Canteen System Assistance Notes

"For one thing, their aircraft, tanks, artillery, and even battlefield command were all supported by the continuous support of England and the Soviet Union."

According to intelligence analysis, the Communist Party's armed forces are primarily Soviet aid, with few British or American weapons. Stalin provided substantial assistance first, followed by the Soviets sending personnel. Recently, the Military Intelligence Bureau reported that Soviet advisor Chuikov, under the guise of returning to the Soviet Union, had left Shancheng and headed for Communist forces. The Land and Water Transportation Inspection Office also reported that a large number of Soviet personnel were entering Shaanxi by car. Zhu and Mao were skilled in commanding infantry, and only Soviet officers could command tanks and artillery. Currently, the Soviet Union is being steadily defeated by German forces, and while there is aid, it is limited. Once the Communists run out of ammunition, their offensive will cease.

"Secondly," He Yaozu's condition gradually improved, "the Communist Party's battle report is inaccurate."

"Since ancient times, war propaganda has always had political objectives, often denigrating the enemy and strengthening the party itself. The Communist Party claimed that its forces totaled over 100,000, but the actual number was estimated to be far greater. This number may have included Soviet support troops, or perhaps Soviet and Mongolian troops directly participating in the attack against the Japanese invaders, with the Communists simply following in their wake, providing auxiliary attack. Take the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, for example. The Japanese had 120,000 troops, while our army numbered over 200,000. The Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain... was a tragic defeat, with our casualties exceeding 100,000, while the Japanese suffered over 10,000. In this battle, the Communists may have tripled their enemy casualties, killing and wounding over 20,000 Japanese soldiers, while reducing their own casualties by a factor of three, to over 60,000. Therefore, even if the Communists attacked from the south, our army would still have a chance of victory."

"Finally, the Communist Party's struggle was also constrained by the international situation," he concluded. "Although the Soviet Union and Japan currently have an alliance, a war between them is ultimately unavoidable. Many Japanese advocate a northward attack on the Soviet Union, joining forces with Germany to destroy the Soviet Union from both east and west. Therefore, the Soviet Union needs to have a force in China to contain the Japanese invaders. Our army is the orthodox one, and Stalin needs our army greatly. We cannot allow the Communists to advance southward, sparking civil unrest in China and thus weakening the force that would contain Japan, allowing it to advance northward."

The analysis was brilliant, the arguments well-founded, and, moreover, all of this was concocted in a matter of minutes. He Yaozu was truly worthy of being called one of the top social animals of the Republic of China. After he finished his analysis, Chiang Kai-shek's expression finally relaxed a little. But then, his face tightened again.

"Stalin clearly promised to aid us, yet he continued to aid the Communist Party, the Party's greatest threat. How despicable!" He cursed, gripping the armrests of his chair tightly, then releasing them and pressing his bare forehead. "The problems of the Party and the country are actually all internal!"

He asserted, "Japan has never been in a crisis of national destruction. This time, the Soviet Union is aiding the Communist Party, and war between the Soviet Union and Japan is inevitable! If war breaks out between the Soviet Union and Japan, the powerful countries of Britain and the United States will inevitably suffer the consequences! After the consequences...

The Sino-Japanese issue can be easily resolved if Japan is willing to play nice.

"It's not impossible to have an equal and cooperative attitude towards common prosperity. But now, the enemies of the Party-state are right inside China!"

He Yaozu's subtext was clear, and Chiang Kai-shek had already heard it - if the Communists maintained the momentum from this campaign, then the Nationalist troops on the Guanzhong route into Sichuan would be unstoppable. If they wanted to resist, they would have to hope that the Eighth Route Army ran out of ammunition, suffered heavy losses, or that Stalin would restrain Zhu and Mao.

"I've long said that to resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the country... Now, if the Second Army in Nanzheng is unable to resist the enemy, and the Communists, freed from Soviet control, move south from Guanzhong, wouldn't they be able to storm Sichuan and Chongqing today? Weiwen, whose forces are currently flank-ing Li Jifu's Second Army?"

"Boss, it's Pan Zhongsan's unit in the Sichuan Army," Lin Weiwen, director of the First Division of the Special Operations Office, quickly replied. He was in charge of military affairs himself, so he remembered this particular detail. "Their unit, the 8th Division of the 3rd Army, is stationed in Lizhou and Baoning, flanking Nanzheng and Qinzhou. They were transferred here from central and southern Sichuan two years ago."

