Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 214 War of words
During World War II, although the pilot training processes of various countries around the world had their own characteristics, the ultimate goal was the same: to train a large number of civilian youths into qualified pilots capable of carrying out combat missions in the shortest possible time.

Moreover, this is a high-intensity process with a high attrition rate and distinct stages.

In general, it involves several processes, namely: selection and enlistment, pre-flight/basic training, primary flight training, advanced flight training, and combat conversion training.

In peacetime, it typically takes 18 months to two years to complete the transition from civilian to pilot, and for naval and air force personnel, it can take up to three years.

In another timeline, after the outbreak of World War II, governments around the world felt that the training time was too long, and the speed at which pilots were trained in the rear could not make up for the speed at which pilots were lost on the front lines.

As the war intensified and demand surged, the timeline was significantly compressed (approximately 7-9 months for civilians to reach combat troops in the later stages of the United States, and even just a few months in the later stages of the German war).

But that's nothing compared to what happened in Japan.

Towards the end of the war, the time Japan spent training kamikaze pilots was reduced to two to four weeks, and in the most extreme cases, it was reduced to just a few days.

This is no longer about training pilots, but about creating "disposable" human missile operators, using the last bit of value of their young lives in a desperate struggle.

Its cruelty and inhumanity represent an extremely dark chapter in the history of aviation and warfare.

In terms of training pilots, the Americans are the best.

Relying on its vast industrial and educational system, the United States established a highly standardized, assembly-line-style pilot training system (such as the famous "Army Air Forces Training Command" system), training more than 40 pilots throughout World War II.

So much so that the Japanese were both shocked and puzzled as to why their pilots were dwindling while the American pilots were increasing.

The increasing number of American pilots is not only due to their massive industrial and educational systems, but also closely related to the emergence of one thing: the Link simulator.

This thing was invented in 1929 by a young man named Link, but it has been ignored ever since it was invented.

It wasn't until 1934, when more than a dozen Army Air Corps pilots died in air crashes due to inadequate training, that the Army Air Corps became Link's first client.

After that, customers started coming to us in droves.

The effects of Linker training are very obvious. It can greatly shorten the actual flight time in the air and also help avoid some dangerous operating habits on the ground in advance.

Doolittle's initial belief that it would take at least a year to train a qualified pilot was based on traditional training methods. Now, with the Link simulator, this flight time can be greatly shortened.

Seeing Doolittle's happy expression, Su Yaoyang stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Jimmy, come and sit down."

After Doolittle got off the simulator and sat down on the simulator next to him, Su Yaoyang handed him a cigarette and said sincerely, "Jimmy... I know you won't stay in China for long, at most one or two years before you go back home."

I only hope that before you return home, you can train as many pilots as possible for our country, so that they can fly their planes through the blue sky and strike back at those Japanese invaders.

Doolittle took the cigarette and looked into Su Yaoyang's pleading eyes, a soft spot in his heart seemed to be touched.

He took the cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and said, "Boss... I understand how you feel."

You are a respectable patriot. Rest assured, I will do my best to help you train more pilots.

Moreover, your training facilities and equipment are more than sufficient and complete. The only limitation is the number of qualified trainees, but there's nothing I can do about that.

"Yes!"

Su Yaoyang took a deep drag of his cigarette, a helpless expression on his face.

Unlike ordinary infantry, the air force is a high-tech branch of the military, and the requirements for pilots are exceptionally high.

Pilots are required to have literacy skills (manuals, instructions, reports), basic algebra, geometry, and physics knowledge (to calculate range, trajectory, and fuel efficiency), as well as aviation theory, mechanical principles, and navigation.

In view of this, the selection process for pilots has become more stringent.

Countries like the US, UK, Germany, and Japan require pilots to have at least a secondary education (high school). The requirements were slightly lower in the Soviet Union and China, but at least a junior high or primary school education was required, since illiterate people could not operate such a complex aviation system.

