Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

On the shore of the Yellow Sea, lies the major port of Jiaozhou Bay.

The early spring sea breeze carried a biting chill, whipping up waves of grayish-white sea that crashed violently against the bullet-riddled breakwater.

Twilight.

On the massive port docks, hundreds of high-wattage searchlights illuminated the water surface for several kilometers as if it were daytime.

Clang! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The steam winch emitted a deafening metallic grinding sound.

A steel cable as thick as a child's arm was taut and used to slowly lift a three-ton precast reinforced concrete component from the cargo hold of a US-made 10,000-ton "Liberty" ship.

"Beware!"

"Move closer!"

"push!"

Zhao Gensheng, a 52-year-old loader foreman, was wearing a thick, dark green old military overcoat with a dirty towel draped around his neck.

With a hoarse voice, he directed a dozen or so shirtless laborers, their bodies steaming with white vapor.

The group gritted their teeth, gripped the thick wooden bar with a long handle and hook, and braced it against the swaying concrete boulder in mid-air, precisely guiding it towards the breach in the blasted berth below.

"boom!"

The boulder fell to the bottom, splashing up a sky full of icy seawater.

Zhao Gensheng wiped the salty water droplets from his face and gasped for breath.

"it is good!"

"Unfasten the slings and retract the slings!"

A second lieutenant of the Nationalist Army's engineering corps, wearing an M1 steel helmet, loudly issued orders through a megaphone.

He walked quickly to Zhao Gensheng and handed him an aluminum military water bottle.

"Old Zhao, well done."

"These are special breakwater components sent by the Americans. With these, all the deep-water berths in the offshore naval port will be open to navigation by the end of this month."

Zhao Gensheng didn't stand on ceremony, took the water bottle and took a big gulp: "Platoon Leader Li, this reinforced concrete is really heavy."

Zhao Gensheng handed the kettle back and glanced at the huge cargo ship.

"I, Lao Zhao, have spent most of my life as a porter at Qingdao Port."

"In the past, whether it was Germans, British, or later those short Japanese men who whipped people."

"The ships that dock bring in rifles and opium, and take away our ore and cotton."

A hint of emotion flashed in Zhao Gensheng's eyes as he pointed to the mountains of mechanical parts piled up on the dock: "I've never seen anything like this before in my life, with whole ships unloading steel plates, lathes, and even dismantling and transporting such a large 'gantry crane'."

Platoon Leader Li hung the megaphone on his waist and followed Zhao Gensheng's gaze into the depths of the harbor.

There, a five-kilometer stretch of coastline has been covered with a dense network of barbed wire.

Fully armed military police patrolled every three steps and every five steps.

"That's because this port used to be a foreign concession, a cash cow for the Japanese."

Platoon Leader Li patted the pistol holster at his waist, his eyes revealing a soldier's pride: "But now, this is the territory of the Republic of China!"

"This fenced-off restricted area is a top-class naval port established by direct orders from the Supreme Command and the North China Joint Command."

"In the future, we will not only dock our own warships here, but also build large ships that can sail into the Pacific Ocean in the shipyard inside!"

Zhao Gensheng was stunned.

Build our own warships?
Everyone knows that when Qingdao fell to the Japanese, Shen Honglie, then mayor of Qingdao and former commander of the Northeast Navy, implemented an extremely thorough scorched-earth policy.

He ordered all the old warships of the Third Fleet remaining in the port to open their underwater valves and scuttle themselves, completely blocking the Qingdao port channel.

At the same time, they sent people to blow up all the key facilities, dry docks and cranes at the Qingdao Naval Shipyard.

When the Japanese army occupied Qingdao without bloodshed, all they got was a mess.

Although this mess has been mostly cleaned up in the past few years.

But when the Japanese retreated, they left the place in a complete mess.

More than half a year has passed since Qingdao was liberated, and things are indeed improving.

