Canteen System Assistance Notes

There was a slight ripple in Dong Xiancong's heart.

It's not that he was unprepared for this matter. In fact, at the discussion meeting before the Seventh National Congress in 39, Comrade Liu Helian had already given everyone a heads-up on this matter - as long as the Eighth Route Army showed its ability to win the war against Japan, demonstrated the capabilities of a modern national government in industrial development and administrative governance, and joined the world anti-fascist camp with an independent attitude, then "the Allies asked the Eighth Route Army to send troops abroad" would almost inevitably happen.

It can be seen from the fact that this meeting directly bypassed the issue of preserved fruits that this is a kind of recognition, but also a price.

Everyone knows that if China wants to break away from the "fruit preserves" and fight for "Chinese legitimacy" with an independent and self-reliant attitude, it must act internationally. Everyone knows that in the international community and the anti-fascist camp, China, with its comprehensive strength weaker than that of the great powers, will obviously need to bear responsibilities, and even a situation of "asymmetric power and responsibility" will arise. Everyone also knows that retreating to a small cave and adopting "isolationism" is not the way a country that will stand on the world stage in the future should act...

However, big talk and big principles are all just one set of rules. Who would be willing to let their children go to a battlefield thousands of miles away?

As a member of the World Anti-Fascist Alliance, it is our unshirkable responsibility to contribute to the anti-fascist cause." Dong Xiancong began with a beautiful remark, "However, the Japanese invaders still occupy most of China's territory, and tens of millions of Chinese people are still trapped under fascist rule."

"Let's have a good talk about these two things."

Dong Xiancong analyzed calmly that although the suggestion to participate in the formation of the Allied Reserve Combat Corps was made by the Soviet counselor, it was actually a common demand of both Britain and the Soviet Union.

However, there are differences between the two parties' seemingly consistent interests.

The situation on the Soviet side was crystal clear: the Soviet Union was about to face, or was already facing, the German "Big Blue Plan" (Groses blaues). The Soviet command clearly wanted to mobilize as many available troops as possible to fight on the dangerous southern front. After the Xinjiang Incident, the Soviet Union had contacted the Chinese Communist Party through the border region in advance, hoping to withdraw the mechanized "Red Eighth Regiment" and the ethnically-oriented "National Army" deployed in Xinjiang.

At the time, considering that these two units were either directly Soviet or heavily influenced by the Soviet Union, the Central Committee agreed to the Soviet request. The Soviet suggestion that the Eighth Route Army form a "reserve corps" and march to Iran was most likely intended to replace the Soviet garrison on Iran's transportation lines—a point Gromyko later formally articulated.

In other words, the Soviet bottom line was that the Eighth Route Army replace the two cavalry divisions, one infantry division, and two mechanized regiments—roughly 20,000 men—that were assigned to the Soviet railway lines in Iran. These troops were primarily stationed near the Iranian railway line, which was then shared by China and the Soviet Union. Their primary missions were to suppress bandits, maintain public security, and escort supplies, with no frontline combat involvement.

Because it also cooperated in transporting a large amount of Chinese supplies, the Soviet Union felt that it was very promising to persuade the Eighth Route Army to help manage this section of railway.

Of course, on this basis, it would be even better if we could further mobilize the Eighth Route Army's human resources and get it to agree to send more troops to support the Soviet army's flanks.

The British's thinking is more complicated: they are in a state of high "contradiction".

The British, like a ruined landlord, were unwilling to use their already limited resources to directly confront the Germans, preferring instead to encourage others to fight on their behalf. Yet, despite their expertise in offshore balancing policies, they were also deeply terrified of the situation spiraling out of control: they genuinely feared a German push through the Caucasus Mountains, or that the gray-green-clad Nazis would charge headlong into the Middle East, forming a strategic pincer attack on the Commonwealth forces alongside the powerful German-Italian North African Corps.

In this way, the entire Middle East and even West Asia, countries that had long been oppressed by Britain, might directly join the Axis camp. To be honest, if the British had not been so inactive in recent years, those countries in the Middle East would not have been instigated by the Nazi forces. Therefore, once the German army penetrated the Caucasus, the remaining systems of the British Empire might have disintegrated directly!

