Canteen System Assistance Notes

The life of the Kuomintang-controlled area newspaper later became the "fighting bravely and bravely"

The heartfelt speeches became the cold words and numbers in the electricity supply of preserved fruits.

Even after the battle, the story wasn't over yet—the 62nd Army stationed in Qujiang still had to guard against Zheng Guiting's troops from the Xinmian 11th Army, which was rushing to reinforce them. Fortunately, Yu Wuqi urgently dispatched the 65th Army from Wengyuan to block the Qujiang garrison, making it difficult for the newly formed 11th Army, which was heading south, to enter the city, forcing them to sleep in tents for several days.

In the end, seeing that there was no opportunity to take advantage of, Zheng Guiting could only leave in disappointment.

Even more darkly humorous, the orderly retreat, with the government providing hospitality along the way, was a welcome relief. The British sailors who had completed the evacuation remarked in an interview after arriving in the mountain city that while the initial escape was fraught with danger, the subsequent journey over land felt nothing like a battlefield retreat.

Some even felt that apart from the restrictions on daily travel distance and air raid defense, this "thousand-mile escape" was like a pleasant outing.

All of the above may be the price of a "highlight".

Chapter 559: After the Inventory, a New Beginning

(Inventory chapter)

War is the continuation of politics, and the mother of war is politics. This is what Clausewitz said.

Although both are superstructures based on the economic base and have an important reaction effect on the economic base, the military and politics do extend and influence each other in many cases.

Therefore, as a political force that can be regarded as one of the two major powers in China, and a political entity that strives to stand out and attract attention internationally,

The Eighth Route Army, or the CCP, was inevitably forced to fight at this critical juncture.

Some political battles.

The rescue operation in Guangdong and Guangxi was only one part of the plan; even the transfer of personnel in Shanghai was a crucial component. Furthermore, the Eighth Route Army, operating from the enemy's eastern Hebei base area, conducted special operations to intercept a train bound for Jieshi Island from Sijiucheng. They raided the train, which was being escorted by the Japanese, and seized US Embassy Marines, along with several boxes of "confidential cargo" whose contents they themselves were unclear.

These goods were soon returned to Fushe along with the increasingly prosperous infiltration flights between various bases and were properly preserved; the US Marines were also protected by the Jidong base and returned to the Eighth Route Army's control area through the Pingbei and Pingxi bases.

Compared with the operation in Guangdong Province that was disrupted by Chiang Kai-shek's telegram, this operation, under the personal command of Commander Bao from Jidong, was as precise as a marine clock in a watch shop. Apart from the dead Japanese, Americans knocked unconscious by stun grenades, and a few unlucky people who sprained their ankles, there were no casualties.

In addition, the evacuation operation in the city of Sijiu was also quite smooth.

The 64th Division (formerly the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade), familiar with Peking's terrain and underground forces, was forced to confront the Eighth Route Army in the Zhangbei and Zhangyuan areas. Meanwhile, the 14th Division, a newcomer to the Utsunomiya gyoza, had to defend over 200 strongholds (historically, 15, with approximately 300 strongholds) along the Peking-Jidong line, while also dedicating artillery to "village raids." This stretched the division's manpower considerably. Even with the assistance of the North China Special Guard, the city's defenses remained as porous as those of a ragtag group.

So during this period, the urban work group in Peiping stopped posting anti-war leaflets in the city, but began to assist people like Zhang Hongzhao who wanted to evacuate but were unable to move to leave Peiping. They also returned to the rear through the Eighth Route Army's increasingly prosperous infiltration channels and went to Haojing or the mountain city.

As for people like the "British Eighth Route Army" and the "black radio master" Michael Lin, they had already established contact with the Eighth Route Army and had already gotten a car out of the city, without needing anyone to help them evacuate.

Of course, simply withdrawing personnel can only reduce some losses and provide some powerful bargaining chips for the CCP to speak out at home and abroad. A more direct attack on fascist Japan requires the support of some other conditions.

As the saying goes, World War II was a collision of steel and fire, and a competition of industrial strength. In the original time and space, it was precisely because of its unparalleled industrial strength that the Allied camp in World War II gradually overwhelmed the aggressive Axis camp in the war situation, laying the foundation for the world pattern after World War II.

Therefore, developing industry in China, which is still a backward agricultural country, even if it is to create a self-circulating industrial system that still needs to import some key consumables, can show its overwhelming power.

For example, the Eighth Route Army's "Three Musketeers" of steel located in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Suiyuan area in the rear of the Anti-Japanese War - Huinong, Fushi and Tuocheng complexes. Among these "Three Musketeers", the Huinong Steel Complex, which was built the earliest and had the highest level, was the leader.

