Canteen System Assistance Notes

Regardless of whether others could hear him or not, Mamigu shouted loudly, asking the surviving cavalry to speed up the charge. But he himself pulled the reins and turned into the night, throwing away his lance and saber, and the luggage bag on his back. He pulled a dagger from his waist and stabbed it hard at the horse's butt.

"Gee! Gee!"

The beautiful Mongolian horse neighed in pain and broke into a desperate run. This lack of care for horsepower was too much to worry about at this point. It's better for me to leave first than for my friend to die!

The battle on the front was still going on. Under round after round of flares, Lewis machine guns mixed with tracer bullets kept firing alternately, and the gunshots never stopped; and the occasional rifles shot and killed anyone who tried to escape from the aperture, without even a chance to surrender.

Fortunately, Mamigu managed to escape the scene of the massacre, scurrying in the opposite direction like a headless fly. "Who on earth are these guys from?"

He thought painfully that the continuous machine gun fire would probably wait until there were no more soldiers standing there before stopping. "To deal with such a situation, the only way to win is to surround them and use a militia of hundreds or thousands of people to attack and consume them..."

Shocked and terrified, as if feeling he had escaped death, "Mi Gu, the flying horse on the grass, suddenly became furious. "I have a lifelong reputation as a flying horse on the grass, but now it has been ruined here... No matter who it is, they killed so many of my children today. If these guys fall into my hands in the future, they will be torn out their hearts and lungs and buried alive in water!"

He yelled and cursed, as if he could really capture those guys who refused to be slaughtered and robbed and give them a good beating. Under the cover of night, the Mongolian horse galloped desperately, foaming at the mouth and sweating profusely, but Mamigu still thought it was not fast enough. He pulled out his dagger again, turned around, and prepared to cut the horse's butt again.

At this moment, a blurry silhouette suddenly appeared from the sidewalk. Then, two round yellow eyes lit up and covered him. The dagger in his hand reflected the light and pierced him so that he couldn't open his eyes. There are people! No, it's a steel horse, it's a car!

Mamigu was horrified. He hurriedly tried to turn back, crouched low, and spurred his horse to flee. But how could an exhausted horse outrun a car with its tires tumbling?

After a few minutes, Mamigu whipped the horse again and stabbed it with a knife.

Mongolian horses just can't run fast.

He didn't know why, but he heard someone shouting: "Put down your weapons, surrender and you won't be killed!"

Not killing? Surprised, before Mamigu could react, another voice came. "Oh no! He's holding a knife! Shoot!"

“No, I vote…”

He had no time to move. At the edge of his vision, a flash of fire appeared on the illuminated iron horse. Before he could hear the gunshot, Mamigu felt a sweetness in his throat, his eyes went dark, and he fell from the horse. With a plop, his life disappeared in the northwest wilderness.

Chapter 178: The Road Book is Temporarily Ended

That battle was really exciting!

I didn't do anything though, which is a bit regrettable.

In the convoy, Master Yu and I were considered "non-combatants," but according to Captain Qiu, we were both considered motorists and required combat training. Master Yu, while claiming "drivers don't carry guns," was quite accurate with his "scull rapid-fire" technique. A single burst of ten rounds could create ten holes on a human target. He said that traveling in the northwest required some skill; even if you ran into wolves, let alone bandits, a firewood stick wouldn't be as effective as a rifle.

If only I were that good, Captain Qiu would probably give me an "8-inch Browning" instead of this "Hanyang" which is probably older than me.

That night, after the gunfire, the comrades of the combat team briefly cleaned up the battlefield. They said they killed over 130 people, with only about 20 wounded—a figure too small to save. They had to send a less seriously injured soldier on horseback to the nearest town to call for help. I was initially worried that this bandit gang might recruit a larger force to pursue us, but Captain Qiu reassured me not to worry.

(This is emphasized by Wang Shunfeng)

He said: "On this stretch of the northwest route, between Ganzhou and Suzhou, there are basically no people who truly become bandits for a living. The bandits here are mainly the local Ma family garrison. For example, the bandits eliminated this time were most likely soldiers from the local 300th Brigade, 70% political and 30% military."

