Chapter 92: 91, Security Gate And World War Ii, Huo Duanyang’s Napalm
Bombing the Japanese Army in Shenyang is a pipe dream for others; with China’s current domestic Air Force strength, it’s impossible to achieve.
The main issue is that current airplanes have poor endurance, making long-distance round trips unfeasible.
Whether taking off from Qinghe Airport, the Qingdao Airport just built this year, or Taishan Airlines’ Jinan Airport, reaching Shenyang to complete the bombing and return requires at least over 1000 kilometers of round-trip flight path; no fighter jet domestically can achieve it.
Although Fang Wen’s Shrike Hao P26-B model fighter jet has added auxiliary fuel tanks, enabling 1200-1400 kilometer long-distance flight, it can’t carry more bombs for bombing because the bomb rack is loaded with auxiliary fuel tanks.
Using the modified Boeing 247 is even less realistic; that’s bombing barracks, which are on the edge of the city, requiring accuracy—otherwise, what if residential buildings are accidentally hit?
This isn’t bombing warships on the Huangpu River; bombing Izumo at sea doesn’t require considering the surrounding environment—even if the bombs miss, they at most fall into the water, not into residential buildings.
Therefore, after thinking it over, Fang Wen gave up on using the primitive method of dropping bombs from the boarding gate like with the Boeing 247.
Is there no other way?
He, deep in thought again, suddenly remembered something.
When opening the Fuyang flight path initially, to suppress bandits, they had considered dropping auxiliary fuel tanks from high altitude to use as incendiary bombs.
At that time, Huo Duanyang explained that it wouldn’t create a combustion explosion effect; it needed a pre-ignition device.
Later, they used gourd incendiary bombs against the bandit cavalry.
Later, Huo Duanyang went to Jinling Arsenal, promising before leaving to help research an airdroppable incendiary bomb.
He wondered if Huo Duanyang had made progress in his research over this time.
The next day, Fang Wen got up early and had Shunzi buy a China Airlines airplane ticket in the city.
At 9 a.m., passengers from the city arrived in China Airlines’ shuttle bus.
Fang Wen, in plainclothes, also stood in the passenger line, preparing to board China Airlines’ airplane to Nanjing.
This was his first time flying in the Republic of China as a passenger; it felt a bit different.
Passengers lined up, walking through the right-side boarding gate.
That was the safety passage shared by China Airlines and Taishan Airlines.
Because of the sense of safety from Taishan Airlines’ security gate, passengers repeatedly appealed, so China Airlines simply closed its own boarding gate and rented Taishan Airlines’ security gate; even the security checks were handed over to Taishan Airlines’ security team.
But this security measure is only half-implemented; flights from Nanjing to Shanghai have no security gate.
For this reason, someone from China Airlines came specifically to negotiate purchasing a set of security gates to install in Nanjing.
The quotation is just 3000 silver dollars—a solid high-tech price; China Airlines is still considering whether to purchase.
But this price isn’t expensive; Fang Wen is already preparing to apply for a global patent on this practical technology, with foreign sales at 1000 US Dollars per unit.
He’s already thought it through: World War II is about to start, and security checks will be essential for both aviation and land transport.
At that time, both the Allies and the Axis powers will need this equipment, and with only one global provider, Fang Wen can leverage it to get what he wants.
Moreover, this business needs to be done early; the technical principle isn’t complex, so it must be sold for profit before others fully understand the security gate and produce it.
As he was thinking, he followed the queue to the security gate.
The security guard immediately recognized Fang Wen and said awkwardly, “General Manager, I…”
He wanted to skip checking the general manager, but these were China Airlines passengers, and he didn’t dare break the rules.
“It’s fine, safety first.” Fang Wen smiled, walked through the security gate, and in the buzzing sound, took out his wristwatch, wallet, and other metal accessories.
After completing the check like everyone else, Fang Wen boarded the airplane.
It was still a Detroit airplane, and Fang Wen knew the pilot.
The other greeted him warmly in English, and Fang Wen chatted with him briefly.
After a while, the airplane took off, with a bit of fuselage shaking at the moment of liftoff.
Passengers’ bodies didn’t need to sway with it; some nearly slid off their seats.
Without activating mechanical perception, Fang Wen could judge the airplane’s problem based on his year of piloting Detroit airplanes.
He stood up and warned the American pilot in English.
“It’s probably carbon buildup in the piston engine combustion chamber; after this flight, have the mechanic clean it.”
