Canteen System Assistance Notes

"You can set up a small company to be responsible for the sale of this thing, such as Wen

Quxing Company is pretty good...

"Oh, and most importantly, when this product is launched, we must invite Ambassador Hu Shih-chih to the United States. We can just let him host the launch. With him here, we'll have no problem selling this product."

Chapter 324: Agent Work (IV) French Ripple

The Mingkuai typewriter was a complex machine, both mechanically and culturally. It posed a challenge to the rather polarizing issues of the time, such as whether Chinese characters should be Latinized, or even whether they were an advanced form of writing. This sparked celebrations, discussion, and debate. In this regard, featuring Mr. Lin Hele, a Western-style intellectual, and Ambassador Hu, a card-playing enthusiast, saved Liu Helian considerable effort.

He needs to concentrate his efforts with Qian Guangyou, the new general manager of China Resources, to receive the "last ripple" of France.

In the second half of 138, Liu Helian and Xie Zhixiang, artillery instructor of the International Brigade, visited the French artillery company Schneider. Although Schneider in this time and space is more famous for its electrical products, it was a master in the artillery field before World War II, directly giving rise to American artillery and indirectly making significant contributions to the development of Soviet and Japanese artillery.

It’s a pity that France is gone, and these good cannons are of little use.

Having said that, before World War II, it was not a big problem to buy artillery from the French. Their artillery had excellent performance and their ammunition was mostly compatible with American artillery shells, which made it convenient to use the logistics of the Lend-Lease Act in the later period. However, Dalinzi's exam question of "constructing the M30 artillery production line simultaneously with the Soviet Union" made Liu Helian's plan of seeking to purchase 105mm caliber artillery become "promoting the production of 122 howitzers and purchasing some transitional products". It can be said that plans cannot keep up with changes.

"So to some extent, I'm not surprised at all that the Schneider Arms Factory was completely destroyed by the British in 43.

"Fuck you stupid French people."

Looking at the pile of bare 155mm barrels of varying lengths in the port's unloading area, Liu Helian felt like he was going to collapse.

Schneider's gun barrels and gun mounts have universal interface designs, and can be combined with the gun mount and barrel within a certain range according to the customer's choice.

Form artillery that meets the requirements.

This was an advanced design concept, somewhat reminiscent of the later "modular" concept. For example, a large-caliber howitzer barrel could be attached to a medium-caliber cannon carriage to reduce the overall weight of the gun; or a large-caliber howitzer carriage could be adapted to a medium-caliber cannon barrel to increase the gun's range.

According to Liu Helian's idea, when almost all the workers of Schneider's howitzer carriage were overweight, and the entire Schneider headquarters factory was slacking off, the production capacity was low.

The Eighth Route Army is best to obtain the gun barrel by purchasing it and authorizing it.

They obtained a batch of 155mm artillery barrels, and then installed gun barrels on these barrels based on the information they had or the assistance of the Soviet Union, so as to quickly form usable long-range artillery firepower.

Considering that such a long-range, large-caliber six-inch gun is generally not very light, its domestic use would not be as widespread as the 75mm mountain gun, and it would inevitably be relegated to the artillery units of the columns or even headquarters. The Eighth Route Army could even forgo the pursuit of 15mm barrel production during wartime, relying solely on subsequent orders from the United States and Canada to complete the replacement of the gun barrels, maintain a small number of long-range artillery groups, and organize domestic production after the Anti-Japanese War.

Therefore, based on the domestic situation, the veterans of the Eighth Route Army made the following plan: first, they adopted the Schneider M127 22x 155mm howitzer barrel, and then matched it with the M30 artillery mount after the double-chamber muzzle brake to create a usable artillery piece.

This idea was successfully implemented by the Soviet Union in 1943 in this time and space. Three artillery designers reorganized the barrel of the M10 howitzer and the gun mount of the M30 artillery in one month, creating the durable D-1 howitzer, which later became the domestically produced Type 54 howitzer. To be honest, if the Soviet Union had already successfully developed this howitzer at this time, Liu Helian would not have to go so far to find the French.

