Chapter 24: 24, Night Reconnaissance Flight Over Shanghai, Warship Deployment Map
The leaflets carried the scent of fresh ink, just printed.
Fang Wen needed to confirm the content, to avoid twisting the propaganda.
On the pale yellow paper, it was written:
“Resist Japan and save the country, unite to face the national crisis!
Compatriots:
Japanese invaders with wolf’s ambition are wantonly invading our country’s territory, slaughtering our compatriots, and destroying our homes. The Chinese nation faces an unprecedented crisis. At this moment of life and death, how can we sit idly by?
The nation’s rise and fall is the responsibility of every individual! Every son and daughter of China bears the sacred mission to resist Japan. We must unite as one, regardless of north or south, old or young, to jointly resist the foreign enemy and defend our homes!
Compatriots, let us support the frontline soldiers together, providing them with supplies and spiritual support.
We firmly believe that as long as we are united as one and share a common hatred for the enemy, we will surely defeat the Japanese invaders and win the final victory!”
The content was fine. Fang Wen approved of this leaflet and immediately had Howard open the boarding gate, then together with the students, they loaded the leaflets onto the airplane.
Afterward, he sat in the cockpit and asked behind him: “Pan Jiafeng, have you ever been on an airplane?”
“I’ve been on one. Don’t worry, Commissioner Fang. I’ll handle dropping the leaflets properly.” Pan Jiafeng replied, slightly nervous.
“I’ll first confirm the position. When I notify you, then you proceed. By the way, Howard will tie a safety rope to you. There’s strong wind when opening the cabin door, so try to stand to the side.” Fang Wen instructed.
Immediately, the airplane engine started, and after traveling a distance on the runway, it flew into the sky.
On this route from Nanjing to Shanghai, Fang Wen had flown over two hundred times in the past year. Even the urban area of SH had been circled and flown over multiple times during test flights above SH city.
Therefore, he was more familiar with the terrain here than from Beiping to Shenyang.
This familiarity was different from other pilots.
After activating mechanical perception, he merged as one with the airplane, turning into an iron bird. Relying on the stars in the sky and the light outlines of the city on the ground, they interwove with the map in his mind.
From this, he identified some terrain features and formed his own unique references.
The airplane climbed to 4000 meters altitude and quietly approached Shanghai.
4000 meters altitude was not suitable for military reconnaissance. Fang Wen pushed the control stick, lowering the fuselage to 2600 meters altitude.
Then it circled around the Shanghai urban area.
Below, SH city, due to power shortages caused by the war, was much dimmer than usual.
But in Zhabei District, bursts of light occasionally flashed—that was the glow from bombs and artillery fire.
Where was the Huangpu River?
Fang Wen slowly adjusted the airplane’s position using the sense of direction formed by mechanical perception, flying over the Huangpu River channel from memory.
He saw it.
There were scattered points of light on the river channel.
Those were the positions of Japanese Army warships, one every few hundred meters, all the way to Wusongkou.
Beyond Wusongkou, larger light spots appeared, indicating large-tonnage Japanese Army warships.
While piloting the airplane, Fang Wen conversed with Howard, sketching this reconnaissance intelligence on the map.
But in this process, he did not discover the most important ones: the two main warships Fengxiang and Kaga.
Those were the naval flagships boasted by the Japanese themselves in newspapers, also the greatest deterrent in this warfare and the foundation of the Japanese Army’s air superiority.
Ships of this level did not need to approach Shanghai and were likely waiting in the nearby sea area.
Fang Wen turned the fuselage around and flew into the nearshore area along the Yangtze River Estuary.
It was pitch black there, but farther out, there was a large cluster of lights.
Though unclear, Fang Wen could already confirm that those were the two battleships and the fleet group escorting them.
After obtaining the most important military reconnaissance intelligence, Fang Wen turned the fuselage around and returned to the high altitude over Shanghai.
“Pan Jiafeng, get ready.”
“Commissioner Fang, I’m ready.” Pan Jiafeng replied nervously.
As they passed each area, Fang Wen had Pan Jiafeng drop stacks of leaflets to the ground.
In the night, leaflets fluttered everywhere in the air, landing on rooftops, balconies and courtyards, and streets.
Even in the warring Zhabei District, large numbers of leaflets drifted down.
At first, Japanese Army personnel shouted, thinking it was their own airplane dropping the leaflets.
But soon, soldiers of the 19th Route Army picked up leaflets and realized it was not the case.
Both sides were puzzled: where did this airplane come from in the middle of the night?
At 1 a.m., the airplane returned to Nanjing Airport.
Fang Wen immediately took the map from Howard and instructed: “Take Pan Jiafeng to rest. I’ll go find Lieutenant Lu.”
He believed such important intelligence must be reported immediately.
Hurrying off the airplane, Fang Wen went straight to Lieutenant Lu’s residence and knocked on the door.
After urgent knocking, Lieutenant Lu opened the door with a displeased face.
Fang Wen urgently reported.
“Lieutenant Lu, this is the Japanese Army warship deployment map, from the Huangpu River section all the way to the nearshore area—30 ships confirmed in total, including the two battleships in the nearshore area and the positions of the escort fleet.”
“You really think I’ll believe you flew to Shanghai at night? A civilian aircraft, and you dare tell such a lie—smearing some marks on the map and claiming it’s your reconnaissance. Ridiculous. I was giving you a chance to leave here, fool.”
Bang.
The door slammed shut, startling the pilots on the entire floor. They poked their heads out from their rooms, looking at Fang Wen.
He had brought back such important intelligence with full passion and risking danger, yet it was not taken seriously. This left Fang Wen feeling a bit dejected.
He put away the map and strode away.
Overnight, SH city was covered in leaflets.
Citizens picked up the leaflets but did not know where they came from.
Attentive citizens noticed small print on the back.
“This righteous act was done by China Airlines flight commissioner Fang Wen. Produced by Hua Tao Printing House.”
Boss Yang, while being patriotic, did not forget to give himself a little advertisement and also printed Fang Wen’s name on it.
Now, everyone in Shanghai knew that their own airplane had flown in under the Japanese’s heavy encirclement last night and scattered leaflets all over the city.
Such favorable public opinion propaganda would certainly not be missed.
Immediately, several newspapers rushed to print special editions with front-page headlines.
《The Japanese Army won’t be rampant for long. What seems like an impenetrable defense is full of loopholes》
《Our civil aviation pilot entered the encirclement last night, advancing and retreating with ease.》
Radio station announcers were also using this for propaganda.
The news spread quickly, even reaching the surrounding areas.
In the airport dormitory, Howard and Pan Jiafeng slept in their clothes, their snores alternating.
Fang Wen lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, wide awake.
His full passion had not faded, but the frustration of being misunderstood lingered.
More than that, he wanted to deliver this important intelligence to the Air Force command level.
In his understanding, the Japanese Army’s targeting of Shanghai this time mainly relied on the navy; their main army troops were still in the Northeast. As long as they could threaten the navy, the enemy would not be so bold in their deep encirclement layout.
If they could launch a bombing action based on this warship deployment map, it might have remarkable results.
But Lieutenant Lu’s attitude left him unsure of whom to approach.
Unknowingly, dawn arrived. Fang Wen still had no sleepiness and planned to get up and walk around the airport.
At that moment, the door was knocked on.
He got up to open the door. Two officers in aviation uniforms stood outside.
“Fang Wen, we need to verify the situation with you. Regarding last night’s night flight incident, you must answer truthfully.”
