·天津机器西局

        清末,由于外国列强的频频入侵,国势日危,清廷中出现了一批以“自强” 、“求富”为目的,主张向西方学习的洋务派人物,开始兴办洋务。天津临近海口,“拱卫京畿” ,具有重要的军事、地理位置。同时,清廷为了避免洋务业过分集中在南方,扼制地方势力无限膨胀,致使天津成为中国北方洋务运动的中心。其中,北洋机器局就是清末洋务派在天津最早创办的洋务业。
        清咸丰十年十二月十日(1861年1月20日),崇厚赴津出任三口通商大臣后,便开始试制新式武器; 当时,朝廷内外也有在津创设军火工厂之议,认为 “练兵之要,制器为先” 。到同治五年八月二十八日 (1866年10月6日),总理各国事务大臣、恭亲王奕訢等正式向朝廷提出: “拟即在天津设局,总局专制外洋各种军火机器。”并建议: “由三口通商大臣崇厚细心筹划,妥立章程。” 崇厚得到皇帝的委命,立即投入了创办工作。
        同治六年正月二十三日 (1867年2月27日),崇厚向朝廷提出军火机器总局总办人选和委托洋人协办的建议,经朝廷批准后,便全权委托曾任丹麦领事的英国人密妥士,从英国代为采买机器,觅雇工匠,并推荐前奉天府尹德椿总办军火机器总局事宜。是年,总局选址在城东18里贾家沽道 (今中国人民解放军运输工程学院),局基东西长390丈,南北宽250丈。另在局基南勘定地基两块,一块用作建洋匠住房,一块用作建砖瓦厂; 又在局北勘定地基一块,用作设立公所。共计购买土地22.3顷。转年(1868)春,按照洋人设计并绘制的图示,动工兴建。至同治九年(1870),前后用了3年时间建成,共耗用官银38万余两。时称军火机器总局 (俗称东局)。
        同治九年(1870)天津教案发生,朝廷派崇厚以钦差大臣身份,赴法国 “赔礼道歉”。朝廷委任直隶总督李鸿章主持军火机器局。李鸿章将军火机器总局改称天津机器局,并进行整顿扩充。他上奏了《筹议天津机器局片》,提出了3项主要整顿措施: 用湖北补用道沈保靖,换掉洋人密妥士,总办天津机器局,津海关道陈钦会同经理,以避免洋人把持; 自主选择所用机器设备,避免盲目购货;将多用无用之员淘汰。
        转年,李鸿章委交周馥办理天津机器局的扩充事宜。
        一是,生产规模扩大。先后增建了铸铁和熟铁厂、锯木厂、子弹厂、提磺厂、淋硝新厂,续建了3座碾药厂,新建饼药厂,改建了洋枪厂,增建了电气水雷局,建造了习艺厂、药厂化学堂,等等。二是,厂房设备倍增。几年间,厂房增加62座,工徒千余人; 采用最新式的机器制造最新式的枪炮炸药。三是,产量质量提高。生产的军火,成为北洋水陆各军取给之源。
        根据光绪六年五月十三日 (1880年6月20日)和九月二十七日 (10月30日) 《益闻录》前后两次记载,天津机器局于光绪六年二月(1880年3月),制造了我国第一艘潜水艇;八月十五日 (9月19日),在天津白河(海河)下水试航一次成功。
        潜水艇在世界军事发展史上,属于高科技、高难度的武器。这艘动力驱动的潜水艇,比西方国家研制成功的第一艘动力潜水艇早6年。
        光绪二十年(1894)中日甲午海战失败以后,李鸿章被罢免直隶总督,接任北洋大臣兼直隶总督的王文韶,接管了天津机器局,并改为北洋机器局。北洋机器局经过多次续建、扩建,规模日益宏大,不仅是“洋军火之总汇” ,而且成了一个集机器制造、基本化学、金属冶炼、铸造加工、船舶修造等多种综合生产能力的、亚洲第一大军工企业。
        In late Qing Dynasty,the foreign invasions threatenedthe rule of Qing Dynasty. Those who were strivingto build a stronger and richer nation by advocatinglearning the West promoted the Yangwu (westernization)Movement. The position of Tianjin,which is near theBohai Sea,was critical to protect Beijing militarily andgeographically. Meanwhile,Qing Dynasty concentratedefforts at curbing the south in promoting the YangwuMovement,so Tianjin took the chance to become thenorth center of the movement.
        On January 20,1861 (the 10th year of EmperorXianfeng),Chonghou was appointed the head of Three-Seaport Business Yamen and began to make new-styleweapons. There were also officials of Qing Dynastyproposed to build powder mill in Tianjin,who believedthat "the priority of military was making weapons". OnOctober 6,1866,Prince Yi Xin,also minister of foreignaffairs,proposed that "it is necessary to set up a bureauin Tianjin manufacturing advanced weapons" and"Chonghou is a suitable candidate".As a result,Chonghouwas appointed by the emperor to establish the bureau.
        On February 27,1867,Chonghou proposed thecandidate for leading a weapon bureau and a foreignerfor assisting. With the approval from the court,YinDechun,governor-general of Fengtian,was in chargeof setting up the weapon bureau,and J.A.Meadows,aBritish and once a Denmark consular,was entrusted tobuy machines and employ workers. The site was chosenat Jiajiagu Street,18 miles away from the east of Tianjin(Currently,the location of PLA Logistics College). Itslength from east to west was 1,287 metres and the widthfrom north to south,825 metres. Two areas besides thevenue were allotted: one served for foreign workersapartments; the other for the tile factory. To the north ofthe venue,the office was built. Total size of the bureauwas 22.3 hectares. The next spring,the bureau brokeearth and began construction according to the blueprint.In 1870,the building of Weapon General Bureau (EastBureau) was completed. It took three years and 380,000taels of silver.
        In 1870,Chonghou acted as the imperial envoyand went to France to apologize for the burning of theWanghailou Church. Li Hongzhang,Governor-Generalof Zhili,was appointed to head the Weapon GeneralBureau. He changed its name into Tianjin Arsenal,reformed and enlarged it. His "Report on TianjinMachinery Bureau" to the court proposed three reforms:Ⅰ. JAT Meadows was boasting and unpractical. It wasnecessary to find an "honest and professional" Chineseto manage the bureau. Shen Baojing,Intendant of Circuitof Hubei,replaced JAT Meadows and was assistedby Chen Qing,head of Tianjin Custom,to run theBureau. Ⅱ. To save money and avoid making mistakesin purchase,the Bureau must make its own decision onbuying machines. Ⅲ. The redundant personnel must be reduced.

