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The tank soldier suddenly pulled the lever, and the steam tank emitted bursts of thick smoke from the chimney and began to move forward.
At first, the tank moved very slowly, but after a while it accelerated and reached the speed of human walking.
The steam engine made a huge noise when it was running, and the whole tank roared like a locomotive, sounding like a huge monster.
Boss Wei and his company were stunned when they saw the huge iron lump actually moving. They stood beside the tank with their jaws dropped, feeling that they had seen an unprecedented miracle.
This tank made of fine steel really can move without the need for oxen and horses to pull it!
Chen Yaoer followed the tank cautiously and asked Boss Wei: "Platoon leader, can this tank really drive to the opposite trench?"
Boss Wei frowned and shouted: "I ask you to follow me, and you will follow me honestly. If you become a deserter, I will shoot you to death! Otherwise, you will not embarrass the Chen family."
Chen Yaoer felt a chill in his heart. He gave up his thoughts of escaping and walked behind the tank.
Boss Wei looked around at his soldiers and shouted loudly: "Everyone loads and loads, and blocks the bullets with scrap newspapers!"
The soldiers began to load their ammunition, and then followed Boss Wei and headed west behind one hundred and fifty tanks.
The tank crossed the trench of the Tiger Army from the iron plate specially built for the tank and entered the battle area between the trenches of both sides.
One hundred and fifty tanks did not advance side by side. Some tanks drove in front, and some tanks drove behind. The tanks and tanks staggered with each other horizontally, completely blocking the shooting field of view of the rifles on the opposite side. One hundred and fifty tanks
The three-meter-wide tank shielded an area of nearly 400 meters.
Ten thousand Tiger troops armed with various weapons followed the tanks and pressed towards Jiangbei Army's position.
In the Central Military Department of the Huben Army, all the officers looked at the momentum of one hundred and fifty tanks rushing into the battle, and they all showed expressions of amazement.
This huge tank made of fine steel really has a breathtaking momentum. More than a hundred tanks are advancing together, making people feel that nothing can stop it.
Zheng Kaicheng took a breath and said: "Looking at the posture of this tank, I'm afraid it can really block the guns of Jiangbei Army."
Zhong Feng looked at the tank and his face turned red with excitement. He punched himself on the waist and said: "If this tank can restrain the Jiangbei Army's trenches, we will never have to worry about trench warfare in the future."
Zheng Kaicheng took a breath and said: "I just don't know if this tank with a fine steel shell can block the heavy artillery sold to the Jiangbei Army by the Dutch."
The regiment leader Jiang Chong suddenly interrupted and said: "I think this tank can stop it!"
Zheng Kaicheng looked at Jiang Chong in surprise for a while and asked seriously: "Captain Jiang, how do you know?"
Jiang Chong said: "Back to uncle, I guessed it!"
Zheng Kaicheng was stunned when he heard Jiang Chong's words. He felt a little embarrassed, as if he had been tricked by Jiang Chong. But Zhong Feng laughed loudly and said, "Uncle, you have to trust Jiang Chong's judgment."
The people here were talking about the strength of the tanks, but the Jiangbei Army was shocked by the tanks.
Wu Sangui and Shi Kefa held up the Dutch monoculars and looked at the slowly approaching tank two miles away, stunned.
After observing for a long time, Shi Kefa said: "What a powerful chariot? It seems to be made of fine steel."
"This thief Li's methods are really endless, it's like the stars descending to earth."
Wu Sangui stared at the chariot with his eyes wide open. He couldn't react for a long time and said in confusion: "How can this chariot move on its own without being pulled by oxen and horses? It stands to reason that such a heavy chariot cannot be pushed by human power!"
Shi Kefa thought for a long time, shook his head and said: "I can't figure out the reason. Thief Li's methods are endless, we must be on guard!"
After observing for a while with a monocular telescope, Shi Kefa said: "Uncle Chang! Oh no! This chariot seems to be followed by infantry. Li Thief is going to use this chariot to cover the infantry in attacking our trench!"
