Rise from the sword

Chapter 474 Yoshio Shinozuka is back!

Taiyuan.

Inside the First Army Headquarters.

Yoshimoto Sadaichi with a full head of gray hair was sitting on a chair, his eyes were dim, his back was slack, and he looked a bit bleak.

Looking at the order record on the table, Gibbon suddenly sighed deeply.

At the beginning of the year, when he took office as the commander of the First Army, he was ambitious and planned to solve the two major problems plaguing the Taiyuan area in one fell swoop.

For Tuba Road, he formulated an enhanced version of the rural clearing plan, intending to completely destroy the foundation of its survival, agricultural production, and as for the Jinsui Army, he planned to seduce and solicit division.

But neither plan was successful.

The enhanced village clearing plan for the Tuba Road base area has not yet begun. Li Yunlong and his independent regiment have gradually shown a deadly threat to the Zhengtai Railway, stealing rails, looting trains, bombarding the airport, building factories, and expanding the army. All attracted.

The domestic agreement to give him a new second-class division is just empty talk.

Without enough troops, what would he use to clear the country?
Avoiding the surrounding areas of the Independence Group, he reluctantly pushed other areas to mobilize the countryside. However, Gibbon found that not only Li Yunlong, but also other Tuba roads had also greatly increased in strength during his tenure.As a result, the clearing of the countryside failed, but it caused a lot of losses to the imperial army.

What's even more outrageous is that Tuba Road, which had been in a food crisis, suddenly became rich in food and began to rescue victims in large numbers.

As for the Jinsui Army, Gibbon also had tears of bitterness in retrospect.

Using the intelligence department to collude with each other, and finally persuaded a few powerful officers of the Jinsui Army, and was about to step up their efforts to let those officers lead their troops to join the Imperial Army and divide the Jinsui Army. As a result, Li Yunlong happened to have a big The attack not only caused heavy losses to the First Army, but also ruined its face. As a result, all previous negotiations were messed up.

Moreover, such a thing is not once or twice.

Not long ago, Li Yunlong occupied his Heyuan County and annihilated the garrison in Heyuan County. Naturally, he couldn't swallow this breath and prepared to take revenge. But when he contacted Ping'an County, he realized that Li Yunlong's strength was already so terrifying.

It can launch two large-scale battles at the same time.

While capturing a county seat, there is still room to repel the attack of the Ping'an County garrison, and even counterattack the troops that wiped out the three brigades of Ping'an County in front of the position.

During the period, Gibbon still feels lingering fears about the strength shown by the independent group.

In the two battles, the total force used exceeded [-].

Equipped with one hundred mountain cannons.

There is a new 13 mountain gun with a range of more than 75 kilometers.

And a large number of recoilless guns equipped with troops.

Oh, by the way, there is also the tank unit, although the lack of technical soldiers who can drive tanks has caused a lot of damage to the tanks.

Then Gibbon thought about it.

He seems to have nothing to do with the independent group?

Not counting the garrison in Ping'an County, the First Army now has a total of more than 2 troops, distributed along the Zhengtai Railway in Taiyuan, Fu'an, Shuiquan and other places. If you squeeze hard, you can still mobilize a regiment of troops to support Ping'an County .

The reason is that with the great expansion of the Tuba Road, except near the Zhengtai Railway, other places, and even some road imperial troops have gradually lost control, and their forces have been released instead.

But what's the use?

Yamamoto and Kozuo have made it clear that they will abandon the method of defeating the Independent Regiment in a frontal field battle, and plan to use the cannon fodder to contain the Independent Regiment's forces, and then the elite troops will penetrate the brigade as a unit to attack the Independent Regiment's base.

He transferred a full field regiment of 800 people, but it didn't do much.Moreover, he originally planned to transfer the airport garrison brigade to support Ping'an County and Pan County.

One of his alliance reinforcements didn't even speed up the plan, because it was expected to start in December, which was already the fastest speed.

"Hey···"

Gibbon sighed dejectedly.

The first army was in such a mess because of Li Yunlong. At this moment, he finally understood why Shinozuka Yoshio would desperately mobilize [-] troops to attack the independent regiment.

If the time can be repeated, he must desperately concentrate the first army to destroy the independent regiment and Li Yunlong.

Looking at the sunny day and the cloudless sky outside the window, suddenly, an idea came to Gibbon's mind, and he said to the guards around him:
"Go to the airport."

