In fact, when Yang Zhen selected weapons and equipment in the army, especially heavy equipment, he did not blindly ask for advanced weapons, but blindly asked others to provide the most advanced weapons. He is more concerned about whether it is in line with the current situation of his own troops, as well as the ability to ensure replenishment.

Whether it is the ZLS 3 76mm cannon or the FeFH 105 howitzer, which Yang Zhen chose for the first level of the Anti-United Nations Division, they can be pulled by horses. Moreover, compared with artillery of the same caliber, these two types of artillery are relatively light in weight, and the towing method is also extremely flexible, and can be transferred by manpower when necessary, which is very in line with the constitution of the Chinese.

In particular, the FeFH 105 howitzer, which could be towed by horses. and less than two tons, which can be transferred by human power when necessary, which is very suitable for the current situation of the anti-union. The most important thing is that as the standard artillery of the German Army division, these guns are equipped in considerable quantities on the battlefield, and they are also the most likely to be captured, and they are relatively easy to obtain.

This is also why Yang Zhen has been controlling the output of the M 30 artillery after it has formed its production capacity. So that throughout the war, the total production was not high. The production capacity was mainly focused on the ZLS 376-mm cannon, as well as the production of components for the German-made 105 howitzer.

It is because this Soviet-style artillery is indeed advanced in performance, the power of the shells is also great, and it can also be pulled by horses. But it also adheres to the consistent advantages of Soviet-made artillery, that is, it is too heavy. With a marching weight of more than three tons, it is too heavy for a divisional artillery piece for the roads of China.

Moreover, China's horses are short and not as strong as the Soviet Don Hippos, and the number of horses needed to pull such an artillery gun is too large. For the troops below, it was also a heavy pressure. As well as bridges in most parts of China, they could not withstand the passage of such heavy artillery.

Yang Zhen considered this matter very comprehensively. From the source of the artillery, the way it was towed, and the ability to pass it, he took into account in detail. On the Soviet-German battlefield, as well as the British on the North African battlefield, there are not necessarily many captured tanks, but the number of artillery will definitely meet their needs. After all, the Germans had much more artillery than tanks.

Regarding Yang Zhen's requests, Hopkins and Admiral Wavell both looked at Yang Zhen with suspicion for a long time. Only then did Hopkins speak: "Yang, you should believe in our sincerity in helping you. You should not doubt the determination of the United States of America and the Kingdom of Great Britain to assist their allies. ”

"Even if there will be some accidents along the way, I can assure you that the supplies and equipment promised by the United States will be transported to Manchuria in the same amount. Especially the weapons and equipment, I can vouch for it with my personality, and we will not miss you for the same promise. ”

"As a former Secretary of Commerce of the United States, I am confident that the United States of America has the ability and the certainty to meet all your needs while meeting the needs of the other fronts and its own. In this regard, you and your colleagues do not need to have any worries and hidden worries. ”

"I know what you're worried about, but I don't think it's necessary. German tanks and artillery, not to mention how many British troops have captured now, can they meet your needs. The quantity is sufficient, but in terms of repair and maintenance alone, it cannot be compared with us, which has a stable supply channel. ”

"You know, even if we promise to provide you with captured German weapons and equipment, you will not be able to obtain the necessary spare parts. Without a stable source of spare parts, how can you guarantee that the German equipment that is transferred to you can be used on the battlefield? ”

"What's more, the current situation of the British side on the battlefield in North Africa is not very ideal. The Germans also did not devote the most forces to the North African battlefield. Even if we agree to your request, how can the few loot you have to satisfy the huge consumption on the battlefield that you have said? ”

"Yang, again, you should trust your allies to be meticulous in their execution in accordance with the agreement we signed. And we, the United States of America, are in a position to ensure that all your weapons and equipment meet the standards you want in the event of a massive build-up of your army. ”

Hopkins' rebuttal, but 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 promises. Again, I say that anything can happen in war. In order to deal with the unexpected, we must be prepared with multiple hands. At least in the event that the tanks provided by your American side are not in place on time, and the number of artillery may be insufficient, we can have the means to deal with the unexpected. ”

"And old friends, the people here are clear-eyed people. Let me say something unceremoniously, if both we and the Soviets are in dire need of tank replenishment, do you give them to us first, or do you give them to the Soviets first? Even if the United States has not yet entered the war, a large-scale military expansion cannot be realized for the time being. But what about the Soviet side, as well as the British side in North Africa? ”

"Judging by the number and speed of the Soviet army's losses on the Soviet-German battlefield at present. How many tanks do you need to replenish them in order to ensure that the Soviets' combat capability is not completely crushed by the Germans before their military production is fully restored to pre-war production? ”

"To know that the production of a sufficient number of tanks will probably take a month. But it only takes a few days for these tanks to be lost on the battlefield. And judging from 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 astronomical. The number of them is so large that it is difficult for even you Americans to replenish their war damage in such a short period of time. ”

