Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 601: Summary of the division of labor and the pie-in-the-sky promises of the present and future! (Please subscribe)
"In that case, the results of this operation are tentatively set as follows: 12,500 Japanese soldiers killed, more than 10,000 Japanese soldiers wounded, and 20,000 puppet troops annihilated."

"We fought well in this battle. Let me first talk about the areas where we performed well."

"In the early stages of the battle, the 40th Army, despite being outmatched in weaponry, food, and ammunition, repeatedly thwarted the enemy's advance and withstood the continuous attacks of the Japanese 5th Division, an elite unit. Its command was effective and its officers and soldiers fought bravely, making it a model for the National Revolutionary Army."

Lin Wei slowly praised the 40th Army, a miscellaneous military unit.

Ma Fawu was overwhelmed with emotion, his whole body trembling with excitement.

He suddenly stood up, bowed deeply towards the chief, and then cupped his hands in greeting to everyone present.

"Don't dare to take it! Don't dare to take it!"

"If it weren't for the friendly forces rushing to our aid overnight, my 40th Army would probably no longer exist!"

"A model of the National Revolutionary Army" is the highest praise and evaluation.

His voice was filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and heartfelt gratitude.

Chu Yunfei smiled and nodded, gesturing for him to sit down.

Chu Yunfei really didn't expect that the 40th Army could withstand the attack of the Japanese 5th Division.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have urgently dispatched the Eastern Expeditionary Force to provide support.

Then, Lin Wei looked in Ding Wei's direction and slowly added, "Of course, the defense of Anyang could not have been separated from the support of the Eastern Expeditionary Column. It covered 800 kilometers in two days and two nights. That night, the swift attack tore apart the defense line of the Japanese 7th Mixed Brigade and, together with the 40th Army, successfully defended the outer positions of Anyang. Their performance was quite good."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the generals praised him.

As soon as he finished speaking, many of the generals present cast admiring and curious glances at Ding Wei.

Tang Huaiyuan, the commander of the Third Army who had always had a good relationship with the Eighth Route Army, clapped his hands and laughed.

"The Eighth Route Army troops are particularly skilled at night fighting. It's truly remarkable that they were able to break through the defenses of the 7th Mixed Brigade. Those damned Japanese devils fought against Zhu Huaibing's troops in the Hebei-Chahar War Zone a few years ago. As for the result, Zhu Huaibing's entire division was chased for 150 li by a single regiment."

Tang Huaiyuan chuckled.

He spoke these words loudly and deliberately.

Zhu Huaibing, commander of the 94th Division, sat at the end of the meeting hall.

Upon hearing this, her face flushed red and then turned pale.

In the end, all they could do was swallow their anger and pretend they hadn't heard.

His 94th Division, due to friction and attacks from the Japanese, now has only about 3,000 combat troops.

They didn't even have the chance to participate in this battle.

According to the reorganization plan of the Ministry of Military Affairs, they will be transferred to Lushan for reorganization and training, and then added to the operational order of the Sixth War Zone.

This meeting was just a formality.

Ma Fawu immediately stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Ding Wei.

"Indeed! I am deeply grateful for the great help from Commander Ding and your brothers in this battle! Otherwise, my 40th Army would have been in grave danger!"

Seeing this, Ding Wei could only stand up, return the greeting, and politely say, "Commander Ma, you flatter me. Fighting the Japanese together is our duty."

This was the first time he had become the center of attention at such a military conference.

Deep down, I still feel a little uneasy.

Ding Wei appeared somewhat reserved.

Chu Yunfei did not take the opportunity to ask him to share his experience in night battles, but instead looked at Zhu Huaibing, who was sitting at the end of the table, with great interest.

"All units attacking the city." Lin Wei's gaze then turned to Chen Zejun and Guo Yanzheng, "The newly formed 14th Division and the newly formed 16th Division, as the main force in this assault, faced a powerful enemy, were not afraid of sacrifice, and demonstrated the might of our National Revolutionary Army in daring to fight tough and fierce battles!"

