In fact, when Yang Zhen selects weapons and equipment for the army, especially heavy equipment, he does not blindly ask for advanced weapons, but blindly asks others to provide weapons with the most advanced performance. He pays more attention to whether they are in line with the current situation of his own army, and to ensure that
Supplementary capabilities.
Whether it is the ZLS III 76mm cannon or the FeFH 105 howitzer that Yang Zhen chose for the first level of the Anti-Union Division, they can be pulled by horses. Moreover, compared with artillery of the same caliber, the weight of these two types of artillery is
It is relatively light, and the traction method is also extremely flexible. It can be transferred by manpower when necessary, which is very suitable for the physique of the Chinese people.
In particular, the FeFH 105 howitzer can be pulled by horses. Its weight is less than two tons and can be transferred by manpower when necessary. It is very suitable for the current situation of the Anti-Alliance. The most important thing is that as the standard artillery of the German Army Division, these artillery
The amount of equipment on the battlefield is quite large, and it is most likely to be captured. It is relatively easy to obtain.
This is why Yang Zhen has been controlling the output of the M30 artillery after it established its production capacity. As a result, the total output was not high during the entire war. The production capacity was mainly placed on the ZLS 376mm cannon.
, as well as producing parts for the German-made 105 howitzer.
It is because this Soviet artillery is indeed advanced in performance, the shells are also powerful, and it can also be pulled by horses. However, it also inherits the consistent advantages of Soviet artillery, that is, it is too heavy. With a marching weight of more than three tons,
As a divisional artillery piece it was simply too heavy for Chinese roads.
Moreover, Chinese horses are short and not as powerful as the Soviet Don horses. To pull such an artillery requires too many horses. It is also a heavy pressure on the troops below. And the bridges in most parts of China cannot withstand such
Heavy artillery traffic.
Yang Zhen considered this matter very comprehensively. From the source of the artillery, the traction method of the artillery and the traffic capacity, he considered it in detail. On the Soviet-German battlefield and the British battlefield in North Africa, the tanks captured by the British were missing.
You have to have as many guns as you need, but the number of artillery pieces will definitely meet your needs. After all, compared with tanks, the German army has much more artillery pieces.
Regarding Yang Zhen's requests, both Hopkins and General Wavell looked at Yang Zhen with suspicion for a long time. Then Hopkins said: "Yang, you should believe
We are sincere in assisting you. You should not have any doubts about the determination of the United States of America and the Kingdom of Great Britain to assist our allies."
"Even if there are some accidents during transportation, I can assure you that the materials and equipment promised by the United States to you will be shipped to Manchuria in large quantities. Especially weapons and equipment, I can guarantee with my personality that we promised
Nothing will be missing from you."
"As the former Secretary of Commerce of the United States, I firmly believe that the United States of America has the ability and confidence to meet all your needs while meeting other fronts and its own needs. On this point, you and your colleagues,
There is no need to worry or worry."
"I know what you are worried about, but I don't think it is necessary at all. German tanks and artillery, let alone how many have been captured by the British army, can meet your needs. The quantity is sufficient, but only repair and maintenance
In this aspect, it cannot be compared with us who have stable supply channels."
"You know, even if we promise to provide you with the captured German weapons and equipment, you simply cannot obtain the necessary spare parts. Without a stable source of spare parts, how can you ensure that the German equipment transferred to you can be used on the battlefield?
use?"
"What's more, the current situation of the British on the North African battlefield is not very ideal. The Germans have not invested the most force in the North African battlefield. Even if we agree to your request, how can we get so few trophies?
Can it satisfy the huge consumption you say on the battlefield?"
"Yang, again, you should believe that your allies will implement the agreement we signed meticulously. And we, the United States of America, are also capable of ensuring all your weapons and equipment despite your large-scale expansion of the army.
Meet the standards you want.”
In response to Hopkins' retort, Yang Zhen shook his head and said: "Old friend, it's not that I don't believe that the United States has the ability to fulfill your promise. I still say what I said, any situation will arise in a war.
In order to deal with unexpected events, we must have multiple preparations. At least if the tanks provided by the United States do not arrive on time and the number of artillery pieces may be insufficient, we will have the means to deal with unexpected events."
"And old friends, everyone here is discerning. Let me put it bluntly, if both we and the Soviets are in urgent need of tank supplies, would you give it to us first or to the Soviets first? Even if the United States has not yet entered the war.
, large-scale military expansion is not yet possible. But what should the Soviet Union and the British side in North Africa do if they need it?"
"Based on the current number and speed of tanks lost by the Soviet Army on the Soviet-German battlefield. How many tanks do you need to replenish for them to fully restore their military industrial capabilities to pre-war production and ensure that the Soviet combat capabilities are not lost to the Germans?
Completely defeated?"
