In 1928, the Nationalist Government decided to establish a new army based on the German system. With the application of German equipment and German training. Arms-related heavy industry groups, production equipment manufacturers, and raw material suppliers have begun to have close contacts with China. In 1934, a large amount of German-made equipment was shipped to China, mainly 24 150mm field heavy artillery (the German FH-18 type), 20 37mm combat anti-aircraft guns (the German Pak35/36 type), and thousands of Mauser IIs. Type IV rifles, thousands of Czech-made ZB26 light machine guns and 20mm machine guns from the Swiss Ore-linkon company, in addition to Siemens communications equipment, Zeiss telescopes, German-made light tanks, bridging equipment, Anti-aircraft searchlights and other equipment.

In 1936 and 1937, Germany shipped 23 million and 82 million marks of arms to China respectively, including 150 mm fortress artillery (used for Yangtze River defense), anti-aircraft guns, rifles, machine guns, mortars, Heavy machine guns, various types of ammunition, steel helmets, as well as torpedoes, speedboats, communication equipment, as well as steelmaking, coking, chemical and other ordnance production equipment. In less than 10 years, the Nationalist Government has initially built up a defense industry and a new army in the Yangtze River Basin. It laid a solid foundation for future war of resistance. At the same time, the basic individual uniforms of the army infantry were also equipped in accordance with the standards of the German military forces at that time.

Infantry standard field equipment is equipped with German-made or imitation German-made 1924-style 7.92mm rifles, German-made M35 helmets, leather backpacks, military blankets, raincloths, iron boxes, water bottles, dry food bags, bayonets, Two sets of three-pack leather ammunition boxes. This set of equipment mainly refers to the design of Japanese military system and later German military system, but the design of many individual equipment is the same as that of the German army at that time. For example, dry food bags, bayonets, etc. These equipment only have the opportunity to appear during military parades and formal field training. During the war, they were rarely issued, so they were just decorations.

The combat equipment used by infantry on the battlefield is relatively simple. For example, the well-known individual ammunition pouch is a long ammunition pouch made of canvas. There are at least two ways of carrying it: one is a long ammunition pouch. The strip is wrapped diagonally from the shoulders to the waist and then wrapped again, and finally knotted with a cloth belt and tied around the waist. This type of ammunition bag can hold nearly 20 ammunition bags, and each ammunition bag can hold one magazine (5 rounds of ammunition). This method is the most common. From the research of many existing photos, it is known that the "German-style" troops use this method. kind. The other type is two shorter ones, either crossed on the chest, like an "X" shape, or hung from the shoulders, like an inverted "U" shape. There is also the use of one on the shoulders and one on the waist.

Illustration of the hand grenade bundle held by an individual soldier of the Central Army of the National Revolutionary Army

In addition to the rifle, each soldier also carries two M24 grenades in a canvas bag. It is hung on the left and right chests, connected by fine cloth strips around the neck, and tied to the soldier's back to fix it. Judging from historical data, grenade bags also come in five-packs and even eight-packs, which can be hung on the chest or slung across the waist. Due to the lack of anti-tank weapons at the time, soldiers did not even know anything about tanks. Therefore, the only option was to use the extremely tragic method of charging at the Japanese tanks with grenades strapped to the body.

In addition to the German-made 1924-style standard Mauser rifle, other rifles used by the Central Army are diverse. The most common are "Hanyang-made" and Mauser 1904/1907-style derivatives, including four The year type (the first year type is 6.8 mm, the four year type is changed to 7.92 mm) and the thirteen year type produced by the arsenals of the three eastern provinces. Because China, like the Japanese army, uses bayonet fighting as a common tactic, the length of the bayonet is more than 500 mm. In particular, due to the short gun of the Chinese version, the bayonet is 575 mm long, but after the bayonet is attached, it is still about 10 mm shorter than the Japanese Type 38, which many people regret.

Illustration of an individual soldier of the Central Army of the National Revolutionary Army holding a mid-level rifle with a bayonet and a large blade on the back.

