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Chapter 1383 Major events are initially decided

It's really easy to do things if you have money.

It’s not because Tang Tuanzuo gave orders worth tens of millions, but because Tang Tuanzuo gave gifts.

After two years of experience, several students from a trading company far away in the United States have long since faded away from their youth. Under the recommendation of the top management of Rockefeller Company, they met a certain think tank around the famous president.

No one dislikes money, including Westerners. Tang Dao himself has never seen how much cash 200,000 US dollars is, but this fund is shown as activity expenses in the trading company's account books.

"The Chinese have an old saying that prepares for a rainy day. We must be wary of the Japanese's little moves." Under the advice of the think tank, the president not only approved this huge order that made Grumman happy, but also made substantial progress.

Out of military deployment in Southeast Asia.

The Far East Army Command was established in the Philippines one year earlier than before. The commander was the famous five-star general MacArthur. Major General Stilwell no longer had to return to China to serve as the commander of the 7th Division, but he rushed to the Philippines to serve as the chief of staff of the Far East Army.

This position can only be held by lieutenant generals. This can be regarded as the U.S. federal military's recognition of Stilwell's warning, and it is a disguised form of giving him high-level treatment.

However, the US government still maintains its arrogance towards the Far East after all. In their eyes, Japan has never been regarded as an opponent. This cannot be changed by any intelligence.

Tang Dao did not take any further precautions. He knew very well that it would be difficult for the Americans to unleash their huge military potential without being beaten and hurt.

Tang Dao also knew better that in this era, if the United States did not participate in the war, the war in China would last far longer than eight years. He needed to obtain the arms of the United States, but he also needed to drag the giant beast of the United States into the whirlpool of the war.

This behavior of the U.S. government will undoubtedly stimulate and threaten the Japanese, but they will never stop their madness.

All reasons come from one thing - oil!

History has already confirmed the fate of this unlucky child of the Japanese. The poor guy thought that by conquering the three northeastern provinces with rich mineral resources, he would be able to dig out oil, but nature just played a big joke on the Japanese.

The three fertile northeastern provinces have too many resources, and oil is no exception. The future Daqing Oilfield will produce a total of 2.5 billion tons of crude oil when Tang Dao crosses over. After entering the 21st century, the annual oil and gas production will exceed 40 million tons.

tons, but unfortunately the Japanese lack a bit of luck.

After exploration in the late 1950s, Chinese oil workers, with the help of the Mao Xiong Kingdom, used imported drilling rigs to drill the first exploratory well in Daqing, reaching a depth of 1,100 meters, just touching the oil level.

The technology that the unlucky Japanese children had in the 1930s and 1940s could only drill to a maximum depth of 1,000 meters. Only 100 meters away, they could discover this large oil field that would no longer be considered an oil-poor country.

100 meters is China's luck, but it is the misfortune of the Japanese. They have no source of oil. Once the United States cuts off oil exports, whether it is aircraft carriers, aircraft, or tanks, they will all turn into smokeless iron lumps.

At that time, if the American father tells them to kneel down, they will not dare to lie down. Anyone with a normal mind will not be willing to accept this result.

Therefore, they can only fight hard, even if they know that the outcome is more than 90% likely to be irreversible.

Even when the US government announced the establishment of the Far East Army Command in the Philippines, Tang Dao could feel the resentment of the Japanese rising into the sky on that small island in the East China Sea.

Bullying, really bullying, they didn't even think about it, but these big noses were already aiming their guns at them.

The 100 F4F-3 Army Wildcat fighter jets are all in stock and can be shipped to Asan Country at any time as soon as the order is approved.

Originally, Tang Dao proposed not to ship the goods temporarily, but to modify 100 fighter aircraft according to the modification plan he formulated, especially the aircraft engines, which need to be replaced with 1,700-horsepower 14-cylinder air-cooled Wright R2600 engines, which can obtain stronger thrust and speed.

At the same time, the cockpit can also be re-armored according to Tang Dao's idea.

But the reply from Grumman engineers is that if all 100 fighters are modified as required, the delivery time will be extended to the end of the year. It's not that they don't want to earn the modification fee of up to 2 million U.S. dollars, but this

The plan is not cost-effective.

