The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

"We saved it! We saved it!" Wang Jianguo grinned from ear to ear. "Although some of the larger equipment was too heavy to move and was destroyed, we managed to salvage the main lathes, milling machines, drilling machines, and those two generators! These are invaluable treasures! Enough to build several small arsenals!"

Political Commissar Li also came over and handed him a bamboo tube of water: "Captain Zhou, have some water and rest. We've all heard that you've completely outmaneuvered the Japanese along the way! Well done!"

Zhou Jindong took the bamboo tube and gulped down several mouthfuls before he could catch his breath.

He looked around at the piles of machines and the busy crowds and soldiers in the valley, and a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart.

The team rested in the valley for a day.

The next day, the 771st Regiment was to continue escorting the machinery and equipment to the rear base area deeper into the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

Zhou Jindong's county brigade has completed its mission and is ready to return to Ningwu.

Before leaving, Zhou Jindong met with Wang Jianguo and Political Commissar Li.

"Commander Wang, Political Commissar Li, there's something I'd like to discuss with you both, and I'd also appreciate it if you could help us ask our superiors for instructions," Zhou Jindong said, getting straight to the point.

"What is it? Captain Zhou, just tell me." Wang Jianguo readily agreed.

Zhou Jindong pointed to several relatively small but still tall machine tools among a pile of machines not far away and said, "We seized a lot of machines this time, and our county brigade also contributed. We're thinking of... applying to our superiors to keep a few machines. We don't need the big ones, just two or three smaller ones, like that small lathe and that bench drill. We want to take them back and try reloading bullets."

"Reloaded bullets?" Wang Jianguo and Political Commissar Li exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

"That's right," Zhou Jindong explained. "Our troops are currently short of guns and ammunition, especially bullets. Every bullet we fire is one less we have. Many of the captured bullets don't even match the caliber of our guns."

During our interactions over the past two days, we discovered that among the people participating in the emergency transport of the machinery was an experienced worker who used to work at a repair shop and knew a thing or two about the business.

If we had a small lathe and a bench drill, along with some tools, we could try to collect the spent cartridge cases, reload them with gunpowder and bullets, and reload the bullets.

While it's not as good as the original, it's better than nothing. It can also repair some simple firearms.

Political Commissar Li pondered for a moment and said, "Reloading bullets... the idea is good. But Captain Zhou, these are machine tools for making guns and cannons. Using them to reload bullets is a bit... a waste of resources, isn't it? Besides, the machines need power to operate. Do you have a generator? Even if you do, gasoline and diesel are problems."

Zhou Jindong was prepared: "Political Commissar, we know it's an underutilization of talent. But we don't need those sophisticated large machine tools, just one or two small ones. We can find a way to solve the power problem, but we dare not take the captured generators, they are too conspicuous."

We can try using manpower or animal power first. Even if we can only reload two or three hundred bullets a day, our county brigade won't be without resources, right?

Wang Jianguo pondered, tapping his finger on the edge of the map.

He glanced at Political Commissar Li, who nodded slightly.

Wang Jianguo slapped his thigh and said, "Great! I support this idea! Our Eighth Route Army needs to have a spirit of self-reliance! Old Li, what do you think?"

Political Commissar Li adjusted his glasses and said, "Captain Zhou's idea is very visionary. Establishing our own ammunition supply capability, even the most basic one, is of great significance for persisting in the resistance behind enemy lines."

However… these machines are all precious treasures. Taking away several at once requires me to request permission from my superiors and also discuss it with other units, since this equipment is collective spoils of war.”

Zhou Jindong immediately replied, "Of course. We'll only apply for the lightest small lathe, the bench drill, and the few sets of repair tools and a set of simple measuring instruments that the mechanic from the repair shop mentioned. As for the large precision machine tools and the generator, we don't want them, and we can't take them with us."

"That's good." Wang Jianguo nodded. "Old Li, draft a telegram immediately, reporting the situation and Captain Zhou's request to the division headquarters and the military region. Send it out as quickly as possible. I'll also give a heads-up to a few regimental commanders."

Political Commissar Li said, "I'll take care of it right away. However, it takes time for the telegram to travel back and forth..."

