Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 683 Operation Witherburg: Compensation and Condolences for the Fallen Soldiers of the Independent Regiment
4 month 11 day.

Gong Xiuneng packed his bags and prepared to fly to Yangon.

Before leaving, he bid a reluctant farewell to Fang Wen: "Commander, I'm leaving."

Fang Wen, who was writing new engine production process data, stopped writing: "Just go, why are you being so hesitant, you grown man?"

"Oh." Gong Xiuneng hesitated, picked up his bag and was about to leave, but then stopped: "Commander, I will definitely do a good job in recruitment, but can someone else be the special forces captain? I just want to be by your side to protect your safety."

Fang Wen sighed inwardly.

People have different personalities. Gong Xiu has been learning Taoism from his master since childhood and is naturally carefree. Perhaps he is really not suitable for the position of special forces captain.

He replied, "Okay, I'll consider it."

"Hey." Gong Xiuneng smiled, relaxed, and strode towards the water airport.

Fang Wen continued to bury himself in writing production process data.

Ten minutes later, there was another knock on the office door.

"Why are you back again?" Fang Wen had barely uttered the question when he realized it wasn't Gong Xiu Neng and got up to open the door.

Standing outside the door was Lu Zexuan, the director of the Taishan Research Institute. He held a telegram and said, "General Manager, the base's telegraph office has received a telegram from Yangon."

Fang Wen took the plain text telegram and read it, his face showing surprise.

Germany went to war, but not against Britain and France, but against Norway and Denmark.

The telegram also mentioned that the German army used airborne operations in the battle.

This was also the first successful airborne tactic in the European theater of World War II.

This telegram also sent Fang Wen's thoughts drifting to Europe.

On April 8, 1940, as the sun set, the last rays of sunlight turned the sea off the west coast of Norway into a dark gold.

Captain Lars Sorensen of the Norwegian patrol boat Bohr III is scanning the sea with binoculars—this is his last evening on duty, and he will be able to return to Oslo to reunite with his family in two days.

Suddenly, the black ship silhouette that appeared in the telescope made him tense.

It wasn't the grey paint of the Norwegian Navy, but a dark grey hull bearing the Iron Cross insignia, and a column of ships was sailing this way.

"It's the German fleet!" Sorensen roared, "Send a message immediately! Bearing 58 degrees 12 minutes North latitude, the German Fifth Battle Group is advancing towards our waters!"

The radio operator's fingers flew across the transmitter, the ticking of radio waves piercing the twilight and reaching the Norwegian naval command.

At that moment, the searchlights of the German heavy cruiser "Blücher" swept across the deck of "Bohr III", and shouts to stop the ship came from the bridge in Norwegian.

Without hesitation, Sorensen raised his hand and ordered, "Aim the main guns at the lead ship and fire!"

The 76mm main guns of the "Bohr III" spewed fire, and shells splashed white water on the sides of the "Blücher".

The German counterattack came instantly; shells fired from the 150mm naval guns landed beside the patrol boat, and the resulting huge waves caused the boat to tilt.

Sorenson gripped the helm tightly, directing the ship to evade gunfire, until a high-explosive shell struck the bridge, and scorching shrapnel pierced his chest.

He collapsed in front of the compass, and the last thing he saw in his dying moments was the black leather boots of the German soldiers who boarded the ship.

The ship "Bohr III" was captured, and he became the first Norwegian captain to fall in the war.

The German 5th Combat Group did not stop advancing because of this minor skirmish.

As the war against Norway began, the battle groups dispersed and landed at different ports in Norway according to their respective operational plans.

The main fleet, led by the Blücher, sailed into the narrow Oslofjord.

The target is Oslo, the capital of Norway.

At 05:15 on April 9, the fleet reached the narrowest point of the fjord, where the Oscar Borg Fortress, which was being built there, suddenly lit up with searchlights.

Fortress Commander Major Conrad Ruger stared at the sea, and as the massive hull of the "Blücher" came into firing range, he swung his arm sharply: "Fire!"

The "Moses" gun corps on the west side of the fortress was the first to speak – these two 280mm cannons, manufactured in Germany in 1892, had been in service for 48 years.

But they never expected that the final enemy they would face would be the Germans.