For example, which of the famous pilots, such as Gao Zhihang, Liu Cuigang, and Yan Haiwen, was not an educated youth?
In this respect, China is indeed weak. As an agricultural country with an illiteracy rate of 80% to 90%, it is extremely difficult to select qualified soldiers.

Although a large number of people applied for this pilot selection, after several rounds of selection, only three or four hundred flight trainees were barely selected. After further rounds of selection, Su Yaoyang estimated that only about 50% of them would be able to become qualified pilots.

Thinking about this, Su Yaoyang felt that it was a long and arduous task for him to cultivate a qualified air force.

He tossed away his cigarette butt and said, "Jimmy... I'm going back now. You're in charge of this."

"Okay, boss." Doolittle, who was studying the simulator, waved his hand and went back to studying the simulator on his own.

Looking at Doolittle, who was engrossed in his work, Su Yaoyang was both amused and exasperated. He was Doolittle's boss, after all, and this guy wasn't even bothering with the pretense.

However, Su Yaoyang didn't blame him. If this guy were truly a smooth talker, he wouldn't be Doolittle.

...The U.S. Embassy in Shanghai

Ambassador Nelson Trusler Jensen, a sprightly American diplomat nearing sixty with graying hair, sat in his spacious, bright, and elegantly decorated office, looking somewhat surprised at the Japanese Consul General, Mikichi Horiuchi, who stormed in angrily.

Ambassador Jensen served as a diplomat in China for many years and is well-versed in the subtlety and etiquette of Eastern people.

It is extremely rare for someone like Horiuchi Kankei to come knocking on your door without prior notice, as if to demand an explanation.

"Consul General Horiuchi, how have you been? I was unaware of your presence today. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Ambassador Jensen asked with a professional smile but with an authoritative tone.

He gestured to his assistant to pour Horiuchi Mikichi a cup of coffee, while he leisurely took a cigar from his cigar box, cut it with a silver cigar cutter, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a cloud of white smoke.

Horiuchi Mikichi had no time for coffee or cigars, much less the patience to wait for Ambassador Jensen to leisurely enjoy his smoke. He almost rudely interrupted the ambassador's pleasantries, slamming a document ("evidence" of P-47 fighters appearing on the Shanxi battlefield and causing significant Japanese losses) heavily onto the ambassador's desk.

"Ambassador Johnson! On behalf of the Government of the Empire of Japan, I lodge the strongest protest against your government's blatant sale of advanced fighter jets to a local militia in Shanxi, which directly resulted in heavy losses to our army!"

Horiuchi Mikichi's voice was sharp with anger. He pointed at the documents on the table and said sternly, "These advanced fighter jets, according to our accurate intelligence, were provided by your country!"
And Su Yaoyang! That damned militia leader! He used your American planes to massacre our Empire's elite pilots! You must be held responsible for this!"

Ambassador Jensen frowned slightly as he picked up the documents on the table and began to examine them carefully. The documents included blurry photographs of the aircraft wreckage, as well as some so-called "eyewitness testimonies" and "intelligence analyses." The more he read, the deeper his frown became.

Although he was not a professional soldier and did not know much about weapons, he did have some knowledge of his own aircraft.

Judging from the photos, the wreckage of those fighter jets on the ground does indeed have a style reminiscent of American aircraft.

Although Ambassador Jensen was also filled with doubts, he remained outwardly calm. As an experienced diplomat, he knew that he should never readily admit anything without solid evidence and clear instructions from home.

He put down the documents, looked up, and with that professional, enigmatic smile still on his face, looked at the furious Horiuchi Mikio and said slowly, "Consul General Horiuchi, your 'evidence,' if I may be so bold, is rather... unfounded."

First of all, regarding the advanced fighter jet in your photo, to the best of my knowledge, I have never seen it myself.

Secondly, even if these aircraft were indeed made in the United States, we cannot rule out the possibility that they leaked out through some unofficial, secret channels beyond the control of our government, such as the actions of some unscrupulous arms dealers, or... the private actions of some 'international friends' sympathetic to China's war of resistance.