"Pan Zhongsan? Pan Zhongsan! It's that guy!" After Fu Yisheng was dealt with, another Pan Zhongsan appeared!

Chiang Kai-shek was struck by lightning, pacing back and forth in the room. "Why is it him? How can we allow the Sichuan Army to guard the flank of our Second Army? If they are secretly colluding with the Communists and opening the passage, wouldn't they be inviting a wolf into the house and destroying the Great Wall? Wouldn't I have to bow to them?"

Everyone was silent. Pan Zhongsan's transfer here was your personal order, intended to break up the Sichuan Army's alliance and prevent it from uniting again. But how could you say that on the spot? "This Communist Party is making me uneasy, and these local warlords are making me uneasy! No, go call and get Yunong!"

Chapter 496 Japanese Analysis

Chiang Kai-shek was thinking about how to deal with the warlords, while the Japanese were analyzing their own war situation.

Hattori Takushiro and Sanada Joiichiro, one is the chief of the Operations Section of the General Staff Headquarters, and the other is the chief of the Military Affairs Section of the Military Affairs Bureau.

The former had been to Ethiopia to see Italy suffer a setback, served as a staff officer of the Kwantung Army, and was beaten by the Russians at Nomonhan. He would later write a stupid book called "History of the Greater East Asia War"; the latter was one of the famous "Three Traitors and Four Fools", had served as a company commander and chief of operations of the China Expeditionary Army.

Both of them held the rank of colonel, and Hattori Takushiro had just been promoted to colonel, no more than half a month ago. The person they were questioning was General Okamura Yasuji, the commander of the North China Front Army, who held the rank of lieutenant general.

The meeting took place in the staff room in Tieshishi Hutong. Decorated with white walls and green floor paint, the room boasted a large military map hung on the wall and a row of telephones and radio equipment. However, these items had been moved to the side. Several people sat at the table in the center of the staff room: Okamura Yasuji and Tanabe Moritake on one side, Hattori Takushirō, Sanada Joiichirō, and two young staff officers from the headquarters on the other.

"Your Excellency, the two Section Chiefs,"

Deputy Chief of Staff Yumi Jingsan entered the room with his orderly. The orderly placed hot tea, rolls, and cookies on the large table. Yumi Jingsan then placed a thick stack of files on the table, laying them out in a row. Then, he nodded and bowed, then backed out.

"Section Chiefs, please have some tea," Okamura Neiji took a sip of the bitter strong tea and grabbed a piece of chocolate chip cookie, "These are just some insignificant specialties of Peking. I'm sorry that I can't use the unique flavor of beer to treat you.

"Please continue."

Although the Imperial Headquarters' staff officers held low ranks, they were considered "imperial envoys" carrying orders from the Imperial Headquarters, and no one dared to ignore them. Hattori Takushiro and Sanada Joiichiro, upon landing, immediately went to the North China Front Army's headquarters and demanded a full staff meeting to review this "unprecedented and utter defeat that humiliated the Imperial Army and destroyed the lifeline of Manchuria and Mongolia."

This was not a difficult task. The front staff quickly set up the battle formations on the sand table and map, and based on the existing intelligence, demonstrated the process of the battle between the Communist Army and the Imperial Army.

Lucheng fell, Houhe Special City fell, Jining was attacked, the 26th Division was blocked in the mountains and had difficulty advancing, Fengzhen was attacked, the 51st Division (formerly the 2nd Independent Mixed Division) was hit by light bombers, Yunzhong was attacked... Then, the counties and towns in northern Shanxi, Suiyuan and even Chahar Province, which were short of troops, were lost one after another. In the end, the front line barely stopped west of Zhangyuan.

The battle had just ended a few days ago, and the staff of the Mongolian army had just been called in for a meeting. Many of the front army staff were also eyewitnesses of the battle, so they were familiar with reenacting it.

However, due to the rapid pace of this battle, none of the command structures of the annihilated Japanese cavalry group, 26th Division, and 51st Division escaped, and the front army was unable to fully grasp the actual battlefield situation. From the Japanese perspective, this battle had many strange aspects, and two genuine Showa staff officers began to ask questions like machine guns.

