Canteen System Assistance Notes

During the battle, the three pontoon bridge regiments, in coordination with other units within their organization, successfully constructed three bridges across the Yellow River at Dashuwan, Guandukou, and Wuqiniu Ferry in under an hour, effectively ensuring the rapid crossing of the river by the attacking troops and making a significant contribution to the victory. Later, as the battle progressed, the three heavy engineer brigades also provided logistical support, ensuring that the momentum of the subsequent attacking troops would not be rapidly depleted.

Finally, the battle concluded successfully. Those technical support units, not deployed on the front lines but still crucial, began packing up their equipment and supplies and preparing to evacuate the site. They began their evacuation from east to west, first clearing the easternmost section of the Wujuniu Floating Bridge, then the Guandukou Floating Bridge south of Lucheng.

Just as the pontoon regiment was about to remove the last floating bridge at Dashuwan Ferry, they unexpectedly received an order from the front command: Wait a minute, don't withdraw yet!

Hmm? What's going on?

After the recapture of Lucheng, the entire city, and even the southern Dalat Banner, remained under military control due to the ongoing battle. However, after our Party's civil affairs team began to move into Lucheng, taking over the city and gradually lifting military control, Lucheng's commercial nature as a "water and land port" began to gradually recover.

The Eighth Route Army wasn't the Nationalist government or the Japanese invaders; their discipline was excellent. Commerce in the entire Lucheng area quickly resumed, and the people who had previously been traveling along the Yellow River resumed their travels. They soon discovered that several bridges had suddenly appeared across the Yellow River, a river they normally had to cross by boat or sheepskin raft.

It would be so convenient to have a bridge, even if it is a floating bridge, it is much more convenient than crossing!

Upon inquiry, I learned that this bridge was built by the Eighth Route Army. Now that the war is over, they plan to tear it down? Oh, this...

Many residents of Lucheng and Dalat Banner expressed regret. Not only did the common fur traders and small vendors in these areas need to transition, but herders in pastoral areas also had to travel to the city to sell their livestock and purchase food and necessities before winter arrived. Traveling on the Yellow River on sheepskin rafts or small boats was not only inconvenient but could also be dangerous in windy and choppy weather.

How about we all elect a representative and go ask the Eighth Route Army for help? How much does their steel bridge cost? We can pool our money together and then petition the management committee to buy the bridge from the Eighth Route Army.

Some active thinkers proposed a bold idea no one had dared to raise before. But it truly hit a nerve with the people on both sides of the Yellow River: a bridge would indeed make life much more convenient. The Eighth Route Army was reasonable; whether they agreed or not, they probably wouldn't exploit it to make money. Furthermore, this was truly a good thing that would benefit the country and its people, and would also be a virtuous act.

Seeing this group of people's clumsy communication, the management committee stationed in Lucheng simply invited representatives of citizens and troops to sit down and hold a meeting to discuss the matter.

The Heavy Engineer Regiment's mobile pontoon bridge was definitely not available. The entire Eighth Route Army, or indeed the entire country, only had four of these. With three in service and one in reserve, they played a crucial role in the Eighth Route Army's special engineering system. Building a new one would require the involvement of British Communist shipbuilders or the scarce domestically trained welders. The equipment was expensive, time-consuming, and not something that could be built easily.

But the people's demands were indeed valid. A floating bridge across the Yellow River would benefit the flow of goods, trade, and even public interaction. After a brief discussion, the Lucheng Management Committee and representatives from several engineering brigades decided to mobilize the expertise of the pontoon engineers and build a new floating bridge using existing materials.

After the meeting, the two engineering brigades in Lucheng took inventory of what they had: spare rails dug out from the Pingsui Railway station, prefabricated Bailey beams originally intended for emergency repairs of bridges attacked by air raids, spare steel cables, iron wires, and some redeemed, captured, and homemade unpowered boats: this was enough to build two, let alone one.

