Chapter 219: Pilots Arrive
In November, the weather at Wutaishan truly lived up to the saying “a child’s face, changes as it pleases.”
Just a few days ago, one could still feel a trace of the lingering autumn sunshine, sprinkling on the body and bringing a bit of comfort.
However, overnight, a cold wind suddenly arose, the temperature plummeted sharply, and the bone-chilling gale howled over the bare mountains and plains, mercilessly sweeping away the last withered leaf, leaving only desolation everywhere and a bone-deep cold.
Despite the harsh weather, there was no sign of the construction project at Jinsha Ridge Airport slowing down.
Over a thousand strong young laborers recruited from nearby villages and towns, along with the soldiers of the engineer battalion, were still braving the biting cold wind, busily working intensely on the dusty construction site.
Their faces were frozen red, the exposed skin cracked with fine fissures, and the white breath from their mouths quickly dissipated in the icy air. However, the tools in their hands never stopped for a moment; shouts, hammering sounds, and rammer thuds rose one after another, forming a symphony of construction on this barren land, racing against time and the enemy.
According to Su Yaoyang’s design blueprint, once completed, Jinsha Ridge Airport would have five standard-length fighter runways and three that could handle heavy bombers, along with supporting fuel depots, ammunition depots, sturdy hangars, pilot dormitories, a cafeteria, and even a club exclusively for pilots’ leisure and entertainment.
This was a massive and systematic project aimed at turning this place into the most advanced and complete air force base in North China.
However, ideals are plump, while reality is skinny.
As of today, of the eight planned runways, only four had been completed. The remaining supporting buildings were even further behind, with only a small portion finished; many areas had just laid foundations or erected crude scaffolding.
This was not due to laziness on the part of the engineering team, but because runways capable of handling heavy bombers had extremely high requirements, taking the B-17 or B-24 bombers as examples.
The standard runway length for them to take off and land had to be 2000 meters, 60 meters wide, and paved with at least 20 centimeters of high-quality concrete; otherwise, after just a few takeoffs and landings, the edges would risk collapsing. As for the B-29 bomber, nicknamed the Flying Fortress, the requirements were even higher.
As for flatness, drainage, taxiways, aprons, and clear zones, those went without saying—they were all essential.
This made the engineering team, building one for the first time, have to proceed with utmost caution, with no one daring to slack off in the slightest.
The requirements for fighter takeoff and landing runways were much simpler; just laying double-layer PSP steel plates on slightly level grassland would suffice for heavy fighters.
But all of this, today, seemed not so important.
At this moment, beside the completed main runway—which was also the longest and smoothest in the entire airport—a dense crowd was packed. They were officer representatives from various units of the Shanxi Militia, each wearing thick cotton military uniforms, yet still shivering in the cold wind, occasionally stamping their feet and rubbing their hands to ward off the chill.
But despite the cold on their bodies, every face was filled with an excitement and anticipation that could not be concealed. Their gazes were all uniformly fixed on the gray hazy sky at the end of the runway, as if waiting for the arrival of some important figure.
Standing at the forefront of the crowd was none other than the commander-in-chief of the Shanxi Militia, Su Yaoyang.
He was draped in a thick woolen military overcoat, collar turned up, blocking part of the cold wind.
His cheeks appeared somewhat pale under the wind’s assault, but in those deep eyes shone a brilliance brighter than ever before. He stood straight as a spear in the cold wind, gaze firmly fixed on the distance.
Beside him stood several equally striking “foreigners”—they were the American “mercenary” pilots led by Doolittle, including “One-Eyed Jack” MacDonald and Tom King.
These usually arrogant and fearless American soldiers had put away their habitual banter and cursing; with serious expressions, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Su Yaoyang, their gazes also turned to the distant sky.
They were waiting.
Waiting for that C-47 “Sky Train” transport plane carrying their eager hopes to return safely from distant Kunming.
Waiting for that group of elite pilots from the Central Air Force, whom they had been looking forward to, to arrive smoothly.
Ever since Su Yaoyang decided to dispatch a transport plane to Kunming to pick up Cheng Rufeng and the others, the entire Shanxi Militia—especially the flight squadron and related command echelons—had been in a state of heightened attention and anticipation.
They knew well that this mission carried enormous risks. The journey from Kunming to Shanxi spanned thousands of miles, crossing Japanese tight air blockades, as well as coping with ever-changing weather and terrain.
Although the C-47 was reliable, it was not invulnerable. If intercepted by Japanese fighters or encountering bad weather leading to getting lost or crashing, the consequences would be unimaginable.
That would not just be the loss of one aircraft, but the lives of more than ten precious, experienced pilots! That was the remaining elite force of China’s Air Force! It was the key to whether the Shanxi Militia flight squadron could truly take off in the future!
Therefore, when the C-47 transport plane responsible for this pickup mission took off from Jinsha Ridge Airport several days ago and vanished into the vast sky, Su Yaoyang’s heart had been hanging ever since.