Wu Sangui gritted his teeth and shouted: "I don't believe this tank is invulnerable! Use the cannon sold to us by Hong Mao to bomb these tanks!"
Shi Kefa stroked his beard and said: "Good! This chariot must not be able to withstand the bombardment of the cannon!"
The Jiangbei Army had 600 Dutch standard long cannons, and this time they brought 300 more to the north. These artillery pieces were all 18-pounders, using round wrought iron shells, and had a very long range. At first, the Jiangbei Army relied on these long cannons.
For a time, they attacked each other with the Huben army commanded by Li Xing, and the fight was inextricable.
Later, it was because Li Xing's sharpshooters killed Jiangbei Army's gunners that Jiangbei Army was unable to advance.
Jiangbei Army's Central Military Command flag waved, and three hundred heavy artillery pieces were pushed into the emplacement in the trench, aiming at the one hundred and fifty tanks on the opposite side.
When the officers and soldiers of other local military towns in the trench saw so many powerful cannons, they all expressed envy. The weapons of the Jiangbei Army are really extremely sophisticated. They have cannons and rifles that the local military towns could not even imagine. No wonder they can fight with them.
The most powerful army in the world, the Tiger and Ben army, are fighting against each other.
The artillerymen loaded the cannonballs into the muzzles of the Hongyi cannons, pointed them at the steel chariot in front, and lit the matchlocks.
"boom!"
"Boom boom boom!"
Three hundred rounds of artillery spit out tongues of flame and fired furiously at the slowly advancing tank group. Three hundred rounds of wrought iron shells were like a shower of raindrops, drawing three hundred slightly curved curves in the air and crashing into the target two miles away.
Behind the tank, when he heard the cannon on the opposite side firing, Chen Yaoer turned pale with fright, screamed, and fell to the ground.
Next to Boss Wei, the other soldiers of the Tiger Army also looked nervous.
Can this steam tank stop the Jiangbei Army's artillery? That artillery is a devastating thing. Even a brick house has a hole in it with one shot.
If the tank is destroyed, the infantry behind the tank will be bombed next by the artillery.
Boss Wei hated Chen Yao'er for being cowardly and incompetent. He was full of hatred and wanted to kick Chen Yao'er on the ground.
However, Boss Wei's movements were interrupted by the huge roar of the Hongyi cannon hitting the tank.
Of the three hundred shells, probably more than seventy hit the tank. The wrought iron shells weighing more than ten kilograms hit the tank, causing countless huge sparks to come out. Originally, the metal impact would have made a crisp clang sound, but
The speed of the shell was too fast, and the sound it made was so loud that it all turned into a huge roar.
The tank that was hit paused suddenly, and its forward speed suddenly stalled.
Everyone in the central army of Huben Army pricked up their ears and opened their eyes wide.
Can the prince's new tank really stop the Jiangbei Army's artillery?
The soldiers of the Huben Army were in the trench, their sight blocked by the infantry behind the tanks, and they could not see what was in front of the tanks. But they were all highly nervous, waiting for the development of the battle.
However, the effect of this shell was only to stagnate the tank slightly.
The Dutch installed more than 40 pounds of heavy artillery on their battleships, but they could not penetrate the armor of the Tianjin armored ship at a distance of one mile. How could these 18-pound artillery penetrate the tank armor made of Fanjiazhuang fine steel?
As a tank, a steam tank is of course very particular about defense. The tank's steel armor is made of the best steel from the Fanjiazhuang State-owned Steel Plant. The top is 8 cm thick, the sides are 7 cm thick, and the front is the thickest, up to 2 cm thick.
Moreover, the front of the tank is the same as the front of the ship, with a conical protrusion. The shells of the 18-pounder hit the front of the tank and bounced to the side, and the full impact force could not be exerted on the tank.
The final result was that the shell only left a mark on the tank and was completely unable to penetrate the tank's armor.