After receiving approval from the Front Committee, the engineers quickly set to work, rebuilding a nearly 300-meter-long floating bridge next to the Dashuwan floating bridge in just a few days. The surrounding residents were also enthusiastic about the bridge construction. Under the leadership of the Management Committee, they gathered around the construction site to help the engineers with tasks such as boiling water, cooking, washing clothes, leveling the ground, and repairing the road. By the time the floating bridge was completed seven days later, people from all over the place had gathered, blocking both ends of the bridge.

In daily use, the bridge is wide enough for two animals to pass through. The buoyant boats are anchored by anchor cables and reinforced by rails and Bailey beams. It has a maximum capacity of 5 tons, and in winter, when ice forms, the bridge deck and boats can be retracted and brought ashore to prevent damage from ice.

"This bridge can carry 10,000 kilograms!"

Engineers drove a truck from one end of the bridge to the other and back again to demonstrate the new bridge's excellent quality. As expected, the bridge has been used without any problems in the daily management of the Lucheng Management Committee and has been widely praised by local residents.

However, a few months later, things took an unexpected turn.

-—----—-

"My fellow villager, what kind of new deity is this one they've invited into this temple?"

A few months after the Dashuwan floating bridge was built, the weather began to turn cold and the Yellow River was about to freeze over. The civil affairs system, which had already entered a non-wartime state, sent personnel to the village.

Prepare to mobilize the villagers to help fold up the pontoon and drag it

It will be brought ashore and preserved until next spring when it can be laid again.

Because of the bridge, a small settlement has emerged here, transforming it into a new "S Dukou Sumu" (Dukou Village). In addition to contacting the village committee and mobilizing the masses, the special commissioner also has to register the population, location, and situation of the new village to facilitate subsequent administrative management.

Then he saw a new building at the entrance of the village - that is, in the direction of the floating bridge. A group of people were banging on the building, and there was a group of happy people next to them.

In Dalat Banner, every village has a temple. This is considered a local custom and characteristic. The special envoy stood on a stone block, looking at the statue erected in the center of the crowd, and casually asked a local, "How come you don't even recognize the Eight Immortals?"

The old man next to him said, "The army building roads and bridges for ordinary people is something that hasn't happened in thousands of years. It's a good deed, so naturally there should be a tablet in the temple - and the ones invited are naturally the Eighth Route Army gods." When did our Eighth Route Army pray to the gods... The special envoy held back his words, but then realized: No, when did we become gods and arhats?

In the distance, gongs and drums were beating loudly. Someone took off the cloth covering the head of the deity and dotted its eyes. The deity's eyes were wide open and it was wearing a mottled cloth crown.

His face was painted with yellow and green stripes, he was wearing a dark green robe, and he was holding two different

The red flag, the black wheels wrapped in flames under his feet, and a pistol slung around his waist show a highly mixed artistic style.

The old man beside him proudly introduced the story, obviously having listened to many storytelling and operas:

I heard from the villagers that the Eight Immortals, whose upper and lower names are Liang and Bailei, are the young boys in front of the seat of Manjusri Bodhisattva. In the current world, morality has fallen, Japanese pirates are coming from the west, and disasters are everywhere. Therefore, they were ordered by the Bodhisattva to come down to earth to kill the pirates and shake the river. "It is said that on that day when the Eight Immortals were dispatched, if they wanted to cross the river to fight the pirates, the River God would not repent and actually helped the tyrant to commit atrocities, raising a strong wind and huge waves, which blocked the army for seven days.

At this moment, General Bailey stepped forward, wearing a blue iron crown and

He rode on the wind-fire wheel, held the red and green yin and yang flags in his hands, and ordered the River God to calm the wind and waves and not to cause chaos.