Zhou Jindong said, "We can wait. Is three days enough? Our team also needs to rest."

"It won't take more than three days. The military region is nearby, and if the telegrams are processed quickly, we should get a reply by tomorrow." After saying this, Political Commissar Li turned around to arrange for the telegram to be sent.

Zhou Jindong felt reassured and returned to the county brigade's rest area, where he told Wang Quan, Liu Rengui, and Zhang Fang about it.

Everyone was very excited.

"If we could really get a lathe back, we wouldn't have to worry about bullets anymore! We could even collect the empty shell casings and reload them!" Wang Quan rubbed his hands together.

Zhang Fang was more pragmatic: "The machine is good, but how do we transport it back? That thing is incredibly heavy; it's not easy to carry it by hand or horse along mountain roads."

"The local Party organization will help us find a solution," Zhou Jindong said. "Since they were able to organize thousands of people to rush the equipment, they must have some transportation connections. When we leave, we'll borrow a few large trucks from them, and if that doesn't work, we'll find some more livestock."

They stayed in Tiger Gully for another day and night. During this time, Zhou Jindong went to see the machines he had "taken a liking to." One was a small belt-driven lathe, another was a hand-cranked bench drill, and there were also some matching fixtures, cutting tools, and repair tools.

The lathe was made of cast iron and was very heavy; even when disassembled into several parts, it took several strong men to move the smallest piece. The bench drill was relatively lighter.

The next day at noon, Political Commissar Li brought a telegram to Zhou Jindong. "Captain Zhou, the approval has been issued!"

Zhou Jindong quickly took the telegram. It was a reply from the military region headquarters: "Given the outstanding performance and meritorious service of the Ningwu County Brigade in this operation to seize important enemy machinery and equipment, and the fact that they faced real difficulties in persisting in the struggle behind enemy lines in such harsh conditions..."

After review, it was agreed that one small belt-driven lathe, one bench drill, and three boxes of simple repair tools, which are older models and lighter in weight, from the batch of equipment, be allocated to the Ningwu County Brigade for use in weapon repair and ammunition reloading trials.

I hope your unit will make good use of this, pay attention to concealment, strengthen security, and earnestly contribute to the military industry in the base area.

Additionally, the 771st Regiment's Wang and Li units need to assist in resolving transportation issues to ensure the safe arrival of the equipment. This is crucial.

"That's great!" Zhou Jindong couldn't help but clench his fist.

Wang Jianguo also came over, smiling and saying, "It's good that it's approved! The military region leaders specifically instructed us to help you solve the transportation problem."

I've already contacted the underground party comrades here; they can provide five rubber-paved carts and a few more mules to help you transport these iron machines back. The mountain roads are difficult to travel, so please be very careful on the way."

"Thank you, Commander Wang! Thank you, Political Commissar Li! Thank you, the organization!" Zhou Jindong saluted the two leaders excitedly.

"Don't be so polite, we're all family." Wang Jianguo waved his hand. "Machines are inanimate, but people are alive. If you can make good use of these machines, produce more bullets, and kill more Japanese devils, that will be the best way to repay the organization."

Once the matter was settled, preparations began immediately. Zhou Jindong gathered the key members of the county brigade, selected more than thirty strong and capable soldiers, and formed a temporary "machine escort team," which was led by Wang Quan.

Five rubber-paved carts and eight mules provided by the local Party organization arrived quickly.

The rubber-wheeled vehicles have wide wheels and thick tires, making them much more stable on mountain roads than wooden-wheeled vehicles.

Disassembling machine parts is also a technical task.

Fortunately, Master Qian, who had previously worked at the Taiyuan Arsenal, also volunteered to return to Ningwu with Zhou Jindong and his team.

He personally directed the disassembly of several key components of the lathe and bench drill using the tools he brought. Then, he carefully secured and bound them with straw ropes, rags, and wooden blocks before moving them onto a large cart.

"This machine bed is quite old. It's belt-driven, without a motor. You have to use manpower or animals to pull the pulley to turn it," Old Qian explained while tightening a screw with a wrench. "But it's good enough for repairing guns and reloading bullets. It's just that it's so heavy... tsk tsk, it's not light at all."

