Canteen System Assistance Notes

As for the issue of firepower, you can refer to the Soviet Union's approach in World War II and install a 45mm gun on a two-man turret, or a 75/76 gun on a three-man turret - in any case, you probably don't use the original 2-pound gun.

Therefore, in the second half of 1941, the Eighth Route Army placed an order for a batch of Valentine tanks from the British, about the size of an armored regiment. The first batch of tanks arrived quickly. The British referred to the specifications of the Soviet-aided tanks and delivered the first batch of 18 MK4 Valentine tanks using American diesel engines to the Eighth Route Army in November 1941, followed by a second batch of 18 tanks.

However, when the second batch was delivered, the British vaguely stated that this batch of tanks might have some "minor, insignificant problems". For this reason, Liu Helian and his comrades in the China Resources system repeatedly argued with Vickers Armstrong Company and obtained an additional British version of the "Mobile Anti-Aircraft Platoon" - finally, in January 1942, these tanks crossed the Indian Ocean and were pulled by trains and truck trailers and arrived in China.

It was not until then that the Eighth Route Army knew what those "small and insignificant issues" were.

"It seems... this Brit gave me a second-hand product."

In Xinjiang Province, the Eighth Route Army responsible for receiving the tanks lifted the oilcloth and took careful observation, and finally discovered something unusual about the tanks. Although this batch of "Valentines" had been sorted out before, thick traces of smoke could still be found inside the tank exhaust ports. The tanks also did not retain the mounting port on the turret like the first batch, so that the Eighth Route Army could modify them themselves, but instead kept the 2-pound gun without high-explosive bombs.

What's more, the blue, white and yellow paint scheme of the British Army in North Africa was also retained on the vehicle body.

The mobile anti-aircraft vehicles used as compensation weren't even tracked chassis. The Eighth Route Army comrades in charge of inspection saw six Humber armored vehicles painted in a desert style, each with a powered armored turret manufactured by Nash-Thompson Engineering Company on top.

This turret was a product requested by the Eighth Route Army. It is considered a fairly advanced air defense product, but the armament on the turret is very pathetic - 4 old "Bessa machine guns" - how much of an air defense effect this thing can have, I'm afraid only God knows.

The only ones that didn't seem to have shrunk were the two AEC-based heavy six-wheel drive trucks in the armored vehicle squadron.

"So you could say the British are a rip-off, even sending us six machine gun tanks. But you can't say they're conscientious. Not only did they give us a bunch of used tanks, they didn't even repaint them. Our troops are desperate for tanks now, and it's probably too late to get them reworked in the factory."

"We have to come up with a plan. We have to find a way to get the tanks to push forward, but we can't let our comrades on the front line use a British turtle with a lump of iron."

The leader of the receiving team in Xinjiang Province, pressing his temple with a headache, raised the question. Behind him, the Northwest Passage transport team was directing drivers to load tanks onto the tank trailers behind heavy-duty trucks, preparing to tow them back to the border region. "If there's no time to upgrade to a 45mm gun, we'll at least have to equip it with a high-explosive round."

"Can we add a row of racks to the tanks and strap some rockets to them? Like the Hangjian-82 and Turtle Fist rockets. Then use a remote control switch from inside the vehicle." Someone suggested, "After all, tanks are in close combat, so direct fire doesn't pose a big problem with accuracy."

"Will this work? What if the Japanese use their small cannons to fire, and the shells hit the rockets outside, causing a chain reaction?" "The tank crew is protected by armor, so it shouldn't be a big problem..."

Everyone chattered, trying to come up with ways to complete the transformation as quickly as possible, while the clerks in the receiving team wrote down these particularly green-skinned or outlandish ideas on manuscript paper, preparing to send them back to the border area. Suddenly, someone clapped their hands and shouted:

"Wait! There's another way. It doesn't require modifying the tank. I've come up with a solution!"

"I heard from a Soviet comrade before, when we were chatting, that they also used these English tanks, but they also didn't have high-explosive shells." He spoke quickly, as if afraid of forgetting this fleeting thought. "The comrade told me that they came up with a crude method: they first unscrewed the warhead of the Bofors shell and stuffed it into the shell of the 2-pounder gun..."

"Soviet comrades have tested it on a test site—it works!"

Chapter 587: An Opportunity I'd Rather Not Have

There is a Chinese saying that "the blacksmith must be strong himself", and Chairman Mao also said, "We (the Communist Party of China) advocate self-reliance... We rely on our own efforts and the creativity of all soldiers and civilians." This all reflects the attitude of the CPC and the Eighth Route Army to always base themselves on their own foundation, practice internal skills, and be self-reliant and self-reliant.

