On the shooting training ground north of Taohua Cave, Gao Jiu, Zhang Quan, Wang Zhankui, Guo Hengming and Du Shengxi watched the live ammunition test of the arsenal's bazooka.

The drawings of the bazooka provided by Gao Jiu are pure rocket rocket launchers developed by the United States in 1942. The shape is very similar to a trombone (musical instrument) called "Bazooka", hence the name. They are equipped with mechanical optical scopes, with an effective range of 100 to 250 meters, a vertical armor-breaking thickness of 120 to 200 mm, and a weapon system weighs 7 to 82 kilograms.

Gao Jiu developed such a rocket launcher because he planned to use it on the Anti-Japanese battlefield for a period of time, and first authorize American military-industrial enterprises to produce it after obtaining a patent in the United States, which can earn a large amount of patent transfer fees.

Leo took a rocket launcher and introduced the performance and usage of the rocket launcher to everyone. He invited Gao Jiu to test it first.

As we all know, weapons testing is dangerous, and Jia Liu, Ning Wen, Ning Wu and others are all rushing to conduct the test for Gao Jiu.

Leo felt very unhappy when he saw this situation. He obviously didn't believe him. He had personally conducted tests on this kind of bazooka in countless times and determined the safety performance of the bazooka. Then he asked Gao Jiu to come and inspect it.

Gao Jiu believed in the rigorousness of the Germans' work. He declined the request of Jia Liu and others, carried a rocket launcher, and stood up toward a 20-centimeter-thick steel plate at a distance of 100 meters.

The rocket hit the target accurately. After the violent explosion, several arsenal staff carried the steel plate over.

Gao Jiu and others saw this steel plate, which was penetrated by a hole as big as a fist. He was already very satisfied with this effect. At this level, all the Japanese tanks and armored vehicles were vulnerable.

Then, Gao Jiu fired another rocket, hitting a 45-centimeter-thick cement bunker. The rocket still penetrated the bunker and smashed a thick wooden board inside. Such power was simply easy to deal with the Japanese artillery tower that was at most two bricks thick.

Seeing that the rocket was so powerful, Zhang Quan, Wang Zhankui, Guo Hengming and others also came forward to do the experiments by themselves. Everyone was very satisfied with this new weapon.

Gao Jiu was very happy and announced the reward of Leo and Lucas on the spot 1,000 oceans per person. Others from the Arsenal also received different rewards from 100 to 200 oceans.

Gao Jiu asked Feng Xiucai to allocate 20,000 oceans to the arsenal to allow them to produce 500 rocket launchers as soon as possible.

With such a powerful weapon, Zhang Quan and others couldn't sit still. They all shouted that they wanted to go out for a practical test, just like a group of children who got a novel and fun toy, and were in a hurry to experience it.

Gao Jiu agreed to their request, and Zhang Quan, Wang Zhankui and Du Shengxi set off with a team of cavalry.

The Taohuashan guerrillas could walk sideways in Pingyue County and Shoucheng County, and no one dared to provoke them. Since the Japanese and puppet troops did not come out to cause trouble, Zhang Quan and others were embarrassed to bully them, so they had to go to Yu County.

After arriving in Yu County, they found a stronghold of the puppet army. According to convention, Zhang Quan first reported his name with a loudspeaker. He said, "We are from the Jiuye of the Taohua Mountain Guerrillas. Now we are here to fight you. If you know the truth, come out to surrender obediently. Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious."

Zhang Quan'er originally wanted to be polite first and then fight, but she didn't expect that the puppet troops here were already frightened by the Taohua Mountain guerrillas. Without saying a word, they raised the white flag and surrendered.

Zhang Quan and others were very depressed and had to go to another enemy stronghold.

After arriving at this stronghold, Zhang Quan was still polite and then soldiers. After calling, he didn't expect that a few gunshots were fired directly from the stronghold, and then a white flag was raised from the artillery tower. It turned out that the puppet troops killed the Japanese in charge of supervising and surrendered.

