Canteen System Assistance Notes

"Chen Gongshu, the Party and the State have nurtured you for over a decade, yet I never imagined they would produce such an ungrateful, heartless individual. Today, you actually have the nerve to accuse me. Even at the brink of death, you're still slandering me. You've betrayed your superiors... no, you've betrayed your country and defected to the Wang Puppet regime. For this alone, you deserve immediate execution."

"My dear colleagues, although we belong to different factions, please lend me a pistol. Once the ship docks, please allow me to enforce the 'house law' and make it known to the world!"

Special Agent Legacy - New Fourth Army Special Agent Battalion

(Special Setting Chapter)

Starting in 1938, under the personal leadership of Premier Wen Jiabao and the "Three Swords to the South" campaign by Minister Deng Xiaoping and Li Zetian, the New Fourth Army's development entered a relatively positive trajectory. After Chiang Kai-shek's failed attempts to instigate rebellion were met with a relentless barrage from the Communists, the New Fourth Army adopted a more pragmatic approach to handling various issues.

However, despite this correct attitude, objective realities persisted. The New Fourth Army's divisions were primarily located in East and Central China, surrounded by a complex web of forces, including a mix of Japanese, puppet, and stubborn Chinese forces, as well as numerous militias with diverse identities and mixed stances. Furthermore, the New Fourth Army also had to contend with numerous armed groups comprised of both civilian and bandit elements, creating an exceptionally complex situation.

This special situation exposed a rather strange demand.

The main forces of the New Fourth Army's divisions were undergoing regular field and regular training. The main forces of the various bases had already begun to take shape. Once deployed, they could easily wipe out the puppet bandits and even face off against the Japanese. However, the main forces made too much noise in plains and hilly areas, and even regimental-scale guerrilla warfare could easily alert the enemy and give them time to prepare.

These stubborn enemy and puppet bandits who persisted for a long time after the strikes often had their own unique advantages: either they had complex connections between multiple forces, or they were located in an area where the enemy and our own fronts intersected. In such cases, when the main force arrived, they would either have fled and disappeared, or the surrounding enemy and puppet forces would also mobilize, causing the operation to escalate rapidly and turn into a mess.

At the same time, as many Japanese and puppet regimes were crushed by our army, the New Fourth Army's sphere of influence began to extend into cities temporarily controlled by the Wang Puppet regime and the Japanese army. This increased the likelihood and scale of urban warfare, and the smaller "armed work teams" began to face shortages of manpower and firepower, making it difficult for them to cope with the evolving situation.

As a result, the various bases of the New Fourth Army raised the following demand: Is it possible to organize a capable team to assist in quickly resolving battles that were inconvenient for local troops to handle, and to provide strong support to armed forces behind enemy lines, such as the armed work teams?

Thus, the New Fourth Army Special Forces Battalion, which was famous in the history of this time and space, began to take shape gradually.

This force needed sufficient firepower to quickly overwhelm an equal number of Japanese and puppet troops in combat. It also needed to be lightweight enough to easily penetrate the enemy's rear without attracting attention. It also needed to have amphibious capabilities to meet the needs of river and stream crossings in the surrounding area.

There were many requirements and good ideas. Although they could not be truly perfect, this basically determined that the armament of this unit would be different from that of the general New Fourth Army. After exploration and discussion among several divisions of the New Fourth Army, these units had a basic prototype in the summer of 39:

Members of armed work teams and reconnaissance units from various places are selected and paired with local soldiers familiar with the local terrain to form small-scale teams that generally do not exceed company level and at most do not exceed battalion level.

They were armed with fully automatic submachine guns and a small number of rifle-capable long guns, and had their heavy water-cooled heavy machine guns and barreled artillery removed and replaced with air-cooled light machine guns, "turtle fist" launchers, recoilless guns, grenade muzzle launchers and other equipment - at the expense of a certain degree of firepower continuity in exchange for an extremely high density of firepower projection in close combat.

Unable to sustain continuous operation, cars and trucks were phased out and replaced with bicycles, horses, and a few motorcycles. Radio communication equipment was also widely deployed. Finally, through communication channels with the rear areas of the North China base area, inflatable powerboats and Japanese-style folding boats were obtained from Eighth Route Army comrades, giving the troops mobility and carrying capacity exceeding that of two legs.

