knew the entire operation plan, and the Lockheed L-18 happened to be an American-made aircraft, so Towers didn't need to maintain his turmeric statue posture throughout the entire operation. After the aircraft left the Shandong coast 200 kilometers away and the baseline positioner was no longer assisting, Towers used his old naval aviation skills to begin drawing an inertial route chart for the Eighth Route Army's navigator.

As for the photographer, he could only lie on the reconnaissance port in the center of the cabin and communicate with the Eighth Route Army scouts to discuss how to take subsequent reconnaissance photos.

Anyway, young man, this time I'm counting on you. While drawing with a ruler and compass, Towers thought: If I could capture images of mainland Japan, that would be much more exciting than just taking photos!

The L-18, disguised as a K-56, buzzed along, quickly crossing the Yellow Sea and entering the waters adjacent to North Korea. Soon, the group spotted a large island to the right of the aircraft. Comparing the map, the pilot confirmed it was Jeju Island. Due to the Japanese's poor earthwork, Jeju Island, supposed to be the front line of defense against heavy bombardments, lacked an airfield or radar. So, the group flew forward with impunity—according to previously deciphered route information, the Japanese Army passenger plane would pass by this location en route to the fortification base in Fukuoka.

Based on the well-known information isolation between the Japanese navy and army and some wonderful time differences, the L18 of the Eighth Route Army made a turn here and "lost" to the area controlled by the navy - later, this L18 will "become" a legitimate Japanese aircraft.

It had to be said that Towers was quite skilled. His decade-plus of experience in sea navigation was a testament to his skill, and he drew navigation charts quickly and accurately. As his pencil continued to trace a straight line across the chart, the outline of Kyushu, Japan, began to emerge on the horizon.

"Eighth Route Army boys, you are awesome!"

I actually flew there! That really is the Japanese mainland!

Towers became excited. He tossed the navigation board back to the Eighth Route Army's navigator and slid back into his seat. He patted the Disney cameraman, then pulled out a Kodak camera and asked, "Great guys, what's our goal this time?"

The captain spoke English, so he shouted back over the intercom, "It's Sasebo Naval Base! Maybe you can see Japanese naval warships and docks. Sasebo has one of the largest docks in the Japanese Navy." Oh? Maybe you can even see Japanese warships!

Towers suppressed his impulsive urges and clicked away, aiming his camera at Kyushu and Sasebo in the distance. A feeling of "a man's proper behavior" welled up within him. Those "latecomers" who had joined the profession halfway through were indeed in charge of the flight squadrons on the flat deck, while he was the only one assigned to developing shore-based aviation. But what about now?

How can you command an aircraft carrier and personally fly over an enemy country like I do?

Soon, the Lockheed L18 approached Sasebo, and the busy port, the docked warships of all sizes, and the large dock used for repairs on the Yamato came into view. As the Eighth Route Army and the Americans murdered their respective film reels, the captain's voice rang out again through the headset.

"Everyone! Return to your seats and take your positions!" "Japanese planes!"

“Ahaha—”

Sergeant Xincheng yawned, adjusted his goggles with his hands, and controlled the plane to continue flying upwards.

He was flying an old Type 96 carrier-based fighter. As an old aircraft, this carrier-based fighter had been replaced by the Zero and no longer flew on the new first-line aircraft carriers. However, because Tokyo had been bombed some time ago, after the bombing, the foolish army wanted the navy to "take some responsibility". So, pilot Shinjo, who could have basically been idle, was sent to Sasebo to take on the task of patrolling around the port.

The Army claimed responsibility for the defense of the port (city), but the Navy's orders were to assume the air defense of the port (region). This, however, perfectly suited the New City 7 pilots' point: "Why should we be involved in the Army's road operations?"

But no matter what, this job was boring and monotonous, and the planes he flew were old, which made Xincheng Feicao drowsy every time he flew. As soon as he took off, he thought about looking for the young lady in the izakaya after landing. "Senior, I found %@#￥...sizzle...sizzle..."

"What? Daiko-kun? What did you discover?"

The person who spoke was his wingman, a rather unpopular rookie. It was said that this young man had crashed a Type 95 Red Dragonfly trainer while training, losing his shipboard berth. Shinjo wondered how he could have crashed something like the Red Dragonfly. Unlike him, Daiko had excellent basic skills, sharp eyesight, and an inexhaustible energy.