The bullets equipped by German divisions mainly include pointed bullets, round-nosed bullets and heavy-pointed bullets. There are also special bullets, such as anti-armor steel core bullets. The pointed bullets are used by the Chinese official series rifles and Czech ZB26 light machine guns, and the round-nosed bullets are used by "Hanyang-made" guns. Although the four-year-old type has a caliber of 7.92 mm, some use round-nose bullets. Heavy-tipped bullets are specially used for Type 24 or Type 30 heavy machine guns.

The German-made M35 helmets were originally intended for the newly established German Air Force. After accepting an order from China for approximately 220,000 helmets, the German Army General Staff immediately directed that they be given priority to China.

According to currently known records, the *** imported 315,000 M35 helmets by 1936 and began equipping them in 1937. By the outbreak of the Pacific War, all direct troops of the Nationalist Government were basically issued M35s. During the Battle of Xinkou in Shanxi Province in the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, the 85th Division of the Central Army (division commander Chen Tie) who came for reinforcements was judged by the Japanese army to be the main force because of wearing an M35 steel helmet, and was severely attacked.

The military uniforms of German divisions are mainly made of cotton. However, according to Wan Fangcheng of the 88th Division, there were also woolen military uniforms and woolen coats in winter, camel hair jackets in spring and autumn, and khaki short-sleeved shirts and shorts in summer. In fact, officers do have woolen military uniforms, especially the so-called "A-grade woolen" yellow-green uniforms.

The military kettle is oval in shape and mainly consists of three parts: a kettle, a kettle cover and a strap. It has very Chinese characteristics (the Japanese style has a flat bottom). The kettle cover was made of olive green canvas or woolen cloth. During the difficult period of the Anti-Japanese War, it was usually just a layer of cotton. Chinese kettles have always used shoulder straps, which is different from the later German kettles that were hung on the belt.

The shape of the dry food bag (miscellaneous bag) is slightly different from the German style, and the way of carrying it is the same as the early German style. It is also carried across the shoulder with a strap, and later it was tied to a belt.

The appearance of the Chinese imitation German 1930-style gas mask is similar to that of Spain, and it is not a cylindrical device of the German army. The Gongxian Arsenal purchased equipment from Germany in 1934 (the 23rd year of the Republic of China) to prepare homemade gas masks. In 1936, the daily output reached 250 pairs, and the model was designated as Type 24 gas mask. Arsenals that produce gas masks include Jinling Arsenal and Guangdong Mask Factory (the models produced by Guangdong Mask Factory were later renamed as 42 Arsenal, not by year), etc. The models include Type 23, Type 24, Type 27 and Forty-two type. The gas mask cylinder used by the Nationalist Government troops may have come from the gas mask cylinder produced by France before World War II. Its characteristic is that the reinforced grain is horizontal, unlike the straight grain used by the German army in World War II. Due to the large number of the National Revolutionary Army and the lack of supplies, gas masks are not fully equipped. They are only distributed to the direct troops of the National Revolutionary Army and some special arms, such as air defense troops, artillery and other units. Because the Japanese invaders did not comply with the Geneva Conventions and used poison gas liberally, and the national army was not equipped with gas masks, they caused heavy casualties to the Chinese anti-war officers and soldiers.

Illustration of a Mauser pistol gunner of the National Army Central Army. In order to prevent the holster from shaking, the gunman usually wears the holster on his back when dressing, and then hangs the ammunition pack.

China is the country that uses the most German Mauser pistols and takes them to the extreme. It is affectionately called "box gun", "shell gun", "box gun", "speed machine", etc. . In addition, the Mauser pistol also has a little-known name - "Zilaide". In fact, this is its more formal generic name in China. Its official name is the Mauser Military Pistol. The Mauser factory obtained the patent on December 11, 1895, and officially started production the following year. Because its holster is a wooden box, it is also called a box gun in China. Those with fully automatic functions are also called speed machines. The Mauser factory called them the rapid-fire type (Schnellfeuer), which was mass-produced in May 1931. Another name that few people know is the Zilaide pistol. Many people think that only the rapid-fire type is called Zilaide. This is incorrect. In fact, Zilaide has always been the more formal name for this type of pistol in China.

