Republic of China: Ace Pilot

At the Governor's Mansion, Fang Wen was urgently summoned by the Governor.

The governor got straight to the point and explained the situation directly.

"The situation has changed; the planes we used to transport technicians and documents have been captured by the Germans."

"Where was he captured?" Fang Wen asked in surprise, firstly because of the speed of the British action, and secondly because of how quickly the Germans intercepted him.

"At the military airfield in Benghazi, North Africa, German paratroopers launched a surprise attack and abducted people. They have now entered the desert region. The German operation was very swift and well-coordinated. Our military personnel analyze that they likely possess a real-time radio communication device similar to your Taishan walkie-talkie."

At this point, the governor looked at Fang Wen and added, "Perhaps they are using the walkie-talkies from your Taishan."

The governor's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Fang Wen's ears.

The fact that experts and blueprints for ram air turbine technology, short-range radar auxiliary data, and technicians were captured by the Germans is already suspicious enough.

What made him even more uneasy was the governor's mention of "German troops having real-time communication equipment similar to the Taishan walkie-talkie."

Semiconductor radio technology is Taishan's core trump card, which has never been revealed to the outside world. Even if the Germans have a deep foundation, it is impossible for them to break through the industrial chain barriers and produce similar equipment in a short period of time. There must be something fishy going on here.

Fang Wen's eyes were serious.

Technological advantage is the foundation of Taishan's position. If the German army really mastered similar real-time communication technology, it would not only break the current battlefield balance, but also threaten Taishan's monopoly in the military industry.

There is another possibility: some of Taishan's military equipment flowed into Germany, but it is unknown whether it was the part that was sold abroad or that it was transferred out through Taishan's internal channels.

In any case, he had to go to Benghazi in person to find out the truth about the German communications equipment. If he could take the opportunity to rescue the captured British technicians and recover the technical data, it would be a win-win situation.

Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Wen immediately expressed his stance to the governor, proposing to join the North African campaign under the pretext of "assisting in the rescue of captured personnel and investigating German communication technology".

The governor said he could report to the local military headquarters, but would have to wait for a reply.

Two hours after the telegram was sent, the result was available.

The UK has agreed.

Northern Myanmar base.

Fifty elite soldiers from the Special Operations Brigade of the Taishan Independent Regiment quickly assembled.

They wore custom-made combat uniforms and worked in groups of five.

Each group has a division of labor: assault soldiers (carrying Thompson submachine guns), fire support soldiers (carrying Taishan Modified Type 1 7.62 rifles (with 4x scopes)), and group leaders who also serve as communications soldiers (equipped with 7.62 rifles and Taishan walkie-talkies). Each person is also equipped with fragmentation grenades, individual asphyxiating smoke grenades, and various combat accessories.

In addition to the combat team, five individual combat aerial vehicles also joined the operation.

Fang Wen walked up to the assembled team and said, "This mission will take us to North Africa. Due to the special nature of the mission, all communication with the outside world is prohibited, and no one is allowed to leave the team without permission. Do you understand?"

"Understood," the special forces soldiers replied in unison.

"Alright, let's board."

Led by Fang Wen, the team entered the parking area and boarded Taishan No. 1.

The special forces soldiers boarded the plane in an orderly manner, and Fang Wen also entered the cockpit to conduct a final check using his special abilities.

He instinctively said, "Gong Xiuneng."

But then he suddenly realized that he had approved a month-long leave for Gong Xiuneng to visit his family, and that Gong Xiuneng should already be in the Qinling Mountains.

He quickly corrected himself: "Zhao Youming, close the cabin door."

Zhao Youming, the temporary ground commander of the special operations team for this operation, immediately went to the hatch, closed it, and loudly reported, "General Manager, it's closed."

Immediately, Fang Wen steered the aircraft out of the parking area and onto the runway.

With a deafening roar from the engine, the plane accelerated, taxied for several hundred meters, and took off.

The long voyage was originally supposed to pass through India and the Middle East, eventually reaching Benghazi in North Africa.

This time, however, Fang Wen chose a direct flight.

A direct flight from Yangon to Benghazi is nearly 8000 kilometers.

This type of flight eliminates the need for transit landings and allows for the fastest possible arrival in Benghazi.

There is absolutely no problem with the Taishan-1's range of over 10,000 kilometers.

But it is extremely difficult for pilots.

With current technology, only Fang Wen could do that.