Because there are smart people in Grumman, and they actually saw the shadow of the XF6F-1 that the company is testing in the modification plan submitted by the Chinese.

This test aircraft has not yet flown, mainly because the Navy has not yet determined the aircraft model to be selected. However, if the Chinese customer places a large enough order, they can invest in building a production line for this fighter now.

When the news came, Tang Dao was overjoyed.

The XF6F-1 is not well-known, but its mass-produced aircraft was the famous ‘Hellcat’ F6F two years later. The Big Brother-class Hellcat carrier-based aircraft that gradually replaced the Wildcat fighter was a nightmare for the Zero fighter.

The deputy general manager of Grumman, who was an engineer, completely understood Tang Dao's intentions. Eighty percent of Tang Dao's modification plan actually came from the Hellcat fighter jet.

The reason why Tang Dao chose this fighter is very simple. The F6F can be said to be an air superiority weapon developed entirely for the Zero fighter.

The wing load of typical fighter aircraft in World War II was between 150 and 220 kg/m2, of which the Zero only had 5 kg/m2. The Zero engine was not powerful, but the fuselage was light, the wing load was low, and the maneuverability was very high.

good.

The Americans also introduced this concept in the design of the F6F. Its wing area reaches 31 square meters. The increase in the wing area will inevitably increase the drag, so Grumman installed a high-power engine for the F6F.

At the same time, the F6F's engine has a large residual power, and the energy loss is small after violent maneuvers. Although the Zero fighter has extremely low wing load, the engine horsepower is too small, which limits the further performance.

Compared with the Zero, the F6F has advantages in speed, firepower, and vertical maneuverability, but disadvantages in endurance and circling performance. The Zero's advantage lies in small-radius turning and circling. The Zero often uses a small-radius bucket to escape after being rear-ended by an F6F.

, and sometimes it can bite back the F6F.

Below 3,000 meters, the Zero has a slight advantage, but above 5,000 meters, the Zero's movements become stiff and it will become a living target for the F6F.

This can only be called an equal match at best, but it cannot be called a defeat of the Zero fighter that is about to make its debut.

American naval pilots all call the F6F fighter "aluminum tank". When its six 7mm Browning M-2 machine guns launched a stormy attack, no Japanese aircraft could escape the fate of being destroyed. After the war, Japanese pilots talked about

When it comes to their wartime fear and despair, the "Hellcat" is always mentioned.

On the other hand, the F6F's own cockpit armor and self-sealing fuel tanks enable it to withstand firing from Zero 7mm machine gun projectiles, withstand serious attacks and still bring the pilot back to the aircraft carrier.

A common refrain among U.S. Navy pilots is "It's a porous aircraft" and "More air passes through the holes than around the aircraft." There was once an F6F that burned hundreds of miles before landing on an aircraft carrier.

David McCampbell, the first ace pilot of the U.S. Navy, once saw that a "Hellcat" with the pistons and linkages in the engine flying everywhere was still able to fly back to the aircraft carrier. Therefore, Grumman is often called "Grumman Steel"

factory".

Although it does not have a crushing effect, for the Chinese Air Force, which is currently only equipped with I-15, I-16 and Hawker III, it is a good idea to turn a bicycle into a motorcycle.

"We need 1,000 fighters of this model!" The order placed by Tang Dao was close to making people crazy, even though Grumman offered a sky-high price of US$60,000 for a fighter jet and its accessories.

However, Tang Dao did not pay cash for this order, but a credit note issued by Rockefeller's parent company in Ohio. If the Chinese company in the United States was unable to pay this huge amount of money, Rockefeller would make up the shortfall.

That was 60 million, until Stilwell, who was on the inside, looked at Tang Dao and Laura with obviously different eyes.

I'm afraid this is far beyond what a confidante can bear. Maybe this foreign man and woman already have one affair, no, maybe many.

American old men are really wretched. Perhaps only young foreign girls and the top executives of Rockefeller Company know Tang Dao’s current net worth.

It's not like Tang Dao can't afford the money at first. The Chinese company authorized by Tang Dao has invested tens of millions in a large number of new companies in the United States in the past two years, and has made huge profits in the capital market. As long as it sells stocks

, 60 million will be given to you every minute.

