The Burma Highway was an important channel for the Nationalist Government to transport strategic materials purchased abroad and provided with international assistance. As the Japanese army occupied Vietnam, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway was interrupted. Soon after its completion, the Burma Highway became the only transportation channel for China to connect with the outside world.
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In December 1938, the Yunnan-Burma Highway began transportation. The people responsible for transportation were first the Southwest Transportation Office and then the China-Myanmar Transportation Administration.
When Stilwell arrived at Changzhi City, he decisively used the US military radio to report the intelligence on the Japanese military's combat deployment in Southeast Asia purchased from intelligence brokers. The specific effect is still unknown.
Soon thereafter, as the war in Europe became more chaotic, these foreigners were obviously more willing to stay in China and become foreign uncles than to return home to join the war.
Therefore, most people chose to live in the mountain city, and Stilwell was appointed as the major attaché of the US military liaison office in the mountain city on official business.
Although Stilwell and Zhou Weihan met for the first time and their conversation was brief, the two "hit it off", not to mention that contact with the Eighth Route Army was also a secret mission of the US military liaison office.
Americans have never put eggs in a cage. At present, the Nationalist Government represents orthodoxy in China and the Eighth Route Army is a dirt-road army. However, the Americans do not mind supporting the Eighth Route Army and forcing the Nationalist Government to obey its orders.
What's more, since 1940, the Eighth Route Army has grown stronger in North China, and has obviously played a role in containing the Japanese army. With the Japanese army launching massive attacks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, how to contain more Japanese forces has become an important issue.
As a strategic target, the Eighth Route Army in far north China naturally attracted the attention of Americans.
Shortly after Stilwell arrived in the mountain city, a plan to provide military assistance to the Eighth Route Army was put on the agenda.
In fact, Shancheng has stored a large amount of American equipment. However, Stilwell has been in China for many years and is certainly aware of the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. If the Japanese army had not occupied most of China, the two sides would have fought to the death.
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Previously, although the old man approved the proposal to let the Eighth Route Army be responsible for rescuing foreigners from various countries detained in Tianjin, the old man would never allow the Americans to select some American equipment from the mountain city to prepare to assist the Eighth Route Army. The old man even started to cry.
The meaning of secretly preventing.
Shortly afterwards, Stilwell personally visited Huangshan's official residence.
The U.S. military liaison office has great authority in China. It not only plays the role of intermediary liaison, but also has the task of training Chinese soldiers equipped with American equipment.
Among them, the weapons and equipment purchased by the National Government with tungsten ore, tin, tung oil and other materials are arranged by itself, while the equipment of weapons and equipment provided free of charge by the United States needs to be supervised by personnel from the US Military Liaison Office.
Stilwell discussed with the old man for a long time, and finally Stilwell took a military police battalion from the mountain city to Spring City.
In early March 1942, somewhere in Spring City, the US military liaison office.
"Sir, this is the list of this batch of weapons and equipment!"
Stilwell took the list and scanned it briefly. The number of weapons and equipment on it surprised him: "Is the storage location safe?"
"Absolutely safe. It is personally guarded by the Yunnan Army Guard Corps, and our liaison personnel are also stationed on site!"
Stilwell nodded after hearing this. The terminus of the Yunnan-Burma Highway was within the sphere of influence of the Yunnan Army. With the acquiescence of the Americans, the Yunnan Army took advantage of the convenience. The relationship between the two parties was very happy. Of course, this kind of relationship with
The collusion between local warlords also made the old man very afraid, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Stilwell only learned about this matter after he arrived in the mountain city and was introduced by his colleagues in the liaison office.
"The handover will be carried out immediately. The military police I brought with me will take the train north tomorrow morning. Kenny, you will personally take a few soldiers to accompany them!" Stilwell said to a US Army second lieutenant next to him.
"Sir, I'm worried that the journey will not be smooth. If something happens..."
"No, Chiang is a smart man. He has already made a decision on providing weapons and equipment to the Eighth Route Army this time. He will definitely not antagonize us because of this matter. He understands the principle of losing big for small things!"
"This time we have the escort of the Military Police, which can prevent the thoughts of some people who covet this batch of weapons and equipment along the way!" Stilwell said, thinking that the weapons and equipment provided this time have exceeded the number on the original list:
"However, we need to seize the radio station of the military police camp immediately on the grounds that the information cannot be leaked. Remember, before you meet General Zhou of the Eighth Route Army, you need to stay beside this batch of weapons and equipment at all times. Several important equipment are
The equipped carriage needs to be guarded by a dedicated person!"
Stilwell tried his best to urge that Spring City was too far away from Tainan. Too many accidents could happen along the way, and if you were not careful, you might be outsourced. But what would happen even if the Americans were held accountable?