The first shell struck the upper deck of the Blücher, and the ensuing fire illuminated the bridge; the second shell penetrated the deck, detonating the ship's ammunition boxes and sending thick smoke billowing out.

The captain of the Blücher ordered the ship to return fire, unaware that an even more deadly attack was approaching.

The torpedo tubes on the east side of the fortress were already ready. These two torpedoes, manufactured in 1900, finally met their prey after half a century.

At 05:27, the torpedo, leaving a white trail, struck the Blücher, right in the engine room. Seawater rushed into the room, and the main engine stopped completely.

The ship began to list, and the soldiers jumped into the sea to escape, but were frozen unconscious by the icy water.

At 06:23, with a loud bang, the Blücher capsized and sank, and of the 2202 crew members and soldiers, 830 were left forever in the depths of the fjord.

The German warships following behind witnessed this scene and mistakenly thought that the "Blücher" had touched a minefield laid by Norway.

The fleet commander immediately ordered: "All ships halt, troops land immediately!"

The soldiers hastily landed on the beaches on the south shore of the fjord and marched towards Oslo.

This delay bought valuable time for the Norwegian royal family and parliament.

At 6 a.m., cars from the Royal Palace in Oslo started up, and members of the royal family, carrying state documents, parliamentary archives, and boxes filled with gold and jewels, moved toward the mountains and forests of northern Norway.

Meanwhile, in the sky, the German airborne operations were also underway.

According to the German airborne operation plan, the attack on Oslo Fornib Airport was the key part of the raid.

The first batch of 29 Ju-52 transport planes carrying 340 paratroopers encountered a blizzard in Northern Europe as soon as they took off, with visibility less than 100 meters. The officer in charge had no choice but to order them to return to base.

The German airborne commander in charge of the operation received the order to return to base, but failed to notify the follow-up aircraft in time. The 12 Ju-52s continued their advance in the fog and appeared shakily over Fornib Airport.

The Norwegian garrison at the airport consisted of only one platoon, armed with outdated rifles and two machine guns. As the paratroopers jumped from the planes and landed on the runway covered with a thin layer of snow, the garrison's firing was sporadic.

German paratroopers quickly assembled, and the sound of MP40 submachine guns soon suppressed the resistance, allowing them to capture the airport runway and some buildings.

At 9 a.m., the first batch of German transport planes landed at the airport, carrying more soldiers and equipment.

By noon, Fornib Airport was completely under German control, and paratroopers advanced along the airport road into Oslo. In front of the deserted Royal Palace, the Nazi flag was raised.

On this day: the German forces at Kristiansand did not break through the coastal defenses until 10 a.m., 6 hours later than scheduled; although ports such as Narvik and Bergen were occupied, the delayed fall of Oslo saved Norway from a leaderless situation.

When Quisling, with the support of the German army, announced the "takeover of the government," the Norwegian parliament, which was in exile, immediately issued a statement: the Quisling government was illegal and Norway would never surrender.

The resistance continues.

4 month 15 day.

Fang Wen completed the technical data on engine turbocharger and improved cylinder structure, and taught it to engineers such as Lu Chengzhi.

As for the technical personnel to truly master this technology and establish a production line, based on Fang Wen's previous experience, it would take at least one month.

Fang Wen couldn't just sit idly in northern Myanmar for the next month.

Germany's successful invasions of Norway and Denmark meant that an attack on France would not be far off.

The French border guards have deployed gunboats and aircraft from Taishan Military Industry on the Maginot Line. This is a change brought about by Fang Wen's arrival in this world. He plans to go to Europe to observe the war when Germany attacks France, and see if he can gain some benefits in the chaos.

Therefore, Fang Wen sent a telegram to the European branch in Paris, instructing them to prepare for a possible shutdown and evacuation at any time. In the event of war, European air operations would be suspended, and the company's aircraft and branch employees would all be evacuated to airports in Switzerland. The Switzerland-Rome-Ankara Asia-Europe route would only be restarted once permission for air travel was obtained from Germany and Italy.

After making these arrangements, Fang Wen put on his flight suit, slung his flight bag over his shoulder, and headed alone to the seaplane airport, where he boarded a Shuiyun-1 seaplane.

Untie the cables, close the hatch, and start the engine.

