Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 837 Temporary Hire Mission to Moscow: Driving the Bf 109E3 to the Soviet Union

The plane crossed the Swiss border and arrived over Lake Zug. Fang Wen then controlled the plane to land on the lake.

It was already 3 a.m.

Subsequently, the dock crew sailed over and carried their deceased companion onto the boat.

Hans Meyer was just about to have his men take the two boxes containing the Enigma machine and documents off the plane when he heard his men whispering in his ear.

Hans Meier then had a conversation with Fang Wen:

"Now that the German army is launching a full-scale offensive on the Western Front, our troops desperately need this Enigma machine to decipher the intercepted telegrams from the German front-line troops. However, sending it there by our own means would require traversing a large combat zone, which is almost impossible. Moreover, there are no professionals here who can decipher its secrets. Therefore, the higher-ups want to hire you to send something to Moscow, and only you can accomplish this task."

He said "hire," indicating that Moscow was willing to pay a very high price to get Fang Wen to get things into Soviet territory.

Fang Wen pondered in his heart:

The Soviet Union wanted to transport classified intelligence and equipment itself, which coincided with his own desire to go to the Soviet Union.

His original plan was to first bring the data on the cyclotron back to the Taishan Research Institute to carry out preliminary preparations before going to the Soviet Union.

This was a very good opportunity. While transporting the Enigma aircraft and related documents, they could make some demands that the Soviet high command could not refuse.

Therefore, Fang Wen told Hans Meier that he would think about it and get back to him in the afternoon.

Therefore, Hans Meyer temporarily took the two boxes off the plane and went aboard the ship to treat his injuries.

After they left, Fang Wen pondered alone in the cabin how to use the Soviet Union's industrial base to manufacture cyclotron particle accelerator components without arousing Soviet suspicion.

Fang Wen was the only one left in the cabin of the Boeing 314.

The engine had been shut off, and the waiting boats in the distance had already docked at the pier. The bodies and boxes were being carried onto the pier, and Hans Meyer, with one arm hanging from his body, was being helped ashore by his men.

Fang Wen withdrew his supernatural power and leaned back in his seat, deep in thought.

Bringing the data on the cyclotron back to the Taishan Research Institute was impossible without an industrial base. Those detailed blueprints would ultimately be nothing more than scraps of paper. Even if they were brought back, they would simply be shelved. It was uncertain when particle acceleration experiments could be realized.

"The Soviet Union needed me to send Enigma aircraft, and I needed their heavy industrial capacity; it was an equal exchange in itself."

Fang Wen muttered to himself as he reached into his backpack and took out his notebook.

He opened the notebook to a blank page, picked up the pen, and held the nib above the paper without dropping it.

How could they get the Soviet Union to produce accelerator components for them without revealing the true purpose of the equipment?

Once his intention to conduct nuclear physics research is exposed, let alone cooperation, the Soviet leadership will most likely detain him directly, or even confiscate his blueprints, leaving him in a dilemma.

Fang Wen closed his eyes, and his mind flashed rapidly through the industrial layout of the Soviet Union during World War II: they had a strong capacity for heavy forging, electromagnetic equipment, high-voltage electrical equipment, and alloy steel processing, which were the foundations required for the core components of the cyclotron; however, they had shortcomings in ultra-high precision micro-components and ultimate vacuum technology, which could be made up for in other ways and could not be relied upon by the Soviet Union.

The pen finally fell to the ground, and following this line of thought, he began to break down the cyclotron into seven independent systems, designing camouflage schemes for each one:

"The giant toroidal electromagnetic excitation coil can be disguised as a heavy-duty coastal defense electromagnetic defense coil or a ship's magnetic stabilization unit, and can be connected to the Soviet Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Directorate. The reason is sufficient: the complete modification of the Taishan semi-aircraft carrier requires large-scale electromagnetic equipment for ships, and Soviet military shipyards have mature technology that can fully meet the processing requirements."

