Volume 1 Chapter 91 Reserve Team
Zhao Gang took the drawing and put it on the table.
"These are the two weapons Chu Yunfei mentioned. One is the incendiary bomb, and the other is the flying thunder cannon. I am going to bring both of these weapons to the headquarters. Can you help test them and see how effective they are?"
When Li Yunlong heard that there was a cannon, he completely forgot about the incendiary bomb and quickly picked up the blueprint to look at it.
He could understand the pattern, but he couldn't understand the words marked on it.
"Old Zhao, what does this say? What kind of cannon?"
"Flying Thunder Cannon! A simple mortar proposed by Chu Yunfei! But after taking a look at this cannon, I'm afraid it will require a lot of experiments to determine the optimal amount of explosives and propellant. Even if the research is successful, our regiment can't afford it. It consumes too much gunpowder and gasoline barrels!"
The accuracy of the Flying Thunder Cannon is terrible and its range is short.
It requires large-scale concentrated use, indiscriminate bombardment, and an artillery-style attack to demonstrate its power.
He shined in the Huaihai Campaign!
But at that time, our army had already liberated the Northeast, seized the North, and even had the Shenyang Arsenal, which was the largest in the country.
Our army's weapons and equipment have been upgraded to a higher level. Naturally, we have enough gunpowder and gasoline barrels to make flying thunder cannons and launch saturation attacks.
Now?
It might be used in division-level combat.
As for regimental-level combat, it would be better to ask the soldiers to crawl over with the explosive packs and then throw them at the enemy !
Hearing that the independent regiment could not use the weapons, Li Yunlong said with little interest: "Oh. Then you can hand them over to the headquarters staff! Lao Zhao, you are the political commissar, and you are in charge of daily life. You study the tunnel warfare and mobilize the masses! I'm going to sleep first, because I have to take people to dig for bullets tomorrow night!"
Zhao Gang saw that Li Yunlong was acting like a hands-off boss again.
He shook his head and saw Li Yunlong leave.
Zhao Gang picked up the last piece of paper, his face looked very heavy!
There was one thing Zhao Gang didn't tell Li Yunlong.
It’s not that Zhao Gang doesn’t trust Li Yunlong.
It's just that this matter is really of great importance and does not involve military matters.
The fewer people who know about this, the better.
He looked at the paper and saw:
"Agriculturalists found that the breach at Huayuankou changed the hydrology of Henan Province.
From 1942 to 1943, serious disasters will occur throughout Henan Province, and food supplies will plummet, which will directly affect the lives of 50 million people .
If it is not handled properly, millions of people will starve to death!"
Chu Yunfei didn't say much except explaining the consequences of the disaster.
But Zhao Gang understood.
Chu Yunfei hopes that our army and our party can shoulder this responsibility.
50 million people were affected and millions starved to death.
Seeing this number, Zhao Gang felt very heavy.
He didn't know how Chu Yunfei knew the news, nor did he know whether the news was true or false.
But if this news is true and we are not prepared...
50 million people suffered from the disaster and millions starved to death!
Thinking of the consequences described by Chu Yunfei, Zhao Gang didn't dare to gamble.
Why!
It can only be reported to the headquarters, which will make the judgment and decision.
Zhao Gang looked at the night scene outside the house and sighed for a long time.
The people are so innocent!
What a heavy burden this is!
Zhao Gang folded the paper and carefully put it into his briefcase.
He decided to go to the headquarters in person tomorrow to report to the chief!
After returning to the regiment headquarters, Chu Yunfei rested for the whole morning.
After a simple lunch, he shouted, "Someone, go and get Chief of Staff Fang over here!"
After a while, Fang Ligong arrived.
"Commander!"
"Staff Officer Fang, in the next few days, you will be in charge of the frontline observers and the reconnaissance company to monitor the movements of the Japanese army. If there is any movement, report to me immediately!"
Fang Ligong stood at attention and shouted. "Yes!"
Under the escort of the guard company, Chu Yunfei arrived at the mountains that were the remnants of Dagu Mountain.
The reserve team led by Lin Zhiqiang was stationed halfway up an unnamed mountain.
"Major Lin Zhiqiang! How is the recruitment of militia and the formation of a reserve force going?"