The other, while piloting, complained, “The new mechanic doesn’t know anything; I’ve said it’s an engine problem, but he won’t repair it. Since Howard left with you, airplane maintenance has gotten much worse; we’re applying for a new mechanic.”
This has something to do with me, Fang Wen thought, slightly embarrassed, said no more, and sat back in his seat.
The one-and-a-half-hour flight ended; the Detroit airplane landed at Nanjing Airport, and passengers disembarked one after another.
They took China Airlines’ shuttle bus to the urban area, with Fang Wen among them.
The shuttle bus entered the city via Zhongshan East Road; Nanjing City at this time hadn’t yet suffered Japanese attacks, its city walls well-maintained, blending modern and ancient atmospheres beautifully.
The shuttle bus passed the Presidential Palace and stopped at the intersection of Zhongshan North Road and Zhongshan East Road, the terminus; all passengers got off.
Fang Wen, unfamiliar with Nanjing, asked a fellow passenger.
“How to get to Jinling Arsenal?”
The other pointed in a direction: “Over there, by the Qinhuai River, via Yanghu Lane.”
He pointed south, but the range was vague; Fang Wen asked further, “How to get there without walking?”
“Take Jiangnan Company’s bus, get off at Confucian Temple, then take a rickshaw via Wuding Gate, Yuhua Gate, cross the Qinhuai River, then turn into Yanghu Lane.”
Fang Wen took out a pack of boxed Three Cannon Platform cigarettes and gave him one.
Three Cannon Platform was a high-end cigarette brand in the Republic of China at this time.
The other took the cigarette; Fang Wen lit it for him, he took a puff, and became talkative.
According to him, Nanjing, as the National Government capital now, needed all kinds of construction to keep up.
Just last year, Jiangnan Bus Company was established, acquiring all large and small buses in the city, and standardizing bus specifications.
But currently, there’s only one line, still in trial operations.
Just Route 1.
After chatting for a bit, the man pointed north: “Route 1 is coming.”
It was a blue bus, slowly approaching.
Fang Wen quickly ended the chat and boarded the bus after it stopped.
There weren’t many people inside, and there was a conductor holding a ticket board.
Fang Wen said, “To Confucian Temple.”
“10 copper coins.”
After paying the fare, the conductor put the copper coins into the wooden box slung over their shoulder and tore off a ticket for Fang Wen.
Fang Wen found a window seat, sat down, and watched the scenery outside.
By the window, there was a metal plate inscribed in English about who manufactured the bus.
It was actually German-made, produced by Mercedes-Benz.
Soon, the car stopped; as the terminus, passengers got off one after another, and Fang Wen followed.
The Confucian Temple area was very lively, crowded with pedestrians.
It was just like a future pedestrian street; large vehicles couldn’t pass easily, but there were many rickshaws.
Seeing Fang Wen’s gaze, several rickshaw pullers pulled their rickshaws over to ask.
“Mister, need a ride?”
“To Jinling Arsenal.” Fang Wen chose one and got on.
The rickshaw puller vigorously pulled the rickshaw southward.
He even ran, at high speed; the wheels turned on the stone road, and due to slight unevenness, the rickshaw body swayed left and right.
Along the way, there were many people riding rickshaws; they were clearly used to this swaying mode of transport.
Thus, the rickshaw perfectly matched the route Fang Wen had asked about: passing through the two newly built inner city gates of Wuding Gate and Yuhua Gate in the Republic of China, then over the stone bridge on the Qinhuai River, arriving at Yanghu Lane.
Then, the rickshaw puller turned into Yanghu Lane and stopped by a high wall.
“Mister, you’re here.”
“Mm. How much for the ride?”
“10 copper coins.”
For going this far, it was just the fare for one bus stop on Route 1; Fang Wen couldn’t help but sigh.
He took out a silver dollar and handed it to him.
“No need for change.”
“Thank you, mister.” The rickshaw puller bowed, full of gratitude, then pulled his rickshaw away.
Watching the departing rickshaw puller, Fang Wen once again felt the huge wealth gap in the Republic of China.
There were many reasons for this, but even in such decline, during the upcoming War of Resistance, a large amount of wealth was still plundered by the Japanese.
This caused China’s rise to take more time and effort.
Shaking off his thoughts, Fang Wen strode across the street, following the high wall to a large gate.
The entrance read Jiangnan Arsenal; it seemed he’d arrived.
But getting in wasn’t easy; after all, it manufactured weapons. He said to the gate guard, “I want to find someone.”
“To find someone, you need to register; we report to the factory daily—come back tomorrow for notification.”
