February 2, 18th year of the Republic of China, Nanjing, General Headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
The falling light snow slowly stopped at nightfall, and the three-day military conference at the division level and above of the Central Military Commission also came to an end. Topics such as army construction, suppression of bandits, and implementation of the spirit of the training conference were discussed one by one.
After the collective meal, Chiang Kai-shek stopped An Yi, who was packing up his official documents and was about to leave, and went to the commander-in-chief's office. He continued to hold meetings with Yu Feipeng, Director of Munitions, Chen Yi, Director of Ordnance Industry, and more than 20 chief and deputy chief officers from various departments of the headquarters to discuss An Yi again. The "Weapons and Equipment Rectification Plan" proposed at the beginning of the year aims to unify weapons and equipment standards to reduce logistical burdens and improve military combat effectiveness and arsenal production efficiency.
The lengthy discussion began again. This was the fourth special discussion in the past month and a half. Participants expressed their own opinions and could not reach a consensus.
The troublesome thing is that currently only the Shanghai Arsenal, Jinling Arsenal, and Nanchang Jiangnan Arsenal with artillery production capabilities are in the hands of the central government. The Shenyang Arsenal, the largest in the country, is a self-contained entity and is still in the hands of the Northeast Army after the change of flag; its strength has been greatly reduced. The dormant Hanyang Factory was occupied by the Guangxi clique, and now even the production of rifle bullets is a problem; the Taiyuan Factory, whose output is increasing day by day, is Yan Xishan's private industry. Although it has successfully copied the 120 artillery and the technically complex American Thomson machine gun , but more than half of the Taiyuan factory's products are different from the current Central Army's standard; Henan Gongxian Arsenal has made rapid progress under Feng Yuxiang's attention, but the equipment is old and there is a shortage of talents. In addition to imitation German hand grenades, it produces 120 units per month. There has been no further improvement except for the nine-millimeter flower machine gun and 1,300 Hanyang rifles; the Guangzhou Arsenal has improved slightly under the management of Li Jishen, but it is still unable to cast cannons due to technical and equipment reasons. The production capacity of 50,000 rounds of ammunition per month needs to be strengthened urgently. ; Other enterprises such as Tianjin Tanggu Ordnance Factory, Chongqing Repair House, Hengyang Ordnance Factory, and Changsha Ordnance Institute have been suspended. The two sets of heavy machine gun production equipment at the Dagu Factory and the Czech anti-Czech light machine gun production equipment have been disassembled and shipped back by Yan Xishan. Taiyuan.
In addition to imitating German rifles with the same caliber, all the above factories are doing their own thing. In addition, the military forces from various places import it at will, making the weapons and equipment of the revolutionary army a mess. The central government just wants to supply some guns and ammunition. Artillery shells were a problem. Under An Yi's constant appeal, this situation finally attracted the attention of Chiang Kai-shek and the Central Military and Political Departments. However, everyone's understanding was almost different, each had his own preferences and habits, which made it difficult for everyone to understand. An Yi was exhausted and distressed, so after the second special discussion, An Yi simply stopped talking and smoked silently, watching and listening quietly, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
"General An, please tell me your opinion. At present, apart from Zhang Hanqing's Shenyang factory, your Jiangnan factory is the largest in the country's arsenal, with the most advanced equipment and the most comprehensive technology. If we consider the number of employees and development of the Jiangnan factory of more than 5,000 Judging from the trend, you already have the ability to surpass the Shenyang factory and will become the largest arsenal in the country within a year, so you have the most say."
General Chen Yi, the Director of Ordnance Industry, saw the participants arguing endlessly, and finally couldn't help but named An Yi.
An Yi put out the cigarette butt and smiled slightly: "I have said everything that needs to be said, and I have done what needs to be done. The test and analysis reports of various weapons from the Jiangnan Factory have also been sent to the Ordnance Industry Administration one after another. It is clear at a glance which one is better, but you guys They don't want to take a look at the data that Chinese and foreign experts at Jiangnan Factory have worked so hard to produce, and they don't want to listen to the complaints of grassroots officers and soldiers. There's nothing I can do about it.
To be honest, after the last meeting, I had in-depth discussions with the director of the Jiangnan Factory, Major General Shi Lejun, the general manager, Major General Lao Shoudao, the director of the Ordnance Research Institute, Major General Kong Zechuan, and experts from various departments, and finally reached a consensus that except for the 9x57 machine rifle,
Bullets, as well as 9x25 Mauser pistol cartridges for use in shell guns, imitation American Colt military pistols, and Zhongzheng Type-1 machine guns, no other types of bullets are produced.
The Zhongzheng Type-1 machine gun currently sent to Germany to be improved by firearms experts has also abandoned the 7.62 caliber. In order to reduce weight and increase accuracy, it instead uses 9mm Mauser pistol bullets; after imitating the French-made August 1st mortar, the sight and bracket are improved
Continued production; from Germany
The 120 and 60 mortars with purchased technology and equipment have also been successfully trial-produced and are about to begin mass production. In the future, Jiangnan Factory will no longer produce the 82, 75, and 65 series mortars and
Nine types of corresponding shells to increase output and improve production efficiency.