"But the River God, upon seeing this, refused to repent and surrendered to the Japanese pirates, stirring up trouble upstream to block the army on the Yellow River's south bank. General Bailey first drew the golden square spear from his waist and shot the River God down with a bang. Then, he used a two-colored flag to part the waves and build a bridge. In less than half an hour, the bridge was completed, allowing the army to cross the river and destroy the rebellious Japanese invaders.

"General Bailey can distinguish between good and evil in people's hearts. He lets the kindhearted people cross the river safely, while the evil people with evil intentions fall into the water and drown. I think this place will be difficult to cross the river and travel in the future.

Building a house requires his blessing..."

Chapter 492: Battlefield Inter-Chapter (4) Combat Reporter Hemingway

Ernest Miller Hemingway.

A veteran of World War I, a former soldier of the International Brigade, a hunter, a romantic writer who is "half iceberg, half flame" - in addition, he is also an American journalist who can fight and run.

This time, Hemingway's interview was funded by the US Treasury Department, making him a public intelligence officer. After receiving the order, Hemingway and his third wife, Martha Gehring, came to China in April 1941 to investigate China's "national conditions."

Perhaps knowing Hemingway's intelligence instincts, the US Treasury gave him a very general assignment, asking him to travel more in China, record "what he saw and heard in China, and truthfully reflect the social reality of the Chinese Nationalist Government and the Northern Communist Party."

It's basically a permit for public travel.

The order to his wife, Martha, who was also a well-informed journalist, was even more detailed. The order in Martha's hand came not only from the Treasury Department but also from the White House. In this document, the U.S. Treasury Department raised the following questions:

First, how did the war between China and Japan go? What were the combat capabilities and endurance of the two main anti-Japanese forces in northern and southern China?

Second, how great is the threat of civil war in China? If civil war breaks out again between the Communist forces in northern China and the Nationalist government in southwestern China, what impact would it have on China's war against Japan? Third, what are the consequences of the signing of the Japan-Soviet Treaty? Without direct Soviet support, would the balance of power between the two Chinese armies in the war against Japan change?

Fourth, what is the status and identity of the United States in the Far East for the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang?

Fifth, if the US and Japan go to war, which of the two Chinese forces will be more effective in holding back Japan?

Based on these different orders, the couple's style of doing things in China is slightly different.

After arriving in China, Hemingway first went to the Shaoguan front, where he inspected the battle lines, took numerous photos of the Nationalist soldiers stationed there, and even traveled with a small Nationalist unit.

As a courageous troublemaker, Hemingway carried a Bowie knife. One night, while passing a Japanese outpost, Hemingway, with his excellent night vision and strong physique, cut through the barbed wire, slashed a Japanese soldier's neck with his knife, and took the soldier's rifle back.

Ms. Martha interviewed and photographed soldiers, including the 12th Army stationed in the former British-German border area and the surrounding countryside. This impulsive yet meticulous woman took numerous photos and, through her translator, interviewed numerous people, acquiring a wealth of firsthand information.

Although their route and scope of action were arranged by the Nationalist government and were relatively fixed, the Hemingways also witnessed the current situation on the battlefield of the Anti-Japanese War:

This is almost a living history of struggle in an agricultural country: narrow paths weave through the villages, heavy rain and muddy roads, the decline and poverty of the villages are shocking; the battlefield control line is like a jagged crisscross, following the undulating terrain, and the closest distance between soldiers on both sides may be less than 5 kilometers, and can be seen directly with a telescope.

In such an environment, the cost of resisting the invasion was extremely heavy: farmers in the front-line villages not only had to give up their houses for the army to be stationed, but also had to bear heavy war taxes, provide soldiers for the army, and might also face brutal retaliation from the Japanese army; grassroots national army soldiers might face insufficient equipment and supplies, and were even lagging behind the Japanese army in firepower - fortunately, during the inspection period, the Japanese army had not launched a large-scale attack.

"The soldiers here are resisting the Japanese invasion with their own flesh and blood. If they were properly trained and armed, the Japanese would definitely be driven out."