"A high-stability DC high-voltage pulse power supply, disguised as a high-power transmission power supply for long-range strategic broadcasting and a voltage regulator for field communication base stations, could be said to be equipment required by the Taishan Radio Industry Department. At present, all countries are upgrading long-range communications, and high-power power supplies are standard equipment and will not arouse suspicion. Moreover, the Soviet Communications Military Industry Directorate has ready-made production lines for high-voltage rectifiers and voltage regulators."

"Ultra-high vacuum sealed chambers can be disguised as high-altitude aviation test chambers and ordered by Taishan Aviation for military scientific research needs. High-altitude sealed test equipment is a routine scientific research project during wartime, and the vacuum process can be reasonably explained. The Soviet Ministry of Aviation Industry was also developing similar sealing technology to improve the performance of fighter jets, so the demand for contract manufacturing is reasonable."

"Precision particle orbital guide components were disguised as high-precision transmission guides for heavy machine tools and procured under the guise of high-precision special heavy machine tool parts. The demand for military precision guides is large, and the quenching and precision milling processes of the Soviet heavy machine tool industry are sufficient to meet micron-level machining standards."

"Radio frequency oscillation and frequency modulation components were disguised as military radar frequency modulation resonant components and air defense signal calibration devices, and parts were ordered under the guise of self-made air defense radar."

"A low-temperature cooling circulation system, disguised as a military fuel constant temperature cooling system. Taishan has now taken over the Myanmar Oil Company, and there is indeed a great demand for this."

The last one, the precision measurement and control instrument group, Fang Wen didn't write it down. This thing would be easy to expose, and he didn't plan to order it from the Soviet Union.

After finishing writing the fake order proposal, Fang Wen put down his pen.

These items were purchased in large quantities; it's estimated that just transporting the Enigma machines and data wouldn't be enough.

However, Taishan and the Soviet Union had already established military trade ties, and could conduct compensatory transactions in other areas.

The key question now is whether Moscow will agree.

In the afternoon, the sunlight shone on the surface of Lake Zug, making it sparkle.

The cabin door of the Boeing 314 was open, and Fang Wen was eating a can of Taishan military rations for lunch.

The canned food contained potato chunks and beef brisket. The soft, tender potatoes and the marbled beef brisket were both quite good, but it was very oily and quite salty.

But this was specifically designed for field troops, and Fang Wen felt that no modifications were needed.

Just as we were finishing the canned food, we saw figures moving around on the distant dock.

The ship then left the dock and sailed in this direction.

Standing at the bow of the ship was Hans Meyer, his right hand wrapped in a thick white bandage and slinged across his chest.

The small boat docked next to the plane, and Hans Meyer boarded the plane with the help of his men and Fang Wen.

"Mr. Fang, what's your decision? Moscow is still waiting for my reply."

Fang Wen handed over a piece of paper: "I can accept your employment and risk sending the Enigma machine and data to Moscow, but on one condition: Moscow must meet the procurement requirements on my list, coordinate with relevant departments to manufacture the parts, and ensure that the precision of the parts meets the standards."

Hans Meyer quickly took the paper covered in writing.

Each piece of equipment on the list has a clearly marked purpose, from heavy-duty coastal defense electromagnetic coils to military fuel constant temperature cooling systems. They all seem to be routine needs of Taishan Group in the military, aviation, and radio fields, with nothing unusual about them.

“I am not familiar with these devices and cannot answer you,” Hans Meyer replied. “I will go back and send a telegram to Moscow now, truthfully reporting your list and requirements, and get back to you as soon as possible.”

Fang Wen nodded slightly: "I'll wait for you here."

Hans Meyer immediately grabbed the list, hurriedly boarded the speedboat, and left.

The cabin fell silent again. Fang Wen leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and waited for the results.

Two hours later, the small boat returned, and Hans Meyer greeted them with a smile: "Mr. Fang, good news! Moscow has officially agreed to your procurement request. Once we arrive in Moscow, a dedicated department will discuss the details with you to ensure that your requirements are met."

He paused, then added, "In addition, to show its sincerity, Moscow has decided to fulfill your previous arms purchase request and provide an extra 1000 82mm rockets as compensation for this mission."

