Canteen System Assistance Notes

It's unclear when these various crispy potatoes became his go-to snack for reviewing documents. The attendant's office had tried having the chef make their own, but aside from the original Weiyan flavor, which only appealed to the president, all other flavors had to be "originally from Fushi," especially the strange "cucumber" and "chicken soup and tomato" flavors.

The attendant's office had to secretly send people to the Eighth Route Army's "Four Major Trading Companies" in the mountain city to purchase goods. Each time, they only dared to purchase a small amount and chose different people to go with them to avoid being "poisoned by the Communist bandits."

But today, things seemed to have changed. After finishing a small plate of crispy potatoes, their personal guards returned with a message. Chiang Kai-shek personally ordered them to go to the market and buy "one can of American biscuits, one can of American meat, one piece of American chocolate, and five pieces of American candy, both fruit-flavored, and a cup of coffee, with optional sugar."

? ? ? ?

What the hell was this request? The attendants were initially skeptical. Was the old president trying to change his style? He even specified the flavor so clearly, it clearly wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. But if the president wanted biscuit beef chocolate, why would he have to go all the way to the market? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell the attendants?

Soon, however, news came from the Second Department of the Secretariat, which was in charge of party and government affairs. Chiang Kai-shek also issued another handwritten note: "A special approval of a certain amount of US dollars is required to send Song, the representative in the United States, to

Searching for the US Army's Type C rations so our army can emulate them."

Oh! It seems that the old man is going to take action himself again.

Developed by the US military in 1938 and officially deployed in 1940, the C ration was designed as an "emergency meal" in the absence of a kitchen. It was intended to provide soldiers with calories and nutrition when fresh A rations and semi-finished B rations were unavailable. It mainly consisted of three canned meats "B" and three canned grains and snacks "M", providing soldiers with three meals a day.

Because the United States had not yet implemented wartime news control at that time, the media were very talkative, and this not-so-confidential matter became public news in the newspapers - perhaps Chiang Kai-shek saw the overseas news clippings compiled by one of his attendants today? And then he whimsically decided to refer to the US military's dry food and make military rations of preserved fruits? Ha, it really is a bit of micro-management style.

Regardless, this was something Chiang Kai-shek had specifically instructed, so naturally, his subordinates had to do it diligently. The attendants teased someone about their meddling and prepared to send someone out to handle the matter.

As Chiang Kai-shek's closest advisors, the staff of the Grand Council certainly possessed considerable expertise. They quickly scoured the various markets in the mountain city and discovered that many of Chiang Kai-shek's desired foods were readily available, but they were primarily stocked by the four major trading companies of the Eighth Route Army: Supply and Marketing, Communications, Guanghua, and Yongchang. Over the past few years, the markets in the mountain city had become saturated with a wide variety of northern goods.

Although the principal eats northern goods every day, we can't let Chiang Kai-shek really judge the northern goods in the Communist Party's trading companies, right?

The aide-de-camp approached the pilots of China Airlines and Central Airlines, asking them to help them purchase food from Wan Chai Island. They described Chiang Kai-shek's requirements in detail to the pilots: "One meat and one vegetable, coffee, pork choux, and fruit candy," and then gave them some funds.

At this time, the two airlines still had flights from Shancheng to Kai Tak Airport. The staff was quite efficient, and they quickly spent the US dollars provided by the aide-de-camp to purchase a large number of foreign canned goods on Wan Chai Island, which was still a "free port," and sent them back to Shancheng. These canned goods were generous in size and excellent in taste, including sardines, prawns, vegetable fish balls, and many other products.

Even more commendable is that, unlike other imported canned foods, these products were not tailored to the tastes of the Chinese people. After tasting the canned food, the attendants quickly presented it to Chiang Kai-shek – but who would have thought that Chiang Kai-shek was very unhappy when he saw the canned food and criticized the attendants for their careless work.

"You guys are quick, which is great. However, I've already clearly requested American canned goods. Look, these are clearly English canned goods, not American canned goods!"

Chiang Kai-shek held up a can of fish tofu and pointed at the Union Jack and the intricately patterned HMS logo. At the time, the preserved fruit was undergoing a diplomatic shift from Britain to the United States. Chiang Kai-shek had a favorable impression of the United States, but was rather disdainful of Britain. "You, pillars of the Party and the country, can't even tell the difference between the Union Jack and the red and white stars and stripes?"