In the archives of the War Department of the Beiyang Government, there is a document stating that in September 1912, the War Department signed a contract with Carlowitz & Co. to purchase: "Seven Miles Six-Three-Zilai Demauser" Two hundred pistols, with wooden handles, and five hundred bullets each. The price is 58 taels of silver. Delivered at the Tianjin dock. "Outside." This is clear evidence that the term "Zilaide pistol" was already used in 1911 (the first year of the Republic of China). It may be the earliest documented example of introduction, while the rapid-fire type did not appear until nearly twenty years later. In the United States, because of the shape of the handle, it is generally called a broom handle, and it is also called a box cannon through Chinese translation. Many people call the rapid-fire model 712, and say it is a Mauser factory model. In fact, it is a catalog number of the German GECO (Gustavo Glenshaw) company and has nothing to do with Mauser.

Many people also call the box gun C96 (Construction 96), which is a name commonly used in Europe. It originally referred to the short-barreled box gun. Like the Bolo, it is what some people call the police type. . The so-called Bolo comes from the Bolsheviks (the predecessor of the Russian Communist Party) in Russia, because the 3.9-inch box gun was widely used by them at that time.

There are four sources of box cannons in China:

1. Machine-assisted production by various arsenals in China: This type of box cannon has better material and processing quality, although it is still free of There are no manual assembly, parts are not interchangeable and other problems, but overall, it is almost comparable to imported products. The known production plants include at least: Hanyang Arsenal, Gongxian Arsenal, Dagu Shipyard, Shanxi Military Craft Practice Factory, Chongqing Weapons Repair Institute, Hengyang Ordnance Bureau, etc.

Illustration of the winter clothes of soldiers of the Central Army of the National Revolutionary Army holding rifles

2. Production by repair shops, factories and teams: This type of box cannon is produced by the repair teams accompanying the army. The guns are being repaired. In addition, they also made some ordnance. Such as Song Zheyuan's Northwest Armory Institute, Xiangxi Tuling Armory Institute, Eighth Route Army Lianggou Fourth Institute, etc. There is a huge gap in the materials and quality of this category. Some repair shops have better equipment and better supply of materials, so their products are better. Like the Eighth Route Army's armory facilities behind enemy lines, most of them are made of railway steel because the source of steel is cut off.

3. Private mobile gun repairing and gun-making vendors: This is a special industry, just like a doctor. Historical materials mention many places in Hebei, Henan, and Sichuan. From one person to several people, they build guns for local powerful families, small armies, and bandits. According to the customer's wishes, they live in one place for ten and a half days and build them by hand. Its quality varies from person to person, but it is generally stamped with all the marks of the original factory and is lifelike. Of course, some of the seals are incomprehensible. It may be that they don’t have the appearance of the original gun, but they are just taught by the master and passed down from false to false. Many of these guns are of little use but they can be fired a few times, but problems may arise if fired too many times. Many of them have very rough surface treatments, and you can tell they are handmade at first glance.