If we make an inappropriate analogy, the New Fourth Army's new special forces brigade is probably a unit similar to the "FR" (Armed Reconnaissance Company) - a

Their available firepower, communication capabilities, and mobility far exceeding those of troops of the same level allow them to easily deal with infiltrating bandits. They can also block and investigate regular Japanese troops when encountering them, and call for reinforcements from local and main forces. They can even assist the Urban Work Department and the Armed Work Team in exterminating traitors, act as training schools for militia guerrillas and local forces, and train communicators, scouts, and backbone soldiers for them, achieving the effect of "scattered like stars in the sky."

For example, the Fifth Detachment of the Special Agent Battalion, dispatched from Qinchuan, Jiangsu Province, by the New Fourth Army's Sixth Division, was originally tasked with assisting the Pudong Detachment in evacuating vital personnel and supplies from the Magic City, and providing crucial "seeds" for the establishment of its own special agent force in the western Zhejiang base. However, due to changing circumstances, they were forced to enter the Magic City at the request of their superiors and remove the fangs of No. 76.

For a time, from the Hubei-Henan base area to the Anhui, Henan-Anhui-Jiangsu, and Jiangsu base areas, all the traitors and puppet troops were rumored to have a lot of new "painted devils" on the Fourth Master's side, who specifically targeted the traitor troops with many black spots on the red and black lists. Sometimes, after a night, the entire sentry post would be silent, with only a dozen dead bodies left and a large poster informing the masses.

Japanese troops in central China also began to spread rumors that the "international forces" within the northern Communist army had sent small, elite units south to support the Communists in central China. They also claimed that one of these "international forces" was a Japanese colonel named Morishita, who had defected from the Imperial Army and revealed its weaknesses to the Communists. Consequently, the Japanese army suffered defeat in every small-scale attack, and their large-scale attacks were met with failure, gradually falling into a situation similar to that of their counterparts in north China.

While actively performing their duties and dealing with enemies that were inconvenient for large forces and could not be defeated by small forces, the "special agent soldiers" in the various bases of the New Fourth Army in central China also actively summed up experience and iterated tactics. While inheriting the New Fourth Army's combat capabilities in the lake and river network areas, they gradually formed tactical habits with their own regional characteristics.

The special forces under the Second Division of the New Fourth Army near the canal developed a set of tactics for dealing with the Japanese and puppet troops' canal ships. They studied how to quickly intercept the Japanese and puppet troops' small steamers, quickly suppress the decks, and sink or capture them as appropriate.

In the area of ​​the New Fourth Army's Seventh Division in central Anhui, the special agents often wore short shirts and makeup and used various legal identities to conduct intelligence reconnaissance. In the Hubei, Henan and Anhui areas, the Fifth Division, while being able to go down the river, was also good at mobile warfare in mountainous jungles and cultivated the largest number of sharpshooters in the New Fourth Army.

The New Fourth Army's Fourth Division, led by Peng Xiudao, developed a set of tactics based on cavalry and cavalry artillery, emphasizing high-speed maneuvers and long-distance raids. They maneuvered and attacked the enemy in areas where the enemy, puppet forces and diehards were intertwined.

A detachment of the Special Forces Battalion of the New Fourth Army's First Division, located in the Suzhong region of Jiangsu Province, worked closely with the local New Fourth Army Coast Guard Regiment and the New Fourth Army Headquarters. They not only provided tactical instruction and cadre training for the main force, but also developed a training program encompassing naval warfare, amphibious operations, and beachhead operations—including a complete set of procedures for boarding enemy ships and engaging in combat inside them.

These tactics and battle methods, which are different from the original time and space but are derived from actual combat experience, have experienced the Anti-Japanese War and the War of Liberation in this time and space together with the troops that carry them. Finally, in the not too distant future, with the reorganization and transfer of various troops, they will be passed on to new special operations, armed police and even naval forces, becoming the heavy memories in the honor rooms of meritorious troops.