It was impossible for the German army to cross the Caucasus Mountains, but the British didn't know it!

At this time, Dong Xiancong, who had read the "O Material", had an innate advantage.

As expected, after a few brief rounds of tug-of-war, the first person to lose his temper was Robert Craig, the British ambassador to the United States, who was the most arrogant and pretentious.

Seeing that China and the Soviet Union began to discuss the details of the "railway protection force" to guard the Iranian railway, Keliqi had to raise his hand to interrupt. He still maintained that Oxford accent, but his tone was a little more hurried. "If only 2 people are sent to replace the Soviet railway protection force, then the contribution to the Soviet front line will be no more than an army-level unit, and there is no way to have any decisive impact on the front line.

"We believe that Communist China needs to withdraw at least 20 troops, 20 divisions, to form two armies, and ensure that at least one army group can be transferred to the Caucasus Mountains at any time - considering the strategic significance of the Eastern Front, protecting the railway is not the highest priority.

"China has ample manpower. I know that Chiang Kai-shek's government in the south can recruit a million young men every year. Although the population of northern China is slightly smaller, 20 should be no problem."

Oh, 20 divisions, I'm afraid they are planning to replace the entire "Persian-Iraqi Force" and stuff it into the North African front. Dong Xiancong, who had long seen through the British trump card, sneered in his heart, this Claytsch is really annoying, he really deserves to be the guy who can make peace with Japan.

But on the surface, he answered neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"But the Iranian channel is indeed the key to fighting Japanese fascism, and fighting Japanese fascism is also the current priority of the Allies. The two are equally important, and there is no question of priority."

Dong Xiancong also raised the banner to refute, and replaced a key message: "The Caucasus Mountains are thousands of kilometers away from the front line, and there is at least one Soviet front blocking the way. Even if the reserve battle group is stationed in Xinjiang, China, it can be transported through the railway.

Road can also be deployed to the front line when necessary.

"At present, we have just completed the Thunderstorm Campaign and eliminated the Japanese invaders entrenched in Shanxi Province. The troops have suffered heavy losses and are in urgent need of supplies and personnel replenishment. At the same time, most of the troops fighting in China are light infantry, which are not suitable for the Caucasus direction.

The German invaders fought with a high degree of mechanization.

"So, if we need to go to the Middle East, we must at least equip our troops to the level of a motorized army. This requires long-term training and additional equipment, and we also need an open area - in my opinion, Xinjiang Province is a good place, with its climate and

The environment is pretty much the same.”

He narrowed his eyes and smiled:

"In addition, we need to mobilize young volunteers to join the army, and to replenish them with weapons, uniforms, armored vehicles and other supplies, and continue training to strengthen the troops to the level of motorized troops - at least better than the troops you deployed.

It has to be stronger, at least be able to defeat the Japanese - only then can it play a role on the Eastern Front.

During this time, the Nationalist Army was arguing with the British over the command of the expeditionary force, which delayed the expeditionary force's entry into Burma for several months. During these months, most of the British Indian Army's 17th Division surrendered to the Japanese Army, with only a small part of the

The British Burmese Army's 1st Division, which was weaker in combat, was completely destroyed and became a prisoner of the Japanese. However, the National Army, which was close to the border, fought hard and held off the Japanese Army, which was weak in attack due to the limit of logistics.

The comparison made the British army lose face and seem weaker than the National Army.

As expected, Robert Craig's expression brightened as soon as these words were spoken. However, as a veteran British socialite, he quickly adjusted his demeanor amidst the mischievous glances from the other representatives.

"The German army's advance is swift. A mechanized German army can advance 100 kilometers in a single day and nearly 1,000 kilometers in two weeks." Clutch, drawing on his German-praising skills, exaggerated, "If your army were deployed in China's border provinces, it wouldn't be able to keep up. Look, France, once a European land power, had its defenses shattered by the Germans in just two weeks."

