Wang Yue still underestimated the stimulus that the big boss could bring to the Ministry of Military Affairs, because that very night, a platoon of air force military police stationed in Qijiang County. It was not that they came to grab artillery, but that they came in such a hurry to assist the temporary sixth officer. The Eighteenth Division immediately concealed the two cannons and strengthened its air defense at the same time, because according to feedback from the military intelligence department, the Japanese spies had passed on this information, and the Ministry of Military Affairs judged that the Japanese were most likely to launch an air strike to destroy the two cannons. , how could this beautiful big pipe be blown up without a few strokes?
Early the next morning, General Chen of the Ministry of Military Affairs came to Qijiang County in person. He briefly expressed condolences to Li Yunlong and then went to visit the two heavy artillery pieces. His love for these two B-4 M1931 203mm heavy howitzers was No less inferior to Li Yunlong and the other three. Looking at it like that, if this cannon does not belong to Li Yunlong, General Chen will definitely take the cannon away immediately. Regardless of whether you bought it yourself, such a military and national weapon is something that you, a Type C division, can do. some? Do you know that the Japanese divisions are currently equipped with about thirty 75mm guns?
Later, General Chen also took a group of officials from the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of Finance to visit the temporary 68th Division and observed the training of the troops, especially the training of artillery and armored forces. He was stunned by Li Yunlong's artillery battalion and tank battalion. Continuously, an artillery battalion equipped with 36 F-10 type 1902/30 type 76.2mm field guns, 12 m1910 type 122mm howitzers, and two B-4 type m1931 type 203mm heavy howitzers? And what do you think the m1938 120mm mortar of that regiment is?
As for the tank battalion? Did you think it was Europe? There are 12 Valentine tanks and 24 T38 amphibious reconnaissance tanks. The Ministry of Military Affairs can fool a tank battalion. And you bastard Li Yunlong, what are you doing with the T38 amphibious reconnaissance tanks to practice crossing the Qijiang River? To the north of Qijiang County is the Yangtze River. What is to the north of the Yangtze River? That's Peidu. You have the B-4 howitzer that can shoot 17.5 kilometers, and the T38 amphibious reconnaissance tank that can cross the Yangtze River. Well, okay, there are also a few advanced small boats, which already have the initial ability to attack Peidu. OK?
Damn it, last night, the principal called me to the Huangshan official residence and talked for more than two hours, just to prevent myself from irritating you while suppressing you Li Yunlong. This is a contradictory instruction, okay? To put it bluntly, I'm afraid of your kid's temporary 68th Division. If you, Li Yunlong, hadn't saved him, and the principal wanted to set an example for the military leaders below, the temporary 68th Division would have been transferred to Hunan Province right now. The front line.
No matter how angry you are, the negotiations with the Eighth Route Army on the purchase of weapons and equipment will continue. If you have advanced weapons, you can have them, as long as you are willing to sell them to the government. The government may have problems of one kind or another, but with the Eighth Route Army, you can Comparison, there is one thing you can't compare with, that is, the government is rich. Although only half of the country is left, the financial resources are not comparable to those of Tubal Road.
But the negotiation with Zhao Gang ran into a problem in less than five minutes. You actually dare to ask for 100,000 oceans for the old m1910-style 122mm howitzer. One hundred thousand oceans, that is not legal tender, that is ocean, the government The Hans-made 150mm howitzer I purchased costs only RMB 100,000 per unit. I admit that the price of arms has increased, and I also admit that transportation is not easy. However, the price of an M1910 122mm howitzer costs RMB 100,000. Isn’t it a bit too shameless? But it's an old cannon from World War I.
But what General Chen didn't expect was that several officials from the Ministry of Finance actually agreed after whispering to each other for a while. My emotions were brewing in vain, but after a few officials from the Ministry of Finance explained a little, General Chen understood. , because the Eighth Route Army once again reduced the proportion of cash payment, promising that as long as the government provides 10% of the total transaction amount in gold as a deposit, it can use physical objects to offset other parts, and also expanded the scope of physical discounts, especially adding some Sichuan Province Specialties such as aquamarine, chrysoberyl, beryl, garnet, tourmaline, southern red agate, salt source agate, Longxi jade, Ya'an green, peach blossom jade, and Shu crystal are all included. Although the price is not high High, but the problem is that these things are specialties of Sichuan Province and are easy to obtain. As far as the government is concerned, they only consume some cheap labor and are not worth much money.