"You must understand that in matters of military and national importance, even the slightest mistake can lead to a thousand miles of error. This is why I personally command every battle, overseeing the advance and retreat of every regiment and battalion, the deployment of every soldier, working tirelessly day and night, unable to sleep. Even so, errors often occur in execution, allowing the Communists to exploit them and ruining years of planning. And yet you have entrusted such a crucial procurement to others. If it weren't for my personal oversight, it would have nearly jeopardized another important matter for the Party and the country."

He patted the table and instructed,

"Xiaojili is a small country with a poor population and no land to produce. All its products rely on shipping from its colonies. They were blockaded by the German army and trapped on the islands, where they had only oats and potatoes to fill their stomachs. Using canned food from such a country as a model will inevitably make them the laughing stock of other countries. How can they strengthen their military? And they are writing articles mocking Li Desheng. Where is the face and dignity of the government?"

"You have to go to the United States in person, do it yourself, and buy these things yourself!"

——―——-—-

So, the aide-de-camp could only find a few lucky souls, pack their bags, and prepare for the official trip. Because this matter was personally handled by Chiang Kai-shek, the unlucky souls could not take the ship, but instead flew to the United States. Special arrangements were made.

The aide-de-camp to the United States lived up to expectations. Not only did he purchase a large box of American canned goods during his official trip abroad, he also brought back "US Army C Rations" that Director Song had procured through connections. These specially approved military rations and canned goods were packed and shipped back to China via cruise ship. Finally, after nearly a month at sea, the authentic American canned goods finally arrived at Chiang Kai-shek's office in the mountain city.

That day, Chiang Kai-shek seriously instructed the attendants that there was no need to prepare lunch at noon, and he had to "do it himself, sympathize with the soldiers' suffering, and eat the military rations to fill his stomach."

He laid out a crisp white tablecloth, took out a beautiful knife and fork, and called a servant to open a can of meat "B" and a can of cereal "Mf" for him. Then, the tomato and bean paste in the meat can was patiently heated in a double boiler until it was the perfect temperature for immediate consumption. The compressed biscuits, chocolate, and candy in the can of M were taken out and arranged, and the coffee powder was poured into a transparent bone china cup and set aside along with the milk and sugar cubes.

Finally, this "battlefield standard" "soldier's meal" was presented to our Principal Chiang, who shared the national crisis and the war of resistance.

"The United States is truly a powerful industrial nation. Our country can never compare to it."

Principal Jiang slowly picked up the open can and carefully examined the English label on it. This "Shanwei Assembly M Can" contained three protein bars, four large cereal biscuits, three candies, a large piece of chocolate fudge, and a box of brewed coffee.

“Self-respect and self-improvement might as well start with canned goods.”

Then, Jiang Gong, who seemed to be deeply moved, pressed the call bell and called in his three personal guards, Jiang Guotao, Xiang Chuanyuan, and Jiang Xiaozhen, and asked for three bowls and three spoons. The three personal guards looked at the pile of odds and ends and the small bowls in front of them, a little puzzled.

"Today, I invite the three of you to dinner so that you can recall with me the difficulties of national affairs and the hardships of the chaos." President Jiang knocked on the can, and the tinplate made a thudding sound. "Listen, this is the sound of a strong national strength." Then he pointed to the biscuits placed aside.

The attendants understood what he meant and hurriedly took the biscuits, eating them carefully and elegantly. Chiang Kai-shek tasted a little. The biscuits were hard, not particularly crispy, and had no special flavoring. I guess they were baked very dry to preserve them long-term. However, the protein bar, wrapped in brown paper, tasted good.

"What are your experiences?"

Jiang Gong asked, but he did not wait for the attendants to answer, and continued to speak on his own.

Marching and fighting involve many things, too numerous to discuss in detail. However, the saying "food and fodder must be sent before the army moves" is a true maxim. With such fodder, the US military would be a formidable force, invincible and unstoppable. The Japanese invaders, though as resource-poor as England, could one day be blockaded by the US fleet in the name of justice. Without resorting to war, they would be forced to accept the judgment of international justice, return our territory, and recover our sovereignty. Ultimately, the Japanese invaders are a minor infestation.