When he talked about France, his mood had clearly adjusted: "So, I believe that Communist China should deploy at least 5 troops in the Iranian region and ensure that another 5 can be mobilized at any time, with a reserve force of 10." "We can help solve the problem of equipment and weapons."

Klech pretended to be very distressed and took out a list. "We have found a rich stockpile of weapons in the Iranian region, which comes from the generous Iranian Army: this includes more than 100,000 German rifles, more than 50 howitzers and mountain howitzers, and a large number of light and heavy machine guns, which can provide armament for the reserve combat corps.

"However, these weapons are all in Iran, and your troops will still need to go here to collect them."

He glanced at the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Sumner Wells sitting next to him and lowered his voice, acting like the familiar troublemaker and conspirator.

"We originally planned to arm the Iranians to fight against the German army in an emergency, but because Iranian society and the people have long been pro-German, this plan seems too naive now. Therefore, we hope that the heroic Chinese people will take on this task.

"After all, we have learned from multiple sources that China will face a severe drought this year, and famine is very likely. I believe that if the Allied nations join forces, they can alleviate the losses suffered by the Chinese people in this famine—bread, butter, clothing, medicine... I believe that these will surely play a significant role in your disaster relief efforts."

Chapter 673: Alliances (3) The Long Road

Giving us guns, artillery, and equipment only comes from the disarmed Iranian army; giving us food, medicine, and clothing only comes from the kind-hearted Luo who distributed the supplies; gathering the strength of our allies, borrowing the Communist Party’s soldiers, and doing our best for Great Britain—

In short, Britain is trying to get something for nothing!

one-------

In this time and space, Britain's power and attitude are stronger than in history, so many strange ideas have emerged that need to be abandoned in time in the original time and space.

However, the British people's little tricks were seen as

Sima Zhao's intentions were known to all. China, the US, and the Soviet Union glanced at each other and suddenly all smiled.

Perhaps due to some strange tacit understanding, a subtle tacit understanding began to spread among the remaining three people. Sitting nearby, Sumner Wells, the "good man" representative who was originally accompanying the meeting, suddenly spoke up:

"That's certainly not a problem. If the Chinese people died in the famine, it would be a huge loss for the Allies, a major humanitarian disaster, so the Allies have an obligation to provide assistance." He raised his voice. "So, first of all, I believe that not only does the Communist government in northern China need to protect transportation routes, but it also needs to repair roads and increase transportation capacity while vigorously transporting food and medicine."

"I remember you mentioned that the railway capacity in Iran isn't particularly high, and some sections pose difficulties in transporting heavy goods. They need reinforcement and expansion." Deputy Secretary of State Wells turned to the Soviet representative, who nodded. "America has a responsibility to provide support."

Robert Cretch nodded and smiled.

"On the CCP side, many of the roads in Xinjiang Province and the Northwest Corridor are still dirt roads and need to be hardened and widened. You have workers to build roads, but you lack machinery and fuel." He turned to the Eighth Route Army and received a nod from Dong Xiancong. "This is an investment with high long-term returns, and America is willing to provide assistance."

Robert Critchie continued to remain calm, but his expression showed that he was trying to suppress his joy.

Therefore, the United States will not only provide food supplies and logistical support to the Chinese expeditionary force, but will also assist Iran in road repair, infrastructure construction, and the distribution of disaster relief supplies. Currently, Army engineers and related contractors are ready to land in Iran to build transportation lines and transport supplies. Meanwhile, aviation contractors have arrived at the Isfahan assembly plant to guide Iranian personnel in the reconstruction of the aircraft assembly line. This facility will subsequently become a key node for supporting aircraft assembly and maintenance within the Concession Act.

"The various materials and costs incurred in these operations will be borne and distributed independently by the United States and will not be counted towards the supplies provided by various countries under the Lend-Lease Act." At these words, Soviet representative Gromyko's eyelids twitched, while British representative Craigie's initial joy vanished in an instant, becoming extremely serious.

China, which was originally at the center of the storm, has become a spectator outside the confrontation after this confrontation.

