Chapter 22: 22, January 28th Incident Songhu Air Combat
First describe it, Fang Wen states his own plan.
Shopkeeper Liu has been in the business world for years and has his own understanding.
“What Commissioner Fang said, I think I understand. China Airlines’ airplanes are like cars, the Boeing 80 you mentioned is like a train. It’s big and comfortable, for the same price, naturally choose the Boeing 80. Not to mention, it can fly long distances, Beiping to Shanghai is 1000 kilometers, two days and three nights by train, but only 5 hours by airplane. Without the fatigue from travel, people with money in hand and urgent matters will definitely be willing.”
Fang Wen nods, but in his heart he adds that if your few companies can invest in a private airline company, you are actually saving yourselves, otherwise, next year when the Japanese come to Shanghai, days will be even harder.
Of course, this kind of prediction about the future, he won’t say it.
Instead, he changes his wording: “This is one point, and also, currently many people want to fly, but the flight carrying capacity for civil aviation is insufficient, so there’s no need to worry about no one buying tickets.”
“One book profits ten thousand!”
Shopkeeper Liu narrows his eyes, moved by everything Fang Wen describes.
If the few companies from the Northeast can cooperate, even with just one Boeing 80, they can secure their footing in Shanghai.
His drunkenness also sobers up because of this.
He solemnly asks: “Commissioner Fang, how exactly to do this private airline company? It won’t be settled just by spending money, right?”
“The specific situation might be very troublesome, or it might be very simple. Need to get the approval document from the Ministry of Communications, establish airports at both ends of the flight path after determining the flight path, arrange ground crew, dispatch, and security personnel at the airport.”
Shopkeeper Liu replies: “For these matters, just greasing palms isn’t enough. Probably need to cede shares, arrange some idlers. But if it succeeds, it’s not a big deal. There’s another problem, will you fly the Boeing 80?”
Fang Wen nods: “At the beginning, it will definitely be me flying it, later I can train a batch of professional crew members for the Boeing 80, and let them take over.”
With this promise, Shopkeeper Liu feels much more relieved, he absolutely trusts Fang Wen’s technical skills, but doesn’t think why Fang Wen, who has never flown a Boeing 80, is so confident.
Immediately, the restless Shopkeeper Liu stands up and bids farewell to Sun Debiao and leaves, returning to the urban area.
After Shopkeeper Liu returns to the city, there is no immediate feedback, after all, this is a very huge investment, nearly 400,000 silver dollars, plus various greasing expenses, it won’t be easy for those few companies in the Northeast to come up with it.
Fang Wen is not anxious, now as long as he has an airplane to fly it’s fine, anyway there are still several thousand silver dollars in the bank’s safe deposit box, and monthly allowance plus salary is over two hundred silver dollars.
Without being married and no burdens, he can be considered Shanghai’s newly risen golden bachelor Fifth Brother.
Immediately, he ends his vacation early and returns to the work of flying one passenger aircraft every afternoon.
Fang Wen, who insists on flying every day to maintain his condition, has been paying attention to the situation in the Northeast.
Japanese Army’s airplanes fly recklessly in the skies over the Northeast, conducting reconnaissance for ground troops, bombing, dive strafing.
The troops remaining in the Northeast to resist continue to resist under difficult supply conditions.
This kind of persistence cannot change the outcome.
In November, Heilongjiang falls.
In December, the entire Northeast becomes Japanese-occupied area.
On January 2, 1932, Jinzhou falls.
The fall of Jinzhou causes huge chaos.
From Jinzhou south to Shanhaiguan, it’s flat all the way, the most suitable route for mechanized forces to enter the passes.
In other words, the Japanese Army is likely to enter inside the passes soon, threatening Beiping.
This situation makes more people flee from Northern China to Shanghai, newspapers publish various comment reports on this every day.
Students and workers take to the streets in demonstrations, protesting Japan’s invasion, shops refuse to sell Japanese goods.
People are filled with righteous indignation, yet heartbroken over China’s decline.