Zhang Quan and others were anxious. When they arrived at the next Japanese and puppet army stronghold, they stopped being polite and then being soldiers, and directly rushed over with the rocket launcher.

This time, the puppet troops there surrendered faster. After the artillery tower was penetrated, the puppet soldiers saw the Taohuashan guerrillas wearing black uniforms from the artillery tower, and hurriedly called out for mercy, then raised the white flag, and then lined up to surrender.

Wang Zhankui felt it was boring, so he suggested to attack the county town where there were many Japanese and would definitely be able to fight a good battle.

After arriving at the county town of Yuxian, they took the rocket launcher and directly hit the city gate. Two big holes immediately appeared on the city gate. After the third rocket was shot, the city gate that had already cracked was directly blown to pieces.

Yu County was just captured by Gao Jiu and others not long ago. The new Japanese army was from the 114th Division. They had suffered heavy blows again and again and were truly frightened by the Taohua Mountain guerrillas. The Japanese garrison escaped directly from another city gate, and the security army and other traitors inside also escaped.

Because Gao Jiu and others had already searched the county town not long ago, it would be less fuel if they went in. Zhang Quan and others were too lazy to go in, so they sent two team members into the county town and asked a traitor maintenance committee president to raise 20,000 yuan. Zhang Quan and others took the money and left directly.

The entire Yu County could not find an opponent. Du Shengxi felt unsatisfied and suggested continuing to move towards Jinan to attack a Japanese military station warehouse in Zhouzhuang County, adjacent to Yu County.

In this military station warehouse, a Japanese army reinforcement squadron was stationed, and a large amount of weapons, ammunition and other materials were stored in the military station.

After the battle started, the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in the warehouse saw that there were not too many enemy troops coming to attack, so they rushed out. The weapons and ammunition in the warehouse were that these Japanese soldiers brought a lot of machine guns and launched an attack on the guerrillas with the support of mortar fire.

Not only that, they also drove out three armored vehicles from the warehouse and rushed over with great momentum.

When Zhang Quan and others saw the Japanese driving armored vehicles, they immediately smiled. They were thinking of testing the power of the rocket launcher's armored target.

The Japanese sat in the armored vehicles and heard the sound of bullets hitting the armored vehicles, and were very proud. They rushed forward with full force.

Suddenly, a stream of smoke and dust emerged in front of him, and the steel plate on the armored vehicle was directly opened, and the Japanese inside were killed immediately.

With just three rockets, all three Japanese armored vehicles were destroyed.

When the Japanese army following behind the armored vehicles saw this situation, they were stunned. The enemy's firepower was completely beyond their perception. They were panicked and did not know whether to continue the attack.

Zhang Quan and others temporarily saved face for the Japanese troops behind them in order to fight against the armored vehicles of the Japanese. Seeing the Japanese hesitant, they were not polite and shot the mortars and machine guns together.

The Japanese fled into the warehouse in a hurry and used their peripheral positions to block the guerrilla attack.

Zhang Quan and others did not launch a charge, but used rocket launchers to destroy the Japanese firepower points one by one. The Japanese really could not withstand such a cruel blow, and the remaining Japanese troops fled from another exit of the warehouse.

However, these Japanese devils were also very immoral. They blew up the warehouse before leaving, and Zhang Quan and others only obtained a very small seizure.

Zhang Quan and others moved to Zhouzhuang County and destroyed all the strongholds of the Japanese and puppet troops they encountered. They did not return home until the rockets they carried were exhausted.

When Gao Hong and Chen John heard that the Taohuashan guerrillas had made new weapons, they immediately became jealous and immediately urged Jiang Xiaomei to ask Gao Jiu for help.

Jiang Xiaomei is very confident. She knows that her dear Jiu Ge, she will never forget her if she has good things.

Sure enough, Gao Jiu sent Ning Wen and Ning Wu to bring a team of special forces to Jiang Xiaomei 6 rocket launchers and 400 rockets.