For the Americans, weapons and equipment are easy to obtain, but who is responsible for escorting them is a problem. Local warlords dare not take over this hot potato. In order for this batch of materials to reach Tainan smoothly, Stilwell deliberately sent the old man's personal belongings to Tainan in desperation.
The Military Police Regiment pulled in a battalion.
The idea of preventing anyone from attacking this batch of weapons and equipment along the way was just one of the reasons. Stilwell was also afraid that the old man would jump over the wall and leak the information to the outside world, causing the military column heading north to be blown up by Japanese aircraft.
The next day, Zhou Weihan, who was far away in Pingshun, received a telegram from the radio station that Stilwell had specially left in Changzhi at that time. The content of the telegram was extremely simple, with only two words, prepare.
"Ready? Not ready? What does this mean?" Xing Zhiguo, who was radiant at the side, was somewhat confused.
"Well, this is the agreement I made with Stilwell. Once the weapons and equipment are ready, a telegram will be sent. It seems that the transportation has already started, but I don't know where it came from?" Zhou Weihan frowned.
said.
"To be honest, I am always worried that something will happen along the way. After all, the Nationalist Government regards our Eighth Route Army as a thorn in its side and a thorn in its flesh. How could it allow us to grow again!" Xing Zhiguo said worriedly.
"It's useless for us to be so anxious now, it won't make the slightest difference. I hope the Americans can speak well to the National Government!" Zhou Weihan said.
To provide military assistance to the Eighth Route Army, the resistance came not only from within the Americans, but also from the Nationalist government. Zhou Weihan naturally understood the tricks involved.
As long as weapons and equipment are not available, Zhou Weihan's heart will never fall to the ground.
The waiting time was bound to be long, so Zhou Weihan just asked Xing Zhiguo to organize the transportation team. During this period, the Eighth Route Army headquarters sent a telegram stating that intelligence personnel lurking within the National Government had found nothing unusual.
This batch of aid weapons and equipment is neither important nor unimportant to the Eighth Route Army.
Judging from the number of weapons and equipment on the list originally published in the Eighth Route Army newspaper, it was enough to allow secondary military regions such as Taiyue Military Region to qualitatively improve their firepower, thereby getting rid of the passive situation in the battle with the Japanese army.
However, follow-up supplies are sourceless, just like the weapons and equipment of the three divisions previously supported by Big Brother. When Big Brother was trapped in the Soviet-German battlefield and had no time to take care of other things, the troops in the Eighth Route Army equipped with Soviet weapons were very demanding on ammunition.
If you can save, save. This kind of thinking limits the combat effectiveness of the troops to a certain extent.
Five days later, Zhou Weihan received it again. The weapons and equipment had arrived in Luoyang and were preparing to cross the river. They would arrive in Changzhi tomorrow night.
Early the next morning, Zhou Weihan personally led the team to Changzhi. The Tainan Second Division dispatched the first section of the 281st Regiment and the automobile company directly under the military division, while Ding Wei's Tainan First Division 279th Regiment dispatched its main force.
The remaining troops on the front line have all entered a state of combat readiness, and Xing Zhiguo is under full control in Pingshun. If the situation changes, reinforcements will be sent to Changzhi.
Naturally, the mobilization of the Tainan Military Region troops could not be concealed from the national army in Changzhi. After Zhou Weihan had his troops temporarily stationed at the junction of the defense zones of both sides, he was ridiculed by Fan Hanjie when he rushed to Changzhi City in person.
In this regard, Zhou Weihan naturally would not show weakness and immediately said: "Brother Fan won't be jealous, right?"
"Jealous, you are really right. Let me tell you, there are guards all over my place. Just waiting for me to throw a cup as a sign, they can rush in and control you!" Fan Hanjie looked around the dining room and at the same time said
Pointing to the outside of the house.
Zhou Weihan naturally did not take these words seriously, but it made the monk feel like he was facing a powerful enemy and he almost took out his gun.
"Brother Fan is joking. You and I are brothers who are close to each other. You, Brother Fan, can't frame your brother for a batch of weapons and equipment!"
"Monk, don't be too excited!" Zhou Weihan glanced at the nervous monk, and then said to Fan Hanjie's adjutant: "Brother, I, the guard, must be hungry. Take him to eat something."
meal!"
The adjutant glanced at Fan Hanjie, saw Fan Hanjie nodded, and then left with the monk.
At this time, only Zhou Weihan and Fan Hanjie were left in the room. Zhou Weihan lit a cigarette and said, "Is Brother Fan really not interested in this batch of weapons and equipment?"
