The several raw materials I asked Commander Yan for were scarce materials that could not be purchased with money, could not be produced in the base area, and could not be obtained through smuggling.
With them, arsenals can mass-produce artillery shells, mortars, and light and heavy machine gun barrels.
With the value of four heavy cannons and more than 2,000 rounds of heavy artillery shells, the raw materials exchanged are enough for the arsenal to consume for two years.
Under normal circumstances, the arsenal can produce 10,000 rounds of various artillery shells within two seconds.
If it works in two shifts and operates at full capacity, it is possible to get 15,000 rounds.
As for the mortars and light and heavy machine guns produced, they can equip at least two main brigades.
The value of these equipment and ammunition is definitely more than 500 rounds of heavy artillery shells, so I have no reason to disagree.
Seeing Yan Youjin staring at him expectantly, Li Hao didn't waste any time and nodded quickly: "It's just 1,500 rounds of artillery shells, but I also have a request. All the heavy artillery and 2,100 rounds of artillery shells will be purchased with the supplies on the list. I will buy them all together."
Da Yang doesn’t accept them either.”
"No problem!" Yan Youjin quickly agreed, fearing that Li Hao would regret it.
With Lingqiu as the center, dozens of surrounding counties and cities all took action.
The Eighth Route Army, guerrillas, and underground parties collected materials through various channels, and then used carts, mules, horses, and even human backs to continuously deliver them to the Lingqiu garrison base.
Such a big movement cannot be made silently.
Within half a month, the Japanese military headquarters in Taiyuan realized something was wrong.
"Your Excellency, Army Commander, intelligence shows that the Eighth Route Army with Lingqiu as the center is collecting scrap copper, saltpeter, sulfur and other strategic materials everywhere, and then sending them to Lingqiu." The person in charge of the intelligence of the Japanese garrison in Shanxi stood in front of the army commander and said
Report with respect.
"The intelligence personnel lurking in the garrison base area were ordered by my humble duty to check: In the past half month, more than 200 carts of various materials have entered Lingqiu."
"This does not include the materials sent to Lingqiu through human and animal power."
"After losing several intelligence personnel in a row, the intelligence department finally found out the purpose of the garrison's collection of these materials."
"Send all supplies to the mountains southeast of Lingqiu."
"The arsenal of the garrison is hidden in this mountain."
"So my humble judgment: the materials collected by the garrison must be used to produce weapons and ammunition."
"There is also intelligence showing that the Eighth Route Army surrounding the garrison has obtained a large amount of weapons and ammunition out of thin air in the past half month."
"According to my understanding: In the past half month, no large-scale fighting has occurred in the dozens of counties around Lingqiu. The losses of the Imperial Army and the Imperial Associated Army were very small. The Eighth Route Army operating in this area cannot be captured through seizures.
A lot of weapons and ammunition.”
"Thinking of the large amount of materials that the garrison is collecting, I thought of another possibility: the arsenal of the garrison obtained a large amount of materials and then started operating at full capacity to produce a large amount of equipment and ammunition. In return for collecting materials, a large amount of equipment and ammunition were given to the event by the garrison.
The Eighth Route Army in these counties."
"Bagya Road!" the commander clenched his fists and cursed through gritted teeth.
"A garrison regiment is already difficult enough. If the other Eighth Route armies in the surrounding areas become stronger and stronger, with higher equipment and sufficient ammunition, it will definitely be a disaster for the Imperial Japanese Army."
"I don't think this is allowed to happen."
"I agree with your judgment that the main culprit causing all these disasters is the Garrison Corps Arsenal."
"Without it, the Eighth Route Army surrounding the garrison would have no source of weapons, and the garrison itself would not have sophisticated equipment to fight the imperial army."
At this point, the commander's entire body was suddenly enveloped in murderous aura.
Looking at his subordinates, he frowned and cursed: "We must find a way to destroy this culprit."
The Acting Chief of Staff has never faced the garrison directly, but the record of the garrison is there, and the Imperial Army generals who were defeated by them one after another are still vivid in their minds. No matter how arrogant they are, they dare not underestimate this powerful opponent.
He hesitated and reminded: "Your Excellency, Army Commander, if I remember correctly, the Imperial Army tried to destroy the garrison arsenal more than once."
"The last time we raided the garrison base, we had a dedicated raiding force march all the way into the mountain where the arsenal is located, trying to find and destroy it, but they all failed."
"The mopping up troops couldn't even find the garrison's arsenal in the mountains, and they themselves suffered heavy casualties."
"They entered the mountain under the cover of two other mopping up troops. Without the cooperation of the troops, the garrison would attack the mopping up troops in the mountain with all their strength. They might not even be able to get out of the mountain where the arsenal is located."
"So the chance of success if we want to go into the mountains again to destroy the defense regiment's arsenal is too low. We may lose both my wife and our troops. Please think again!"
The strong murderous intent on the commander's body did not dissipate. After thinking for two minutes with a sullen face, he ordered with murderous intent: "No, we have another way!"
The atmosphere at the headquarters of the Lingqiu garrison regiment was obviously much more relaxed than that of more than half a month ago.
The arsenal is operating at full capacity because of sufficient raw materials.
Most of the weapons and ammunition produced were given to the surrounding Eighth Route Army, and a small amount was kept in the base area for its own use.
Despite this, the ammunition inventory of the garrison is still rising.
The main force, local troops, and guerrillas all wore uniform 38 covers.
All light machine guns were converted into magazines by the arsenal.
The heavy machine guns were replaced by Type 92 heavy machine guns, the mortars were all 81mm caliber, the mountain artillery, field artillery, infantry artillery... were all captured by the Japanese.
Hong Linfeng stood in front of Li Hao and reported the results of his hard work in the past half month with a smile.
"Commander, all the main forces in the base area are fully equipped and are undergoing recovery training."
"I calculated that within three months at most, the troops will be able to return to their pre-counter-mopping combat effectiveness."
"If we go quickly, we can achieve this goal in two months."
"All the new recruits have been formed."
"The independent battalion and the main battalion all set up their own recruit companies, and the regiment headquarters set up a recruit battalion, adding up to a total of 1,500 recruits."
"Recruit training is being carried out using the equipment replaced by the main force."
"The recruitment points in the base area also reported one thing: after all the new soldiers were recruited, a large number of ordinary people came to the recruitment points and asked to join our Eighth Route Army. Some people just stayed at the recruitment points in order to join the army."
"Most of them are refugees who were driven to the base areas by the Japanese. I think we should consider accepting them."
"I made statistics: before the counter-mopping up, more than 700,000 refugees entered the base area."
"The ratio of the main force in the base area to the total population in the base area is one hundred to one. In addition, there are a large number of semi-off-the-job guerrillas and local troops, which add up to almost fifty to one."
"There are more than 700,000 refugees. Based on this ratio, a main force of 7,000 people and a guerrilla and local force of 7,000 people can be formed."
"Now the total number of new recruits we have recruited from refugees is less than 7,000."
"Since the villagers support us so much, why not continue to recruit them? If the main force is no longer available, let them join the local army or supplement the guerrilla force."
Political Commissar Wang Hong suddenly spoke up and responded with approval: "Captain, I agree with the Chief of Staff. We cannot let the villagers have no way to serve the country and dampen their enthusiasm."
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