Chapter 548: The Historical Crutch in the Aftermath

(Update)

The central government finally allowed Wen Qiang to go back.

The situation behind enemy lines was complex. In many areas still under Japanese control, our Party and our army could not always project sufficient force as they did in North China. Underground Party organizations operating in these areas always had to be cautious - so sometimes, based on the principle of unity against external enemies, slight compromises were necessary.

Besides, Wen Qiang didn't have enough blood on his hands to warrant a direct execution. Instead, Chen Gongshu, one of the captured former "Four Heavenly Kings" of the Military Control Commission and now a Wang Puppet regime spy, was indeed involved in the plot to murder our Party comrade Ji Hengli and had indeed surrendered to the Wang Puppet regime. It was during the interrogation of the "hostages" captured by Wang Puppet's Unit 76 that he discovered a big fish like Wen Qiang among the kidnapped "hostages."

However, after contacting the Military Control Commission through channels and agreeing on the time and place to transfer Wen Qiang, our party's intelligence system learned a situation through the internal notification of the Military Control Commission - Wen Qiang separated Chen Gongshu's head, took a photo and brought it to Boss Dai; Boss Dai attached the photo to the report and reported it to Chiang Kai-shek.

The report boasted about how the Military Control Commission's Shanghai Station Action Team worked together with the Special Forces, how they meticulously planned, smuggled weapons, and hid in front of the enemy, and finally seized the opportunity when Wang Puppet's No. 76 Agent was feasting with Japanese military police and gambling with No. 92 puppet policeman, and drove in a Yuan Dynasty fire truck filled with kerosene and detonated it. Thanks to the heroic sacrifice of XX martyr, "No. 76 agency was completely destroyed and dozens of Japanese puppet leaders and military police were killed", making it a glorious moment for the Military Control Commission in the anti-traitor operation in 1941.

Chiang Kai-shek also played a classic check-and-balance operation in this link. Wen Qiang, the main planner who "personally commanded the operation on the front line", received a Blue Sky and White Sun Medal and was promoted to the rank of Major General in the National Army; while Dai, who "instructed Wen Qiang to plan the operation", only received a First Class Baoding Medal and the rank of Infantry Colonel, which was actually one level lower than Wen Qiang.

This was probably to establish Wen Qiang within the Military Control Commission system, in preparation for sharing Chiang Kai-shek's hatred and diverting conflicts.

As for this "shameless act of stealing credit, given that the intelligence within the National Army was almost transparent to the Japanese Army, it would probably serve as a good distraction in the subsequent investigation by the Japanese garrison, the Special High Section, and even the Military Police." Our Party's intelligence department could only laugh it off - the National Army gained face, and our army gained substance. This inexplicable "model of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party" came to an end in such a weird "tacit" way.

And it was in this atmosphere that the month of 1941 finally tore into that famous day.

The Pearl Harbor incident also developed normally as in history. The Japanese fleet "as promised" attacked the US naval base Pearl Harbor in the Pacific, and "as promised"

"It severely hit many American battleships anchored in the port, and even the Arizona

—As usual, the ammunition depot is gone.

Of course, there should be no conspiracy theory elements in this: the US aircraft carriers were not completely absent from the nearby waters, and the Enterprise was actually not far from Pearl Harbor; the oil depots filled with heavy oil were not only extremely difficult to burn, but also difficult to explode. There were also raised firewalls separating the oil depots, and a few bombs could not cause a chain reaction. If they really wanted to destroy the Pacific Fleet's heavy oil reserves, they would have to let the Japanese battleships, facing the fortress guns on Oahu Island, get close enough to bombard the oil depots with naval guns.

It was under such circumstances that more than half of the battleships of the US Pacific Fleet were basically immobilized, and nearly 5000 casualties occurred; President Roosevelt also delivered the famous declaration of war speech on the radio, declaring war on Japan on behalf of the United States, and opening the curtain of the Pacific battlefield of World War II.

At the same time, Japan declared war on Britain, Britain declared war on Japan, and then the Republic of China finally declared war on Germany and Japan... From then on, World War II broke out in full swing.