Fang Wen smiled.

Taishan is currently facing a production shortage and urgently needs to replenish its rocket stockpile. Therefore, it recently ordered a new batch of 82mm rockets from the Soviet Union, but the Soviet Union did not respond at the time. The parameters of the Soviet-made rockets are basically the same as the existing models on Taishan, and they can be adapted to the launch device with minor modifications.

The Soviet Union's offer of 1000 82mm rockets as payment was just right to compensate for Taishan's losses in the Southeast Asian theater. This extra reward came at the perfect time.

He nodded: "I agree to carry out this mission."

Seeing Fang Wen agree, Hans Meyer breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked, "Mr. Fang, how do we transport the Enigma aircraft and the data to Moscow? Should we fly this Boeing 314 there?"

Fang Wen shook his head: "Impossible. The Boeing 314 is a long-range civilian amphibious aircraft. It is bulky and slow, and it is simply impossible for it to pass through the combat zone densely populated by the German Luftwaffe. Once it is detected, it will be a sitting duck. We must switch to a high-speed fighter jet to have a chance to break through the blockade."

“Leave the fighter jet issue to me,” Hans Meier replied.

He left again, and returned the next morning, saying that he had obtained a high-speed fighter jet through Lucy's intelligence network.

In response, Fang Wen handed the Boeing 314 over to the British, packed his bags, and followed Hans Meyer to Zurich, which was more than 20 kilometers away.

The car sped along and arrived at a military airport on the outskirts of Zurich.

A man dressed in a Swiss military officer's uniform stepped forward to greet him at the airport entrance.

"Mr. Meyer, Mr. Fang, this way please." The officer led the two into the airport. As they crossed the tarmac, Fang Wen's gaze fell on the more than twenty Bf 109E3 fighter jets parked neatly.

These aircraft are the mainstay fighter jets of Germany, only they are painted with the markings of the Swiss Air Force.

“We bought these Bf 109s from Germany two years ago,” the officer said as he walked, a hint of pride in his voice. “Some time ago, when Germany attempted to invade Switzerland, we used these aircraft to attack an unescorted German He 111 bomber formation and thwarted their bombing plan.”

Fang Wen carefully examined the fighter jets and had already made a judgment in his mind. If they were Bf 109E3s, their speed and maneuverability would make them the best choice to break through the German blockade.

The officer then led the two men to a hangar. Pushing open the hangar door, a damaged Bf 109E3 fighter came into view: the fuel tank on one side of the fuselage had obvious bullet hole repair marks, the pylons under the wings were empty, and there were many places of wear on the fuselage skin.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fang," the officer said apologetically, "the only fighter jet the airport can currently allocate to you is this one. Its fuel tank was hit during the air combat and has been repaired, but there are some minor damages in other parts, though it doesn't affect basic flight."

Hans Meyer's expression changed slightly, and he was about to speak when Fang Wen raised his hand to stop him.

There's no need to argue about the impossible. The Swiss Air Force is already doing well to be able to allocate such an aircraft; it's impossible for them to have a perfectly good one.

Fang Wen stepped forward, slowly circled the fighter jet, and then said to the officer, "This one will do. Let me check the condition of the fuselage first."

The officer beckoned to the mechanic waiting nearby: "This is Frank. He will assist you with the repairs. You can communicate with him in English."

Fang Wen took off his coat and said to the Swiss mechanic, "Could you please provide a detailed description of the fighter jet's parameters and the extent of the damage?"

The mechanic explained one by one: "The fuselage fuel tank has been repaired, the engine is fine, but prolonged high-speed operation may cause overheating; the onboard weapons and bomb racks have been removed, and the fuselage is currently under light load; in addition, the fuel gauge has some problems and the reading is not accurate enough."

As Fang Wen listened, he reached out and touched the fuselage. His mechanical perception ability quietly unfolded, and the status of every component inside the fighter jet, such as the engine, fuel system, and electrical circuits, was clearly presented in his mind.

He inspected key components such as the engine, fuel tank, and landing gear one by one, confirming that there were no major hidden dangers.