Then can't we just destroy them? Didn't the Eighth Route Army evolve from the Red Army? Can they destroy these evil and stubborn troops?

When I asked this, Captain Qiu was rarely stumped by my question. He frowned, but smiled, then shook his head vigorously, saying, "Not yet." He then called Master Yu over, dragged me away, and asked him to teach me his signature handrail technique.

I don't quite understand what else is behind Captain Qiu's smile—isn't he a former Red Army soldier? I saw that same expression on my dad's face when I said I wanted to join the Eighth Route Army and fight against the Japanese. Perhaps I'll understand it later.

-―--—-―-

Because it was nighttime and the battle was unclear, we couldn't clean up the battlefield as Captain Qiu had promised, "leaving not a single needle or thread behind." We had to do a hasty job. Several supply carts, reduced in weight due to daily consumption, were loaded with a pile of battered rifles older than my Hanyang rifle, along with a ton of horse gear. Many fine horses were ripped to pieces by bullets or screaming in pain from broken legs. The comrades who went to clean up the battlefield could only use flashlights to put an end to these good animals.

Oh, what a pity! We have been allocated a lot of land. If we had these big animals, we could probably dig out a lot more food.

Guessing the team instructor thought the same, he shook his head and ordered all the food trucks in the convoy to go out. They were busy all night - when they came back, they saw that the trucks were full of horse meat, even hanging on the radiator in front of the truck. They said they were going to make smoked jerky to eat on the way back.

(Wang Shunfeng's pen trembled a few times when writing this)

I don't think I'll be craving horse meat for a long time. (crossed out) It's still quite delicious. Dad said we shouldn't waste food.

Fortunately, the team had more than a thousand people, and the horse meat they harvested was eaten in a few days. To be honest, the work on the team was very tiring, and everyone ate a lot. I thought that eating four 2-liang steamed buns was a lot, but I found that Captain Qiu and his team could eat six or seven in one meal.

Whenever we arrived in a populated area, the local staff would always have purchased food in advance from the herders and farmers. The food trucks and the kitchen truck would be filled with the purchased fruits, vegetables, and meat, and some would even be placed in the cab. Then, we'd enjoy fresh food for several days—this was probably the happiest time. Later, when the fresh food ran out, the meals would begin to include more cured meats, sausages, canned goods, and convenience foods, and the dishes would become increasingly bizarre.

I still remember that after a long, uninhabited stretch of land near Guazhou, the days before entering the city, I ate a diet of black sausages with a strong muttony smell, orange slices stir-fried in tomato sauce, and hard, toasted naan. Fortunately, Chef Yu had prepared a can of chili sauce with red oil, which made the meals less difficult.

The Northwest Passage was the lifeline of the War of Resistance. This was something all of us, from drivers to mechanics to the soldiers, knew from the very beginning. Our country was invaded by Japan, and we needed to import supplies from overseas to support the war effort. There was only one other highway, in Yunnan Province to the south. For the Red Army, this Northwest Passage was the only artery for external communication.

For example, the steel mold for the rear cargo box of this vehicle can be used to mass-produce steel parts on a new type of stamping machine, which can be used to make weapons and equipment. I heard that it can be used to make "portable machine guns" and give them to soldiers on the front line to fight the Japanese! This is all for the purpose of contributing to the war of resistance, so nominally, under the "Anti-Japanese National United Front", the Nationalist government should make it convenient for us to transport supplies.

But the actual situation is not always so good.

This situation became even more obvious after passing Jincheng, the capital of Gansu Province.

During this stretch of the journey, the road conditions improved significantly, with more villages and towns along the way, and more caravans and even pedestrians traveling with us. However, Captain Qiu and Master Yu became more serious, and their time spent chatting and joking with me became shorter.