“—a rack of *&%￥%.…..sizzle…sizzle.”

Tsk... Stupid Sora One Kai... Listening to the muffled electrical hum and the indistinct, almost indecipherable responses in his earpiece, Shinjo cursed and ripped it off, letting the whirring wind fill his ears. He maneuvered the tiller closer, and his wingman, understanding what was going on, raised the communication board with the inscription on it.

"Two o'clock direction, three thousand meters altitude, army transport plane?"

Sergeant Shinjo Fei narrowed his eyes and looked in that direction. Sure enough, he spotted a dull-looking Ki-56—silver paint job, a red Hinomaru. It was indeed an army idiot. Holding onto a last glimmer of hope, he used the Sky One Kai radio to call the other side.

"Army aircraft! State your identities! Leave immediately! This is the airspace of the Sasebo Naval Base!" Sure enough, the other party continued to fly forward stupidly without any response.

Army horse manure.......

Although the airspace above the port city was not under the Navy's jurisdiction, it was still unacceptable to allow the Army to fly over the naval port. Pilot Officer Xincheng gestured to Officer Dagu beside him, asking him to accompany him over. At the same time, Xincheng also took out his communication board and began to write on it.

“Army planes!” he wrote. “Leave now!”

The two sides gradually closed in. Team Dagu, in his wingman, circled the transport several times, even flying ahead of them, flapping his wings and performing a roll, signaling they were in the wrong place. But the army idiots just pointed and grumbled in the cockpit, unmoved. Flight Sergeant Xincheng observed the two army pilots, one maneuvering the controls while the other gestured with his hands. The officer in the cockpit, wearing sunglasses, peered out.

Shinjo held up the communication board and showed it to the other party. The Army officer finally responded—he called over another orderly and peeked in. Soon, the Army officer in the cockpit also raised his communication board. "I'm heading to the city base," read the first sign, while the second read: "Foolish Navy, why are you blocking us for no reason?"

A fortification base? A fortification base! Isn't that in Fukuoka?

"Stupid horse shit! You're flying in the wrong place!"

Pilot Daigu had done too many somersaults in front of him, and the plane had lost a lot of altitude and was struggling to climb. Sergeant Xincheng could only suppress his anger and flipped the communication board to the other side, writing:

"Bakayarou! This is the Sasebo tutelary fort!"

Finally, upon hearing this, the Army plane finally turned sideways, preparing to begin its turn. Really... how do the Army teach navigation? Go back and see how your superiors punish you!

Sergeant Xincheng breathed a sigh of relief, flicked the joystick, and began to follow the enemy's turn. Things hadn't gotten out of hand; at least the enemy had tactfully retreated. He glanced at Sergeant Dagu, who had already fallen behind him and was now scrambling to gain altitude... Well, these rookie Sea Eagles needed more practice.

But who knew that at this moment, a communication board appeared again in the cockpit of the army's transport plane: "You are actually telling me how to do things?"

"Navy Red Deer!"

This is the second one.

Before Xincheng's flight sergeant could curse, the K56 lowered its nose slightly, began to accelerate rapidly, and sped away. The old carrier-based aircraft in the sergeant's seat couldn't catch up, and the distance between them gradually widened. He could only watch the other aircraft disappear. Suddenly, he felt as nauseous as if he had eaten a mantis.

Kuso, Malu Yelang!!!

"Dagu! You disappoint me so much—after you return, you need to instill some naval spirit into me!"

He cursed angrily, not caring that the onboard radio was still noisy with electrical noise.

Chapter 583: The Results of Dealing

"Under no circumstances is it strictly forbidden for any naval officer who does not have combat missions to drive or board an aircraft to enemy-occupied areas for any purpose or reason."

When John H. Towers later showed off his photos of Kyushu Island, Sasebo Naval Base, and the Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets he had taken over Japan, the US Navy was shocked. Although the Disney crew responsible for the photos managed to retrieve three precious rolls of film from the plane, and the Eighth Route Army also shared images of Japan taken with reconnaissance cameras over Japan, Washington was still shocked by Towers' actions.

Thus, a World War II "Towers Ban" that was more about memes than substance came into being.