Meanwhile, in the desert region south of Benghazi in North Africa.

Dozens of German soldiers, dressed in khaki uniforms and wearing hoods and goggles, were escorting captured British technicians through the desert.

The metal crate containing ram air turbine technology and radar-aided data was carried by a strong soldier.

In the middle of the group was a communications soldier whose equipment resembled the backpack radio walkie-talkies used by squads in Taishan.

This German unit used it to achieve long-range wireless communication.

It was this very device that led the British to mistakenly believe that the Germans possessed technology similar to that of Taishan.

The commander waved, signaling a halt to the march.

He spoke to the communications officer beside him: "Has there been a response to the telegram sent to Tripoli?"

"Not yet. It's possible that the high iron content in the desert here is affecting signal transmission."

“Then send another message: this operation has been a success. Once we obtain the exact location of the support troops, we can head there to return to Tripoli.”

Immediately, the communications soldier put down the equipment he was carrying and sat on the sand to send a message.

The commander ordered the troops to rest on the spot. Two soldiers guarded the British prisoners, while the others took out canned food to eat.

A German soldier asked his commander a question.

"Why would we take such a risk, flying from Tripoli, 800 kilometers away, to British territory, just to capture these people?"

“No, they are not important, but they can affect an arms trade,” the commander replied.

"What arms trade?" The other soldiers were also curious.

The commander pointed to the German communications soldier who was transmitting a message: "See that? That's our latest communications equipment. Its technology comes from the walkie-talkies of the Taishan Group. But we don't have Taishan's unique semiconductor technology, so we can only make this thing using the existing vacuum tube technology. It's not only bulky, but also impractical. If we could have Taishan's walkie-talkies, our future operations would be much more flexible and adaptable."

The soldiers then understood why General Rommel had launched this operation so soon after arriving in Tripoli aboard an Italian warship.

Just yesterday, Rommel requested cooperation from the Italian troops in Tripoli.

The Italians did not approve of Rommel's rise to prominence on the French battlefield, and Rommel currently only had 2000 soldiers under his command, and did not even have the tank force that he was good at. It was simply incomprehensible that he wanted to attack Benghazi's airfield.

After being rejected by the Italian North African military, Rommel sent a telegram directly back home. Through negotiations between the Italian government and Italy, an order soon came from Italy, requiring the Italian troops in Tripoli to fully cooperate.

Once authorized, Rommel immediately organized the operation. He regrouped the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Libyan Air Infantry Battalions, which had been defeated by Operation Compass, and then used the only seven Italian Ca.133 transport/bombers remaining in North Africa for an airdrop operation.

This was a crazy plan. The soldiers of the Libyan air infantry battalion had no combat experience and were completely incapable of carrying out this operation.

However, 100 of Rommel's men were transferred from the German airborne troops to his command, and the airborne operation was eventually reduced to deploying only 100 German paratroopers to raid Benghazi Airport.

That evening, five Ca.133s took off from Tripoli and flew to southwestern Benghazi, more than 600 kilometers away, launching an unusual blitzkrieg.

At noon on November 17th.

Taishan-1 arrived in Benghazi.

Fang Wen communicated with the ground using the communication frequency provided by the British, and then smoothly landed the plane on the runway at Benghazi Airport.

The aircraft taxied and slowed down, and then, guided by ground personnel, drove into the parking area.

Fang Wen then turned off the engine, opened the cockpit door, and jumped out.

The airport was still filled with a faint smell of gunpowder, and scattered shell casings lay beside the runway. Several British soldiers were patrolling back and forth, looking vigilant.

Two men who had been waiting by the runway quickly approached: one was wearing a British Army combat uniform with the rank of colonel on his shoulder insignia; the other was in civilian clothes, with a tall and straight figure and sharp eyes.

“Mr. Fang, welcome to Benghazi. I am British Operations Staff Officer Davis, and this is MI6 North Africa Chief Hunter.” The officer spoke first, his tone tinged with fatigue. “Yesterday’s raid was too sudden, and we still haven’t fully grasped the German forces’ exact movements.”

Fang Wen's gaze swept around the airport: "Let's first talk about the details of yesterday's incident, the specific time of the German attack, the deployment of troops, and the relevant details of the captured personnel and documents."