This is the radiation zone of Guoju's power, under the jurisdiction of the Gansu Province East Road Transportation Command. It's home to the Central Army, the Ma Clan Army, and even the Northeast Army. There are even more organized Nationalist troops stationed around us, and there are many more roadblocks. Although a convoy of over a thousand people and three hundred vehicles is a formidable force, and I can take up arms and fight if necessary, here, with several Nationalist Army divisions and corps squatting around, the convoy must act with greater caution.

I really don't like this atmosphere. It's very uncomfortable to see Master Yu joking around with those people who set up checkpoints on the road, and Captain Qiu arguing and negotiating with others but not being able to use his gun.

But apart from that, I can also feel that the people along the way still welcome our convoy.

In places where there were no soldiers or officials, these people could recognize our caravan, were willing to do business with us, were willing to tell us about water sources and good places to shelter from the wind, and were willing to let us stay in the village when the wind blew.

The convoy also carried some items they could use, such as kerosene, ready-made clothes, and farm tools. Mr. Gao, a famous Jincheng doctor who accompanied the convoy, also offered free clinics along the way, treating the common people for a nominal fee of a copper coin, an egg, or a bundle of firewood, which was widely praised.

I still remember that one day I helped a village fix the handle of a millstone, and an old man who was the same age as my father but looked much older said to me: It would be great if all the soldiers in the world were like you.

I didn't know how to answer him for a moment, so I could only say, "Soon, old man, there will be a day."

There will always be a day.

(When writing here, Wang Shunfeng left a line blank)

The convoy will enter the border area tomorrow. After all this trouble, we are finally going home and there is no need to be so nervous.

All we have to do now is drive north along the highway to Fushi to unload some goods, then head to Huinong to pick up the rest. The steel molds will be delivered to the Huinong Ironworks. Captain Qiu said, "I can take a week off and go back to see Dad." Ha! I'm going to bring him those two packages of "self-heating hot pot" I saved, so he can see what his son brought him back.

Well, I'll also buy him some ready-made clothes, they're not expensive. His clothes wear out quickly, living on the river. I'll also buy some Vaseline for my married sister and mail it to her. Applying it will keep her face from itching. Oh, and by the way, I should also ask Dr. Gao for a hemorrhoid remedy... maybe it'll be useful.

Chapter 179 Unexpected Development

Liu Helian, returning from a factory in Yemen, was following a normal civilian flight route, making a stop in Tashkent before returning to China via Dihua. But just as the plane was pretending to refuel, several Russians wearing large hats approached him, insisting on inviting him to their home. Upon closer questioning, they discovered they were from the People's Commissariat of Military and Heavy Industry and the General Administration of Light Weapons.

"Oh, my dear Comrade Liu He, I have finally seen you."

"Hello, Comrade Smolyakov!"

He knew Smolyakov, who was in charge of agricultural machinery production, and some of the technology used to produce tractors in the border region was related to them. As for the other few, he had met them during the discussions with the Soviet side about infantry and light weapons, and he roughly knew that they were responsible for infantry weapons.

Looking at it this way....

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Although he had already vaguely guessed something, Liu Helian still asked politely, "To be honest, I'm about to return home." "Oh no, no, no, my dear Liu He, you have to go this time."

Smolyakov held onto him tightly. "We can send a message to Fushe and ask you to stay here a few days longer—Did you know? The new infantry rocket launcher you designed has passed review and is about to go into production! She just happened to be attending this year's small arms exhibition—as the inventor of the 'Iron Fist Grenade,' how could she not attend the ceremony?"

He said mysteriously: "Maybe you can even get an audience with Comrade Steel!"

The Light Weapons Expo was held at the Tula Factory near Moscow. After reporting to the Central Committee, Liu Helian planned to stay there for a few days and bring back Dong Shaozhong, who had completed combat and command training in the Soviet Union.

As the first viable infantry anti-tank weapon in this universe, the Red Iron Fist, designated the RPG-1, had undergone numerous iterations of development over the year after Liu Helian left the Soviet Union for overseas. By early 1939, the final design had been finalized.