"For example, you have produced 3,000 tanks in a month, but the British side has lost too much to produce in a short period of time, and urgently needs to replenish at least 1,000 tanks in a short period of time. And the Soviets had to get more than a thousand tanks in order to maintain the front. ”

"And we are preparing an offensive that needs to be replenished with at least 500 tanks. But the U.S. side has only produced 3,000 tanks, and when the three allies are in demand at the same time, how should you distribute them? Will we meet our needs of 500 tanks first, or will we give priority to the Soviet and British side of all the tanks? ”

"If the United States also enters the war, then the number of tanks in our hands will only be less, and definitely not more. Old friend, I admit that the manufacturing capacity of the United States far exceeds that of Germany and Japan combined. But don't ignore the huge losses on the battlefield and the need to replenish the number of equipment. ”

"We don't have the ability to go to the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, and you American troops to grab food in the bowl. To be honest, we couldn't grab it if we wanted to. The external traffic lines are all controlled by others, where are we going to grab the wheel? However, we also need a lot of heavy equipment to expand and replenish the battle damage. ”

"To increase our own production capacity, we need another process. So what to do? I can only find a way to find a substitute. Even if the German goods are second-hand equipment, after all, they can meet our needs under the situation of insufficient US aid. Old friend, this is a helpless choice. ”

Yang Zhen's voice fell, and Hopkins had not answered. Admiral Wavell, who had not spoken all this time, suddenly spoke: "We can satisfy you in this regard." From now until the end of the war, we can transfer all the German heavy equipment we have captured to you. ”

"And we, the British side, can also provide a batch of Covenant cruiser tanks from next year to give them to you to use. Yang, although the performance of these tanks has lagged behind in the European battlefield, there is absolutely no problem against the Japanese tanks. ”

Admiral Wavell replied, but Yang Zhen glanced at him clearly, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a somewhat sarcastic smile. And Admiral Wavell, after seeing Yang Zhen's smile, smiled a little awkwardly.

Although they didn't say it explicitly, both of them understood why the Admiral Wavell made such a statement. With German tanks and artillery as a substitute, the British had a fair excuse to give the Americans aid to the Anti-Japanese Union with a share of similar equipment and assign it to their own name.

As for those who can't run a few kilometers at full power, the engine will be turned on and other reasons, and they can no longer be used on the North African battlefield. And the British Covenanter cruisers, which were already lagging behind the German tanks in both armor and firepower, also had this idea.

Those Covenanter tanks were almost impossible to use in the North African theater because of engine problems. Moreover, this tank had weak armor, poor artillery performance and a small caliber, and was far from being the opponent of the German tanks No. 3 and No. 4. Although the production of more than 1,000 vehicles was not small, it could not leave the British mainland to fight in North Africa.

For the British, this batch of tanks has become almost a chicken rib. With, against the Germans is not an opponent, but also quite unreliable. Throwing it away, such a large amount, it feels a bit of a pity. After all, these tanks still have a certain use value. In addition to the excessively bad engine, there was no problem against Japanese tanks.

Now the British have proposed to hand over these tanks to the Anti-Japanese Union, obviously taking this opportunity to get rid of these tanks that have become like chicken ribs. There is also an excuse to steal the day and exchange these tanks, which are already like waste in the European theater, for the better performance tanks of the Americans.

As long as the British put it forward, judging from the relationship between the United States and Britain and the importance that the Americans attach to the European battlefield, the possibility of the Americans not agreeing is extremely low. If you point it out at that time, or refuse to accept it, it will be too late.

Although he knew what the British thought, Yang Zhen did not directly pick it out. For Admiral Wavell, a veteran general of the British army, a veteran of the battlefield, he cannot be treated the same as Stilwell's hairy boy on the battlefield. A certain amount of respect must be given, which is the minimum requirement for a veteran with rich combat experience as a soldier.

What needs to be said, it must be made clear. Otherwise, in the face of these British, who are thicker and darker than the Soviets and thick-skinned, the Anti-Japanese Federation will definitely suffer a big loss. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the method and attitude of speaking, not only to make the words clear, but not to hurt this old-timer. Yes, it's old-timers.

Although he is not a soldier of a country, this respect for veterans of the battlefield is the most basic morality that all soldiers in the world must have. The Admiral Wavell in front of him is not the same thing as that Stilwell guy. Although that guy has become a major general, he has not been on the battlefield for a day now, and he is not a real soldier.

For this veteran who has made outstanding achievements in battle and can be described as a veteran general of the British army, Yang Zhen has no way to be as direct as he is to Major General Stilwell, or to say that he has suppressed the arrogance of that guy even with a slashing belt. I have to get the words thorough, but I can't hurt this veteran.