4. Imported products: The main sources are Germany and Spain, imported through foreign companies in Shanghai, Tianjin and other places. There is a document dated September 10, 1924, in which the Ministry of War signed a contract with the Tianjin German Merchant Shichang Company to purchase: "New German rifles with a caliber of 763 mils, a barrel of 96 mils, and a sight of 1,000 meters. 1,700 Mauser pistols, together with the empty wooden handle and 500 bullets per gun, one A (note: fake) bullet, one spring, one bow spring, one screw plate, the net price of each gun is 70 foreign dollars The price of the box gun in this document is only 3.77 inches, which is quite special. On March 12, 1934, Li Yaohuang, deputy manager of the CITIC Bureau, reported to Chiang Kai-shek: "I received a telegram from the Chairman of the Standing Committee of Chongqing to order 5,000 twenty-gun shell pistols. After inspection, I found an old German-made Mauser, a Spanish imitation. There are two types (note: Astra Super Azul, and Royal). The price of the Spanish Enstar brand is one yuan and seven cents lower than that of the German gun. Although the German gun has a stronger structure, the barrel is slightly shorter, so the range is also less. 200 meters. If you order a German gun with a longer barrel like the Spanish one, the range should be the same. Also, the chairman of the Generalissimo once called to check the Czech pistols. It was found that no such shells were sold in the Czech factories. They were merged and displayed. Ming. "In 1936, the National Government's Ministry of Finance's expenditure list included the item "Purchase of 20,000 20-shot pistols with 20 million rounds of ammunition", worth 2.8 million French currency. Another example is the telegram sent by Chiang Kai-shek to Tan Boyu, the Chinese Commercial Counselor in Germany: "Wuchang, March 1, 1938: Berlin. Mr. Tan Boyu of the Chinese Embassy: Confidential. Please negotiate immediately for 300 German August 1 mortars, each equipped with 3 shells , 000 rounds, if they are in stock, it will be better. I will also buy 20,000 20-ring shell pistols, each with 2,000 rounds of ammunition. If they are not in stock, the sooner the better, the better. Please report in detail. Zhongzheng. "Many German box guns imported through commercial channels have the Chinese characters "Made in Germany" printed on the left side of the magazine. Some people think that box guns only have 10 rounds. This is incorrect. In fact, there are 6 rounds, 10 rounds, and 20 rounds. The former two use fixed magazines, while the latter are mostly plug-in magazines. There are also 20-round fixed magazines, but they are extremely rare.

From the above documents, it can be seen that from before the Anti-Japanese War to the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, the ones purchased by China were designated as 20 rounds, and of course they were distributed to the Central Army. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to say that the Central Army mainly issues 10-shot Mauser pistols.

Most of the non-commissioned officers in German weapon divisions are equipped with Mauser "twenty-ring" fully automatic pistols. They carry special leather holsters with a simple shape, only half-section, open at the top and bottom, and the wooden shell holster of the Mauser is inserted directly into it. It also comes with a special leather magazine bag for Mauser guns. There are 12 ammunition bags on the front that can hold 20-round magazines, which are tied to the back waist with a belt buckle. The "Y" shaped shoulder strap supports the ammunition bag group at three points. When the Mauser gunners of the National Army are dressing up, they first carry the holster on their left shoulder and right rib or right shoulder and left rib, and then put on the ammunition bag group. In this way, the holster is fixed under the ammunition bag group and will not shake. .

Illustration of the submachine gun gunners of the Central Army of the National Army

The submachine gun (called a portable machine gun in China at that time) is an economical and practical single-person melee weapon, especially the light or micro submachine gun due to its fierce firepower and It is flexible to use and is very suitable for charge or counter-charge, as well as close-quarters combat in jungles, trenches, urban street battles, etc. Therefore, as one of the important members of the gun family, the submachine gun is still an indispensable personal self-defense and combat weapon for infantry, paratroopers, scouts, border guards and security forces. As early as 1915, in order to meet the needs of positional warfare in World War I, Italian B.A. Leviri designed a double-barreled repeating gun that fired 9mm pistol bullets, thus laying the foundation for the modern submachine gun. In 1918, the first Bergmann MP18 9mm submachine gun designed by the German H. Smeiser and suitable for individual soldier use came out. In the same year, its improved MP18I submachine gun was officially equipped with the German Army for use in the 1920s and 1930s. This is the initial development period of submachine guns. During this period, many countries did not have enough understanding of the tactical role of submachine guns, so there were not many product models. Representative submachine guns include Italy's Vera Perosa and Beretta M1938A, Germany's Bergmann MP18I and MP38, Spain's MX1935 and T?N?35 series, Switzerland's MKIO, and the United States' Thompson M1928A1 and Soviet Type 1934/38. Due to their complex structure, high cost, large size and mass, and poor safety and reliability, these submachine guns have limited their production quantity and scope of use. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Chinese army also introduced a large number of Schmeisser (Bergman) MP18 submachine guns from Germany (the Chinese once called it the "flower machine gun", which was actually the export version of the German Schmeisser MP18 submachine gun). Its gun length 832mm, weighing 4.1 kilograms, the magazine can hold 32 rounds of 9mm bullets, the muzzle velocity is 395 meters per second, the rate of fire is 500 rounds per minute, and the range is about 70 meters. Because the performance of the MP18 submachine gun is not outstanding, it is It has not become the standard equipment of our soldiers. It is only distributed to non-commissioned officers above the squad leader as a standard weapon on the battlefield, or provided to the national army commandos as a critical weapon.