Considering that the Schneider M1927 has a shorter barrel, but due to the higher chamber pressure and equipped with sharp bullets, the range can be extended to 15.3 kilometers, the weight of this French D1 artillery will be higher than the original version, reaching about 4 tons, and it will need to be towed by a large truck or tracked chassis.

This was a feasible plan, but among the delivered artillery barrels, Liu Helian discovered, in addition to the expected M1927/22-magnum barrels, M1917 15-magnum barrels and M1029 howitzer barrels with a 30.8-magnum barrel. The combined value of these three barrels was almost equal to the 22-magnum barrels Liu Helian had originally ordered. The most infuriating thing was that, with France's surrender, he didn't even have a chance to go to Schneider headquarters to argue. Oh, maybe he could find Schneider's London branch in London. Sure, he'd definitely go and give them a hard time.

Liu Helian then checked and discovered that Schneider's London branch sold electrical products and didn't expect to receive any artillery. His only luck was that they had duly forwarded him a full set of authorization documents, allowing China Resources to replicate and improve Schneider's 155mm howitzer, and even export it after paying a licensing fee.

哎，15倍的1917大约能直接安在M30炮架上，30.8倍的M1929估计要找一个加榴炮的设计方案了，否则8.1吨的原版着实没法在国内拉起来。要不要拿出6-1式炮架的设计来试试看呢?

Liu Helian suppressed his wandering thoughts and began to focus on the next thing.

Besides the Schneider shipments that had been made before France's collapse, France actually had a batch of arms already overseas ready to be shipped back. In this time and space's history, France had placed a substantial air force order with the United States before World War II, including A-20 (DB7) attack aircraft, SB2U dive bombers, and F4F fighters. These aircraft were essentially ready-made, already manufactured by the manufacturer and awaiting shipment.

In the history of this universe, these aircraft were seized by the British, who were desperately short of aircraft, and deployed to their homeland for air defense operations, engaging the Germans in head-to-head combat over the English Channel. Among these aircraft, the F4F Wildcat was also acquired by the British. The fixed-wing version was called the "Rock Martens Mk. 1," while the folding-wing version originally intended for French aircraft carriers was called the "Rock Martens Mk. 2," totaling 281 of these.

Without choosing the same aircraft as the Nationalist Army and dealing with the Curtiss Corporation, these F4Fs in stock were the most powerful fighters available quickly in the past 40 years. They were a great supplement to the 116s and Hurricanes purchased and received through aid from the Eighth Route Army, helping to replenish depleted aircraft and upgrade them. With the British entering a war mode, acquiring aircraft from the British became increasingly difficult, and the Eighth Route Army's Hurricanes would eventually be depleted and unusable.

As for the Soviet Union, well...it seems that the Soviet Union's good aircraft have not yet been released. The MiG-3, LaGG-3 and other aircraft seem to have not yet made their maiden flight.

After his failure in France, Liu Helian quickly sent China Resources to contact Grumman to discuss the order. The negotiations went relatively smoothly, with one side trying to get the other to give him a pillow. But as expected, the British soon came knocking, leveraging their ally's support to seize over 180 F4Fs. These were shore-based fighters with non-folding wings, which could be quickly deployed to bolster the North African air force.

Because the British themselves did not seem to care much about their own carrier-based aircraft, they did not have a particularly urgent demand for the remaining 100 folding-wing F4F-4s.

Well, if there is no fixed-wing version, a folding-wing version will also be fine. Should this be prepared for the Foch or the Chaffee aircraft carrier? Grumman contacted the Eighth Route Army and reached an agreement with each other to prepare to deliver the remaining F4-4s to the Eighth Route Army.

But at this time, the U.S. Navy showed up again - they pointed out that Nay still has few advanced single-wing metal fighters, and the main fighter is still the biplane F3F! This thing is a serious carrier-based aircraft, and the Navy needs to give priority.

