Then the forward really started to speed up, not only speeding up but also firing everywhere, even the tank guns were no exception.
But of course, tank guns firing while moving can only serve as a deterrent.
The situation was continuously transmitted to Daniel's command vehicle from the front via radio:
"We have rushed into the enemy's defense lines without being stopped!"
"Destroy a machine gun position! Enemy infantry is retreating!"
…
"Keep moving forward!" Captain Daniel ordered: "Leave the rear to us!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Captain Daniel felt that victory was already beckoning to him. As long as the tank could penetrate the enemy's defense line and tear a gap in it, other infantry would follow and continue to expand the gap.
Then, as usual, the Germans would split the enemy into two parts and then surround and annihilate them.
At this moment, a company commander suddenly screamed: "Anti-tank gun, No. 5 car has been destroyed, poor Ellen!"
Ellen was an expert at repairing tanks in the tank battalion. He was also the commander of the No. 5 car. His loss made Daniel feel a little sorry.
But Daniel didn't feel that it was anything. There would always be casualties on the battlefield, and these casualties were nothing compared to the upcoming victory.
"Keep going!" Daniel ordered.
"Yes, Captain!"
But soon the company commander reported again: "The No. 1 car was destroyed, they blocked the way forward, and we can't move forward!"
"Push them away!" Daniel responded without thinking.
"That's exactly what we did, but..."
But there are no buts after that.
"Ensign! Ensign Detrich?"
"The second lieutenant died!" Another voice replied: "I am Sergeant Hans, taking over the command of the second lieutenant. Captain, the enemy gunners fired accurately. The tanks we went up were destroyed one after another, and the way forward has been blocked.
It’s blocked!”
Only then did Daniel realize that there was a problem: if the enemy's anti-tank guns were so accurate, the tank battalion would simply not be able to advance here.
"Retreat!" Captain Daniel shouted the next second: "Everyone retreat!"
"We can't retreat!" Another report almost made Daniel despair: "The enemy's anti-tank guns are shooting at the rear of the team, and our rear is also blocked!"
Therefore, what was originally a nail that penetrated the Soviet defense line, a sharp sword that opened a gap, and a sharp knife that was meant to cut the Soviet army into two parts... turned into a piece of fish surrounded by the defense line that could not move and was slaughtered by others.
With the sound of gunfire, the German tanks blocked on the railway were destroyed one after another.
This is not only because the German tanks are located on a high railway embankment with obvious targets, and not only because the German tanks cannot move and are just waiting to be beaten, but also because the Soviet anti-tank guns are fired in groups of three with mutually corrected offsets.
of.
These anti-tank guns are 60 meters apart from each other... too close and easily covered by enemy fire.
Then they were connected to each other by telephone. The No. 1 gun served as the commander. While operating the gun, data and information were transmitted to the No. 2 and No. 3 guns through the phone.
At this time, the No. 2 and No. 3 guns did not fire. Their observers were observing the target with binoculars. If the shell hit the target, that would be fine and they could look for the next target.
If the shell fails to hit the target, the No. 2 gun will immediately make a judgment based on the impact point, whether it hit high or low, left or right, how much... After a few seconds of quick calculation, the corrected
Zhu Yuan aimed at the same target, and then "fire!"
If it doesn't hit again, it will be followed by the No. 3 shot.
If the three guns fired one after another fail to hit the target, it can basically be said that there is a problem with the calculation ability of the artillery observer or he is just unlucky.
Bad luck does exist, because the wind direction may change in a short period of time, causing the cannonball to be inaccurate.
However, this situation is rare. As long as the artillery observer's calculation speed is fast enough, these three guns can almost be said to hit the same target one after another.
This allowed the anti-tank gunner to successfully cripple an enemy heavy tank battalion... first blocking the two ends tightly, and then annihilating the tanks in the middle one after another.
The German infantry who followed the tanks hoped to use their firepower to rescue the tanks, but it was all in vain: the Soviet firepower on both flanks soon overwhelmed them.
Some tanks drove down the railway hoping to go back around, but needless to say what would happen if they did so... There were complete traps dug on both sides of the railway, and there was not even a gap.
So within a short while, more than 40 medium-sized tanks from a German heavy tank battalion collapsed on the railway. Some were on fire, some were smoking, some were trapped in traps, and some were blown to pieces.
Next to the tank were the corpses of German soldiers.
They originally walked in, but unexpectedly they were made dumplings.
Seeing this tragic scene through the telescope, General Schweppenberg couldn't help gritting his teeth, and then asked his adjutant: "Have you seen the Russian anti-tank gun positions?"
"Yes, General!" the adjutant replied.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Admiral Schwepenburg said: "Order the artillery to blow them up immediately!"
"Yes, General!"
As mentioned before, tank ambush warfare also has its shortcomings... anti-tank firepower ambushed on the roadside is difficult to transfer.
In particular, Shulka also used a large number of traps in the position, so the anti-tank guns seemed to be in only certain positions, and they were quite regular: groups of three were spaced at the same distance from each other.
If you don't fire, there will be no problem, because they are hidden in the artillery fortifications and well camouflaged, but when you fire, your position will be exposed, so you will be easily hit by enemy artillery fire.
After a while, only the roar of artillery shells was heard, and then shells exploded on both sides of the railway track, and several anti-tank gun positions were instantly razed to the ground.
But Shulka had already withdrawn all the gunners first... There was no need for them to stay in place and be blown into the sky together with those anti-tank guns.
If we look into it more deeply, we may have violated Order No. 270 again.
Because there is one point in Order No. 270: Every soldier must protect his equipment with his life and use these equipment to fight the enemy until the last moment.
Of course, this equipment includes anti-tank guns.
Shulka had learned this command more than once, so he knew it.
As for the instructor…
"Don't look at me like that, Comrade Shulka!" the instructor said, "I didn't see anything!"