Penicillin, a cash cow, has an even more terrifying ability to attract money. In less than two years, Tang Dao, who has a 40% share right, received 200 million in cash. For ordinary people, 60 million U.S. dollars is astronomical.

It's a number, but to Tang, who will continue to divide money, it's just a number.

Endorsing Tang Dao is just a smooth favor for the little foreign girl and Rockefeller's parent company, and it is not to the point where Tang Tuanzuo sells his body.

However, Stilwell, who did not know the inside story, was overthinking it, but this undoubtedly made future cooperation between the two parties smoother.

The future heir of the Rockefeller family can almost influence the votes of a state, and even the president will treat him with extra courtesy.

The United States got it done, and the Chinese side responded very positively, especially when Stilwell and the American ambassador personally went to that man's official residence and told them that the American government was about to establish the Far East Army Command in the Philippines and that a Chinese company would donate 100 yuan to China.

After setting up Wildcat fighter jets and 200 40mm anti-aircraft guns, the man was said to have burst into tears on the spot.

It has to be said that the man who has all the talents as a politician, after impressing two ambassador-level officials in the United States, immediately and resolutely promoted the "Chunlei Aircraft Manufacturing Factory" and two large-scale war preparations in the two major agencies of the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Military Affairs.

Airport jobs.

The joint-stock plan for the aircraft manufacturer went through six drafts. The Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Military Affairs originally did not agree to let a trading company in the United States hold 30% of the shares, even if the other party was Chinese and invested US$30 million.

.

They even preferred to let Rockefeller Company take the controlling stake, which Laura, who was relatively familiar with Chinese culture, couldn't understand.

Perhaps only Tang Dao understands the thoughts of those people. They are always guarding against their own people. Because only the Chinese can take away the power that once belonged to them. Anything that is not under their control is an unstable factor.

However, the assistance of 100 fighter planes and 200 anti-aircraft guns shattered all obstacles!

Rockefeller Company also helped a lot, introducing new shareholders, the famous Grayman Company, to participate in 10% of the shares, and will send 50 engineers and 300 skilled workers to China. The first 'Hellcat' production line is not in the United States, but

It will be born in China and will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 100 aircraft in one year.

Under such favorable conditions, Tang Dao, who had ordered his attendants to personally supervise the process, completed all the procedures in just one day, and proposed the idea, and even got the privilege of selecting a site for the aircraft manufacturing plant.

Why is there any hesitation? Tang Dao chose his hometown almost without thinking.

It is a mountainous area and is easy to hide. A large aircraft manufacturing factory is located there. Although it will take up some land, the immigration of a large number of people, especially those Westerners with sufficient spending power, will definitely bring benefits to local farmers.

Bring new revenue.

Of course, what's more important is that Tang Dao knows that behind this privilege is actually a test.

Only by locating the aircraft manufacturing plant there can at least one regular infantry regiment of guards be stationed in the county. While responsible for protecting the security of the county, it may also mean using someone's family members as hostages.

It is true that the Four Elements Regiment under Tang's command is too strong, and even has heavy artillery, and Tang is a typical thorn in the side. If he can disobey military orders twice, there will naturally be a third time. If that person doesn't take

How can I sleep peacefully with Tang Tuan Zuo’s pigtails?

Tang Dao believed that even if he pretended not to know and randomly chose a mountain valley in Sichuan Province, the aircraft manufacturing factory would eventually be located in his hometown. In this case, he would just stay alone.

Tang Dao's choice really satisfied the man, and the Ministry of Military Affairs granted Tang Dao a 10-day family leave, allowing him to go home to visit his parents and choose a location for the manufacturing plant in his hometown.

The two backup airports were purely an unexpected blessing. As the chief of staff of the U.S. Army's Far East Command, Stilwell also took precautions.

If one day the United States declares war on Japan, China will definitely become an ally, and then material transportation and the parking of large bombers will become inevitable. However, China's current small airports cannot accommodate large aircraft taking off and landing.

If we wait until the war starts, the day lilies will be cold, so we might as well start building now.

The proposal to build two large airports in Sichuan Province with money from the U.S. Army and manpower from China was naturally a dream come true.

This means more than just having two airports, it also means that the United States’ embrace is getting tighter and tighter.

However, Stilwell made a request to that person: the U.S. military has the highest management authority from construction to completion and use, and neither airport should be affiliated with the Chinese military.

