Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 203 News of a Study Trip! The Armory's Rapid Development!

Inside the command center, Chen Ming and the brigade commander stared at each other.

"Brigade Commander, you're a bit late. The telegrams from headquarters and division headquarters have just arrived, and we really don't have much left."

"We're almost broke now. The army is short of food and there are too many people. The comrades are struggling to make ends meet. We've finally become a little better off."

"Brigade Commander, you are a very generous person. You can't very well interfere, can you?"

Chen Ming said with a bitter face.

The Independent Detachment certainly made a fortune this time, but that doesn't stop Chen Ming from complaining about being poor.

"What 'magnanimity'? How many words could it possibly be worth?"

"You think I don't know? We captured Datong and seized a huge amount of supplies, and you still have the nerve to complain about being poor to me."

"I've brought over 30,000 men to cover for you. I won't charge you interest, but at least you should get your principal back, right?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I want at least a quarter of the spoils from Datong this time."

The brigade commander spoke.

The quarter mentioned by the brigade commander does not include machine tools, industrial equipment, or money.

For the Eighth Route Army, Datong's industry was a strategic resource that could enable them to achieve a leapfrog development.

The decision-making power regarding machine tools and industrial equipment did not lie with Chen Ming or the brigade commander, but with the leaders at headquarters and in the rear.

However, it is certain that the industrial equipment is very likely to be located in Zone 4.

Because the base of the Fourth Division was secure, the Japanese dared not enter easily and were almost never harassed by them.

Moreover, the Fourth Division controls a large amount of mineral resources in the Shanxi-Northwest, Shanxi-North, and border regions, including but not limited to coal, coking coal, iron ore, copper ore, salt and alkali, and other mineral resources.

It has abundant material sources and can supply raw materials for the production of industrial equipment.

As for the money, most of it was directly handed over to the headquarters for overall management.

The independent detachment only kept a portion of the funds, but even that portion was a large sum, a full 200,000 silver dollars!

Two hundred thousand silver dollars sounds like a lot, but in reality, it only accounts for less than 1% of the value of the captured gold.

This only includes the captured gold, silver dollars, legal tender, and other currencies discovered by the Japanese. Two hundred thousand silver dollars is not a very large sum.

The brigade commander asked for a quarter of the supplies, which is a huge amount for Datong, a city with a massive amount of resources.

Chen Ming is unlikely to give in easily.

Otherwise, if the brigade commander takes a quarter of the command, how can the division headquarters lag behind? What about the headquarters?
"Sigh, once their wings have grown strong, they've grown strong enough. Once a child grows up, they're no longer under their mother's control."

"Fine, fine, just pretend I never taught you anything."

Seeing that force was not working, the brigade commander began to appeal to emotions.

Unfortunately, Chen Ming just couldn't fall for that.

“Here, I’ll give it to you, okay? But a quarter isn’t enough. We can give you an extra regiment’s worth of guns and ammunition,” Chen Ming said.

"Alright, I need some more horses. You must have gotten quite a few horses in the borderlands this time, right? You're allowed to form a cavalry detachment, but I'm not allowed to form a cavalry regiment?" the brigade commander said with a smile.

He found out that after Chen Ming went north from Wucheng, he casually killed one and a half of the puppet Mongolian cavalry divisions.

They acquired at least two thousand horses.

"Alright, alright, here you go! Brigade Commander, it's not too much for you to make a cavalry division, it's just a cavalry regiment." Chen Ming said helplessly.

It's just some horses, right? Here you go.

Anyway, we already have a cavalry detachment, and the size of the unit is sufficient.

Even with his large family and business, Chen Ming couldn't afford to raise another two thousand horses, so it would be better to just give them away.

A semi-puppet Mongolian cavalry division was dealt with by the main force while the vanguard of the independent detachment was attacking.

Of the two pseudo-Mongol cavalry divisions, half were allowed to escape, while only one and a half pseudo-Mongol cavalry divisions were killed.

They were just some puppet troops, nothing to the main force of the Independent Detachment.

If it weren't for the fact that the enemy was cavalry with horses, it might have just become a string of numbers on the battle report, not even catching Chen Ming's eye.

The brigade commander's smile was incredibly bright as he snatched a cavalry regiment's worth of horse equipment from Chen Ming.

He knew that getting a quarter of the supplies was unrealistic, but he figured he could ask for an exorbitant price and then negotiate it down.

If he hadn't said that, would Chen Ming have given the gift so readily?

"By the way, besides congratulating you on your fortune, there's something else I wanted to tell you."

"Headquarters has decided to transfer the independent detachment from the division headquarters and place it under the direct command of headquarters."

"The scope of activities has also expanded from Shanxi Province to the four provinces of Shanxi, Chahar, Hebei and Suiyuan."

The brigade commander spoke.

The reorganization of its affiliation, coupled with the expansion of its operational range, meant that the independent detachment had transformed from an ordinary unit into a mobile force directly under the headquarters.

