Canteen System Assistance Notes

In one day, they covered nearly 60 miles (96 kilometers), nearly double the distance of their previous longest single-day march. Carlson, panting, sprinted across the mountainous terrain with soldiers familiar with the terrain. The march was now essentially a run, and the rest periods, which had previously been pauses, were replaced by continuous, brisk walking.

This is a "forced march"!

The ever-changing scenery around him forced his psychedelic mind to stay awake. Carlson's boots trudged through clumps of dry grass, biting the ground tightly to prevent him from falling into the steep ravine. This intensity of marching was also considered a high-intensity part of Marine Corps training. Carlson remembered that the new recruits, who had experienced the Great Depression, often fainted due to exhaustion during these long "rallies."

The strong Carlson felt that he could still hold on, but the soldiers in front of him who were carrying a pile of ammunition cartridges were marching at a very fast speed. He even had to grit his teeth to catch up with them.

What surprised Carlson even more was that every soldier had essentially abandoned their ration bags, taking only water and a small amount of bread: for an army on a long march, this was practically suicidal. However, he soon realized his own oversight: Carlson hadn't considered the role of the local people.

Around breakfast and lunchtime, in a certain valley or village, the working group that had preempted the march had already organized the locals to prepare a generous meal, even boiling water and serving it in bowls. Everyone could practically keep walking, grabbing steamed buns or rice balls and eating as they went.

Some unfortunate people who sprained their ankles would be taken in right there and then sent back later. No wonder they could march so fast!

Carlson couldn't help but admire the tenacity of these soldiers and their tacit cooperation with the local people.

one-one-one-one-one-one

Thanks to relay-style logistics, by sunrise the day after their departure, Carlson's vanguard company had traversed nearly 95 kilometers and successfully entered the vicinity of the railway line. This was a section of railway north of Jinyang. According to intelligence, Japanese patrol trains would enter this area in about four hours.

The team was led by a commander named Kong. After discussing with several members of the reconnaissance squad, they selected an area with a culvert as the designated battlefield. This was a narrow valley where a prominent mountain ridge forced the railway to turn. When passing this section of the road, the train had to slow down and pass carefully.

"Everyone, prepare to fight!"

Commander Kong briefly issued the order to prepare for battle. Without waiting for a moment to rest, the company's machine gun crews began climbing the ridge, fetching water from the stream in clear bottles. Each squad, led by their platoon leader, selected their positions and began digging and constructing fortifications. Several others, armed with signal guns, fanned out to both ends of the railway line, acting as guards.

Carlson had just caught his breath when he saw the soldiers around him disperse like rabbits in a rabbit hunting ground, leaving him alone with his translator. Someone ran over and gave a few words of advice, and then Carlson's translator, Li Bo, came over.

"what happens?"

"Counselor, the battle is about to begin. We need to find a place to hide." "Li Bo, is there nothing I can do?"

The translator spread his hands, indicating that there was no one around who could speak. "I'm sorry, Counselor, Captain Kong just told us that we must go to the headquarters of Captain Chen.

"Looking at Carlson's disappointed look, he comforted him, "But Counselor,

It should be able to overlook the battlefield from there, so you can still observe the battle situation."

Chen Lianfu's command post was located on a dirt field about 300 meters away from the railway. Although it was separated by a dirt slope, it was surprisingly close to the pre-set battlefield. It seemed that many Eighth Route Army commanders liked to command so close to the front line.

By the time Carlson climbed up the hillside and found the temporary headquarters among a bunch of bare bushes, several staff officers had already leveled the land, spread out the map, dug a relatively hidden pit, and moved some branches and bushes around to cover it up.

Carlson had brought a telescope, allowing him to observe the scene on the railway from here. Several heads in turbans appeared on the other side of the track—guerrillas from the Qingliang Peak base. Together with Commander Chen's troops, they deployed a gleaming silver device on both sides of the track. Someone else placed a bundle in the center of the track and covered it with stones.

"What are they doing?"

"Deploy something capable of directional explosives. To attack a train, you need to stop it first. This train doesn't have our driver on board, so we can just use explosives."

Captain Chen also took out his telescope and explained to Carlson that when the train was attacked, according to the Japanese Army's drill manual, when encountering a sudden attack during the march, it was necessary to determine the direction of the attack and then hold on and wait for reinforcements.

"A normal guerrilla force would be hard to deal with in this situation, but we have them today. While these machine gun-fortified squads offer formidable firepower, they often lack radio equipment. Once their commanders realize the enemy's fierce offensive is untenable, they often won't sit idly by and wait for death, but will attempt a breakout. To this end, we'll leave one direction open, seemingly undefended.