However, while emphasizing its own strength, the Eighth Route Army did not actually exclude external assistance. After all, Chairman Mao also said after that sentence: "We hope to have foreign aid, but we cannot rely on it..." The gradually growing Communist Party of China, while doing a good job in various construction projects in the base area, is also willing to strive for foreign aid on the premise of distinguishing between the primary and the secondary, and strive to use more forces for our own use to achieve our mission and goals.

Therefore, this means that as China's perhaps most important force in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Eighth Route Army also needs to make its own voice heard on the international diplomatic stage.

However, even Abie himself probably would not have thought that such an "opportunity" would come so quickly, yet be so "awkward".

――——―---

At the beginning of 1942, the United Nations Declaration Conference, or the "Arcadia" Conference, was being held in Washington, D.C., USA.

During this lengthy conference, the participating nations signed the "Declaration of the United Nations," declaring their endorsement of the purposes and principles of the Atlantic Charter, formally establishing the world anti-fascist alliance. Simultaneously, through a series of substantive multilateral talks, the Allies, led by Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, established the principle of "Europe first, Asia second" in the war, approved a strategic plan for a North African landing in 42, and coordinated the command mechanism for the multinational coalition's operations.

At the same time, the participating countries decided to establish the US-UK Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the Allied Command of the China-Burma-India Theater, etc., which were responsible for commanding the operations of the Allied forces in specific theaters of war; at the same time, the Joint Munitions Distribution Committee, the Joint Raw Materials Committee and the Joint Ship Dispatch Committee were established to coordinate the acquisition of supplies in many battlefields including the China-Burma-India Theater - mainly US lend-lease supplies - and (hopefully) supervise their rational use.

The Chinese delegation, a key Allied power and a major force in the war against Japan, also attended the conference. Interestingly, given that the Chinese Communist Party was the primary opposition party in China and its army was a crucial force in the fight against Japan, the Eighth Route Army was allowed to send representatives to the conference at the request of the Americans, or rather President Roosevelt.

Thus, in addition to Guosu's ambassador to the United States, Hu Simi, and its representative in the United States, TIVV Song, Dong Xiancong and Acting Political Commissar Deng from the CCP also attended the meeting. Although he was unable to sign the Declaration on behalf of China, Dong Xiancong did speak on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party during the conference, outlining the determination and will of all forces in the Chinese Anti-Japanese National United Front to fight Japanese fascism to the end.

Because the Allies' command, cooperation, and operations involved a wide range of aspects and required a lot of communication, the formal agenda of the "Arcadia" conference ended on January 14, but subsequent related practical meetings and work continued until February.

Representatives of participating countries coordinated and fought in a series of practical negotiations based on their respective combat situations against the Axis powers, striving for interests and assuming obligations.

Dong Xiancong and Acting Political Commissar Deng were no exception.

They had a tacit "division of labor" with the national service representatives in the delegation - members of the Eighth Route Army participated in almost all meetings related to China, and TV Head Song mainly spoke at meetings on economic cooperation and financial allocations - as for Ambassador Hu, well, he took on the role of "spokesperson" for the Chinese delegation, mainly accepting interviews from various newspapers and radio stations, and did not go to the meeting.

However, this strange peaceful scene was soon broken. One day in late January, an explosive news from China spread throughout newspapers of all sizes in Washington. China was ready to renege on the declaration and make a separate peace with Japan!

It is reported that the Chiang Kai-shek government has already started negotiations with Japan!

Ambassador Hu Simi, who loved to talk freely in interviews, was the first to be caught and questioned by American reporters who followed current affairs. He had to evade the question and repeatedly said that his purpose in being an ambassador to the United States was not to support war or seek arms aid, but to do so for peace.

TV Song, who attended the financial conference, also became the target of public criticism. He was at a loss as to what to do and could only repeat himself, "China will not surrender to Japan. As long as the Allies continue to support it, China will never surrender to Japan."

The Eighth Route Army members who spoke at other meetings were immediately thrown into a difficult position, being questioned, mocked, and even attacked by other delegates. Although Elder Dong and Acting Political Commissar Deng repeatedly expounded on the Chinese Communist Party's anti-Japanese attitude and combat strategy, they inevitably caused others to suffer the consequences, making it difficult to cope with the situation.

After all, the Declaration just signed by the Chinese delegation clearly stipulates that "no separate armistice or peace treaty will be concluded with the enemy."