"In particular, Division Commander Chen Zejun, with his decisive command and leading by example, deserves great credit!"

Chen Zejun and Guo Yanzheng both stood up and saluted, their faces filled with pride.

"The 76th Army, the 24th Division"

Lin Wei's gaze finally fell on Liao Ang, and his tone became somewhat meaningful: "Although Commander Liao did not fully follow the battle plan in the early stages of the campaign, his spirit of daring to infiltrate and take risks is commendable."

In the subsequent pursuit, it also performed exceptionally well, making significant contributions to cutting off the enemy's retreat.

He paused, then changed the subject, his voice becoming serious, "As for Li Tiejun's lax discipline, disobeying orders from superiors, and failing to properly restrain his subordinates, he has no merit or demerit in this battle! This has been reported to the General Headquarters for disciplinary action!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Ang felt a chill run down his spine. He had no choice but to grit his teeth, stand up, salute, and accept the order.

he knows.

This was Chu Yunfei's way of making a strong impression, both affirming the achievements of their 24th Division and clarifying Li Tiejun's responsibilities.

By combining kindness and severity, they were rendered speechless and unable to utter a single word of dissent.

"The 61st Army of the 7th Army Group under Chen Changjie and the remaining units all received corresponding commendations, which will not be detailed here."

"Finally, the artillery units!"

Lin Wei finally revealed a genuine smile: "They made outstanding contributions in this battle! Commander-in-Chief Liang Guoping's command was precise and his deployment was skillful! In particular, Song Ming, the commander of the 13th Artillery Brigade, led his troops in a night raid and destroyed the enemy's heavy artillery brigade in one fell swoop, laying a decisive foundation for our army to gain artillery superiority! These two should be rewarded handsomely!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Guoping and Song Ming also stood up excitedly and greeted everyone.

At this point, the bowl of water is basically balanced.

Chu Yunfei then slowly got up and walked to the center of the conference room.

He looked at everyone present and said, "Now that the battle achievements have been determined, let's talk about the spoils."

Chu Yunfei surveyed the crowd and announced in an unquestionable tone, "The captured supplies shall be allocated and used by the joint command. Each unit, upon returning, shall thoroughly verify and truthfully report its own battle losses and captured supplies."

"This"

Upon hearing this, many commanders present exchanged bewildered glances.

According to the previous combat practices of the National Revolutionary Army, these captured supplies were basically distributed by each unit according to the principle of "whoever captures them, owns them".

Now, we need to submit everything together?

This made them feel quite uncomfortable.

Liao Ang immediately raised his hand to signal, "Commander Liao, please speak."

"Chief Advisor Chu," Liao Ang stood up and asked tactfully, "Will the allocation be adjusted according to the different operational needs of each unit, with different emphases?"

He was speaking of the concerns in everyone's heart.

Once the money is handed over, will some people get more and some get less?
Chu Yunfei smiled, as if he had expected someone to ask this question.

"of course."

He answered frankly, “All units should use standardized weapons. For example, your 24th Division, Commander Liao Ang, should be a ‘Class A Combat Division with National Weapons’ according to the Ministry of Military Affairs’ designation.”

Therefore, all Japanese and miscellaneous weapons and equipment captured by your forces should be handed over.

In exchange for brand-new domestically produced equipment manufactured by our arsenal.

"And those."

Chu Yunfei's gaze turned to Ma Fawu: "Those that have been designated as 'Class B combat units,' such as the 40th Army."

All miscellaneous weapons should be surrendered, and everyone should be equipped with Japanese weapons instead.

"Commander Chu, what about our defense zone?"

"As for the defense zone vacated by the 40th Army," Chu Yunfei added, "it will be taken over by the 5th Army Group, General Tang Huaiyuan's 3rd Army. After the rotation, the 40th Army will move to the Longcheng Comprehensive Training Ground for a six-month reorganization and training."

in addition,

The Third Army was a model of a 'Class B combat force' that had already been reorganized and reorganized.

After the meeting, officers may proceed to observe the proceedings at their own discretion.