He controlled the plane to take off from the berth, accelerate on the water, and take off.

The plane climbed to an altitude of 3000 meters and headed north.

A dozen minutes later, the plane flew over the Burma Road.

Fang Wen used his special ability to observe the area below.

The Yunnan-Burma Highway, which has been open to traffic for more than a year, continues to see a steady flow of vehicles.

Military trucks traveled along the rudimentary roads, transporting various scarce supplies back to China.

The road conditions are not very good, and landslides can occur at any time in some sections.

Fang Wen withdrew his gaze and continued driving while his mind wandered.

Germany now occupies Denmark and Norway, and the Soviet Union has defeated Finland; two of the three Nordic countries are now gone.

Under such circumstances, there is no longer any buffer zone between Germany and the Soviet Union.

Even without future historical memory, the Soviet Union would probably be aware of the danger involved.

It seems that it won't be long before the Soviet Union focuses most of its energy on the western front, and various forms of support will decrease accordingly.

In that case, the Burma Road would become even more important, and the Japanese army would inevitably launch military operations targeting that area.

It will be another tough battle.

However, at that time, the British and French troops in South Asia could put up a resistance first.

Clearing his mind, Fang Wen focused on driving.

The train made a stopover at Kunming Lake Water Airport before flying to Chengdu, landing at the water airport of Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan Logistics Company.

The seaplane is docked at the logistics company's pier.

The transport plane next to it was also a seaplane type, and looked no different.

Fang Wen opened the cabin door and jumped onto the dock.

Sun Debiao was waiting for him at the dock.

"General Manager, you've finally arrived. Apart from the head office sending someone to check the accounts, no one here has really paid attention to our affairs."

Fang Wen smiled and said, "That's because you managed it well."

Sun Debiao said with a sigh, "It was the general manager who gave me this opportunity. Otherwise, with my background, I would never have been able to turn my life around."

To others, this was just a casual response, but Fang Wen knew its true meaning.

Sun Debiao was a bodyguard among the eight prominent families in Northeast China, but in reality, he was an informant sent by the bandits in the Northeast. If it weren't for the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, he probably would have colluded with the bandits to kidnap people.

Afterwards, Sun Debiao and Manager Liu became Fang Wen's first group of subordinates, pledging their loyalty and revealing their backgrounds, which led to their later promotion.

Of course, Sun Debiao himself is also capable. He started from the distribution division of Taishan Airlines and has now done very well in the logistics company. You would never guess that he used to be a bandit.

The two walked into the office chatting and laughing.

Fang Wen looked around at the furnishings in the office.

Antique-style furniture, as well as sandalwood incense burners, tea tables, bookshelves, and screens.

The taste immediately improves, but the cost will inevitably be higher.

Fang Wen couldn't help but ask, "Wow, that must have cost a lot of money."

He trusted Sun Debiao; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked so directly.

In response, Sun Debiao said, "Logistics companies deal with all sorts of people every day, and we can't afford to be too shabby. So I applied for some funds from headquarters and used them for this. The results have been quite good; it makes receiving people much more impressive. General Manager, all of this money goes into the company account; it's all company assets. I don't have what you call a 'slush fund.' Besides, the pension system you set up is so good that no one in the company wants to make a mistake and lose their pension."

Fang Wen smiled and nodded. Good company benefits are the root cause of preventing official corruption. According to company regulations, once dereliction of duty or corruption is discovered, pension benefits will be canceled, which has indeed prevented a lot of official corruption.

He put down his flight bag, opened it, and took out a document.

"This is the list of soldiers who died in the battle of the Independent Regiment. They were all men from Sichuan. I plan to visit their families and deliver their compensation and condolences."

Sun Debiao took the list of the fallen soldiers, which included the addresses left by the soldiers themselves.

"I'll do it right away."

Of the 67 soldiers killed in action, 46 were from western Sichuan and 21 were from northern Sichuan.

Fang Wen originally intended to visit each family individually to offer his condolences.

However, this is not possible in reality. They live in scattered places, many of which are remote and inaccessible by plane or car, so they have to walk.

If he went to each house one by one, it would probably take Fang Wen a month to finish.

Therefore, the plan to visit each family individually had to be abandoned, and a centralized visit was instead arranged.