Hearing the brigade commander's words, Chen Ming would be lying if he said he wasn't happy, but he wasn't overly happy either.

Wherever you fight, it doesn't matter.
It is now under the jurisdiction of the division headquarters and headquarters, only the command structure has changed. At the same time, it will be more convenient to unify command when cooperating with other units in future operations.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. After you finish dealing with the post-war work, headquarters has decided to send you away for a few more months of training," the brigade commander said again.

"Really?" Chen Ming asked.

"real."

"Haha, that's great," Chen Ming said with a laugh.

This news made Chen Ming extremely happy.

In commanding this operation, he has realized his shortcomings and made some subjective mistakes.

This trip back to the rear for further study will allow me to make up for my mistakes and further improve myself.

Learning about ideas is always necessary.

"Look how happy you are. When you get back to the rear, remember to give him my regards," the brigade commander said with a smile.

The suggestion to send Chen Ming back to the rear for further study was actually made by the brigade commander.

The division commander gave him a year to resolve Chen Ming's personal issues, but the brigade commander was completely baffled.

While on the front lines, Chen Ming was so busy that he barely had time to breathe, and the brigade commander couldn't find an opportunity to speak with him.

Even if the brigade commander forcibly created opportunities and tried to persuade Chen Ming, it was to no avail.

Chen Ming adhered to the principle that "how can I have a home when the Japanese invaders have not been defeated?" He wanted to devote his limited energy to the great revolutionary cause.

Faced with Chen Ming's various grand principles, the brigade commander had no choice but to think that since Chen Ming didn't have time on the front lines, he would let him leave his combat post and go back to the rear to study, which would surely give him time.

When the workload eases up, won't we have more time?
I'll try to mediate again, and I'll ask the leaders to make more arrangements. I don't believe the brigade commander can't solve Chen Ming's personal problems.

He's the "number one matchmaker" in the military, yet he couldn't win over Chen Ming?
After the brigade commander left, Chen Ming continued to arrange post-war work.

Although the independent detachment achieved great results this time, it also suffered considerable losses.

Two thousand one hundred soldiers were killed, and the number of wounded was three times that of the casualties.

For the independent detachment, this casualty figure was already crippling. These casualties mainly came from assault battles and urban warfare, two types of combat where casualties have always been difficult to control.

If it were a field battle, even if all these Japanese soldiers attacked together, they wouldn't have caused such a high number of casualties to the Independent Detachment.

A large number of wounded soldiers needed to be cared for, but fortunately the independent detachment had seized a large quantity of medicine, so every wounded soldier could receive treatment.

Some lightly wounded soldiers didn't want to take their medication, saying they wanted to save it for other soldiers who needed it more, and that their minor injury was nothing serious and they would recover in a few days.

There was no other way; we were used to being poor, and medicine was more precious than gold.

It's normal that the lightly wounded are reluctant to use their weapons.

But how could this be allowed? You must understand that during this period, the number of our soldiers who were killed outside the battlefield was far greater than the number who died directly on the battlefield.

Bacteria may be tiny and invisible, but when they cause an outbreak, they can be deadly.

It is very possible that a seemingly minor wound could take a soldier's precious life.

When Chen Ming found out, he went straight to the hospital and gave the injured a good scolding.

"Don't try to act like a hero. Don't underestimate this minor injury. If it's not treated properly, it could lead to amputation. Do you expect your comrades to carry you to the battlefield then?"

"Instead of being so hesitant here, we should wait until we're healed and then kill a few more Japanese soldiers to pay for our medicine."

Under Chen Ming's persuasive use of reverse motivation, moral blackmail, and shifting of responsibility, the wounded soldiers who were unwilling to take medication obediently cooperated with the treatment.

Just kidding, Chen Ming used to be a cadre who held the dual positions of regimental commander and political commissar. Even Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze had to learn from him.

Treating these wounded soldiers who are unwilling to take medication is a simple matter, isn't it?

Chen Ming's "rough care" was widespread in hospitals behind enemy lines.

The wounded soldiers remained silent and cooperated with the treatment, because they knew that every pill was stained with the blood of their comrades.

After dealing with the hospital matters, Chen Ming then proceeded to process the seized supplies.

Important equipment, such as machine tools and industrial equipment, is already on its way to headquarters, awaiting unified planning and handling.

The remaining supplies, such as iron, vehicles, fuel, and artillery, were partly handed over to the independent detachment, while the rest remained with the detachment.

After all, these were supplies captured by an independent detachment. It's normal to allocate more resources to a capable unit.

Good resources should be used where they are most needed, and efforts should be concentrated on accomplishing great things.

Chen Ming allocated raw materials to the arsenal, encouraging it to increase production and manufacture more weapons and ammunition to fight the Japanese.

Chen Ming was most concerned about the production of rocket artillery.

