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

Chapter 234: Acquire 48 field guns!
Chen Ming smiled when he saw the brigade commander.

Although the two were separated for several months, their contact was not severed.

During his time in Yan'an, the brigade commander, though at the front lines, frequently sent telegrams to Yan'an, constantly busy with Chen Ming's affairs.

Even the location where Chen Ming and Cheng Qingrong first met was decided by the brigade commander.

If word got out, those who knew him would understand that he was a military officer, but those who didn't would think he was a professional matchmaker.

This shows the brigade commander's care for Chen Ming.

"Brigade Commander, what's the matter? Why is headquarters calling me back so urgently?"

Chen Ming asked with a smile, lit a cigarette, and handed it to the brigade commander.

These are cigarettes given to me by my teacher.

Although the cigarette had special significance, it was nothing out of the ordinary for officers of Chen Ming's rank and the brigade commander's.

"Hey, it's been a while since I've had this kind of cigarette. How much did you bring this time?"

The brigade commander immediately recognized the origin of the cigarette box in Chen Ming's hand. The brigade commander's personality was well-liked in our army, and it was common for him to get some cigarettes.

"It wasn't much, the teacher only gave me one packet," Chen Ming quickly said.

"Look at you, so pathetic. It's just a pack of cigarettes, why are you hiding it? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Seeing Chen Ming's performance, the brigade commander said helplessly.

"Yes," Chen Ming said silently to himself.

"Alright, the reason I suddenly called you back is because there's good news," the brigade commander replied to Chen Ming's earlier question.

"What good news?" Chen Ming asked curiously.

"I'll keep you in suspense for now. Let's go in first. Everyone's been waiting for you, knowing you're here today," the brigade commander said, changing the subject.

"Row."

Chen Ming and the brigade commander entered the headquarters' conference room, where all the leaders were present.

"Comrade Chen Ming, you must have had a long journey."

After a brief reminiscing, Chen Ming asked his question.

After one of the leaders explained the situation, Chen Ming understood why headquarters had suddenly transferred him back.

It turns out that the Japanese Kwantung Army has been officially promoted to General Army.

Let me first explain the organization of the Japanese army.

As is well known, the highest standing military unit of the Japanese army was the division, such as the seventeen standing divisions before the outbreak of the war.

After the outbreak of the war, the Japanese successively established the army, field army, and general army.

The Japanese army consisted of two to four divisions plus directly subordinate units, with a strength of between 50,000 and 200,000, and the commanders held the rank of lieutenant general.

An army group typically consists of two to four corps plus an independent mixed brigade, and is usually commanded by a general or lieutenant general.

Above the field army is the general army, which usually has two or three field armies under its command, or directly has several corps, divisions, and brigades under its command.

It's normal for the total military strength to be as high as hundreds of thousands or even millions.

For example, after the Japanese Kwantung Army was upgraded to a general army, it had two army groups under its command: the First Army Group and the Second Army Group.

The Japanese army's general command was actually equivalent to an army group.

Getting back to the main point, after the Japanese Kwantung Army was promoted to General Army, its total strength exceeded 700,000, with 14 divisions, half of which were Class A divisions.

There is also a tank division with 1,200 tanks and a second air corps with more than 800 aircraft.

In terms of heavy firepower, it possesses more than 5,500 artillery pieces, including 240mm heavy cannons.

Such formidable power put the Soviet Union on edge.

It's important to understand that the Soviet Union and Germany were currently locked in a fierce battle at Stalingrad, a crucial battle.

For this battle, the benevolent father mobilized a large number of elite troops from the Far East Army, including most of the armored divisions.

Despite having over a million troops, the Far East Army is actually quite weak, like a bloated fat man.

They even resorted to the "empty city strategy," creating a fictitious 20th "shadow division," frequently sending radio messages in the radio silence zone, and repeatedly transporting the same batch of tanks by train to create the illusion of troop reinforcement.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Kwantung Army was suddenly promoted to General Army, and with information obtained by Soviet intelligence agents, Tokugawa urged the Japanese to join forces in attacking the Soviet Union.

This further strained the situation in the Far East.

Although the loving father was gambling, he did not believe that the Japanese Kwantung Army would move north to cooperate with Tokuko.

But the Japanese were known for their madness. Before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, who would have thought that they would suddenly provoke the United States, an industrial superpower?
It's not impossible that the Japanese Kwantung Army might suddenly go berserk and attack the Far East Army.

In reality, there was a strategic miscalculation between Germany and Japan; the Japanese did not have any intention of targeting the Far East Army.

On the contrary, the Japanese were always on guard against the Far Eastern Army, fearing that the Far Eastern Army would move south.

This reflects the shared fear of the Soviet Union and Japan launching an attack, and the realization that both sides were vulnerable.

The million-man standoff of 1942 was the pinnacle of strategic deception.

