Comrade, Your Ingredients Are Too Complicated

Chapter 296 Eighth Route Army Artillery Academy

 August 15, 1941, Taiyuan Weapons Experimental Site.

Today is the day when the scientific research slot of the previous stage is unlocked. Early in the morning, Huanghe invited the big guys to the shooting range outside the city to observe the power of the new weapons.

  Guards with guns and tightly guarded security posts on the commanding heights all prove that this testing site is extremely confidential.

At the target position, political commissar Zhu, who had returned with the infantry experts, was leading the soldiers to set up artillery positions.

Although this man has not been exposed to new artillery for some time, no one will doubt that he is one of the most professional artillery commanders within the Eighth Route Army.

  After all, he was an honors student at Krasin Artillery School. When he graduated that year, he got the highest score in his class in both written examination and live-fire shooting.

 The word "able in both civil and military skills" is almost tailor-made for Political Commissar Zhu.

When he learned that this big shot came to Taiyuan for a physical examination with the deputy division commander, Huang He did not hesitate to invite him to test the artillery.

 “Director Huang! We meet again.”

“I never expected that the conditions at the headquarters would be so good. There are four kinds of standard mortars of various calibers. When will a batch be shipped to our Shandong base area? They are all armed with the Eighth Route Army, so we can’t be biased.”

"We can start the first round of test firing in five minutes. You can rest aside for a while."

 “Okay! Good job!”

 After a brief exchange of greetings, Political Commissar Zhu returned to the artillery position to continue the unfinished work.

 The busy scene at the experimental site aggravated the curiosity of the deputy commander-in-chief. He silently walked to the vicinity of the prefabricated position, ready to get closer to see what kind of surprises Huanghe had prepared for everyone.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ifies

“It’s such a thick pipe, it should be 120 mm by visual inspection.”

“To be honest, this is my first time to have close contact with a large-caliber mortar. The visual impact is not that strong.”

Hearing this, the deputy general staff officer and his party also gathered around.

That's right, today's protagonist is the "Brand Mle1935 120mm Mortar" unlocked by Huanghe using the scientific research slot.

 Seeing the Chongqing equipped with a two-wheel gun mount, as well as the thick barrel and the huge and heavy shells, the bosses all showed expressions of excitement.

 Compared with it, the 81mm mortars currently in service in the army are like underage child labor.

Such an evaluation is not completely unreasonable. After all, 120mm can be regarded as an enlarged version of 81mm in a sense. The two have many similarities in design concepts and details.

 Although Brand's original intention of designing this gun was to add a support weapon to regiment-level infantry units.

 But on the North China battlefield, the emergence of the 120mm mortar can be regarded as a dimensionality reduction strike. Both in terms of power and range, it is at the level of heavy artillery.

 After all, the Eighth Route Army and North China Front Army’s current offensive firepower is still dominated by 75mm barrel guns.

The enemy does have a 105mm howitzer, but it is a weapon only equipped at the division level.

What's more, the Japanese have lost air superiority. Now every gun is a treasure that is difficult to replenish. They will not be used unless it is absolutely necessary.

After the troops have 120mm mortars, the artillery system at the level of the Eighth Route Army has begun to take shape, and its strength can be said to have taken a big step forward.

Facing the fiery gazes of the big guys, Huang He walked behind the mortar and began to introduce various basic data.

“Theoretically, this gun can be used as an enlarged version of the 81 mm mortar.”

“Its total combat weight is only 249 kilograms, and it can be disassembled into three parts while traveling. The heaviest gun body does not exceed 90 kilograms.”

As soon as these words came out, countless combat possibilities floated through the brigade commander's mind.

Weighing 90 kilograms, the Eighth Route Army can definitely carry it away easily at this stage. It is very suitable for plain operations and mountain operations that require mobility.

What's more, the Brand 120mm mortar also has rubber tires and can reach a speed of 60 kilometers per hour when pulled by a truck.

“Its maximum range is 7,500 meters, and its theoretical rate of fire is 10 to 12 rounds per minute. The shell weighs 17 kilograms and has a killing radius of 34 meters.”

 Compared with the French original products, the models provided by Awakening Yonghu System have been slightly modified. Not only was it equipped with quite advanced sighting equipment, it also had an increased range of 500 meters.

 The above data once again caused the big guys to exclaim.

Although everyone present has seen the world, everyone's reaction is not unusual. The main reason is that the performance of Brand's 120mm is really incredible.

The current Republic of China is not incapable of producing mortars with a caliber exceeding 120 mm. Fengtian Arsenal and Guoji's Fifty Factory even made large 150 mm tubes before.