——-——-—-

...In short, it's Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Soong who, feeling their position as top compradors was threatened, recklessly used the situation in the War of Resistance against Japan to threaten the Americans into meeting their demands. Isn't this just a mess? How do they conduct diplomacy?" Acting Political Commissar Deng felt he was mentally prepared for the Nationalist government's various bizarre maneuvers, but this move of directly grilling all the diplomatic personnel on the front line still left him with stars in his eyes and a chuckle.

"Even if Chiang Kai-shek wanted to overthrow us and secure more American aid, wouldn't he have been better off engaging more with the US and excluding us from any negotiations? Isn't it utterly irrational to be clamoring for peace talks with Japan at this moment?"

"Comrade Xixian, this is a normal phenomenon in the Republic of China's diplomacy."

Mr. Dong was more than ten years older than Acting Political Commissar Deng. Having held important positions in the Kuomintang, he was not surprised by this kind of infighting: "At this moment, the diplomacy of our Republic of China government can be roughly divided into three categories: party diplomacy, intellectual diplomacy, and comprador diplomacy.

"This comprador diplomacy is mostly like what Song Guojiu did, mainly asking for money and goods, borrowing and lending, although it is always inevitable to squeeze domestic production and impact national

Agriculture, industry and commerce, and the strengthening of the reactionaries, but objectively they did play a role in the war of resistance.

When it comes to literary diplomacy, the first choice is Ambassador Hu Simi, who was well-dressed and spoke in a graceful manner. Although he did not play any role and spent a lot of national funds, he did not play any role and did not cause any trouble.

As for this partisan diplomacy, it was largely a matter of shouting slogans both domestically and internationally, bluffing and bluffing to demonstrate its own consciousness. Thus, while calling for an alliance with Germany to resist Britain and peace with Japan, they simultaneously invited Soviet troops to enter China to fight Japan, then sought to draw Japanese troops to fight the Soviet Union. Finally, they even went so far as to conceal the truth by prohibiting the translation and dissemination of these documents, which had already appeared in Chinese newspapers, into English. In short, the Nationalist government had all sorts of diplomacy, except for normal diplomacy.

"Alas... this truly proves what Commissioner Liu said: 'I'm not afraid of great opponents, I'm afraid of idiotic teammates.' I never imagined that our first diplomatic mission would lead to such a setback here."

"Although we belong to the same Chinese delegation, the preserved fruits are not ours to manage after all. We must first do our own thing well."

Mr. Dong adjusted his mood quickly. He thought about it and made his own judgment:

"The Americans probably still didn't dare to take the risk of Chiang Kai-shek leading China to peace with Japan. After all, once peace was achieved between China and Japan, the Japanese would have a large number of troops released to compete with them on the Pacific islands, and the American military and diplomatic position would be extremely awkward. This request of Chiang Kai-shek would probably be met to a certain extent.

"But I guess the Americans will find ways to make up for it in other places."

"The most likely scenario, I think, is manipulation of supply distribution and command," Acting Political Commissar Deng analyzed. "Although this is a collaborative effort among the allies, the United States alone among the major allies has remained untouched by the war. Furthermore, the United States has a high industrial output and strong production capacity, giving it a natural say in supply distribution. And through logistics, they could interfere with combat command in a region..."

"I think we could find a way to represent China on various material distribution committees. I see Uncle Song mostly hanging out at financial meetings, and he's not particularly interested in these smaller committees."

"This is indeed the direction we're heading. Adhering to principles, being well-reasoned, and neither servile nor overbearing, we must seize this opportunity and seek a turning point amidst the contradictions—even though such an opportunity does come with some reluctance."

Mr. Dong nodded, confirming the direction of this effort. He said:

"But the fruit is right in front of me, I can't help but pick it up."

Chapter 588 oWI/PO5-E (4207)

Top secret

From: Wartime Intelligence Bureau

Send to: White House Office of Management, Department of State, Department of Naval Operations

Cc: Taijian General

Title: Analysis of the "Bird" Intelligence in the "Eisenhower" Intelligence Files (for conference purposes)

Attached files: 1. "Eastern Bird" 001-173 high-altitude reconnaissance photos;

2. Side view photos of "Oriental Bird" 174-178;

3. "Oriental Bird" 179 photos;

4. "Western Bird" 001-076 high-altitude reconnaissance photos;

5. Image analysis of "Eastern Birds" and "Western Birds";

Since the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy has engaged the Allies in numerous engagements. Unfortunately, due to the sheer force of the Japanese offensive and the incredible speed with which our forces were defeated, as well as the fact that the battles often took place amidst mutual attacks between carrier-based aircraft, we have very little information on the Japanese Navy, especially its mysterious battleship force.