And Mr. Towers, despite having achieved this American first, was still ordered to stay in China - want to use this as an opportunity to command an aircraft carrier in the Pacific? You'll have to wait a while!

The first exchange and communication between the Eighth Route Army and the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy came to a brief end in this way.

Apart from the "Chennaud joke" in the army and the "Towers Ban" in the navy, the Eighth Route Army had no direct contact with the US Navy and the US Army in the war against Japan.

After preliminary negotiations and communication, some key consensus was reached to build

The framework for subsequent negotiations.

Interestingly, because Carlson, the "middleman," had direct access to the White House and a good reputation with the Eighth Route Army, the Navy was able to produce results more quickly and finalize more details during this negotiation. For example, Ying Chu, a US military observer at Rizhao Port, visited the Eighth Route Army's coastal artillery positions in Shandong Province and observed their use of captured Japanese Type 90 7mm field guns and homemade 75mm semi-armor-piercing shells, deployed in semi-sheltered bunkers as coastal artillery. While expressing admiration for the Eighth Route Army's immense creativity and initiative, he also offered his own suggestions:

This thing lacks sufficient martial virtue. If it were to face a Japanese battleship bombarding the shore, I'm afraid it wouldn't even be able to pose a threat!

Considering that Rizhao Airport was located approximately 21 kilometers from the coastline, he proposed that the US Navy provide funding and instructors to upgrade Rizhao's Eighth Route Army coastal artillery—if nothing else, at least 155mm coastal artillery was essential. While many details still required coordination and negotiation, the two sides wrote a memorandum with a clear outline of their intentions:

1. Given the crucial role of Shandong's forward airfields in the war against Japan, a sufficiently capable shore-based aviation force must be established there to handle tasks such as air control, interception, seaborne attacks, reconnaissance against Japan, and search and rescue. Given the outstanding performance of the Eighth Route Army's aviation and the US military's strategy of attacking Europe first and Asia later, this force will primarily be based on the Eighth Route Army. Both sides will need to establish airfield protection wings, seaborne reconnaissance/attack wings, long-range reconnaissance groups, and seaplane rescue wings.

2. After inspecting Rushan, Rizhao, and other areas, it was determined that Shandong Province possessed the necessary terrain for a natural harbor, suitable for supporting the Eighth Route Army in constructing a frontier port under the Allied system. This port would be used for resupply and simple maintenance of US warships, primarily submarines, to assist in intercepting and conducting reconnaissance operations against Japan. To this end, coordination within the Allies was necessary to expand and strengthen the coastal naval forces already under the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, increase personnel training, and strengthen port air defense and coastal defense firepower. For example, the 75mm coastal defense artillery would definitely be phased out.

3. To support the operations of the aforementioned air and naval forces, the Eighth Route Army needs to be given access to equipment purchases and given timely support for the construction of related fixed assets to enhance its logistical supply capabilities. For example, the Eighth Route Army's existing refinery needs to be strengthened to produce 100/125 ASTM aviation fuel; equipment at the lead smelter and acid plant needs to be upgraded to refurbish submarine batteries; and personnel needs to be trained to prepare for the assembly of ASTM torpedoes using imported materials from Shandong Province.

4. In terms of intelligence, the naval intelligence system in China should be reorganized to find out why the meteorological cooperation that has been carried out for a long time cannot pass on the results to the navy.

As for the follow-up, regarding sea conditions, weather, and hydrology, the Navy is ready to

Shi directly set up a liaison group and bypassed the mountain city to directly deal with the Eighth Route Army.

In addition, the US Navy also invited the Eighth Route Army to participate in the naval intelligence exchange meeting held in Sri Lanka in February.

These conditions were relatively fair, and they were not without the arguments of the Eighth Route Army and the CCP's foreign affairs department, as well as the mediation of friendly figures such as Carlson. Of course, this was also a good deal for the US Navy - if this memorandum of intent was successfully implemented, the Navy would completely surpass the Army in bombing the Japanese mainland through the joint air force in Shandong Province.

Although the Eighth Route Army and the US Navy would certainly not prohibit the army from passing through and using Shandong Airport to bomb Japan, they would exchange some interests under the table.

For example, allowing the navy to possess twin-engine and four-engine combat aircraft is more