In this first battle outside Wucheng, the rocket artillery successfully demonstrated its enormous power, proving to be the Independent Detachment's trump card.

In the Battle of Datong, the Independent Detachment completely captured the Japanese Datong Sugar Factory and seized the entire set of sugar-making equipment.

This means that they will have a stable source of sugar in the future, instead of risking the risk of sporadic captures from the Japanese and purchasing it at high prices from the black market.

With a stable supply of raw materials, the production speed of rocket launchers can be greatly increased.

Chen Ming's planned rocket battalion already has a solid foundation.

Besides the Datong Sugar Factory, the equipment at the Datong Machine Tool Factory, Datong Power Plant, Datong Graphite Factory, and Datong Steel Rolling Mill was also very important.

The machine tool factory provided a large number of machine tools, increasing the number of equipment in the arsenal and improving production efficiency.

The Datong Power Plant provides the power source, and the stable power output supplies the production and daily use of the arsenal.

Datong Steel Rolling Mill and its supporting equipment can provide steel and other materials, ensuring the supply of raw materials.

Datong Graphite Plant provides key components such as brushes and electrodes, gas mask filters, and high-temperature nozzles and nose cones for rockets.

It can be used as a lubricant to reduce mechanical wear on firearms, tanks, automobiles, and other equipment, and is especially suitable for high-temperature and high-pressure environments.

It can also support the production of metallurgical and arms factories.

For example, electrodes for steelmaking furnaces, casting molds for weapon production, and high-temperature resistant graphite ensure the high-temperature environment required for weapon manufacturing.

In addition, the graphite plant can also produce battery electrodes to provide battery power for military communication equipment, flashlights, and other devices, ensuring battlefield communication.

It can be said that the graphite factory, which Chen Ming initially thought was not very useful, was actually no less valuable than any other factory, and its wide range of uses made it a key factory.

"I guess I really did suffer from my lack of education. If something had happened to the graphite factory, I would have slapped my thigh until it was swollen," Chen Ming sighed.

"Reporting to the commander, this is our arsenal's shell production plan. Please take a look."

Inside Chen Ming's office, Jia, the head of the arsenal, knocked on the door and came in to report.

Two 500-ton presses were seized from a graphite factory in Datong. Upon hearing the news, Engineer Jia was so excited that he couldn't sleep.

This means they can produce their own shells, not just mortar shells, but infantry gun shells, mountain gun shells, and even heavy artillery shells.

It can also manufacture shell fuse contact pieces to ensure reliable fuse activation, which means that the dud rate of shells produced by the arsenal will be greatly reduced.

Even the Japanese, in their "Mengjiang Mineral Resources Report," referred to the high-purity graphite-made shell fuse contact piece as a "miracle weapon against duds."

Seeing the happy Engineer Jia, Chen Ming knew there was more good news, so he took the report and started reading.

"Are you confident?" Chen Ming asked after reading the report.

"As long as the equipment is in place and the raw materials are in sufficient supply, I can guarantee that we can produce this number of mountain gun shells every day." Engineer Jia held up three fingers.

Three shots?

"Thirty rounds. We can produce at least thirty mountain gun shells, or one hundred and fifty mortar shells, or one hundred infantry gun shells every day," Engineer Jia said excitedly.

The ability to produce shells for mountain guns and infantry guns was a huge step forward for the arsenal.

This means that the supply of infantry gun and mountain gun shells, which used to be scarce and limited, can now be guaranteed.

“Very good. I will fully support you with whatever you need. I can’t guarantee that I can get both of these 500-ton presses, but I can at least guarantee that I can get one.”

Chen Ming said with a smile.

With Chen Ming's current influence, he could easily acquire at least one of the two presses, if not both.

As for the other necessary equipment, it shouldn't be too difficult to get it back.

After all, the independent detachment now controls a large number of raw material supply locations and enjoys priority in the supply of weapons and ammunition.

Based on the principle of proximity, placing weapons production in the fourth district is very suitable.

Otherwise, transporting raw materials all the way there, producing them, and then transporting them back all the way there is a waste of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, right?

"By the way, can you manufacture 150mm howitzer shells now?" Chen Ming asked.

Compared to mortars, infantry guns, and mountain guns, he was more concerned about the shells for heavy artillery.

The heavy artillery was exactly to Chen Ming's liking. With heavy artillery, infantry guns and mortars didn't seem so bad anymore.

"Reporting to the commander, the artillery shells are still under technical development and cannot be produced at the moment," Engineer Jia replied.

"However, we captured many Japanese technicians from the Japanese factories, and they mastered some steel production techniques."

"Once we acquire these technologies, we'll be able to produce high-quality steel and build artillery ourselves," Engineer Jia added.

"Yes." Chen Ming nodded. "I will communicate with the comrades in the Enemy Work Department about this and have them focus on reforming the Japanese technical personnel."

P.S.: My operations manager actually banned me! That darn privilege hog! Unban me right now!

(End of this chapter)