VIII — Made in China in the Late "Twenty-Year Armistice" and During WWII (Part 6): The Three Divine Weapons (4)

The QBZ40 assault rifle, the PF40 anti-tank rocket launcher, and the Type 40 107mm rocket artillery system — during the Second World War, these three weapons were issued exclusively to the Chinese Army. After the war, as the East-West Cold War sparked "hot wars" in various regions, these three weapons began flowing to every corner of the globe. China also authorized other nations to produce them under license.

These three weapons were beloved by the small, impoverished nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as by guerrilla forces, for their simplicity, durability, ease of operation, ease of transport, straightforward manufacturing processes, and low cost. Especially when the United States and the Soviet Union supported opposing armed factions within the same country, these three weapons inflicted significant casualties on the other side. Even amid the later waves of military modernization and informatization, these three weapons remained popular among guerrilla forces precisely because of their most fundamental attributes. As a result, in the new century, internet users gave them a collective title: "The Three Divine Weapons of the Guerrillas."

(Author's Summary: The Three Divine Weapons section is finally finished. The QBZ40 assault rifle portion at the beginning went fairly smoothly — practically written in one sitting. But I hit a wall starting with the PF40 anti-tank rocket, and ended up wrapping that section up hastily. The Type 40 107mm rocket artillery suffered the same fate. I sincerely apologize to the forum members who have been reading my work and had expectations. Jiaoshou offers his apology here.

For WWII weapons, I plan to cover only these three. As for armored vehicles [tanks], they have already been described in "Chairman Chen's Zoo," so I won't repeat that material. This means we can move past the WWII period. Next up is the postwar situation. A small preview: weapons will no longer be the focus. Instead, weapons and high-tech products will share the spotlight going forward.)