A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

The Ministry of Military Affairs strongly supported the report on the reorganization and supplementation of the Training Corps, and Gui Shuaizhen, Song Hongfei, and Zhang Yi were in a good mood.

After leaving the solemn and dignified gate of the Ministry of Military Affairs on Zhongshan North Road, the three of them went together to visit Director Yu at the Ordnance Department located in Yangjiangjun Lane.

In previous major matters concerning new weapons and artillery assembly, the Training Corps and the Ordnance Bureau had dealt with each other quite a bit. The gates of the Ordnance Bureau were very familiar to the three of them, and the guards, secretaries and many staff members knew them.

Before long, a secretary led several people to Director Yu's office.

Yu Dawei was sitting behind his desk, intently reviewing documents. When he saw them come in, a smile immediately appeared on his face, and he got up to greet them.

Both sides exchanged salutes.

"It's been a long time since you've all been here! Come, sit here," Yu Dawei said with a hearty laugh, extending his hands warmly.

Yu Dawei's office was decorated in a very simple, elegant yet dignified manner. A huge blackboard was hanging on one wall next to the reception sofa, where Song Hongfei and Yu Dawei often did calculations and drew diagrams, meticulously deducing the scenarios again and again.

They were already quite familiar with each other and with Yu Dawei, the director of the Ordnance Department, and the atmosphere of their conversation was extremely harmonious.

Yu Dawei got straight to the point: "Early before the war, the Ordnance Department had prepared to copy the Brandt 60mm mortar, but the war broke out and it was forced to stop. The Japanese also put pressure on various countries to prevent them from importing weapons into us, so it took a lot of effort to buy this batch of 60mm mortars."

"The cargo was first transported by foreign cargo ships to Haiphong port in Vietnam, and then transported back to China via the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, going through many twists and turns. Of the 120 original cargo boxes, 108 are for you; other units don't have any."

Gui Shuaizhen said respectfully, "Director Yu's timely assistance is truly appreciated by all the officers and soldiers of the Training Corps."

"Commander-in-Chief Gui, you flatter me. We each have our own responsibilities, and we are all doing our part to defend the country against foreign aggression," Yu Dawei said with a smile, waving his hand. "The Military Commission and the Ministry of Military Affairs are very concerned about the effectiveness of these 60mm mortars in the Training Corps."

"Our army fought a bloody battle in Shanghai, and a large number of industrial equipment and materials were able to be transferred to the rear. However, the plan to imitate domestic products was delayed again." Yu Dawei said helplessly, his face full of regret.

Gui Shuaizhen said, "Today, Brigade Commander Song, who is in charge of equipment and combat training, and Battalion Commander Zhang of the Sergeant Battalion have come here specifically to give a detailed report on the situation of this mission."

Yu Dawei nodded and said, "You two are acquaintances, so please speak."

Song Hongfei said, "Due to insufficient personnel and training, we have concentrated the 60mm mortars into the battalion's artillery platoon and expanded them into companies to facilitate unified management, training, and logistical support. This is also a solution under the current conditions. In wartime, we will further strengthen them into companies. Judging from the current pilot program in the sergeant battalion, the results are very good. The firepower at the company level can effectively counter the Japanese grenade launchers."

"Very good. You have found a way under limited conditions." Yu Dawei smiled with satisfaction and nodded. "Continue to explore new tactics along this route. Once the conditions are right, you can promote them throughout the army."

“However, given the current state of the arms industry, we are stretched thin everywhere, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and it is unrealistic to equip a large number of 60mm mortars.” Yu Dawei frowned and said with some helplessness, “As a last resort, we have turned to urgently copying the Japanese grenade launcher. The manufacturing process is relatively simple, so it is easier to mass-produce it.”

Song Hongfei turned to Zhang Yi and said, "Tell me about the use of grenade launchers in frontline infantry units."

“Yes,” Zhang Yi said. “Judging from the equipment testing in the sergeant battalion, the grenade launcher lacks aiming devices and stabilizing supports. It is a probabilistic shooting method that relies heavily on the experience and intuition of veteran soldiers. Moreover, the hit rate is extremely unstable. With one soldier and one launcher, sometimes five or six shots might be close to a hit, but more often than not, one out of ten or twenty shots might hit.”