But if we couldn't even build our own warships before the war, how can we do it now?
Thinking of this, Zhao Gensheng chuckled softly.

What do these things have to do with me?

He turned to look at his eighteen-year-old apprentice, Shunzi, who was carrying sand in a wheelbarrow behind him.

"Shunzi!"

Zhao Gensheng shouted, "Stop and rest for a bit, breakfast is ready!"

"understood"

A sheltered spot in a corner of the dock.

Several cooks from the mess hall had already carried out two large iron pots, each about half a person's height, used for marching.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a rich aroma of meat broth, accompanied by steaming hot water vapor, instantly spread through the cold wind.

"Two big white steamed buns for each person!"

"A spoonful of braised pork canned food stewed with cabbage!"

The cook, holding a long-handled ladle, stirred the churning meat slices in the pot while shouting at the top of his lungs, "Line up!"

"If it's not enough, we'll bring more. The Ministry of Military Affairs has given a strict order: the laborers doing heavy work will have the same food standards as the front-line infantry!"

Shunzi, holding a large, chipped enamel bowl, squeezed to the front of the line.

When the quartermaster poured a heavy spoonful of greasy meat broth onto the steamed bun, Shunzi couldn't help but swallow hard.

He held the bowl, squatted down next to Zhao Gensheng, and wolfed down the food.

"Master, these steamed buns are so white, and the meat smells so good!"

As Shunzi chewed, he mumbled incoherently, tears of emotion glistening in his eyes: "Six months ago, when we were building bunkers for the Japanese, we only had two black cornbread buns mixed with sawdust and sand every day."

Zhao Gensheng sighed: "Even with this, there are still many people vying to do it."

Shunzi shoveled the last bit of soup from the bottom of the bowl: "Yeah, either we starve to death or we get beaten to death by the Japanese."

"If you're not careful, you'll get a beating with a whip."

"That's how my brother was beaten to death on the construction site."

Zhao Gensheng took a bite of his steamed bun and patted Shunzi's head with his large hand: "Those were days of being slaves of a conquered nation."

Zhao Gensheng's eyes were a little red as he gazed at the red sun gradually rising over the sea.

"I, Old Zhao, have lived to be over fifty years old, and I've finally reached the point where I can see the light of day."

"The money we receive for our work is in large denominations of national currency. This money is really practical and can be spent to feed and clothe the whole family."

Zhao Gensheng put the bowl down at his feet and pointed at the engineering soldiers who were directing the operation of the machinery: "Look at those Nationalist soldiers. Although they are all covered in dust, they speak with conviction and act fairly."

"They'll give us new cotton gloves, and if we get injured, the army doctor will give us that... something like sulfonium."

"Shunzi, you'll remember this."

"This port was built for our country, and every single stone here is our own breakwater."

Zhao Gensheng suddenly stood up, his eyes revealing the most basic tenacity of a Chinese laborer: "Even if it breaks these old bones, I have to do this job well!"

Just then, an extremely deep and penetrating air raid siren suddenly rang out over the entire Jiaozhou Bay.

But then, the green signal flags on the control tower started waving wildly.

"It's not an enemy attack! Don't panic!"

Platoon Leader Li, holding a megaphone, loudly maintained order: "All personnel, withdraw from the main channel berths! Stand at attention!"

Zhao Gensheng and Shunzi put down their tools and, following everyone's gaze, looked towards the vast sea shrouded in morning mist.

"Waaaaah—!!!"

Accompanied by the resounding sound of ship horns, three warships painted entirely in naval gray, like three sharp swords cleaving through the waves, slowly emerged from the mist.

The lead warship, though not large in tonnage, had a high bow.

At the top of that towering mast, a huge flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was fluttering in the biting sea wind!
On either side of it were dozens of shallow-draft speedboats with their decks covered with quadruple-mounted heavy machine guns.

"It's our navy!"

Someone shouted, and the entire dock instantly erupted in excitement.