        

·北洋机器局

        In 1871,Governor-General Li Hongzhang entrustedZhou Fu to expand Tianjin Arsenal. Most of themanagers were officers of Huai Army and most of thebudget came from the taxation collected by the customs.Zhou Fu was both heads of the Tianjin Custom and ofthe Northern Field Headquarter. These two titles werebeneficial for the enlargement. All these efforts made theBureau entering into a brand-new period.
        Firstly,its capacity of production grew. Manya new factories were built,including a cast-iron andwrought-iron factory,a sawmill,a bullet plant,a sulfurfactory,a saltpeter factory and three powder-grindingfactories. Renovations were made on the gun factory.Training schools were also set up. Secondly,facilitiesand workshops in factories increased. Workers andapprentices labored at 62 workshops,let alone newmachines to produce new-style guns,cannons andpowder. Thirdly,quality and quantity of productsgot enhanced. The quantity of various powder,guns,cannons and bullets was doubled with better quality.Its ammunition was the sources for Beiyang navy andarmy.
        Yiwenlu noticed twice on June 20 and October30,1880 that the Tianjin Arsenal had produced thefirst submarine in China in March and succeeded in itsexperimental voyage on September 19.
        In the history of world military,the submarine isa kind of high-tech weapon. The invention of power-driven submarine in Tianjin was six years earlier thanthose made by the Western countries.
        In 1884,Zhang Tao wrote in his Tianjin Miscellaneathat the East Bureau "covered hundreds of mu and waswell equipped. "
        After the nation`s defeat in the Sino-Japanese Warof 1894-1895,Wang Wenshao replaced Li Hongzhang asminister of Beiyang,Governor-General of Zhili and tookover Tianjin Machinery Bureau. Because the supply ofammunition exceeded Tianjin,so the bureau changed itsname to Beiyang. With its expansion,Beiyang Arsenalbecame the largest and comprehensive corporationof military industry in Asia,involving a number ofindustries including machine making,basic chemistry,metal,foundry,ship building,etc.

        

·天津机器东局