Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 293 You call this an artillery battalion?
A cannon weighs 2.3 tons, or 4600 kilograms.

Such a heavy howitzer is difficult to transport by mules and horses, and the transportation speed is extremely slow.

Fortunately, a highway has been built in the Jinzhong base area.

Moreover, Boss Lin provided a tractor, so the howitzer battalion had no problem with mobility.

In addition, this time the Blade Commando killed dozens of Japanese trucks and dozens of drivers.

It’s time to get another batch of large trucks, at least one or two hundred.

Li Yunlong planned to form a new howitzer battalion, and most of the newly received large trucks would be assigned to the howitzer battalion.

However, the newly formed howitzer battalion needs to add drivers and artillerymen, and also pay attention to air defense issues.

"During this period, the artillery class of the Jinzhong base area's military school has graduated a group of excellent talents, which has to some extent solved the problem of insufficient artillery numbers in the Jinzhong base area."

"It seems that to solve the problem of driver shortage, we need to add a large truck driver class."

"However, truck drivers don't require high levels of education from their trainees. Even an illiterate farmer can learn to drive in a month."

Just as Li Yunlong's lips curled up in thought, a messenger suddenly ran over to report: "Commander, the commander of the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, Chu Yunfei, and the chief of staff, Fang Ligong, have arrived and are now at the regimental headquarters."

"Chu Yunfei?"

Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes and then remembered that Chu Yunfei came to visit the New 1st Regiment today.

The original itinerary was to return to the regiment headquarters to receive Chu Yunfei after seeing Zhao Gang off.

But unexpectedly, Brother Lin came to deliver the goods today, and when Li Yunlong thought of the big killer, he forgot about Chu Yunfei.

Then, Li Yunlong raised the corner of his mouth:
"Go and bring Chu Yunfei here and tell him I want him to visit our Eighth Route Army's artillery battalion."

"Yes!"

The signalman chuckled and turned away.

"Zhu Zi, leave 24 mortars and put the rest in the warehouse." Li Yunlong looked at Wang Chengzhu and said.

Today, the new regiment received 24 120mm mortars.

Together with the new regiment's original 18 mortars, there are a total of 42 120mm mortars.

The Independent Regiment and the New Third Regiment originally had 6 mortars each.

Li Yunlong planned to take out 12 guns to form a heavy mortar battalion for Ding Wei and Kong Jie. This was their share.

Then the new regiment will still have 30 120mm mortars left.

This must be the size of a heavy mortar regiment.

With the addition of a 105mm howitzer battalion and a 75mm mountain artillery battalion, the artillery firepower is extremely powerful.

Sometimes, showing off your muscles appropriately can prevent some random people from targeting the Eighth Route Army in Jinzhong.

"Yes!"

Wang Chengzhu straightened his body and quickly went to make arrangements.

After half an hour.

Two large trucks drove into the artillery battalion of the new regiment.

Chu Yunfei, Fang Ligong and others sat on the first large truck, and a guard squad of the new regiment sat on the second large truck.

"From now on, our artillery will be organized like this. Do you understand?"

"understand!"

Li Yunlong gave Wang Chengzhu some instructions and turned around. Chu Yunfei, Fang Ligong, Sun Ming and others had already jumped off the truck.

"Brother Chu, Chief of Staff Fang, and Adjutant Sun, please forgive me for not being able to come and greet you."

Li Yunlong walked over quickly and saluted Chu Yunfei, Fang Ligong and others.

"Brother Yunlong, you're welcome."

Chu Yunfei, Fang Ligong and Sun Ming raised their hands and returned the military salute.

Chu Yunfei felt a little happy when he heard Li Yunlong calling him Brother Chu. After all, Li Yunlong was still the regiment commander, but his military status and reputation in the outside world were no worse than that of an army commander.

Chu Yunfei was also proud that such a big shot was on friendly terms with him.

Chu Yunfei said, "In the battle of Xinkou, Brother Yunlong and I worked well together. A year later, Brother Yunlong has made great achievements and has become famous throughout the world."

His words were not a compliment, but praise from the heart.

Over the past year, Li Yunlong has won several battles. Not to mention the distant ones, the most recent one in which he completely wiped out the Japanese 3rd Brigade is a classic.

At the Battle of Xinkou, the Central Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, with a force of more than 20 men, failed to completely wipe out a single mixed brigade of the Japanese army.

Although Chu Yunfei, like Chairman Chiang, had some prejudice against the Eighth Route Army's disobedience to orders, he truly admired Li Yunlong.

While the two were talking, Fang Ligong and Sun Ming looked around.

Soon, the two men saw 105mm howitzers and large-caliber mortars standing under camouflage nets and within circular sandbags. Both of them were shocked!
Li Yunlong smiled faintly, "Just a few military achievements, not worth mentioning. But Brother Chu, how did your 358th Regiment disappear after the Battle of Xinkou? I don't know much about it. Has Brother Yunfei been transferred out of the Second War Zone's combat sequence? With Brother Yunfei's courage and insight, he would not leave the battlefield without permission, right?"

During the past year, Li Yunlong had heard that the 358th Regiment retreated to the Dagu Mountain area near Mount Wutai to garrison, but he had not heard of any combat achievements of the 358th Regiment.

Chu Yunfei was suddenly speechless and looked a little embarrassed.

I thought to myself, Brother Yunlong is so unfair. I have already complimented you, but you still want to take advantage of me with your words.

