"ALTHOUGH THE PROVISIONAL SECOND BRIGADE IS THE THIRD-LINE UNIT OF THE 15TH ROUTE ARMY, IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE EARLIEST UNITS IN THE FOUNDING OF THE ARMY, WITH TWO STANDARD INFANTRY REGIMENTS, A CAVALRY BATTALION, AN 18-GUN 75MM MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY BATTALION, AND A 6-GUN 150MM HEAVY MORTAR BATTALION AT THE REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS. 1 37MM FLAT-FIRE GUN BATTERY WITH 4 GUNS. In addition, Commander Wang temporarily secured an air defense company for the provisional Second Brigade. ”

The pace of expansion of the 15th Route Army was very fast, and Zhuang Huchen was also rapidly promoted because of his performance, and now he is now the chief of staff of the 2nd Provisional Brigade and the head of the 3rd Regiment.

"Where is this third-line army, compared to when I was in the 19th Route Army, the firepower of the two divisions combined is even more fierce, and that air defense company can really play a role against the Japanese aircraft? In the last Songhu Anti-Japanese War, Jiang Wenhao's mixed fourth brigade did not have air defense units, right? ”

Weng Zhaoyuan smiled bitterly, and then became interested in the air defense unit of the 15th Route Army, his military career can be regarded as extremely rich, from the beginning of the 1917 Protectorate War all the way from a small soldier to a squad leader, platoon commander, company commander, until the brigade commander, detachment commander and lieutenant general commander. In 1929, he graduated from the Japanese Army Military Academy, then went to France to study advanced aviation technology, and successfully graduated from the Maurina Aviation School in 1930. He is no stranger to airplanes, as he is an excellent pilot himself.

"It is said that it is a third-line army, but in fact, some artillery is also temporarily requisitioned from other troops, and it has been fought in several battles. The consumption of the 15th Route Army is not small. Zhuang Huchen said.

"Transferred from other troops. Aren't you afraid that other division and brigade commanders will make a fuss? "Hear this message. Weng Zhaoyuan was even more surprised to hear that the 15th Route Army had established a formal air defense force. This is tantamount to directly weakening the strength of the brigade commander of the division with real power, and it is absolutely difficult to work in other parts of the Republic of China.

"There are naturally some complaints, but the 15th Route Army started with anti-Japanese resistance, and the commander naturally has to send the most capable troops to the battlefield, and the Fengtian Arsenal has been rebuilt in Lanzhou, and new ordnance will soon be replenished to the troops." Zhuang Huchen smiled and said, as a person who came down from the battlefield against Japan. Zhuang Huchen did not reject Weng Zhaoyuan, a general who dared to fight against the Japanese army.

The two of them rode on a dirt road for another stretch of dirt, and in front of them was already a wide concrete road, on which trucks full of goods could be seen passing by from time to time. Transport trucks are naturally available in Shanghai, but the more inland, the rarer this kind of expensive things, after Luoyang, and then through Xi'an, almost extinct, I didn't expect to be able to see so much in Lanzhou City, before the field of those tractors that can carry goods are also regarded as opening for him. I've only seen it in France before, and it's rare in Japan. After all, tractors are expensive, the rich will go to buy cars, and the poor can't afford them.

The wide highway leads to a thousand-acre and walled factory gate, from which brand new trucks are coming out one after another.

"It's not bad, it's not much different from the truck I bought." Jiang Li drove the truck around the open space in the factory under the surprised gaze of his subordinates. This kind of most ordinary truck is naturally difficult for him, open the door and jump down from inside, and said with a smile to Yang Ming, the factory director who has been waiting for a long time, Zhuang Huchen has already walked over with Weng Zhaoyuan at the door.

"Commander!" Zhuang Huchen saluted Jiang Li, "Brigade Commander Weng brought it to you." ”

"Commander Jiang!" When Weng Zhaoyuan saw Jiang Li, he was first startled, and then quickly gave a military salute, looking at the age of the other party, he was even younger than him, it was hard to imagine that a young man in his twenties could break out of the situation as dangerous as the Japanese invasion of Mukden City, and play an amazing record that shocked the whole world.

"Well, Brigade Commander Weng, Jiang Wenhao is full of praise for his military talent in the first battle of Songhu. There are not many people who can make that guy say good things, and the 19th Route Army can rise up in the face of the Japanese army, and this kind of spirit is just like-minded with my 15th Route Army. ”

Seeing Weng Zhaoyuan, who was in the prime of life and more energetic than ordinary people, Jiang Li smiled kindly. It was precisely because of the excellent command on the battlefield of the Songhu War of Resistance last year that Jiang Li took a fancy to him, and later after the end of the Songhu War, Nanjing transferred Weng Zhaoyuan to suppress the Communist Party, Weng Zhaoyuan was unwilling to go, and was dismissed by Nanjing, and even suspected that he had colluded with the Communist Party.

"It's nothing compared to the deeds of the commander in the Battle of Mukden." Weng Zhaoyuan said without the slightest complacency.

"In the face of a different situation, the speed of Japan's projection of troops in Shanghai is several times that of Mukden, and naval guns and planes can reach the Songhu battlefield. When the time comes, the location is not in the hands of our army, and it is already good to be able to play that result. Jiang Li shook his head, and then said, "Originally, I wanted to invite Liu Zhanxiong to come over, but Liu Zhanxiong is now in the 19th Route Army and has another place, so I can only regret it." Brigadier Weng came just in time, today is the day when the first transport truck in the northwest will get off the production line. This is also the first self-produced truck in the Republic of China. ”

"Lanzhou can now produce its own transport trucks?" Weng Zhaoyuan's mouth opened wide, he only knew that foreigners had production of trucks and cars, even if it was a bicycle in the Republic of China, it was mostly bought from foreigners and then assembled by himself, and bicycles were basically only assembled in big cities like Shanghai and Wuhan, that is, in ordinary counties, there were not many people who could afford to ride bicycles. As for the northwest place, it can only be described by two words, but Weng Zhaoyuan didn't dare to think that Lanzhou at this time could already produce its own trucks.

"The car factory alone, as well as the supporting parts factory, add up to more than $9 million. Only then did I figure out this expensive thing, the core engine was still imported from the United States, and although I also built an engine factory, the progress over there could not catch up with the speed here. However, it can basically be regarded as self-produced, and the engine factory will be able to produce the motivation for matching next month. ”

Jiang Li patted the big guy next to him, and also smiled heartily, there is nothing happier than seeing the gradual development of industrial civilization in Lanzhou, which has nothing. Although some aspects have been simplified to save the process, and it looks a little rough, the actual performance has not had much impact, but has improved productivity. In addition, the gasoline used to transport trucks and the lubricating oil required in the parts are also produced by Yanchang Oil Factory. All in all, the in-house production of this truck is quite high. (To be continued.) )