Even after the Soviet elite troops were transferred westward, they still managed to tie down 70 main Japanese troops with a show of force. Meanwhile, the Japanese used their "elite general army" to defend against a war that never actually happened, which led to the collapse of the Pacific theater.

Against this backdrop, the loving father thought of the Independent Detachment that had recently distinguished itself and wanted the Eighth Route Army to allocate some of its troops to divert the Japanese soldiers' attention.

The Independent Detachment's recent campaign in Datong captured the important northern town of Datong and also broke through six other cities, making a significant impact on the international community.

In addition, Xu Desheng's cavalry detachment conducted guerrilla warfare on the grasslands and even operated as far as the border of Outer Mongolia, where they met with the Soviet troops stationed there.

The two sides also exchanged some supplies privately; the cavalry detachment soldiers traded alcohol for some weapons and ammunition.

Chen Ming knew this while he was studying in the rear; Chief of Staff Wang Dafei had reported it to him via telegram.

Therefore, Chen Ming was urgently transferred back.

"What do you think about this? Should we send troops to support them?"

A refined-looking leader asked the question.

After understanding the cause and effect, Chen Ming said with a smile:

"Yes, my original plan was that by the time I returned from my studies, the troops would have been well-rested and replenished."

"Prepare to launch an autumn offensive to completely capture the Japanese strongholds, Jining, Baotou and other cities, and then concentrate our forces to threaten Datong and Wucheng."

"Then, taking advantage of the cold weather after winter sets in and the Japanese are unable to launch a counterattack, we will consolidate these gains."

"The Soviet Union's request just happened to coincide with my plans."

"But now that the other side has asked for military aid first, we can't just work for free, can we?"

"Even landlords have to pay their employees for work. The Soviet Union is a large and powerful country. They wouldn't let us use millet and rifles to hold the Japanese Kwantung Army back, would they?"

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, the group of leaders smiled and produced a list.

The list above shows the weapons and aid provided for this military deployment.

Making people bring their own food and risk their lives is something no normal person would do, and not many fools would do it.

Chen Ming took the list and looked at the weapons and ammunition listed on it:
4,800 Mosin-Nagant rifles; approximately 600 PPSh-41 submachine guns; 168 DP light machine guns; 64 Maxim heavy machine guns; and 96 anti-tank rifles.

野战火炮 48门，其中76毫米M1902/30师炮32门，122mm M1938榴弹炮16门。

45mm口径的M1937反坦克炮12门，25mm口径72-K高射炮12门。

60 trucks/tractors, each equipped with 40 radios.

Looking at these weapons lists, Chen Ming knew that this was the weaponry of an ordinary division of the Soviet Far Eastern Army. The light weapons were poorly armed, and the heavy weapons were old and incomplete; of course, this weakness was only relative to the Western Front.

For the Eighth Route Army, these weapons, especially the 48 field artillery pieces, were absolute killing machines.

However, this level of weaponry was rather inadequate for the Soviet Union.

Chen Ming couldn't help but think to himself, "Is this some kind of beggar? Let his independent detachment hold back the Japanese Kwantung Army, and he'll use these weapons as support."

"Is that all? There's nothing else?"

Chen Ming asked.

"Hey kid, these weapons are pretty good, you're not even interested in dozens of cannons? How many heavy cannons does your independent detachment have?"

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, the brigade commander couldn't help but speak up.

The only artillery pieces the Independent Detachment can currently muster are the four 150mm howitzers captured from Guoxian County and a mountain artillery battalion.

Now, their standards have risen, and they look down on 48 field artillery pieces, including 16 122mm howitzers with a range of over ten kilometers.

Hearing the brigade commander say that, Chen Ming laughed and said, "Brigade commander, you're just being short-sighted. The Soviet Union is a big and powerful country. They think they can get rid of us with such a small thing? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"You're lecturing me now? If you don't like it, then give it to me." The brigade commander glared at him and said with displeasure.

"Hehe, why not take it? Weapons delivered to our door, why give them away?"

"However, our current lack of heavy firepower is only temporary. Once our arsenals have mastered the technology of special gun steel, we will be able to produce our own heavy artillery."

Chen Ming spoke up.

This wasn't just something Chen Ming made up. The arsenal of the Fourth Division, with its reputation built up by countless victories of the Independent Detachment, attracted a large number of talented people to join.

With the strong support from headquarters and the rear, our production and R&D capabilities have now reached a very high level.

Who knows, maybe one day we'll be able to conquer special artillery steel.

Today, Chen Ming finally realized his greatest advantage: the bonus from a series of badges.

When he first started building up his troops, Chen Ming relied most on the three-dimensional combat map in his mind.

Because its function is the most intuitive and provides quick feedback.

The bonuses from badge sets, however, are invisible and therefore seem somewhat ethereal.

However, as the military develops and its personnel increase, the role of the badge group becomes even more significant.

For example, a level 5 research badge can increase research speed by 100%, and this effect can be stacked with other badges.

