Industry began in 1937

Chapter 63 Repairing and Making Guns?

Chapter 63 Repairing and Making Guns?

It was March of the 27th year of the Republic of China, when the chill of spring had not yet completely dissipated.

Zhang Xianyue, the commander of the advance detachment of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, received an urgent and arduous task—to relocate a batch of important machine tools and equipment in the machine repair shop of Fengfeng Yili Coal Mine Company before the Japanese army fully controlled the Handan area, and not leave them to the enemy.

After the Japanese invaded China, they looted industrial equipment as much as possible. They planned to move this equipment away, but they hadn't taken any action yet.

Now that we have learned through our inside sources that the Japanese army is going to relocate equipment, the advance detachment needs to act quickly to forcibly transport the equipment back and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

The operation was carried out under the cover of night and with meticulous organization.

At this point, the advance team's strength and equipment had become very substantial through continuous battles and replenishments.

Unlike when they first arrived in Xingtai last year, when their troop strength and equipment were small, the advance detachment has now developed into a battalion-level unit with 500 troops and four companies.

The troops were not only equipped with a large number of rifles, but more importantly, they had more bayonets, grenades, landmines, picks, shovels, and other weapons than the main force in Shanxi.

This could be considered an advantage of being in a good position!

The detachment mobilized more than 300 soldiers and a large number of reliable civilians, and taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, they stormed into the factory area under the cover of local guerrillas.

The Japanese troops left in the factory area were very few, only a Japanese squad and a platoon of puppet troops.

Faced with the sudden arrival of the Eighth Route Army, the enemy was trapped inside their barracks.

The Japanese soldiers fired shots outside the dormitory, but the advance detachment soldiers used grenades to continuously throw them into the room from the roof, killing the Japanese soldiers directly inside the dormitory.

As soon as the Japanese soldier died, the puppet troops threw their weapons out of the room under slogans such as "Chinese people don't fight Chinese people" and "Lay down your weapons and you won't be killed."

After eliminating the enemy and cleaning up the battlefield, the next step is to move the machinery and equipment away as quickly as possible before the enemy can react.

But what needed to be moved was not just light tools, but more than forty machine tools of various kinds, including lathes, planers, drilling machines, milling machines, and even an extremely heavy steam engine that powered the entire factory area.

These devices were originally used mainly for repairing coal mining machinery. Although they are not large machine tools, they are very comprehensive in variety.

These steel equipment, the culmination of modern industry, have now become the most troublesome problem in terms of transportation.

There were no cranes, and no smooth roads.

The steam engine was disassembled into large parts such as boiler, cylinder, and transmission mechanism. Using logs, pry bars, ropes, and the shoulders and chants of hundreds of people, it was moved out of the factory area little by little and loaded onto temporarily requisitioned mule carts and oxcarts.

Machine tools are slightly better, but they are still very heavy, and the machines are delicate and cannot withstand bumps.

Fortunately, the advance detachment was prepared before the operation. Soldiers and workers wrapped the vehicles in layers of cotton quilts and straw, and tied them firmly to the frames with thick ropes. Next to each large vehicle carrying machine tools, there were more than a dozen men, ready to carry and push at any time to deal with possible tilting and getting stuck on the mountain road.

The journey was long and dangerous.

To avoid being pursued by the Japanese and puppet troops, they could only take hidden mountain paths and valleys.

The team worked day and night, building bridges over rivers and filling in soil when they encountered slopes.

The heavy vehicles often get stuck in the mud, requiring everyone to work together to push them out.

The narrow pass required the equipment to be partially disassembled again to pass through.

The troops responsible for providing cover remained vigilant at all times, keeping a close watch on any potential enemy activity.

This is an extreme test of willpower and physical strength.

After overcoming numerous hardships, this special transport team finally delivered these precious industrial assets safely to Liangou, a remote mountain village deep in the Taihang Mountains in Guantao County, Wu'an City.

Surrounded by mountains, the terrain is concealed and easy to defend, making it an ideal location to establish a rear base.

The location is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with steep peaks and cliffs, and only one side is open to the outside world, forming a natural defensive barrier. The arrival of the equipment is only the first step.

The bigger challenge was getting these steel machines running in the mountains to contribute to the war effort.

The division headquarters decided to use this batch of equipment as the basis to establish the Liangou Repair Shop of the 129th Division's advance detachment, and appointed Yang Fuyun, who was experienced and familiar with the technology, to be in charge of the preparatory work.