He wants to go and have a look.

Take a look at Li Yunlong and his base.

Although the Flying Brigade of the First Army has not been supplemented with fuel and ammunition for a long time, and has no bombing capabilities, it is still no problem to take off a few reconnaissance planes, and at an altitude of 4000 meters, the reconnaissance planes are very safe.

at the same time.

Eleven kilometers away from Taiyuan Airport.

Yansheng stopped here with twelve 105 camel howitzers.

"Start building a position."

Iwamori gave the order.

Soon, some of the soldiers of the twelve artillery crews began to assemble the cannons, and some began to dig the pestle pit, and the soldiers in charge of transportation also unloaded the shells and piled them up.

The artillery observation team went to a high ground.

"The little devil is really..."

Holding up the binoculars and looking at a frontier observation point established on the top of a mountain in the distance, Yansheng was a little surprised, but also curled his lips in disdain.

There are no devils on such an important commanding height.

No ghost patrols were found in the surrounding area.

"Okay, did the scar forget the pain?"

Yansheng snorted coldly.

Half an hour later, the position was built, and the muzzles of twelve 105 camel-loaded howitzers reached the direction of Taiyuan Airport.

"Extended range bombs, get ready."

Yan Sheng ordered loudly:
"emission!"

······
Taiyuan.

Outside the First Military Airport.

In the camp of the garrison brigade.

Kotaro Ito, who had just been promoted to lieutenant sergeant and became captain, was sorting out the bills, which recorded every business he had done at the airport for so long, and the flow of every fund.

"The Independence Regiment needs steel."

After looking through the bill and collecting it, Ito began to think about future business.

In another month, he will be transferred to Pan County, and across from Pan County is the base of the Independence Regiment.

The current base of the independent regiment is the best business partner.

Because the independent group base has a lot of good things, high-quality, well-packaged, long-shelf life, fine grains and sugar, these two commodities are very popular, and the profits are unimaginably high.

Such a good business does not interfere, Ito feels that he is simply not worthy of being a businessman.

But the problem is that after arriving in Pan County, he is only a brigade captain, and there are four lieutenant brigade captains in Shou County, so doing business is very inconvenient and dangerous.

Just as Ito was hesitating, there was a sound from outside.He ran out to take a look, and found that General Gibbon in military uniform had walked into the airport and was talking to the captain of the flight group.

Ito was about to show his face and find out what was going on by the way.

suddenly.

boom····

Inside the airport, more than a dozen violent explosions suddenly rose up, and one of the shells happened to hit the vicinity of General Gibbon and the captain of the flight brigade.

The independent regiment bombardment is coming again!

Immediately, Ito thought of the possibility.

The shells kept falling, and the explosions continued to rise. The hangars that could withstand the 75 mountain artillery were completely vulnerable to the 105 grenades. As long as one shell hit, it would completely collapse.

Seeing this situation, Ito was elated.

There are a lot of steel in these hangars. Even if the planes inside are damaged, they can be sold for a lot of money. Now he has developed several logistics managers of the flight brigade, and there is no problem.

But then, he sighed again.

Today's Flying Brigade of the First Army can be said to exist in name only, with basically no fuel and ammunition supplies, all elite pilots have been transferred, warehouses are empty, and only a few planes are left. Basically, there is no good fuel.

Then Ito rushed to the airport with his men, and when he was approaching the airport, his eyes suddenly looked in the direction of General Gibbon, where there were corpses lying on the ground.There are staff officers, captains of the flying brigade, and even General Gibbon.

At this time, the enemy's artillery fire had shifted and was bombarding the hangar area. It was safer here. Looking at it, Ito's eyes suddenly lit up.

He found a good thing.

Next to the crater, there was a beautiful samurai sword lying horizontally. Ito could tell at a glance that it was General Yoshimoto's samurai sword, which was bestowed by the emperor.

An idea came to his mind.

The lieutenant general of the empire, the commander of the first army, the samurai sword bestowed by the emperor—this thing, if you sell it to Li Yunlong, you should be able to make a lot of money, right?

·····
That night.

Peiping.

Seeing the telegram in his hand, Neiji Okamura sighed deeply.

"what happened?"

Beside him, Shinozuka Yoshio asked.

"Jiben Junyu is broken."

Okamura Ningji sighed again.

"what happened?"