The imitation of the new 75 field guns, mountain guns and six types of artillery shells, which the German Rheinland and Krupp companies have transferred technology, are still being carried out under the leadership of German and Belgian experts. It is estimated that it will take three months to pass the inspection and acceptance and be officially put into production.
Starting this month, in addition to the guns and artillery shells with the above specifications, the different ammunition needs of each army can only be solved by themselves. The Jiangnan Factory is really unable to afford such a complicated supply of ammunition, I'm sorry!"
Everyone was in an uproar. They did not expect An Yi to be such a mastermind. Chiang Kai-shek had obtained An Yi's report in advance and agreed to the Jiangnan Factory's decision, so he behaved very calmly.
The venue fell silent, and Chen Yi asked worriedly: "An Yi, what will happen to the original equipment of each army when you come here?"
"Replace! Otherwise the logistics pressure will be very great." An Yi replied without hesitation. Yu Feipeng, Director of Munitions, echoed loudly and said yes repeatedly. Chen Yi glanced around and said nothing more.
Seeing Chiang Kai-shek's nod, An Yi smiled and continued: "Don't be surprised, everyone. The weapons used by the fourteen divisions of our Central Army are basically the same. It's not a big problem. The independent division, the first division, the second division, the third division,
After the end of the Northern Expedition, the Ninth Division gradually phased out Russian-made rifles and replaced them in batches with Type 24 Mao Zedong rifles imported from Germany.
ER rifle, as well as the kar98k imitation German rifle and imitation Type 24 Mauser rifle produced by the Jiangnan Factory. We already have important technologies such as the testing molds for the two firearms. The production process and accuracy have been greatly improved. Testing has proved that various
The indicators are not lower than those of guns made in the Czech Republic and Belgium, but those made in Hanyang are simply incomparable.
Secondly, most of the shell guns originally equipped by our army are German export-type nine-millimeter caliber guns. The domestic imitation 7.63 caliber and 11.43 caliber shell guns are generally used in the Northwest Army and the Shanxi-Sui Army. Our Central Army has very little equipment. Therefore, based on Jiangnan
Factory currently
The output can basically meet the ammunition requirements of the 14th Division, and the output will be doubled in half a year. The 8th Division and the 12th Division are currently replacing equipment in batches in each camp due to the suppression of bandits. General Xia Bingling's 13th Division
An equipment replacement plan has also been made, and the Jiangnan plant has
The burden on each division has been dealt with by exchanging two old weapons for one new weapon. Due to their own reasons, other divisions have not yet communicated with Jiangnan Factory to coordinate the purchase or replacement of equipment. The calibers of light and heavy machine guns in each division are basically the same.
Consistent, no big problem, difficult
There are nearly two thousand mortars of different calibers equipped in each division. In addition to the imported French Bayi mortars, mortars of other calibers also require imported shells, which should be gradually replaced within a year, otherwise
It is difficult to increase combat effectiveness and reduce the heavy burden on logistics."
Army Director Cao Haosen smiled and said: "General An's actions may offend other armies except our Central Army. Judging from General An's report, our Central Army and the local garrison troops affiliated with the headquarters need eighteen
The replacement is completed every month. This is only based on 200,000 soldiers. The expenditure on replacing military uniforms and adding helmets alone is no less than 8 million yuan. If the other parts of the more than two million troops have completed the replacement, I don’t know what to expect.
It’s time!”
"So, the army must be reduced, and the decisions jointly made by the demobilization conference must be implemented as soon as possible. After all armies are demobilized, the central government will only bear the military expenditure of a total of 1.2 million soldiers, and will not pay a cent more. This time
In order to implement the task of demobilization, the central government repeatedly discussed and approved the issuance of 50 million yuan in demobilization public bonds yesterday, using this money to demobilize the extra one million troops. However, the Guangxi clique,
Both the Northwest Army and the Shanxi-Sui Army controlled local taxation, obstructed central government officials and taxation officials from entering the provinces, and used arbitrary pretexts to enrich themselves by imposing exorbitant taxes. They ignored the central government's orders and did their own thing. How is this any different from warlord separatism? Therefore, I agree with General An Yi's plan.
Starting from the central army, the change of uniforms will be carried out in batches. Priority will be given to the army that pledges its loyalty to the central government, and other armies will depend on their performance.
Secondly, with the current national strength, it will take at least five years for the entire army to complete the equipment update, otherwise it will seriously affect the national economy and build up high debts. You must be mentally prepared to overcome difficulties and look further ahead." Chiang Kai-shek said loudly.
Chiang Kai-shek, who had not expressed his position in the previous three meetings, finally spoke. After hearing this final word, the generals immediately ended the debate and closed their mouths to savor the deep meaning of Chiang Kai-shek's words.