Without Liu Helian's direct involvement, the GSKB-30 Design Bureau, which was responsible for the production of anti-tank grenades, not only plated a layer of chrome on the inner bore of the launch steel tube to extend its service life, but also deleted the grip kit that Liu Helian used to activate with dry batteries, and added a hand-cranked charging capacitor to the launch tube to save costs.

The GSKB-30 Bureau carefully studied the working principle of the armor-piercing jet warhead, removed the tail fuse that might fail due to impact with the soil, and instead opened a hole in the middle of the powder cap and the fuse action was transmitted by the detonating cord of the warhead, at the expense of some penetration in exchange for trigger stability.

Compared with the 105 warhead designed by Liu Helian, this 40mm diameter, 82mm super-caliber armor-piercing grenade has a longer effective range and can penetrate 200mm of homogeneous steel in a stationary state, or penetrate 120mm of armor plate in actual shooting: while maintaining the same performance, it is lighter and more convenient to carry.

In addition, the anti-personnel ammunition assembled from the 50mm mortar was replaced by a thin-walled grenade that can be produced on the same line as the 82mm mortar, which greatly increased its power.

Finally, at the Tula Arsenal's testing grounds, Liu Helian saw this shoulder-fired recoilless rifle, which bore a striking resemblance to the RPG-4 (minus the rocket-propelled engine compared to the RPG-7) of his own time and space. Later, this improved Red Iron Fist would be distributed in the form of technical documentation to arsenals, machinery plants, and even furniture factories throughout the Soviet Union, and after mass production, it would be equipped throughout the army.

"Interesting... I thought they'd stick with the same caliber, long-stem anti-personnel round, but I didn't expect them to utilize the 82 production capacity," he thought. "The 105mm high-explosive rounds produced in the border areas only have an effective range of 150 meters, but this thing can reach over 200 meters. It seems they've put a lot of effort into the aerodynamic shape. Perhaps we could learn from that."

The atmosphere at the conference hall was lively. Dong Shaozhong, who had completed his training in Frunze, joined Liu Helian in viewing the exhibition. This commander, who had died heroically in 37, was hailed by Chairman Mao as a "resolute revolutionary comrade." He was the "iron guard" of the Red Army during the Long March, a master of both defense and counterattacks. Besides the familiar red iron fist, he was particularly interested in a new type of semi-automatic rifle on display.

"Commissioner Liu, can the central government purchase a batch of these semi-automatic firearms? While we can't equip the entire army, equipping the squad leaders, deputy squad leaders, and others would significantly increase the squad's combat effectiveness."

Dong Shaozhong, wearing the woolen coat issued to officers in the Frunze Army, pointed at a rifle on the table. He'd known the "specialist" responsible for purchasing the border region during their earlier discussion of mountain artillery. "According to the description, it's compatible with 'water-jet' ammunition. The soldiers shouldn't have any trouble using it."

"This should have been finalized this year. Oh, that's the famous designer, Tokarev. Comrade Shao Zhong, this thing is called the SVT38." After carefully examining it, Liu Helian searched his memory for the familiar model. "This rifle isn't finished yet, but if it undergoes normal modifications, it will be officially produced around next year."

The SVT38 would be modified based on experience gained during the Soviet-Finnish War and officially enter mass production as the "SRT40." According to Liu Helian's historical knowledge, due to the subsequent outbreak of the Soviet-German War, several major firearms factories shifted their full production to the Lao Mo, and this rifle, originally intended for the entire Soviet army, was not produced in large quantities.

"It's difficult to use and maintain. I don't think the average Soviet soldier would be able to use it well," he recalled. "Plus, the total number of Soviet production is limited. It might take a while before I can buy one..." "Hey, there's no need to ask. How can I know if I don't ask? I'll go ask myself!"

To Liu Helian's surprise, Dong Shaozhong suddenly darted out to greet Mr. Tokarev, who was surrounded by a crowd. This middle-aged general, who had attended a regular military academy, fought in warlord wars, and staged battlefield uprisings, spoke English, Russian, German, and Japanese, and was unfazed by the situation. After a lively exchange and handshake, General Dong returned, feeling completely satisfied.

