Tank Battle of Dunkirk (Part 1)

  When the 7th Armoured Division and the Panzer Army's 'Skull' division received reports that British tanks had begun to counter-attack, Rommel and Seidl.

  Eike immediately began researching how to deal with this tank crisis.

  This tank crisis is different from the one at Arras, this time there are only Frank Beck's tank company of the 25th Armored Regiment, a few armored wheeled reconnaissance vehicles of the 38th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and Joseph's assault team on the front line. The number of troops is much smaller than that in Arras, and the troops on the front line do not have the support of heavy artillery such as 88 high-altitude cannons. Moreover, it is now too late to apply for air support for them, because on the map, Bridge #1 is the only bridge over which tanks can pass on that river, and the British will definitely defend it at all costs.

  Rommel and Theodor Eicke studied the method of asking the front-line troops not to expose themselves in front of the British unless necessary, as Frank. Beck's tank company Czech 38t tanks were no match for British tanks in terms of firepower and protection, and British tanks also had a numerical advantage. So they retreated, monitoring the actions of British armored forces. Also required the 25th Armored Division to disperse their armor to expand the breakthrough, surround the British Expeditionary Force and French First Army Group troops on the front line, so that the scattered armored units can gather together to reinforce Frank. Beck's tank company. At the same time, they asked the armored group for reinforcements and requested close air support from the air force for their armored forces.

  Meanwhile, on the British front, Lord Gort's tank reserve had also arrived at Montgomery's defensive position. The commander of the tank reserve, Gordon Finlayson, jumped out to command the tanks and deployed his own tanks on Montgomery's defensive position.

  He then located Montgomery after deployment and inquired about the situation of German troops across the River Meuse.

  Montgomery said: "So far I have not been attacked by the Germans, not once, and from the mouths of those who retreated from the front line, I learned that the German armored forces have poured in from the breakthrough, but I don't know why they haven't come yet."

  "Kotin. Richagov said: "You know the terrain here, tanks are not very active in this swampy, forested area, it's not like the French plains where armored units can move freely without being restricted by the terrain. The activity space of their armored units is small. Their armored units should be coordinating with infantry to destroy our front-line troops. However, it's not ruled out that small German armored units have already reached this area."

  Montgomery nodded and said, "Last night my division was attacked by German armored forces. Only two combat staff managed to escape with their lives, and they only did so because they took a small path, which is why they weren't intercepted by the Germans. According to my staff, the Germans sent a small team disguised as our scattered troops into my division's defensive position before the attack. They reconnoitered our defenses, found weaknesses, and even assassinated my unit commanders after the German artillery fire began, throwing my troops into chaos."

  The 25th Armoured Brigade began to assemble after receiving Rommel's order and started reinforcing Frank Beck's tank regiment, followed by the troops of the 'Skull' Division of the Waffen-SS, who believed they had enough combat experience not to need the army to point them in the right direction and had enough vehicles to keep up with the 25th Armoured Brigade. Rommel hesitated for a moment, agreed to the request of the Waffen-SS, but privately asked the 6th Motorized Infantry Regiment closest to the Waffen-SS to speed up and follow behind them as a precaution.

  On the British side, Houghton, Ritchie and Montgomery were using binoculars to observe the activity on the other side of the small river, but the other side seemed very calm, with no signs of Germans on the other side. Occasionally, some unorganized British soldiers crossed the bridge over the river.

  High ground. Lieutenant Colonel Ritchie was getting a bit restless, he wanted to send tanks across the river and build another position on the other side of the river, he thought that if they only defended this side of the river, they would definitely not be able to hold it, because German heavy artillery could be brought up at any time. If German infantry or what he considered light tank formations were found on the other side of the river, he was confident in defeating them and gaining an advantageous position for Montgomery's defense.

  Montgomery also thought that the other side was so quiet, the Germans must be there, but it might only be the tank force that raided the British Army's 3rd Infantry Division headquarters. If a large number of German tanks had arrived, they should have been discovered early, and now that they haven't, it means that there are only a small number of Germans on the other side of the river. If these people can be eliminated, it will be possible to greatly undermine the morale of the Germans. However, he also thought about what to do if German reinforcements arrive during the battle. Gorden. Ritsak said that if there was only a small force on the other side, he didn't need to mobilize all his forces to fight, and just one platoon would be enough to deal with the Germans. The rest of the troops will be on guard against the arrival of German reinforcements. But he asked Montgomery to send infantry to cooperate in the battle. This can discover the small German force and the German reinforcement as soon as possible. Montgomery was still a bit worried, insisting on observing for a while longer.

  "Montgomery, are you or are you not an officer of the glorious British Empire's army? The whole face of the British Empire has been lost in France because of you! No wonder the Germans broke through your position first!" Montgomery couldn't withstand Guderian's spiritual attack and had to agree to his request. However, Montgomery repeatedly warned Guderian, asking him to withdraw immediately if he found the situation on the other side unfavorable. Guderian waved his hand and said, "Alright, I know, I won't take any risks." After that, Guderian led his tank troops and Montgomery's supporting infantry across the river to Germany.

  On the other side of the river, Joseph's assault team on the hill observing the British movement signaled to Frank Beck and Joseph that they had discovered 30 British tanks crossing the river, accompanied by infantry. Of these, 12 were equipped with 40mm cannons and 18 were armed with machine guns. The infantry was at a scale of two companies.

