Xia Bohai also hesitated for a moment. Although he was not from the Army, he also knew the huge role of 155mm artillery in the Army. The 24 155mm artillery, which is a 155mm artillery that can be arranged quickly. If used properly, the 125mm artillery with a power of more than three times can be regarded as another trump card of the Army. Therefore, the Army's plan is indeed very good. But even Xia Bohai cannot decide for a while if he wants to use so many modern vehicles.

Every modern equipment is a valuable asset to the East China government. If you want to use it, you will have strict approval procedures. Equipment like vehicles is usually used very carefully. Even if it is an important project, it will generally not exceed 10 vehicles. The Army will have to go 30-40 vehicles at once. Not to mention Xia Bohai alone, even a group of 5 people cannot decide. So Xia Bohai said: "Let's do this, the Executive Yuan needs to negotiate the matter of vehicles."

Zhu Yaping also knew that this requirement was of great importance, and it was impossible for Xia Bohai to make a decision on the spot like the navy built ships or submarines just now, so he did not continue to worry and continued: "In the Army Equipment Plan, there is only one weapon that needs to be developed, which is the armored train. Although armored trains had long been eliminated in the era before our crossing, at this time, armored trains were still an important weapon of the army of the great powers. Due to railway transportation, the army could be equipped with large-caliber artillery of the naval gun level.

And quickly and maneuverable arrangements can provide fire support to the troops, fight independently, and protect large railway hubs. During World War I, it was the peak period for armored trains. During World War II, although armored trains were weak, they could still play a considerable role in a certain battlefield environment. There are Middle East Railways in the Northeast, so armored trains should be useful. We recommend that the project be established immediately and the development of armored trains can be paid from the compensation fees allocated by the army."

Qin Zheng said: "I am not against the manufacture of armored trains, but have you considered that there is no railway in Shandong to the northeast. Even if there is one, we cannot let the armored train pass through the Qing court's area and go to the northeast. So how can the armored train get to the northeast?"

Zhu Yaping said: "We have already thought about this issue. We can fold the train into sections and then transport it by ship. There is no need to build a new ship for special transportation trains. Just transform the two transport ships. Of course, the docks of the ports of the two places also need to be renovated to facilitate the train to get ashore. Although this is a little troublesome, the cost is not too high."

Xia Bohai said: "I think this plan is feasible. If there are armored trains to assist in the war, of course we can increase our chances of victory one more level. The Army Department can first make plans and design plans, review them by the Military Commission, and then hand them over to the Executive Yuan for approval."

Zhu Yaping said: "The preliminary design has been completed, and we can hand it over to the Military Commission after we sort it out."

Xia Bohai smiled and said, "Your movements are fast enough." He was very satisfied, which means that both the army and the navy had already begun to think about the combat issues of the Russo-Japanese War.

At this time, Qin Zheng said: "I remember someone applying for the development of armored vehicles and fixed-wing aircraft. Didn't the Army include these two projects in the equipment plan?"

Zhu Yaping said: "We have evaluated these two projects, mainly because the development cycle is too long, and the current technical conditions do not meet the requirements. The construction of tanks and fixed-wing aircraft is an engine, but the technology of both gasoline and diesel engines in this era is not yet mature. Even with our technical support, it will take at least five years to develop gasoline and diesel engines that can be mass-produced, which will definitely not be able to catch up with this war. In terms of armored vehicles, we have 28 Type 05 amphibious tanks and 18 Warrior tanks, although in the old days

In time and space, the armor of these tanks is very weak, but it is still possible in this era. In addition, we can also install another layer of armor, which is completely enough. In terms of aviation weapons, there are 14 helicopters and 8 drones. In the battle in Java, we tested the helicopter's high-altitude bombing power, and the results were very ideal. The original fixed-wing aircraft was not as good as our helicopters. Therefore, we did not include these two projects in the equipment plan, but I still hope that the Executive Yuan can approve these two projects. After all, this is the general trend, so it is better to carry out a certain amount of technical accumulation in advance."

Xiao Jianjun said: "I think this war is a key battle related to the future development of our government. If we fight, we will not only weaken our main rivals in Asia, Russia and Japan, obtain development funds through compensation, and obtain land in the Northeast. If we lose, we will be almost done. So at this time, don't hide it. Use everything you can use, don't be reluctant, but win this battle at all costs."

Xia Bohai said: "Lao Xiao, I understand all the truths you said. Personally, I fully support your point of view, but we have systems after all, and the government's affairs are not decided by the five of us. In short, in the Executive Council, I will try my best to promote your plan to pass."

