Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 688 The Iwao Nest Führer Conference, the German Offensive, and the Airborne Battle of Eben-Emmel Fortress
Rodter district, Bad Münster-Eifel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

This location is about 35 kilometers southwest of Bonn and only 45 kilometers from the Belgian border.

The surrounding area is a forested region with high elevation and a wide field of vision, making it convenient for military observation.

The German forward command post on the western front was located here and named 'Rock Nest'.

Surrounded by 5 landmines, and equipped with concrete bunkers and air defense facilities, it was both secretive and heavily fortified.

This was secretly built last year by the German Tött organization, specifically designed for the Western Front campaign.

Inside the concrete air-raid shelter conference room, the lingering smell of cigars filled the air, and the Western European military maps hanging on the wall were illuminated by spotlights.

The map is marked with yellow arrows indicating the routes from which the yellow plan will launch its attack, and red marks indicating the troop deployments of countries such as Britain, France, and Belgium.

There are also blue arrows pointing to the Maginot Line area, which is the armored group assault route that Manstein just finalized.

Just as the generals of the various branches of the armed forces were preparing to continue their discussions on military issues, Colonel Hans von Braun of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces hurriedly pushed open the door and entered.

"Your Excellency, generals, an urgent intelligence report from Paris may be related to our military plans." Colonel Braun straightened his back and handed the intelligence report to the man with the mustache.

The leader took the intelligence report and looked at it, his amber pupils narrowing slightly before handing it back: "Colonel, read it to everyone."

The colonel retrieved the intelligence and read the text aloud meticulously.

"Yesterday, it was learned that at the Silver Tower Restaurant, the general manager of Taishan Airlines made a bet with two French military officers, in which the other party believed that our country would launch an attack from the Maginot Line."

This intelligence report sparked discussion among the generals of various departments.

Inspector General of Armored Forces Guderian bent down to pick up the intelligence report, his brow furrowing slightly: "Your Excellency, this Chinese man named Fang Wen is not a member of the French military, but the general manager of an airline. Yet, three months ago, he submitted a similar analysis report to the French Army General Staff, which was rejected at the time as 'Oriental delusions'."

"Oh?" The Führer turned his gaze to Manstein. "Erich, what do you think? Does his mention of the 'Maginot Breakthrough' have anything to do with our revised plan?"

Manstein walked to the map, his fingertip pointing to the junction of the Maginot Line and the Ardennes Forest: "Your Führer, this is the most interesting part. The Maginot Line is the French army's psychological anchor; they firmly believe we cannot break through it, so the French officers in the intelligence are convinced they can win. And this Fang Wen, either he got lucky and guessed the new plan of 'we will launch an offensive,' or..." He paused, his tone grave, "he may have somehow caught a glimpse of our adjusted deployment, but only guessed the breakthrough point."

"A channel?" Air Marshal Göring scoffed, slamming his thick hand on the edge of the table. "Our security measures are impeccable. What kind of channel could a Chinese businessman have? Perhaps he saw it in a Gypsy crystal ball, just like that French officer said."

Colonel Braun immediately added: "We have investigated Fang Wen's background. He participated in the Battle of Shanghai as a pilot in the Chinese Air Force. Later, he formed his own troops and developed a unique air-ground coordinated combat theory. His military industrial enterprise produced a type of seaplane called the gunship aircraft, which was sold to Spain, France, and Britain. Based on this information, he is not someone who has no knowledge of military affairs."

The meeting room fell silent instantly. The war on the Western Front was about to begin, and any problems needed to be avoided.

The head of state looked at Göring, after all, Fang Wen was a pilot and his business was in the aviation industry.

Goring replied, “His company produces military amphibious aircraft that are inexpensive and somewhat practical, capable of supporting ground forces in offensive operations. Our aircraft engineers are conducting similar research, and similar aircraft will emerge in the future. But to say that he knows our strategic intentions is absolutely impossible. I think he is betting on a possibility that happens to coincide with our plans.”

He paused, then added, “Taishan Airlines has withdrawn from Paris and set up its European branch in Geneva. Future shipping operations will require my approval. Moreover, his bet is based on a strategic analysis report he wrote a few months ago, before Manstein proposed the Ardennes raid plan.”