Yoshio Shinozuka was a little surprised. Although Li Yunlong often attacked imperial officers, Yoshimoto was always in Taiyuan, and the security work was very strict. How could that be?
"Taiyuan Airport was bombarded by Li Yunlong again, Mr. Yoshimoto happened to be inside the airport, and judging from the power, this time Li Yunlong used 105 caliber artillery."

Neiji Okamura said:

"Its shelling position is eleven kilometers away from the airport."

"Is it a 105 mountain cannon with a range of more than eleven kilometers?"

Shinozuka Yoshio subconsciously rubbed his forehead and also sighed.Recently, have Li Yunlong and his independent regiment had too many new weapons?
"Shinozuka-kun."

Ningji Okamura suddenly raised his tone:
"The base camp allows you to return to the headquarters of the First Army."

"Nani?"

Yoshio Shinozuka felt his scalp tingle immediately.

From his point of view, Li Yunlong has grown up, and Yamamoto's plan can only hit Li Yunlong's strength with a high probability, and cannot be eliminated. Unless the empire abandons Plan No. [-] and mobilizes more than three divisions to deal with him with all its strength, Ping An County It will be a matter of time before the Zhengtai Railway is cut off.

Going to be the commander of the First Army now?
It's a joy to commit seppuku directly.

"In three months' time, the Kwantung Army will transfer you a full second-class division. In addition, the mainland will mobilize more than [-] new recruits within three months. Same level."

Neiji Okamura knew Yoshio Shinozuka's scruples, so he continued.

"This is···"

Shinozuka Yoshio was startled.

The Kwantung Army actually gave him a full-staffed division when it was transferred in large numbers. The country is also generous. Within three months, [-] new recruits, even if they are inferior soldiers, are not a small number.

Even the logistics supply is at the same level as the front army.

"Those materials have attracted the attention of the prime minister."

Okamura Ningji let out a breath.

"it is good."

Shinozuka Yoshio took a deep breath, then let it out heavily, and at the same time, there was a flash of light in his eyes:
"However, I want full command of the First Army to allow me to formulate a battle plan."

A full Kwantung Army second-line division, 2 recruits cannon fodder, a high supply level of weapons and ammunition, and the current strength of the First Army of more than [-] troops, as well as [-] recruits near Ping'an County, and a brigade.

Let Shinozuka Yoshio have the confidence to deal with Li Yunlong.

"can."

Okamura Ningji nodded directly:

"I will talk to the base camp and General Hata Junliu."

·····
Heyuan County.

within the county.

"Hahaha····"

Li Yunlong smiled very happily:
"Iwamori directly blew up Yoshimoto to death, and Yoshio Shinozuka is back."

"The business is finally done."

Zhao Gang was also very happy.

The reason for being happy is because there is a list on the table, which includes equipment for a complete production line of shells, with a designed annual production capacity of 200 million rounds.

These include steelmaking equipment with an annual output of 15 tons, a complete set of production equipment for fuzes, projectiles, and copper shells, and even a small set of equipment for the production of high-energy explosives such as RDX.

Of course, there is also a full set of technical information on the range-extending bomb.

"These devices are very precious and bulky. Let's build them in the east of Heyuan County, next to a canyon ten kilometers away from the county seat. The terrain is open and suitable."

Zhao Gang pointed to the map and said:

"Reinforced concrete is used for the construction of the factory building, and anti-aircraft artillery fire can be placed on the three commanding heights around it to avoid the bombing of devils. It can also directly use the iron mines in Heyuan County."

"it is good."

Li Yunlong nodded directly.

"How long will it take to start production?"

Li Yunlong asked suddenly.

The price tag of this business can be improved several grades according to the local industrial capacity.And along with the production line, there are as many as [-] masters from various industries, all of whom are top technical experts.

"It will take at least half a year, more than nine to ten months."

Zhao Gang shook his head.

"So long?"

Li Yunlong frowned.

It will take at least half a year to start production, and it will take almost a year or even longer to mass-produce shells, which is a bit long.

"It's very soon."

Zhao Gang smiled and shook his head:

"Our production line is a complete set of equipment, including steelmaking to finished product manufacturing, and even fuzes. For such a large factory, it takes two years to prepare in foreign countries. The initial production can start in half a year, because the information provided by Boss Chen is very comprehensive. The equipment has been debugged, and the master master provides technical consultation at any time."