 Unfortunately, due to reasons such as materials and craftsmanship, the above-mentioned weapons are inferior in range and other indicators, and their performance is often only about 70% of imported products.

As a product of a long-established artillery powerhouse and the work of the founder of mortars, even the original version is far more powerful than the Soviet and German equipment of the same period.

 After all, both weigh more than 280 kilograms, and their ranges are only 5,700 meters and 6,000 meters.

 The basic data of the new cannon made the brigade commander’s eyes light up again.

“Is it a range of nearly eight thousand meters? It’s really an enlarged version of the 81mm mortar.”

“This seventeen kilogram shell must have a three kilogram charge. It’s really a good thing.”

Although the muzzle velocity of the mortar is not high, its powerful power is definitely not inferior to the Japanese 105 howitzer. Ordinary civil bunkers are definitely one shot at a time.

 The Type 92 infantry cannon and the Type 94 mountain cannon can only be fired while hanging in the face of heavy pressure.

If there had been such a thing in the Hundred Regiment Battle, the soldiers' results would have been greater, and the corresponding casualties would have been reduced.

 “What is the specific power?”

 With the data available, everyone present is more looking forward to the upcoming test launch.

 Caliber and weight of artillery shells are just numbers after all. As practical leaders, they want to see specific combat effects.

 When the deputy general staff asked this question, Political Commissar Zhu had already completed the erection of the artillery position. A few kilometers away, a civil fortification served as a target.

“Everyone, live-fire testing is about to begin.”

After finishing speaking, the soldiers of the artillery company began to do the last inspection before shooting. They raised the barrel of the gun and then lifted out the heavy shells for later use.

"Report!"

 “Ready, ready to fire at any time!”

"good!"

Political Commissar Zhu used the portable communicator to confirm that the targets for the distant positions were in place, and all staff had evacuated the scene.

“Everyone, the intended target is a semi-buried civil bunker four kilometers away.”

"The target bunker was built according to the Japanese standard structure. In order to test the performance of the 120mm mortar, the comrades also strengthened the fortification to a certain extent." "It has three layers of crossed pine beams on the top, and multiple layers on the bottom. The wooden support pillars can withstand direct hits from multiple 81mm mortar shells.”

"let's start."

 The deputy commander said.

Political Commissar Zhu ran to the gun emplacement and personally directed the soldiers to aim.

Today is the first time artillerymen have come into contact with large-caliber mortars, and the performance of the new weapon is unfamiliar to everyone. In order to live up to Huang He's trust in him, he decided to take action himself.

 Confirming that it was correct, Political Commissar Zhu signaled everyone present that he was about to open fire.

 “Boom!”

 The muzzle fireworks exploded, and the ground was shaken up in a circle of dust.

 A moment later, there was a huge explosion in the distance, followed by fire and smoke.

“Missed the target, the impact point was fifty meters to the right!”

Hearing the impact point of the artillery shells reported by the observation post, Political Commissar Zhu adjusted the firing of various elements without changing his expression, and then asked the artillery crew to prepare for loading.

  For a new cannon, it is normal for the first shot to miss, and there is nothing to make a fuss about.

Fifteen seconds later, another artillery round was ejected from the barrel and flew towards the target fortification.

 Political Commissar Zhu is indeed a top student who graduated from the artillery school. He has mastered the use of this gun in just one test firing, and the second shell hit the bunker accurately.

With the help of telescopes, everyone watched an almost hard-to-see black spot piercing into a semi-buried earthen bunker in the distance. Then smoke rose, along with soil and debris scattered in all directions.

 In an instant, all the big shots, including the deputy commander-in-chief and deputy general staff officer, were all boiling.

The wood chips and dust that were exploded all proved that the solid earthen bunker in the distance was completely destroyed.

　　One shot into the soul!

If the opposite side is really an enemy position, then the shelling just now has killed more than a dozen Japanese soldiers and a solid fortification.

 “What a gun!”

 The deputy commander couldn't help but applaud, the explosion just now was definitely a feast for the eyes.

 “It’s indeed a good gun.”

 The deputy general staff officer also nodded in agreement. Everyone was very satisfied with the power of the 120mm mortar. With such brutal attack weapons, the Eighth Route Army's combat effectiveness will inevitably rise to a higher level.

While everyone was sighing, Political Commissar Zhu took a portable communicator and began to report a detailed battle report.

“The shelling just now completely destroyed the internal structure of the fortification, and absolutely no one can withstand that shell.”

Although they saw the bunker collapse with their own eyes, the serious internal damage still surprised the big bosses, and they immediately walked towards the artillery position.

  ·······

 After the test firing, Huang He followed the bosses to the office of the test site.

 In addition to observing the new weapons, there is another important matter to be drafted today. That is to establish the Artillery Academy of the Eighth Route Army and elect its first principal.

Nowadays, troops at all levels have successively installed three French mortars, 50, 60 and 81. In addition to the 120mm mortar to be installed in the second half of the year and the 75 Miss that will be transferred to the regiment level, the Eighth Route Army's artillery has begun to take shape. .

The current situation seems perfect, but a problem has gradually surfaced.

That is, the training speed of artillery is far less than the production of new weapons. If this continues, the army will be in an embarrassing situation with a large number of equipment and people waiting for it.

 In order to speed up the training of artillery cadres and vigorously develop the artillery of the main force, both the border region and the Eighth Route Army headquarters believed it was necessary to establish an artillery academy in Shanxi.

 In the deputy commander-in-chief’s original plan, he was planning to let the artillery director of the 129th Division serve as the principal.

After all, Director Zhao has seniority. He has climbed snowy mountains and walked through grasslands with the troops. He is a veteran who has grown up from the grassroots level step by step through military exploits.

At the time of the Dadu River attack, if he hadn't killed three fire points with three rounds of artillery shells, the soldiers would have suffered heavy casualties.

Although his educational level is somewhat low, he has rich practical experience and extraordinary talent. In today's special period, Ye Luzi's speed may be even faster.

However, the deputy general staff officer had his own ideas. Director Zhao was indeed the artillery master of the 129th Division, but he spent most of his time manipulating mortars.

If it was the previous Kuhaha period, there is nothing wrong with letting the other party serve as the principal. After all, the army only has mortars at its disposal most of the time.

 But now, in addition to mortars of various calibers, the Eighth Route Army also has 75mm barrel guns and Red Arrow self-propelled rocket launchers. Even in a year or two, it will be equipped with a 155mm large-tube howitzer.

 At this moment, the artillery school needs a founder of systematization, modernization and theorization.

From a strategic perspective, Political Commissar Zhu, who graduated from Krasin Artillery School, is the best candidate for the principal. The position suitable for Director Zhao should be the head of the training department of the school.

After everyone arrived, the deputy commander signaled Huang He to close the door, and then said straight to the point:

“Xiao Zhu, the border area and headquarters have an important task for you.”

"I am planning to establish an artillery academy in Yangquan. After many organizational discussions, the superiors have decided that you will be the first principal."

"Except for the teaching materials that you need to compile yourself, all teaching aids are handled by the military industrial zone in the southeastern Shanxi base area. I have only one request for you, and that is to start classes as soon as possible! Cultivate the first batch of graduates as soon as possible!"

 It is the duty of soldiers to obey orders. After hearing the deputy commander-in-chief’s arrangements, political commissar Zhu immediately stood at attention and saluted and replied:

"yes!"

 “Guaranteed to complete the task!”

Although Political Commissar Zhu agreed happily, he still had a trace of hesitation in his heart. On weekdays, he is mainly responsible for coordinating the Shandong Anti-Japanese Base Area. There are many things that cannot be separated from him.

For example, most of the national troops behind enemy lines in Shandong are Yu Xuezhong's troops from the Northeast Army.

 Due to the existence of Political Commissar Zhu, the Shandong Eighth Route Army and the Northeast Army have always maintained good cooperation, and there have been almost no friction incidents between the two sides.

If he comes to Shanxi and becomes a principal, it is very likely that his previous efforts will be in vain.

Seemingly sensing the other party’s concerns, the deputy general staff officer said very considerately:

"We left you and Lao Xu in Shanxi, and we must have thought about who to send to Shandong to take over."

“Don’t worry, the headquarters will not keep you in school as a teacher. Desperate Fox asked me to give you a message. He said that there is an artillery marshal in the north, so you will definitely be the artillery marshal of our Eighth Route Army in the future!

“Besides, as the principal of the Artillery Academy, it’s certainly not too much to arrange a few practical training sessions for the students.”

 “Okay! It’s better to obey orders than to be respectful!”

Looking at the two people enjoying themselves, Huang He said silently in his heart:

“Principal Zhu, there is no shortage of artillery in the army now. You no longer need to go to the battlefield to seize weapons in person. The current situation is very good, and no enemy has the right to let you go to the battlefield in person!”

  Another person who is difficult to calm down

 (End of this chapter)