When it comes to the spoils of battle, a question is often asked: what to do with the captured ammunition?
Taking the Battle of Menglianggu as an example, the East China Field Army consumed nearly 2 million rounds of various bullets, but captured more than 2 million rounds of ammunition, and the amount of ammunition after the war was nearly 100,000 rounds more. And this is just one of them, there are many similar cases.
First, let's look at the situation of the reorganized 74th Division. This unit was originally the elite of the Kuomintang army, and although it lacked some equipment when it was reorganized, its combat effectiveness was still very impressive. According to statistics, the division has a reserve of about 2.7 million rounds of ammunition, and possibly even more. Given the flexibility of the battlefield ammunition replenishment, the figure could be higher.
However, the performance of the reorganized 74th Division in the Battle of Menglianggu was not satisfactory. Due to the inadequacy of the command layer and the confusion of tactics, part of the ammunition was even abandoned at the foot of the mountain and became the trophy of the East China Field Army. Lao Chiang also criticized the division's command confusion, believing that if the command at that time had done something, the division might not have been destroyed so quickly.
In addition, the integrated 74th Division had been supplied by air before the war, but due to the limited position, many supplies were eventually mistakenly thrown into the hands of the enemy. This also illustrates the mobility and variability of ammunition in war.
To sum up, the handling of ammunition is indeed a complex and important issue in war. Proper decision-making and adequate preparation are especially critical for the command level. How can we better deal with these issues in future wars? Feel free to leave a message to share your thoughts and suggestions!