Compared to the Gongyi Blacksmith Shop, this place has more equipment, a steam boiler to provide power, and more than a dozen mobilized workers, giving it a very good foundation.

Yang Fuyun felt both excited and under immense pressure upon receiving the order.

He arrived at Liangou with several assistants, and looking at the machine tools piled up in the threshing ground and several large cave dwellings, his heart felt heavy.

The machines are good machines, some even better and newer than the equipment in the division's existing repair shop.

But a problem arises: a lack of motivation.

The steam boiler that was moved with the equipment required a large amount of coal and a stable water source to operate. In the deep mountains, coal supply was difficult and water supply was not easy either, making it difficult for the boiler to operate continuously and stably.

What's even more lacking are materials and parts.

Machine tools are available, but there's almost no way to find qualified steel for processing firearms, high-speed steel or cemented carbide for manufacturing knives, or screws, bearings, and gears of various specifications.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; without qualified raw materials and easily damaged parts, these machine tools can only sit idle and rust most of the time.

Especially when repairing old guns, many guns have problems because the rifling in the barrel is severely worn or the caliber has increased due to wear, requiring machine tools to repair or even re-rifling.

This requires not only skilled technicians, but also suitable knives, cutters, and measuring tools, as well as high-quality gun barrel steel for replacement.

Liangou has none of these.

Just as Yang Fuyun was worrying about the advanced "scrap metal" filling the room, he thought of Gouzi Village and Master Chen, who always managed to create miracles.

A few days later, Yang Fuyun arrived at the blacksmith shop in Gouzi Village again, travel-worn and weary.

Since he was able to develop something from scratch, he must have a way to solve these problems.

The straight-line distance from Liangou to Xingtai is actually very short; Shahe and Xingtai County are just north of Wu'an.

It only takes a day and a half of mountain road to get from Liangou to Gouzi Village, and about 3 days to get to Jiangshui Town.

This time, he didn't bring any shell samples, but instead brought a host of problems and a long list of requirements.

"Master Chen, we really need your help this time!" Yang Fuyun got straight to the point as soon as they met, explaining the situation in Liangou in detail.

Of course, the Liangou Arsenal was not mentioned; only the problems encountered by the advance detachment's repair shop were discussed.

"We've brought back the machines, dozens of them, better than what the division headquarters has! But we don't have suitable materials, handy tools, or skilled workers to handle these precision machines. Even the power to start the machines is a problem; the big boiler consumes too much coal, and the mountains can't supply it. No matter how good the machines are, they won't start! Especially repairing guns, many barrels are broken and need to be re-bored and rewired, and that kind of work—nobody in our area can handle it right now."

Chen Yuan listened quietly, but his mind was racing.

He repairs all machine tools and has the potential to process them, which is exactly what he lacked before!

Fire Platform can provide high-quality materials and standard parts, produce cutting tools, and manufacture machine tools.

However, it is not allowed to produce rifling machines that violate regulations.

The problem now is that he can produce machine tools, cutting tools, and even seamless steel pipes.

However, he didn't know how to modify a regular machine tool into a rifling machine tool. Precision machining, especially gun barrel repair, which requires extremely high concentricity and smoothness, was indeed beyond the capabilities of him and the other novice blacksmiths, such as Shuanzhu and Tiedan.

They are good at blacksmithing, casting, and making simple parts, but making and operating precision machine tools is another skill altogether.

Upon hearing about the power issue, Chen Yuan suddenly recalled some fragmented information he had glimpsed by chance in the past.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master Yang, about the power source—I seem to remember something. There's a machine called a 'boiler steamer,' which also boils water and produces steam, but it's more flexible and has a more compact structure than a large boiler. It's not picky about fuel; it can use coal, firewood, even bundles of hay—anything that can be burned will do, and it's less demanding on water. Although it might not be as powerful as a large boiler, it should be able to power several machine tools without any problem."

Yang Fuyun paused for a moment, thought carefully, and shook his head: "A pot-loading machine? This thing can actually be used?"

"It works."

"Can you figure it out?" Yang Fuyun asked, without much hope.

Chen Yuan didn't immediately give a guarantee: "I only know the general shape and principle. To actually build it would require a lot of materials and testing. However, if we can solve the power problem, even just getting a few key machine tools running would be good."