The original Yunnan Army unit, the Third Army of the Fifth Group Army under Zeng Wanzhong.

They had already carried out the corresponding sorting and reorganization work, and they had heard about it to some extent.

"The so-called 'unified allocation' is based on 'standardization' and 'regulation.' As for your concerns about your background, there is no need to worry. As long as you are part of the anti-Japanese forces, you will be treated equally."

"Alright, that's all for the parts where you played well."

"Of course, we should also talk about the problems and difficulties we encountered in this operation."

As soon as Chu Yunfei finished speaking, the slightly relaxed atmosphere in the conference room instantly became serious again.

He turned his gaze to Ding Wei, who was sitting at the end of the table.

"Ding Wei, this is the first time your Eastern Expeditionary Column has engaged in such a large-scale head-on confrontation with a top-tier Japanese division."

“I think your feelings are the most profound, so you can speak first.”

Ding Wei was surprised.

Chu Yunfei would call his name first.

He paused for a moment, then stood up.

That face, which always carried a hint of refinement and melancholy, revealed a solemn expression: "Reporting to Commander Chu."

His voice was loud and clear: "As you said, we have indeed discovered some new problems that we have never encountered before."

"To be honest, our Eighth Route Army rarely fought against such a well-organized and fully-staffed elite Japanese main force."

“In the past few years, we have mostly faced second-line garrison brigades, or even puppet troops. Their combat effectiveness is far inferior to that of the main Japanese divisions.”

"This time, we discovered that the Japanese soldiers on the other side seemed to be different from our previous opponents."

Ding Wei paused for a moment, then shared his observation: "These Japanese soldiers' guns are much more powerful than before!"

“In the past, when we exchanged fire with the Japanese, we all knew that their Type 38 rifles had strong penetrating power at a distance of about 200 meters, but insufficient stopping power.”

"When a bullet hits the body, it usually just leaves a small hole. As long as it doesn't hit a vital organ, the brothers can wrap their wounds with gauze and continue fighting. Our army has always had the fine tradition of not leaving the front line even with minor injuries."

"But this time."

Ding Wei's voice grew heavy: "We've discovered that the wounds inflicted by the Japanese are much more severe than before!"

"A bullet goes in, and it leaves a huge hole!"

"Even if you are hit in the shoulder, you will either die on the spot or be seriously injured."

"If you are hit in the thigh or arm, it can be life-threatening or require amputation if not treated promptly!"

"Based on the battlefield situation and the spoils of war, we believe that the Japanese seem to be undergoing a comprehensive upgrade of their weapons and equipment."

Ding Wei's words resonated with many frontline commanders present.

They all nodded, indicating that they had also noticed similar situations.

"That's right. The Japanese machine guns are much more powerful than before. The men below captured some, and I saw them. They are very similar to Czech machine guns, but they also solve the problem of their Type 96 machine gun. The caliber is also slightly different from the Type 96 machine gun I knew about before."

Chu Yunfei listened quietly, without the slightest surprise on his face.

He nodded, gesturing for Ding Wei to sit down.

Then, Chu Yunfei personally gave a vivid lesson on weapons science to the generals present, who were still in the "empiricism" stage.

"What you said is actually correct."

Chu Yunfei looked at everyone and said, "The Japanese are indeed undergoing a complete re-equipment process. The bolt-action rifle you mentioned is called the Type 99 rifle."

"As early as the Nomonhan Incident, the Japanese had already realized that their Type 38 6.5mm caliber rifles had a serious weakness in terms of power."

"Therefore, they developed this new standard rifle based on the Type 38 rifle, which uses 7.7mm caliber rifle cartridges."

Seeing the eager expressions on everyone's faces, Chu Yunfei began to explain in detail.

"According to the intelligence we currently have, there are four main models of the Type 99 rifle."

"The first type is the short rifles that are widely deployed, which is what we encounter most often on the front lines."

"Its performance can be described as a comprehensive upgrade of the Type 38 rifle."

"The accuracy is just as good, but the power is even greater."