Thousands of laborers, crane operators, and engineers stopped what they were doing.

With trembling hands, Zhao Gensheng took off his tattered cotton hat, his eyes fixed on the fluttering flag, tears streaming down his face.

"Our navy is back."

Zhao Gensheng's lips trembled violently as he muttered to himself.

Seven years ago, without coastal defense, the entire country's coastline was like a wide-open city gate, allowing the Japanese invaders to drive straight in.

Today, the warships belonging to the Chinese people have once again righteously cleaved through this cold sea!

Led by a guide ship, the warship slowly sailed into the newly built naval port where barbed wire had just been erected.

The engineering soldiers on the shore raised their right hands in unison and gave the most solemn military salute to the sea.

Shunzi clenched his fists tightly, a flame of national dignity burning in his eyes.

This is just the beginning. In this newly revitalized port, a fleet of a major power, about to venture into the deep blue sea, is preparing to be tempered and reborn on this construction site filled with blood and fire.

……

The mountain city of Huangshan was also shrouded in thick fog in the early morning.

Chang Ruiyuan, dressed in the uniform of a general, stood quietly in front of a potted old plum tree that proudly braved the frost in front of the window, holding pruning shears.

"Click".

The sharp scissors cut off a dry, tangled side branch without hesitation.

Chang Ruiyuan put down the scissors, turned around, and his deep gaze fell on the man standing in front of the desk, as if it were a physical object.

Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the Republic of China, Chen Shaokuan.

This veteran served the Chinese Navy his entire life, yet suffered a lifetime of being caught in the middle.

His military uniform was impeccably tailored, but the white hair at his temples was already as white as snow.

He held a very thick file bag in both hands, his back straight as a fully drawn bow.

"Houfu."

Chang Ruiyuan slowly walked behind the desk and sat down, placing his cane on his lap.

"Our soldiers on land have demonstrated unprecedented national power in Beijing and Tianjin, in the Yangtze River Delta, and even in distant Southeast Asia."

Chang Ruiyuan stared intently at Chen Shaokuan: "The army has already left the Northeast. With Yunfei in command, our homeland is about to be reclaimed."

"But can the army hold this border with just its two legs?"

Chen Shaokuan's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes instantly reddened. He had been asking himself this question for seven whole years!

"Report back to the Chairman!"

Chen Shaokuan, suppressing the tremor in his voice, strode forward: "Having a sea without defense is a disgrace unparalleled in a century!"

"If we want to completely close our borders, we need not only a powerful army of millions, but also a powerful navy capable of defending our coastal waters and even winning battles in the open ocean!"

Chang Ruiyuan nodded slightly: "You're right. Then tell me the truth."

"How much wealth do we actually have now? And what's the status of the shipyard project that's been secretly underway?"

Chen Shaokuan swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

With trembling hands, he untied the top-secret file and pulled out the top document, "Inventory List of Active-Duty Ships of the National Revolutionary Army Navy".

"Chairman."

Chen Shaokuan's voice was extremely hoarse, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"After the Battle of Jiangyin and the Battle of Madang, the main force of our navy was either scuttled or destroyed, and the original fleet structure no longer exists."

He fought back tears and pointed to the data on the list.

"Currently, we only have one regular naval force."

"It is the 'First Coastal Fleet' that was transferred by the Americans in the past two years in accordance with the Sino-American Lend-Lease Act."

Chen Shaokuan's voice was filled with endless sorrow.

"At most, this fleet consists of only two American-made Evarts-class escort destroyers and one Omaha-class cruiser."

"There are 137 wooden minesweepers and 158 wooden minelayers."

"And fifty PT-109 torpedo boats."

"In addition, during the Jiangbei Campaign, our army brothers captured eighteen shallow-water gunboats belonging to the Japanese and puppet forces, the largest of which was less than two hundred tons!"