Drawing on Hemingway's rich personal experience and with his wife, Martha, as their lead author, they produced the first report on conditions in the Kuomintang-controlled areas. Hemingway lamented the burden borne by the grassroots troops and the masses, but was also moved by their resilience and perseverance. Recalling his time in Spain, he concluded: "If the Japanese dare to invade such a country, they will ultimately be defeated."

Afterward, the Hemingways visited Guizhou and Shancheng, where they met with Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Soong. During this meeting, Hemingway ignored Chiang Kai-shek's incessant "anti-communist speeches" and, based on his own observations in the war zone, suggested that frontline soldiers be given winter clothing, more food, and more ammunition, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Fortunately, Ms. Martha changed the topic to "suggesting that the United States send pilots to China to drive out Japanese fighter planes," which made Mrs. Song, who was next to Chiang Kai-shek, very happy. She even said that there had been some progress on this matter, and if American friends could promote it, it would be great.

However, Chiang Kai-shek was still dissatisfied with the Hemingways' subsequent itinerary. Although these two American friends were de facto White House envoys, going to the Communist Party was completely against his will.

So, in addition to saying things like "The Communist Party disobeyed the Central Committee's orders, acted on its own, and only promoted propaganda, not anti-Japanese resistance" and "The people in the bandit areas are fierce and there are many bandits," Chiang Kai-shek also found his loyal and useful dog Zhu Pianxian and sent people to monitor the couple. Then, the first thing the Central Bureau agents did was...

Punctured the tire of Hemingway's car.

Hilarious! Even if a foreign journalist spoke for the Communist Party and broke the KMT's reporting restrictions, Guonan would only revoke their license and expel them from the country. And Zhu Lixian didn't dare to offend Hemingway, who was on a mission from the White House.

What's more, the Central Bureau of Investigation agents sent to monitor this gentleman discovered that the American foreigner received a piece of luggage in the mountain city - two revolvers with shiny keys - and in the following days, these two guns were loaded with bullets and hung under his armpits... If he rashly angered the White House envoy, he might end up with two holes in his body and no one would pay for his funeral expenses.

How could Hemingway, who wrote "For Whom the Bell Tolls," be bound by such behavior?

At his wife's suggestion, he went to a popular "milk tea house" in the mountain city to drink tea. As expected, he "ran into" some delivery drivers who were driving to Haojing. After avoiding the surveillance of the spies, the American tough guy Hemingway took his wife and climbed onto the truck with their luggage.

After traveling nearly 900 kilometers along with Pu'er tea cakes, tung oil and tin ingots, they arrived in Guanzhong, which was controlled by the Eighth Route Army.

Here, the Hemingways saw a completely different China.

A cement production center near Tongchuan is under construction, the aircraft city in Liyang has already taken shape, many new students are curiously wandering around the new university in Chang'an, and new female workers recruited from rural areas are queuing up to enter the newly established cotton mill... If the front line in Shaoguan is the tragic history of struggle in an agricultural country, this place is like a documentary about the construction of an emerging industrial zone.

Hemingway once commented that, aside from traces of war such as Japanese air raids, bombed houses, and slogans on the streets, the mountain city lacked much of a wartime atmosphere. Even at night, it was still bustling with lights, revelry, and music. Furthermore, the scarcity of goods, soaring prices, overcrowding, and filth were "disappointing." But how could such a dramatic shift in the landscape of Guanzhong, a region I'd heard the Communists had only taken over a year and a half earlier, be so dramatic?

They soon met with Vice Chairman Zhou at the Eighth Office. Because Qixianzhuang was too large a target, they relocated the meeting. At the meeting, Martha, the lead figure, bluntly relayed the orders from the Treasury and the White House to Zhou and expressed her desire to inspect factories, schools, and roads in Guanzhong.

Vice Chairman Zhou thought about it for a moment and quickly agreed.