From the British perspective, the Middle East is and will always be the British Empire's sphere of influence. Their current actions are simply an attempt to protect the British Empire's last remaining pocketbook and exploitation territory from the German invaders. Naturally, no one would accept this region falling into German hands. But why, if not German hands, must it be in the hands of the British or the Soviets?

If the Americans are willing to provide supplies for Britain's operation of getting something for nothing, then they would be fools who are being cheated and are not aware of it. But if the Americans not only provide guns, food and supplies to the British for their actions, but even directly distribute food to the whole of Iran, then compared with the Soviet Union that forcibly requisitioned food in Iran and Britain that practiced colonial rule, America will really become a "beacon" here.

So, will post-war Iran fly the Stars and Stripes, or will it still be part of the English sphere of influence?

The Eighth Route Army currently had no interests in Iran, so naturally they didn't feel much. Although the Soviet Union had interests, it was basically unable to spare any forces to intervene at this time. And Britain, especially Britain, which was stronger and more hypocritical in this time and space, felt a serious threat!

But what if they feel threatened? The Americans can just say: If you British have the guts, why don't you send food and medicine to Iran and provide them with material support?

Tensions between the British and Americans immediately mounted, and a heated debate ensued over the distribution and transportation of aid to Iraq. The once close ties between China and the Soviet Union were now reduced to supporting roles. Dong Xiancong, sipping his tea and calmly observing the sudden, serious exchange between the British and American representatives, had a profound realization.

"The imperialists are not a monolithic group."

He naturally welcomed the Anglo-American dispute. As long as the formation and equipment of the Allied Reserve Campaign Corps took place domestically, the initiative would be in my hands. Furthermore, if we proceeded step by step, completing the training of 20 motorized troops—even those involved in maintaining the lines of communication—would take considerable time.

Although the amount of equipment that can be obtained through domestic training will definitely not be too much, the Eighth Route Army does not plan to send more people. At most, it will expand within the system of the Railway Protection Army. After negotiating with the Soviet side on the defense and handover, it will send about 3-4 divisions of troops to participate in the escort of supplies through the Iranian channel to ensure that the supplies can be smoothly transported to the border area.

By the time the subsequent troops had completed their training, it would probably be the second half of 1943. By then, the front line on the Soviet-German battlefield would have changed, and the German army would naturally no longer be able to threaten the Caucasus region. The troops in the country could naturally be transferred out of Xinjiang to participate in the war against Japan.

Of course, if history had truly undergone a major shift, such as the German army gaining assistance from some "trans-time Antarctic Nazis" and transcending physics to defeat the Soviet army and cross the Caucasus Mountains, it's likely that more than just 20 men would have been able to handle the situation. However, all the information and intelligence available to date confirms that the German army has begun to shift from a full-scale offensive to a focused one.

In the Chairman's words, when the Nazis stopped their attack, their end would come.

".....In short, let's not discuss this issue any further."

A little irritated, Robert Critchie adjusted his tie, pressed the table, and forcibly changed the subject. "As you wish, sir," Sumner Wells replied, "What should we discuss then?"

"BCATP, the Commonwealth Air Training Program, that's a very important thing as well."

-------one

Keliqi took a breath and looked at Dong Xiancong, who was discussing the details with the Soviet representative Gromyko. Then, as if afraid that the Americans would repeat their old tricks, he took a deep breath and, speaking quickly but clearly, explained the British invitation and proposal, which was likely to go straight to the bottom line:

"In order to strengthen our air power against the Japanese in the Far East and to ensure smooth operations in Burma, we propose that the Communist Chinese government participate in the BCATP program.

"The UK can provide free, standardized air force training to your cadets at flight academies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. This training will include English literacy and courses in formation tactics, aircraft maintenance, and ground crew organization. You only need to cover the cost of the academies' meals. We suggest you send enough cadets to form two fighter squadrons, one attack squadron, and one transport/search and rescue squadron, approximately 3500 in number. Only those who know the English alphabet will be needed."