He emphasized: "Only the bandit rebellion is the most pressing threat to our party and country. Suppressing the banditry and rebellion, dissolving the Communist Party, limiting the Communist Party, and opposing the Communist Party are the top priorities of the party and country. We must not relax for a single day."

"What the president said is very true."

"The principal is very far-sighted and his subordinates feel that they cannot match him."

Chiang Kai-shek was very satisfied with reaching a consensus with the guards, and he continued to point to the bean soup.

To be honest, this pasteurized mixture of minced meat, sausage, and beans tasted terrible, reminiscent of American military rations. The Chinese soldiers, accustomed to hardship, probably didn't care about the taste; just having meat to fill them up was a blessing. But Chiang Kai-shek couldn't stand it. He took a bite, then frowned, took a few spoonfuls, and then said:

"This minced meat and bean soup may not taste good, but it's filling and filling. It reminds me of the revolutionary communal meals we promoted when I was in charge of the Whampoa Military Academy, and I can't help but feel a surge of emotion. I'll share some with you all so you can all try it and remember our party's revolutionary traditions."

After the president said this, the three of them consciously scooped a small bowl each and ate it one spoonful at a time. In front of the big leader, the attendants did not dare to show any disgust, but just praised that this kind of rations could fill the stomach and was really a good choice for marching and fighting.

At this time, Chiang Kai-shek had already picked up the cup of coffee with milk and sugar and began to sigh.

"Chocolate, coffee... Why should the Americans, who run the army, issue such extravagant items? Since defending our homeland and suppressing the communist rebellion, our finances have been increasingly tight. If the national army were to issue them to everyone, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to afford them. The conditions are too good, and it would easily breed corruption and resale."

Hmm? So, Mr. Principal, are you planning to give us a lecture on anti-corruption? The three aides straightened up immediately, perking up. This was likely quite important information. Unexpectedly, Chiang Kai-shek didn't pursue the topic further. He simply took another sip of his coffee—perhaps the flavor of coffee and chocolate was one of the few familiar elements in this ration. He leaned back in his chair and spoke slowly in his distinctive voice—a sign the aides knew was a sign of deep consideration.

"But if we can endure for two years, gather strength for three years, and achieve peace within the country for five years, our focus must still be on preparing for chaos. The key to this is to implement the plan of a hundred armies in three years. To strengthen the military, spending money is unavoidable, and even if there may be some drawbacks, we must ignore them."

"Xiaozong, Wangru, Xiaozhen."

"President, Emperor Xiaozong is here." "My students are here." "My subordinates are here." "I'm drafting an order, you must remember it—"

Chiang Kai-shek finally made up his mind and pulled out a blank handwritten note from the side of the table. He instructed his three aides and began to draft his precise instructions - he was confident that he had grasped the key points of the powerful plan of the Party and the country's hundreds of divisions and armies.

Chapter 412: National Weapons and National Products (4) The Military Food Malpractice Case of 1941

If a food tasting of a new type of military ration were to be arranged, the normal process would be for higher-level departments to organize the tasting, for departments at all levels to execute it, collecting feedback from the lowest-level troops, and finally summarizing and reporting it to the higher-ups in a comprehensive report. However, in this case, with preserved fruit and Chiang Kai-shek at the helm, the situation was different.

He selected the garrison in Sichuan Province, located in the rear of the country, as the two pilot units for the American-style military rations, but he did not convert this handwritten order into a formal military order through the Military Order Office.

Instead, he issued the order directly in the form of a handwritten edict.

Regarding the first, the 14th and 25th Replacement Corps Training Headquarters, which were currently training new recruits and organizing newly organized replacement troops, Chiang Kai-shek bypassed the Military and Political Department, which was responsible for managing the replacement training divisions, and directly sent the order to Chen Jicheng, the head of the two training headquarters. Chen Jicheng had been with Chiang Kai-shek since 1924, participating in warlord wars and numerous anti-communist campaigns. He was also an instructor at the Whampoa Military Academy, a loyalist among loyalists and a loyalist among loyalists. Therefore, the replacement troops under his command were not the traditional trash and ragtag troops, but rather had considerable strength.