Besides, they also sent cannonballs, right? A cannon with two hundred rounds is worth tens of thousands of dollars. To the Chinese army, shells are much more expensive than artillery. Adding in the shipping costs, losses, etc., after all the calculations, several officials from the Ministry of Finance felt that this was simply too inappropriate, so they couldn't wait to agree to the price, which made General Chen angry.
But soon, these officials from the Ministry of Finance became bitter, because the Eighth Route Army actually gave a package price of 300 artillery pieces and 60,000 rounds of artillery shells, and required the Ministry of Military Affairs to purchase this batch at once. Artillery, this means that for just the deposit, the Ministry of Finance will have to pay an additional three million oceans of gold. This is the deposit for the first transaction.
This time, it was General Chen's turn to be decisive. There were only 300 heavy artillery pieces, so there must be no problem. The national army was really short of artillery. There were hundreds of divisions, and a division might not even have an artillery battery on average. Some of the artillery pieces are simply not easy to use. It must be a good thing to be able to replenish 300 heavy artillery pieces at one time. No matter what, I bought it. I must buy it. As for the funds, maybe it is tight? Ask the principal to explain.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Gang listed the types of tanks available to General Chen. One Valentine tank was sold for 100,000 yuan, and 240 tanks were sold in packages, not just single tanks. T38 amphibious reconnaissance tank, 50,000 yuan per unit, 120 units for sale in a package. T27 tanks cost 30,000 yuan each, 600 units are sold in packages. This series of figures almost scared General Chen to death. I know that your Eighth Route Army's weapons channels are powerful, but are they already so powerful? There are almost a thousand tanks here and there. Tell me, do the Japanese invaders have a thousand tanks?
The Valentine tank is definitely a must-have for the Ministry of Military Affairs. The firepower of the 76.2mm tank gun can almost defy the crowd. The thickness of the front armor can also be immune to most Japanese attacks. As for the rear and side armor, it is too thin. , in the eyes of General Chen and others, this is not a problem at all. On the contrary, it can effectively prevent troops from escaping in battle, which is absolutely beneficial and harmless.
The T38 amphibious reconnaissance tank is also a good thing. The Jiangnan area is densely covered with water networks. This kind of tank is simply not suitable. What is needed is the unparalleled passability. More importantly, Li Yunlong has many of these tanks. , if the Ministry of Military Affairs does not have the absolute advantage of the T38 amphibious reconnaissance tank unit, it will definitely not work, so it must be bought!
What General Chen is most troubled about is the T27 light tank. This kind of tank has weak firepower, thin armor, and slow speed. It has a lot of shortcomings, but it also has many advantages. It is light in weight, has good passability, and has relatively low fuel consumption. The most important thing is It's cheap. Thirty thousand oceans sounds like a lot, but in fact, according to the calculations of the guys in the Ministry of Finance, it's really sweet. Six hundred tanks are enough to strengthen all the direct troops. Once the tanks are connected, they can also cooperate with those Valentine tanks to form several armored assault regiments to strengthen the assault capabilities of the troops. European wars have shown that armored group assaults are the template for future wars.
Bought! Wouldn’t that add up to 48 million oceans? Buy it, don’t hesitate, just buy it! At this moment, the people in the Ministry of Finance are almost crying. Boss, you don’t want to play like this. Although these still need to be approved by the superiors, who above them will not care whether the Ministry of Finance has money or not. You don’t I decided to buy it, and the person above must have agreed.
Next, under General Chen's hesitant expression several times, Zhao Gang finally threw out the B-4 M1931 203mm heavy howitzer. Each one costs 500,000 yuan, and each one comes with a hundred rounds of explosive grenades. 24 guns are sold in a package. If you buy subsequent shells, one big yellow croaker will be charged.
For this price, although General Chen had a toothache, he didn't think it was too outrageous. This kind of heavy artillery is not something you can buy if you have money. He knew the B-4 M1931 203mm heavy howitzer. At that time I also tentatively asked the big northern country, but they ignored you at all. This thing is said to be the favorite of Comrade Steel and the mainstay of the alliance army. The output is not high, only dozens of units a year, but Zhao Gang was lucky. He said 24 guns at the outset. 24 guns. According to the establishment of the national army, two artillery brigades can be formed.
After a little thought, I decided to buy it! There is no such store after passing this village, you must buy it! The most important thing is that the principal has made it clear that weapons must be prevented from falling into the hands of the Eighth Route Army. What can be done to prevent the weapons from falling into the hands of the Eighth Route Army? The only way is to buy them yourself.