"The second type is the long rifle produced in small quantities."

"Its performance is almost identical to that of a short rifle, and it is mainly designed to meet the needs of some troops with special requirements for range."

"The third type is rather special, called the Type 2 Paratrooper Rifle."

"According to intelligence provided by the United States, this was specially developed by the Japanese for their newly formed paratrooper unit."

Its most notable feature is its quick-disassembly capability, making it easy for paratroopers to carry. Additionally, it is equipped with a brand-new, detachable Type 2 bayonet.

"The last one is the Type 99 sniper rifle."

"With its superior performance, it poses a great threat to our army's junior commanders and machine gunners."

Chu Yunfei's detailed explanation drew nods of approval from the generals present.

They learned more or less about the Japanese army's weapon replacement.

However, very few people have such detailed knowledge as Chu Yunfei.

"In addition," Chu Yunfei continued, "according to reports from the front-line troops, the Japanese army seems to have also equipped themselves with a special device that can fire grenades from rifles. I don't know if you have received any relevant reports or statements."

"Yes! That's true!"

Chen Zejun immediately raised his hand to signal, then stood up and added, "Our division has seized several of these things."

"But the brothers didn't know what it was, and they didn't dare to use it carelessly."

Chu Yunfei nodded: "That kind of thing is called a grenade launcher."

"According to the intelligence we have in the Technical Research Department of the Military Training Department, this grenade launcher was recently developed and is being produced in small batches by the Senpaku Manufacturing Plant of the Nagoya Arsenal in Japan."

"but."

Chu Yunfei changed the subject and gave his assessment: "Gentlemen, there is no need to worry too much about this thing."

"Because the function of a grenade launcher is almost completely overlapping with that of a rifle grenade launcher."

"Considering production costs and compatibility with equipment systems, I judge that the Japanese military will not produce and deploy this weapon on a large scale."

"This weapon is indeed more convenient than a grenade launcher. Especially in terms of carrying, even if a grenade launcher is made as lightweight as possible, it cannot compare to the weight of a grenade launcher."

Chu Yunfei nodded slowly: "That's right, but don't forget that Japan is a country with extremely scarce resources. With the liberation of Shanxi, the Japanese army lost a large coal and iron production base and could only rely on the coal and iron resources in Northeast China and the Korean Peninsula to produce weapons."

"To date, the North China Joint Command has received several reports that the Japanese combat units' machine gun firepower is far inferior to what it used to be."

Based on relevant intelligence and research, it is determined that the country suffers from a lack of local resources and insufficient industrial capacity.

Therefore, they have always had a huge shortcoming in machine gun production capacity.

A standard Japanese infantry regiment, according to its organization, should be equipped with eighty-one light machine guns.

However, in reality, given the Japanese military's current production capacity, it was almost impossible to meet this demand.

Therefore, they took a different approach and significantly increased the size of the 'grenade launcher' units.

They used this cheap weapon, which cost only one-third as much to produce as a machine gun, to make up for the lack of support firepower in their squads.

Some units even employ mixed support squads consisting of grenade launcher units, mortar units, and machine gun units.

This also means that we often find that some Japanese mixed brigades, or even security divisions, have a pitifully small number of machine guns.

But they had a large number of grenade launchers, and their accuracy and firepower created the illusion of overwhelming firepower.

"Now that we've talked about the enemy, let's talk about ourselves."

Chu Yunfei's voice drew everyone's attention back to the present.

A confident and proud smile appeared on his face: "I know that everyone is very concerned about the actual production capacity of North China and whether our weapons are powerful enough."

Chu Yunfei walked to the huge map and gestured to an advisor to hang up another map depicting the industrial layout of Shanxi.

"Today, I'm going to tell you all the truth."

Chu Yunfei used his baton to point to the three core areas on the map in turn.

"Changzhi Arsenal, officially designated as the 88th Arsenal by the Ministry of Military Affairs, has undergone expansion and technological upgrades in recent years."

Currently, it has become the largest grenade launcher and mortar production base in North China.