"Mr. Okamura, why is it that the actual strength of the Communist army has never been clearly stated in this simulation?"

"Hattori-kun, due to the enemy's extremely rapid attack, exceeding the maximum speed stipulated in our military manual, the headquarters of the Cavalry Group, the 26th Division, and the 51st Division were suddenly attacked and were unable to fully report the situation. Ultimately, the only intelligence we could obtain was from the defeated soldiers of the 51st Division."

"Mr. Tanabe, Chief of Staff, please answer: According to previous reports from the North China and Central China Front Armies, the Communist Army excels at guerrilla warfare within its base areas, and when it reaches the periphery of these base areas, it primarily engages in harassment. Why did they launch an active attack this time?"

"Section Chief Sanada, there's no rule that the Communist Army can only circle around the base area. If they have the strength, any general will attempt to attack—you and me are no exception. In fact, in the previous report on the cross-border operation in Hebei Province, I mentioned that the Communist Army has the ability to confront the Imperial Army head-on."

"Well, respected Commander Okamura Yasuji. Given the outcome of this battle, the headquarters hopes you will come up with a plan to expel the communist army and recapture Suiyuan." "Ahem!"

Hearing this, Okamura Neiji choked on the tea in his mouth. "I'm sorry."

He wiped up the tea, put the tea biscuits back on the plate, and muttered:

"No problem, Section Chiefs. If General Headquarters is willing to send five more divisions to North China, I will personally command the campaign to recapture Suiyuan."

The topic was talked about to death.

"It's impossible for the headquarters to say, 'Don't attack Suiyuan,'" but it's also impossible for them to send five more divisions to North China. The staff room fell silent, with only the sounds of drinking tea and eating biscuits. "How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Sanada Joiichiro muttered to himself, "Has the situation in North China really become like this? How is this possible? How could the Communist Army have done this? To defeat three divisions of the Imperial Army, they must have at least three times the enemy force, over 200,000 Chinese troops! No, no!"

He rejected his own idea: "How could such a large army be assembled and mobilized in advance without being discovered by our army? Impossible, impossible!"

"Mr. Okamura, could it be that the Akuro army is directly involved? If they are, then it's possible they could defeat our army with fewer troops." Hattori Takushiro had calmed down. He pointed to a corner of the map and asked a question on Sanada's behalf.

"Mr. Okamura, why did the North China Army report that the International Brigade remained in the Hejin Triangle? Why couldn't the North China Army issue an early warning of such a major mobilization?"... Even a scholar from the headquarters like you actually took this seriously.

Okamura didn't respond. Seeing no answer, Hattori didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he lifted the flag representing the International Brigade from the Hejin area and planted it at Fengzhen, continuing his analysis.

"Previously, Lord Itagaki mentioned that the Communists might have multinational columns similar to those used during the Japanese Civil War. Recently, the Chinese Expeditionary Force's intelligence agency in the Magic City reported that, through intercepted Nationalist telegrams, they learned that General Chuikov, Chilu's senior advisor in China, had left the mountain city and traveled to Communist-controlled territory. Is it possible that he was commanding the Communists in this battle?"

"I hope this battle is not commanded by the naked General Chuikov."

Okamura Ningji shook his head and said nonchalantly, "A commander commanding a force must have a good understanding of his subordinates' combat capabilities, a good grasp of the situation, and trust in his officers and men.

If Chuikov commanded this battle, it would prove that even in

Even when the commanders were unfamiliar with the troops, the Communist Army was able to unleash such terrifying combat power.

"Chilu is currently fighting the Duguo. Chuikov will eventually return to Chilu, and Communist commanders like Zhu, Mao, and He will undoubtedly take over. They've been commanding the Communist Army for ten years and are incredibly familiar with the troops. So, won't the Communist Army become even stronger in the future?"

Now, everyone became depressed again.

"The current situation is unacceptable! We must summon the spirit of the Imperial Japanese Army!" Sanada Joiichiro suddenly shouted, "We must summon the very essence of the Imperial Army to deal with this situation!"

"Section Chief Sanada's courage is truly admirable. So, how many additional troops is the Imperial Headquarters preparing to send?" Okamura asked calmly, "If we have five fully equipped divisions, not only will the situation in North China be reversed immediately, but Suiyuan could even return to the Imperial Army's fold."