Manstein agreed, saying, "War always has countless possibilities, but there is only one true outcome. The French won't believe him, after all, the Maginot Line is there, and it's an indisputable fact that tank units cannot quickly break through it. As for the Ardennes region we chose, even the French troops stationed there believed that it was densely forested and had complex terrain, making it impassable for armored units. How could anyone possibly agree with this person's judgment?"

At this point, he pointed to the map.

"The attack route I chose was carefully planned and explored. From here to here, there is a highland with an average elevation of about 400 meters. The terrain is broad and flat or slightly undulating. In fact, all we need is for the advance engineering troops to open up a road for our tanks to pass through. But the key is to gain air superiority. As long as there are no French reconnaissance planes over the Ardennes, they will not be able to detect our movements. Only in this way can the plan be completed."

The generals continued to discuss and study this matter, without taking Fang Wen's situation to heart.

Ultimately, they decided to use the Yellow Plan as bait to launch a strong attack in Belgium, and then send a surprise force to break through enemy lines in the Ardennes to cut off the Maginot Line's rear supply lines and launch a pincer attack.

Paris, France.

The controversy surrounding the Silver Tower restaurant only briefly appeared in Parisian newspapers, and its popularity lasted for just over a day.

People viewed the matter with amusement, not taking it seriously at all.

Some newspapers even wrote articles jokingly suggesting that Taishan Airlines was trying to cover up its voluntary closure.

Fang Wen didn't mind the ridicule.

He devoted himself entirely to preparing to reap the benefits when France was defeated.

The company he co-founded with Pierre has already opened.

We also visited familiar companies such as Faleman and Devatina.

In addition, through Pierre's connections, Fang Wen attended high-society banquets in Paris every day and got to know the city's elite.

Everything was being prepared for the arrival of war.

Time passed quickly, and it was May 10th.

3:00 AM on October 10th.

It was dark.

Fang Wen led Gong Xiuneng onto a small amphibious aircraft at the Paris branch office.

Under the cover of darkness, the plane accelerated and took off from the small runway.

Then it flew eastward.

Gong Xiuneng asked nervously, "Commander, will the Germans really attack?"

"I'm not sure either, we'll see. Are you scared?" Fang Wen replied calmly while piloting the plane.

"Don't worry, the commander's night flight is the best. Even if a battle breaks out, the Germans won't be able to find us."

"Then let's just wait and see."

Fang Wen stopped talking and focused on driving, while Gong Xiuneng returned to the rear cabin to wait.

Forty minutes later, the plane crossed the French border and appeared over Belgium.

Below was pitch black, and there was no movement whatsoever.

Fang Wen controlled the aircraft to circle in the air while simultaneously activating the radar detection device to search for targets.

According to radar feedback signals, an aircraft is flying westward into the airspace within Germany, 200 kilometers away.

Based on the movements of German aircraft, Fang Wen already knew that the German attack had begun!

Twenty minutes later, a large patch of fire suddenly appeared on the ground.

It was German artillery fire, shelling the Belgian army positions.

With the continued bombardment, a large number of German troops launched an attack.

Instead of lingering to observe, Fang Wen increased his flight altitude and flew towards the group of German aircraft.

At such a night, it was impossible to carry out an air raid; this group of German planes must have had another purpose. It was nearly 4 a.m.

Although the sun has not yet risen, the sky is already beginning to lighten.

At that moment, the German fighter planes also appeared in the southwest.

It was a formation of 11 Junkers 52 transport aircraft towing DFS-230 gliders!
(Junkers-52 towing DFS-230)

Fang Wen only knew from intelligence that the German army had such a glider, but this was the first time he had seen the actual aircraft.

It appears that this type of glider was a special weapon used by the German army to launch air raids.

While maintaining a certain distance, Fang Wen piloted the aircraft at a higher altitude to continue following and observing.

This DFS-230 glider has two pilots, a captain and a co-pilot, and eight paratroopers in the cabin. One aircraft only has six paratroopers, for a total of 84 people, all of whom are equipped with light weapons and parachute packs.

And so, Fang Wen secretly followed them, flying all the way to the skies above the Albert Canal in Belgium.