"Dear Mr. Zhou, the difference between what I saw in northern China and what I saw in southern China was so great that I even wondered, inappropriately, if I had come from one country to another," said Ms. Martha. "This astonishing difference aroused my strong curiosity - not only because of my mission, but also because I wanted to take a closer look at this place.

“It was like going from the plantations of the American South to the industrial cities of the North,” Hemingway added.

"You can visit our base area more often, even in the Guanzhong region, to see the summer harvest in the countryside and the factories in operation," Zhou Gong replied. "We warmly welcome friendly international figures who can present the Communist Party's image to the world in an objective and fair manner."

"In addition, Mr. Hemingway, I want to convey a good news to you - in Fushi and Huinong, there are many of your former comrades in Spain. For example, Mr. Luigi

Mr. Bethune...it's a pity that Mr. Ivens has returned to the United States.

You won't see him here."

"That's great! I hadn't even thought I'd see them here—when can we leave? I'm really looking forward to meeting them."

Hemingway pretended to cock a rifle and inquired, "I'm also looking forward to visiting the front lines! Mr. Zhou, when I first arrived in Gaojing, I heard that our heroic army had already launched an attack on the Japanese troops in Suiyuan Province. Could you please tell me if this is true? If so, can I go to the front lines to 'interview' for a bit?"

"Mr. Hemingway,"

Vice Chairman Zhou glanced at the two empty gun pouches under the American man's arms and the empty belt of pistols slung across his shoulder. He composed himself, "We did launch an attack on Japan, but it's over now. If you go now, you can catch the surrender ceremony."

"Well, it seems my double-barreled shotgun and revolver have no place," Hemingway lamented. He had originally wanted to bring his Thompson violin case. However, his basic skills as a writer and journalist allowed him to grasp the second meaning of Vice Chairman Zhou's words: "Surrender ceremony? The Japanese surrendered to you?"

"Yes, that's right. It's a Japanese cavalry regiment."

Chapter 493: Battle Zone Chapter (5) The Tree Planting Immortal Comes to Surrender

(Update)

In Suiyuan, the main battlefield of this battle, the natural environment was relatively harsh.

Although the Yellow River flows through the territory, due to years of ecological destruction, it is full of Gobi and sand, so if the Eighth Route Army field army does not rely on railway mobility, it must carry water tankers and water purification equipment.

However, during the battle, many soldiers reported that they had found small forests around strongholds, railways and towns - pine, cypress, arborvitae, sand cypress... and willows by the water. In some unit battle reports, there were also sporadic cases of troops using trees for cover during night battles. The soldiers found that the spacing between these trees was uniform, there were ring holes at the roots, and there were even signs of watering: this was obviously not a natural forest.

Who is still planting windbreaks in Suiyuan? Did the Japanese instruct the local people to plant them?

The answer to this question was soon: Japanese race.

The 14th Cavalry Regiment of the Mongolian Army was a Japanese cavalry unit stationed in Anbei County near Wulansuhai Lake. It had more than a thousand cavalrymen and attached veterinarians and supplies.

Cavalry Artillery Corps. So don't underestimate this troop, which has only a few thousand men.

Because of its independent firepower system and the cavalry's ability to move freely, their combat effectiveness was not low. On weekdays, it was this regiment that squatted on the front line of the confrontation with Fu Yisheng's troops of the National Army, forcing Fu's three divisions to face the enemy in a defensive posture.

Of course, this thing is of no use to the Eighth Route Army.

The 21st Division of the Northwest Field Army, originating from the Huinong region, arrived here via the Wuda-Wuyuan Line. With the tactical support of approximately 16,000 troops from Fu Zuoyi's New 31st and 32nd Divisions, the 21st Division first intercepted a portion of the 14th Regiment south of Wulansuhai Lake. Then, another unit within the organization, boarding logistics trucks, rapidly attacked Anbei, trapping the 14th Cavalry Regiment in its barracks outside the city.