"Your Excellency, Commander Okamura!"

Hattori Takushiro suddenly shouted, interrupting Sanada Joiichiro's frenzy, "Please teach me."

"Japan is the strongest country in Asia, and the Imperial Japanese Army is the strongest military in Asia!" He stood up and bowed deeply. "And the Army! It is the Emperor's reliance! The next moment is a critical moment for the Army to achieve new glory, an opportunity for the Army to prove itself! The Army's honor must not be tarnished by the government, and His Majesty must not doubt the Army's capabilities!"

After he finished these pointed words, he repeated, "Regarding the situation in North China, I would like to ask for your advice."

Ah, it seems the higher-ups have already made the decision?

Okamura Neiji, who had worked in intelligence, understood the subtext of the operations chief's words - the Empire was preparing to go to war again, and maintaining the situation in North China became the top priority - he could ignore Suiyuan.

"I don't really have much to say. Currently, the Empire's primary enemy in North China is the Communist Army. They should be placed on an equal footing with the Nationalist Army in national policy responses, or even a higher level. Therefore, I request that too many troops not be withdrawn from the North China Front Army."

"Second, the North China Front Army really needs fresh blood."

Okamura stood up and walked over to the large military map hanging on the wall. "Right now, the 22nd and 6th Divisions (formerly the 17th Independent Mixed Division) of the Central China Front Army have assembled and are heading north to reinforce the battle in Dezhou. I hope they can be transferred to the North China Front Army."

"The 22nd and 66th Divisions can continue to serve as dispatched units, deployed long-term to North China for combat operations," Hattori Takushiro said, "just like the 106th Division previously.

"Third, I hope the Army will prioritize North China in aircraft development. In this campaign, the 51st Division suffered heavy losses from Communist light bombers. The Army Aviation Department reports that the enemy aircraft are incredibly sturdy and agile. Even if our soldiers try their best, we are unable to defeat them due to our inferior weaponry."

"The war deployment is unlikely to change, and the 3rd Air Division may be unable to return, sir. However, the Army Air Force's new fighters can be given priority in North China. I will report this to headquarters."

—――--———

"That's fine too. Finally..." Okamura Neiji added, "I probably need another division."

"Why is that, sir?" Hattori Takushiro asked. "The Central China Front's support troops already include the 22nd, 66th, and 106th Divisions. Isn't that enough?"

"Garrison... In order to rescue Zhang Yuan, I have already sent the 64th Division (formerly the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade) around Sijiu City. It was originally stationed in Tianjin as a reserve force.

The 27th Division has just returned to its base after nine months of continuous combat.

It’s almost unusable.”

Okamura Yasuji threw up his hands in despair. "To be honest, Section Chiefs, the entire city of Taipei is practically defenseless right now. Order is maintained by mobilizing the Japanese community..." He hadn't finished his words when a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from Tieshishi Hutong. Arime Seizo, the Deputy Chief of Staff who had just left, led his team in.

"Excuse me, sir! There's artillery fire!"

Strong guards rushed over, pinning the four men beneath them. Amidst the chaos, Neiji Kazemura didn't hear the explosion of the shells landing. Instead, there seemed to be a series of buzzing and popping sounds, like the firecrackers set off during Chinese New Year. Then, there was a cacophony of voices, filled with joy, shock, and fear.

He slowly pushed aside the curtains with his fingers and looked out.

Outside the window, colorful flyers are falling from the sky.

Chapter 497: Summary of the Eighth Route Army

"Now, please invite representatives of the advanced collectives who have performed outstandingly in this campaign to come to the stage!" Quack, quack, quack, quack!

There was warm applause from the audience. The military representatives who were fortunate enough to attend the commendation meeting stood up calmly or excitedly, saluted other representatives, and then walked onto the stage that originally belonged to a rural opera troupe.

Commander Yang Jisheng accepted several silk banners from nearby soldiers and presented them to the unit representatives, saluting them. The award recipients solemnly accepted the banners and stood at attention in return. Finally, they stood in a row, displaying their golden honors to the audience, saluting their own special moment.

This is a golden stroke in the army's honor book and a proof of their military achievements.