Zhang Yi paused for a moment, then said, "Therefore, we need to refer to the tactics of the Japanese grenade launcher, form small teams, with a technical backbone in charge of observation, ranging and command, and carry out concentrated fire to try our best to ensure a hit."

Song Hongfei picked up the thread and continued, "The most critical issue is that training a grenade launcher requires a large amount of grenades for daily training, but obviously our army does not have such a sufficient supply of ammunition. In terms of actual equipment effectiveness, we are far from being able to compare with the Japanese army."

"In contrast, the 60mm mortar not only has aiming devices and a stable support, but also requires relatively less training for the gunner, and the training cost is far less than that of a grenade launcher. Under the same level of training, a qualified gunner can basically guarantee a hit with three shots using the pincer attack method, and the lethality is much greater than that of a grenade launcher."

Yu Dawei listened quietly, seemingly lost in thought.

After pondering for a long time, he said softly, "During the industrial transfer, production capacity has always been limited. Ammunition supply must first ensure the needs of combat, and training conditions cannot be met for the time being. Let's prepare for both possibilities. Although it is only a temporary measure, it is a helpless move when there is no better way."

"Yes." Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi also understood the current situation.

Song Hongfei continued, "As seen in the actual battle of Shanghai, the artillery firepower at the regimental level or above was greatly limited due to the backwardness of our army's horse administration and the loss of air superiority. Although the German-made 75mm infantry gun, PAK 37mm anti-tank gun, and 20mm autocannon were excellent in performance, they were still too heavy, difficult to deploy and move, and easily suppressed by enemy fire."

He added, “In many cases, the only artillery support our army can rely on is the 82mm mortar, which has strong concealment and mobility. Although mortars also have their own advantages, they ultimately cannot achieve the suppression and destruction effect of artillery.”

This is a major pain point for our artillery, and we all know it deeply.

Gui Shuaizhen said, "Yes, the mules and horses of the Bofors Artillery Battalion of the General Corps have a small carrying capacity. After a continuous march and battle in the Battle of Shanghai, the mules and horses were overburdened and forced to work too hard, resulting in a large number of deaths and injuries from exhaustion. Their service life was greatly shortened, which seriously affected mobility and combat."

Yu Dawei sighed helplessly, "This is the reality our army faces: we have neither mechanization nor horse-drawn transport."

Song Hongfei continued to elaborate on his point of view: "From the perspective of artillery in front-line infantry units, it should have extremely strong mobility and convenience. When necessary, it can abandon mules and horses and carry them by manpower for short-distance transport. Lightweight and easily disassembled and transported weapons and equipment such as the Schneider M1928 75mm infantry gun and the Berlusconi 47mm anti-tank gun are undoubtedly the most suitable for the current situation of our army."

Yu Dawei glanced at Song Hongfei, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "So, what kind of difficult problem are you going to throw at me this time?"

Gui Shuaizhen exchanged a glance with Song Hongfei and continued, "Since the expansion of the brigade, the newly formed infantry regiments have suffered from a severe shortage of technical equipment, especially the infantry guns, 82mm mortars, and anti-tank guns that should be equipped according to the established system. The number of these needs to be effectively increased."

After a brief pause, Gui Shuaizhen continued, "Therefore, we suggest that if we can prioritize the use of Schneider light mountain guns, Berlusconi anti-tank guns, and 82mm mortars as standard artillery for front-line troops, this would be a more effective option under the current circumstances."

Yu Dawei noted them down in his notebook, nodded slightly, and said, “I support your requests and suggestions in principle, but there are many things that the Ordnance Department cannot decide at this level. French mountain guns are good, but they are also expensive, and they only accept cash payments and do not accept barter, which is a big headache for the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Military Commission.”

"The Ministry of Military Affairs and the high-level organs of the Central Military Commission also want you to make more trips. You are a model unit that is given priority in equipment pilot projects, and you need to explore new approaches and new tactics. Most importantly, the high-level authorities need to see tangible results so that our Ordnance Department can have a clear direction."

Everyone understood, and they all knew that this was a difficult process.