The 1920s and 1930s. The Chinese army has introduced a large number of 9mm Bergman MP18 submachine guns from Germany (the Chinese once called the export version the "flower machine"). The whole gun is 832mm long, weighs 4.1kg, has a magazine capacity of 32 rounds, and a muzzle velocity of 395m/ Seconds, the range is about 70 meters. Due to its complex structure, high cost, large size and weight, and poor reliability, it has not become a standard weapon for soldiers and is only issued to non-commissioned officers above the squad leader. It is also equipped with a leather six-magazine magazine set specifically for the MP18. The carrying method is the same as that of the Mauser gunner.

The machine gunners of the National Revolutionary Army are generally non-commissioned officers around the squad leader. They are equipped with a 9mm Bergman. In addition to the MP18 submachine gun and the individual soldier's personal carrying equipment, it also comes with a leather six-bag magazine set dedicated to the submachine gun, which can hold 6 special magazines (32 rounds per magazine), and a special magazine bag for the MP18 submachine gun. The shawl is the same as that of a Mauser gunner, and it is also tied to the waist through a Y-shaped shoulder strap and a belt buckle on the back.

ZB-26 light machine gun: During World War I, the participating troops began to notice that there were It is necessary to develop lightweight rapid-fire weapons that can be carried by infantry to provide powerful firepower at any time. Therefore, portable light machine guns (or submachine guns) using pistol bullets and light machine guns using rifle bullets have been developed. Their unique characteristics are, Both can fire fully automatically, providing support fire to infantry.

The Germans improved the MG08 into MG08/15/ and MG08/18 light machine guns, the American Browning's 1918 BAR Browning Automatic Rifle, the British Lewis Gun light machine gun, and the French Chouch (Chauchat) light machine guns have become the main firepower in infantry movements. In 1920, Vaclav Holek began designing a new type of light machine gun at the Parga Zbrojovka-Prague Armory. The concept of his design came from Rudolf Jelan, another designer from the same factory. The first prototype gun produced was called the Praga I (Praga I). ??It used the canvas belt of the Maxim machine gun and was submitted to the Czech Ministry of Defense for testing. The test results were comparable to those of the famous Browning, Madsen and Vickers, and the Ministry of Defense requested the Prague Ordnance Factory to continue research and development.

