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Text/Editor/Xiao Yan's view of the world
In modern Chinese history, Zhang Zuolin's Feng warlords undoubtedly occupy an extremely important position. Although the ordinary soldiers of the Feng army may not be outstanding in terms of combat effectiveness, Zhang Zuolin's emphasis on education, economic and technological development, especially in the military industry, has brought numerous arsenals to the northeast region. These factories not only continue to supply the Feng army with weapons, ammunition and heavy equipment, but also play a key role in absorbing advanced military technology from abroad. In this context, the Fengjun Arsenal produced a series of representative self-produced weapons. This article will take stock of 18 self-produced weapons of Zhang Zuolin's army, and explore the characteristics of these weapons and their impact on history. What are the unique features of these weapons, and what role have they played in China's modern military history?
In China at the beginning of the 20th century, Zhang Zuolin's Feng army paid special attention to the development and manufacture of military weapons. One of their proudest achievements was a replica of the German Mauser C96 pistol, which had a huge influence in China's military and law enforcement fields at the time. The Mauser C96 was popular for its superior reliability and simple construction, especially with its 7.63×25mm ammunition and 10-round capacity, which was a major technological leap forward at the time. The Fengjun Arsenal carefully copied the 1899 version of the Mauser C96 to create a new pistol known as the "Bongzao Barge Gun".
This pistol is not just an ordinary military weapon, its uniqueness in design makes it a symbol of the commander. The smoothing of its surface gives it the nickname "mirror box" or "large mirror", showing the importance that Fengjun attaches to the details of the craft. At the same time, Fengjun Arsenal also innovatively produced a carbine version of the Mauser C96, which was called the "Dagu Horse Box", with an extended barrel and a wooden butt and handguard, allowing the gun to be used both like a traditional pistol and shot from the shoulder like a rifle. This carbine was mainly distributed to cavalry units and officers' guards, and its versatility allowed it to excel in a variety of combat environments.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Great Bird Army made remarkable achievements in the manufacture of weapons, especially in the development of rifles. Based on the design of the German Mauser 98/22 and the Japanese Type 38 rifle, they successfully developed the Liao 13 Year Rifle, also known as the Han Lingchun Type 79 Rifle. This rifle inherits the sophisticated design of the Mauser rifle, with a 7.92 mm caliber and an effective range of up to 500 meters, and is equipped with a 5-round capacity magazine. Its excellent performance made it the core equipment of the main infantry of the Great Bird Army.
In addition to rifles, the innovations of the Great Bird Army in the field of artillery are no less remarkable. They not only succeeded in copying the Japanese 37-mm flat-fire gun and the Type 83 submachine gun, but also developed field guns and howitzers with excellent performance according to Austrian design concepts. At the peak of weapons production, the Great Bird Army's arsenal produced approximately 140,000 Liao 13-year rifles, as well as a large number of other types of artillery. Among them, the design and production of Liao 21 rifles, 17 submachine guns and 11 machine guns all benefited from Han Lingchun's leadership and guidance.
The achievements of the Big Bird Army in the research and development of independent weapons are not only breakthroughs at the technical level. These achievements are a profound reflection of the Big Bird Army's strong commitment to educational, economic, and technological development. This emphasis on innovation and development has made the Big Bird Army stand out from the crowd, not only in terms of military strength, but also in terms of technological and industrial capabilities.
In the 20s of the 20th century, the Fengjun army made remarkable progress in weapons technology, especially in the field of automatic weapons. They successfully copied the German MP18 submachine gun and created a powerful weapon known as the Liaozao Seventeen-Year Submachine Gun. With its powerful firepower and ease of operation, this submachine gun has become an important part of the arsenal of the Fengjun army.
In terms of light machine guns, the results of the Feng army were no less impressive. The Liao-made 17-year-old light machine gun, which fired 6.5×50 mm ammunition, was known for its high rate of fire and long effective range. This light machine gun was initially widely used in all levels of the Feng army, and was later replaced by the more powerful Czech ZB26 light machine gun, showing the flexibility and pursuit of the Feng army in the renewal of weapons and technological development.
The artillery equipment of the Feng army was also very rich and powerful. The Liao-made 14-year-old 37-mm flat-fire guns and the Liao-made 11th/13th/15th year-old 80mm and 152-mm heavy mortars they owned were an important part of the Fengjun's firepower support at that time. With their sturdy structure, powerful firepower, and high reliability, these guns played a key role in many battles of the Feng army. The use and maintenance of these guns by the Feng army demonstrated their professionalism and tactical flexibility in the operation of heavy weapons. The effective use of these artillery pieces has not only strengthened the fighting strength of the Feng army, but also embodied their advanced nature and innovative spirit in the field of military technology.