Davis immediately pulled out his notebook and reported rapidly: "Around 5 p.m. yesterday, five Italian Ca.133 transport planes suddenly appeared over southwestern Benghazi, dropping about 100 German paratroopers. They moved quickly, and their target was clearly the 'Whitley' bomber and its accompanying technical personnel. At the time, we mistakenly thought it was a large-scale Italian counter-offensive, so we deployed our forces to defend various strategic locations. Unexpectedly, after the Germans succeeded, they immediately withdrew with prisoners and documents, fleeing towards the southern desert. By the time we realized what was happening, they had already disappeared into the depths of the desert."

Hunt added, "Our reconnaissance troops tracked the desert, but a sandstorm buried all the tracks along the way, and we lost our trail. In addition, according to the testimonies of the British soldiers who were engaged in the battle, the German troops were equipped with a communication device similar to a walkie-talkie, which was the reason why their operations were so well coordinated."

Fang Wen's expression grew increasingly serious: "I want you to combine the intelligence you have with an analysis of the possible movements of the German army. Also, where is the map?"

"plz follow me."

The three walked quickly toward the airport's temporary command post. Hunter spread out a partial map of North Africa, his fingertip landing on the area between Benghazi and Tripoli:
“Mr. Fang, you see, the German army’s current deployment in North Africa is mainly concentrated in Tripoli, which is nearly 800 kilometers away from Benghazi. Moreover, the route is mostly desert. It is impossible for the German army to carry prisoners and technical data and travel such a long distance back to Tripoli directly.”

He paused, then pointed to a location in southwestern Benghazi marked "Temporary Italian Outpost": "The most likely scenario is that they are heading to this nearest Italian military outpost, which is about 200 kilometers from Benghazi. The road conditions are relatively good, and there is Italian support, allowing for a rapid transfer of prisoners and documents."

Fang Wen stared at the Italian stronghold on the map, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I need to borrow a plane to conduct reconnaissance over the desert area and confirm the German army's specific route of advance, so that we can formulate a precise rescue plan."

Hunter's expression changed slightly, and he immediately dissuaded him: "Mr. Fang, you must not! I am ordered to be responsible for your safety. The air currents in the desert are complex, and we may encounter Italian military aircraft. It would be too risky to fly a plane for reconnaissance."

"Without reconnaissance, we cannot determine the location of the German troops, and a rescue operation is out of the question." Fang Wen's tone was firm and unwavering. "I am confident in handling any unforeseen circumstances in the air, so there is no need to worry."

Seeing Fang Wen's resolute attitude, Hunter knew he couldn't dissuade him, so he could only nod in agreement, but offered a suggestion: "Okay, let's choose an old-fashioned two-seat biplane fighter. This kind of aircraft has a lightweight fuselage, and even if it encounters a malfunction, it can glide and make a low-speed emergency landing in the desert, which is much less dangerous than a monoplane."

"A biplane?" Fang Wen was surprised; he hadn't flown a biplane in a long time.

He couldn't help but think of his first fighter jet: the Qingyun.

He then asked, "What model?"

“Fiat CR.42 Eagles, old Italian military aircraft deployed in North Africa. Some were captured when the Benghazi airport was occupied, including a trainer aircraft in good condition,” Hunter replied.

"Then let's go with this one."

Fang Wen was then led to the other side of the airport by airport staff.

An old-fashioned fighter jet was parked next to a patch of weeds.

Although the fuselage was somewhat old, Fang Wen sat on it and used his supernatural abilities to check the aircraft's engine and control system, confirming that there were no major problems.

He then filled the plane with fuel, started the engine, and prepared to board for takeoff.

Unexpectedly, a noise came from behind.

It was Hunter. He boarded the rear cockpit of the modified trainer aircraft: "Mr. Fang, I'll go with you. I can help you observe the ground situation and provide cover if we encounter any danger."

Fang Wen glanced back at him, did not refuse, and simply said, "Hold on tight. Stay alert after takeoff, and inform me immediately if you notice anything unusual."

After saying that, he started the engine, the biplane turned, and slowly taxied onto the runway. With the acceleration, the plane gradually took off and flew towards the southwestern desert of Benghazi.

In the air, Fang Wen piloted the plane at low altitude, getting back to a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

It's a very relaxed feeling. Biplanes are actually very easy to fly. Civilian pilots from Taishan Airlines can easily fly this kind of low-speed aircraft.

Clearing his mind, he focused on driving while simultaneously using his special ability to observe the situation below.

Hunter, in the rear cockpit, also peered out to observe. (End of Chapter)