Despite these circumstances, China Resources tried many strategies, but ultimately they were no match for the Imperial Army's superior power. Three of their carrier-based squadrons, totaling 54 aircraft, were ultimately taken away, leaving only 46 for the Eighth Route Army. The remaining aircraft would have to wait for Grumman's production schedule. The only upside was that these export-oriented Wildcats all featured dual-stage pressurization and bulletproof steel plating. The fuel tanks also featured self-sealing rubber inserts and CO3 fire extinguishing components, making them "full-strength" aircraft, rather than "neutered."

Liu Helian finally felt a little powerless.

Although the central government did not set any rigid targets for aircraft purchases, nor did it have any tasks that had to be completed, and adopted a relaxed attitude of "don't be too stressed, whatever you get is fine," it was inevitable that Xiao Liu would set some goals for himself, thinking from the perspective of a time traveler from a later generation.

Even though he did not face too many restrictions and interferences in the subsequent "finishing list" operations of the A20 (DB-7) and SB2U aircraft, he was still a little bit upset.

Forget it. Instead of continuing to be depressed, it's better to think of a way to overcome the current difficulties. 46 Wildcats might be a small number, but it's still a good thing. Liu He patted his face and began to look for a solution to the problem.

If we start preparing for the subsequent models now, considering that the Soviet Union will soon be busy with the Soviet-German War and the British mainland will be under the blockade of the Sea Wolf, our goal is actually very clear: either continue to look for sources in the United States, or find a way to use up our shopping vouchers in the Commonwealth countries, or in Canada.

Considering that the Lend-Lease Act would soon apply to the Eastern Front, the choice was actually quite clear. Liu Helian took out a pen, wrote the two names in his notebook, and then separated them with a line.

Should I choose "Chancewater" or "North American Aviation"?

Chapter 325: Agent Work (V) Cheng Enshu is a "Bad Comrade"

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

This is the second core of the American steel industry, a true pillar of the nation. Located within it, the Bethlehem Steel Plant, with its towering chimneys and roaring machinery, forged guns for the US Navy and supplied armor steel to the US Army. It's reported that throughout World War II, it produced over 7500 million tons of steel, supporting the unparalleled productivity of the "Arsenal of Democracy."

Therefore, if Cheng Enshu knew that this century-old steel company, which was born in the 19th century and spanned World War I, World War II and the Cold War, would leave the market in disgrace after the new millennium,

If the CCP declares bankruptcy, this elite general on the economic front will definitely

I sigh with regret, lamenting that times have changed and the glory of the United States is gone.

Today, he was sitting at the door of a country villa on the outskirts of this steel city, leisurely drinking tea and listening to country music on the radio. Sitting with him, besides Armand Hammer, with whom he had long been acquainted, was a famous American tycoon, Henry Kaiser.

The three of them wore sunglasses and toasted to each other, just like middle-class Americans on vacation.

Of course, there were several documents, a pen and a bottle of ink in front of them - they didn't really come to this place full of coal ash smell to enjoy the sunbathing, but were waiting for a "guest".

——---—―-

The electroslag furnace is a specialized smelting device that uses a remelting current to generate heat, melting a consumable electrode inserted into a slag pool. The molten metal droplets are then washed by the slag solution before crystallizing into electroslag ingots in a water-cooled crystallizer. This process resolves the inherent contradictions between traditional casting and forging processes, significantly reducing the number of steps, rapidly removing impurities, purifying the metal, and producing clean, uniformly structured, and dense steel. It can even replace forging with casting, directly forming complex, high-performance, and special-shaped components in a single step—at a cost of just over 1,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per ton of steel. Consequently, it has been hailed as one of the three major breakthroughs in the steel industry of the 20th century.

In simple terms, with this technology, a steel mill could obtain a large-scale, high-performance steel production capability that was nearly universal in a World War II environment, and rapidly increase the utilization rate of alloy elements, reducing the cost of products such as artillery blanks, load-bearing suspensions, and special steels to an acceptable level.

So, who invented the electric slag furnace?

Historically, American Professor Hopkins proposed the concept in 1935 and completed and patented it in March 1939, which became known as the "Hopkins Process." So when was the world's first practical electric slag furnace built?

Historically, in May 1958, the Dnepol Steel Company in Zaporizhia, Soviet Union, under the guidance of the Patton Welding Institute, built the world's first practical electric slag furnaces.

