But Major Paul only hesitated for a moment, and then ordered: "Every company, pay attention, attack! Advance at full speed!"
The company commanders of each company couldn't help being stunned when they heard this order, and then quickly passed the order on:
"Full speed ahead!"
"Full speed ahead!"
…
The German tanks rushed towards the Soviet tanks like crazy. They didn't even fire their guns. Only the coaxial machine guns and directional machine guns were "squeaking" and pouring bullets at the Soviet tanks.
German tank soldiers actually understand why their superiors issued such an order... This is also one of the reasons why the German troops can maintain morale in battle. After their superiors issue an order, they often understand in their hearts why such an order is issued and what its purpose is.
.
As for the Soviet army, more often than not they simply executed orders without knowing the core and purpose of the order.
Just like now, if the Soviet army had been ordered to attack at full speed, they would have rushed forward in excitement, firing back and forth at the same time.
But compared to the German tank soldiers who have higher military quality and more experience, they know that the attack at this time is to rush into a distance of 100 meters... because only in this way can the German tanks possibly penetrate the T34 armor; only by maneuvering,
Only then can it be possible to find a bit of the enemy's side armor; only in this way can the armor-piercing bullets fired by oneself be meaningful!
Therefore, although they all had shells in their cannon chambers, they chose not to fire.
However, this did not mean that they could turn defeat into victory. Amidst the explosions of landmines, one after another, the tracks of the German tanks were blown off and they were paralyzed in place.
Soviet tanks pointed their barrels at targets that were lucky enough to be able to pass through the minefields because of their speed, and then destroyed them with a "bang".
However, there are still a few tanks that slipped through the net, especially one of the "No. 4" tanks. It was running straight at full speed without any evasive actions... This may be one of the reasons why it was able to smoothly rush into the T34 tank group.
, going straight means traveling the shortest distance, and traveling the shortest distance means running over the fewest mines.
In addition, most of the "No. 4" tanks at this time used new 40 cm wide tracks (38 cm before the D type in 1939). Wider tracks mean a larger contact surface, making it easier to maneuver on slippery snow.
Go fast.
So this "Plank IV" tank rushed into the Soviet camp before other T34 tanks had time to react.
With a "boom", its short-barreled gun had an unexpected effect at this time. It could quickly aim at close range and had a good passing rate. A T34 was penetrated by it and jumped up on the spot.
There was black smoke, and another T34 was aiming its gun barrel at it, but it turned a corner and knocked the gun barrel crooked.
Then it was loaded again, and it flexibly turned left and right between T34 along the several passages run by the demining tank, while driving and firing randomly. The T34 tank had nothing to do with it for a while, until the No. 239 tank hit it hard from the side.
I went up and stopped it.
There is this phenomenon. On the one hand, the quality of the German tank soldiers is good. On the other hand, the opponents who blend into the enemy tanks in the night battle have a natural advantage... This is a bit like an infiltration battle. A few people wear tanks at night.
Enemy uniforms mixed into the enemy formation will cause chaos.
The infiltration of tanks is also similar. A German tank that was running around was mixed into the T34. As a result, the T34 did not dare to fire easily, because if it failed to hit the target, it was likely to accidentally damage its own tank.
The German Panzer IV tank had no scruples about this at all. The short-barreled artillery fired at the fastest speed, and it fired whenever it saw the shadow of the tank. At the same time, the machine gun also made a "squeaking" sound.
This directly caused the Soviet army to lose three T34s, and more than a dozen soldiers fell in a pool of blood.
If the Soviet army had not had tanks and infantry to coordinate with them, the T34's losses would have been much more.
Of course, this "No. 4" did not end well soon...
Shulka believed that the Panzer IV was planning to surrender because it had opened the hatch and stretched out two hands from inside while shouting something.
Although I couldn't hear what he shouted over the sound of the tank's motor, I could guess that he was surrendering.
But the angry Soviet tank soldiers didn't give it a chance to surrender at all. A tank drove up, aimed its gun barrel at the rear of the "No. 4" tank at close range, and then blew it into pieces with a "bang".
Fireball.
Several German tank soldiers jumped out of the tank, covered with fire, and rolled around in the snow screaming, but even this could not save them... Soon the shouts gradually weakened, and the people slowed down.
Can't move anymore.
War has its own hidden rules. Although the Soviet army, especially the 4th Tank Brigade, was ordered not to kill prisoners at this time, there were conditions.
For example, if you offend the enemy before surrendering, neither the Germans nor the Soviets will accept the other's surrender.
It is said that Fedosiev was so angry that he yelled... He hit the "No. 4" tank with his tank, and they were not even out of contact. If he was not careful, the flames might even catch his tank.
"Tell that fool!" Fedosiev shouted over the tank phone: "He should at least wait until I'm a little further away before firing!"
If Fedosiev's tank breaks down due to a collision and cannot start, it will probably become the burial object of the "Plank IV" tank.
Fortunately, it was safe and sound, and it retreated a little distance and left the danger zone.
Other German tanks were even paralyzed on the way to the charge, including Major Paul's command vehicle.
It was paralyzed on the road after its tracks were blown off by a mine. Major Paul ordered the tank crew to stop firing and shut down the engine.
This order puzzled his men, but they soon discovered that the major's order was correct, because those T34s destroyed the moving or firing tanks one by one, but turned a blind eye to the command vehicle.
"They'll think we've been destroyed!" Major Paul said, "Now, keep it that way!"
"Major!" the subordinate asked: "We can't escape, they will come up to clean the battlefield soon..."
"No, they won't!" Major Paul replied: "They will chase the retreating Third Battalion!"
Sure enough, after the battle, the T34 tanks continued to advance in depth.
At this time, Major Paul and others who were hiding in the tank were all broken into cold sweats. Sometimes the distance between life and death is so close. As long as there is one shell, they are likely to be blown into the sky like everyone else.
But in the end, Major Paul and his party were unable to escape from this battlefield. They penetrated too far into the Soviet defense line, about 70 kilometers away from Tula, which made it very difficult for them to escape back.
A few days later, someone found their frozen bodies in the grass in the wild, only a dozen kilometers away from Tula. The documents found on their bodies made the Soviet army know that Major Paul was the commander of this battle.