CHAPTER XXXI

And the lightweight twin fourteen-mm anti-aircraft machine gun, the twenty-three-mm anti-aircraft gun with an extremely fast rate of fire. The anti-aircraft power is far greater than the anti-aircraft machine gun converted from the Maxim heavy machine gun, which they are equipped with. And it is much lighter than their 37 anti-aircraft guns and 85 anti-aircraft guns.

The most important thing is that these two antiaircraft weapons are not only powerful, but also light and flexible, and can be deployed on the front line with field troops. It can effectively resist the threat of all kinds of German bombers, mainly Stuka dive bombers, to the front-line field units of the Soviet army, especially armored and mechanized units.

At present, there is a great shortage of anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft guns, and no matter how tough the Soviets are, they have to take into account the situation on the Western Front. With this certainty, I am afraid that the Soviets are now stubborn at the negotiating table, but they are just holding on. As the war situation will continue to deteriorate in the next few days, it will only be a matter of one or two days for the Soviets to bow their heads.

Otherwise, why would he arrange for the Soviet delegation to visit the test firing of new ammunition for recoilless guns and bazookas, as well as the flat-firing power of two anti-aircraft weapons? You must know that those targets are based on the chassis of the Japanese tanks brought back from Linxi, and are completely arranged according to the armor thickness of the German army's latest No. 4 tank turret.

To demonstrate the use of these two weapons, improved new armor-piercing shells. As well as two anti-aircraft weapons, the power of flat fire to deal with armored targets, the cost of these two Japanese Type 97 tanks without turrets and part of the armored steel plates, but also made Yang Zhen feel distressed for a long time.

The chassis of these two Type 97 tanks and those armor steel plates imported from the United States were originally used to convert them into self-propelled guns together with the Type 90 field guns currently in the hands of the troops. Compared to the other Type 89 tanks, Type 95 tanks and Type 94 armored vehicles of the Japanese army, the chassis of these Type 97 tanks was the best.

In this battle, the number of Type 97 tanks that the Japanese army participated in the battle was not much. The number of destroyed pieces, and then the total number of destroyed ones, which have no recovery value at all, is even less. In total, there are only more than 30 vehicles, and the chassis is intact and can be used.

Although the battle-damaged Japanese tank chassis and engines had been disassembled before they were pulled to the test site, as well as all the parts that could be disassembled. But dozens of rockets, plus recoilless shells, went down. The chassis of these two tanks were basically scrapped and could not be reused at all.

It's just that the saying that children can't catch the wolf, Yang Zhen is still very clear. In order to let the Soviets take the bait, Yang Zhen also came out this time. There's no way not to put in a little hard work, where will the Soviets get into the trap? If the Soviets don't fall into the trap, what else can they use as capital?

Not only these two anti-tank weapons, which were most urgently needed by the Soviet army, were shown to the Soviet delegation. There were also 14-mm anti-aircraft machine guns and twin 23 anti-aircraft guns with various performances to the Soviet delegation, and various demonstrations were also carried out. At the time of the display, two Soviet lieutenant generals in the Soviet delegation looked very carefully.

In the words of Li Yanping, who accompanied the visit, the eyes of the two Soviet lieutenant generals almost lit up when they looked at these two weapons. What I saw with my own eyes was much more detailed than what I saw in the documentary of the Anti-Japanese Federation and the report of the Far Eastern Military District. The power of these weapons and equipment can also be seen more clearly.

On the day after the visit, the Soviet delegation urgently used an airplane to immediately airlift the film tape filmed at the same time, as well as three sets of objects of each weapon, back to China. Moreover, these weapons, as well as a small part of the ammunition, did not make any stop in the Far Eastern Military District at all, and were directly pulled back to Moscow.

By the time Yang Zhen participated in the negotiations, the level of their negotiators had risen several times. From the original composition of the Far Eastern Military District, supplemented by Moscow, it was suddenly reversed. Directly replaced by a general of the Ordnance Department of the Soviet Union, a lieutenant general of the General Staff and the General Logistics Department. The two lieutenant generals of the Far Eastern Military District, who turned out to be the main force in the negotiations, became supporting roles.

If not the unfavorable situation of the war, it continues to deteriorate. Those veteran commanders are needed to supervise or direct operations at the front, and Moscow is even preparing to send a deputy People's Commissar of Defense to negotiate with the Anti-Japanese Union. However, although the deputy People's Commissar for National Defense was not able to make the trip in the end, the current level of negotiations is much higher than before.

On the day of their arrival in Harbin, the anti-Japanese federation deciphered the radio communication between the Soviet negotiating delegation and Moscow, and also mastered Moscow's strict order that the delegation must obtain the physical objects and all the production technology of these two weapons. If the Soviet side makes certain concessions, in exchange for a part of the spot provided by the Anti-Japanese Union, then there will be as much as it wants.

Since the expansion of the Ministry of Communications and the establishment of a large number of listening stations, Yang Zhen has not only monitored the Japanese army's radios, but also closely monitored the contacts between the Soviet Far Eastern Military District and Moscow. And when it came to deciphering Soviet telegrams, a lot of effort was also invested.

Although it is not as much effort as the Japanese army's radio decipherment. But the Soviet army's cipher system was also much worse than that of the Japanese army. Its code is far less complicated than that of the Japanese army, and it does not pay attention to changing the password. Their passwords tend to be used for a long time.

