Thanks to book friends:
Brother Huang, a wage earner
Reward!
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"Zhihan!" Major Jeff Hunter stood up, "Let me introduce you. This is my good friend" Mr. Claire Lee Chenault. He has just returned from China. Listen to me talking about you. He is very happy and insists on coming to see you! "
Zhou Zhihan was excited and gave a military salute to express all his feelings at the moment.
Chennault is tall, about 40 years old, with deep eyes, a full forehead full of wisdom, and the corners of his lips extending back, making his entire face look calm and self-defeating. He holds a black pipe in his mouth and his face reads tired. , probably because of the long journey back from China.
Major Jeff Hunter said to Chennault: "This is the student I'm telling you about, Zhou Zhihan from China!"
Chennault extended his hand to meet him.
Zhou Zhihan held Chennault's hand with both hands. He was very excited and bent down to salute.
The three of them found a remote place and sat down. Zhou Zhihan asked the young bartender to bring him a few beers.
Chennault knew that Zhou Zhihan was a person that Brigadier General Arthur King admired. He did not talk too much and spoke frankly.
After chatting for a while about Zhou Zhihan's current situation in the United States, Chennault asked.
"Zhihan, I have observed during my time in China that China and Japan will have a war sooner or later. Do you think that when the war begins, with the current strength of the Chinese Air Force, will offense be more important, or defense?"
Zhou Zhihan was silent for a few seconds: "I personally think that defense is important."
Chennault's deep eyes suddenly lit up: "Tell me, why is defense important?"
"Our air force has not been established for a long time, and there are not many excellent pilots. The quality of various fighter jets is uneven. Logistics supply of parts for fighter jets is difficult. The pilots are also inexperienced. Daily training is one thing, and victory or defeat is determined on the battlefield. Not only the pilot's skills, but also the pilot's courage is the most critical.
If China and Japan go to war, the Japanese aircraft carriers are mobile airports and have an inherent advantage. Their fighter jets will stay in the air for a long time.
We do not have a mobile airport. The fighter planes take off from other airports and fly long distances to the battlefields that require air support. The time they spend in the air to provide support is far less than that of Japanese aircraft. Once there is an air battle with Japanese military aircraft, they will be killed by enemy aircraft. If you stay entangled, it won't take long for our military aircraft to run out of fuel, and it will be difficult to fly back to the base.
What's even more terrible is that we have one less aircraft to fight. The Japanese have aircraft production lines and can continuously replenish them.
Therefore, I think that once China and Japan start a war, our air force should avoid its sharp edges, not fight head-on with the enemy, try to preserve its strength, not fight with them head-on, use good steel on the blade, and use the depth of our country to continuously fight against the enemy. Harassment and exhaustion. "
"You are indeed a talent. Brigadier General Arthur King was right about you." Chennault raised his glass and clinked it with Major Jeff Hunter and Zhou Zhihan. Then he frowned and his eyes became deep again, "But the National Government The Air Force generals do not have such foresight as you. They believe that offense is the best defense."
"Offensive is the best defensive weapon. This sentence is not unreasonable," Zhou Zhihan said: "But attacking means having to fight the Japanese head-on. The quality of our aircraft, the reserve force of pilots, and the number of aircraft , are far inferior to the Japanese, and fighting with the Japanese in the air is just a trap for them."
Chennault nodded, sighed, said nothing, and stuffed tobacco into his pipe.
Zhou Zhihan took a match, lit one, and lit Chennault's cigarette.
Chennault leaned back on the chair, holding the pipe with one hand, rubbing his eyebrows with the other hand, closing his eyes, taking a few puffs of the cigarette, and exhaling a long smoke: "I am returning to China for a vacation this time, and I actually want to come back and have a good time. Think about it, should you return to China and continue to take on this hot potato?
In the comparison between the air forces of China and Japan, the Japanese have an overwhelming advantage, but your air force generals want to focus on offense. This is undoubtedly an egg against a stone.
Maybe in the early stages of the war, you can gain some advantage by taking the initiative to attack, but as the war becomes more intense and long-term, the advantages of your air force will be quickly eroded away. pilot……"
Chennault shook his head as he spoke, and gently pinched the frown between his eyebrows with two fingers: "Your pilots are all brave and have a patriotic heart. This touches me very much.
But, really, Zhihan, I am very afraid to see my students disappear one by one in the sky. "
It was obvious from his words that if the tactics of the air force generals were followed, the pilots they had worked so hard to train would soon be lost. Finally, the Japanese would be allowed to have planes flying around in the air.
Zhou Zhihan's eyes were a little moist: "General, please believe that the Chinese people will win the final victory. Throughout China's thousands of years of history, our ancient nation has never surrendered before the great powers.
I hope you can return to China, hand over your most advanced flying technology to those pilots who are thirsty for knowledge, and lead them to protect China's airspace. The Chinese people will always remember you! "
Major Jeff Hunter looked confused and shook his head. Just now, Zhou Zhihan called Claire Lee Chenault a general. What a pair. Li has retired a long time ago and is now participating in the construction of the National Government's air force as a private consultant. How can he be involved with the general.
"Young man, just for your last words, I have decided to return to China, but we have to make a gentleman's agreement. When you graduate from Randolph Air Force Academy and return to China, you must help me!"
Zhou Zhihan was very excited and quickly stood up and saluted another military salute: "Respect is worse than obeying orders! General!"
"General?"
Chennault said with a smile, "I'm not a general. My highest rank in the U.S. Army, captain, has been retired for a long time."
Zhou Zhihan knew that he was excited just now: "You will definitely become our China's general in the future and the general in the hearts of our Chinese people!"
Chennault held the pipe and smiled. He could see that the young man in front of him was very excited and admired him.
"Young man, I just heard Jeff say that you were supposed to participate in the Marine Corps' selection process of outstanding talents as an observer, but now that Randolph Air Force Academy has recruited you back, it feels like a pity.
I suggest that if you have the opportunity after arriving at the Randolph Air Force Academy, you go to the U.S. Marine Corps to take a look and learn the advanced training concepts of the Marine Corps.
In the past few months since I came to China, what I have seen is that the Chinese army lags far behind the Japanese in terms of mental outlook, technical tactics and training level. Your weapons are backward, your training level is backward, and the coordination between the troops is backward. The combat effectiveness is lagging behind, the logistics supplies are lagging behind, and the soldiers have no patriotism but the training time and quality are lagging behind. Once China and Japan go to war, your army will be at an absolute disadvantage.
So Zhihan, if you have the opportunity to study in the Marine Corps, you must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring the most advanced combat training concepts from the United States back to China and teach them to domestic instructors. Good training can enable more soldiers bleed less on the battlefield. "
Zhou Zhihan nodded repeatedly. He understood what Chennault meant. Now in the United States, he not only wanted to learn flying skills, but also learn the techniques and tactics of the navy and army. He would return to China in the future and bring more advanced military concepts back to the country.
"By the way Zhihan! Huang Xinrui and Huang Panyang told me the data you told them about the Type 96 carrier-based aircraft. This is so important to us.
They asked me to tell you that they don't have time to come and meet you. They spend all day studying how to crack the various techniques and tactics of the Type 96 carrier-based aircraft.
This time, the two of them will return to China with me and serve as domestic air force flight instructors! "