Ning Wen said: "Captain Jiang, my Jiu Ye said that these bazooka must not fall into the hands of the Japanese. When using the bazooka, be sure to leave enough troops to protect it. If you are sure that you cannot take it away, be sure to blow it up."'

Jiang Xiaomei said happily: "You thank Brother Jiu when you go back, and you said I will definitely keep these rocket launchers well."

With the powerful weapon like the rocket launcher, the officers and soldiers of the Independent Regiment could not sit still. Huang Shuigen personally led a battalion troops to attack the Japanese strongholds. They found that when the rocket launcher attacked the Japanese strongholds, it was better than the Type 92 infantry cannon. On the one hand, it was inconvenient to carry the Type 92 infantry cannon. Another thing is that using Type 92 infantry cannon to attack the enemy's artillery towers is not effective. Not only is it difficult to hit directly, but it does not have much destructive power to the building after hitting it.

The bazooka was so light and powerful that the officers and soldiers of the Independent Regiment soon couldn't put it down.

The Japanese and puppet troops in southwestern Shandong originally felt very safe when they hid in the artillery tower. The independent regiment used new weapons, so the Japanese and puppet troops guarding the artillery tower no longer felt safe.

Since armor-piercing bombs can explode again after breaking through the building, the power of explosion in a small space will be much stronger than in an empty place. The Japanese and puppet soldiers felt that the sturdy artillery towers were now coffins, and they would die faster when hiding in it. When fighting, they would rather find a hidden object than hide in the artillery tower.

Since the Independent Regiment had a rocket launcher, there was no Japanese and puppet army stronghold in southwestern Shandong that could be defended.

In less than a month, the entire southwestern Shandong region, except for the four counties reserved by Gaojiu, were wiped out and completely became the world of the southwestern Shandong military sub-district.

The Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district occupied eight county towns in a dignified manner and established an anti-Japanese democratic government in the county towns. With the personnel and material foundation provided by the Anti-Japanese democratic government, the strength of the Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district was rapidly enhanced.

Seeing that the military sub-district was sufficient resources, complete equipment, and had a strong material foundation, Gao Hong and Chen began to expand their troops on a large scale. They planned to expand the troops of the military sub-district in Southwest Shandong to four regiments based on the independent regiment.

According to the deployment of the military sub-district, Huang Shuigen wanted to go to a newly established regiment to serve as the regiment commander. However, Huang Shuigen was unwilling to do so. After discussing with Yang Jiong, he came to see Gao Hong and Chen John quietly without telling Jiang Xiaomei.

Huang Shuigen said: "Commander and Political Commissar, I think it is a good thing for us to build four new regiments and expand the anti-Japanese armed forces in the military sub-district, but the combat effectiveness may not be much higher.

The Independent Group was pulled up by Commander Jiang, and now he has pulled out the three battalions under the Independent Group. Although Commander Jiang doesn't say it, he may not be satisfied.

Our Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district has today's scale, which is inseparable from the support of Mr. Gao Jiu. Everyone knows the relationship between Mr. Gao Jiu and Commander Jiang. If we do this, will it be a bit suspicious of destroying bridges?

My suggestion is that there is no need to build four regiments, and I will not be the leader of this regiment. We will continue to expand the independent regiment and make it into a brigade, and then ask our superiors for instructions to establish the Independent Brigade of the Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district.

In doing this, Captain Jiang will not have any objections, and Master Jiu will definitely be happy, and his life will be better when traveling independently.

This is my opinion discussed with our Political Commissar Yang, and I also ask the commander and political commissar to consider it carefully."

Chen John's eyes lit up and he said with some fear: "Oh, Chief of Staff Huang, I think you're right. I don't think about this matter carefully, and I think your suggestions are very pertinent."

Gao Hong also turned around and said, "Yes! Expanding the troops to four regiments is equivalent to stretching out a palm. Instead, it is better to concentrate on establishing a brigade and form a fist. Such troops have stronger combat effectiveness."

Gao Hong and Chen John knew in their hearts that Gao Jiu would be happy to do this, and then their Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district would have a better life.