The other unit, the core of Chen Chi-hsiu's faction, was the newly formed 11th Army, a giant within the Tumu faction. Chiang Kai-shek followed the proper procedures for sending this order to the Sixth War Zone first, and then forwarding it—after all, the Sixth War Zone's commander was Chen Chi-hsiu himself. They were one of us, one of us. This unit was currently stationed west of Yiling, guarding the gateway to Sichuan's rear. It comprised the 1st Honor Division and the 5th Division.

The 103rd Division, composed of the "Gongdelin" who sacrificed many times in another time and space

The "truant student" Zheng Guiting served as the army commander.

This combination of troops, one old and one new, one new and one old, seemed like a good test subject. Chiang Kai-shek quickly manipulated the Ministry of Finance to approve a "30-year Refinement Fund" specifically to purchase some canned food for the experiment of "refining the troops and strengthening their will."

The first step of the pilot is to determine the standards.

Because Chiang Kai-shek considered the US Army's standard rations—six cans of B (meat) and six cans of M (cereals and snacks) per person per day—too extravagant, he initially reduced them by 66%, to two cans per person per day, plus 50% of the original rations, which amounted to about 375g of rice in the shell. Sitting in his office, Chiang Kai-shek believed that with 12 ounces (about 340g) of canned beans and meat stew and 4.25 ounces (about 120g) of canned vegetarian biscuits, he would be able to train a "strong and skilled army" and achieve his goal of suppressing the Communist rebellion.

Chiang Kai-shek, a hands-on leader, compared prices with canned American goods shipped across the ocean and determined that two cans here would cost no more than 75 cents, roughly the price of an average American restaurant meal of "American hamburger, fries, and coffee." Similarly, during the one-month pilot period, the "30-Year Lean Fund" would cost each soldier $22.50.

However, the scribes of the Imperial Household Department knew that according to the custom of the subordinate agencies, large-scale purchases of anything, from ammunition and clothing to special supply crisp potatoes,

There will always be a lot of loss during transportation, and American rations are probably no exception.

Foreign: Some flexible fire consumption needs to be added to the budget in order to implement it effectively.

Without ever having to speak up, they quickly received reports and documents from lower-level authorities regarding the matter. The Secretariat readily accepted these reasonable suggestions, upgrading and optimizing the original plan and submitting it to Chiang Kai-shek for his verbal approval. Soon, with these documents circulating, the standard for the "30-Year Lean Fund" was raised to $30 per person per month, with a 33% increase in the pay range.

After the standard was set, the total cost was calculated by multiplying the number of people eating the new rations by the cost standard. Once the order was issued, the newly formed 11th Army and the 14th and 25th Retraining Offices reported the number of people.

The newly formed 11th Army consisted of three divisions. It was easy to imagine that such a large and powerful force could easily muster over 30,000 men. The 14th and 25th Supplementary Training Headquarters, tasked with training the new "29th Enhancement Plan" units, had two newly formed "29th Year" divisions under their command. According to reports, they comprised over a dozen new, 1,000-man regiments, in addition to several artillery, cavalry, and special forces, for a total of 17,000 to 18,000 men.

As for how many empty soldiers were in the three divisions of the newly formed 11th Army, or how many unpaid laborers were overstaffed in the two supplementary training departments (the supplementary training departments generally had enough staff), no one cared at all. After all, even the Nationalist generals themselves probably didn't know the exact number of troops under their command. If they really wanted to count them, they might as well go to the Eighth Route Army's trading companies. Since they were responsible for selling pants to the old Nationalist soldiers, a count might give them an accurate number.

Because Chiang Kai-shek had just received the 1940 US Barter Loan and Stabilization Fund Loan, he had a lot of foreign exchange in his pocket. He generously allocated nearly $1.5 million from the 1930 Refinery Fund. With this money in place, things could get started. The old, old-fashioned, and putty-covered state machinery finally began to operate.

First, according to Chiang Kai-shek's request, the food standard for this "30-Year Refinement Plan" was 75 cents per person per day, approximately $2.50 per person per month. Although there was a 33% floating rate, with a $30 budget allocated, procurement still had to be based on $22.50. Once the order from the Secretariat was forwarded, someone squeezed out the water on behalf of the officials, demanding strict discipline and a strict threshold for the use of funds: $20 per person per month, no more!

Secondly, the logistics director who received the order quickly forwarded it to the various departments for execution. These elites who worked tirelessly for the party and the country soon discovered a situation that their superiors had not considered - if they had to purchase American-made military rations, they would inevitably have to pay a series of additional costs such as US activity fees, transportation fees, customs duties, etc., and the procurement personnel would also have to endure the hardships of traveling and the fatigue of traveling.