Chiang Kai-shek's words seemed to take the overall situation into consideration for the country and the people, but in fact he only considered his own army. Although he promised to re-equip the 1.2 million troops in batches after they were deployed across the country, he said, "The Central Army will give priority, and other armies will look at their performance."
It is different to say that as long as the Guangxi Army, the Northwest Army, and the Shanxi-Sui Army do not hand over their territory and power and accept the direct leadership of the central government, Chiang Kai-shek will not consider the replacement of these armies for a day, and will not allocate any more money to them.
Share military spending.
Judging from the current situation, the contradiction between the Guangxi clique and the central government is becoming more and more acute, and a war may break out at any time for various interests in the Yangtze River Basin. Chiang Kai-shek has made full preparations for this, secretly paying for it as early as September last year.
A sum of military expenditures were given to the five direct divisions of his own, making the independent division, the first division, the second division,
The Third Division and the Ninth Division quickly completed the update of weapons and equipment. At the beginning of this year, under An Yi's suggestion, they quickly unified the equipment standards of the direct divisions, increased the number of artillery, gradually replaced new combat uniforms, and purchased new helmets and shoes. The purpose is very obvious.
It was to make early plans to quickly defeat the Guangxi Clan and take back the prosperous Lianghu region.
All the generals clearly know that although Jiangnan Arsenal is a centrally controlled enterprise, An Yi still occupies an important position with its 20% share. In addition, almost all Jiangnan Arsenal from the director to the workers are An Yi's people.
The working group of the Ordnance Industry Administration was unable to influence Jiangnan Factory's decision at all.
At the end of last year, the Jiangnan Factory's August 1st mortar output exceeded that of the Shanghai Arsenal, which provided the drawings and technology, reaching a monthly production capacity of 200 guns and 5,000 rounds of artillery shells. Since this year, the Jiangnan Factory has produced 3,000 rifles per month.
, 500 Zhongzheng Type-1 machine guns, 1,000 light machine guns, 200 heavy machine guns, 500 Colt and Mauser rifles each, 450 boxes of grenades, and 250,000 rounds of various bullets
Production has been greatly increased.
After purchasing relevant German technology and introducing new artillery, mortar and corresponding shell production equipment and technology, the scale and output of the Jiangnan Factory doubled, relying on the Jiangnan Agricultural Machinery Factory, smelting plants, and hardware factories distributed in the old Nanchang area.
Foundries and other supporting factories have formed a relatively complete military industry chain, and within a year, they will become the largest military industry enterprise in the country.
, becoming the largest supplier of weapons and ammunition to the military. In addition, the central government’s Ministry of Finance and Customs will fully implement the new tariff system from the 1st of this month, imposing higher and heavier import tariffs to make up for the fiscal deficit that has remained high for several years. Imported arms will
It will be strictly controlled and high tariffs will be levied. From then on, the military generals who are financially strapped can only turn to the Jiangnan Arsenal.
Considering these important reasons, as well as the support for An Yi from Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek, Director-General of Munitions Yu Feipeng, Minister of Industry and Commerce Kong Xiangxi, Minister of Organization Chen Lifu, Zhang Jingjiang, Cai Yuanpei, Zhu Peide and other veterans, the generals no longer insisted on their opinions, and later
At the meeting, the "weapons and equipment rectification case" proposed by An Yi and polished by Director of Ordnance Industry Chen Yi was unanimously approved. An Yi was heart-broken
A big stone that has been hidden for two years has finally fallen to the ground. Although it is very difficult to take this step, An Yi understands that as long as he takes this step, arsenals across the country will eventually follow suit. After a few years of hard work, the equipment conditions and combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly improved.
Enhance the efficiency of the military logistics department and promote the rapid development of the national military industry enterprises. The huge benefits and positive effects brought by this are difficult to estimate.
There is another important benefit. No one, including Chiang Kai-shek, knows that the old guns that An Yi exchanged for new ones were secretly shipped to Sichuan and Xiangxi in batches. The big buyers, including Liu Xiang, became An Yi.
customers all over Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Hunan
The rich and powerful and even the peasant Red Guards couldn't put it down for the refurbished old guns from the Jiangnan Factory. The price was 30% lower than the original price, allowing An Yi to earn huge profits. So far, the vast market in the southwest has strong demand, and it is still necessary to buy such refurbished guns.
in advance
It takes two months to pay a 30% deposit. As for the bullets, they will soon be produced at Zhang Hongluan's home base of the 44th Army in Gancheng, western Hunan. The two production lines eliminated by the Jiangnan factory have been quietly transported to western Hunan and installed and debugged. They are just waiting for the gunpowder.
factory, hardware
Factory and other small factories related to bullets were built, and using the existing resources in western Hunan, Guizhou and southern Sichuan, bullets of various specifications can be mass-produced, and then grow and develop step by step, becoming another military product manufacturing in Anyi's development plan