"it is good."

Li Yunlong nodded, and continued:

"In terms of security, I transferred three battalions of 6000 people to Heyuan County. Two of the battalions are responsible for the security around the factory, plus a long-range howitzer company equipped with [-] guns, and the remaining battalion guards the road in the direction of Heyuan County and Taiyuan."

"Ah."

Zhao Gang nodded in satisfaction.

·····
a few days later.

West of the Taihang Mountains.

Factory area, warehouse area.

As the troops became stronger and stronger, their weapons and equipment became better and better, and the independent regiment located in the northwest of Shanxi attracted almost all the attention of the First Army, and now it has been operated as an absolute safe zone.

With a stable site, it is natural to start a big development. The original arsenal, clothing factory, etc. were further expanded and even branch factories were established. Earth blast furnaces were also set up for ironmaking and even steelmaking, forming a factory area.

In order to store a large amount of materials from the independent regiment, the logistics department also built a warehouse area and built a series of transportation roads.

In the middle of the factory area, next to a large piece of newly leveled open space, there is a transport plane - the American DC3 transport plane.Covered with camouflage netting, of course, and guarded by soldiers armed with Thompson submachine guns.

In the evening, in a newly built house in a nearby village, a major in American military uniform walked in with a box in his hand, looked around the house, and asked with a frown:

"Dr. Aiken hasn't come back yet?"

The major officer's uniform had a layer of dust on it.

"No."

A similarly dressed guard beside him replied:

"Still in the livestock farm here."

"What is he doing?"

The officer was obviously in a very bad mood, cursing.

Afterwards, he put the box in his hand on the table in the house, and then took out a handwritten English document and a shell.

From the perspective of caliber, this is a Bofors 75-caliber mountain artillery shell. The cartridge and warhead are separated. The most notable thing is that there is a huge dent at the bottom of the projectile.

"Is this the extended-range bomb that this group of peasant guerrillas are talking about?"

At the table, another officer looked over.

"Correct."

The major officer sighed, his tone full of emotion and disbelief.

"Can it really increase the range?"

Seeing the major officer's expression, the other officer was surprised.

They came here under the orders of Lieutenant General Doyle of the Military Logistics Department, and brought a livestock research team that cooperates with the military to take a look at the so-called big mules of the guerrillas here. Unexpectedly, after arriving here, they were visited Sell ​​a cannonball.

Extended range bomb.

It claims to be able to increase the maximum range of the shell by 20.00% to [-].

The moment he heard it, the officer snorted.

The range extension of artillery shells has been studied in China. Before the war, those military factories and technicians did small-scale research. After the war, the military technical departments began to organize and inject research funds, but the final result was only to improve the shape of the shells. , to improve the wind resistance and increase the range a little bit, the loss outweighs the gain.

Therefore, the other party said that he wanted a live ammunition drill, but he didn't go.

"24 caliber Bofors mountain gun test."

The major officer said:

"The range of the standard grenade is [-] kilometers, and the range of the extended-range grenade is [-] kilometers."

"Walter?"

Another officer nearly bit his tongue.

How important is shell range?
Any officer knows very well that in artillery battles, it depends on who has the longest range of shells, who has more cannons, and of course, accuracy.

"How is accuracy affected?"

he asked hastily.

The farther the range, the lower the accuracy of the shells. It is not advisable to greatly sacrifice accuracy to increase the range.Projectile accuracy is also very important.

"The spread is ten percent higher than normal grenades, and all caliber shells can be used."

The major officer replied.

"This is impossible."

Another officer nearly spoke.

"See for yourself."

The major officer directly threw the test record data in his hand to the unbelieving officer.

After receiving the handwritten data records and looking at the lines of data above, another officer had a difficult tone:
"Is this really the technology they have mastered?"

"Yes, they also showed me some detailed information."

The major officer nodded and sighed with emotion.

It's hard to imagine that a small power in such a country with basically no industry actually has this kind of technology.

"What do they want?"

Looking carefully at the data in his hand, another officer said, his tone was decisive, and through the shoulder patch on the side, it could be seen that this person was a lieutenant colonel.

His tone is obvious, this extended-range bomb technology must be bought.

"The training of [-] pilots and logistics personnel, as well as some funds, this technology is ours."

said the major.

Hearing the quotation, the lieutenant colonel frowned directly.

(End of this chapter)