Even finding someone required formalism; Fang Wen chuckled inwardly—he knew how to handle this.
He took out a silver dollar.
“I want you to pass a message to him.”
The gate guard was delighted, reaching for it but not getting it.
“Tell me his name, and I’ll notify him right away.”
“His name is Huo Duanyang, in the gunpowder section; just say an old friend from the airport is looking for him.”
“I’ll go right now; give me the silver dollar once the message is delivered—no backing out.”
“Won’t.”
With Fang Wen’s reply, the gate guard had his partner watch the gate and quickly ran inside the factory.
After a while, the gate guard returned with Huo Duanyang.
Fang Wen gave the silver dollar to the gate guard, then strolled with Huo Duanyang by the Qinhuai River.
“How have you been lately?”
“Good; I’m researching new gunpowder—if successful, shell power can increase by 10%.”
“Looks like leaving Fuyang was the right choice for you.”
“Yeah, teaching is too slow; I’d rather make weapons to save the country—at least the weapons I make can kill enemies.”
The two stopped at the small steps by the river, from where they could go down; a group of women carrying washbasins were preparing to do laundry by the river.
After the women went down the steps, Fang Wen said, “Didn’t you say you’d help me research an airdroppable incendiary bomb? Any results?”
Huo Duanyang nodded.
“I’ve been thinking about this in my spare time. If gasoline is mixed with other substances, the combustion explosion effect would be stronger, even splashing outward, with temperatures around 1000 degrees Celsius, and sticking to other objects for prolonged burning.”
Hearing Huo Duanyang say this, Fang Wen was immediately very interested—this was exactly the incendiary bomb effect he wanted.
He asked, “Do you have a finished product? I want to see it.”
“Not convenient to demonstrate in the city; I can go outside the city to make and show it to you on site.”
Huo Duanyang made it sound easy to prepare; Fang Wen was even more eager to know how it worked.
Soon after Huo Duanyang got leave, the two immediately left the city.
Outside Nanjing Airport, Fang Wen brought Huo Duanyang into the courtyard he had previously bought.
Huo Duanyang started operating directly.
He took out some powder and crystals, then poured them into liquid.
“This is alum; I’m using sulfuric acid to make aluminum sulfate.”
Then he took out gel-like oil and some chemical reagents from his backpack.
“Then I’ll use this palm oil with sodium hydroxide solution via saponification to remove glycerin and make a special substance.”
It got more profound; Fang Wen gradually couldn’t follow.
He simply waited quietly on the side.
Then, Huo Duanyang mixed aqueous solutions of the two substances in a special proportion.
After the chemical reaction, he obtained a viscous substance.
At this step, Huo Duanyang carefully blended the aviation fuel Fang Wen provided with the substance he prepared.
Finally, the fuel mixed with the thickener into a paste.
Somehow, Fang Wen sensed great danger in that paste.
His gaze toward Huo Duanyang changed.
This guy is lucky to live in wartime; who knows what he’d become in a peaceful era.
Shaking off his thoughts, he coughed.
“Mm, so this is the new incendiary bomb?”
“Yes, it should be called napalm; it can also be used for flamethrowers with slightly different proportions—long-lasting combustion effect.”
“How to ignite it?” Fang Wen pressed.
“It can be lit with an open flame, but that’s not suitable for aerial bombs; I thought of another method.”
With that, Huo Duanyang took out a small round ball.
“This is a snapdragon toy, available everywhere outside Nanjing City—kids’ festival toy; smash it on the ground and it triggers the detonator inside, igniting the gunpowder to explode. We can put a similar detonator in the napalm; when airdropped from high altitude, the impact on the ground triggers the detonator, causing the napalm to combust and explode.”
Things became clear with Huo Duanyang’s explanation.
The detonator in snapdragon toys is silver fulminate, commonly called thunder silver in folk terms, but it’s not suitable as an aerial bomb detonator; Huo Duanyang would use one that only triggers on high-altitude drops.
As a chemistry genius, Huo Duanyang used his talent to successfully research what Fang Wen wanted.
But how effective was it?
That day, Fang Wen and Huo Duanyang conducted experiments.
The solid paste gasoline was packed into bottles, with a small piece of silver fulminate inserted at the bottom, then free-fallen from height.
At the instant of ground impact, the detonator ignited the solid gasoline, exploding instantly.
The test site was covered in splashing fire spots; those flames continued burning even attached to soil and stones—if on flammable materials like wooden boards, they would ignite them too.
Seeing these results, Fang Wen nodded approvingly.
“I want to make a batch of these bombs.”