Aren't canned food from China and American canned food the same when you eat them? Why do we have to buy them abroad? Even if we want to buy American products, wouldn't it be the same if we bought them domestically? So if we buy them domestically, why use precious foreign currency, US dollars?

At the logistics department level, the leaders exchanged the US dollars they were given into legal tender at the underground market price, then converted the amount according to the official exchange rate of "US dollar legal tender". They took out a portion of the legal tender from the piles of legal tender and distributed it to the procurement department, sending them to purchase various "American-made" canned goods in China.

Afterwards, the officials in charge of the actual purchase went deep into the party and state soldiers to investigate. They found that "domestic soldiers have been living a hard and simple life all year round and prefer simple meals. If they rashly eat canned meat with a lot of oil and biscuits and candies made with white flour and ghee, they will probably suffer from diarrhea and suffer a lot."

How can this be possible! We must of course consider the millions of soldiers!

With a wave of their hands, they swapped the canned meat they had originally planned to purchase for cheaper, less oily canned boiled peanuts, and the canned biscuits and candies for dry bread from the grain and hosiery factory. Peanuts could be used to extract oil, so they were naturally meaty; and dry bread was made with white flour, more suitable for Chinese tastes and could help prevent diarrhea. Wasn't that a win-win situation?

Later, when the purchased boiled peanuts and dry bread were delivered to the newly formed 11th Army and the 14th and 25th Retraining Divisions, the officers were deeply moved: "Thank you, superiors, thank you, principal, for your care!" But at this moment, in a time of national crisis, we, who have sacrificed our lives for our country and its people, must never forget the hardships of the 400 million people across the country. As soldiers, as soldiers of the Party and the nation, we must lead by example, dress simply, eat coarsely, and set an example by reducing extravagance and waste. This kind of food is not something we should enjoy during wartime!

They accurately carried out the order to cut food rations in half and quickly transferred the daily canned food to the market to sell to feed the people. Suddenly, the underground black markets in Neijiang, Yiling, and even Chengdu and Shancheng were flooded with peanuts and dry bread emblazoned with the Blue Sky and White Sun emblem.

As for the soldiers, such good food, wouldn't it be enough to have it once a week? Wouldn't it be fine if the whole class could share one or two cans? As for providing plant protein and oil:

The shrewd officers still felt that the price was too high.

The vendors selling non-staple foods bought the cheapest "starch meat sausage" from somewhere unknown; they also approached Wang Zuomin, the director of a biscuit factory in the National Army, and outsourced some orders for flour cakes.

Although Factory Director Wang had previously profited from reselling flour, the raw material for biscuits, during fluctuating grain prices, effectively shutting down the biscuit industry, the shrewd Director quickly contacted the Guanghua Trading Company, which sold agricultural products, and replaced the flour orders with exceptionally cheap "tough breakfast biscuits." He unpacked the packaging of Eight Route Army, Fushi, and Labor People brand biscuits, repackaged them, and shipped them under his own brand—making a considerable profit.

As for the end, when the password for the "Thirty Years of Refinement" had gone through countless hardships and a long journey and finally reached the lower-level officers and soldiers, it had changed from 12 ounces of bean stew and 4.25 ounces of candy and biscuits to starch sausages packed in oil paper and earthenware jars, and round biscuits stuffed in bamboo baskets lined with newspapers - the former was likely eaten by rats, and the latter was probably always broken into pieces, soaked in water and moldy.

Or simply open it and there's nothing inside.

On average, the newly-appointed soldiers from the 11th Army and the 14th and 25th Retraining Divisions participating in this test were given only one biscuit per day, along with half the hulled rice, and one or two starchy sausages per squad. After a month, their physical condition had deteriorated, with most becoming so frail that they could barely lift a rifle.

The investigators sent by Chiang Kai-shek to investigate the situation reported that "the soldiers' physical fitness did not seem to have improved," but attributed this to the fear that "the Chinese people's physical fitness was not suited to American rations," and said that a longer period of trial and observation was needed, thus hastily concluding the investigation.

What a joke! The newly formed 11th Army and the supplementary training department are both directly under the principal. No matter which side I write about, it's a relationship with the principal. How can I write about it?