In 1923, the Czech Ministry of Defense announced a test standard to select automatic rifles or light machine guns for future use by the Czech Army. The Praga II A (Praga IIA) also participated in this test, and the result was second only to the Madison light machine gun. Hallick continued to improve his design and produced the Praga I-23. This model used a telescopic stock, a quickly replaceable barrel, a tripod and other functions, although the test results were still inferior to McGrady's. However, because it is a local design, it finally defeated the others and was adopted. At this time, the Prague Ordnance Factory was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Harlick and most of the technical staff had resigned. Therefore, although the light machine guns of the Prague Ordnance Factory were adopted by the Czech Ministry of Defense, they were no longer able to produce them. In November 1925, the Prague Ordnance Factory signed a production contract with the state-owned arsenal in Brno (Ceskoslovernska Zbrojovka Akciova Spolecnost v Brno), authorizing the state-owned arsenal to produce and sell the light machine gun then known as the M24. Brno (Brunn in German) is the capital of Jihomoravsky District in the southeastern Czech Republic. It means mountain city in Celtic. Slavs have lived here since the 5th century, and Germans began to enter the area in the 13th century, which contributed to the development of the area. Before World War II, most of the local residents were of German descent. The Czech state-owned arsenal located in Bono was established in 1922. 75% of the shares belong to the Czech government, 20% of the shares belong to Skoda Works, and 5% of the shares belong to employees. At that time, the Mauser type 98/22 had been produced and was sold to the military of various countries, including the Northeastern Army of China, and was well received. Hallick subsequently joined the state-run arsenal and assisted in completing production blueprints and production tolerances. The pilot type is called the Lehky kulomet Praga vzor 26. The prototype gun was accepted by the Czech Ministry of Defense in April 1926. Official mass production began in the same year and was named the Zbrojovka Brno vzor 26. -ZB-26).

The following year, China began to introduce a large number of ZB-26 light machine guns, and also copied a large number of them. According to Zbrane Pro Cely Svet's data, from 1927 to 1939, 30,249 ZB-26 light machine guns were shipped to China per year.

In the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, the average monthly output of the Nationalist Government's arsenal was 414 rifles, and the average battle damage was 515 rifles, accounting for 86%. Counting 96 months, Japan produced 39,744 Czech light machine guns in eight years. The actual average annual replenishment during the war was 10,685 guns, which exceeded the average annual war losses. The difference was due to outsourcing or acquisition through Lend-Lease.

Illustration of the light machine gun shooter of the Central Army of the National Revolutionary Army

Light machine gun shooter

Mainly equipped with ZB26 light machine gun and special ammunition bag group. The leather or canvas pouch set can hold 6 magazines, and the two shoulder straps intersect in an "X" shape on the back. The leather belt is generally not worn after hanging the ammunition pouch. In addition, the light machine gunner is also equipped with a water bottle, dry food bag and a shell gun for self-defense. and other basic individual equipment. Some also have a cotton crescent-shaped shawl to protect the shoulders and reduce wear and tear on the military uniform.

Illustration of the officers of the cavalry unit of the German Arms Division of the Chinese Army

Cavalry

The cavalry is a traditional arm with a history of thousands of years. It has the same characteristics as the infantry arm. Glorious history. In the era of cold weapons, whether it is Chinese or foreign armies, cavalry is an indispensable unit. Moreover, because in ancient times when productivity was extremely limited, livestock was very important to the country and people. Therefore, the number of cattle and horses became the measure of national strength. At the same time, the number of infantry and cavalry and the level of tactical quality were the measure of military strength. The use of cavalry in China can be traced back to the late Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when Qin and Zhao, the vassal states located on the northern border, fought against the Xiongnu and other nomadic peoples. These Central Plains countries that were good at positional warfare were repeatedly invaded by nomadic peoples. It changed its original strategic thinking and used the method of "teaching the barbarians their skills to control the barbarians" to develop a large number of cavalry. Subsequent dynasties also developed different methods, and the tradition has been maintained for thousands of years. But with the development of mechanization in the era of hot weapons, especially the birth of tanks and chariots, the cavalry slowly withdrew from the stage of history. Due to the late development of mechanized equipment of the National Revolutionary Army, the cavalry still occupies a dominant position in terms of rapid maneuverability. Whether it is the German Arms Division or other local troops, they maintain a considerable number of cavalry units. The cavalry unit of the National Revolutionary Army has its own service color of yellow. The equipment of the German division is the best. In addition to having the same equipment as the infantry, such as: steel helmets, military blankets, water bottles, ammunition bags, lunch boxes and gas masks, etc. They are also equipped with special cavalry rifles and sabers, and some troops also wear green military uniforms (it has not been confirmed whether they are actually cavalry-specific military uniforms). Among the local cavalry units in the national army, due to their original historical reasons (before they were assigned to the central government, most local warlords purchased and assembled them themselves) the cavalry assembly was messy and varied. But most of them use Tony-style steel helmets produced in Britain and traditional Chinese melee weapons-blade.