Even the group of foreign pilots at the airport are discussing this matter.
At China Airlines Shanghai Airport, Smith deliberately stops Fang Wen:
“Fang, do you think the Japanese Army will reach Beiping this month?”
“I don’t know about this, war matters are hard to say.”
While Fang Wen speaks, he inadvertently reveals a trace of worry.
He drives his newly bought sedan away from the airport and returns to the urban area.
The streets in the urban area are scattered with leaflets, demonstrations are happening ahead.
Fang Wen parks the car and watches the students with indignant expressions.
Passersby nearby are talking.
“Do you know, they are doing this for what happened last night.”
“What happened?”
“Late last night, a group of Japanese set fire to San You Industrial Society, the patrolmen from the International Settlement came to put out the fire and one was hacked to death, two hacked and injured by them.”
“Something happened, a large group of Japanese are marching on Sichuan Road, they are going to the Japanese Marine Corps headquarters there to petition. Along the way they smashed many shops.”
Things have started.
Fang Wen’s hand tightly grips the steering wheel.
He is indignant in his heart, but this anger must be vented in the sky through the way he is best at.
Because of the beating and smashing incident initiated by Japanese expatriates, it became a strong protest by the Japanese Army, putting forward a series of unreasonable demands.
Some discerning people can see that this is beating them at their own game, diluting the international influence from the Northeast side.
But no one expected that things would evolve into a real military action with live ammunition.
On January 22, the Imperial Japanese Navy assembles more than twenty warships on the Huangpu River, 1,800 Japanese Marine Corps and 3-4,000 armed Japanese expatriates gather in the Japanese Concession.
These troops are deployed in the Japanese Concession and on the Huangpu River, blatantly displaying military force on Chinese territory.
Until the 28th, war actually breaks out.
Troops from the Japanese Concession suddenly rush out, launching an attack on Zhabei District under the cover of armored cars.
Nearly 30 warships fire at the urban area, airplanes rampage in the sky.
Black smoke rises everywhere in the city, alarm sounds continuously.
The 19th Route Army stationed in the urban area holds positions and engages the Japanese Army in stalemate.
On the other side, the Republic of China’s second, sixth, and seventh aviation teams, as well as the Guangdong Air Force coming north to assist, all fly to Nanjing Ming Palace Airport, using it as a base to launch attacks on Japanese airspace.
Fang Wen, also a pilot, is at Nanjing Airport, seeking a chance to join the battle.
Among these people, he only knows Lieutenant Lu from the Guangdong Air Force.
For this, he specially approaches him.
“Lieutenant, I request to join the battle.”
“Who are you?” Lieutenant Lu, knowing Fang Wen’s identity, pretends to recall.
Fang Wen stands straight without care, continuing to introduce himself. “China Airlines pilot Fang Wen, applying to join the battle.”
“Civil aviation pilot? Sorry, impossible.” Lieutenant Lu turns to leave, but stops: “Your aircraft maintenance skills are not bad, how about this, stay as a temporary mechanic, we happen to lack maintenance personnel. Willing?”
“Willing.”
Fang Wen agrees and is taken to the aviation team, working with two other mechanics to inspect three fighter jets.
Taking this opportunity, Fang Wen gets close contact with these fighter jets, and through communication with the other two mechanics, he learns more about this model of airplane.
This is a German-made K-47 fighter jet.
One 7.92 mm machine gun mounted above the fuselage.
Two 50 kg bombs hung under the wings, thus also having certain ground attack capability.
The airplane’s overall empty weight is about 1050 kg, maximum takeoff weight up to 1700 kg.
Fuselage length 8.55 meters, height 2.4 meters, wingspan 12.4 meters.
Maximum flight speed about 300 km/h, cruising speed up to 245 km/h.
In addition, its maximum ceiling is 8500 meters, loiter time up to 2 hours.
This is the best-performing airplane Fang Wen has seen, and the first military fighter jet.
A raging fire rises in his heart, waiting for any opportunity to pilot it into the sky to fight the Japanese Army.