So, could it be that the United States, then the world's leading industrial power, spent a full nineteen years grasping at a technological innovation that could change the rules of the steel industry, yet it still hasn't made it out of the laboratory? Could it be that the Ordnance Department is once again harming the country and the people?

Wait a minute, don't rush to blame the "Tianzhu Armament Bureau", this matter really can't be blamed on them

That was up to Mr. Hopkins himself.

Before World War II, this Grandet-like technologist proposed the electroslag remelting method and invented the "consumable electrode," a key technology for the electroslag furnace. However, he failed to fully understand the underlying principles of his invention and embarked on a flawed theoretical path. Furthermore, due to his boastful and self-important nature, after building a test furnace with a capacity of just over 100 kilograms, he completely closed his factory, producing only small quantities of specialty steel for research.

This extremely closed-off, miserly approach to scientific research not only prevented Hopkins' invention from being recognized by major American steel giants, but also prevented him from receiving the funding and recognition he deserved. It wasn't until 1958, when the Soviets, inspired by the phenomena of electroslag welding, completely redeveloped the electroslag furnace, that the Americans, astounded by the technical specifications of the Soviets' new steel, began to work diligently.

Even then, Hopkins kept his groundbreaking invention secret. It wasn't until the professor's death and the liquidation of his small company and laboratory that Americans discovered this "eureka" moment within his legacy—hey! A villager shared their knowledge of "electroslag remelting," significantly accelerating our scientific research.

——----—-

"So, you are blackmailing me! Blackmail! Total blackmail!"

An old car stopped next to the villa and a man with messy hair and wearing a gray shirt got out.

He clutched a document in his hand, the same one on the table. It was damp and wrinkled from prolonged handling, but still revealed its owner's emotions. He roared, his emotions boiling. "You frauds, you criminals! Even the greediest coyote can't match even a quarter of your abilities."

"Mr. Hopkins, don't be so angry," Hamer put down the teacup in his hand and gestured, "You can sit down first and talk slowly." "Huh! Jew..." Hopkins glanced at Hamer, pulled over a chair, and sat down with a thud.

"So, Mr. Hopkins, we still respect you - our terms are very generous, and we are even willing to pay you $10 and 1% of the dry stock.

You will be hired as a technical consultant for the smelter with a high salary.

It's not a small amount of money." Hammer spread his hands and spoke sincerely, as if he were a pure and innocent sheep. "Why do you still speak so rudely and speak ill of us?"

"$10? Humph! Jew, you should know that I am the inventor of this smelting process. It should be called the Hopkins process. Hopkins! Name it after me!"

"So what's going on with this gentleman?" Hammer pointed to Cheng Enshu who was sitting next to him. "His company registered the key consumable electrode patent in Canada in February 1939 and also obtained mutual recognition in the United States - this was three months before the date of your application..."

"Jews, you're kidding me! How could a company run by a yellow race like them possibly develop such innovative technology?"

At that time in the United States, the influence of racial discrimination and stereotypes was very profound. If people knew about the East, they would probably read Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth", but most people's understanding of this country even came more from the fictional character "Evil Dr. Fu Manchu". In addition, China at that time was indeed poor and weak. With the combination of multiple factors, Professor Hopkins could not be immune.

"Oh, your theory itself is wrong. Our research approach differs from yours—and the conclusion is, not only were we the first to apply for the patent, but we're also theoretically more correct." Cheng Enshu spoke, clearly unhappy. "We Chinese respect knowledge. If it weren't for our kindness, why would I have invited Messrs. Hammer and Kaiser to come to you? You can just drown in the bay with your little stove."

You! You... $10 is totally unacceptable." Hopkins glared at Cheng Enshu, but immediately wilted at the sight of Hammer and Kaiser. Still, he forced himself to demand, "$100 million, and at least 20% of the shares! I'll invest in technology, and this technology has great potential..."

However, just as he finished speaking, Henry Kaiser, who had been silent until then, slowly began to speak. This shipbuilding, construction, and steel industry tycoon had creatively revolutionized the shipbuilding industry, significantly improving the efficiency of the American shipbuilding industry and creating the miracle of the "Liberty Ship."