  Frank Baker, after listening to Joseph's 'translation', quickly contacted the regiment and said with a worried face: "This is a British probe, but we only have this hill and the woods next to it to cover us. Our reinforcements are still on their way, delayed by some resistance from a small number of British troops. The regiment has ordered us to hold out until they arrive, saying that air support is already on its way. We can't just sit here waiting for death. I suggest our tank company ambushes the British tanks in the woods, and you guys flank the British infantry, or else we might not make it until the reinforcements arrive."

  Joseph and Sander conferred again, then agreed to his request. Frank Beck deployed his tank company in the woods, using the trees for cover. The volunteer sniper left behind kept watch on the British from a hill.

  "Gentlemen, the order from headquarters is to hold our position on this side of Bridge #1, but our enemy outnumbers and outclasses us in every way. We can only counter them with guerrilla tactics. Now we'll show them what the 25th Tank Battalion's guns are made of. Prepare for battle!" Frank Beck stood on his command tank, addressing his subordinates. A clatter of tank hatches opening followed.

  "Sir, the observation post reports that British tanks and infantry have entered our firing range. He asks if he should open fire according to plan?" Frank Beck firmly pressed down: "Order him to open fire!"

  As the explosives previously laid by Joseph's squad on one side of the hill were detonated by a sniper on the hill, the loud noise drew the attention of British tanks and infantry. They turned around to search in the direction of the explosion sound, exposing their flank under German tank guns.

  "Attention all squads, search for targets in sequence," Frank Becker said, picking up the intercom. He lowered his head to his gunner and said, "Visenberg, our target is the first one, armor-piercing shell. We must hit it with the first shot."

  "Yes, sir." Weissenberg's left foot gently pressed the turret traverse pedal, his right foot already on the firing pedal. As the turret traverse motor worked, the turret rotated with the main gun following the movement of the British Matilda II tank. He kept the gunner's sight crosshairs firmly pressed onto the target.

  The loader had already expertly loaded a PzGr 40 tungsten-carbide-cored armour-piercing shell into the tank's gun. The breech of the tank's cannon automatically closed with a clang.

  Frank Beck saw that the other tanks had also given him a signal to fire, and he growled out an order: "All units, open fire at will."

  With a loud roar, a flash of fire lit up the forest, and the muzzle flash illuminated the dark forest. The explosive gases blowing out of the barrel blew the bushes in front of the tank into disarray. The armor on the front of the tank was covered with broken branches and leaves.

  Weisenberger reported to Frank Birk: "Sir, target hit but unable to observe the hit."

  "Attention all units, full speed ahead, each platoon choose your own target, open fire at will, each platoon maintain formation. Armor company, advance."

  After a loud roar of the engine, the Czech-made gasoline engine let out a dull rumble. Frank Beck's tank formed into a neat line and began to charge outward. When the PzKpfw 38(t) tanks arrived on the grassy plain outside the forest, Frank Beck found that his tank had done quite well in the shooting at the edge of the forest, with five British tanks equipped with machine guns being shot down and unable to move due to damage to their running gear. However, the side armor of the British tanks equipped with 40mm main guns did not appear to have been penetrated, and several British tanks turned their turrets in the direction of the German tanks' movement after seeing them charge over.

  Frank Baker saw the situation and broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to slack off, shouting loudly into the communicator: "Each row must not stop moving, try to find the weak point of this tank. Short pause fire, short pause fire."

  He spotted a British tank moving slowly towards him on the road ahead through his binoculars. He shouted out orders: "British tank sighted, 2 o'clock direction, 500 meters away, armour-piercing shell ready."

  The loader's movements were still so agile, loading a panzergranate 39 armor-piercing shell into the gun chamber. Weissenberg discovered through the gunner's sight that their tank cannon was facing the front of the British tank, and his heart sank instantly. The side armor of this tank hadn't been penetrated just now, but now it was facing the frontal armor, could they destroy the British tank? However, time didn't allow him to hesitate anymore, he aimed at the target and stepped on the firing pedal.

  With a loud bang, the shell shot out like an arrow and hit the British Matilda tank. Frank Beck and Witzig watched anxiously through their observation mirrors, seeing the shell make contact with the British tank, which paused for a moment before a burst of flames erupted (the weak point of the British Matilda's frontal armor was its coaxial machine gun shield, but hitting it in combat under the tank fire control system at that time was basically impossible. So Frank Beck's crew hit it as if God had given them a pie from the sky). Frank Beck shouted: "It's not fair! Why did I get hit by a pie and not gold? I'd rather be knocked out happily by gold!"

  "God bless your eyes, what in the world did you hit? We couldn't penetrate its side armor, how did you manage to penetrate its frontal armor? Did those God-blessed eyes of yours catch some weak point?" Frank Beerk asked Visenberg.

  "Weissenberg said: 'I'm not sure what it was, I think it was their parallel machine gun shield that I pierced.'"

  Frank Becker burst out laughing: "Looks like that's its weakness, but it's going to be tough to hit. Let's try to disable them instead." He opened the intercom and ordered: "We've found a weak point on this tank, the parallel machine gun shield, but I think that's going to take a lot of luck. Now I'm ordering us to get around behind the British as much as possible, their tanks have poor agility, and strike at their engines..."

  No sooner had the words left his lips than a loud explosion was heard on the left, and Frank Beck hastily looked through his binoculars to see that Lieutenant Zaft's tank had been hit by a British Matilda tank and was now engulfed in flames.