Fang Wen quickly identified the target that the German planes would be attacking.

That was a military fortress on the banks of the Albert Canal.

The entire fortress was built on a small granite hill, which was 900 meters long from north to south and 700 meters wide from east to west.

Its northeast and northwest sides are almost vertical cliffs, about 40 meters high, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Clearly, the German army did not intend to launch a direct assault on the site, but instead opted for a surprise airborne attack.

The air raids began quickly.

Eleven Junkers-52 transport aircraft were released from towing.

A DFS-230 glider glides down over the fortress hill.

The Belgian troops below were awakened by the roar of the planes and hurriedly took refuge in the fortress bunkers to avoid the bombing.

Little did they know that the German army's true objective was an airborne operation.

Eight paratroopers jumped out of the first DFS-230 glider and quickly landed on the high ground via low-altitude parachute.

More paratroopers then landed.

Meanwhile, the glider was also descending in altitude, landing on the ground at higher ground.

The first German paratroopers to land quickly approached the bunker and launched an attack on the Belgian troops inside with submachine guns and grenades.

This close-quarters combat turned the Belgian soldiers hiding in the bunker into sitting ducks, preventing them from maneuvering effectively.

From his high-altitude observation, Fang Wen was basically certain that the German airborne operation had perfectly achieved its objectives.

And now the sun is about to rise.

He piloted the plane back to base.

It quietly landed on the small runway inside the branch office at 5 a.m.

10 o'clock in the morning.

Fang Wen and Pierre arrived at the Jules family mansion on the banks of the Seine.

There's a banquet going on all night and it's still not over.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, mingling with the glow of the crystal chandelier, illuminating the banquet hall as if it were daytime.

The soft rustling of silk skirts and leather shoes against the marble floor, mingled with the waltz melody of an orchestra, created a picture of Parisian aristocrats relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Fang Wen held a glass of Burgundy, leaned against the balcony railing, and glanced at the crowd dancing in the garden below.

This angle of view allows for a better observation of people's behavior at the banquet.

Some were exchanging flirtatious glances, some were discussing the division of profits, and others were indulging in drinking.

There are also unusual aspects that others haven't noticed.

For example, ten minutes ago, the finance minister's secretary hurried across the dance floor and whispered something in the host's ear, causing the Jules family to panic and leave; five minutes ago, a major from the Army General Staff left the room under some pretext.

Then, people gradually left the banquet.

"Fang, I've finally found you."

Pierre's voice was filled with rapid breathing. The French art investor's hair, which was usually meticulously combed, was now somewhat disheveled, and his tie was half-loose, completely lacking his usual aristocratic elegance.

"It seems you got the message too."

Fang Wen turned around and, out of the corner of his eye, saw more people leaving the stage.

Pierre leaned against the railing, his face pale. “Something terrible has happened. At four in the morning, the Germans launched an attack. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg—three countries were attacked simultaneously. Paratroopers have already captured Rotterdam’s airport, and even the supposedly most fortified Eben-Emar fortress…” He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “…the fortress has fallen. It was taken by the German paratroopers in less than four hours.”

Fang Wen already knew this outcome.

He was now more interested in seeing how the Parisians were dealing with the war.

"Let's go back."

Pierre shook his head: "Fang, I'm afraid I can't stay with you. I need to take care of some urgent matters now."

Fang Wen looked at Pierre meaningfully: "I need your connections and status. In return, I can provide you with security, including the security of your wealth, and the security of your personal life and family. If you wish, I can send your family and wealth out of France at any time, to wherever you want to go."

"Why should I leave France?" Pierre was stunned. Even with the outbreak of war, he did not believe that the hundreds of thousands of French and British troops would lose to the German army.

"You should trust me," Fang Wen replied vaguely.

Pierre's heart stirred as he recalled Fang Wen's various legendary experiences.

Moreover, the early closure of Taishan Airlines and the establishment of a company in cooperation with Fang Wen seem to be preparations for this day.

He even recalled the bet Fang Wen made with the French officer some time ago.

This led Pierre to make an irrational decision: "Fang, if I do what you want, you must also keep those promises."

"I promise."

Fang Wen reached out and gave him a high five.

(End of this chapter)