The information regarding Japanese battleships is crucial to the future strategic deployment of our navy. Currently, due to the attack on Pearl Harbor, our navy's available battleships are far less numerous than those of the Japanese. Based on previous intelligence work, ONI has compiled a manual identifying active Japanese naval vessels, which includes estimates of the Japanese naval battleship force. As of the date of this report, ONI's most reliable intelligence estimates are as follows:

1. Nissin-class battleships, five ships, 40000 tons displacement, 30 knots speed, and an estimated nine 16-inch main guns;

2. Nagato-class battleships, 2 ships...

3. ISE-class battleships, 2 ships...

4. Fuso-class battleships, 2 ships…

5. Kongo-class battleships, 4 ships. Estimated speed 27 knots

6. Kasino-class pocket battleships, 4 ships, displacement 12000-15000 tons, speed 30 knots, presumably equipped with 6 12-hour main guns...

Based on this, the Navy's pre-war shipbuilding plans had considered the above-listed Japanese Navy battleships as potential rivals and carried out targeted designs and adjustments: for example, the Montana class designed to target the Nissin class, the Iowa class designed to target the Kongo class, and the Alaska class designed to target the Kasino class.

It must be pointed out that the benchmark for the Navy to make corresponding ship design and construction plans is the above-mentioned ONI intelligence data. Long-term planning based on estimated data itself has a certain degree of unpredictability and needs to be updated and adjusted in a timely manner.

To this end, the Wartime Intelligence Bureau has been committed to obtaining more accurate and "fresher" intelligence on Japanese naval battleships to guide the navy's next actions.

In early February 1942, the Office of War Intelligence received the crucial intelligence document, the "Eisenhower File," forwarded by George David, Director of the Pacific Theater. Deputy Director Eisenhower reported it to the General Staff and the Wartime Intelligence Policy Committee. The report was reportedly reviewed by the "Disney Mission," and Major General John H. Towers confirmed its authenticity, finding it generally detailed and reliable, and highly worthy of further research.

This intelligence was officially handed over to us by Mr. Sawada, a representative of the Red China intelligence agency, the Red Army located in northern China, at a Sri Lanka intelligence exchange conference in mid-February 1942, based on the Orient Express intelligence exchange framework.

Detailed minutes of this meeting are attached.

After receiving the intelligence report, ONI immediately conducted professional analysis:

The Eisenhower Files were incredibly comprehensive, containing 264 enlarged photographs, 23 rolls of microfilm, and six interpretation reports (including a detailed account of the Towers Incident). They included extensive data on the Japanese Army and crucial intelligence on the Japanese Navy. The "Bird" intelligence included information on Japan's newest battleships.

The information contained in the "Bird" intelligence, including the technical indicators and deployment status of the Nagato-class, ISE-class, Fuso-class and Kongo-class battleships, is highly consistent with the ON-1941 version of the intelligence manual. After multiple verifications, the authenticity is very high, and the accuracy of the relevant information can be confirmed.

However, there were significant discrepancies regarding the Nissin and Kasino classes. According to intelligence exchanges, Sawada and Red China's intelligence agencies tended to believe that the Kasino class did not exist, and that ON's information regarding the Nssin class was significantly inaccurate. There was also some disagreement regarding the speed data for the Kongo class.

In addition, "Sawada" cited internal documents of the Japanese Navy and determined that ONI's classified intelligence on Japanese aircraft carriers contained serious errors (see the appendix to the report for details).

As soon as the "bird" was obtained and its authenticity was confirmed, the Wartime Intelligence Agency conducted relevant imaging and intelligence analysis on it.

Among them, the new battleships mentioned in the photos of "Eastern Bird" and "Western Bird" in the document should be emphasized.

Image 1: Aerial view of the battleship Oriental Bird O01, codenamed A140-1 (Author's note: No image available, please imagine. The sacrificial armor photo is the famous Yamato photo on the internet, but it's too large to upload);

Image 2: Aerial view of the Oriental Bird 086, the battleship codenamed A140-1, and the battleship Nagato;

Picture 3: Oriental Bird 179, codenamed A140-1 battleship sprite;

Image 4: Aerial photo of the Western Bird 022, codenamed A140-2 battleship, being installed inside the "Big Dock Bird's Nest";

ONI believes, based on "Bird" intelligence, that this class of ship is a completely new battleship class, distinct from any other class listed in the 1941 ONI intelligence manual. This is done for consistency.

