·天津機器西局

清末，由于外國列強的頻頻入侵，國勢日危，清廷中出現(xiàn)了一批以“自強” 、“求富”為目的，主張向西方學習的洋務(wù)派人物，開始興辦洋務(wù)。天津臨近?？冢肮靶l(wèi)京畿” ,具有重要的軍事、地理位置。同時，清廷為了避免洋務(wù)業(yè)過分集中在南方，扼制地方勢力無限膨脹，致使天津成為中國北方洋務(wù)運動的中心。其中，北洋機器局就是清末洋務(wù)派在天津最早創(chuàng)辦的洋務(wù)業(yè)。
清咸豐十年十二月十日(1861年1月20日),崇厚赴津出任三口通商大臣后，便開始試制新式武器； 當時，朝廷內(nèi)外也有在津創(chuàng)設(shè)軍火工廠之議，認為 “練兵之要，制器為先” 。到同治五年八月二十八日 (1866年10月6日),總理各國事務(wù)大臣、恭親王奕訢等正式向朝廷提出： “擬即在天津設(shè)局，總局專制外洋各種軍火機器。”并建議： “由三口通商大臣崇厚細心籌劃，妥立章程?！?崇厚得到皇帝的委命，立即投入了創(chuàng)辦工作。
同治六年正月二十三日 (1867年2月27日),崇厚向朝廷提出軍火機器總局總辦人選和委托洋人協(xié)辦的建議，經(jīng)朝廷批準后，便全權(quán)委托曾任丹麥領(lǐng)事的英國人密妥士，從英國代為采買機器，覓雇工匠，并推薦前奉天府尹德椿總辦軍火機器總局事宜。是年，總局選址在城東18里賈家沽道 (今中國人民解放軍運輸工程學院),局基東西長390丈，南北寬250丈。另在局基南勘定地基兩塊，一塊用作建洋匠住房，一塊用作建磚瓦廠； 又在局北勘定地基一塊，用作設(shè)立公所。共計購買土地22.3頃。轉(zhuǎn)年(1868)春，按照洋人設(shè)計并繪制的圖示，動工興建。至同治九年(1870),前后用了3年時間建成，共耗用官銀38萬余兩。時稱軍火機器總局 (俗稱東局)。
同治九年(1870)天津教案發(fā)生，朝廷派崇厚以欽差大臣身份，赴法國 “賠禮道歉”。朝廷委任直隸總督李鴻章主持軍火機器局。李鴻章將軍火機器總局改稱天津機器局，并進行整頓擴充。他上奏了《籌議天津機器局片》,提出了3項主要整頓措施： 用湖北補用道沈保靖，換掉洋人密妥士，總辦天津機器局，津海關(guān)道陳欽會同經(jīng)理，以避免洋人把持； 自主選擇所用機器設(shè)備，避免盲目購貨；將多用無用之員淘汰。
轉(zhuǎn)年，李鴻章委交周馥辦理天津機器局的擴充事宜。
一是，生產(chǎn)規(guī)模擴大。先后增建了鑄鐵和熟鐵廠、鋸木廠、子彈廠、提磺廠、淋硝新廠，續(xù)建了3座碾藥廠，新建餅藥廠，改建了洋槍廠，增建了電氣水雷局，建造了習藝廠、藥廠化學堂，等等。二是，廠房設(shè)備倍增。幾年間，廠房增加62座，工徒千余人； 采用最新式的機器制造最新式的槍炮炸藥。三是，產(chǎn)量質(zhì)量提高。生產(chǎn)的軍火，成為北洋水陸各軍取給之源。
根據(jù)光緒六年五月十三日 (1880年6月20日)和九月二十七日 (10月30日) 《益聞錄》前后兩次記載，天津機器局于光緒六年二月(1880年3月),制造了我國第一艘潛水艇；八月十五日 (9月19日),在天津白河(海河)下水試航一次成功。
潛水艇在世界軍事發(fā)展史上，屬于高科技、高難度的武器。這艘動力驅(qū)動的潛水艇，比西方國家研制成功的第一艘動力潛水艇早6年。
光緒二十年(1894)中日甲午海戰(zhàn)失敗以后，李鴻章被罷免直隸總督，接任北洋大臣兼直隸總督的王文韶，接管了天津機器局，并改為北洋機器局。北洋機器局經(jīng)過多次續(xù)建、擴建，規(guī)模日益宏大，不僅是“洋軍火之總匯” ,而且成了一個集機器制造、基本化學、金屬冶煉、鑄造加工、船舶修造等多種綜合生產(chǎn)能力的、亞洲第一大軍工企業(yè)。
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.

·北洋機器局

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.

·天津機器東局