He personally went to the communications room almost every day to inquire about the latest contact reports. Every tiny bit of news tugged at his nerves.
And today, according to the scheduled return time, that C-47 should arrive at Jinsha Airport.
Time ticked by, the cold wind still howling. The crowd by the runway began to show some slight restlessness. Some kept lifting their wrists to check watches, others tiptoed, straining to gaze into the distance, trying to catch that familiar, eagerly awaited silhouette on the gray hazy horizon.
“Commander-in-chief, do you think… they can arrive on time?” A young staff officer couldn’t help sidling up to Su Yaoyang and asking in a low voice. His tone carried a trace of barely perceptible tension.
Su Yaoyang didn’t turn, his gaze still firmly on the distance, and said in a deep voice: “They will. I believe in our pilots and our aircraft. They will surely overcome all difficulties and bring our heroes back safely!”
His words, though brief, were filled with unquestionable confidence, like a shot of adrenaline that slightly calmed the somewhat anxious officers around him.
Doolittle, with his heavy California accent, said to the American pilots beside him: “Hey, guys, perk up! We’ll soon see those ‘colleagues’ from the Central Air Force!
I bet there are some real hotshots among them! When the time comes, we’ve got to have a proper showdown with them!”
“One-Eyed Jack” touched his signature eyepatch, chuckling: “You got it! I can’t wait to see just how good those legendary Chinese ace pilots really are! Hope they don’t disappoint us!”
Amid the crowd’s tension, anticipation, and chatter, suddenly, from the distant horizon, came a faint, familiar engine roar!
At first, the sound was very weak, like the buzzing of mosquitoes. But soon it grew clearer and louder, like rolling thunder, approaching rapidly from far to near!
“Listen! There’s a sound!” Someone in the crowd shouted first, no one knew who.
Everyone’s hearts leaped to their throats in that instant! They all held their breath, eyes locked dead on the direction the sound came from!
Finally, under the crowd’s eager gazes, a blurry black dot appeared on the distant gray hazy horizon!
That black dot was at first needle-tip sized, but it rapidly grew larger and clearer to the naked eye!
Gradually, people could make out its familiar outline—it was a twin-engine transport plane! It was the C-47 “Sky Train” they had been yearning for day and night!
“It’s it! It’s the C-47! They’re back!”
No one knew who let out a joyful shout in the crowd!
Immediately after, thunderous cheers erupted along the entire runway!
“They’re back! They really came back!”
“Great! Great!”
Everyone on the ground cheered as the transport plane grew clearer.
Su Yaoyang’s taut face finally broke into a relieved smile the instant he saw the C-47 appear. His clenched fists quietly relaxed.
Doolittle and the other American pilots also whistled loudly, expressing their inner excitement and joy in true American fashion.
Under everyone’s gaze, the silver-gray C-47 transport plane steadily descended, aligned with the runway, and slowly landed. The huge tires screeched against the hard runway, kicking up a cloud of dust.
After sliding steadily for a distance, the plane finally stopped midway on the runway. The massive airflow from the propellers bent the dry grass by the runway this way and that.
The cabin door slowly opened.
All eyes focused on the dark cabin entrance.
Amid harsh metal scraping sounds, the thick cabin door of the C-47 transport was slowly pushed open from inside, revealing a pitch-black opening.
Finally, under universal attention, a figure appeared at the cabin door.
It was a tall, upright officer wearing a slightly worn but still neat yellow-green flight jacket, with shiny lieutenant colonel rank insignia at the collar.
Despite the fatigue of the long flight, he remained spirited, eyes gleaming sharply.
Standing at the cabin door, facing the oncoming cold wind, he slightly narrowed his eyes, surveying this new airport both unfamiliar and full of hope, and the enthusiastic faces by the runway.
He was none other than the former squadron leader of the Central Air Force’s 4th Pursuit Squadron—Cheng Rufeng!
Behind Cheng Rufeng, figures in similar yellow-green flight jackets began filing out one after another.
Some wore different rank insignia like major or captain; others looked younger, faces still boyish, but without exception, their eyes sparkled with eagerness and a hint of trepidation.
Feng Mingqian followed closely behind Cheng Rufeng, a steady smile on his face.
Ye Qiyuan appeared even more excited and curious; as he descended the ramp, he looked around with great interest, eyes full of anticipation.
As they disembarked one by one onto the solid ground of Jinsha Ridge, some in the crowd by the runway could no longer contain their excitement and began quietly counting the numbers coming down.
“One, two, three…”
At first, everything was as expected. Ten, eleven, twelve… the numbers quickly exceeded the vague “more than ten” that Su Yaoyang had learned through secret channels.
However, the stream of people from the cabin showed no sign of stopping!
Fifteen… twenty… twenty-five…
The counter’s voice began to tremble, expression shifting from initial excitement to surprise, even disbelief!