Gao Hong and Chen John accepted Huang Shuigen's suggestion and reported it to the Jinan Underground Party. The Jinan Underground Party drafted the telegram and submitted it to the Shandong Working Committee of the Underground Party.

It is required to expand the establishment of an independent brigade on the basis of the independent regiment. The brigade commander is Jiang Xiaomei, Yang Jiong is the political commissar, and Huang Shuigen is the chief of staff. He is under the jurisdiction of the 1, 2 and 3rd Independent Regiments, Artillery Battalion, Heavy Machine Gun Company, Cavalry Company, Engineer Company, Communication Company, Sniper Detachment, Brigade Department Hospital and other troops. The entire brigade has 6,840 personnel.

It is equipped with six Bofos Mountain cannons, 12 Type 92 infantry cannons, 68 mortars, 16 bazooka launchers, 22 Type 92 heavy machine guns, a total of 246 Czech light machine guns and crooked machine guns, and a number of rifles, other weapons, equipment and supplies.

Gao Hong and John Chen are really smart. Jiang Xiaomei’s independent regiment does not have so many weapons and equipment yet. They know that if the Independent Brigade is established, Gao Jiu would never see that Jiang Xiaomei’s troops have so many weapons gaps, and they will definitely help her fill it. Establishing the Independent Brigade is equivalent to making a big snatch at Gao Jiu in disguise.

Gao Hong and Chen John reported to the underground party organization. They were worried that the superior underground party organization would not understand the reason, so they made hints in the telegram.

The Shandong Working Committee of the Underground Party of China of course hoped that its subordinates could have such a main force, so the head of the Jinan Underground Party of China explained the reason to them. The Shandong Working Committee of the Underground Party of China was of course very happy and soon held a special meeting for discussion. Then, it approved the request for the expansion and establishment of an independent brigade by the Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district.

Sure enough, when Gao Jiu heard that the Southwest Shandong Military Sub-district had established an independent brigade and Jiang Xiaomei became the brigade commander of the independent brigade, he was very happy and immediately sent a telegram to Jiang Xiaomei, asking her if she had any difficulties and would issue a list for whatever she needed, and he would help her solve it.

Gao Jiu not only made up the weapons and ammunition needed for the Independent Brigade, but also gave Jiang Xiaomei 100,000 oceans.

Gao Hong, Chen John and others saw that their "trick" succeeded, and they all smiled.

Taohua Mountain.

After organizing the wedding of Feng Xiucai and Wang Sanniang, the Taohuashan Guerrillas held a summary meeting. The meeting summarized the entire work history since the establishment of the Taohuashan Guerrillas and until now. They believed that the Japanese army would launch a large-scale attack on Taohuashan. Therefore, Gao Jiu asked the Taohuashan Guerrillas to focus on three things:

First, continue to strengthen the technical and tactical training of the guerrillas. Second, use wheat harvest to seize the time to hoard grain. Third, continue to strengthen the construction of Taohua Mountain fortifications.

In terms of strengthening the construction of Taohua Mountain fortifications, Gao Jiu decided to invest heavily and continue to build a large number of open bunkers. At the same time, he dug some tunnels on the mountain to facilitate the garrison and storing ammunition in order to deal with a larger-scale Japanese attack.

Gao Jiu summarized the measures that the Japanese army had taken in detail. He believed that the Japanese devils were not good birds. These guys were doing things by any means. He had to be wary of the shameless means such as the Japanese army's use of biological and chemical weapons.

Therefore, he decided to increase the procurement of drugs and continue to solve the problem of gas masks to ensure that everyone in Taohuashan can have a gas mask.

In order to solve the problem of gas masks, Gao Jiu sent a telegram to the headquarters of the Military Commission on the one hand, and on the other hand, he also sent a telegram to the third young master of Long in Yunnan, asking him to try to buy gas masks from the French.

Gao Jiu carefully considered all the measures that the Japanese army might take and prepared in advance to cope with the most dangerous situation.

The news that the Taohuashan guerrillas had new weapons immediately attracted the attention of all parties.
Chapter completed!