"After the one and a half year semester, they will be organized into a Sino-British mixed air force wing under your command, awarded British military ranks, and participate in operations in the China-India-Burma theater under the Allied organization, providing air control, ground support, and air transport for the Chinese and British armies. They will serve for at least one year."

He spoke out all these chips in one breath, fearing that the Americans would grab them first:

"By then, we promise to provide you with the latest fighter jets, attack aircraft, and transport/patrol aircraft. If you have any special requirements, please feel free to let us know—for example, what type of fighter jet you need, or if you need to make some adjustments to the teaching materials to conform to Soviet practices..."

"Of course, if you are willing to fight in other Allied battlefields, such as in Britain, the Mediterranean, or the Pacific... we can also negotiate."

Chapter 674: Alliances (4) The Escaped Noose

(This chapter is omitted)

Although the Harrisburg Conference was still in progress, the Eighth Route Army's affairs, except for some details, were basically determined - the focus of the conference began to become the struggle between Britain and the United States. In terms of overseas operations, after bilateral communication between the Eighth Route Army and the Soviet Union, it was planned to send 3-4 divisions to the Soviet Union under the name of the Railway Protection Army after completing training in Xinjiang Province.

Conducting training and patrols in Iran, stationed in Tabriz, Mashhad, Ash

At the same time, the Eighth Route Army needed to organize a force of approximately 5 troops in Xinjiang Province to form a "reserve corps" with the dispatched troops, and to fight outside the country when the Soviet army retreated to the Caucasus and the German army attacked the Caucasus Mountains.

This force will have its logistics supported by the United States and will be armed with weapons from the Iranian Army. All materials consumed will not be included in the Lend-Lease bill - it is basically free - but as the price of not sending 20 divisions, the remaining 10 Eighth Route Army troops "scheduled to be mobilized in times of emergency" can stay in the country, but will basically have no way to enjoy the logistical and weapons support of the Allies.

As for the BCATP plan, the British clearly intended to leverage Chinese manpower for the Burmese campaign while also influencing the development of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. However, due to the international situation and the Anglo-American dispute, this sugar-coated bullet was somewhat too thick and the bullet too small.

Not only was tuition free, but also free aircraft. Moreover, after a year and a half of training, the anti-fascist war would have most likely entered the counterattack stage.

As for the infiltration of "British thinking", it was obviously no match for the political education of this period.

Education and instructor.

Therefore, without affecting the expansion of domestic aviation power, the Eighth Route Army can send a certain number of flight trainees to participate in this plan, send personnel to Canada and New Zealand for training, and eventually return to China to participate in the war and participate in the combat sequence of the counterattack against Japan.

That is, will Chiang Kai-shek interfere again at that time?

Forget it, leave him alone.

The Eighth Route Army did not have time to worry or think too much about the reactionary government in the south.

After entering the World Anti-Fascist War, the Eighth Route Army had to deal with too many things - within the Allied system, many allies had a common interest in fighting against the fascist Nazis, there were conflicts of national interests, the duality of allies and enemies, and there were also personnel attitudes within each country. The central government needed to consider, weigh and decide many things.

For example, there was another project that was originally planned to consume most of the 42 graduates of the Eighth Route Army's aviation school: the "China-India-Burma Theater Coastal Aviation Force" - a combat force jointly built by China and the United States, nominally commanding all shore-based anti-sea aviation forces on the Chinese battlefield, actively conducting anti-shipping operations against Japan, competing for air supremacy, and carrying out strategic bombing.

This was something the U.S. Navy had agreed to with the Eighth Route Army through John H. Towers and Lieutenant Colonel Evans Fordyce Carlson since the Pearl Harbor incident - before some idiot in the Army could do so. The Navy, which had the initiative and priority on the U.S. side, exchanged a series of interests with the Army regarding the right to use the base in Shandong Province, and finally reached a relevant agreement after repeated negotiations with the Eighth Route Army.

After negotiations in which the two sides fought but did not break each other, with both sides making advances and retreats, and after the quick and easy review by the Eighth Route Army and the complicated and lengthy process by the civilian officials in Washington, the framework or prototype of this force was finally completed in June 1942.