Aside from the Fushi Iron and Steel Complex, which largely relied on pig iron and supplies from the canteen system in the Kuomintang-controlled areas and focused on smelting special steel to supply military needs, and the Tuocheng Consortium, a public-private partnership focused on producing ordinary steel to meet the deployment of the construction and civilian markets, the Huinong Iron and Steel Complex finally completed the three phases of construction to the highest standards originally planned in December 1941, evolving into a truly complete complex.

Starting from the beginning of 1937, this complex with a planned steel production capacity of 30 tons borrowed the coal and iron resources of the Shizuishan area. It used a 200-cubic-meter short and fat blast furnace, equipped with a future-oriented double-bed oxygen-blown open hearth, an alloy mixing furnace and a small acid converter, to form a basic product category of multi-form cast iron, carbon steel and a small amount of alloy steel, and possessed self-reproduction capabilities.

Since then, with the help of imported equipment, Soviet aid experts and workers from Shanxi Province and Jidong, the place has a 500-cubic-meter No. 2 blast furnace, which is connected with the air separation plant, and has added advanced equipment such as LD oxygen top-blown converter, LF argon-protected ladle refining furnace and VD vacuum degassing furnace.

These "shortcuts" using correct thinking and "building blocks" using products from the world's shelves have enabled the small Huinong Steel to successfully achieve a total steel production of 300,000 tons with an efficiency six times that of Japan's Yawata Steel Works, while also increasing its cast iron production capacity to one million tons - and this is even just the second phase construction goal of Huinong Steel.

As for now, the Huinong Phase III project, which has been completed and started commissioning, is unable to provide too much new production capacity for this steel plant that has exhausted its design margin.

——A 5-ton argon shielded electroslag refining furnace imported from the United States was installed at Patton Welding and Hui

It will mainly produce special steels with high production difficulty and complex alloy composition to replace some high-end gadgets that need to be completely dependent on imports.

To be fair, the scale of this steel center is really too small, even smaller than Anshan under the operation of the Japanese; but it was also because of it that the CCP did not have to rely entirely on imported materials in the process of accumulating its initial wealth, and was able to use it to learn about industrial operations and urban management, and gradually correct the problems exposed.

It's like a steel heart, not too powerful, but still strong, pumping its blood to every area where it can be used. Thanks to its collaborative efforts with Fushi Steel and the Tuocheng Complex, a series of construction projects in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Suiyuan region, including transportation infrastructure, nonferrous metallurgy, chemicals, and military industries, are steadily progressing. Missing industries are also being gradually added, and even agriculture is experiencing a thriving development, fueled by these efforts.

By the end of 1941, the Border Region had essentially completed the first phase of its internal railway construction, including the construction of simple roads and the gradual paving of key sections. The second phase, currently underway, will focus on key projects such as the Wuzhong Yellow River Bridge and the Fuxian South Line, aiming to extend the railway across the Yellow River and connect it to the existing road network in Guanzhong.

By now, the Eighth Route Army had achieved basic self-production of its own firearms and artillery, capable of producing improved rifles, submachine guns, and other light weapons, as well as 60mm, 82mm, and 100mm mortars and 75mm and 122mm cannons. The army was primarily focused on providing maintenance for these weapons, as well as aircraft, trucks, and armored vehicles. While fully self-produced aircraft and tanks were not yet possible, it was not impossible to produce large-scale technological equipment manufactured in the border areas in the near future.

By December, grain production in Guanzhong, the Ningxia plain, and the former Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region had also reached a bumper harvest. In 1941, a year characterized by low rainfall, land reform, agricultural technology popularization, improved seed distribution, and water conservancy construction led to a 16% increase in grain production capacity in the former Border Region, the Ningxia plain, and Guanzhong compared to 1940, reaching approximately 175 million tons. Oilseeds, cotton, and other crops also saw bumper harvests, seemingly promising a bright future.

"Of course, this momentum is very good - as long as the natural disasters of 1942 don't happen in my time and space."

Recalling the report he had read earlier, Liu Helian did not feel much relief.

On the contrary, this report card, which is considered "extraordinarily good" by many cadres, is still not able to fully cover possible problems in the future in his opinion.

"Leaving aside the potential famine of 42, our plate is now larger and our needs are greater. We can no longer limit ourselves to our own small areas: the restoration of production and subsequent construction in Suiyuan, the strategic offensive against the Japanese in North China...

*Now, we have to think ahead about the impact of future changes in the world situation on us, and even think about our reaction to the world situation - Chairman, after all, we certainly can't be squatting in the cave roof in the valley now. " "Yes, we now have a little family background, we can make steel and iron, and make guns and cannons. If the Western powers are the big landlords, we are a small country.

