Homemade bullets of the Chinese Eighth Route Army during World War II

A microcosm of the Chinese people’s eight years of arduous resistance against Japanese aggression

In January 1941, Nie Wenkui, a soldier of the Chinese Eighth Route Army, received only five bullets. His squad leader solemnly told him not to shoot if he wasn’t sure, not to shoot if he couldn’t aim properly, and definitely not to shoot from a distance.

The squad leader’s “three no’s” were actually a common phenomenon in the Eighth Route Army. Everyone knew that on the battlefield, where it was a matter of life and death, whoever fired first had a chance to survive. The more bullets one had, the greater their chances of winning.

However, not only Nie Wenkui’s unit but even the main forces had only ten bullets per person. Bullets had become extremely precious.

Left with no choice, Nie Wenkui began to rely on capturing ammunition. The Japanese soldiers typically carried 60–80 bullets each under normal circumstances, and an additional 50 as reserve during combat. A machine gun was equipped with 450 bullets. Compared to the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese were extravagantly supplied.

After the second half of 1939, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek no longer approved bullet supplies for the Eighth Route Army. They had to rely on capturing…