First of all, this force was nominally under the command of the China-India-Burma Theater, but its headquarters was located in the liberated area of ​​the Eighth Route Army and was jointly controlled by China and the United States. It was completely out of the jurisdiction of the China-India-Burma Theater Command and the Commander-in-Chief "Niang Xipi" - considering that the White House ultimately did not blatantly recognize the Eighth Route Army as a political entity, the White House and the Eighth Route Army still gave Chiang Kai-shek a face-saving title.

After several rounds of negotiations, the headquarters' authority was finally divided into the following categories:

Major General Elliott Buckmaster of the US Army participated as a representative of the Navy and Naval Aviation, and was mainly responsible for the command of strategic reconnaissance against Japan and long-sea attack sweeps; Brigadier General Kenneth Wolfe of the Army participated as a representative of the Army Aviation and bomber forces, and was responsible for carrying out strategic bombing missions against the Japanese mainland relatively independently.

Tang Lingyun, a senior commander of the Eighth Route Army's Air Force, and Jiang Hua, who was in charge of intelligence and ground forces, served as representatives of the Chinese Communist Party and were responsible for theater air defense operations, coastal patrol strikes, pilot search and rescue, patrols, and security. Essentially, the Eighth Route Army took full control of air defense, interception, and coastal patrols, while ceding control of distant sea strikes and strategic bombing of Japan to the Americans.

However, the Eighth Route Army imposed restrictions on the scope of strategic bombing on the US military: any attack on targets within the Chinese mainland or territorial waters must be approved by the joint command of both China and the United States. Even if authorized, strategic air strikes on Northeast China and the Korean Peninsula must be led and effectively controlled by the Eighth Route Army. Air strikes on the Japanese mainland and surrounding waters were not included in this list.

Secondly, both sides also made relatively detailed plans for the equipment and logistics of the entire force.

Because the U.S. Army's "personnel home port" was set up in Chengdu in the southwest at the strong request of the Nationalist government and under Washington's "impartial" policy, the "China-India-Burma Theater Coastal Aviation Force" composed of the Eighth Route Army and the U.S. Marine Corps in Shandong Province, which is dominated by the navy, will basically be equipped with U.S. naval aviation equipment.

These include:

Three squadrons of F4U-1-cn, the Chinese version of the "Corsair," primarily responsible for air defense and maritime reconnaissance with missiles;

Four squadrons of PBO Hudson patrol aircraft, Dauntless and Mitchell attack aircraft, supplemented by a small number of B-34/37s, were primarily used for maritime patrol, maritime attack, and maritime reconnaissance; one squadron of seaplanes, a mix of PBY Catalinas and J3R Otter seaplanes (historically DHC-3s), were used to rescue pilots who fell into the water;

Two squadrons of R3O/C87 transport aircraft, which will be deployed in the rear to transport personnel or replenish necessary supplies to airports in Shandong Province when there is a need for emergency supplies or when there are accidents on the ground transportation lines;

And a squadron-sized long-range reconnaissance aircraft - currently, they can only use F4Fs and F4J-1s that have undergone long-range modifications. The Navy said they are coordinating with the Army to get some F5 reconnaissance aircraft (not the jet ones). In addition, there are also some temporary units sent by the Army Aviation.

The Eighth Route Army was responsible for the construction of infrastructure such as electricity, accommodation, airports, roads, etc., and also provided the US military with food, medicine, spare parts, and ammunition.

Logistical supplies including fuel.

Unlike the Army Aviation Corps stationed in Chengdu, whose expenses were entirely covered by Chiang Kai-shek's government, the US Navy had to procure these items from the Eighth Route Army itself. To this end, John Ritoles, the "Magic Ginger Man" and veteran of the US Navy Aviation Corps and temporary representative to the US, also visited the Eighth Route Army's public farms, livestock farms, oil refineries, and the newly constructed aircraft maintenance plant in the Shandong base area to assess the Army's logistical support capabilities.