The people's government also transformed the poor peasants from homeless and naked to rich peasants.

However, the more we saw the power of industrialization, the more anxious our comrades in the central government became, and the more we couldn't sleep.

"This is the situation when we produce hundreds of thousands or even millions of tons of steel. So, what is the situation with the combined strength of the old imperialists, who can produce millions or even tens of millions of tons of steel?

Japanese imperialism is a poor imperialism, and we fought them back and forth. But the new official in Gangcun also made three fires upon taking office, and he also caused us losses. And what about those old imperialist powers that have not yet left the stage of history? Can we pin our hopes on the enemy's brains and expect them to remain confused?

The chairman, wearing sportswear and sneakers, stopped what he was doing.

"So, Comrade Xiao Liu, we Communists are, in a sense, constantly on the Long March. The Long March of the past was a journey across 25,000 miles of mountains and rivers; the Long March of today is a journey to achieve national independence and national prosperity... We must be prepared to face the next, even more severe struggle, minimizing losses and conserving strength. This requires us not only to fight the political battle well and establish the broadest united front, but also to uphold principles and unite those who can be united."

"Comrade Xiao Liu, if you have any emotions about the political battle and the united front, come and tell me; after you speak out, you must continue to contribute to our anti-fascist united front when you leave here." What was originally a normal communication inevitably went awry in the end - Liu Helian, who originally came to visit the Chairman to report on the work and construction progress, ended up being the subject of ideological work by the Chairman.

Seeing the Chairman say this, Liu Helian hurriedly stood at attention and said, "Report to the Chairman, you... I mean, how can you persuade me? I obey the organization's arrangements and have no emotions."

"Oh, that's good."

The Chairman stood beside the millstone and reached into his trouser pocket. But after some searching, he only pulled out an empty cigarette case and a lighter tucked inside. He knocked on the case and looked again, only to find that there was not a single cigarette left.

"Mr. Chairman, although it is difficult to quit smoking completely, health care doctors still recommend that you control your smoking."

"Alas, Comrade Liu Helian, you're good in every way, except for this one thing you're like Fu Rixin," the Chairman said with a hint of irritation. "Every day you expect me to eat more vegetables and not drink or smoke. I'm heading east, not taking Monkey King Chuan'er and Pigsy to India!"

"Chairman, that's not true. On the bounty order issued by Chiang Kai-shek back then, you were worth much more than Tang Xuanzang!"

After saying this, not only Liu Helian laughed, but also the guards beside him and even the Chairman himself. The originally serious atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed. The Chairman put the cigarette box back into his pocket, looked Liu Helian in the eyes and said:

Since Comrade Xiao Liu is so proactive, I can tell you something: the Military Commission has decided on a very important political battle, and a crucial task is being assigned to you. Comrade Xiao Liu, do you have the confidence to complete it?

Chapter 560: Fulfilling the Immorality

Different political battles have different causes.

For example, when talking about the Chinese Air Force during World War II, many people will recall the "moral bombing" - that operation mainly for political purposes, which left a strong mark in the history of another time and space.

In May 2019, in order to launch a counterattack against Japanese territory, the Chinese Air Force wanted to bomb Japan's Kyushu Island using modified Martin B10 bombers. Soon, under the command of pilot Xu Huansheng, Martin B10 No. 1403 and No. 1404 formed a special bombing squadron, departing from Yongcheng, Zhejiang Province, flew to Kyushu Island, Japan, dropped leaflets, and returned safely.

Because the explosives were not dropped as originally planned, subsequent propaganda referred to the expedition as a "moral bombing," intended to give the invaders a stern warning and demonstrate the Chinese people's resolve to resist the Japanese invasion—"a million leaflets can be transformed into thousands of tons of bombs," referring to this incident.

This operation was highly praised by both the Kuomintang and Communist Party leaders. After all, at the time, the Japanese army had already fully invaded China, and the Nationalist army had suffered repeated defeats on the front lines, even the capital Nanjing fell to the Japanese invaders, and hundreds of thousands of compatriots were brutally massacred. In this situation of total silence, the Chinese Air Force sent a mere two fighter planes to the Japanese mainland, completed their mission, and returned safely, which greatly boosted the morale of the entire nation in the war of resistance.

There is no other reason, the Chinese people really need the encouragement of such a victory.

But if we dig deeper, why did the original bombing plan eventually turn into dropping leaflets?