"As for the LST-1 tank landing ship, LVCP landing craft, and LVT Buffalo amphibious vehicle, it is estimated that they will all be used for future amphibious operations. They have all been allocated to the expeditionary force combat units."

This is all the naval power that a major power with tens of thousands of kilometers of coastline can muster at this moment.

These insignificant ships, let alone contend with the US and British Pacific Fleets, would be nothing short of a futile attempt to confront the remaining Japanese naval forces in Northeast China.

Upon hearing about this extremely shabby situation, Chang Ruiyuan did not get angry. He simply shook his head with a wry smile and said, "This little bit of scrap metal can't protect our 20,000-mile-long sea frontier."

"I heard that the North China Joint Command secretly sent a special plane to your Navy Department a few days ago?"

He didn't even care about military appearance; he suddenly flipped open the list and pulled out a very thick stack of blue blueprint photocopies with Russian and English annotations at the bottom.

"Committee!"

Chen Shaokuan's excited voice almost lifted the roof off the secret room.

"It wasn't just a special plane they sent!"

"What North China sent is the ultimate treasure that will allow the entire Chinese Navy to overtake others and defy fate!"

He laid out those complex blueprints on Chang Ruiyuan's desk like offerings.

"Chairman, look!"

"This is top-secret technology transferred in an extremely secret manner by the Taiyuan Ordnance Bureau!"

"It is said that it was obtained through secret channels from the Soviet Union and the United States."

Chen Shaokuan pointed to one of the drawings, his hand trembling like a leaf:
"This is a complete technical solution for high-yield-strength special alloy steel for marine applications!"

"With this, we can build the world's most pressure-resistant ship hull, which might even be something the Americans have in their labs. This is the blueprint for a 30,000-horsepower shipborne high-pressure steam turbine unit!"

Chen Shaokuan's eyes were bloodshot, like a traveler who had been lost in the desert for months and finally found an oasis: "Not only that! It even includes..."

Chen Shaokuan swallowed hard, his voice extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing the gods: "It is said to be the Soviet Union's latest Type 6633 conventional-powered submarine."

"And the complete industrial production blueprints for the 'Cotlin' class gun destroyer, with a full-load displacement of over three thousand tons!"

"These are all naval ship technologies that are currently leading the world!"

Although Chang Ruiyuan didn't understand those complex industrial parameters, his deep eyes narrowed sharply the moment he saw the words "submarine" and "destroyer".

He knew all too well what those blueprints meant.

Although the Americans provide money and weapons, they have always treated China with the utmost caution when it comes to heavy naval weapons and core technologies, even attaching various political conditions to the provision of basic escort destroyers.

Chang Ruiyuan stared intently at Chen Shaokuan: "Are these technical verification drawings all genuine?"

"Absolutely true!"

Chen Shaokuan stood at attention and pounded his chest: "The department led a team to verify some of the hydrodynamic data of the steam turbine overnight."

"As long as the technology meets the requirements, it can be directly put into industrial production line for finalization!"

"Its design concept far surpasses that of our biggest rival, namely the Japanese Navy, which is currently using all ships of the same class."

Three years!

"As long as the country fully supports the naval cause and gives us three years."

"Our navy can successfully launch a 3,000-ton displacement destroyer in a Chinese shipyard!"

"We definitely have to build it."

"Now that we have the blueprints, we must build this warship, even if it means selling everything we own!"

Chang Ruiyuan issued an unquestionable final order: "After you go back, write a 'Naval Post-War Three-Year Outline for Military Building and Shipbuilding,' and I will push it forward."

"A comprehensive military reorganization will be carried out, with Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard, Fuzhou Mawei Shipyard, and Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Naval Dock as the main entities!"

"But Chairman, what about the funding?"

Chang Ruiyuan sighed heavily: "I'll find a way to raise the money. We don't have a navy right now, so we can use our allies' ships. Whether those allies will still be allies in the future is uncertain..." (End of Chapter)