Chu Yunfei had no way of refutating this. After all, although the 358th Regiment had fought with the Japanese army over the past year, they had basically not gained any advantage.

The 358th Regiment was already considered pretty good. Many Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and Central Army troops were defeated as soon as they came into contact with the Japanese army.

However, compared with the Eighth Route Army in Jinzhong, it is far inferior. It is really not worthy of being mentioned in public and cannot be brought to light.

Chu Yunfei changed the subject: "Brother Yunlong, didn't you invite me to visit your artillery battalion? Can we get started?"

While speaking, Chu Yunfei looked around and immediately saw the howitzers and mortars around him, and his pupils shrank.

"Haha, of course, Brother Yunlong, please."

Li Yunlong smiled slightly and said with his hands clasped.

At this time, Chu Yunfei noticed the shocked expressions on Sun Ming and Fang Ligong's faces.

He also keenly discovered that over the past year, Brother Yunlong's cultural level had improved a lot, and he could only recite idioms and allusions.

According to the intelligence and rumors that have been circulating for a long time, Li Yunlong has never attended a military academy, or even a school. A peasant who has never attended a military academy or a school, even if he has experienced hundreds of battles, is just a military man and will not have any outstanding skills in strategy or tactics.

But now it seems that this rumor is indeed not credible.

At least you can't believe it completely.

"These are the latest 105mm howitzers equipped by our new artillery battalion. There are 12 of them in total. They are American products."

Li Yunlong led Chu Yunfei, Fang Ligong and Sun Ming to the 105mm howitzer and introduced it to them.

According to Boss Lin, this 105mm howitzer was improved from the howitzer in service in the United States.

In every aspect, it is more advanced than the 105mm howitzers currently equipped by the US military, so there is no need to worry about the Americans causing trouble.

"105mm howitzer, American-made..."

Chu Yunfei looked at the exquisite cannons in front of him, his throat rolled several times, and his eyes could not be moved away.

He has always had a special liking for American equipment, and his dream is to equip the 358th Regiment with a full set of American equipment and an American mountain artillery battalion.

In this way, the combat effectiveness of his 358th Regiment can compete head-on with a second-line infantry regiment of the Japanese army!

But unexpectedly, Li Yunlong was equipped with an American 105mm howitzer battalion, which made Chu Yunfei very envious.

There are also some 20mm machine guns around the new regiment's artillery battalion for air defense.

Even if bombed by Japanese planes, Li Yunlong's artillery battalion would have a certain air defense capability.

Once they spotted a Japanese reconnaissance plane passing by, the artillery soldiers would quickly pull the mortars and howitzers into the reinforced concrete warehouse. This warehouse was specially built under the order of Li Yunlong. It was mainly made by hollowing out the mountain and then reinforcing it with steel bars and concrete, so it could withstand the attack of the Japanese army's heavy aerial bombs.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Yunfei suppressed the envy and jealousy in his heart. Even though he knew Li Yunlong was showing off and flexing his muscles in front of him, he couldn't help but ask, "How does this gun perform?"

"This gun's performance is average," Li Yunlong shook his head seriously. "Its killing radius is only 30 meters, the shell weighs only 15 kilograms, and its rate of fire is also poor, only 4 to 6 rounds per minute. Its range is pretty good, at 11 kilometers."

Chu Yunfei felt that Li Yunlong was being pretentious, but he had no evidence.

Is this considered normal?
Chu Yunfei was Commander Yan's top student and also Chairman Chiang's student. He had connections with both sides, so naturally the 358th Regiment was well-equipped.

The 358th Regiment was equipped with a Shanxi-made mountain artillery battalion, with a total of 12 Type 36 75mm mountain cannons.

In addition, the Taiyuan Arsenal can also produce and manufacture 105mm howitzers. This is a 105mm mountain gun designed and manufactured with reference to the Swiss Solothurn mountain gun. The Taiyuan Arsenal made slight improvements to it and launched the Jin-made Type 1927 16mm howitzer in 105.

However, its production cost is higher than that of mountain artillery, so the number produced is small. Its maximum range is less than 6 kilometers, and its lethality cannot be compared with Li Yunlong's American howitzer.

'You call that average performance?'

Fang Ligong and Sun Ming on the side were also speechless. If such a powerful cannon could only be called average, then what kind of cannon could be called extraordinary?
"Brother Yunfei, let me introduce you to another type of cannon in our artillery battalion."

Li Yunlong suppressed his laughter and brought Chu Yunfei and the other two to the 120mm heavy mortar. Several Eighth Route Army soldiers were cleaning and maintaining the heavy mortar.

Chu Yunfei keenly discovered that the artillerymen of the Eighth Route Army were all strong and sturdy, with ruddy and resolute complexions, and they did not look like they were hungry at all.

"Brother Yunlong, the caliber of your mortar must be more than 100 mm, right?" Chu Yunfei asked in surprise.

"This is a 120mm heavy mortar," Li Yunlong introduced. "It's slightly more lethal than a 105mm howitzer. Its maximum killing radius can reach 34 meters. One shell can easily wipe out a small squad of Japanese soldiers."

Fang Ligong pushed up his black round-framed glasses and couldn't help asking, "Captain Li, how many cannons are equipped in your artillery battalion?"

Li Yunlong smiled slightly: "Not many, just 12 105mm howitzers and 24 120mm heavy mortars."

Fang Ligong was shocked: "Captain Li, you call this an artillery battalion?"

What Fang Ligong really wanted to say was, this is a fucking heavy artillery regiment, right?

(End of this chapter)