Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 847 The Real and Fake Stalin, the Soviet Union's Overseas Manufacturing Model

Faced with Stalin's question, Fang Wen couldn't help but feel a little hesitant.

He was well aware that the Soviet Air Force problem in 1941 was complex and involved many aspects, including high-level decision-making, industrial layout, tactical concepts, and personnel training.

Everyone can say nice things, but the person in front of me has already made it clear that they don't want to hear them.

However, pointing out the flaws directly will inevitably touch on many sensitive issues, and may even offend a large number of vested interests and high-ranking generals. If not careful, it may bring unpredictable trouble upon oneself.

But then I thought about it again.

Being located within Soviet territory, they had to ensure the production of components for the cyclotron particle accelerator.

If his suggestion was adopted, it would indirectly enhance the Soviet Union's strength and provide more assurance for the production of accelerator components.

With this thought in mind, Fang Wen had already made up his mind.

He looked up and stared directly at Stalin in the main seat, and said frankly, "If I were to give a blunt assessment, the Soviet Air Force at this stage is like a paper tiger."

Fang Wen used a direct translation of an Eastern proverb from Russian, which the other party did not understand.

Therefore, Fang Wen changed the context of the interpretation.

"бумажныйтигр."

This Russian word means someone who is outwardly strong but inwardly weak, or someone who is all show and no substance.

Stalin nodded: "Yes, that's right. We had tens of thousands of warplanes and seemed fully capable of confronting the Nazis, but the outcome after the outbreak of war disappointed me greatly. What happened in Poland happened again in the Soviet Union, and our air force was just as helpless."

He looked at Fang Wen: "Don't worry about offending me, I know you have a unique understanding of the Air Force."

Fang Wen replied, "I am just a foreigner, I did not stay in the Soviet Union for a long time, and I do not have a comprehensive understanding of the Soviet air force system. What I say does not mean that everything I say is correct, but it is just some issues I have seen from my personal perspective."

"Continue." Stalin picked up his pipe, lit it with a match, and exhaled smoke, waiting for what would happen next.

Fang Wen's mind raced, and he finally uttered the words he had in mind.

"For various reasons, your air force has lost many senior commanders and front-line pilots with a practical combat mindset. Most of the commanders who remain today can only rigidly follow orders and lack independent air combat decision-making capabilities."

As Fang Wen said this, he felt nervous, unsure whether the Soviet Supreme Commander in front of him would be angered by it.

To his surprise, the other person remained calm. "Please continue, I don't mind."

Seeing this, Fang Wen simply finished speaking his mind.

"Based on what I've learned recently, your air force's equipment structure also has problems."

"Of the so-called tens of thousands of fighter jets, older models account for as much as 80%. The Il-15 and Il-16 are slow, poorly protected, and weak in firepower, making them unable to directly confront the German Bf-109 series main fighter jets. As for the new generation of fighter jets such as the Yak-1 and MiG-3, only a small number of elite units have been deployed, and they have not participated in large-scale military exercises, so they cannot effectively cooperate in combat."

Stalin nodded, then interrupted, "Our air force is indeed lacking in coordination. On the first day of the war, the Germans destroyed thousands of our aircraft and dozens of airfields in just one air raid. Even today, some frontline airfields are still being attacked by the Germans, and the same mistakes are being repeated. So, do you have any way to help us solve this problem?"

“I can’t solve this,” Fang Wen replied honestly. “Your air force system is a three-tiered structure of front armies, group armies, and corps-level units, each with its own troops. It’s impossible to concentrate large formations for decisive battles like the German army. While a basic air division may seem to have strong independent combat capabilities and greater mobility due to its mixed fighter, attack, and bomber units, this becomes a disadvantage in large-scale battles where nations are putting all their resources into them. Once a large number of air units are mixed together for combat, there will inevitably be issues such as complex command, chaotic logistics, and difficulties in coordination.”

Stalin looked at the clerk behind Fang Wen.

"Did you write down everything he said?"

The clerk stood up and reported, "All have been recorded."

Stalin turned to Fang Wen: "I agree with your view, but there is no chance to change it now."

He actually had an in-depth conversation with Fang Wen about this.

"Our country has a vast territory, and its long border is a defensive line everywhere. Every army group and every line of defense can't do without air cover. If we forcibly concentrate all air power, other fronts will immediately lose air support. Germany's greatest advantage is the rapid assault of its armored forces. Even if we concentrate our air power, we will not be able to completely strike the scattered German tank forces."