The answer is quite simple: with only two operational bombers in the Air Force at the time, the B-10, with its limited 900-kilometer combat radius, simply couldn't take off from Yongcheng, bomb Kyushu, Japan, and then return to Hongdu and Yushan airfields—a total distance exceeding 2200 kilometers. Consequently, the bombing squadron had to convert its bomb bays into internal fuel tanks to accommodate this long-distance expedition.

But this also had serious consequences: after the modification, the usable load of each B10 was less than 50 kilograms - if it was used to carry bombs, it would be just a few bundles of grenades! The effect of these bombs might not be as good as leaflets with political significance.

But Mr. Ma aptly said: The weapon of criticism cannot replace the criticism of weapons. With the Japanese invaders still lingering in China, sometimes it's better to sober up those unrepentant militarists by dropping "immoral bombs" using explosive materials encased in metal shells.

In the original time and space, if one were to describe China's strongest air force, it would undoubtedly be the Flying Tigers, led by American General Claire Lee Chennault, or the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force. This unit, equipped with 79 Hawke 81 fighters and 82 pilots, was comprised of American pilots and ground crew who volunteered to come to China.

Stationed in Chuncheng, Yunnan Province and Yangon, Myanmar.

When the PLA withdrew to participate in the Soviet-German War, they were the largest and most reliable aviation force in the Republic of China.

Officially established in August 1941, after months of training and preparation, the unit officially took to the skies on December 10 of that year, intercepting 10 Japanese light bombers heading for Spring City and shooting down six of them in one fell swoop, securing its first victory. However, just as the Soviet aid-to-China air force cannot be compared to the Flying Tigers, the highly paid Flying Tigers could not undertake missions such as offensive combat and long-range bombing—they were not originally hired for this mission. Just as foreign pilots could refuse to perform missions during "moral bombing," the Flying Tigers did not need to and could not assume the responsibility of bombing the Japanese mainland.

As for the Republic of China Air Force, it was already a mere shell, and naturally incapable of undertaking this mission. The promise, "If you don't train, a million leaflets will be transformed into thousands of tons of bombs," would likely require someone else to fulfill.

In the unchanged 1941, this wish was at best a fond hope for the Chinese people amidst the flames of war, ultimately confined to idle conversation or even relegated to dishes like "bombing Tokyo." Now, with the rise and formation of another air power in northern China, this once-wild dream has a glimmer of possibility.

Of course, this feasibility is not available to either the American Flying Tigers or the US Air Force.

Since the introduction of British and Soviet fighter planes in 1937 and 1938, the Eighth Route Army's air force officers and soldiers, starting with more than 50 seeds trained in Xinjiang Province, fought in training and trained in combat, and have grown into an air force with more than 100 fighter planes, forming a complete range of combat fleets.

Now, after sending away the last dozen or so remaining "Hurricanes", the 46 F4Fs from the French tail order and the subsequent 64 Wildcats of the same type purchased from Grumman

以及苏联转交的约78架1153、l16-10、116-24/27共同撑起

destroyed the Eighth Route Army's air defense network in North China;

46 American-made SB2U Guardians and about 30 DB7 attack aircraft, also from the French order, worked together to take on the basic mission of ground attack in campaign combat;

American-made Otter, Beaver, and Lockheed L18 transport aircraft became the main force of infiltration flights between major bases. They crossed thousands of mountains and rivers at night, passing through the Japanese air blockade, transporting personnel and high-value materials to major bases.

"Expendable" trainer aircraft like the Anson, Tiger Moth, and Texan shouldered the heavy responsibility of personnel training, providing the aviation fleet with batches of qualified crews and ground crews. Of course, this naturally included the Halifax, a four-engine heavy bomber with only five units, numbered from 401 to 405.

The pilots and maintainers of these fighters have grown up in repeated air defense, interception, and ground support operations, and have been tempered in countless training and actual combat.

Finally, in December 1941, all conditions were ripe and the newly born Eighth Route Army

The air force finally had the ability to take out the combat plan that had been prepared long ago and try to implement it.

Red Flash: Plan for Bombing the Japanese Homeland

Liu Helian picked up the plan, which was so worn that even the edges were furred, and flipped through it. He noticed that the date and time in the text, as well as the rather cryptic title, were filled in with a pen - which meant that the plan was clearly formulated long before the present time.

In the conference room in front of him, the Air Force staff were intensely discussing every detail of the entire plan.

Flight route?

The bombers flew from Fushi to the Ejin Horo training base in Ikh Ju League in the north, refueled and took some ammunition to the completed transit airport in Rushan, Shandong Province, to complete the final supply, and then flew directly to Japan! On the return flight, the bombers could choose to land at Rushan or Rizhao transit airports. The construction of the airports in both places was completed, and the garrison troops also had sufficient capacity to ensure the surrounding security.