During this period, the 14th Regiment organized several counterattacks and breakouts, but they were unable to break through the blockade of the 21st Division. After the 21st Division set up a 75mm gun and carried out counter-artillery operations to paralyze the 14th Regiment's cavalry artillery, the 14th Cavalry Regiment finally gave up the breakout plan that would only increase casualties and instead engaged in a standoff with our army. Just as our army was making arrangements to attack the county town, the commander of the 14th Regiment actually responded to our routine calls for surrender.

He sent his adjutant out of the county with the horse.

The adjutant held up a white flag and shouted in Chinese with a Japanese accent: "Eighth Route Army! Do not fire!"

He opened the note in his hand and glanced at it, then continued, "Is Mr. Dong You, Chairman of your Anbei Committee, in the army? Captain Yoshimatsuki of the Third Regiment of our side would like to meet with Mr. Dong to convey our intention to stop the fighting and ceasefire!"

surrender?

Oh, the Japs surrendered... Wait, the entire regiment surrendered as a whole?

The Eighth Route Army had seen surrendering Japanese soldiers before. The earliest Japanese soldiers, bewitched by Japanese militarism and false propaganda, and driven by their own blind loyalty, often fought to the death with our troops. Almost no one surrendered voluntarily, and only a small number of prisoners were taken.

Later, as veterans of the North China battlefield wore out, retired, and faced reality, the incoming recruits had never experienced the era of continuous victory and unstoppable momentum. Coupled with their own increasingly serious logistical problems, the dream of Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was increasingly shattered by the cruel reality. They also became increasingly confused and more likely to give up resistance and surrender when the situation was unfavorable.

But the surrender of an entire unit has never happened, let alone a regiment. Although the 14th Cavalry Regiment originally had over a thousand men, it now has only about 700 left, but it is still a regiment after all!

The Northwest Field Army, which was besieging the enemy from the outside, became serious. They received the adjutant who was holding up a white flag - they were the first organized unit to accept the surrender of the Japanese.

After the adjutant was searched and found to have no metal coins on him,

After that, the division commander Xiong Houfa and political commissar Zheng Weishan met with him.

"Commander, I'd like to ask if Mr. Dong, Chairman of your Anbei Committee, is here?" the Japanese adjutant said, "The company commander has met Mr. Dong once before. We hope he can be present for the ceasefire negotiations." The division commander and the political commissar exchanged a glance, a bit puzzled: Why did this Japanese want to see the secretary of the Anbei County Party Committee? We were at war!

"Secretary Dong is not here right now. If you want to surrender, just surrender to us directly. Have your commander order you to stop resisting, and then surrender your weapons according to our instructions. There's no need to waste time talking."

Seeing the Eighth Route Army's howitzers behind him, the major finally mustered up the courage to speak: "Sir! Your troops are formidable, but this isn't a surrender; it's an attempt to stop the fighting. We intend to transfer 500 cavalry rifles, 30,000 rounds of ammunition, four artillery pieces, and 100 rounds of ammunition to you. Afterwards, please disengage and retreat 20 kilometers..."

"He Yi, you don't need to say anything. Since you don't want to surrender, we won't force you." Before the other party could finish speaking, Xiong Houfa, the commander of the 21st Division of the Northwest Field Army, began to send the guests away with a very polite and sweet voice.

How funny! If the Eighth Route Army were still short of ammunition and ammunition, and lacking the strength to attack, they might actually sit down and talk with these devils; now, we are just shouting a few words and going through the standard procedures while preparing for the attack!

Negotiations had broken down, and the offensive was about to resume. The major, shouting "When two armies are engaged, do not kill envoys" and "Negotiations are not over yet, you cannot open fire," was forced to stand aside at gunpoint by soldiers.

Before he finished shouting the lines from the Japanese version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," a number of people emerged from Anbei County. Rows of cavalrymen remained unmounted, carrying their rifles on their backs.

They dispersed in a way that was completely unrelated to the battle formation, marching neatly.