However, there is a problem: the standard range of the Bf 109E3 is only 700 kilometers, and even with the addition of external fuel tanks, the range can only be increased to 900 kilometers. The entire journey from Switzerland to Moscow is 2400 kilometers long, and this range is far from enough.

Fang Wen turned to the officer and said, "I need to modify this aircraft, remove all unnecessary parts, add extra external fuel tanks, and extend its range."

The officer replied, "Mr. Fang, this fighter jet has been officially allocated to you. You can modify it as you wish, and Frank will fully cooperate with you."

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen and the Swiss mechanic Frank began modifying the fighter jet.

He removed all the useless onboard weapons and equipment from the fighter jet, and also removed the external bomb racks; then, in the space left by the weapon system, he installed three small auxiliary fuel tanks, making full use of the space on both sides of the fuselage and the belly of the aircraft.

Next, Fang Wen took charge on his own, setting up new oil pipelines, connecting the three auxiliary oil tanks to the main oil tank, and installing a main oil control valve with mechanical linkage control.

The fuel supply to different fuel tanks is switched by regulating the main valve.

Throughout the entire modification process, he moved with practiced ease, as if he frequently inspected German fighter jets, leaving the Swiss mechanics watching in awe.

However, the Swiss mechanics did not agree with his modifications.

"Mr. Fang, this modification is probably not feasible. Engines are prone to overheating from prolonged high-speed operation. Adding so many auxiliary fuel tanks will increase the engine load and could easily cause malfunctions. Furthermore, after the multi-tank modification, the fuel gauges will be completely ineffective. You won't be able to know the remaining fuel in each tank through the instruments, making it impossible to accurately switch fuel lines. Once the fuel runs out, it will affect engine operation. Your modification is too risky; no one has ever tried this before. If a fuel line malfunctions in the air, the fighter jet will lose control and crash."

Fang Wen didn't explain much; what others couldn't do was not difficult for him.

His mechanical perception ability allows him to clearly sense the situation inside the aircraft, including the amount of fuel in each tank.

As for the engine overheating problem, he had already come up with a solution.

After modifying the oil circuit, Fang Wen opened his hand on the belly of the engine.

Several rolling liquid metal beads appeared in his palm. He tilted his hand, and the liquid metal beads rolled into the oil line and rolled towards the engine.

These liquid metals enter the engine's oil filler neck and, under Fang Wen's control, flow into the engine's interior, evenly adhering to the engine's inner wall to form a thin, high-temperature resistant protective film. This protective film can significantly improve the engine's high-temperature resistance, extend its high-speed operation time, and prevent malfunctions.

Fang Wen spent almost the entire day working on the fighter jet modification project, barely taking a break.

As the sun set, the modification was finally completed. The modified Bf 109E3 had a lighter fuselage, a significantly increased fuel tank capacity, and a range sufficient to cover the entire route from Switzerland to Moscow. The engine was also more stable thanks to the protection of liquid metal.

Fang Wen closed the maintenance port cover, wiped the oil off his hands, and went out to inform Hans Meyer.

Hans Meyer, accompanied by his men, entered the hangar carrying two boxes containing the Enigma machine and related documents.

“Mr. Fang, please make sure they are delivered to Moscow,” Hans Meier pleaded earnestly.

Fang Wen nodded, carried the two boxes onto the fighter jet, placed them in the reserved storage space behind the seat, and secured them to the seat with ropes.

He then sat in the cockpit, adjusted his seat, and checked the flight control system, fuel line switches, and engine status. After confirming that everything was normal, he opened the canopy and waved goodbye to the Swiss officers, mechanics, and Hans Meier on the ground.

The mechanic quickly stepped forward and opened the hangar door. Then, airport personnel came over and guided the fighter jets to slowly drive out of the hangar.

Guided by the hand gestures of the ground controller, the fighter jet slowly entered the runway, its engines roaring, the propellers spinning faster and faster, and the fuselage gliding quickly on the runway.

Just over ten seconds later, the fighter jet broke free from its ground restraints, took off, and climbed into the sky. (End of Chapter)