In response, employees of the logistics company's offices in Sichuan Province mobilized to bring the soldiers' families to Chengdu.

After 2 days.

The Chengdu logistics company set up a special venue for the慰问大会 (consolation meeting).

The families of the 67 fallen soldiers sat in chairs, some with blank expressions, some weeping loudly, and others wiping away tears with their heads bowed.

Fang Wen, dressed in the uniform of the Independent Regiment, went on stage with a heavy heart.

The crying from the audience gradually subsided, and the family members looked up, their eyes falling on him.

"Dear uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters," Fang Wen's voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the hall, "My name is Fang Wen, and I am the commander of the Taishan Independent Regiment. Standing here today, I feel deeply ashamed. I know that a simple 'condolences' cannot bring back your sons, husbands, and fathers."

He raised his hand and pointed to the list of fallen soldiers hanging behind him: "These sixty-seven names are all heroes. On the day of the Yangjiang landing, they fought bravely against the Japanese. It was their sacrifice that drove the Japanese away."

An elderly woman in the audience suddenly burst into tears: "My son, he said that if he joined the army, he would have enough to eat and could send money home..."

Fang Wen stopped speaking, walked to the edge of the platform, and bowed deeply to the old woman: "Auntie, your son was our machine gunner. When he sacrificed his life, he was still carrying the cloth shoes you made for him in his arms, the stitches on the soles were worn smooth. He was a good man. All the soldiers in the company said that if it weren't for him holding the left flank, our tanks wouldn't have been able to advance at all."

As he straightened up, Fang Wen's eyes reddened: "I know Sichuan is suffering, with constant disasters over the years, yet you still sent your loved ones to the front lines. They left Sichuan in thin clothes to fight the Japanese in Shanxi, and then followed me to fight on the battlefield in South China. Some people say they're foolish, giving up a peaceful life to risk their lives. But I tell you all, they're not foolish! They know that only by driving the Japanese away can the people survive."

"Today, on behalf of the Independent Regiment, I bring you three things." Fang Wen gestured, and Sun Debiao, along with several staff members, carried three wooden crates onto the stage. "The first thing is the compensation." He opened the first crate, inside which were neatly stacked silver dollars, each wrapped in red cloth. "Each martyr will receive two hundred silver dollars. This is the rule of our regiment, and not a penny less. In addition, for the factories and logistics stations of Taishan Company in Sichuan, as long as your family has able-bodied members, priority will be given to arranging work, with food and lodging provided, and a basic monthly salary of three silver dollars. This is a guarantee for the families of martyrs, and we mean what we say."

The family members' breathing became noticeably rapid. Although legal tender was now in use, silver dollars were still widely accepted. Two hundred silver dollars could buy five acres of fertile land, enough for a family to live a stable life for several years.

Fang Wen opened the second wooden box, which contained a series of red-covered certificates: "The second item is our own 'Martyr' certificate from Mount Tai. It contains the place of origin, position, and deeds of each martyr. If you have any problems in the future, you can use this certificate to contact our companies or offices in various parts of Mount Tai, and we will do our best to help. This is an honor they earned with their lives. I will not forget it, and Mount Tai will not forget it either."

The last wooden crate was opened, revealing neatly folded gray military uniforms, each bearing a nameplate sewn onto it. "The third item is their uniforms," ​​Fang Wen said, picking up a uniform still reeking of gunpowder. "These uniforms have all been washed clean, and I didn't have the bullet holes repaired. If you want to keep them as a memento, we'll send them home; if you don't want to be reminded of them, we'll store them in the company's memorial hall. We'll also erect a monument for them, inscribed with their names and places of origin. Every year during Qingming Festival, I'll personally visit their graves to pay my respects."

"There's one more thing I need to make clear in front of everyone." Fang Wen's voice suddenly rose, "The pension system of Taishan Airlines is also implemented in the Independent Regiment. As long as you have served in the regiment for three years, you will receive a pension every month after retirement. These soldiers sacrificed their lives, but their benefits are still there. You can receive your pension in a lump sum."

The speech concluded, and the distribution of compensation proceeded smoothly. Sun Debiao, along with his staff, verified the family information one by one, delivered the compensation to each individual, and registered the processing method for their pensions.

(End of this chapter)