"You must know that it may take a month to produce a sufficient number of tanks. But it only takes a few days to lose these tanks on the battlefield. And judging from just the few battles currently taking place on the Soviet-German battlefield
, the number of tanks lost by the Soviet army in each battle is almost an astronomical figure. The number is so large that even you Americans have a hard time replenishing their battle losses in such a short period of time."
"For example, you produced 3,000 tanks within a month. However, due to excessive battle losses, the British side could not meet its own production within a short period of time. It urgently needed to replenish at least 1,000 tanks within a short period of time.
The Soviets must obtain more than a thousand tanks to maintain the front."
"We are also preparing for an offensive and need to replenish at least 500 tanks. But the United States has only produced 3,000 tanks. How should you allocate them when the three allies are in need at the same time?
Should we first meet the 500 tanks we need, or should we give priority to all the tanks to the Soviet Union and the British?"
"If the United States also joins the war, the number of tanks in our hands will only be fewer, but definitely not more. Old friend, I admit that the manufacturing capabilities of the United States far exceed the combined industrial capabilities of Germany and Japan. But thousands
Don’t ignore the huge losses on the battlefield and the need for equipment replenishment.”
"We don't have the ability to go to the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and your American army to grab food. To be honest, we can't grab it even if we want to. The external communication lines are all controlled by others. Where is our turn to grab? But?
Our expansion and replenishment of battle losses also require a large amount of heavy equipment."
"Improving our own production capacity requires a process. So what should we do? We can only find ways to find substitutes. Even if those German products are second-hand equipment, after all, under the situation of insufficient US aid, they can meet our needs.
.Old friend, this is a helpless choice."
After Yang Zhen finished speaking, Hopkins had not yet answered. Admiral Wavell, who had been silent over there, suddenly said: "We can satisfy you on this point. We will start from now until the war is over.
, all the German heavy equipment we captured can be transferred to you."
"And we in the UK can also provide a batch of Covenant cruise tanks for your use starting next year. Yang, although the performance of this batch of tanks has lagged behind on the European battlefield, it is absolutely useless against the Japanese tanks.
Any questions.”
In response to General Wavell's answer, Yang Zhen glanced at him clearly, then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a somewhat sarcastic smile. And General Wavell, after seeing this hint of Yang Zhen's expression,
After the smile, he smiled somewhat awkwardly.
Although they did not say it explicitly, both of them understood why General Wavell made such a statement. With German tanks and artillery as substitutes, the British had an honest excuse to provide Americans with similar equipment for the Anti-Japanese War.
, put it under your own name.
As for those British-made Covenant cruise tanks that can no longer be used on the North African battlefield because they cannot run a few kilometers after full power, the engine will boil, and other reasons. Moreover, both armor and firepower have lagged behind German tanks. They are also
With this idea in mind.
Those Covenant tanks were almost unable to be put into combat in the North African battlefield due to engine problems. Moreover, this kind of tank had weak armor, poor artillery performance, and small caliber. It was far from the opponent of the German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. Although the production of more than a thousand vehicles
Not too small, but unable to leave the British mainland to fight in North Africa.
For the British, this batch of tanks has almost become useless. In use, they are no match against the Germans, and they are also quite unreliable. It feels a bit of a pity to throw away such a large number. After all, these tanks
, and has certain use value. Except for the too bad engine, there is still no problem in dealing with Japanese tanks.
Now that the British have proposed to hand over these tanks to the Anti-Japanese Alliance, they are obviously taking this opportunity to get rid of these tanks that have become useless. There is also an excuse to use this batch of tanks that have become useless in the European battlefield to
American tanks with better performance.
As long as the British propose it, judging from the relationship between the United States and Britain and the importance the Americans attach to the European battlefield, the possibility that the Americans will not agree is extremely low. If they point it out again at that time, or refuse to accept it,
But it was too late to do anything.
Although he was well aware of the British thoughts, Yang Zhen did not directly state it. For Admiral Wavell, a senior general of the British army and a veteran on the battlefield, he could not compete with Stilwell.
Young boys on the battlefield are treated equally. They must be given a certain amount of respect. This is the minimum requirement for a veteran with rich actual combat experience as a soldier.
What should be said must be said clearly. Otherwise, facing these British people who are thicker and thicker than the Soviets, the Anti-Japanese Alliance will definitely suffer a big loss. But we must pay attention to the method and attitude of speaking, and we must
Let’s make it clear, but we can’t hurt this old-timer. Yes, he is indeed an old-timer.
Although he is not a soldier of the same country, this kind of respect for the battle-hardened veterans is the most basic morality that all soldiers in the world must have. The General Wavell in front of him is the same as that guy Stilwell.
What's going on? Although that guy has become a major general, he has never been on the battlefield until now, so he can't be considered a real soldier.
Yang Zhen could not be as direct as he was with Major General Stilwell, who had outstanding military exploits and could be said to be a senior general in the British army. In other words, he even suppressed the guy's arrogance by beating him. He himself
That is to say, we need to get the point across without hurting the veteran.