For the time traveler Liu Helian, this was a sense of relief, as if the second shoe had finally fallen from the second floor. However, after the conversation on the top of Fushi Mountain, the Chairman's words, "Those historical crutches you know are indeed just crutches," still made Liu Helian feel a little uneasy.

After all, as a time traveler, when the history you are familiar with changes more and more, your original experience may not only be of no help, but may also become pedantic prejudice, leading you to make big mistakes.

So, while he was still in the border area, he re-examined all the information he could gather and compared it with the "original history" he already knew. Fortunately, there were changes, but they were still within the scope of what he could control.

The situation on the Pacific battlefield is generally unnecessary to explain; the domestic history has already been completely shattered. Liu Helian first reviewed the changes he had brought about—the cafeteria system.

Now the application and use of this 'golden finger' has been standardized. As a mobile resource in the hands of the Party Central Committee, the canteen branches that can be deployed on the fly in the areas under the actual control of the Communist Party of China (full control at the county level and above) have been deployed in multiple bases in North China and Central China. Some bases even have multiple headquarters and branch-level branches.

At present, one or two branches have been deployed in Fushe, Ning Province, Guanzhong and even the Yumen area in the rear where the border area is located. Branches have also been deployed in Shandong Province, Northwest Shanxi, Shanxi-Suiyuan, Taihang, Suiyuan, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei Province, as well as northern Jiangsu, Hubei-Henan-Anhui, Henan-Shandong-Jiangsu-Anhui, Hubei-Henan Border Region and the Wanjiang Military Sub-district where the New Fourth Army is located.

According to statistics, as of the end of 1941, a total of 8 headquarters-level units and 12 branch positions had been used, and 4 branches were still available.

基于这些强有力的支援，通过根据地军民的顽强努力，位于华中华东地区的新四军5师、1师、3师、7师和4师均得到了极大的发展。而随着日军调动华中地区2个师团又一个前独立混成旅团（现已改编为师团)的兵力北上支援冈村宁次，位于洪泽湖的新四军2师和位于沙家浜的新四军4师也压力骤减，获得了生存发展的宝贵空间。

Even the Japanese army's slow response during the Magic City operation and its lack of effort in subsequent pursuit and suppression were historical changes that occurred under this situation.

So, the situation in central China has improved significantly, and the situation in northern China has undergone a major change. The Japanese army has switched from a full-scale offensive to a focused offensive, and then from a focused offensive to a full-scale defensive. However, it is unknown when the official moment of change will come.

On the European and Atlantic battlefields, the British seemed to fight better than in history.

With the addition of a large domestic oil field and the gradual strengthening of defenses over the large domestic oil field, the British alleviated a large part of the pressure on crude oil transportation.

Then, the British, having freed themselves from crude oil restrictions, set about supporting Britain's old

The basic industry, in conjunction with Canada, began to vigorously produce a number of escort ships to strengthen its own maritime security.

The Flower-class frigates that had been produced in advance and the improved "Castle-class frigates" joined forces with many ocean-going SLOOPs and began to sail on the Atlantic route, pulling back all kinds of supplies from their younger son, the United States, to support the war. Because of the reduced pressure on shipping, the British even converted many merchant ships into armed anti-submarine ships, mixed them into the merchant fleet to drive away single U-boats. Up to now, the Germans' "first happy time 2" has passed, and the British seem to have gradually emerged from the shadow of the wolf pack.

Even... Liu Helian noticed that at this time and space, the British did not even hand over to the Americans vital overseas bases such as Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and British Guiana, but only exchanged the Newfoundland base, which was originally next to Canada, for about 20 US flat-deck destroyers.

However, this improvement in sea transportation did not seem to affect the North African battlefield too much. How could Mr. Fox still defeat the British? Liu He scratched his head and confirmed that the battle report was from a month ago, that is, the latest one in early November. This time lag in information transmission made him, a person who used to enjoy current affairs news, somewhat uncomfortable.

But the current changes... is it that while German losses on the Soviet-German battlefield are increasing, the mustache guy is also diverting resources to support Mr. Fox? Or is it that the British are failing again?