In China in the 20s of the 20th century, the military industry of the Feng army made remarkable achievements in the production of heavy artillery. They carefully copied the Austrian M1918 83.5 mm field gun, and successfully developed the Liaozao 14-year 77 mm field gun. This field gun is very close to the original in terms of design and performance, showing the skill and meticulous attention to detail of Fengjun's engineers.
The Fengjun Arsenal also demonstrated its strength in the manufacture of larger caliber artillery. They not only manufactured the Liao-made 14-year-old 100-mm howitzer, but also the Liao-made 19-year-old 105-mm cannon. These guns occupied an important position in the military equipment of the time, and their precise manufacturing process and excellent performance reflected the advanced technology and innovation ability of the Fengjun Arsenal.
The development and manufacture of these heavy artillery pieces not only strengthened the firepower of the Feng army, but also reflected their unremitting pursuit of military modernization. These achievements of the Fengjun Arsenal are not only technological breakthroughs, but also a challenge to the military industry at home and abroad, demonstrating the leading position of the Fengjun in the field of military equipment manufacturing. These artillery pieces played a crucial role on the battlefield at that time and became an important tactical asset of the Feng army.
In China in the 20s of the 20th century, the Feng army showed significant technical prowess in the field of artillery manufacturing, especially in the imitation of Japanese mountain artillery. The Feng army successfully copied the 75-mm mountain cannon of the 41st year of the Meiji era of Japan, and created the 75-mm mountain cannon of the 14th year of the Liaozo. Although the two were almost identical in appearance, due to the materials used and the technical limitations of the time, the Liao Mountain Cannon was slightly inferior to the prototype in terms of accuracy and performance.
The Feng army also copied the 75-mm field cannon of the 38th year of the Meiji era, that is, the 75-mm field gun of the 13th year of the Liao Dynasty. The gun was commissioned in 1924, and most of its core components were supplied directly from Japan and assembled in local arsenals. Therefore, the Liao-made 13-year-old field cannon is comparable in performance to the original Meiji 38-year-old type.
In the field of anti-aircraft guns, the 16-year-old 75-mm anti-aircraft guns of the Liao army are also eye-catching. The anti-aircraft gun was based on the design of the Japanese Taisho Eleventh style 75-mm anti-aircraft gun, although it was slightly deficient in firing range, but retained the characteristics of the prototype in the overall design. Despite the fact that only 4 units were produced, this anti-aircraft gun still had a place in the Feng army.
The Feng army also achieved some success in copying Western artillery. Based on the Austrian M1918 83.5 mm field gun, they manufactured the Liaozao 14-year-old 77 mm field gun. This gun differed from the prototype in weight and caliber, but was otherwise extremely close to the prototype, and its firing range and performance were comparable to the original. Between 1924 and 1931, about 300 were produced, and some of the Liao-made 14-year-old 77-mm field guns even played an important role in the later Sino-Japanese War. These achievements not only demonstrate the expertise of the Fengjun in the field of artillery manufacturing, but also demonstrate their unique ability in the renewal and maintenance of military equipment.
In 20th-century Asia, Zhang Zuolin's arsenal was undoubtedly a valuable asset, especially in the production of howitzers. At that time, the number of howitzers in the Chinese army was relatively small, and Zhang Zuolin's arsenal not only copied these weapons, but also made a series of improvements to them, and produced them in relatively high quantities. These arsenals were particularly important in Asia at that time, and even aroused great interest among the Japanese.
When Japanese troops later entered the Tohoku region, they quickly seized these arsenals and continued to produce weapons. The reason is that when Zhang Zuolin was preparing to build the arsenal, the machinery and equipment he purchased were of high quality, and the entire system for manufacturing weapons was also very perfect. The fact that the Japanese were able to start production immediately after the occupation of these factories was a testament to the high efficiency and advanced technology of the arsenals.
Unfortunately, such an advanced arsenal was not used by the Chinese during the Sino-Japanese War. If these factories were under the control of the Chinese during the war, it could greatly increase the supply of weapons to China in the war of resistance. In this way, many Chinese soldiers did not have to rely on traditional cold weapons such as broadswords and spears to fight the enemy. Zhang Zuolin's arsenal played an important role in the historical context of the time, but its potential value was not fully realized during the war.