"Commissioner Liu, although these are new weapons, the Soviet comrades said we can easily collect a few thousand of them," he patted Liu Helian. "I heard we've made a lot of money in the UK. I think we can still afford a few thousand semi-automatic rifles! Haha!"

He truly deserves to be called a general who can get along well with warlords and also be able to carry out revolution... Liu Helian was so embarrassed that he could only smile.

My mind was full of issues like production scheduling, design modifications, and equipment trials, but I ignored the actual situation: the Eighth Route Army didn't need many anyway, so it would probably be no problem to ask the Russians for a few thousand to try out - I was guilty of dogmatism!

The ceremony continued, and several officials from the General Administration of Light Arms, which hosted the meeting, delivered speeches. Certificates of merit were presented to Liu Helian and the designers of the GSKB-30 Design Bureau, and they were awarded the "Medal of Labor Courage" - this medal is mainly awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to the Soviet Union's national defense cause and is a medal that can be awarded to foreigners.

Liu Helian didn't particularly care for medals; the "Labor Valor" medal wasn't particularly valuable. Truth be told, he even had a 1CBE in his suitcase, awarded by the British. Just as he finished his tedious tasks and returned to his seat, ready to chat with General Dong, he was surprised to find another portly Russian sitting in his seat.

Seeing Liu Helian coming back, the man stood up and opened his arms enthusiastically:

"Dear Liu He! Stop talking nonsense! We haven't seen each other for a long time!"

Without waiting for his reply, the Russian spoke familiarly: "My dearest comrade, you must still remember me. Last time, at Gorky's experimental field, we had a brief exchange, like a meteor passing by. You must still remember my name."

"Leonid Vasilyevich Kurchevsky!"

Chapter 180 Soviet PAW-600

(This chapter involves more technical descriptions)

Kurchevsky is a Soviet name that is not well known to many people. However, if you mention his works, there may be many people who are familiar with him, from jokes.

I have heard about it in games or other places - this person is trying to drive

A rare talent who can install 305mm recoilless guns on destroyers and recoilless guns on aircraft.

In the original history, due to the huge expenditure of funds, the poor quality of the products, and the involvement of other crimes, this man was executed in 137. In this time and space, it is clear that Liu Helian's iron fist demonstration in 137 had a special effect on him, allowing him to live until 1939.

The recoilless artillery used to replace infantry guns has a firing energy far exceeding that of shoulder-fired RPGs. Therefore, simply relying on a Laval nozzle to accelerate the airflow to supersonic speeds is insufficient to fully balance the enormous recoil of the artillery fire. Current solutions worldwide either forgo increasing chamber pressure and use a rocket engine to continue accelerating the projectile after exiting the chamber, or drill holes in the propellant case and incorporate pressure relief vents to allow some of the propellant gases to escape from the side of the gun chamber, ultimately creating a rearward-directed jet of gas to balance the recoil.

According to some fragmentary information that has been left behind, Kurchevsky actually tried to install a combustible gunpowder plug at the tail of the straight-barreled gun barrel, which would burn at a slower rate when the shell was fired, and burn through at a specific time to allow the gas to pass through, thereby creating a balanced recoil effect.

To some extent, this can be called an "expansion wave cannon". It is normal that it cannot be made: the combustion of gunpowder itself is a complex system, affected by many factors, not to mention that the current level of technology cannot support the manufacture of such a "plug".

In the end, even Kurchevsky's most "successful" creation, the 76mm recoilless infantry gun, suffered from frequent barrel bursts. Crucially, a significant number of these were produced before the product was even fully developed...

"Dear Liu He, you're right. Based on current technology, using the gunpowder burning rate method to compensate for projectile recoil isn't feasible." The portly technical expert spoke enthusiastically, his words filled with awkward technical jargon that even Liu He, a Russian fluent man, had trouble following. "Laval is a good civilization, but relying solely on it to achieve recoilless infantry-caliber cannons isn't ideal."