Moreover, there was also a colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who wanted to defect to the Kwantung Army at the beginning, but was intercepted by the Anti-Japanese Union halfway through all the Soviet codebooks carried by a colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After the Soviet colonel was secretly executed, the codebook he carried with him fell into the hands of the Anti-Japanese Union.

Subsequently, although the Soviets urgently changed all the communication passwords of the Far Eastern Military District, the way in which these passwords were compiled did not change. Only on the basis of the original, some improvements have been made. Using the codebook that the colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carried with him, it was not too difficult to decipher the Soviet army's wireless telegraphy, and it was much easier than the Japanese one's code.

The current negotiations with the Soviet Union and the contacts between the Soviet delegation and Moscow and the Far Eastern Military District were the most important aspects of the anti-Japanese joint surveillance program. In order to monitor the radio communications of the Soviets, the Anti-Union prepared five high-power radio stations. More than a dozen of the best communications staff officers were dispatched to decipher their radio communications.

On the third day of the Soviet delegation's arrival in Harbin, the code for its communication with the Far Eastern Military District was deciphered. On the fifth day, most of the code for its radio communication with Moscow was deciphered. And the Soviet negotiating delegation, perhaps because of the technical ability of the confrontation alliance, looked down on it from the bottom of its bones. Since entering the base area of the Anti-United Nations, the password he carries has not been changed.

At present, the negotiations of the Soviet delegation are basically no secret for the Anti-Japanese Federation. Unless they do not make any radio contact with Moscow and the Far Eastern Military District. Otherwise, according to the Soviet code, even if the password is changed, it is a convention to follow, and it is not too difficult to decipher.

It is precisely because of these that Yang Zhen has such sufficient confidence to dare to pat his chest and make this guarantee. Of course, this matter, even for the Anti-Japanese Federation, is a top secret among top secrets. In addition to the people involved, only Yang Zhen, Li Yanping and Guo Bingxun knew.

The rest of the people, not to mention the ordinary senior cadres, even the Northeast Bureau is not clear. And at the moment, these two old commanders can't be let know. If this reaches the ears of the central government, I am afraid that it will not necessarily cause any trouble. After all, that's Big Brother, and you're plucking the tiger's ass by doing that.

However, although he did not explain why he was so confident, there were some things that Yang Zhen still had to explain. In particular, why did he insist that the Soviets provide the production and manufacturing technology and drawings of these three new weapons? At least divert the attention of the two old marshals, and don't let the two old marshals focus on why they are so confident.

After thinking about it, Yang Zhen said: "Two old leaders, it's not me Yang Zhen who has to think about those unrealistic things, and I have to force the Soviets to exchange their active equipment." Because we now lack artillery of more than 100 mm caliber, and at the same time we lack direct-aim artillery of medium caliber. ”

"The original Polish imitation of the Austro-Hungarian 100-millimeter gun, because of the quantity and quality, is far from meeting the needs, and it can no longer bear the high-intensity use. The number of Japanese-made Type 105 howitzers captured is far from satisfying the needs, and this does not include a large number of 75-caliber guns that have reached the end of their service life. ”

"Not only is there a shortage of artillery with a caliber of more than 100 millimeters, but we are also seriously lacking in long-range direct-aim artillery with anti-tank functions. Most of the Japanese-made field guns could not be used as anti-tank direct-aim guns due to the lack of corresponding shells or the overall design. ”

"According to our plan, the advance army will meet the same standard as the Anti-Japanese Union in terms of the number of artillery equipment in this recuperation. The regiments were armed with infantry guns and mortars, as well as light anti-tank rapid-fire guns, and each brigade was to have at least one eighteen mountain artillery. In addition to upgrading the original field artillery battalion of the column to an artillery regiment, it is also necessary to form a part of the artillery regiment directly under it. ”

"According to this plan, we can only take out all the current stocks, and we can only partially meet the needs and replenish the previous battle damage. The number of large-caliber guns was barely sufficient, but there was a lack of artillery between 100 mm and 150 mm, as well as medium-caliber direct-aim guns. ”

"And for us, now it's not just the Anti-Union and the Advance Army that urgently need artillery equipment replenishment. There are also troops in various theaters of operations in the interior, all waiting to be equipped. Old chief, the whole army is a game of chess. We can't have all the planes, tanks, heavy artillery ourselves, but the fraternal troops are in tatters. ”

"Two old chiefs, I'm talking about the whole army. Including Shandong, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningbo, Jinsui, Central China, and East China, all are included. And you calculate, together with the New Fourth Army in East China, how many artillery pieces will be needed to meet the needs according to our standards? ”

"The most important thing is to take the opportunity to form our own artillery manufacturing industry, as well as to introduce the latest tank technology from the Soviet Union, and form our own artillery and tank design and manufacturing capabilities. During the war, we can count on the assistance of the Americans. But we can't put all our hopes and hopes for the future on the Americans. ”

"The Americans value the European battlefield more than the Asian theater. Otherwise, it would not have reacted so quickly after the full-scale outbreak of the Soviet-German war. It was immediately publicly announced that the Soviet Union would be included in the Lend-Lease list. And last month, a military delegation was secretly sent to the Soviet Union to negotiate with the Soviets on aid. ”

"In this way, when it is the turn of the Asian battlefield, the amount of materials is already small. With the need to assist the national government, how many supplies are left to us? As for equipment, in the case of a real war between the United States and Japan, a large expansion of the US military, and the same need for a large amount of assistance to the British and Soviets, I am afraid that it will be a drop in the bucket for us. ”