——-—――——

Liu Helian, eager to see the latest battle reports but unable to, could only turn around and search for Soviet reports on the Soviet-German battlefield. Compared to British data, which had to be collected and organized by the Eighth Route Army's overseas agencies and relayed to the border areas, Soviet data had become increasingly timely after the initial chaos.

On the northern front... German forces besieged Leningrad, and supply levels within the region had fallen to a minimum, but were beginning to recover. The Soviets resupplied the city via the frozen lake, and the Red Navy used large seaplanes to resupply the city... On the central front... After crossing Smolensk, the Germans approached Moscow, but encountered stubborn resistance from Soviet troops, halting their advance. Comrade Stalin issued the order: "Not a single step back!"

It seemed that many situations were different from the familiar Soviet-German battlefield in his mind. Although the German offensive kinetic energy seemed to have not changed strategically, but... perhaps because he had followed these old generals in the Central Committee for a long time, Liu Helian keenly felt that the German offensive pace had slowed down and was blocked earlier than in history.

Perhaps these continuous quantitative changes are lacking a key time node to transform into qualitative changes... He thought as he continued reading.

South... German troops are approaching the Don River defense line. The fighting on the Perekop Isthmus has subsided, and the Primorsky Army is facing off against the German infantry division across Lake Sivash... Hmm? The Perekop Isthmus... The Perekop Isthmus is still in Soviet hands?

Liu Helian's brain froze for a few seconds, then he reacted quickly.

It was late November or early December 1941, and the German army hadn't stormed into Crimea? Huh?

Chapter 549: Human War (Part 1) My Choice

Whoosh—boom!

Two shells rose from the distant horizon and landed on the rubble-strewn ground, exploding into two dust clouds. Then, two more shells.

Boom boom!

This time, the shells landed on the distant Soviet positions - the 105mm artillery lifted the dirt and mud in the trenches high into the air, and then let gravity slam it back to the ground.

These two relatively accurate artillery rounds served as a signal. A few seconds later, a continuous barrage of 105mm shells, mixed with 150mm shells, began to fall. The explosions briefly dispelled the winter chill and blew the unmelted snow and mud high into the sky.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

The short bursts of gunfire were like dull drumbeats. When they reached Clervigne, they sounded like popping fish bubbles with your hands, thick and distant. Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!

Inside a barn, there were knocks on the heavy wooden door, six rhythmic knocks, no more, no less.

"What color is the most popular down jacket in the 'Beautiful Neva River' state-owned store?" A muffled voice came out through the wooden door, or rather the wooden hatch.

"Clover!" Vanya tightened his cloth bag and said loudly. But then he was hit on the head by the person next to him. He quickly lowered his voice and repeated: "Black and white clover!"

Crunch!

The wooden trapdoor finally opened, and a man poked his head out to look around. He then quickly told the two men to go down into the cellar. Then, after checking the surroundings were safe once more, the man slowly retreated back into the cellar. Finally, the trapdoor closed again with a soft click.

The peace in war is a precious thing, even if it is only temporary.

The warm but not stuffy air in the cellar made Nina Pavlovna Petrova breathe a sigh of relief when she entered. In this small village, a fireplace was lit in the small cellar inside the barn, and the heat was dissipated to the surroundings through the iron chimney.

"Comrade Captain Sokolov, Vanya and I are back. How are you?"

"Comrade Nina, thank you for your concern. The situation couldn't be worse. The Cossack boy was on guard on the roof, but he didn't see any Germans." A man with bandages on his head and hands sat back on the straw that served as his bedding, but the pain from his wounds made him grimace. "Vanya, let me see, what treasures did you bring back?"

"Uncle Andre, it's food!"

Children of fifteen or sixteen were quite lively. When Andrei Sokolov called his name, he began to take out treasures from his cloth bag: pickled dried meat, a kettle... and two cans of "delicious prawns" with pictures of brown bears and pandas. Vanya lined these things up on the ground in a row, like shining medals of honor.

"What a great boy! When you grow up, you'll be even more powerful than Uncle Andrei. Comrade Nina, where did these cans come from? How's the investigation going?"

"Vanya took me to the west side of the village on the way back. There was an abandoned hunter's cabin there, just like the one I used when I hunted before.

-There's a food cabinet buried in the ground - but we have to excuse it for now.