If the artillery relies solely on supersonic jets, its range is limited. To replace infantry artillery, another method must be found. As a man of the future, Liu Helian naturally understood the general technical approach to recoilless artillery. Just as he was debating whether to offer some advice to this misguided recoilless expert, Kurchevsky suddenly interjected.

"That's true. However, since I can increase recoil by accelerating the airflow to supersonic speed, can I do the opposite and slow down the airflow and reduce the chamber pressure to reduce recoil?" Hmm? Isn't this high and low pressure...

Before Liu Helian could react, the man continued to speak. "The original purpose of the recoilless gun was to reduce the weight of the artillery and fire larger projectiles. So after that test, I had this idea. Why must the recoilless principle be used to reduce the weight of infantry guns? Wouldn't the 'high-low pressure' principle be an alternative?"

The technocrat began to recount his research process: Suddenly, a sudden "eureka" moment struck him. After returning from Gorky, he contacted the factory that produced the BM36 mortar and requested an uncut 82mm barrel. He then dug up data on the British "Leavens Projectile" from World War I and, drawing on data from the Tsarist-era "Bromoson Grenade Projectile," fashioned a high- and low-pressure chamber at the rear of the barrel. Finally, he mounted the barrel on a makeshift welded tripod and conducted a successful test firing.

"The principle of high and low pressure reduces the peak chamber pressure of the gun barrel by at least 50%! This greatly reduces the mass of the entire barrel, and I can continue to lengthen the barrel and add a muzzle brake to the muzzle!" Kurchev dragged Liu Helian and Dong Shaozhong to his booth and pointed at a cannon with a long barrel but an extremely simple gun mount.

"Although the gun mount still needs to be redesigned, this thing will definitely not exceed 500 kilograms. It can launch a projectile modified from an 82mm mortar shell at a speed of more than 400 meters per second to a maximum distance of 4500 meters.

Can hit 1000 meters!

"Comrade Liu He, the armor-piercing capability of your armor-piercing rounds isn't affected by distance. If you can integrate them into it, it's possible to use it against tanks!"

As if to convince Liu Helian, he turned and pulled over a horse munching on hay nearby. He strapped the crude cannon to the horse's drawbar and began to pull the horse along. "Comrade Liu He, look! The horse moves with ease, no problem at all! It can even be disassembled, and each component can be carried by the horse!"

This scene drew many glances from the audience, who watched curiously as the man in the trench coat awkwardly led a horse, dragging a strange, low, and ugly cannon around the venue. General Dong Shaozhong pondered, watching Kurchevsky, who became excited when discussing his specialty, while Liu Helian felt a bit amused.

The concept behind this high- and low-pressure, small-recoil gun dates back to the PAW600, a low-cost anti-tank gun developed by Nazi Germany before its defeat to counter the powerful armored offensive of the Allied Soviet Army. Essentially, it used high- and low-pressure chambers to level the propellant pressure, propelling the projectile with a constant and sustained thrust. It was an advanced, "unscrupulous" gun—and now, the Soviets had actually developed one!

"My dear Comrade Kurchevsky, this is a truly remarkable idea," Liu He praised him profusely, quickly stopping the inconsiderate fellow. "But for such an excellent product, you should contact the GAU (General Artillery Administration). Why come to me?"

"this....…"

Kurchevsky was stunned. He dropped the reins and rubbed his hands sheepishly. "Well, the results of the artillery I developed before were a bit... you know, comrade, they were a bit unsatisfactory." "The people at the Artillery General Directorate don't want to see me... well, I guess they're afraid of exploding again."

"But this one definitely won't be like the previous ones!" He said excitedly. "This artillery piece is easy to produce. It can be manufactured in a factory that produces 82mm mortars. The gun mount is no more difficult than a 19% anti-tank gun! Comrade, I remember you can already produce 82mm mortars! I think it will be very useful on the battlefield against the invaders!"

"so,"

Kurchevsky was a little embarrassed. To be honest, it was a bit scary to see a big Russian tossing around like this. "Could you please help my dear Davarish to produce some of this stuff for us?"

Chapter 181 German Interlude

"Comrade Stalin, how do you feel?"