With the full support of General Short, Zhou Zhihan was able to get twice the result with half the effort. Before the aircraft carrier went to sea, he had completed the formation of two fighter squadrons. All the personnel selected were veterans with long flying time, who had participated in Dunkirk and Several pilots in the defense of London were entrusted with important tasks.
Zhou Zhihan has rich experience as an instructor, and his vision for selecting pilots is even more sophisticated and unique. The pilots he chooses must first be brave and absolutely obey orders, followed by skills and experience.
Although it was only a dozen days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Zhou Zhihan firmly believed that under his training, these 24 veterans, most of whom had never participated in actual combat, would definitely become a nightmare for Japanese bombers.
The top priority is not how to deal with the Zero fighter jets, but how to block Japanese bombers and torpedo planes.
Even if all 24 fighter jets he assembled were shot down by Zero fighters in the end, as long as they could disrupt the rhythm of the Japanese attacking the ships parked in Pearl Harbor, they could bring decisive time to the defense of Pearl Harbor.
While teaching in China, due to concerns about Japanese bombings and sabotage by traitors and spy organizations, pilot training was not systematic and there was a lack of equipment. It was difficult for pilots trained under such conditions to excel in combat effectiveness.
Pearl Harbor is very safe now, and all training equipment is complete. Under the guidance of famous teachers, veteran pilots can learn new techniques and tactics with peace of mind every day, and their skills will definitely improve rapidly.
The 24 pilots were all happy to be appreciated by Zhou Zhihan. They knew that Colonel Zhou had superb air combat skills and impressive records. He had never suffered a defeat since his debut. They would definitely benefit a lot from his training.
Zhou Zhihan worked vigorously and resolutely. As soon as the team was formed, he drove a truck and carried 24 pilots to select fighter jets.
In the morning, General Short said to pick up the best F4F Wildcat and P40 Tomahawk.
At this time, the United States had a total of 150+ F4F Wildcat fighter jets, most of which were concentrated in Pearl Harbor. Most of them followed the aircraft carrier to sea for training, and 20+ stayed at the airport as backup.
Seeing General Short's order, the quartermaster who had already received the news immediately opened the door of convenience, and soon Zhou Zhihan ordered 12 of the F4F Wildcat fighter jets.
The quartermaster said that they could come and fly away tomorrow morning, but after leaving here, they would have to land at other airports.
As a land-based fighter, the P40 Tomahawk is still the main fighter of the United States. Its performance is much better than the P40 that supports China. The power of the engine has been improved, the weapons have been strengthened, the flight speed is faster, and the lever force of the operating rod does not feel sticky. The maneuverability is also better, and they are all parked at the Wheeler Army Airfield. Zhou Zhihan brought people over, and the handover procedures were quickly completed, and they can take off for training tomorrow morning.
Zhou Zhihan was filled with emotion. At this time, the United States was really powerful. Two fighter squadrons were formed in less than half a day. If this were the case in China today, not only would there be a shortage of aircraft, but there would also be a shortage of pilots. In addition, there would be a series of bureaucratic obstructions within the Kuomintang. , trying to form an air force team is full of difficulties.
In order to facilitate training and combat, 24 pilots also came to the newly established barracks from their respective squadrons. From now on, everyone will eat and live together, which can increase mutual understanding and establish a good relationship of trust.
In air combat, the tacit understanding and good trust between pilots are essential and are the key to victory.
If the lead aircraft does not trust the wingman, he cannot attack with all his strength with confidence. If the wingman does not trust the lead aircraft, he will inevitably distract his energy in the front, and the enemy will take the opportunity to approach the rear hemisphere of the formation.
That afternoon, Zhou Zhihan and the 24 pilots sat in a war room specially set aside for them, smoking, chatting, drinking tea, and getting to know each other first.
The name of this team is the American Flying Tigers, which is divided into the first squadron and the second squadron. The first letter of the serial number of the first squadron is A, and the beginning letter of the second squadron is B.
The airport ground staff had already dressed them up with the Flying Tigers logo. The nose of the plane was a shark's mouth, which looked very fierce. They also marked the serial number on each fighter plane. Some pilots with unique personalities drew various patterns on their fighter planes. This is allowed in the United States.
Even if I draw a naked girl...
…
On the same day, Roosevelt held a supreme military meeting in the White House.
Secretary of State Hull spoke first: "There is no longer any hope of signing an agreement with Japan. I feel very desperate for the continued talks between the United States and Japan!"
He hesitated for a moment and then said: "I think Japan may start a new conquest by surprise attack anytime and anywhere.
The issue of protecting our country's security lies in the hands of the navy and army.
Sorry, I would like to mention to the military leaders that Japan may take the principle of surprise attack as the focus of its strategy. Japan may launch attacks on several locations at the same time. "
Roosevelt nodded in agreement and sighed: "Japan is notorious for undeclared war. Therefore, the United States may be attacked by Japan next Monday, which is around December 1."
After speaking, Roosevelt stared at his navy and army leaders intently: "How do you think we should deal with this current situation?"
Roosevelt's foresight did not attract too much attention from the heads of the U.S. Navy and Army. They obviously lacked this kind of foresight and were all debating with red faces how to deal with Japan's upcoming attack on Southeast Asia. If Japan first entered Malaysia or Thailand, the United States How should one enter a war.
The Army, in particular, focused on places such as the Philippines and Indochina, because they believed that these places were most likely to be attacked by the Japanese unexpectedly, and made some preparations accordingly. They did not realize that the Japanese would directly use The one who takes action is not the so-called weak nations, but the superior United States.
The Admiralty believes that Japan is most likely to take administrative action in the three directions of Thailand, Indochina and Burma.
At the same time, the United States received a telegram that seemed to further confirm the view of the Navy Department. The report stated that a large number of Japanese Army troops took forty or fifty troop carriers from Shanghai to form a fleet and were heading south along the coast of China. Heading to southern Taiwan.
This intelligence allowed the Americans to deepen their judgment that the main direction of the Japanese attack was in the Indochina region. Washington's eyes were only fixed on the south. They never dreamed that just after this meeting ended, on November 26, 1941, Tokyo time At 6:30 in the morning that day, the huge Japanese fleet commanded by Nagumo was setting sail from Shankou Bay and headed straight for Pearl Harbor...
…
time flies.
Every morning at 6:00, all Flying Tiger pilots get up and go for an essential morning run.
Different from the perverted training methods and intensity of the Japanese, Zhou Zhihan led everyone to conduct aerobic training to ensure that they have sufficient physical strength for the day while maintaining a happy mood.
Aerobic exercise is still a new term at this time, and Americans like it.
American pilots who eat well do not lack physical strength and there is no need to spend too much time on physical training.
The pilots readily accepted Zhou Zhihan's training method. It was neither boring nor boring, and the training had the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort. As a soldier, who wouldn't like it.
After resting in the airport war room after the morning run, Zhou Zhihan first explained to everyone the shortcomings reflected in yesterday's training and gave solutions, and then arranged today's new training content.
Although Zhou Zhihan's plan was to deal with the Japanese bombers and torpedo planes that attacked Pearl Harbor, he would mention the "Zero" fighter that all countries had to mention during World War II N times every day, and repeatedly warned the team members that if there was any One day when you encounter Zero fighter jets on the battlefield, don’t fight with them, don’t fight with them, don’t fight with them.
When encountering a Zero fighter, use a tactic: pull up, dive, attack, break away, then pull up, dive, attack, break away...
Twenty minutes later, at 6:50, the pilots had dinner on time and were ready to depart at 7:20. Within 3 minutes, all fighters must take off.