This article will continue to use the code name of "Oriental Bird" and refer to "A140-1/2/3".

generation.

The information that can be confirmed at present is as follows:

1、A140级战列舰拥有超过65000吨的排水量，3座三联装主炮塔，安装有9门18时主炮。考虑到日本设计习惯

"Zawada" tends to believe that when the caliber of the main gun of the A140-class battleship is 18.1, that is,

460 mm caliber.

In addition, the A140-class battleship has four triple-mounted 6.1-hour turrets and six 5-hour twin turrets, which can be used for anti-aircraft fire. As for the secondary guns, the possibility of subsequent ships being modified is not ruled out.

2、A140级战列舰长850英尺左右、宽130英尺左右，被认为拥有27节的最大航速，以及在16节下的超过7000海里海的航行里程;

3、A140级战列舰之主装甲带拥有超过400毫米的防护水平。若是以COO1照片上人员身高为5英尺进行估算，其炮塔正面防护将超过600毫米;

4、A140级战列舰预定建造3艘，后经追加建造1-2艘。A140-1业已下水，预估已服役;A140-2正于船坞内魉装

预计将于1942年9月前完成试航并进入现役;A140-3/4号

The location and deployment of the ship have not yet been determined. It is estimated that it may be under construction. A140-5 should not have started construction yet, and it is not expected to be completed in wartime.

In the Oriental Bird 86 photo, the battleship codenamed A140-1 and the battleship Nagato sail towards each other, presumably taken over Hashirajima Naval Base, Japan. The simultaneous image of the two ships facilitates proportional analysis, allowing us to make a basic inference about the A140 battleship. Beyond the battleship's full load displacement and maximum speed data, ON is inclined to believe that the "Bird" intelligence estimates of the A140-class battleship's standard displacement and armament are valid. (See attached for a detailed analysis report.)

But at the same time, the Wartime Intelligence Office noted:

Although the "Oriental Bird" intelligence came from a spy network allegedly originating from Red China within Japan, Red China's aerial reconnaissance, and the mysterious "Person No. 17," based on the specific parameters of the Fairchild high-altitude reconnaissance optical equipment it purchased, there may be a variety of factors such as misoperation by its reconnaissance personnel, poor maintenance, and atmospheric temperature fluctuations, which may have caused a certain degree of distortion, deformation, and error in the aerial reconnaissance photos, resulting in errors in the proportional method interpretation.

Meanwhile, in analyzing the photos of the battleship "Touhou-no-179," codenamed A140-1, the caliber of the main guns was estimated to be approximately 18 inches by assuming the height of the ship's workers was 5 feet and using perspective to compare. It is possible that the high incidence of malnutrition in Japan may have caused the workers to be shorter than 5 feet, leading to a lower caliber of the main guns.

In conclusion, the Office of War Intelligence firmly believes that ONI's personnel have put in the hard work, wisdom, and courage of their personnel. "The Bird intelligence should not be used as the sole evidence to deny their excellent and outstanding work, nor should it deny or criticize ONI's hard and dangerous work."

Regardless of whether the Torii intelligence's estimates of Japanese battleships, particularly the A140-class battleships, were entirely accurate, it is certain that the Japanese Navy acquired at least one new battleship. Judging by the timing of the battleship's design and construction, Japan began preparations for the A140-class battleships shortly after withdrawing from the naval treaty in January 1936, in preparation for war.

The tonnage and armament of this type of battleship are highly likely to surpass those of our current North Carolina-class and future Iowa-class battleships. While it's impossible to determine the specific technical specifications of its main guns, it can be assumed that at typical engagement ranges, the A140-class battleships hold a significant advantage against similarly sized Chinese battleships.

In this regard, referring to the "Eisenhower Document on Japan's Shipbuilding Plan No. 3," the "Kongo-class Intelligence Summary," the "Hori" intelligence, and the "Eastern Hori" documents, the Office of Wartime Intelligence and the Office of Naval Intelligence jointly proposed the following measures and suggestions for reference:

1. Adjust the shipbuilding plans for the Iowa and Montana-class battleships, and urgently revise the relevant designs to address the situation of the A140 battleships, and build battleships that can rival them;

2. Considering the Kongo-class's higher-than-expected speed and the A140's poor protection, the Alaska-class will struggle to provide a harassing role in battle line combat. It is recommended that their necessity be reviewed and, if possible, their power systems be transferred to the new battleship construction program.