How to navigate?

During its previous reconnaissance of Danguan Bay, the "Special Plane" had already taken aerial photos of the Peninsula and mainland Japan, identifying routes and corresponding landmarks. At this altitude, the Halifax could also conduct visual navigation.

In addition, the monitoring station in the Shandong base can emit directional radio waves to provide near-shore navigation services using the "baseline" navigation positioning method. On the return journey, the base's long-wave radio station can be used for navigation - just like the Germans used the BBC radio station for navigation to bomb London, England.

What's more, we have "Special Planes"! "Special Planes" don't need navigation; they can provide guidance for the entire formation. Enemy air defense?

According to special channel information, Japan did not have any reliable national air defense system at this time; and according to the early reconnaissance of the "special aircraft", we have planned

A route that could avoid the Japanese anti-aircraft artillery positions, and taking into account the Japanese Army Air Force

Halifax had plenty of time to retreat after the bombing.

Finally, when are you ready to take action?

In late December! We could learn about the weather conditions at our destination via Japanese radio, or use weather forecasts from the Soviet Far East to estimate weather changes in Japan. As long as the weather was suitable, the bombing formation could set out the night before and complete the bombing run in the early morning hours of the following day.

So, we need night flights?

That's right. All of our bomber crews have at least 200 hours of night flying experience. They are all aces among aces, skilled in instrument flying. Their aircraft have been repeatedly overhauled and modified for night flying, and backup aircraft are also prepared. As for the pilots of the "special aircraft"...

The Air Force staff in the conference room, along with the Central Military Commission members sitting in the back, all turned their attention. For a moment, Liu Helian felt as if the entire world was staring at him, awaiting his response.

He had experienced this feeling before evacuating the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces from Northeast China. At that time, facing the weight of over a thousand lives on his shoulders like an inverted pyramid, he could hardly contain his nervousness and the wild thoughts of the operation failing. He even needed Comrade Ren Bulin's words of encouragement.

And now, Liu Helian actually felt an inexplicable sense of peace - like a breeze in the wilderness, carrying weightless white snowflakes and landing on his heart. Yes, this time, he had to "fulfill his promise."

He closed the slightly frayed cover of the plan manual and replied, "I have no problem. I promise to complete the task."

Chapter 561 Red Flash

The 5 Halifax planes of the Eighth Route Army will face their first battle.

Perhaps even before Liu Helian met with Harris in Canada and decided to kill two birds with one stone by acquiring several heavy bombers, the Eighth Route Army Air Force had already been planning a corresponding operation. Therefore, after the five "unarmed cargo transport planes" arrived in the border area after a long journey, the Eighth Route Army Aircraft Maintenance Plant in Ning Province began exploring the modification of the "Halifax".

The aircraft was fitted with modern electronics and an "electronic Norton" sight to replace the CSBS sight removed by the British; the aircraft's Bolton Paul electric hydraulic cannon was fitted with a .50mm aircraft machine gun to replace the unarmed 7.7mm self-defense machine gun. Of course, the installation of some high-tech experimental equipment was also included in the many modification sections: after all, a larger aircraft can accommodate more things and is indeed much more convenient to use.

Now, in order to carry out expeditions to the Japanese mainland, these five aircraft also need to undergo special modifications.

As Britain's second-largest four-engine heavy bomber, the Halifax had excellent range and payload. It could carry 5.8 tons of ammunition for 1600 kilometers, or 2.6 tons of ammunition for about 300 kilometers.

However, even if you start from Rushan, the easternmost airport controlled by the Shandong base, the round trip distance to reach Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is still 3200 kilometers; if you consider the possibility of making an emergency landing at other airports and leave enough fuel, then at least there must be enough reserves to support a 3500-kilometer flight.

Of course, if the Eighth Route Army was only satisfied with bombing cities like Nagasaki and Fukuoka, then the pressure on the endurance would be much smaller, and only 2000 kilometers would be enough. But if they planned to win this "political battle", then flying the plane over Tokyo would naturally be a better choice.

Therefore, the Eighth Route Army was ultimately unable to escape this fate and had to perform "range extension" operations on the Halifax. The Red Air Force's pilots and ground crew fully utilized their collective wisdom and scientific approach, customizing a detailed plan for aircraft modification based on current and future data.

First of all, of course, is to lose weight.

Although it did not have to be as embarrassing as the B25, which had to install wooden sticks to replace the self-defense machine guns, remove the protective armor plates, carry oil drums in the cabin and have the crew refuel manually, the Eighth Route Army ground crew still tried their best to remove everything that could be removed without affecting the function of the aircraft.

Secondly, bring as much oil as possible.