In this battle, many advanced individuals and teams emerged from the participating troops, creating many astonishing and even unbelievable achievements.

Individual achievements were categorized as special, first, second, and third class merit. These achievements were reported by grassroots units, cross-checked by units at all levels, carefully selected, and then submitted for approval by the Front Command and awarded by the Central Military Commission. The Battle of Western Inner Mongolia resulted in one special merit, three first-class merits, and numerous second and third-class merits. These soldiers, who flexibly utilized objective material resources and fully exerted their subjective initiative in the heat of battle, were truly "hardcore and ruthless individuals."

For example, a firearms platoon leader of the 52nd Division in Northwest Shanxi led his troops to penetrate the rear of the Japanese troops of the 26th Division. He first took out two Japanese sentry positions used for warning, and then used turtle punches to successively destroy seven Japanese troop transport trucks and two armored vehicles, blocking the road. Finally, he repelled two Japanese counterattacks in succession and killed more than 80 enemies until our army's encirclement troops were in place and wiped out the enemy.

Another artillery scout from the 3rd Howitzer Regiment of the Artillery Column, separated from the main force, went deep into the enemy's rear alone, detected a large number of high-value Japanese targets, and successfully guided artillery fire to destroy three Japanese squadron and company assembly areas, a field artillery position, and an ammunition storage point. Finally, he used a scavenged Type 99 light machine gun to capture a Japanese squad of eight people and escorted them to nearby Chinese troops...

In addition to individual achievements, there were also many collective feats. During this campaign, the Military Commission approved "honorary titles" for several units and produced pennants to commend the collective's heroic deeds.

For example, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Training Division of the Mobile Corps, during the campaign to annihilate the 26th Division, led their troops in a well-organized, outflanking, motorized march of 180 li, traversing the mountains and valleys of the Daqingshan base area, and within a single day, they attacked the Japanese command center of Fengzhen. Not only did they completely destroy the 26th Division's command structure, they also captured a half-Japanese flag (one intact, the other damaged). The Central Military Commission awarded them the title of "Storm 3rd Brigade," recognizing their exceptional qualities of swift mobility, fearlessness of hardship, and overcoming dangers, like a divine force descending from the sky, to successfully complete their mission.

Of course, there are also some posthumous honors among them.

大青山715团4营1连3排，在7月29日夜至30日早晨那噩梦般的12小时里，率全排坚守1325高地。面对六倍于己的敌军

They repelled the Japanese army's five consecutive night battles charged by drugs.

When the battle was almost over, the rear support was blocked by artillery fire, and the machine gun cooling water had burned out, the 3rd Platoon bravely launched a counterattack, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Japs, and repelled the Japanese army's 6th charge.

When the attacking Japanese squadron almost lost its combat effectiveness and the new reinforcements launched the seventh attack, the last few wounded soldiers in the 3rd platoon ignored the Japanese's persuasion to surrender and detonated the last explosive pack when the Japanese entered the position.

This unit was posthumously awarded a collective special merit and an honorary title. The Daqingshan 715th Regiment, a leading local force built to field army standards, was also recognized as the "Hongshaba Heroic Regiment." Using Hongshaba as their core position, they held off the relentless assault of the 12th and 13th Regiments of the 26th Japanese Regiment for 12 hours, pinning them down on the Fengzhen-Jining road and making an irreplaceable contribution to the complete annihilation of this main force of the Mongolian Army.

There are merits, but there are also shortcomings. The collectives that have made merits need to be commended, and the units that have not done enough also need to be criticized.

Adhering to the principle of seeking truth from facts, the frontline command of this operation reconstructed many details of the battle and also pointed out many deficiencies. Besides the issues often complained about by logistics units, such as "logistical disarray and misreporting of requirements," and the troops' "overemphasis on howitzers and cannonballs while neglecting the use of mortars," some units clearly became a little "overconfident" when they had a firepower advantage.

For example, a unit of the 11th Division of the Northwest Field Army, which crossed the river from the Zhaojun Tomb Ferry, relied on its own 75mm M1 mountain guns and 12mm MO howitzers to launch an attack on the 72nd Cavalry Regiment and the puppet Mongolian Army. However, its front-line commander turned into a "tactical reckless man who commanded the left and right flanking attacks" and only issued orders such as "Company 1 to the left, Company 2 to the right, Company 3 to follow me head-on, and charge after the artillery fires." He recklessly launched a strong attack.