The monthly production capacity is 900 Type 24 grenade launchers.

140 Type 82 mortars were produced, along with 400 new-style Hummingbird submachine guns manufactured in Shanxi.

"Previously, production of the Thompson submachine gun manufactured in Shanxi had ceased entirely. After the corresponding production line was upgraded and the appropriate measures were taken, with the help of Soviet experts, we have successfully carried out the corresponding modifications. Currently, production is stabilizing, and we are attempting to produce the Garand semi-automatic rifle."

Of course, as you all know, the production equipment of Taiyuan Arsenal had been evacuated.

Its main body was the Northwest Manufacturing Bureau, located in Shaanxi and southeastern Shanxi.

Even so, the Taiyuan Arsenal had already upgraded its original artillery production line, and was now producing four 75mm mountain guns per month and twelve 105mm howitzers per year.

Although the quantity is small, it is enough to provide us with the necessary supplements!
Monthly production capacity: 3.5 million rounds of 7.9mm rifle ammunition, 5 million rounds of 6.5mm rifle ammunition, and 180,000 hand grenades.

"As for the Northwest Manufacturing Bureau..."

"After solving the problems of electricity and raw materials, its production capacity has already fully exploded!"

Chu Yunfei looked around at the faces of everyone present, flushed with excitement and shock, and his voice was full of powerful appeal.

"With the strong support of our allies and our own full development of resources."

"We are still far from sufficient in terms of our ability to produce heavy weapons such as tanks and aircraft."

"However! In the production of small arms, support weapons, and various types of ammunition and shells, we have already reached the leading level in Asia!"

"Asia's leading!"

These four words were like a bombshell, exploding in everyone's hearts!

They simply couldn't believe their ears!

There was a time when they were still haggling with the enemy over a single bullet or shell.

And now, their chief advisor is telling them that their ammunition production capacity is already "leading in Asia"?

"and."

Seeing the incredulous looks on everyone's faces, Chu Yunfei continued, "Compared to the resource-scarce Japanese, we also possess a complete and sustainable production system!"

"The only thing that restricts our production efficiency is the lack of steelmaking equipment and high-end military production equipment."

Chu Yunfei's eyes gleamed with a burning anticipation for the future: "And this will be fundamentally improved as the industrial equipment aided by the Allies arrives!"

The transport of goods along the Burma Road is inefficient due to the rainy season.

Heavy rains, flash floods, mudslides and other geological disasters have always plagued the transportation work on the Yunnan-Burma Road.

After all, Myanmar has a rainy season that lasts for eight to ten months a year.

Now is the perfect season for transportation, and we'll be waiting for all of this production equipment to arrive in China.

After a new batch of technical experts return from their studies, Chu Yunfei's claim of being "Asia's leading" will truly be true leadership.

As for now
The arsenal system is only in its early stages of construction and often fails to reach its theoretical maximum production capacity.

The generals present were all filled with excitement and their hearts were pounding.

Of course, Chu Yunfei was just making empty promises.

A pie to give all the generals confidence.

Not everyone is eligible to receive the new weapons.

Even the Flying Tigers themselves have a lot of equipment that uses a mix of Japanese and Shanxi weapons.

These best equipment should naturally be equipped with the best troops, only in this way can they play a better role.

As for the other units, they can only wait for production capacity to fully expand or for a better opportunity to undergo a complete re-equipment.

Until then, we had to make do.

However, even the Japanese make do, don't they?

After the commanders were inspired to their peak by the bright prospects.

Chu Yunfei's expression suddenly darkened.

He gestured for Cao Potian, the head of the newly established North China Joint Command's "Inspection Department," to step forward.

"Everyone."

Chu Yunfei's voice turned cold and serious: "Soldiers belong to the country, and so do guns."

"We gave you the best soldiers and the best guns so that you brothers could fight the Japanese invaders and defend your homeland."

"This isn't for my brothers to use these to oppress the people or to act like tyrants!"

"We have just recovered large swathes of our territory."