In General Chen's view, the forces selling these weapons must have an upper limit on their capabilities. The current quantity must be the opponent's maximum capability. Such a huge quantity cannot be accommodated by the Eighth Route Army. This will test the financial resources of the government. .
As for the Eighth Route Army eating the price difference, General Chen is not worried at all. As for the things the other party wants, even if you give them to the Eighth Route Army, it's hard to get rid of them. Now is a war period, and weapons and daily necessities are the most precious. Jewelry and rough stones, Who wants precious wood and the like? As for antique calligraphy and paintings, that is even more of a joke. Except for a small number of high-quality items, it would be great if the others can be sold for one-tenth of their pre-war prices.
After finishing the B-4 M1931 203mm heavy howitzer, General Chen felt that it was almost done. Unexpectedly, Zhao Gang added another item - a rifle, a second-hand Mosin Nagant rifle M1891 rifle, a total of 300,000. , plus 10 million rounds of rifle ammunition, the total is 10 million oceans. It is still sold as a package, not just sold alone.
General Chen was no longer calm. In recent years, there were a lot of rifles in the supplies purchased with loans from the northern powers. However, because the Air Force occupied a large share of transportation, there were not many rifles that could be transported to the country. In 1939, Throughout the year, only 50,000 Mosin-Nagant M1891 rifles were shipped, which was not enough to make up for the domestic rifle gap. Others had to be purchased from Europe and the United States through the Burma Highway. Suddenly, 300,000 rifles were almost It can make up for all the rifle gaps in the main force of the national army.
Second-hand? What's wrong with the second-hand ones? He has also used the Mosin-Nagant rifle m1891. That thing is different from the domestic rifles. The steel mouth is particularly good. The accuracy will not decrease after many years of use. Even if it is a second-hand rifle, the quality will not be inferior. For domestic rifles, the price is so good that it is lower than the price of domestic rifles. Since the domestic rifles were withdrawn to the rear, the barrels of many rifles are made of rails, and the quality is hard to describe.
No surprises, I bought it! Finally, I calculated the price, which totaled 10 million oceans. Even General Chen was a little frightened. 10 million oceans were spent so easily. However, when he thought that the combat effectiveness of the national army would be extremely high after these weapons arrived, A big improvement doesn’t mean anything. The country is like this, so what’s the point of money?
Of course, this deal also comes with additional conditions, as follows:
1. After confirming the transaction details, the Ministry of Finance needs to pay a 10% deposit in the form of gold immediately.
2. Due to the huge quantity and variety, this order will be delivered in 12 installments. The payment for each installment must be settled promptly after delivery without delay, otherwise the transaction will be frozen.
3. In order to facilitate the transportation of materials, the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs will hand over a wharf along the Yangtze River in the north of Qijiang County to the management of the Qijiang County Security Command. At the same time, the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs will station a platoon of military police at the wharf to be responsible for supervision.
4. The Eighth Route Army is responsible for guaranteeing this transaction. The premise of the guarantee is that the relationship between the Eighth Route Army and the authorities is harmonious. If the supplier determines that there is a risk in the relationship between the two parties, the transaction will be frozen, the deposit will be withheld, and subsequent ammunition will no longer be provided.
5. The Qijiang County Security Headquarters will assume the responsibility for public security in the Qijiang Basin, and the Ministry of Military Affairs will come forward to resolve the corresponding management overlap issues.
6. The Qijiang County Security Command is allowed to suppress bandits within the territory of Qijiang County, but the size of the troops used shall not exceed one company, and must be accompanied by members from the county party headquarters.
7. The quality and price of all value-for-money transaction materials must be jointly determined by the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Eighth Route Army before final confirmation.
8. For subsequent purchases of weapons and equipment, the Eighth Route Army needs to report to the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs in a timely manner, and the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs and the Eighth Route Army are allowed to enjoy the same purchase qualifications.
9. Allow the temporary 68th Division to recruit troops locally in Qijiang County to meet its C Division strength of 12,103 people, but shall not exceed this number.
In this way, Wang Yue's first nine-digit large order after arriving in 1940 time and space has been initially finalized. As for these weapons, he can deliver them in one or two months. The reason why he delayed for a year is because he didn't want the other party to do so. Too frightened, and at the same time, we must avoid the crisis that will occur next. As for what crisis it is, I won’t go into details here. We are all brothers. It’s okay to make calculations at ordinary times, but it’s not good to fight for life or death. .
Some people died, but not completely...