In the end, while the 11th Division, with its overwhelming firepower, managed to break up the positions of the 72nd Regiment and the puppet Mongolian troops, it also suffered unnecessary losses. The most severe losses came from the 72nd Regiment's cavalry, who launched a desperate counterattack. In that desperate Japanese counterattack, an entire company of the 11th Division's frontline troops was ripped apart by the Japanese cavalry's charge. Although these Japanese cavalry were ultimately cut down by a hail of bullets, they still inflicted devastating casualties on our troops—and this loss could have been avoided.

Of course, as a learning-oriented military, in addition to commendations and criticisms, a large number of suggestions for improvement were also collected, discussed and summarized, forming valuable guidance for subsequent operations. These included experiences like "how to most comfortably carry a three-shot rig for T-bone ammunition" and "strapping a laser pointer and flashlight to a straight grip and using a thumb toggle button for simultaneous searching and waist-fire."

Professional skills such as "how to quickly identify the load-bearing structure of a civilian house and how to blow a hole as quickly as possible" and "the strategic thinking behind searching house by house to capture the Japanese commander alive";

From the macro perspective of "planning operations centered on campaign objectives" to "some ideas on organizing the coordinated combat system of the Air Force and the Army..."

All of this was summarized and compiled into a volume. Some of it was forwarded to the military industry and theoretical research departments, asking them to find solutions to the soldiers' pain points. Other materials were distributed to the troops in various bases for organized study and reference, allowing them to learn and improve even without experiencing the battlefield firsthand.

After all, not to mention how enviable the powerful mobility of motorized troops is, the combat effectiveness of light infantry under effective infantry and artillery coordination is enough to make all the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army excited: it would be great if we could achieve this level.

No, we can definitely do it, and then drive the devils out of China completely and thoroughly!

Chapter 498: Wasp, Shenmu, China Aluminum

Liyang, Guanzhong, Shaanxi Province.

At this moment, Liyang has become a large construction site. The Infrastructure Corps, which was once responsible for the construction of factory and mine roads in the border area, has withdrawn more than half of its troops to the south and hired a lot of new labor locally to build infrastructure in many places in Guanzhong.

Compared to the first round of development in the Border and Huinong Districts, the Eighth Route Army's transportation resources were now under less pressure. The Border's industrial facilities already provided most of the steel, cement, bricks, and basic electrical equipment, not to mention the substantial support of the canteen supply system. However, the development of Guanzhong still fully utilized the Northwest Corridor Transport Group's transportation capacity, forcing the Eighth Route Army to temporarily suspend the importation of military equipment from overseas.

Although nowadays the border areas rarely need to import complete military equipment.

The cement complexes in Fuxian and Yaoxian have taken shape, Xingping's second air separation facility is being erected together with the synthetic ammonia equipment, and Chang'an's university and scientific research center are rapidly developing based on the fixed assets left over from the former Guojian Military Academy... In Liyang, the prototype of a sea of ​​aircraft has begun to take shape.

Construction is underway on an aircraft manufacturing base, centered around an aircraft overhaul and assembly plant, supported by aluminum processing and processing plants, a dedicated power plant, and several supporting factories. While the plant, which began construction in the 40s, still lacks much equipment, the basic infrastructure, including the building and factory itself, is essentially complete, awaiting final finishing touches and acceptance.

Among them, the Luyang United Aviation Power Plant^, introduced under the contract of Pratt & Whitney and Chanceworth, is the brightest star in the Aviation City: this factory will undertake the R-1830 Twin Wasp, R-20 Twin Wasp D (subsequent) and R-2800 Twin Wasp - which are relatively easy to produce, and the R-985 Little Wasp and R-1340 Wasp engines used for transport aircraft and trainer aircraft will be taken over by existing factories in the border areas to start production as soon as possible.

According to estimates by American engineers, at the current construction speed, these hardworking workers could begin assembling their own "Wasp" series engines as early as 1943.

Right now, an R-2800 engine is running furiously.

Around it, a loose circle of people gathered - some Chinese, some Americans, and some "counter-revolutionary White Russian" advisers "from the Gulag."

"Davalixilu, how long has this engine been running?"