Lin Zhiqiang stood at attention and shouted, "Report to the commander, 1,748 people have been recruited! According to your request, we will open up wasteland in Dagu Mountain!"
After years of war, there are now countless refugees and displaced persons.
As long as you want to recruit people, you will never worry about not being able to recruit them.
Chu Yunfei nodded and said, "Very good! Remember, you can't stop recruiting militiamen. Recruit as many people as you can support. Do you understand?"
Lin Zhiqiang had no idea why Chu Yunfei wanted to recruit so many militiamen.
Although you don’t have to pay for the ring, you still have to pay for three meals a day.
It will take at least half a year before the reclaimed land can be harvested.
Moreover, these militiamen are not organized, and the Sixth Army will not pay them.
All of these have to be paid for by the 358th Group themselves.
It's just that the captain gave the order, and as a subordinate, I can only follow it.
"Yes. I promise to complete the task!"
Accompanied by Lin Zhiqiang, Chu Yunfei visited the newly formed reserve team.
They are called militia, but in fact they are not much different from refugees.
Although it is called a military camp, it is actually not much different from a refugee camp. They are all wooden sheds built with stones and wood.
Lin Zhiqiang is better off, living in a tiled house made of stone.
There were nearly 2,000 people, but only 300 rifles and 4 light machine guns. Even poorer than the puppet army!
The militiamen took turns to train in their spare time, but most of the time they took hoes and carried baskets to plant pumpkins and cabbages near the military camp, and corn and sweet potatoes on the barren hills.
It is not easy to reclaim land and cultivate crops in this deep mountain.
Plowing the soil is hard work. Without oxen or horses, we can only rely on human labor to hoe the soil.
Watering is more difficult as the water has to be carried from far away.
We also have to guard against wild boars, rabbits, wolves, and poisonous snakes.
Up to now, only four hills have been reclaimed, covering an area of nearly 700 acres.
"Major Lin Zhiqiang, you did a great job. I'm happy! Are you having any difficulties now?"
"Commander, our hoes and other iron tools are badly worn out. If possible, could you please allocate more iron tools? If we can have more than 1,000 hoes, 800 shovels, and 500 spades. Of course, if we can have 2,000 more baskets, 200 wheelbarrows, and..."
Seeing that Chu Yunfei's face was getting darker and darker, Lin Zhiqiang didn't dare to say anything more.
In fact, the reserve team really lacks everything.
For example, oxen, horses, hatchets, kitchen knives, iron pots, quilts, wooden barrels...
Chu Yunfei looked at Lin Zhiqiang's tanned face and knew that he was really serious about completing the task he had assigned him.
It’s 1942!
After watching the movie and thinking about the miserable plight of the people in Henan, Chu Yunfei could only do more as much as possible in the hope of saving more people.
Chu Yunfei hopes to develop this place into Nanniwan.
We don't expect the reserve to be as good as the 359th Brigade. As long as they can achieve two-thirds or even half of their results, they can save countless lives.
"I'll try to get enough for you!"
"Thank you, Commander!"
"I will find a way to get enough for you. But by July next year, I want you to reclaim at least 8,000 mu of land and harvest 7,000 dan of staple food. 1,000 mu of vegetable land and harvest 20,000 jin of vegetables. 200 pigs. Do you understand?"
"Commander, this... is too difficult. We can't accomplish it with just the guys we have!"
"Keep recruiting people. As long as you can afford it, recruit as many as you can! And I'll leave the prisoners to you, too."
Chu Yunfei approached Lin Zhiqiang and whispered, "Those are all captives who have committed heinous crimes. Don't feel sorry for them. Just treat them as atonement for the crimes they committed in the first half of their lives. Let them do all the hard work. If they don't obey...you will be the one to deal with it!"
"I understand!" Lin Zhiqiang said, suddenly thinking of something.
"Commander. There is a group of bandits nearby. They have occupied the Black Cloud Village and called themselves the king of the mountain. The leader is called Xie Baoqing. Three days ago, the sentries outside our camp discovered that some of their men were scouting the area! I am afraid that they will set their sights on this place sooner or later!"
Black Cloud Village? Xie Baoqing?
Forgot about these people!