The owner of the cabinet."

"That's Uncle Jaeger's." Vanya, who had put away the cans and walked to the fireplace to start heating them and making dinner, suddenly interrupted. His high spirits suddenly calmed down, and he said in a tone that didn't belong to a child, "Uncle Jaeger reported the news to the militia uncles, and then he was hanged by the Germans - he wouldn't blame us."

The two adults were silent, and suddenly the only sounds in the cellar were the crackling of wood and the snapping of a child's can opener.

The situation in Leningrad has become a stalemate.

The Germans had essentially completed their encirclement of the city. While they were unable to rapidly break through, they were still able to launch localized offensives, gradually pressing the Red Army's defenses within the city. On the southern front, where the captain was stationed, the two sides were engaged in daily artillery fire, fighting over villages and roads.

Recently, the accuracy of the German artillery fire has greatly increased, gradually making it difficult for the Soviet troops in front to hold on. The bombardment that was previously only aimed at the position has begun to turn into an artillery bombardment against the offensive assembly points and newly built fortifications. The flying 150 and 105 shells destroyed the trenches and bunkers that the Leningrad citizen volunteer team had worked hard to dig, and even killed and injured many citizens who participated in the labor, as well as several teams preparing to launch exploratory attacks.

"To launch such an artillery attack, there must be an artillery observation post hidden in the shadows."

"But, Comrade Captain, there really are no Germans at the damn observation post you mentioned. Although the observation conditions there are the best, we have carefully investigated and confirmed it again and again. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a genuine Nazi artillery observation post there.

"However, we have made other discoveries."

The female sniper, Sergeant Nina Pavlovna Petrova, placed the map on the table and began to explain the results of her reconnaissance today while eating: This is a very simple hand-drawn map, like... Oh, it's from a child's...

Although the child's casual scribbles are simple, they can indicate the relative position relationship.

She held a bullet in her hand and pointed in another direction on the map.

"Today, we set out from the village of Clervigne and marched about three kilometers northwest to scout the village of Unomol. It had been completely destroyed by artillery fire, leaving only a large amount of debris and rubble. About three kilometers to the north of it was the position of the 10th Internal Affairs Division, which met the characteristics you described.

"We didn't find any organized German troops in the village, but we did find a Panzer III assault gun. There was a brick bonfire around it, with tableware and cans on it, as well as traces of burning wood. The car's tracks were broken and it couldn't move, but there were tools next to it, and the engine was still running. I guess they were starting the engine to charge the radio battery?"

"It is indeed possible. Did you fire?"

"No, because the enemy situation is still unclear, and Vanya is still hiding nearby. The sun sets very early now, so I decided to retreat first."

She paused and made her own judgment: "Comrade Captain, I think that the village of Unomore is the Nazi artillery observation post in front of our position. And the crew of that assault gun should be the one serving as the German artillery observation post."

The broken-down assault gun, the crew that could not be withdrawn, and the artillery observation post that remained on the spot.

This is a very reasonable assumption, and if you simply recall the time period, it basically fits. Did these Nazis even train their tank crews as artillery observers?

Reaching out to take the prawn, bacon, and biscuit porridge from Vanya, he scooped out a spoonful and put it into his mouth. Captain Andrei Sokolov from the 10th Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs fell into deep thought. What should he do next?

Even if you count the Cossack Corporal Yermakov who was on guard outside, he was the highest-ranking person here and should have taken on the responsibility of command - or rather, they stayed behind to help investigate the potential German observation post because they met him by chance.

Now, if he had already detected the location of the Nazi artillery observation team from a rational point of view, he should find a way to return to his own front line: to request reinforcements, to request artillery bombardment. The best case scenario would be to organize an armored force for a short raid to completely destroy the broken-down assault gun and eliminate the few remaining Nazi crews.

But how can we allow ourselves to always implement such a "foolproof plan" under the current circumstances?

The captain recalled the scene when he had set out. Shortly after several company-sized reconnaissance troops set out from the front line in the direction of Leningrad, some of them were discovered by the Germans, attracting artillery fire; others engaged in premature combat with the Germans and were forced to retreat early...