Bright Sword: Iron Will 27

Chapter 27: The Dispersed Industrial Model

After hearing Wang Feng’s words, Gao Guizi’s expression became extremely grave. He paced back and forth in the command post.

Having spent half his life in the military and experienced dozens of battles large and small, his rise to the rank of Lieutenant General certainly didn’t happen by chance.

Various warlords eliminated their rivals, focusing solely on their own direct troops. This had been a festering problem since the Central Plains War.

“But…”

Gao Guizi hesitated.

With a national crisis at hand, the entire nation should have been united against the enemy.

Moreover, the 17th Army wasn’t fighting for Chiang Kai-shek; they were in Shanxi, protecting Yan Laosi’s home turf.

Gao Guizi couldn’t understand how Yan Laosi could be so obtuse, clinging to petty gains at such a critical moment.

With a wave of his hand, he said, “Commander Wang, with the enemy at the gates, such talk is detrimental to unity…”

“Since Commander Yan ordered us to defend Tuanchengkou, we will execute the order and defend.”

Wang Feng smiled calmly.

Although Gao Guizi’s words sounded conciliatory, his heart was likely wavering.

Wang Feng asked, “Commander Gao, what are your current casualty figures?”

“Baguan Zhengsirou is eager to capture Tuanchengkou. His daytime attacks failed. A cornered dog will bite. I fear future battles will be harder…”

Gao Guizi sighed. The two units were currently on the same side, so there was no need for concealment.

“Alas, Commander Wang, frankly, in today’s battle, we lost nearly thirteen hundred men. Ammunition and supplies are extremely scarce. If the rear doesn’t replenish our supplies, we’ll likely not last three days.”

Wang Feng was astonished.

The data on the 3D battle map had provided a glimpse into the 17th Army’s casualties, but he hadn’t expected the situation to be this dire.

The 17th Army’s combat effectiveness was probably inferior to his own temporary First Brigade.

Gao Guizi looked worried. “Regardless of whether Guo Zongfen’s reserve Second Army arrives for support, the urgent task is for us to jointly send a telegram to the Sixth Group Army, urging them for reinforcements.”

“Good!”

…

Night fell. Wang Feng quickly returned to the command post.

Zhao Fangyuan hurried over and whispered in his ear, “Commander, a coded telegram from Xiajiashan Village!”

Hearing Xiajiashan Village, Wang Feng’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly took the telegram and scanned it.

There were two items.

First, another batch of weapons and equipment had arrived: two hundred Shanxi-made Type 56 rifles, four Czech ZB vz. 26 light machine guns, and over ten thousand rounds of reloaded ammunition.

As usual, they had traveled at night and used mountain paths, relying on human porters and pack animals, taking a huge detour to reach the temporary First Brigade’s base. They had nearly been discovered by the Japanese army several times along the way.

Second, under orders from Tojo Hideki, the Japanese garrison in Tianzhen had conducted a large-scale sweep of the surrounding villages. This wasn’t to clear out resistance, but to requisition grain, household by household.

Under Zhu Xiangwen’s protection, the Xiajiashan Village armory in the back mountains remained safe for now.

The Eighth Route Army hadn’t yet launched guerrilla warfare deep behind enemy lines.

The Japanese offensive strategy was still focused on rapid invasion; they still harbored the fantasy of conquering China within three months. Their concern for security in occupied areas was far less than it would be in the later stages of the war.

Wang Feng folded the telegram. Zhao Fangyuan quickly produced a matchbox, struck a match, and carefully ignited the coded message.

“Commander, the Xiajiashan Village armory is behind enemy lines… isn’t it too dangerous?”

Wang Feng slowly sat down, took a sip of pre-brewed tea, and began to ponder this matter.

Moving all that industrial equipment would require countless manpower and resources. The journey would also pass through a large area occupied by the Japanese army, and losses along the way would only make it a losing proposition.

Wang Feng put down his teacup. “Send a telegram to Zhu Xiangwen: When operating behind enemy lines, you must cultivate good relations with the people, and the training of the militia must be accelerated to prevent unforeseen circumstances.”

The industrial equipment in Xiajiashan Village was purchased from Europe at great cost and through connections. He’d exerted considerable effort to obtain it, and it absolutely couldn’t suffer any setbacks.

As a time traveler, Wang Feng understood too well the importance of independent military industrial capacity.

Ultimately, industry is the foundation of a strong military!

When setting up the armory, Wang Feng had considered countless ideas. He had also considered building the armory in southern Shanxi or in some major cities.

But without exception, these ideas were rejected in the end.

Southern Shanxi was too far, making transportation costs and time costs too high.

Locating it in a city was even worse.

A large-scale industrial complex, once discovered by Japanese aerial reconnaissance, would surely attract devastating bombing raids.

Only a dispersed industrial model, spreading the equipment across various locations, could adapt to the current war situation.

Zhao Fangyuan snapped to attention. “Yes!”

Wang Feng waved his hand. “Wait, don’t go yet.”

“Deploy nighttime defenses. Baguan Zhengsirou’s attacks didn’t go well today; he might launch a night attack. Be prepared.”

Zhao Fangyuan nodded and quickly left the command room.

To ensure communication secrecy, the communications unit’s radio equipment was physically isolated from other unrelated personnel. It wouldn’t be like in movies and TV dramas, with the command post filled with the constant clatter of telegraph machines.

After Zhao Fangyuan left, Wang Feng was alone in the room.

With nothing else to do, Wang Feng focused his attention on the system panel.

After a day of fighting, the experience bar for level 2 was more than half full. A couple more battles, and he’d reach level 3.

Honestly, Wang Feng was eager to reach level 3.

If his troops were well-supplied, well-fed, and morale high, he might seize the night and launch a surprise attack.

Besides defeating the Japanese army, the main goal was to accumulate experience points and level up directly to level 3.

Wang Feng muttered to himself, “I wonder if the next level will unlock a technology upgrade panel?”

Based on his understanding of *Hearts of Iron*, this might be the only remaining major function.

Currently, the Shanxi Defense Army and even the Central Army lagged behind the Japanese army in three main aspects.

The first was the backwardness of tactical command. The gap here was relatively small, almost negligible. China wasn’t lacking in capable generals. It was just that the overall level varied greatly. Many commanders were self-taught, graduates of makeshift military academies or crash courses. However, Japanese mid-to-high-ranking officers mostly graduated from formal military academies. The lack of theoretical knowledge could be compensated for by practical experience.

The remaining two points were where the true gap lay.

One was the quality of the troops. Even within Chiang Kai-shek’s elite Central Army, many soldiers suffered from malnutrition and severe night blindness. This was why the Japanese army could repeatedly win night battles and led to low individual combat effectiveness.

When he was commander of the 414th Regiment, Wang Feng had noticed this problem. He ensured that the soldiers received their full pay on time, allowing them to supplement their three meals a day. Daily meal standards were also significantly improved. When funds were short, Wang Feng even supplemented the shortfall from his own pocket. He couldn’t say they had meat every meal, but at least they had enough white bread.

The results were clear: within a month, the morale of the entire unit increased significantly, and their physical condition improved considerably. Night blindness was essentially eliminated from the army.

The last point was the generation gap in weapons and equipment. This was the most crucial factor and almost insurmountable objectively.

Reaching level 3 and unlocking the technology tree on the system panel would significantly enhance the combat capabilities of the temporary First Brigade.

(End of Chapter)

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