"Mr. Hopkins, we are not asking for your opinion."

"Damn it! My research costs are far more than this... No, no! I want to go to Bath, I want to go to Bethlehem! The price they offer is much higher than yours!"

"So why are you here?" capitalist Hammer added the final blow. "You know, they didn't even offer you more than $10,000 because you couldn't provide a systematic theoretical explanation. They didn't even realize the value of electroslag remelting."

Under the oppression of the three "capitalists", the stubborn Professor Hopkins finally surrendered.

According to the plan, Kaiser, Hammer and China Resources will jointly establish a special steel company called "East Coast United Special Steel Plant", with each contributing 40% and 40% respectively.

20%, and then the three of them each took out 0.33% of the shares and more than 30,000 US dollars

The company would receive royalties and dividends from Professor Hopkins and hire him as its technical director. After all, the Eighth Route Army couldn't bring metallurgy textbooks to the United States.

This way, Liu Helian's company, China Resources, wouldn't be completely without a say. The two Americans, Hammer and Kaiser, were also legitimate major shareholders. After all, once their products became a hit, they needed to focus on military orders, and the Americans were unlikely to allow a Chinese-controlled steel company to bid.

East Coast United will first modify Mr. Hopkins's 160-kilogram test furnace. After thoroughly understanding the principles, resolving deficiencies, and completing verification, they will immediately begin construction on an electroslag furnace capable of handling a maximum electrode mass of 25 tons. This will be used to produce specialized components such as marine main shafts and certain "large pipes."

China Resources Corporation, on the other hand, holds the rights to the electroslag furnace technology in Asia, free to replicate and export it, as long as it does not license the electroslag steel to other plants in Europe or the United States. The Eighth Route Army will replicate Hopkins' 160-kilogram test furnace in Fushe as a pilot plant, synchronizing its research and testing efforts in the United States. If the experiment proves successful, the border region will add a small 5-ton electroslag furnace to the "Huinong Phase III" construction plan, along with the corresponding power plant and other facilities.

During this construction process, the Patton Welding Institute, which has already conducted research on electroslag remelting, will also participate, assisting the Eighth Route Army in transforming their knowledge from textbooks into practical products. This is a good thing, a solution that will likely satisfy almost all parties involved—except for the distraught Professor Hopkins who was signing.

That is, Cheng Enshu thought,

Why do I feel like I've become a bad guy?

Chapter 326 Non-Agency Work (VI) Roller Delay

China Resources Group, the Western agent of a certain communist power in the Far East, held a formalistic board meeting and announced the replacement of its general manager. General Manager Zhou Bin, who had served in the position for more than two years, officially announced his resignation for personal reasons. He was replaced by "new professional manager" Qian Guangyou, and a new "senior manager" Yang Lian'an was hired to participate in the company's daily operations.

Since China Resources wasn't going public anyway, there was no need for a public announcement. Thus far, Liu Helian had successfully completed the series of tasks assigned to him by the central government as an agent. The industries he needed to establish had been established, the profits he needed to collect had been collected, and the exchanges he needed to complete had been completed—but given Comrade Liu Helian's ability to stir things up, some unplanned tasks were also completed...

No, it was not Liu Helian who completed this "unplanned" task, but Comrade Zhou Bin, the next Minister of Economic Affairs of the Border Region. During this period in mid-1940, Liu Helian inexplicably met with an exiled government because of this "unplanned task."

"So how did you get involved with the Dutch?"

At a shooting range in Connecticut, USA, Liu Helian raised a precision-crafted firearm with a walnut stock and handguard, loaded a magazine, and opened fire at the target. Even though this firearms designer had no formal military training, he was able to steadily place this automatic rifle on a half-body target 25 meters away. After unloading 30 rounds from a magazine, the target paper had 27 more bullet holes.

He asked in dialect:

"It's the exiled Prime Minister and the Governor-General of the East Indies, the commander of the 1st Division of the Royal Netherlands East India Army, Wibrandus Schilling, who's here to see us. How did that Dutch boy end up coming to Huarun to buy guns?"