Yang Fuyun's eyes lit up: "If there really were a machine that didn't pick and choose fuel, that would be wonderful! Master Chen, just give it a try! Whatever iron or copper you need, I'll find a way to get it!" He then pulled out the materials list, "And these are even more urgent—"

Chen Yuan took the list and looked at it carefully.

Many of the materials listed above, such as gun barrel steel, gear steel, and knife steel, as well as screws, nuts, washers, drill bits, and taps of certain specifications, can be provided by the "Flint" platform, provided there is sufficient energy and basic metal raw materials, and the composition can be adjusted and precision-formed.

"These—perhaps I can think of a way to deal with some of them." Chen Yuan didn't agree directly, but spoke cautiously instead.

He explained further, "We've recently been trying to smelt some scrap iron from the railway and Japanese trucks, and occasionally we've produced some steel with a special patina; its hardness and toughness seem quite good. We could try that for making knives. And these standard parts you mentioned—" He pointed to the screws, bearings, and other items on the list, "If you know the dimensions and shapes, I might be able to tinker with some that are similar. I wouldn't dare say they're exactly the same as those made by foreign machines, but for emergency use, it should be better than nothing."

Chen Yuan's words were modest, but for Yang Fuyun, they were nothing short of a blessing.

He really didn't expect that these problems could be solved by Chen Yuan.

Yang Fuyun's worried expression immediately vanished: "Really? Master Chen, if you can solve this power machine problem, along with the materials and most of the tools and parts, that would truly save the repair shop from its life-or-death crisis! Once the machine is running, we can repair more guns, and even—when conditions are right in the future, we might even be able to try making something more complex!"

Chen Yuan nodded: "I can give it a try. But Master Yang, I also have some difficulties."

The delicate work you mentioned, like boring gun barrels and rifling, is something neither I nor my people can do. We can only forge iron and cast molds; fine machining requires machines and skilled workers. If you had the materials and tools, you could repair guns, especially gun barrels—”

Yang Fuyun immediately understood Chen Yuan's meaning: this was about division of labor! He slapped his thigh forcefully: "Don't worry about that! As long as the power problem is solved, the materials and tools can keep up, and the machine tools can run, our repair shop will take care of repairing gun barrels! I have a few veterans of the Red Army who worked in the Soviet-era arsenals and have experience with machines. Although they aren't top-notch masters, they have the basics. I'll also search around in various units to see if there are any soldiers who have been mechanical apprentices or have tinkered with machines. If we put together a team, we can definitely assemble a squad! You provide the rice and the stove, and I'll take care of the cooking. Isn't that perfect?"

"it is good."

"Then can we produce rifles in the future?" Yang Fuyun thought. If the Gongyi Blacksmith Shop could produce gun barrel steel, then it could not only repair guns, but also manufacture rifles.

"That's not impossible."

"That's great!" Yang Fuyun said excitedly, and began to wander around the outer hall of the blacksmith shop.

If a factory can manufacture guns, it's not a repair shop; it's an arsenal.

The two found themselves getting along very well.

Chen Yuan provided Liangou with urgently needed power equipment for the pot-shaped locomotive, high-quality steel, cutting tools, and standard parts; Liangou, in turn, used machine tools and its gradually trained technical workers to undertake tasks such as gun repair and processing of complex parts.

A preliminary form of cooperation based on realistic conditions and complementary advantages became clear during this conversation.

Yang Fuyun went to rest with renewed hope. After Chen Yuan had organized the necessary materials, he reported to the advance detachment and asked the organization to raise supplies as soon as possible so that the repair shop could repair gun barrels.

As for making guns, Yang Fuyun calmed down after leaving the mine.

Let's finish making that pot-loading machine and all the materials first, then report it to the organization!

He was genuinely worried that Chen Yuan wouldn't be able to finish.

He always felt that relying on the equipment in the blacksmith's shop, it would be too difficult to complete the task.

Chen Yuan returned to the depths of the mine and began planning new production tasks for the "Flint" platform based on Yang Fuyun's needs.

He first retrieved the structural data on the small horizontal single-cylinder boiler locomotive, and the platform quickly provided detailed drawings and a list of materials.

The machine has a relatively simple structure; the key lies in the casting and machining precision of the cylinder, piston, connecting rod, and boiler components.

Next came the requirements for gun barrel steel, knife materials, and standard parts of various specifications.

These are the materials that need to be provided by the local authorities.

The main problem is that the amount of iron is quite large, so some alloy materials are also needed.

Otherwise, the hardness of the knife will not meet the standard.

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