Although Ambassador Johnson's tone was calm, the subtext of his words was very clear: Our U.S. government has absolutely not sold fighter jets to Su Yaoyang's militia.

As for how these planes ended up in their hands, that's anyone's guess, but it has nothing to do with our government.

"Nonsense! Sophistry! This is absolutely a conspiracy by your US government!"

Horiuchi Mikichi was so angry at Ambassador Jensen's evasive response that he trembled with rage. He suddenly stood up, pointed his finger at the ambassador's nose, and shouted, "Ambassador Jensen! I'm warning you! Don't try to shirk responsibility! We have solid evidence that these planes came from official U.S. channels!"
Furthermore, we also know that some of your so-called "volunteer pilots" from the United States participated in this attack on our Imperial Army! You are playing with fire! You are making an enemy of the Great Japanese Empire!

"Consul General Horiuchi, please watch your words!"

Ambassador Jensen's face darkened, his smile vanished, and his tone became serious. "Your claim that 'American volunteer pilots' were involved in the attack is utterly baseless slander! The U.S. government has always adhered to a policy of neutrality and would never allow its citizens to participate in armed conflicts between other countries."

If any American citizens did participate in the alleged 'attack' privately, that was their personal act and has nothing to do with the US government. We regret this and will investigate. But you cannot use this to place the blame on the US government!

"Neutral policy? What a ridiculous joke!"

Horiuchi Kaneki sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "The whole world knows that you Americans have been secretly providing various forms of aid to the Chongqing government! Now you've gone even further, selling the most advanced fighter jets to a tiny militia! Your so-called 'neutrality' is nothing but a facade to deceive the world!"

“Consul General Horiuchi, I reiterate that the U.S. government has never sold any type of fighter jet, let alone an advanced one, to any Chinese local armed forces, including the Su Yaoyang militia you mentioned!”

Ambassador Johnson's tone hardened as he stood up and confronted Horiuchi Mikio head-on, saying, "As for your so-called demands for 'compensation for losses' and 'guarantees to stop selling weapons,' those are utter nonsense, and we resolutely reject them! The United States is a sovereign nation, and we have the right to decide who to sell weapons to and who not to sell weapons to. It is none of the business of any other country to interfere!"

The ambassador's office was instantly filled with tension. The two diplomats, representing the interests of Japan and the United States respectively, engaged in a heated argument and debate over the sudden appearance of these fighter jets and the complex international relations and national interests involved.

Horiuchi insisted that the US government was behind it all and demanded that the US take responsibility and provide compensation. Ambassador Johnson, however, firmly denied any official US government involvement, completely absolving himself of responsibility, while implying to Japan not to make a mountain out of a molehill and attempting to minimize the impact of the incident.

The two engaged in a heated debate, quoting classical texts (but mostly accusing and threatening each other), arguing for nearly an hour until their voices were hoarse, but neither could convince the other.

Ultimately, having received no satisfactory response and instead been rebuffed, Horiuchi Kaneki could only storm off in anger, leaving with a stern warning: the Great Japanese Empire would not let this go unpunished, would thoroughly investigate the matter, and reserved the right to take further action.

Ambassador Jensen watched with a blank expression as Miki Horiuchi stormed off. Only after the office door slammed shut did he slowly sit back down in his chair, his tough expression gradually fading, replaced by a deep worry and confusion.

He picked up the document on the table and examined the blurry airplane photos again.

Su Yaoyang… Shanxi militia… What exactly is going on? Is it possible that someone in China is secretly providing this level of advanced weaponry to the Chinese side behind the government's back? Or is there something else going on?
Ambassador Jensen felt a headache coming on. He knew this matter was far more complex than it appeared. It not only affected the situation on the Sino-Japanese battlefield but could also further inflame the already tense relationship between the United States and Japan.

He immediately picked up the phone and connected to an encrypted line to Washington. He needed to report the matter back home as soon as possible and request instructions.

(End of this chapter)