"That's when we'll kill them."

Chen Lianfu, as if he'd been fighting the Japanese for a long time, spoke with ease about the characteristics of the Japanese army. "Japanese soldiers are very dull in combat," he said. "Local commanders, on the other hand, are quite proactive. But if you raise the troops above the regimental level, they start to become dull again."

Carlson had seen many captured Japanese pamphlets, which, according to the translator, were the Japanese Infantry Drill Manual. The average Japanese soldier had been rigorously trained according to these manuals, and knew the instructions by heart. This made them excellent vehicles for carrying out the will of lower-level officers, but once they were separated from the manuals and lacked clear orders, they would often be at a loss.

A commander with battlefield judgment can only choose to break through when he finds that he cannot win or hold the position.

This is an ancient Chinese tactic: surround the enemy on three sides and leave one side open. When the enemy can no longer bear the pressure and tries to break out and escape, they will fall into a real trap. "If we hadn't come today, how would the guerrillas respond? Although I know we have an intelligence advantage,"

Carlson thought, "But most of the time, regular troops like this might not arrive in time." He pointed to the guerrillas digging bunkers in the distance. "I see those guerrillas don't have machine guns, and some are even carrying ancient muskets. We probably don't have the capability to equip all of them with regular equipment yet."

Then, they would cut off the railway and use prefabricated hot-melt material kits. These kits were primarily made of iron filings, with the remainder consisting of materials distributed from the border areas. They could be easily assembled at the base. Chen Lianfu pondered this, "Then, the delayed Japanese troops would be forced to leave the railway and continue their march, constantly harassed. This would give the villagers time to hide their food and evacuate, ensuring the Japanese would gain nothing from this attack."

Carlson's mind couldn't help but emerge a picture, the Japanese are like a clumsy elephant, trampling the land, then raising its trunk, triumphantly announced its victory. But around it, a group of hornets flew over, this group of hornets is around the elephant, flying around non-stop, from time to time stinging the elephant.

The elephant is angry and charges. Despite its immense strength, it can never kill all the hornets. The hornets will inflict more and more wounds on the elephant and steal its supplies. Besides the hornets, there are also hunters with spears lurking in this land that harbor ill intentions towards them!

Chapter 72: Twin Stars (9) Another Kind of Battle

Compared to Captain Chen, who was equipped with rifles, machine guns, and turtle fists, the weapons used by the Qingliang Peak guerrillas were much more outdated.

One-third of the people used rifles, and the remaining one-third used muskets,

Some of them carried guns and other weapons, and the rest were militiamen using cold weapons.

However, when Chen Lianfu told Carlson that these guerrillas had only recently received rifles, Carlson expressed his deep respect for these militia units armed with simple weapons. Along the way, the guerrillas had taken on numerous duties within the base area, from standing sentry, leading the way, and gathering intelligence to delaying the enemy's advance, protecting the wounded, and delivering supplies. There was almost nothing they couldn't do—and all of this was almost entirely due to the burning enthusiasm and inexhaustible courage of these guerrilla fighters. How did they achieve all this with such scarce equipment?

The guerrillas have recently received a number of new supplies, such as hot-melt materials that can cut railroads, and mines that can be used for directional blasting. "Our goal is to equip the guerrillas with rifles and the ability to use improvised explosives," a staff officer explained. "This will allow them to better hinder the Japanese army's movements and allow for the arrival of organized forces more quickly, as we did today."

"Considering the total population, this isn't an easy goal to achieve." Carlson nodded. This wasn't America, where rifles couldn't be manufactured in just any furniture factory. He carefully observed the designated battlefield several hundred meters away through binoculars.

Over there, light and heavy machine gun crews had already occupied several commanding heights and set up bunkers and pursuit shelters. The railroad was already deployed, with an explosive charge weighing at least 40 pounds (18 kilograms) buried in the center of the track and then covered with a layer of gravel. Under the command of their respective NCOs, the soldiers, who had been busy just moments before, quickly evacuated the railway and the land, taking cover in the surrounding vegetation and ravines. In an instant, the area around the railway became silent, as if nothing had happened.

The waiting time before a battle is tense, and if this waiting is waiting for the enemy to fall into a trap, then the tension will be mixed with a little strange anticipation. Carlson waited a little anxiously, and when the hands on the watch turned a circle, it was almost eleven o'clock in the afternoon, and a curved steam braid appeared at the end of the road.

That was the signal of the train's arrival. Although steam trains had the characteristic of "running to death before reaching the mountain", and it would take some time to reach the ambush circle, Carlson could not help but tighten the binoculars in his hand, and then reached out to the Browning pistol on his belt.