A group of Dutch people, representing the current Dutch government in exile, led by an army division commander, set out from faraway Batavia, nearly circled half the globe, and flew to the United States on a passenger plane. They found the leaders of China Resources Company and discussed the modification of the arms contract in a very formal and sincere manner, without even a hint of the sense of superiority that Westerners often have.

They even found a local Indonesian translator who spoke "Northern Mandarin" to accommodate the chairman's English, which was heavily influenced by Texas. During the meeting, several Dutch representatives emphasized that the Netherlands had survived, stating that they had already paid in cash and urged the company to ensure timely delivery. If delivery was unsuccessful in the Netherlands, they could be made to the Southeast Asian colonies. These representatives assured the Dutch that their naval power in Southeast Asia was so strong that the Germans couldn't reach them even with a bathtub.

In response, Liu Helian could only respond with an awkward but polite smile.

"At the beginning of this year! Because the Russians still had accounts payable for canned goods and wheat, the company was a little short of money on the books; plus there were people in China preparing to give Chiang Kai-shek's gang a hard blow in the financial sector, so I was thinking of collecting more chips." Zhou Bin also picked up a gun, loaded the magazine, and patted the submachine gun in his hand with a 30-round magazine, a rotary drum rear sight, and a roller-delayed locking mechanism.

Under his action, the bolt handle was pushed back by the recoil spring, making a "click" sound.

"Wipe" sound.

Then he fired at the target and hit it with 29 shots, which was an even better result.

"I was originally thinking of getting a loan on Wall Street, but word came through from the British United Defense Support Company, our partner company in the US that pays pounds. A group of Dutch people are looking for submachine guns and rifles. They're not looking for big-name or well-known companies, just quick mass production that meets their requirements. They're paying in cash, and if cash isn't enough, they're even promising gold!"

"Then I remembered, aren't you also a firearms designer? In that, uh, memory, aren't there quite a few usable designs?" He spread out his palms. "Comrade Xiao Liu, if it were you, do you think you would pass up this opportunity?"

-――---—―

The story began around February 1940. With war clouds looming over Europe, the Dutch government felt its army was being forced to remediate its weapons, leaving its weapons in storage and its military equipment in disarray. If war broke out, the Dutch would not only be no match for the ferocious Nazi Germany, but might even struggle to survive until Britain, France, and other powers arrived to provide aid. After careful deliberation, the Dutch decided to go to the United States to purchase the latest advanced army weaponry—naturally, including semi-automatic rifles and submachine guns.

Because they were desperate to acquire the weapon, the Dutch were quite indiscriminate in their selection, as long as it worked. They published a tender request in the United States through the United Defense Support Company.

Historically, the Dutch chose the Johnson semi-automatic rifle, which was still a prototype at the time and designed by independent firearms designer Melvin Johnson. They paid him a lot of money to organize mass production - this was also the source of the batch of Johnson rifles tested by the US Army in 1941.

For submachine guns, the Dutch chose the "UD1" submachine gun.

This submachine gun was initially just a blueprint design. After securing Dutch investment, High Standard Firearms Company trial-produced it using a fully milled process, which was very well received. However, the mass production process was quite bumpy, as High Standard, the contract manufacturer, lacked sufficient production capacity and was unable to allocate sufficient equipment and personnel for mass production. By the time the UD1 was finally successfully mass-produced in 1942 as the "UD42," its original client, the Netherlands, had passed away, leaving only the government-in-exile. Ultimately, these 15,000 submachine guns were acquired by the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to support intelligence and guerrilla warfare, and some were even distributed to China.

In this time and space, Mr. Zhou Bin's intervention at a critical moment changed this history.

"Oh! That's why the Central Committee asked me for the design data of the submachine gun."

Liu Helian suddenly realized something, recalling a small incident from his time directing the financial war: "At the time, Comrade Huang Jingzhai (Wang Yunsheng) specifically relayed your request—a slightly more expensive weapon with better range performance, not necessarily requiring high productivity or ease of maintenance—so you're planning on using it here!"