Five large trucks were used; two were loaded with lathe parts, one with bench drills and toolboxes, and the remaining two were filled with weapons, ammunition, and some supplies captured during the operation.

Each cart was harnessed to two mules, and several soldiers had to be assigned to help push and pull it, especially on steep slopes and ditches.

Everything is ready.

Early on the third day, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Jindong, along with his comrades from the 771st Regiment and the local villagers who had helped them, bid farewell to the county brigade, which had been refreshed after a short rest, and the five heavy rubber-coated trucks, and embarked on their journey back to Ningwu.

The journey back was slower and more difficult than the journey there.

Heavy machines and large vehicles traveled along the mountain road, and every step had to be taken with extreme care.

When encountering a steep slope, the soldiers need to work together, pushing and pulling.

When encountering narrow sections of road, you have to use a crowbar to move it little by little.

But the soldiers were in high spirits.

This mission was not only successfully completed, but also helped the main force win a major victory and capture a large amount of weapons and ammunition. More importantly, the iron lumps they brought back were no longer seen as cold machines, but as a source of hope for producing bullets to kill the enemy.

After traveling at a leisurely pace for four days, the team finally caught sight of the familiar outline of Dongzhai Town.

Wang Yuan, who stayed behind at the base, had already received a letter sent back by Zhou Jindong, knowing that they would be returning in the next few days and bringing back "good stuff".

But when he actually saw the huge procession, especially the heavy rubber-clad wagons at the back of the procession that were completely covered with tarpaulins, he was stunned.

As the troops marched into Dongzhai Town, the villagers and the soldiers who stayed behind surrounded them.

When they saw that the group of over nine hundred people who went out had returned with an even larger number of members, and that everyone was full of energy and had been greatly upgraded in terms of equipment, with several more light machine guns and bulging ammunition pouches, everyone exclaimed in amazement.

"My God! Captain Zhou, you...you've emptied the Japanese warehouse, haven't you?" Xu Wei, the captain of the Fifth Company, stared wide-eyed as he circled around several large trucks, trying to lift the tarpaulins to see what was underneath.

"Old Zhao, don't move around, be careful not to hurt your back," Zhou Jindong said with a smile, stopping him.

Wang Yuan also walked over quickly, his face full of shock and disbelief: "Dongzi, what... what are these carts loaded with? Why are they so heavy? Even the mules are exhausted."

Zhou Jindong did not answer directly, but walked to the truck, grabbed a corner of the canvas, and forcefully lifted it open.

In the afternoon sunlight, the black metal parts were displayed in front of everyone.

The machine bed is made of cast iron, with heavy guide rails, a bunch of oddly shaped gears and connecting rods, and cutting tools and implements carefully wrapped in oiled paper.

Although it was disassembled, the cold, hard texture and precise structure unique to industrial products still gave these farmers, who were used to seeing the land, crops, and simple farm tools, a strange shock.

"This...this is..." Wang Yuan's voice was a little dry.

"Machine tools." Zhou Jindong's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard. "Machine tools that can make guns, repair guns, and reload bullets. We snatched them back from the Japanese."

The scene was completely silent, with only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the canvas.

"My goodness..." Xu Wei's mouth gaped open, and it took him a while to utter a sound, "This...this is the machine you were talking about that was stolen from the Da Sha River? A lump of iron?"

"Yes, a lump of iron, a lump of iron that can lay golden eggs." Zhou Jindong patted the cold bed and looked at Master Qian. "Master Qian, from now on, these treasures will depend on you and the skillful comrades in our team to take care of them."

Master Qian quickly waved his hand: "No, no, it's because the organization trusts me. I will definitely do my best, I will definitely do my best!"

Wang Yuan circled the truck twice, then looked at the significantly increased weapons and equipment, and then at the exhausted but spirited soldiers. Finally, his gaze settled on Zhou Jindong's face, and he patted him heavily on the shoulder, condensing a thousand words into one sentence: "Good lad! You never come back empty-handed! This time, you've even brought back so much big stuff!"

The soldiers and villagers around them then realized what was happening and burst into enthusiastic cheers and discussions.