When the thirtieth pilot descended the ramp, gasps of astonishment rose by the runway!
“My God! How… how can there be so many people?”
“This… this isn’t just over a dozen! This is practically… a whole flight squadron!”
Finally, when the last pilot stepped out of the cabin and took position at the end of the line, after careful counting, a jaw-dropping number was clear to all—
Thirty-seven!
A full thirty-seven pilots!
This number far exceeded Su Yaoyang’s initial expectations! And far beyond everyone’s imagination!
This was no longer just “timely help in a snowstorm”—it was like delivering a mountain of gold outright!
After a brief shock, buzzing discussions erupted by the runway, followed by another round of applause!
“Welcome!”
“Welcome… welcome… warmest welcome!”
Su Yaoyang could no longer maintain the dignity of a commander-in-chief; his smile beamed like a sunflower in full bloom, excitement overflowing.
He strode forward briskly, and before the crowd fully recovered from the shock of the numbers, he had already seized the hand of the lead Cheng Rufeng and shook it vigorously.
“Lieutenant Colonel Cheng! Welcome! Welcome your arrival! You’ve worked hard!”
Su Yaoyang’s voice was slightly hoarse with emotion, but the heartfelt joy and gratitude clearly reached Cheng Rufeng and every pilot behind him.
Cheng Rufeng was evidently moved by the grand and warm welcome; he gripped Su Yaoyang’s hand tightly, sincere smile on his face: “Commander Su is too polite! To come to your unit and fight Japan together with everyone is our honor! Though the journey was long, arriving safely and seeing Commander Su and all colleagues made every hardship worthwhile!”
His gaze swept over the enthusiastic faces by the runway, over the crude but vibrant airport facilities, and a warm current surged in his heart. He knew their choice this time was right! This would be their new starting point to spread wings again and strike hard at the Japanese invaders!
“Commander Su, let me introduce you.”
Cheng Rufeng turned sideways, beginning to introduce his companions behind him to Su Yaoyang: “This is Major Feng Mingqian, this is Captain Ye Qiyuan…”
With Cheng Rufeng’s introductions, Su Yaoyang warmly shook hands with each pilot disembarking, exchanging greetings. He tried hard to remember every name and face; the wild joy in his heart was like a surging tide, nearly overwhelming him.
Thirty-seven pilots!
Among them were not only ace pilots and senior officers like Cheng Rufeng, Feng Mingqian, and Ye Qiyuan with rich experience and distinguished battle records, but also a large group of young talents trained at formal flight schools with some flight experience!
The addition of this force was like a shot of adrenaline for his fledgling Shanxi Militia flight squadron!
With them, he could immediately expand two flight squadrons; he could even select excellent instructors from among them to train more new pilots!
Su Yaoyang could almost foresee that, in the near future, a powerful air force composed of these elite pilots would pose a deadly threat to Japanese invaders in North China’s skies!
“Lieutenant Colonel Cheng, if I may be so bold,” Su Yaoyang asked Cheng Rufeng after shaking hands with everyone, with a mix of curiosity and delight, “the intelligence we received before seemed… to indicate not quite so many people?”
Hearing this, Cheng Rufeng smiled meaningfully, glanced at his companions nearby with expectant and excited expressions, then said to Su Yaoyang:
“Commander Su, it’s a long story. Initially, it was just over a dozen of us with this intention. But when word of our departure spread in a small circle, many like-minded brothers all expressed willingness to join us in serving the nation!
Some were dissatisfied with the central command’s passive avoidance of battle, some yearned to return to the skies to kill the enemy, others admired Commander Su’s heroic anti-Japanese exploits in Shanxi… In short, one call brought a hundred responses, and the group swelled unnoticed to its current size.”
Pausing, Cheng Rufeng’s tone grew more earnest: “Commander Su, we all come with patriotic fervor, volunteering to join you.
We seek no fame, no rank, only a chance to pilot war eagles in a decisive battle with the Japanese invaders! We beg Commander Su to take us in and give us this opportunity!”
With that, Cheng Rufeng stepped back and deeply bowed to Su Yaoyang!
The thirty-six pilots behind him also uniformly bowed with Cheng Rufeng to Su Yaoyang!
“Please take us in, Commander Su!” The thirty-seven spoke in unison, voices resounding with determination and sincerity!
This sudden scene greatly moved Su Yaoyang and all the militia officers present!
Su Yaoyang hurriedly stepped forward, hands lifting Cheng Rufeng, eyes misting: “Lieutenant Colonel Cheng… brothers! Rise quickly! Your coming is my honor!
It is the Shanxi Militia’s honor! Even more, it is the gospel of China’s War of Resistance! From now on, Jinsha Airport is your home!
The fighters here are your warhorses! I, Su Yaoyang, promise you: as long as I have breath, I will ensure you have planes to fly and Japanese to fight!”
“Good!”
“Commander Su is wise!”
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted again by the runway!