Xiao Jianjun nodded and said, "Well, what we want to talk about is the plan for the army, personnel and logistics. This battle is expected to require the formation of 15 regular divisions, including 5 Class A Divisions and 12-15 Preparatory Divisions. In addition, the navy also needs to form a Marine division with a total force of about 400,000, and a total of more than 2,700 artillery pieces. The arrangement of the all-body body is that after our plan is smooth and the troops are fully developed, the front line of the Russian army is 7 regular divisions, including 3 Class A Divisions, 8 Preparatory Divisions, with 180,000 to 200,000 troops; the troops on the Yalu River and Japan are 5 divisions

There are three regular divisions, including one Class A Division, two reserve divisions, with a force of 60,000 to 70,000 troops; 3-4 divisions are retained in the rear, of which two regular divisions are as emergency forces, with about 50,000 to 60,000 people. The remaining troops remain in Shandong. As a rotating army, in addition to the army, 5,000 police officers are needed to maintain the public order of the occupied areas, and a certain number of local managers are also needed. The number of all personnel is decided by the Executive Yuan. In addition, in the Northeast region, we need about 200,000 civil servants. Of course, after we occupy the Northeast region, we should immediately organize and mobilize local people, so that the number of civil servants will gradually decrease."

Xu Jichao said: "I'll do it. According to the distribution of troops as Chief Xiao just mentioned, our investment in the Northeast is 290,000-330,000, the troops left behind in Shandong are 70,000-110,000, and the minimum force is only 70,000. If the Qing court suddenly turned against us at this time, can such troops be defended by Shandong? I think the Qing court has basically regarded us as enemies now, and I'm afraid we won't miss this opportunity."

Before Xiao Jianjun could speak, Qin Zhengji said, "Don't worry, the Qing court will not easily turn against us before the overall situation in the Northeast is settled. If it were before the Gengzi State Change, Cixi might have the courage to take risks, but the Gengzi State Change should have taught the Qing court enough lessons. Even if Cixi might want to get rid of us and get ahead, I don't think she dares to take risks anymore."

Xiao Jianjun also nodded and said, "Yes, and we sent troops to the Northeast to recover lost territory and have an absolute moral advantage. This time, for Java to protect overseas Chinese, the Qing court has been quite moved. If the Qing court raided Shandong when we sent troops to the Northeast, it would be considered a big deal. Just the saliva of the people in the world could flood the Qing court."

Xia Bohai shook his head and said, "We cannot be too optimistic about this. After all, the Qing court was a feudal dynasty and could not be measured by normal government behavior. The Boxer Rebellion did give the Qing court enough lessons, but what if other countries instigated the Qing court to send troops? Do you think Cixi could still calm down? As for public opinion pressure, I don't think it can affect the decisions of the Qing court. Therefore, we must truly make plans for response."

Xiao Jianjun said: "I think even if there are only 70,000 troops, we can fully defend the security of Shandong. First of all, the Qing court's organizational ability was very poor at this time. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Qing court dispatched less than 100,000 troops; and in the Gengzi Rebellion, the Qing court could dispatch only 450,000 troops, and in the old time and space, after the Wuchang Uprising, the Qing court could dispatch only 670,000 troops to suppress the army. Based on this calculation, even if the Qing court attacked Shandong, the troops could dispatch would never exceed 100,000 troops, so we are not at a disadvantage in terms of military strength.

Even though we will have some reserve divisions, I believe that the training and quality of our army, and the only ones in the Qing army with combat effectiveness are the Beiyang New Army. However, the Beiyang New Army now has only about 30,000 new troops, which is far from enough. In addition, the volunteer army we divided has established a stable base in the Henan region, and the army brought up has more than 12,000. And the Qing army that was coming to conquer and suppress the two times can fully support us. If the Qing court really sends troops to attack us, it will give them a profound lesson and let them know how powerful we are."

After hearing this, the others nodded frequently, thinking that Xiao Jianjun's analysis made sense and could basically ensure the safety of Shandong. Seeing that everyone did not ask again, Xiao Jianjun said, "The final thing is the funds needed for this battle. According to our calculations, not the early investment. From now on, the funds needed range from 800 million to 900 million silver dollars, which is converted into British pounds, which is 100 million British pounds. The details are printed out, and you can take a closer look, and I won't explain them in detail."

After hearing Xiao Jianjun's words, the other four people were also a little shocked. Wang Yunpeng said first: "Do you need so much money? According to the estimate of the Finance Committee, our fiscal revenue this year is expected to be around 80 million silver dollars, which is 10 times our fiscal revenue per year."
Chapter completed!