"The local people have suffered under the Japanese for many years, and the local economy is in dire need of rebuilding. We need to comfort and provide relief."

"I command!"

Everyone present quickly stood up and straightened their backs with serious expressions.

Chu Yunfei's voice suddenly rose: "All units, once you return, you must strictly discipline your officers and soldiers!"

"We must ensure that the local people are not harmed in the slightest!"

"Don't get carried away by a few victories, forget who you are, or forget your sense of responsibility and mission as a soldier."

Cao Potian stepped forward and added in his emotionless, razor-sharp voice, "The Chief Advisor's words are the highest order of our Inspectorate!"

"Starting today, the Inspection Department will dispatch inspection teams to conduct unannounced and random inspections of the military regulations and discipline of various units!"

"Let me, Lao Cao, make this clear from the start."

"No matter what great achievements they have made."

"If we catch you engaging in any illegal or disorderly conduct..."

"At the very least, there will be a public reprimand, dismissal, and investigation."

"In severe cases."

Cao Potian paused, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Military law will be applied, with zero tolerance!"

After the meeting.

Sun Ming, a trusted confidant who had just returned from the Fifth War Zone, entered Chu Yunfei's office under the guidance of Zhao Pengcheng.

"Lord Yun".

"Have a seat." Chu Yunfei gestured to the sofa opposite him and personally poured him a glass of water. "How's the situation in the Fifth War Zone?"

Sun Ming's face showed a hint of fatigue and helplessness: "Lord Yun, the initial stage went very smoothly, but now, the reorganization work is not going very smoothly."

He sighed and said, "The discipline of the Sichuan Army is terrible."

"Moreover, their resentment towards the mountain city is long-standing and deeply rooted."

"Our reorganization efforts have been hampered at every turn."

"My suggestion is that instead of wasting our energy cleaning up their mess."

"In my opinion, it would be better to let them fend for themselves."

"We will concentrate our resources and efforts on retraining and rebuilding new troops."

Sun Ming's suggestion was full of the "rationality" of a technocrat.

However, after listening, Chu Yunfei slowly shook his head.

Sun Ming,

His voice carried a deeper emotion: "What you said makes sense. But we can't do that."

"Although they were not strong in combat and had various problems, they were still a vital force in the fight against Japan and our compatriots."

"It's normal for them to be dissatisfied with the mountain city."

"Because, over the years, neither Liu Xiang of the Sichuan Army nor the people of Chongqing have ever truly treated them as their own."

Chu Yunfei looked at Sun Ming, his eyes flashing with something called determination: "Others may look down on them, may abandon them, but we cannot."

“We need to let them know that there is no longer a distinction between ‘core’ and ‘misfit’.”

"Only Chinese soldiers fighting the Japanese."

"It is simply a classification of Class A and Class B combat units based on various factors such as combat duties, combat skills, equipment, and defense capabilities."

Sun Ming looked helpless and shrugged, "Master Yun, I understand the reasoning."

Not to mention how the reorganization of the Guangxi clique troops in the Fifth War Zone was carried out.

Currently, the unpaid wages and pensions of the 24th Army alone amount to as much as three million yuan.

Moreover, the previous compensation work was poorly done, or even non-existent, and many corrupt officials and military officers who had previously provided compensation died in the war. It is now extremely difficult to make up for it.

In addition, most of these soldiers came from Sichuan.

The number of refugees in Sichuan alone has reached tens of millions, or even twenty million.

The local government is finding it difficult to even maintain the status quo, and we don't have much money in our accounts to continue investing.

As for the mountain city, based on the rumors I heard in the Fifth War Zone...

Even the 18th Army, a direct descendant of the Civil Engineering Corps, is currently experiencing arrears in its military pay.

Chu Yunfei frowned: "I haven't heard the Chairman mention this matter yet. It requires corresponding cooperation. I remember that the United States originally had a full $300 million economic aid plan. Logically speaking, Chongqing is not short of money."

Sun Ming shook his head: "I don't know the specifics either. Why don't you make a phone call and ask?"

(End of this chapter)