Bright Sword: Follow Kong's fun and build the strongest military industry

Kong Hao now has a very important task. He has to lead some college students who are studying mechanical engineering to use the existing technology in the arsenal to develop a coal-fired steam engine.

Moreover, the technology of this steam engine does not need to be too advanced, the level of a hundred years ago will be enough.

It is really ridiculous. It is already 1940, and industrial powers have already started to use electrical equipment, but the Eighth Route Army has not even entered the steam age.

"If you fall behind you will be beaten." Kong Hao understood this truth better than anyone else, and he was more eager than anyone else to make the Eighth Route Army realize industrialization as soon as possible.

But there are too many debts in the past. To put it bluntly, in such a huge country like China, all the machinery and equipment are imported from abroad, and there is not even a factory that manufactures machines.

To be honest, even if it is a steam engine from a hundred years ago, it cannot be produced with China's current industrial capabilities.

What Kong Hao needs to do now is to make up for the lessons he has missed.

Both Shanxi and Shaanxi are rich in coal, so using steam engines as power has great potential, especially in northern Shaanxi, a large rear area where the Japanese could not penetrate at all.

Using steam engines as power made it possible to initially realize large-scale machine production, unlike before when everything had to be done manually.

There were still some talented people in the arsenal. Using the steam locomotives dismantled from the Japanese railway station, they drew detailed drawings of the steam engines and pieced together several steam engines, trying to send them to northern Shaanxi for use in the factories there.

Kong Hao promoted a mechanical PhD who had returned from studying abroad to serve as the director of the Power Research Institute, specializing in the research of mechanical power.

The most important task of the Power Research Institute was to develop small steam engines suitable for use in the Eighth Route Army bases based on the existing conditions of the arsenal, the more the better.

Of course, Kong Hao doesn't need to do this kind of thing himself. He just needs to propose a general direction and then step forward to solve the problem when it arises.

Ding Wei said with emotion: "I have fought in wars for so many years, but this is the first time I have seen how weapons are produced. It is really worth the trip."

"By the way, Captain Kong, the Mauser pistol produced by our arsenal looks like the Spanish seven-pin box gun, which is also a good gun."

After hearing this, Kong Hao gave Ding Wei a thumbs up and praised him:

"Captain Ding is indeed a man who knows guns. He can tell the origin of this Mauser pistol at a glance."

"Our production line produces side-opening Mauser pistols. I personally think that this type of pistol is most suitable for our Eighth Route Army because it is very easy to maintain. Even if there is a malfunction, it can be corrected in a short time."

"German speed machines are indeed very advanced, but their parts are too complicated to manufacture. With the quality of our current workers, it is difficult to make qualified parts."

While they were talking, the production line had already been equipped with two Mauser pistols. Kong Hao had them brought over and handed them to Li Yunlong and Ding Wei for inspection.

Li Yunlong picked up the pistol, carefully checked each part, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Xiao Kong, I have to say, this is the first time I've ever gotten a hot Spanish seven-nail box gun."

"This type of Mauser pistol is very easy to maintain. Most of our troops are farmers. After they put down their hoes, they will follow our troops to fight the Japanese."

"Although that German-made mirror box is powerful and has strong firepower, it is also like a boss. If you don't serve it well, it will give up."

"By the way, what is the production capacity of this seven-nail box gun?"

"Now we produce about 30 pieces a day. As you can see, the assembly process is relatively easy. The main bottleneck is the mechanical processing process ahead. However, the arsenal is already arranging for a breakthrough."

"Once we overcome the most time-consuming and difficult process, our output will soar."

"Plus, we use a three-shift work mode, so it is no problem to produce 2,000 pieces a month."

"Besides, we now have a production line, and we can imitate it when there is an opportunity in the future. Then there will be no shortage of guns and ammunition."

Ding Wei agreed with the last sentence very much, but that only fell into the category of big pie. What he wanted was the benefits he could get now.

So, he turned his gaze towards Li Yunlong and shouted in resentment:

"Old Li!"

To be honest, he and Kong Hao were not close friends, so he really couldn't do such a shameless thing as asking for equipment.

But when he saw the newly-made seven-nail box gun in his hand, he had already been envious.

Although his New 1st Regiment was quite powerful, all their pistols combined only numbered over 150, which was already very good.

Of course, Li Yunlong’s independent regiment cannot be compared with other troops. After all, the only special operations team of the Eighth Route Army was in their regiment.

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, these two guys, had seized countless goodies with Kong Hao in the previous battles.

According to rumors, the independent regiment could reorganize two main regiments just with the weapons and ammunition it handed over to the brigade headquarters.

Now that we have arrived at the headquarters arsenal, facing the Mauser pistols that are constantly being produced, if we don’t take some back, then our trip would be in vain.

If they rely solely on distribution from headquarters, they won’t know when it will be their turn.

Li Yunlong also wanted weapons and ammunition, so he quickly said:

"Xiao Kong, do you have any extra weapons? Give us some support."

"By the way, a few days ago, Lao Ding and I went to the brigade headquarters for a meeting. The brigade commander distributed fifty new Ma Sihuan rifles to each of the two regiments of Cheng Xiazi and Lao Xu. In addition, Lao Zhang of the 55th regiment and Lao Wang of the 56th regiment were each given more than a dozen."

"My independent regiment and Lao Ding's new regiment have no hair left."

"After the meeting, we went to the brigade commander and the political commissar to ask for an explanation. The leaders cannot be so biased."

"But the brigade commander severely criticized us and told us to figure out our own way. If we have the ability, we can drink and eat meat. If we don't have the ability, we shouldn't be jealous of others."

"It wasn't until I got back to the regiment headquarters that I realized that Shen Quan had told me that their Second Battalion had brought back a rifle production line from the train station. I think it should be ready for mass production."

"This Ma Sihuan rifle is a good thing. It is most suitable for veterans with good marksmanship in the army. The independent regiment also got a few of them before. That was when the whole regiment held a competition, and only the most powerful people were qualified to use them."

"We don't want too many this time. Just get us a hundred. Each regiment can get fifty, the same treatment as Blind Cheng."

"Oh, and we need more bullets. At least two hundred rounds for each rifle."

After hearing this, Ding Wei nodded vigorously. It was good that the relationship was in place. His original goal was twenty, and now he had exceeded it.