kingnovel Chapter 662 Where did all these B-17s come from in Southeast Asia?
Chapter 662 Where did all these B-17s come from in Southeast Asia?
A deep, continuous rumble came from afar, rolling across the sky like thunder, instantly silencing all the noise in the camp.
The sound was deep and powerful, with a metallic quality, unlike the sharp hiss of fighter jets they were familiar with, or the relatively monotonous hum of transport planes.
Tom froze as he poured the coffee, and looked up in confusion.
The card game inside the tent also came to an abrupt halt, and everyone pricked up their ears.
"what sound?"
"I don't know, it sounds like... a lot of big guys..."
Tom put down the coffee pot, subconsciously lifted the tent flap, walked out to the open space, shaded his eyes with his hand, and squinted at the azure sky.
The next second, he seemed to be frozen in place, his mouth involuntarily opening wide enough to fit an egg.
“God…” he muttered to himself, then turned sharply and shouted hoarsely toward the tent, “Kent, Big Joe, come out here and see if I’m seeing things?!”
The people inside the tent were startled by his shout and rushed out, dropping their cards.
When they looked up at the sky in the direction Tom was pointing, their reactions were exactly the same.
Staring in disbelief, his face was filled with disbelief.
Overhead, a massive formation of bombers was circling, adjusting their approach and preparing to land in sequence.
Its long fuselage, iconic high-mounted monoplane, massive twin vertical stabilizers, and four powerful engines beneath the wings...
Every White Eagle soldier recognizes it; it's their proud B-17 Skyfortress!
However, the paint scheme of these B-17s is quite different from what they are familiar with.
The familiar White Eagle Army Air Force star insignia was no longer visible on the fuselage; instead, a striking Nanyang Golden Dragon emblem was displayed.
A golden dragon pattern coils within the dark blue circular emblem, gleaming in the sunlight.
The fuselage number was also the standard number used by the Nanyang Air Force.
“1、2、3、4、5……” 大个乔下意识地伸出手指，笨拙地数着天空中那些盘旋的钢铁巨鸟。
But the planes were constantly moving and intertwining, and he got confused as he counted them.
“Stop counting, Joe.” Tom’s voice trembled as he pointed to the sky, his eyes filled with shock. “My God… there are at least 40, no, maybe more than 50 ‘Flying Fortresses’ in the sky.”
This is roughly the size of three complete bomber squadrons.
Three complete B-17 bomber squadrons are roughly equivalent to a bomber wing.
The 100th Bomber Wing, nicknamed the "Bloody 100," which was previously responsible for carrying out strategic bombing of Hans in Europe, only had this many aircraft in its formation.
What is this concept?
This means that the Nanyang people deployed a massive air force far exceeding that of a standard strategic bomber unit, appearing on the Ryukyu Islands, thousands of kilometers away from their homeland.
"Have the men on Capitol Hill gone mad?" another soldier muttered. "They actually...they actually provided so many large bombers to the people of Southeast Asia?"
How much will this cost?
The transfer of heavy bombers on this scale is completely beyond the scope of ordinary military aid; it's simply incredible.
A huge shadow, accompanied by the deafening roar of engines, slowly swept over their heads.
One after another, B-17s adorned with golden dragon emblems, with unparalleled momentum, aimed at the runway and lowered their landing gear.
The White Eagle soldiers looked up, stunned by the magnificent sight. Their previous leisure and ease had vanished, replaced by a deep shock and a hint of indescribable doubt.
Just how much hidden strength do these people from Southeast Asia possess that we don't know about?
The sun was still blazing, but there seemed to be something else in the air.
------
Soon, news from Ryukyu Island reached the White Eagles.
President Harry Truman put down the intelligence briefing in his hand and unconsciously tapped his knuckles on the smooth tabletop.
He looked up at the key military figures standing in front of his desk: Admiral William Leahy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General George Marshall, Chief of the Army Staff; and an intelligence analyst from the FBI.
"Gentlemen," Truman's voice carried his distinctive Missouri nasal tone, but at this moment it was more of a bewilderment, "can anyone explain to me why our ally, the United States of the South Seas, was able to assemble more than a hundred B-17 'Flying Fortresses' on the Ryukyu Islands in such a short time?"
He pushed the briefing forward; the numbers marked in bold were alarming.
It has been confirmed that Nanyang has deployed B-17 bombers at its air force base in Okinawa, with the number estimated to be between 100 and 120.
General Marshall stepped forward, his usually composed face now showing solemnity and a hint of helplessness.
“Mr. President,” he began, “we have conducted an urgent internal investigation into this batch of bombers.”
"Based on all official records and aid lists, I can assure you that since the start of the war, the total number of B-17 bombers we have transferred to Southeast Asia in accordance with the Lend-Lease Act and subsequent military aid agreements is only 32."
Primarily used to support their bombing of Japanese oil field facilities in Southeast Asia.
He paused, then spoke with unusual certainty:
"As for the nearly one hundred extra B-17s... we have no clue about their origin. They seem to have appeared out of thin air and have already been painted and adapted."
Marshall added a point, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, as if to dispel any potential speculation:
"I can vouch for my integrity and rank that the movement of these aircraft has absolutely nothing to do with any of General Joseph Stevenson’s previous arrangements in the Southeast Asia theater."
The numerical disparity is far too great; it completely exceeds the scope of any temporary authorization in any theater of operations.
It was not official aid, nor was it related to Stevenson, who was familiar with Southeast Asian affairs.
Where did these massive strategic bombers come from?
At this moment, the FBI intelligence officer who had been silent opened his briefcase and took out a document and a stack of photos.
The photos show several pages from local Southeast Asian newspapers, written in illegible Chinese characters, accompanied by black and white photographs.
“Commander-in-Chief, Generals,” the intelligence officer’s voice was calm and professional. “We may need to reassess the industrial and technological capabilities of Southeast Asia. Our intelligence personnel stationed there have recently noticed an unusual local news report.”
He placed a translated document on Truman's table and pointed to one of the photographs.
The photo is somewhat blurry, but it can be seen that it is in a muddy valley, with a strangely shaped aircraft hovering in mid-air, and a small bulldozer or generator-like heavy equipment suspended below it by steel cables.