Chapter 257: Chapter 335 The Winter War (4)
At a Finnish field airbase near the Finnish-Soviet border.
Three sleek, aerodynamically shaped fighter planes were parked on the runway. This single-wing design with a swept-back leading edge, symmetrical triangular tail fin mounted at the rear end of the fuselage, and retractable tricycle landing gear could be considered quite aesthetically pleasing. In the adjacent parking area, there were seven more of the same fighter planes.
Inside one of the cockpits, Frank was concentrating on a small booklet in his hands. However, he wasn't reading a combat manual; instead, it was a novel.
The reason for reading a book in the cramped cockpit was that the situation near the Soviet-Finnish border had become increasingly tense. With the Soviet forces continuously assembling near the border, it was not difficult for ordinary people to imagine that combat could break out at any moment.
As a result, people like them had to be on combat alert duty every day.
Combat alert duty was divided into different levels. Pilots stayed in the waiting room, which was one scenario. Sitting in the cockpit was another. Currently, the situation was even more extreme; most of the pilots were sitting in the cockpit waiting, and at the same time, planes took turns taking off to patrol along the Finnish border. Of course, these patrols were carried out by the old Finnish fighter planes, meant to confuse the Soviet forces.
When Frank was halfway through his book, suddenly a sharp combat alert siren sounded over the airbase. The radar brought by Germany detected a group of aircraft taking off from Soviet territory.
"These damn Russians have finally come!" Frank startled, quickly stuffed his book under his buttocks, and watched the ground crew below starting the engine for him. The 1180-horsepower Klimov M-105PF piston engine roared to life, a plume of black smoke forcefully spewing from the exhaust pipes. After a few seconds, the engine noise became steady as the aircraft's propellers began to spin.
After confirming that all instruments and equipment were working properly, Frank pressed the communicator. "Tower, Tower, Black Hawk 1 ready for takeoff, requesting permission." He spoke in German, and the tower's response was in more standard German. "You are clear to take off, good luck."
"Although it's not as good as the Bf 109F, I'm really looking forward to using a Russkie's plane to fight against the Russkies," Frank muttered under his breath. Releasing the brakes, the aircraft slowly taxied forward, gradually picking up speed. The two front wheels lifted off the runway, and the entire plane soared into the sky, heading towards the clouds.
The reason he said "using a Russkie's plane" was that all the instrument panels in the aircraft were in authentic Russian, even the engine batch number printed on it was in Russian, and the most exaggerated part was the bright red five-pointed star imprinted on the fuselage.
As for where these brand-new Soviet planes came from, no one knew. Although the Finns claimed that these "Soviet planes" were aid from an international friend, he wasn't foolish enough to believe that these planes came directly from within the Soviet Union.
But he wasn't interested in the political dealings between nations. As a pilot, he loved flying and hoped to showcase his talents in the blood and fire of combat.
This "Soviet plane" was actually from Germany, produced by Wilhelm's private secret factory. It was an improved version of the first fighter designed by the Lavochkin Design Bureau, the LaGG-3, derived from the LaGG-1 which was never mass-produced by the Soviet Union.
Speaking of the LaGG-1, it could be considered one of the excellent fighters in the early 1940s. The aircraft had a maximum speed of 600 km/h and was equipped with a 20mm cannon and two 12.7mm machine guns. Unfortunately, it was not ideal in terms of maneuverability and climb rate after being in service, so it was modified into an improved version.
The LaGG-3 fighter, derived from the LaGG-1, had become one of the main front-line aircraft for the Soviet Union during the Winter Counteroffensive of 1942.
As one of the more modern fighters that the former Soviet Union possessed during the German invasion, the LaGG-3 was known for its sturdy and reliable performance. However, it was outperformed in engine performance and maneuverability by the Bf 109F/G and Fw 190A equipped by the German forces, both of which had dealt heavy blows to the LaGG-3. Due to wartime shortages of materials, the entire aircraft was constructed using wood, and the skin was made of a new type of laminated plywood, but it was still processed to be quite smooth on the outside.
As for what the Soviets would think upon seeing these planes, Wilhelm wasn't concerned. Even if these planes were shot down and obtained by the Soviets, what could they do? There wasn't a single Germanic letter on them; everything was in Russian. The pilots were all foreigners, without a single purebred Aryan face. Stalin might even execute another batch of innocent people, including the aircraft designers – a scenario Wilhelm would welcome.
One after another, the LaGG-3 fighters took off.
When all ten fighters were airborne and formed into a formation heading towards the border, a voice came over the headphones from the tower. "Attention, a Soviet bomber cluster will arrive in Zone 5 in twenty minutes. The quantity exceeds 80 aircraft." If there was any difference between these LaGG-3 planes and Soviet ones, it was the radio. During World War II, the Soviets began mass equipping fighters and bombers with radios in the latter half of 1943, so at this time, it was impossible for each plane to have a radio.
But, of course, Wilhelm wouldn't leave any evidence of German involvement; all components were from British and American production, with nothing German-made.
If reconnaissance planes were involved, it would be understandable, but now a group of bombers was deployed – a sign that war was imminent!!
Their fighter planes would arrive in Zone 5 ten minutes ahead of the Soviets, enough to catch them off guard.
The Soviets weren't fools; seeing the power of Germany's blitzkrieg in Poland, they gathered a large number of bombers, intending to quickly bomb Finland's vital facilities.
Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that Wilhelm not only secretly supported various types of fighter planes but also openly provided three radar systems. Although not the latest models, they had a detection range of up to 100 kilometers.
However, the Finnish-Soviet border was not short, and the Finnish Air Force's old-fashioned fighters were not very useful. Therefore, the supported fighter planes were scattered in various locations.
A few minutes after reaching Zone 5, Frank saw a group of nearly a hundred SB-2 bombers flying steadily along the route from the opposite direction.
No fighter escort!
Frank couldn't help but shake his head. He didn't know what these Soviets were thinking. Did they stupidly believe that the Finnish Air Force wouldn't dare to intercept them? They dispatched bombers alone without ensuring air superiority, truly courting disaster. "SB-2 bombers, their defensive armament consists of four 7.62mm machine guns."
Simply rubbish!
"It's hunting time!!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone