The engineer spade Wang Xuexin mentioned is actually the third generation Q3 engineer spade used by modern China.
The first generation of engineering shovels was of the traditional wooden handle type. It had a single function and was inconvenient to carry. It would cause all kinds of troubles in battle, and many soldiers were reluctant to carry it.
The second generation can fold the handle at once, which is more convenient to carry but still has fewer functions.
The third-generation engineer shovel can be folded twice, and the folded volume is only the size of the shovel surface, and it has as many as eighteen functions.
One of the more typical ones is that it can be used as a flying claw when it is in a semi-folded state, and the other is that it can be used as a powerful hand-to-hand weapon...
This is not done forcefully.
In fact, in trenches and indoors, the hand-to-hand lethality of the engineer's shovel is even much greater than that of the bayonet.
The total length of the Japs' 38 cover is 1.27 meters, and with the bayonet included, it is nearly 1.7 meters.
If you stab the enemy with such a long spear in a trench or indoors, the result will be that the bayonet cannot function as it should.
Therefore, in a small space, there is basically only one option, which is to abandon the spear and use a spur directly.
But if the opponent is holding a short-handled engineer shovel... then holding a spur in his hand will almost mean waiting to die.
Therefore, many World War II movies include scenes of hand-to-hand combat with the enemy with engineering shovels.
This is not an artistic exaggeration, but it is a weapon favored by veterans in certain situations.
Wang Xuexin first contacted Zhang Wanhe.
He was a little worried that Zhang Wanhe had used the scrap steel drilled from the train axle to produce other things or buried it for later use.
Wang Xuexin felt relieved when the call got through.
Zhang Wanhe replied: "How could I bury such good steel? I was planning to use them to produce several machine tools, so I brought them all to Dahuai Village. If others want it, I mean I won't give it to them. But
If you, Xiao Dongbei, want... how can I not bear to part with you!"
"Thank you, director!" Wang Xuexin replied.
Zhang Wanhe said this, but his heart ached.
So much so that when he put down the phone, he muttered: "This little Northeast is so damn extravagant. The entire engineering shovel needs the best steel. In order to dig some soil for him, I have to lose two machine tools!"
However, on the one hand, Xiaodongbei is extraordinary for the arsenal, and on the other hand, the reconnaissance company being formed by the independent regiment has the support of the headquarters, so even if Zhang Wanhe is extremely reluctant to give up, the arsenal is still very busy at the same time.
You have to bite the bullet and come down.
Wang Xuexina quickly sent someone to deliver the drawings to Dahuai Village.
Dahuai Village is more than 70 kilometers away from Honggou Village. In order to get the engineering shovel as soon as possible, Wang Xuexin sent a three-wheeler to send the drawings.
The three-wheelers here are really useful for the mountainous terrain like the Eighth Route Army. The distance of more than 70 kilometers, many of which are mountainous, can be reached in more than an hour.
Zhang Wanhe didn't think much about it when he got the drawing, and threw it to Su Xin.
Isn't it just an engineering shovel?
What's there to see?
Even the blacksmith in the village can do it. Let the arsenal do it. The reason is just to use good steel and make it more durable.
But after Su Xin looked at the drawings, she immediately found Zhang Wanhe and asked, "Director, was Xiao Dongbei the one who drew this drawing of the engineer shovel?"
"How did you know?" Zhang Wanhe was a little surprised. He was able to identify the owner of the drawings so clearly.
Su Xin spread the drawings in front of Zhang Wanhe and said, "Director, please take a look!"
Zhang Wanhe glanced at it and immediately knew the reason.
Damn it, you can actually shape an engineer's shovel into something like this!
One side of the spade body is a blade, the other side is a serration, and the handle can be folded... What does Xiao Dongbei want to do?
After watching it for a while, Zhang Wanhe asked: "Is this thing difficult to produce?"
Su Xin nodded: "Preliminary estimates suggest that the man-hours consumed will be more than ten times that of other engineer shovels! In addition, good steel must be used, and the final cost may be dozens of times that of ordinary engineer shovels!"
Su Xin had better forget about it. The work was small and high-quality steel was rare for the Eighth Route Army. It was almost impossible to measure it with money.
Zhang Wanhe frowned and gritted his teeth and said, "Let's do it. Xiao Dongbei's only needs more than a hundred handfuls. We can still afford such a small amount!"
"Yes!" Su Xin responded and went to make arrangements.
Zhang Wanhe thought about it and decided that he should report to the chief.
Zhang Wanhe went to see the chief prepared to be scolded.
Because the chief has always been diligent and frugal, he has always emphasized that "good steel should be used on the blade." But now Zhang Wanhe wants to use good steel on digging the soil... How can he look good?
Zhang Wanhe could almost imagine the commander sternly telling him to give up the idea.
Unexpectedly, the commander's eyes lit up as soon as he saw the drawing: "This thing is very good. It is very suitable for guerrilla warfare, especially our army's guerrilla warfare in mountainous areas at this stage!"
As he spoke, the chief handed the drawings to the chief of staff.
The chief of staff looked at it and nodded in agreement: "It combines a knife, saw and engineer shovel into one, and it is indeed suitable for our guerrilla operations!"
Zhang Wanhe reminded: "But chief, chief of staff, because of the blade on one side and the saw teeth on the other side, this thing requires high steel and the cost is not low..."
"Old Zhang!" The chief interrupted Zhang Wanhe: "Good steel should be used on the blade! Isn't this just how it is used on the blade?"
"This..." Zhang Wanhe was a little confused.
It's just an engineering shovel, but it's actually used on the blade!
Then I heard the chief explain: "With it, the weight of the guerrillas' equipment can be reduced to speed up their marching speed and enhance their climbing ability. It also helps their jungle survival ability. This is the first way to attack the enemy.
One factor is not good steel used on the blade, what is the blade?"
Zhang Wanhe said "Oh" and secretly thought that this inconspicuous thing still has this kind of thing.
Then Zhang Wanhe said awkwardly: "But chief, we don't have much steel, so we can't produce that much to equip the guerrillas!"
The leader thought for a while and then suggested: "If the train axle steel is insufficient, let's lower the quality requirements and use rail steel. This thing is mainly used by the guerrillas, and let the guerrillas replace it with stolen rails!"
There is indeed no problem with the position of the chief.
Because the guerrilla troops fighting in the mountainous areas need this kind of engineering shovel even more urgently.
The regular army's requirements for engineer shovels are relatively simple. Most of the time, they use an engineer shovel to build fortifications.
Therefore, it is natural to give priority to equipping the guerrillas.
Facts also proved that the chief was right. This kind of engineering shovel was immediately welcomed by the guerrillas after it was put into the guerrillas.
The guerrillas reacted like this: "As long as we have an engineer shovel like this, we don't even need to bring a pot in an emergency... just pour food and water into the engineer shovel and put it on the fire to cook!"