This kind of almost unreasonable request is intolerable for any sovereign country, but that man, who is worthy of being a politician, agreed after a brief thought. He only asked that after the victory of the war, the US military needs to hand over these two airports to

China.

"Dear Tang, I don't understand why you sacrificed the interests of your country. This is not like how I know you." Stilwell was actually quite puzzled after Tang Dao solemnly made this request to him.

"General Stilwell, although you have stayed in my motherland for several years, you still don't have enough understanding of our officials. In the face of the devil of money, they will choose to forget their humanity." Tang Dao sighed.

Building an airport is a big project for any era, but for China now, building an airport is even more difficult. The manpower invested is not tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands.

Historical records show that in early 1939, the Lingchuan Provincial Government expanded Xinjin Airport for the first time and recruited more than 100,000 migrant workers from 16 counties including Xinjin, Guanxian, Wenjiang, Pixian, Xinfan, Qionglai, Pujiang, and Shuangliu.

3,292 acres of private land were used to build runways and hangars.

Due to the huge project, the airport runway needs to be paved with cobblestones. After digging and transporting the area within a hundred miles of the west bank of the Minjiang River, it was still not enough. They then dug to the other side and used manual shoulder trucks to push it. At the farthest point, migrant workers set out on the first morning,

It takes only a day to carry a load back. A large number of stones still need to be crushed, and the migrant workers work day and night, preparing for the hardships.

By 1943, Xinjin Airport was expanded. The expanded Xinjin Airport required an area of ​​9,035 acres. The main runway was 2,600 meters long, 60 meters wide, and the reinforced concrete foundation was 1 meter thick. It was necessary to expand one main runway, two auxiliary runways, and three large runways.

With oil depots, two radio stations, six ammunition depots, a large hangar for 35 B-29s, more than ten stealth hangars, a machinery factory, two power plants, and six guest houses, the Xinjin Airport covers an area of ​​10,000 square meters.

mu.

Due to the vastness of the project and the tight time limit, the national government required that "all projects in Sichuan Province should start construction in mid-January of the 33rd year (1944), Xinjin and Qionglai should be completed by the end of March of the same year, and the rest should be completed by the end of April of the same year."

According to historical records, a total of more than 300,000 migrant workers from 29 counties were actually recruited this time. During the implementation of the project, some migrant workers were dismissed due to injuries and illnesses, and more were added one after another. According to previous statistics, a total of 500,000 migrant workers were recruited.

Hundreds of thousands of Sichuan migrant workers built the airport, relying only on primitive tools, carrying them on their shoulders and pulling them by hand, sweating and sweating. What an arduous and magnificent scene it was!

That is also a great project made of flesh and blood.

"Qingcheng Mountain Taiping Township Chronicles" records: "Taiping Township dispatched more than 400 migrant workers to build Xinjin and Pengshan Airport, and 50 people died due to work-related illnesses."

"Daguan Township Chronicles" records: "In the 32nd year of the Republic of China, about 800 migrant workers from Daguan Township went to Xinjin and Pengshan to build the airport, and they went to work in two rounds. The first round of Xinjin Airport expansion. Daoguan, the two rivers together took on an airport circle

On the first day of the project, one person was dug to death while digging turf. Later, they fought with other villagers for the iron roller and worked late at night to press the ground, killing three people. The migrant workers lived a very hard life, with little food, no warmth, and living in grass.

Shed, there is no medicine to treat illness, and people will be buried by themselves after death."

"So, I need your army to obtain management rights. At that time, our company personnel will assist in personnel management, materials, salary payment and other tasks to reduce the losses of our migrant workers. They are all the strength of our country's war of resistance." Tang Dao said seriously.

"Dear Tang, I take back what I just said. You are the most special Chinese I have ever met. If our country is really involved in the war, I hope to have a friend like you." Stilwell sincerely said to him.

Tang Dao stretched out his hand.

This is the first time that Stilwell has taken the initiative to shake hands with Tang Dao in the past 20 days since the two met. It is not because of Tang Dao's accurate analysis of the battle situation, nor because of Tang Dao's huge wealth that can be mobilized, but because of Tang Dao's influence on ordinary people.

care of fate.

No matter the East or the West, only kindness can understand kindness!


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