"Incredible! They even managed to steal back the Japanese army's machinery!"

"So our county's militia will be able to manufacture their own bullets from now on?"

"Let's see if those Japanese devils dare to run wild in Ningwu again!"

Zhou Jindong raised his hand to suppress the cheers and said loudly, "Comrades, fellow villagers! We've retrieved the machines, but this is just the beginning!"

How to make use of them, so that they can actually be used to make bullets and repair guns, still depends on our joint efforts!

Starting today, we're going to completely rebuild that valley behind the mountain and build our own repair shop! Master Qian is a veteran and knowledgeable expert, and we'll also select some skillful and literate young people to learn from him!

We not only need to know how to fight, but also how to produce and supply ourselves! Only then can we establish a foothold and fight our way out right under the noses of the Japanese invaders!

"Well said!" Wang Yuan chimed in. "Our Eighth Route Army rose to prominence through self-reliance and hard work! With these machines, our Ningwu County Brigade will be even stronger! I propose that, in addition to daily training and guard duties, each company should take turns sending personnel to assist in the construction of the repair shop and the protection of the equipment!"

"agree!"

"No doubt about it!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Dongzhai Town and even reached the surrounding villages.

People are saying that Captain Zhou has won another great victory, not only eliminating many Japanese and puppet troops, but also seizing back the machines that can manufacture guns and bullets.

The soldiers of the county brigade were even more motivated.

Under the guidance of Master Qian, a group of quick-handed and literate soldiers were selected to begin learning how to maintain and operate the machines.

They carefully moved the machine parts to a secluded cave in the back of the mountain, which was the chosen location for the repair shop.

The cave was reinforced and expanded, and divided into several areas.

The largest area is used to install lathes and bench drills, with a partitioned area next to it for storing tools and raw materials, and ventilation openings are also provided.

Although it's rudimentary, it's much safer than being outdoors.

Installing the machine is both physically demanding and technically challenging.

The heavy bed needs to be precisely leveled, the guide rails need to be adjusted, and the pulleys need to be installed.

Master Qian and his team worked tirelessly, adjusting the equipment bit by bit, until they were covered in sweat.

The other soldiers weren't idle either. Some helped out, some cut down trees to make workbenches and toolboxes, and others collected materials—scrap bullet casings, copper, and even some broken metal parts all became treasures.

The entire base area was revitalized and filled with unprecedented vitality and hope because of the arrival of these machines.

However, while the Ningwu County Brigade was overjoyed to receive the new machinery and busy setting up a repair shop, hundreds of miles away in Taiyuan City, the atmosphere at the headquarters of the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi was completely different—cold and furious.

Taiyuan, the headquarters of the Japanese First Army, the operations conference room.

Several high-ranking Japanese military officers, dressed in their trouser uniforms, sat around a heavy solid wood conference table.

In the main seat was Lieutenant General Yoshio Iwamatsu, who had just been transferred to the position of Commander of the First Army in Shanxi.

He was a short, stocky old Japanese man with a mustache, and his face was so gloomy it could drip water.

A huge military map of Shanxi hung on the wall, but everyone's eyes were focused on a location heavily circled in red on the map—the Dashahe Railway Bridge in Yuanping County.

A staff officer wearing the rank of lieutenant colonel stood trembling in front of the map, holding documents in his hand, and was reporting: "...According to the reports from the Yuanping garrison and the Shuoxian garrison, as well as the on-site investigation, it can be confirmed that on the night of the 20th of this month, the special train carrying important machinery and equipment from Taiyuan to Datong was ambushed by the main force of the Eighth Route Army near the Dashahe Railway Bridge in Yuanping County."

The entire bridge-guarding squadron and the accompanying escort squadron were killed in action; not a single one survived. The special train was destroyed, and the key machinery and equipment from the former Taiyuan Arsenal, which were loaded on board, were partially destroyed, but the rest...were completely looted.

He paused, his voice lowering further: "At the scene... at the scene, there were also numerous traces of the Eighth Route Army mobilizing civilians to move the equipment. It is estimated that no fewer than a thousand Chinese civilians participated in the move. Currently, the whereabouts of the stolen equipment are unknown, and the investigation is ongoing."