Chapter 413: Stalin Test

"Now, I declare that the ceremony for the commissioning of the first batch of domestically produced 1-2-2 artillery pieces will now officially begin!"

It was an ordinary day in April 1941. Chairman Lin Zuhan, wearing round glasses, finished his brief speech into the microphone. He looked up and began to applaud. As the sound emanated from the square dance loudspeaker, the audience joined in applause, and the nearby staff drum and gong troupe also began to beat drums and gongs.

Someone lit a string of firecrackers, and the crackling sound echoed throughout the narrow valley behind the 6th Arsenal, reverberating back and forth in the valley. If the mountains and the land had spirits, they would probably be completely insensitive to the noise - from 1938 to the present, this valley has experienced so much artillery fire that even wandering ghosts would be unable to stay there.

At the end of the valley, which is nearly 1 kilometer long in a straight line, fragments of gravel, cement blocks, sandbag walls, metal target plates and other materials are scattered all over the ground: this is one of the artillery test ranges shared by the 5th and 6th Arsenals. In terms of caliber, this small area has been hit by one type of 40 and multiple types of 75, as well as 122 and even 155 mm artillery shells. The noise of applause and firecrackers is just a drop in the bucket.

Today, the Eighth Route Army will receive here the first batch of division-level artillery, the M-30 122mm howitzers, which were jointly produced by several major industrial centers in the border area.

--------

The M-30 gun has a caliber of 122 mm and a maximum range of 11.8 km. It has a barrel length of 23 times that of the gun chamber. The Soviet Union completed its preliminary design in 1938, so it is also called the 1938 howitzer. It is now being produced at the No. 92 Arsenal in Gorky and the No. 9 Arsenal in Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union.

and the 6th Arsenal in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region of China.

Honestly, the Eighth Route Army had never imagined they could acquire this new, world-leading artillery. Even Liu Maolian, a time traveler with advanced historical experience, wouldn't have imagined such a possibility. Considering that many of the Soviet Union's advanced artillery pieces were newly designed and would soon face the devastating Soviet-German War, Liu Helian initially planned to purchase artillery of the same level from Schneider in France.

However, perhaps in 1937, the construction goals and demands proposed by the Eighth Route Army were more pragmatic than those of the preserved fruit, or perhaps it was the superior combat record of the New Fourth Army, which had been much more historically reinforced, that better suited the Soviet Union's goal of holding back Japan in the Far East. Or perhaps it was the disguised "DC-3" passenger plane that carried Eighth Route Army representatives to the Soviet Union in 37 - Stalin, sitting in the Kremlin, half-sold and half-donated an entire artillery production line to the Eighth Route Army, using standards similar to those used to aid the Jiangtou Tunhe Aircraft Repair Factory, and simultaneously produced the latest 122mm howitzers at the Gorky Factory 92.

This is a generous gift, but it is not a "hot potato" that everyone can accept. In order to meet the needs of even producing some accessories and assembling assemblies by themselves, the Eighth Route Army needs to build steel billet heating furnaces, cannon blank drawing equipment, deep drilling equipment, broaching machines, electric free forging hammers... and invest in the construction of steel mills and mines at the front command, mobilize tens of thousands of workers, provide them with enough food and consumer goods, manage them with an effective administrative system, and protect their safety in the event of invasion by powerful enemies and friction with "friendly parties" - in short, the border government needs to do what a normal, modern regime should do.

Not to mention that the Soviet Union also added a trivial 3000-ton model forging press to this assembly line to improve efficiency: This thing is considered a medium-level commercial equipment in the world, but for China at that time, this thing with four guide columns and an oversized hydraulic cylinder was simply a fantasy!

No wonder many researchers in later generations called this "aid project" "Stalin's test."

The inauguration of the new equipment was attended by numerous people. Besides Chairman Lin Zuhan, Li Desheng, Chairman of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and General Political Commissar, sat in the front row with Eighth Route Army Commander Zhu Yujie, the tacit "Zhu-Mao" duo. Artillery Commander Wu Ting, Political Commissar of the Artillery Commander and Commander of the Artillery Driving School Yuan Bangguang, and Artillery School Principal Huang Nianzhuo, representing the Eighth Route Army's training and combat system, were also present. Commander Yang Jisheng and Political Commissar Guan Youwei of the Mobile Corps stationed in the border region, as well as Dong Shaozhong, Commander of the future Northwest Front Army and currently Commander of the Ningxia Garrison Corps, and Political Commissar Li Zhuoran, attended the meeting on behalf of the unit's chief officer.