Stalin took a drag on his pipe, smoke billowing from his mouth, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness: "The same applies to mixed formations. Before the war, we anticipated localized border conflicts, not a full-scale war involving the entire nation. Decentralized deployment and multi-purpose deployment were intended to enable frontline units to respond independently to unexpected situations. This system could function in small-scale skirmishes, but against a massive mechanized force like the Nazis', its weaknesses were utterly exposed. The system, the layout, the tactical thinking—all intertwined—now that the flames of war have spread across the entire territory, even knowing the mistakes, we simply don't have the resources to completely reconstruct it."

Fang Wen nodded in agreement.

To put it bluntly, the Nazi model was extremely insane, concentrating the nation's resources to act according to Hitler's will. The Soviet Union's defenses were far too naive.

At this point, Stalin changed the subject: "Besides what you've mentioned, there's another problem that has become a shackle for us in the air war: radio communication."

He beckoned behind him: "Colonel Sergei, you speak."

Colonel Sergei stepped forward and said loudly, “Of our tens of thousands of fighter jets, the vast majority of the older models are not equipped with onboard radios as standard. In the entire formation, often only the lead aircraft can barely carry a simple wireless telegraph machine, while the other wingmen do not. In high-altitude dogfights and formation maneuvers, the fighter jets cannot communicate with each other in real time, and can only rely on wing waving, aerial hand signals, and flag signals to transmit instructions. If the movements are slightly too fast or the formation is disrupted, the entire formation will fight independently and become a disorganized mess.”

“And the Germans,” Colonel Sergei said, his tone becoming more serious, “almost every one of their combat aircraft was equipped with a radio, allowing for seamless communication between squadrons, formations, and between air and ground. They could flexibly break up tactical squadrons to provide mutual cover. Our pilots, on the other hand, often lost contact as soon as they engaged in combat, fighting alone. No matter how brave they were, they were no match for the coordinated enemy aircraft. The communication gap amplified all our disadvantages.”

After speaking, Colonel Sergei stepped back.

Stalin looked directly at Fang Wen and finally revealed the purpose of the conversation: "I called you here today not only to discuss air force issues, but also because I want more Taishan radio equipment."

Upon hearing this, Fang Wen felt relieved.

Today, Taishan's wireless equipment has become known to high-ranking military officials in various countries as a result of the war.

The initial purchase of 5,000 walkie-talkies by the Soviet Union was a drop in the ocean compared to the consumption of resources during a full-scale war, and the shortage would only continue to grow.

Not to mention, the Air Force's demand is enormous.

Fang Wen frankly stated, "Taishan Radio's performance can indeed make up for your army's communication shortcomings, but our current production capacity has reached its limit. Orders from home and abroad are piling up, and the production line is running day and night. We simply cannot increase supply in large quantities in the short term."

"Insufficient production capacity?" Stalin leaned forward slightly, looking at Fang Wen. "Since production capacity is insufficient, let's try another approach. I propose that Taishan Military Industry set up a branch factory directly within the Soviet Union. We will provide the factory buildings, land, workers, energy, and raw materials, and fully cooperate in production. Finished products will be prioritized for supply to the Soviet front. What do you think?"

Fang Wen's mind raced as he pondered.

Building a factory in the Soviet Union was not impossible, as long as the core technology was firmly grasped, there would be no problem.

Semiconductor transistors and first-generation simple communication chips must be kept in our own hands; as for low-tech processes such as circuit board soldering, complete machine assembly, and casing processing, these can be completely handed over to the Soviet Union.

Isn't this the same technology control and overseas OEM model that we often see in later generations?

This approach not only solves the other party's urgent problem but also allows for the expansion of production capacity by leveraging local resources, without leaking core technologies—a win-win situation.

Having made the decision, Fang Wen calmly stated his plan: "Cooperation in building a factory is possible. But one thing must be clear: the core semiconductor transistors and other core components of the wireless equipment will still be exclusively produced and supplied by Taishan Military Industry. The Soviet branch will only be responsible for subsequent processes such as circuit board assembly, complete machine assembly, and casing processing. Core technologies will never be leaked; this is our bottom line for cooperation."

"I need to hear the experts' opinions." Stalin got up and left.

The guards and the clerk then followed them out.

Colonel Sergei walked up to Fang Wen and said, "Please wait here for a moment."

After saying that, he went out.

Fang Wen was the only person in the room.

He placed one hand on his abdomen and quietly pressed the switch on the belt buckle, thereby activating his mechanical perception ability.