Illustration of ordinary cavalry soldiers of the National Army

Chinese official mounted rifle: In 1932, the Military Committee of the National Government held a national standard weapons conference and decided to use the German 1924-style rifle as a mounted rifle. , the bullets used are standard 7.92x57mm pointed bullets, which are designated as standard rifles. This gun was only produced in small quantities in Germany and could be regarded as one of the latest rifles at the time.

In 1934, the Ministry of Finance ordered 10,000 rifles from the German Mauser Factory in order to arm the tax police corps. The Technical Department of the Ordnance Industry Administration took the opportunity to ask Minister of Finance Kong Xiangxi to request 24 years of rifles from the German manufacturer. A complete set of manufacturing drawings, accompanied by a raw material list, inspection sample, and a pair of matching drawings. After receiving the information, the Technical Department of the Ordnance Industry Administration immediately handed it over to the Gongxian Arsenal and asked it to start modifying the molds based on the drawings and samples to prepare for the manufacture of the 24-year-old rifle. It was originally expected to produce the first rifle by the end of October 1934. Approval of new guns. However, the samples provided by Mauser Factory had already been used, and there were still some minor errors in the drawings submitted. Therefore, the Technical Department of the Ordnance Industry Administration formally negotiated with the German Ordnance Industry Administration to obtain the German-made 24-year-old manufacturing drawings and inspection sample drawings. The then director of the Gongxian Arsenal, Mao Yike, graduated from the Technical University of Berlin in Germany; he was sent to Germany to introduce the 1924-style manufacturing drawings and inspection samples. The new drawings were received in 1935, and the Gongxian Arsenal was still responsible for development.

The Gongxian Arsenal started trial production in July 1935. It was originally named the Type 24 rifle, also known as the 1924 short Mauser. The mark on the sleeve also began to imitate Mauser's horizontal banner trademark (Banner), marked with the "24" style. When preparing for the trial production process, Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Meiling visited the Gongxian Arsenal for inspection, and later Yu Dawei, Director of the Ordnance Industry Administration, submitted a request for approval. After August 1935, the new gun was named China's official mounted rifle. Printed on the festival cover is the official logo, the Gongxian Armory factory emblem and the year and month of production. Therefore, there are less than 2,000 mounted rifles of this type with Type 24 printed gun cases. China's official mounted rifle was officially mass-produced on October 10, 1935. Afterwards, the cavalry troops were formally equipped.

Illustration of the Engineer Winter Clothing of the Central Army Infantry Division of the National Revolutionary Army

Engineer

The German-made division has a full-time engineer battalion, which is directly under the division headquarters and serves the entire Combat divisions provide specialized services such as building bridges, clearing mines, laying mines, and erecting and dismantling roadblocks. Its configuration system and technical functions are established and trained according to the German military system, and it has advanced German-made engineer heavy equipment, such as bridge-building equipment. It is also equipped with transport vehicles imported simultaneously with the equipment, which can fully maneuver synchronously with the troops it belongs to.