Oh, and there was also Ma Ziyin, the Ningxia Provincial Chairman (remotely in charge), who couldn't sit or stand, and whose moods were all over the place, so he could only force a smile. Even more awkwardly, next to him was Gao Chongde, the Eighth Route Army's temporary head of Ningxia Province's civil affairs, who also showed no emotion.

In contrast, the invited guests, including Tao Jichang, Gao Liqing, Ma Xiufang, and Deng Yu, were in a much better mood. Most of them watched this novel ceremony with a smile and praised the cannon. Sun Shutang, Zhao Shoushan, and Wu Mianzhi were even more straightforward. They applauded and said, "With such a powerful military weapon, expelling the Japanese invaders is just around the corner."

No matter how embarrassing it was, Zhou Liwu, the Kuomintang's liaison officer in Yan'an, was more embarrassed than anyone. This openly spy wasn't in the mood for playing house. He was numb and terrified, and all he wanted now was to dig a hole with his toes and hide. "They claim to be domestically produced, but they're just using parts from the Red-Haired Gang and American assembly equipment. With two major powers serving you, the Communists, of course they can make it! If it were our Party and the People's Republic, we'd do the same!" He closed his eyes, trying to hypnotize himself. "I wonder what kind of magic tricks the Red-Headed Gang is trying to trick their allies into selling this equipment? What are the ambassadors doing? Never mind! It's not as good as our German-made 15mm heavy artillery!"

"Representatives of both parties, hand over the documents!"

They sat with a large group of worker representatives involved in various aspects of artillery production, watching from afar as representatives from the artillery column signed handover documents and acceptance confirmations with factory representatives, and exchanged documents. Artillery of this quality and range, along with the transitional 25-pounder and the soon-to-be operational French 155mm howitzer, would be temporarily assigned to an independent artillery unit, the "artillery column," for centralized use.

"Good! Great!"

Every time the representatives made a slightly larger gesture, there would be a storm of applause from the audience, which continued continuously. At one point, it even made it impossible to continue the celebration ceremony, and the management had to be called in to maintain order.

It's strange. From the end of 1938, when the Kremlin issued the exam papers, to the year 1938, when we began answering them, it's been almost three years. Logically, all the highs and lows, the setbacks, the twists and turns, should have been transformed into the tranquility of an unruffled well, the steady flow of undercurrents—but who can resist the joy that's gushing from the bottom of their heart?

It's not like there were 122mm guns assembled using Soviet core components before, and those had already been inspected by Soviet experts. But now, these are made from steel ingots, all by ourselves! For so many years, the Red Army, whose borders were opened by powerful ships and cannons, who were bombarded by the White Bandits, Chiang Kai-shek, and Japanese invaders for so long, and who sailed 25,000 miles on foot, may not have seen the powerful ships yet, but they have truly made their own weapons with just one rivet and one hammer. How can this not be exciting?

The 24 cannons hung with red silk and tied with big red flowers looked just like the dearest daughters in the families of all the representatives present. Some even felt like an old father watching his daughter get married and couldn't help crying.

The handover of the scroll represented the transfer of ownership of this batch of artillery.

The first batch of 24 artillery pieces will be divided into two batches. Eight will belong to the artillery school for training artillery talents, and 16 will be assigned to the artillery column - they can be combined with command, reconnaissance, communication, and motorcycle units to form an artillery battalion with 3 companies and 12 guns - the remaining 4 guns will also be used for training to cultivate more qualified artillerymen.

她们将同之前24门用进口零件组装的122炮，以及用来过渡的48+10门“维克斯25磅"一通，在革命军队中贡献自己的力量。

Soon, Yuan Bangguang, in charge of driver training for the artillery column, personally led the team into the venue in a Morrison C8 truck and mounted the artillery pieces. This three-ton jeep, built on a truck chassis, boasts powerful horsepower and a formidable four-ton tractor capacity, making it ideal for hauling 25-pound and 18-pound guns. Besides the future "Blue Plate Truck," it will be the primary vehicle for the 122mm artillery piece.