For example, when combined with the Tier 5 Artillery Badge (which increases artillery research speed by 100%), an artillery piece that originally took five years to develop can be produced.

Now it becomes (1+1)*(1+1) equals four, and the research and development speed has increased to four times instead of more than two times.

Of course, this is only the theoretical research and development speed. In reality, it is also affected by many factors such as material supply, equipment, and personnel.

There is no fixed timeframe for weapon development.

However, with the continuous technological advancements in the Fourth Division's arsenal, the role of the badge set can now be clearly demonstrated.

This is the greatest wealth Chen Ming brings back to this era!
With the badge set, the time to achieve the great rejuvenation will be greatly shortened, and the Chinese nation will stand tall among the nations of the world sooner.

Based on this, Chen Ming dared to confidently promise the brigade commander that the heavy artillery they needed would be available, and that the aircraft and tanks they needed would also be available sooner or later.

The brigade commander believed Chen Ming's words.

Compared to the Fourth Division's arsenal, too many miracles have already occurred, producing 107mm rockets, being able to independently produce shells for mountain guns, and other various kinds of imitation weapons.

Take the mountain artillery shells for example. During the time Chen Ming went back to study, the brigade commander used the mountain artillery battalion directly under Chen Ming's independent detachment to fight two battles.

Some of the shells used were produced independently by the Fourth Military Sub-district Arsenal, and their effectiveness was not much worse than that of the original Japanese shells.

After joking with the brigade commander, the officer got down to business, which was the distribution of these weapons.

To be honest, many units would want this batch of weapons, as it would greatly enhance their firepower, no matter which unit it belongs to.

However, after careful consideration, it was decided that these weapons would be placed in the independent detachment.

In terms of artillery use, field combat experience, and grassland warfare experience, the Independent Detachment is unparalleled.

Can other units operate these artillery pieces effectively?
Good steel should be used where it's needed most. If these cannons are used indiscriminately, they'll only be used for guerrilla warfare.

However, if used in an independent detachment cluster, it could suppress an entire Japanese Class A division.

Combined with the formidable combat power of the Independent Detachment and the armored strength of the Special Forces Detachment, the Independent Detachment had an advantage in directly confronting the Japanese Class A Divisions.

Could this be done in other military units?
But while preparations are being made, whether or not to actually place everything in the independent detachment is another matter.

That's why the brigade commander was at headquarters, and why Chen Ming came out to greet him as soon as he arrived.

"You two chat first, I have to go out for a bit."

"Yes, I was just about to go to the restroom too."

"Hey, where did my tea mug go?"

As if by unspoken agreement, the leaders in the conference room all found excuses to leave.

Inside the meeting room, only Chen Ming and the brigade commander remained, staring at each other blankly.

"Brigadier, tell me, what do you want?"

Chen Ming knew his former superior, the brigade commander, very well, so he asked directly.

Hearing Chen Ming say that, the brigade commander felt a little embarrassed.

"I've introduced you to someone, so it's not too much for me to ask for a little money as a matchmaker, is it?" the brigade commander said, rubbing his rough hands.

"Okay, give me eight field guns. I don't need your 122mm howitzers, just the 76mm ones will do. I'm not picky."

"A quarter of the light weapons, that's not too much to ask, is it?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming immediately became displeased.

"What kind of golden branch and jade leaf is worth eight field guns? No way, I can give you everything else, but I don't even have enough field guns for myself."

Chen Ming shook his head repeatedly.

Although he felt that his loving father was being stingy by using the equipment of an ordinary division as "wages," it didn't mean that Chen Ming could easily give away eight field guns.

Artillery, those are the kings of war! To contain the Kwantung Army, Chen Ming was counting on these artillery pieces as his trump card.

Otherwise, how would we fight against the Japanese Kwantung Army's Class A divisions?
"Sigh, children grow up and become independent. They're not under my command anymore. Oh well, if you don't want them, you don't want them."

The brigade commander sighed.

Chen Ming's return from his studies means that the Independent Detachment will soon be directly under the command of headquarters.

"Alright, brigade commander, stop it. Although I can't give you the field guns, I can give you more light weapons and the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine guns."

“We’re like family, right? If you need anything in the future, you can always borrow artillery from me, just like you borrowed the mountain artillery battalion before,” Chen Ming said.

Field guns definitely can't be registered under the brigade commander's name, otherwise they'll never belong to Chen Ming again.

Chen Ming could arrange for it to be used by the brigade commander, but the ownership still belonged to the independent detachment. The brigade commander couldn't possibly make it his own just by borrowing it a few times.

If it were just a few hundred guns, it would be fine, but field guns are like family assets; you can't just throw them away like that.

In other words, Chen Ming genuinely liked the brigade commander.

If it were anyone else, with the weapon allocation already basically finalized, how could they possibly compete with Chen Ming for equipment?

(End of this chapter)