To show the difference, engineers wear special white-backed collar badges. In contrast, the equipment of most army engineering battalions is relatively simple, with very little heavy equipment, and transportation basically relies on packhorses and carts. But at that time, the vast majority of the troops were on foot, which could be considered to be able to maneuver simultaneously with their subordinate units. Generally speaking, the assembly of the engineering battalions of most units of the national army is relatively simple, with very little heavy equipment. The transportation of their equipment basically relies on traditional Chinese transportation vehicles such as packhorses and carts. However, because the vast majority of China's military at that time The army's mode of mobility is on foot, so it can be regarded as synchronously maneuvering with the troops it belongs to. The most enviable thing for other troops is the engineer battalion in the German Arms Division of the Central Army of the Kuomintang. Not only do they have advanced German-made heavy-duty engineering equipment, such as bridge-building equipment, but they are also equipped with transport vehicles imported simultaneously with the assembly and have reached the level of their respective The troops mobilized simultaneously. In addition to wearing the white-backed collar badges specific to their respective arms, engineers have other personal equipment that is basically the same as that of infantry soldiers. Because many units of the national army suffered serious attrition in the fierce Japanese attack on the battlefield, generals with a patriotic spirit often brought second-line troops to the front line to participate in the battle. Engineers are no exception. In addition to personal equipment, individual sappers are issued with their professional tools and a leather tool bag slung over the shoulder.

Illustration of the Medical Corps of the Central Army Infantry Division of the National Revolutionary Army

Medical Corps

On September 25, 1935, the Kuomintang Military Commission promulgated the 588th Public Order The order clearly stipulates in the configuration of the infantry division that a division-affiliated health team be established to provide specialized medical assistance to the troops and be used as a military hospital in peacetime. Military doctors (professional surgeons, referring to Western medicine) in the true sense appeared relatively late in our country, and their equipment and medical standards are relatively backward. Although there are people who have studied abroad and returned to China, they are actually a minority, and most of them are domestically trained. Even so, it is far from meeting the wartime requirements of the army. It can only train some students or soldiers with medical knowledge for a short period of time to enrich the army. However, due to the lack of medical drugs, the survival rate of soldiers seriously injured in the battle is extremely low. This is also one of the main reasons for the large number of casualties in the Chinese army.

Health soldiers are divided into two types: military doctors and ambulance soldiers. Military doctors are officers, and ambulance corpsmen are composed of soldiers and non-commissioned officers. They all wear green collar badges and have the same rank as infantry. Wear an armband with the Red Cross logo on the left upper arm, equipped with a special wooden or leather first aid kit with a strap, as well as a German imitation 1930-style gas mask and towel. They wear cloth field caps in peacetime and German steel helmets in wartime. Local troops such as the Northwest Army, Jin Army and Guangdong and Guangxi Army wear British steel helmets. The first aid kit of the national army is different from the leather first aid kit of the Western army and has its own traditional Chinese characteristics. Military belts are consistent with other military services, but can be worn according to personal needs during wartime.

Illustration of the winter clothing of the Gendarmerie of the Central Army Infantry Division of the National Revolutionary Army

Gendarme

The Gendarmerie is an indispensable branch of all national armies, although it does not belong to combat Although he is a member of the army, he plays an irreplaceable role in supervising the military conduct and discipline of the army, guiding road traffic, maintaining order in the army, conducting military court trials and investigating disciplinary incidents in the army (people are accustomed to calling it "military police"). You can see the military police in many major military occasions in historical photos and film and television materials. The military police of the National Revolutionary Army are selected from soldiers, mostly non-commissioned officers. Directly subordinate to the military headquarters or division headquarters. The background color of the military rank is dark red, the same color as the manager (military industry department). The military uniform is the same as that of other arms, except that it has an armband on the left arm with the two characters "gendarme" printed on it, which is similar to the Japanese army at that time. The military police helmet is very distinctive. There are two types, one is a modification of the helmet similar to the British Tony-style helmet; the other is similar to the summer hat worn by the tropical colonial armies of Western countries (more like the helmet worn by the Vietnamese army). All troops wear them like this, including German divisions. In addition to the helmet, the military police also wore a small whistle, the same as that used by the police at that time, for communication purposes. The weapon is equipped with a Mauser twenty-shot fully automatic pistol and a special leather holster, as well as a special leather magazine bag for the Mauser gun. The front can hold 12 20-round magazines, and there is a belt buckle on the back to tie it to the waist. The Y-shaped shoulder strap supports the magazine group at 3 points.