"Of course I'm tempted, but without stable logistical supply, rashly equipping new weapons will affect the combat effectiveness of the army. Brother Zhou is a man who is good at fighting. Don't you understand this?"
"Of course, it's just that our Eighth Route Army is used to being poor. The weapons that can be used are good equipment, so there is no right to despise it. Unlike your army's well-established military industry system, we can only rely on robbing it from the little devils!"
Fan Hanjie couldn't help but feel a little tired of what Zhou Weihan said. Fan Hanjie and Zhou Weihan had met many times before and tried to treat each other as brothers, but Zhou Weihan called him Commander Fan to show the boundary.
When he came this time, Zhou Weihan changed from his normal behavior and affectionately called Fan Hanjie Brother Fan. How could he not make Fan Hanjie tired of it, not to mention that the Eighth Route Army soldiers were stationed at the junction of the defense areas of both sides, otherwise Fan Hanjie would not have felt this in his heart.
Fan Hanjie might have used this as an excuse to provoke conflicts.
Zhou Weihan's move was completely a tentative move, but compared with the two, it seemed that Zhou Weihan was inferior in terms of the situation.
"Indeed, it is not easy for your Eighth Route Army, but it is developing too fast. I have always wanted to visit your army's Huangyadong Arsenal. I wonder if there is a chance?" Fan Hanjie asked tentatively, where is the Huangyadong Arsenal?
Some of the required raw materials need to pass through the Changzhi area. Someone from the 24th Army once conducted a special investigation on this and roughly guessed the development level of the Huangyadong Arsenal.
Zhou Weihan laughed twice. He did not expect Fan Hanjie to be so direct, and then said: "In this matter, the Huangyadong Arsenal is not within the defense area of our Tainan Military Region. Brother Fan is better to communicate directly with the head of our Eighth Route Army Headquarters!
"
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In fact, how could Fan Hanjie not be tempted by the American equipment provided by Americans?
After he took control of the Changzhi area, as the military chief of the 24th Army, he became the administrative chief of the Changzhi area. Fan Hanjie, as a senior member of the National Government, had proposed it as early as 1941.
Allocate some American equipment to the 27th Army.
It's just that at that time, the old man preferred equipment similar to that of the 200 Division and the deployment of personnel from various armies to form a new unit. Fan Hanjie didn't even have a drink of soup, not even the entire first theater's affiliated units.
On that day, when the troops on both sides were on varying degrees of alert, Zhou Weihan insisted on holding Fan Hanjie's hand and having fun. Fan Hanjie was happy to take this opportunity to discuss the current situation around the Changzhi area with Zhou Weihan.
In the afternoon, the adjutant came to report that the first theater transport convoy responsible for transportation tasks had arrived in the southern suburbs of Changzhi.
Zhou Weihan stood up suddenly after hearing this, enthusiastically stepped forward to hold Fan Hanjie's hand and said, "This is my first time seeing American equipment, and it's your first time too, shouldn't we go and see it together?"
In the previous flattery, Fan Hanjie was held high by Zhou Weihan, but at this time he actually allowed Zhou Weihan to drag him out of the house.
Fan Hanjie's guard, plus the reconnaissance company remaining outside the 27th Army's headquarters, a group of more than 300 people rode out of Changzhi City in a mighty manner.
Originally, this batch of weapons and equipment was supposed to stop at Zhongtiao Mountain, but the U.S. Army second lieutenant accompanying the army was afraid of long nights and dreams, and insisted on setting off for Changzhi immediately, so he gave up.
Zhou Weihan didn't have to wait too long. A large amount of smoke and dust rose up from the dirt road in the distance. Soon after, the truck at the front of the queue appeared.
Xu Shi saw Zhou Weihan and others waiting here. In the queue, a Willys Jeep drove over first.
"My name is Rooney. I am responsible for this transportation mission under the orders of Chief Stilwell. Who is General Zhou of the Eighth Route Army?"
"That's me!" Zhou Weihan stepped forward and replied.
Rooney glanced at Zhou Weihan suspiciously, as if he was afraid that someone else was pretending to be someone else. After the two communicated in English, Rooney immediately took out a document from his briefcase and asked Zhou Weihan to sign it.
Although Fan Hanjie on the side had been to Japan and conducted military inspections in Germany in his early years, his English was vague and he did not understand the conversation between the two.
After Zhou Weihan finished dealing with the Americans, he turned around and smiled at himself: "Brother Fan, you and I are very close brothers. This time the Americans sent two jeeps. How about I give you one today?"
"ah?"
Before Fan Hanjie could react, he saw Zhou Weihan continue to say: "Let's get on this jeep and go for a drive!"