"Don't be impatient," Chen Lianfu said without making any rash moves. He held Carlson down and said, "Comrade Ka, wait a minute."

Soon, a rail car drove up - not a steam locomotive, but a strange vehicle that looked like a car, but with train wheels installed, making a rumbling engine sound. There were about five Japanese soldiers sitting on this strange motor vehicle, and they had a light machine gun mounted on it.

The Japanese soldiers, dressed in yellow uniforms, stood hunched over. Some of them chatted nonchalantly with each other, while another unlucky fellow stood beside the machine gunner, holding his rifle and looking around in the cold wind. From Carlson's perspective, he could even see a tied-up rooster in the car. These people must have raided a village and left a poultry that hadn't been evacuated in time.

This is the Japanese army's reconnaissance vanguard.

"Let them pass."

The regimental commander's order was quickly issued. Carlson noticed that no one ran out of the command shelter. The instructor just flipped a switch back and forth several times, and none of the soldiers in the ambush position opened fire. No one made any extra noise. Everyone, including the guerrillas, continued to play the role of bushes and grass, allowing the rail car loaded with Japanese scouts to pass through the pass.

"Someone will take care of them later. Wait a little longer." Chen Lianfu's voice was young, but it had a strange power that made people believe. "Do as agreed! Put down the iron boots!"

Just as the vanguard's car passed the bend and the steam locomotive appeared, a few rocks on the edge of the land moved, and several soldiers emerged. They ran onto the railway, placed something on the track, and then ran away, disappearing into the bare bushes.

Finally, the steam locomotive with three carriages appeared in everyone's sight.

It spewed steam and soot, making a characteristic grunting sound as it pulled a tender and two carts along the railway. One cart was piled with sandbags and a machine gun, while the other was piled with all sorts of miscellaneous items and two goats tied up. The Japanese soldiers on the cart stood, sat, or teased the tied goat, then laughed heartily at its struggles.

They were probably discussing what they had gained from this "tour"!

Suddenly, the train's front wheels seemed to run over something. As the train moved, the object became lodged firmly in the front wheels, sending out orange sparks. The Japanese soldiers on board, sensing the unusual deceleration, turned their heads toward the front of the train. The more alert ones had already grabbed their rifles, ready for battle.

However, the train was so massive that two thwarts alone were not enough to stop it. The steam engine output strong power, and with inertia, it moved the train forward.

The next second, a big bulge suddenly appeared somewhere on the railway track, and then a fireball flashed out from the bulge. The huge impact force drove the air, replacing the sound like an electric current with the iconic sound produced by the rapid release of chemical energy.

Boom!

Through Carlson's telescope, the massive explosion was like a silent pantomime. After the flash of fire, a fierce impact and loud bang arrived belatedly, shaking him. The rising smoke was like a signal. Before the plume, which had gathered into a miniature mushroom cloud, had dissipated, countless soldiers suddenly appeared from behind the rocks, in the gullies, and among the bushes around the railway, as if they had never existed before.

"Come on!"

The explosion had blown off a narrow-gauge flatbed car, carrying with it the unfortunate goat and the Japanese soldier who was teasing it. The soldiers emerged from their hiding places and rushed loosely onto the railway embankment, surrounding the enemy.

Before the flying debris had settled, the two Soviet-made light machine guns on the commanding heights had already opened fire. Using their good shooting continuity, they suppressed the numerically superior Type 2 light machine guns in the entire Japanese squad from a high position. While the remaining Japanese troops were trying to organize a formation and shoot at them, the charging soldiers organized a round of intensive rifle volleys, knocking down several young men who were standing upright. As soon as the gunshots fell, another wave of soldiers with grenades on their backs but no rifles approached the railway foundation and threw grenades at the derailed train.

Bang bang bang!

Under the thunderous and lightning-fast attack, this reinforced Japanese squad couldn't even organize an effective counterattack. The machine guns with a superior number were suppressed, and the grenade throwers who were skilled in indirect fire attacks had no chance to perform. Some Japanese soldiers were even sent to the west in a daze before they could figure out what was happening.

Carlson checked his watch and saw that it hadn't even taken more than ten minutes.

Chapter 73 Twin Stars Shining (10) Another Future

It was a typical ambush that could be included in textbooks.

After that, we successfully crossed the railway and penetrated deep into the Qingliangfeng base area east of the railway. The guerrillas took me to the command post of Commander Xu Yuanqing. I asked him about the follow-up of the battle, and this leader, who looked like General Forrest, showed me a report that detailed the course of the battle.