At the same time, energy was injected into the vertical gem on the neck. The mechanical perception perspective, enhanced with X-ray vision, penetrated the wall.

Fang Wen searched within the Air Force Command.

In a room on the other side of the headquarters.

There are two Stalins!

One was standing, and the other was sitting.

The standing man, holding the meeting minutes recorded by the clerk, handed them to the seated man.

"These are his words."

The seated person looked at the contents of the paper and nodded: "You did a good job, you can go now."

It turns out that the person Fang Wen was talking to just now was a fake Stalin!

After the fake Stalin left, several generals entered the office.

They also circulated the minutes of Fang Wen's meeting.

Several generals were eager for the establishment of a factory for Taishan radio equipment in the Soviet Union.

In their view, the other party's willingness to set up a factory locally and significantly increase the supply volume was already a huge concession.

While relying on the other party to supply core components presents some constraints, this condition is entirely acceptable compared to not being able to obtain sufficient communication equipment.

Stalin gave the order: "Reasonable conditions are acceptable. Finalize the cooperation as soon as possible and get these radio devices to the front lines to arm our pilots."

"I think we should put Ivan in charge of this matter; he has a good relationship with Fang Wen," a general said.

"Okay. Go and inform Ivan."

After the decision was made, a general left and summoned Ivan to his office, where he told him the mission.

Fang Wen withdrew his supernatural perception.

The door was pushed open.

A female military officer in uniform walked in carrying a cup of coffee.

"Please have some coffee."

After putting down the coffee, the female officer left.

After a while, Ivan arrived.

Ivan, whose face looked somewhat grim, said, "The Commander-in-Chief has important matters to attend to and cannot continue our talks. Let's go back."

Fang Wen got up and followed Ivan out of the Air Force Command.

The two remained silent the entire way after getting into the car.

It wasn't until they returned to the factory, to Fang Wen's dormitory, that Ivan spoke.

"Fang, I have received a mission to get you to agree to transfer the production capacity of Taishan radio equipment to the Soviet Union. I know you are in a difficult position, but please help us. This kind of equipment is too important for the war."

Faced with Ivan's sincere request, Fang Wen smiled and said, "Okay."

"You agreed?" Ivan was very surprised.

"I was the one who suggested this, so of course I agree," Fang Wen replied.

With Fang Wen's affirmation, Ivan immediately felt relieved.

"Great, I thought they wanted me to force you."

Fang Wen nodded: "I'll send a telegram to the base tonight to finalize things and get me a telegraph machine."

Yangon, Asia: Taishan Airlines headquarters building.

Upon receiving the telegram, the senior management of Taishan Group immediately made preparations.

Fang Shouxin flew to the base in northern Myanmar and relayed the contents of Fang Wen's telegram to Bai Zeshan, the head of the semiconductor factory.

The semiconductor plant made adjustments in response to the Soviet Union's plans to build the factory.

More staff were reassigned to semiconductor component manufacturing, while others remained in their original positions, responsible for producing semiconductor military equipment for the domestic and British markets.

This directly increased production capacity by 50%.

Subsequently, Bai Zeshan began to organize technical guidance staff to go to the Soviet Union to build a factory, as well as technical manuals on circuit board production, casing, assembly, etc.

A day has passed.

After finishing his workday, Fang Wen would turn on the telegraph machine at a fixed time and listen with his headphones on.

A hum of electricity is emitted at a specific frequency.

Fang Wen wrote it down.

After he finished recording, he looked at the encrypted code and translated it in his mind.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Fang Wen stood up to open it.

Ivan is outside.

He walked into the room, looked at the telegraph machine he had brought to Fang Wen, and asked, "How is it?"

"Preparations are already underway. I need you to ensure the safety of our personnel stationed in the Soviet Union during their journeys," Fang Wen replied.

Ivan said seriously, "We have already notified the consular staff in Chongqing, and they will use all their resources to safely send the person to the Soviet Union."

"Is there a specific plan?"

"They are preparing to depart from Lanzhou, where one of our Li-2 transport planes is located, and will fly directly over."

"Li-2".

Fang Wen had an idea.

The Li-2 was a modified DC-3 with a fairly good carrying capacity. Some of the cyclotron particle accelerator components that we had ordered from the Soviet Union had already been made, and we could take this opportunity to use the Li-2's carrying capacity to transport them back to China and then transfer them to the base.

Moreover, he could personally fly this flight, ensuring the safety of the Soviet factory construction personnel and guaranteeing the successful delivery of the first batch of parts back. (End of Chapter)