He explained to me, using Chinese characters, "The Japanese vanguard you're concerned about was stopped by guerrillas farther away. The individual artillery team dispatched by Commander Chen destroyed their patrol vehicle, forcing several Japanese soldiers to dismount and then be mowed down by the guerrillas' muskets."

After we cleared the battlefield, the Japanese sent more than a squadron in pursuit, and Commander Chen led them in a circuitous route through the mountains. The main force from Qingliang Peak ambushed the Japanese squadron's supply detachment, killing nearly a hundred men and destroying three automated trucks. Ultimately, the Japanese, struggling with logistics, retreated to Jinyang City. This time, we lost two comrades and injured ten, completely annihilating this seventy-three-man reinforced Japanese unit.

He looked through the photos I had taken and concluded calmly, "Comrade Carlson, thank you for recording an exciting victory for us."

Although this battle was small in scale and could not be compared with large-scale battles involving thousands of people, from my point of view, its organization was completely modern and scientific.

Effective. Careful and accurate pre-war reconnaissance, democratic and collaborative decision-making

The strategy meeting was held so that with the cooperation of the people of Shanxi Province, the combination of regular troops and guerrillas played a powerful role. Perhaps, if the members of the Marine Corps were used

With similar equipment level as them, I don't think I can do better.

All right.

Such victories were not large, but they were constant. Every day, as the Japanese moved out from their strongholds, counties, and cities to plunder the food and supplies they depended on, they faced elusive guerrillas and residents who harbored hostile intentions. These residents would inform the guerrillas, who would help them buy time and move their precious property and food.

Once the Japanese army's scale of deployment was too large for the guerrillas to cope with, they would summon main forces such as Xu Yuanqing and Chen Lianfu.

You might ask, what if the Japanese army came out in full force?

This is almost impossible. If the Japanese army concentrates its forces to attack one place, they can certainly drive away the Eighth Route Army and seize food and supplies, but their actions will be slow and their consumption will increase dramatically. More importantly, they will not be able to control this vast and ancient land.

"Persisting in this struggle is arduous, but also great. I have no concerns about your ability to persevere until the invaders are defeated," I once asked Xu Yuanqing. "Then why are all the people willing to persevere with you? Can the work of the village work teams alone really sustain their enthusiasm and the courage to sacrifice for long?"

It's not that I haven't witnessed sacrifice. From Shanghai to Nanjing, from Gaojing to the mountains and rivers of Shanxi Province, I've witnessed countless sacrifices and deaths, some tragic, some humble, some meaningless, and some grand and heavy. But death is always terrifying. It's the same for workers in the Great Lakes, farmers in Mississippi, and even the president in the White House, and it's the same for the people of the Far East.

Since the beginning of this observation trip, I have been asking many people this question, including many Eighth Route Army soldiers, commanders and political commissars. I used to think that it was the anger and hatred towards the Japanese who killed civilians and robbed their property that drove them.

I received a wide variety of responses, from the fearless "national self-determination" to the need for soldiers, and "as a teacher, I must do my part for the country," to the Soviet pilot's impassioned, unreserved smile, and the general's banquet in Zhenjing.

When I met General Zhu in Shanxi Province, he and the surrounding commanders all laughed out loud, thinking that I had asked such a question was quite humorous. Regarding this question, when I said goodbye to Xu Yuanqing and met Nie Yunzhen, the commander of the Qingliangfeng area, I got the answer:

"In Xu Yuanqing's hometown, everyone with the same surname as him was killed, not by the Japanese, but by Chiang's army during the civil war. So it seems

He doesn't seem to have a deep hatred for the Japanese, does he? Carlson

Zhi."

I nodded.

"Hatred can drive a person's will to act, but hatred alone cannot give an organization the necessary elements to accomplish its mission," Commander Nie pointed out my mistake. "So, hatred of the Japanese alone won't work."

"So what else do you need?"

"It requires a strong organization, a reliable program, iron discipline, a pragmatic attitude, an indomitable spirit, and an idealistic desire to create a better life for the people," he said without reservation. "And the immediate task of this great goal is to drive the Japanese out of this land and restore its independence and prosperity. We hope to convey these ideas and goals to every soldier and every citizen."

"Perhaps an ordinary person simply wants to harvest more wheat and millet this year, or perhaps just wants a wife and children and a warm bed. But the moment he realizes that the fate of this nation and this country is closely linked to his actions, he will actively become a qualified revolutionary."

"Ha, this may sound a bit too 'Platonic'. But, Comrade Carlson," Nie Yunzhen patted my shoulder, "but this is indeed what we strive for

Something to fight for.”

-------one

That day, when I walked out of the small bungalow where Nie Yunzhen commanded the battle, the sun was slowly setting from the horizon and night was gradually falling.

It was a cold day. The sun was sinking below the mountain ridge, a winding ridgeline dragging it below the horizon. In the east, a bright moon was rising. All around me was silent, except for the faint sound of people talking in the small courtyard. I felt as if I were on a mountaintop in Europe or America, breathing the cold air.

But this is the Far East, an ancient land. These men in uniform have come here to save their homeland from those who sought to seize this beautiful land from distant cities, railway lines, and across the sea, and to bring a better life to the people.

They are a group of extremely realistic pragmatists, but also a group of romantic idealists. If we must describe them in American terms, then this group of people is a mixture of Continental Army-style Puritans and saints in the Bible.

I will probably remember this beautiful night and this wonderful moment for a long time. —Evans Fordyce Carlson

Chapter 74: Biscuit Paper Wang Zuomin

Let's momentarily shift our focus from the war-torn interior and exterior of China to the peaceful and prosperous Guanzhong region. Here, we see a familiar face from the "Great Decisive Battle" series: Wang Zuomin. Commander Wang Zuomin's 74th Army, a loyal force that fought remarkably well in both the Battle of Shanghai and Nanjing, was one of the few that possessed solid training and a lack of excessive greed.

Naturally, he was also a "party-state loyalist" who could uphold the image of the party and the country. In particular, Wang Zuomin had led his troops to hold their ground against the siege of the Red Bandits during the campaign to suppress the Communists. Naturally, he was highly regarded by Chiang Kai-shek and was promoted to the commander of the 1st Supplementary Brigade.

As soon as he arrived in Chencang, Wang Zuomin began to work in the Chiang Kai-shek government, embezzled the local security corps, and replenished a wave of new soldiers and equipment. In this way, his First Supplementary Brigade could be upgraded to a "division". By 1937, the First Supplementary Brigade had become the newly formed 11th Division of the National Army with 2 brigades and 4 regiments under its jurisdiction.

Before long, Wang Zuomin successfully became a division commander from a brigade commander. After adding an artillery battalion, the newly formed 11th Division also became the official unit of Guosu: the 51st Division.

However, feeding so many mouths means paying a lot more money. Taking into account the "empty salaries" and "corruption tolerance" agreed upon for officers at all levels, the military pay from above is definitely not enough.

In order to make more money and maintain combat effectiveness, Commander Wang Zuomin, who still had such a certain pursuit, started to use his economic brain and prepared to make some more money. He looked left and right, and Chencang was a very good choice.

Since ancient times, several routes have connected Gaojing to Sichuan: the Yinping Road connecting to the northwest, the Micang Road for transporting rice, and the Litchi Road, known for its "a horse galloping through the dust, making the concubine smile." However, the main trade route from Guanzhong to Sichuan and Chongqing is the "Jinniu Road," which runs from Chencang to Xingyuan and then south to Chengdu. This is a recently built, winding, but relatively wide dirt road suitable for automobiles, and serves as the main source of commerce.

Chencang, the starting point of the Golden Bull Road, is the leader of the "Golden Bull", and its economic status can be imagined.

In addition, as the terminus of the Longhai Line, with the opening of the Xilan Highway and the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, Chencang has become a major transportation hub in the northwest, with a prosperous business. Moreover, Chencang is far less prominent than the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, Haojing, and was rarely attacked by Japanese air raids. Starting in 1937, a large number of equipment, personnel, materials and factories that migrated westward were relocated here, forming a large-scale industrial cluster in Chencang.

In order to support the operation of these factories, Chencang even built and put into operation a new thermal power station with a generating capacity of 3300 kilowatts. The whole city was prosperous - such a city was simply a dream paradise for military leaders to make money.

Starting in 36, Commander Wang started to run private factories here. By wiping out his wealth and colluding with the military and businessmen, he set up factories such as spinning mills, flour mills, and paper mills. If outsiders investigated and accused him of corruption and bribery, or monopolizing the business, he would find a way to get through the connections and report to his superiors that these were biscuit factories that made "biscuit rations" for the troops - he had run a biscuit factory before and made a lot of money.

Although Wang Zuomin was not an industrialist and the quality of his products was uneven, he had the advantage of not having too many competitors in Guanzhong. Over the past year or so, he made a lot of money. In 37, when factories that had moved west to escape the war arrived one after another, he changed his tactics in time. After being forced to sell the factories, he then participated in the operation of factories such as Shenxin, Taihua Cotton Mill, Fuxin, and Daxin Flour Mill by "investing in dry shares", and continued to make his profits.

Well... that's how it should have been.