Volume 1: The Last Rays of the Empire Chapter 9: Bravery and Martial Prowess
Crouched behind a small cluster of bushes, Lin En's eyes were fixed intently on the Soviet combat unit advancing slowly along the highway: 4 T-34 tanks, 3 BT tanks, 3 wheeled armored vehicles, 7 trucks towing large cannons, and hundreds of Soviet soldiers marching on foot alongside the convoy. Among the three Soviet units that had passed through here before and after, this was the weakest one, but it was still more powerful than the German army's makeshift combat unit, which consisted of only two armored vehicles and four or five hundred infantrymen hastily assembled. Moreover, most of the people here were retreating from their front-line positions, lacking heavy weapons and with very little ammunition left in their hands.
Linn, who had already run out of bullets, got another 10 rifle rounds thanks to "Butcher"'s coordination.
As the Soviet vehicles approached, the German soldiers in the forest also made their final preparations. Several MG 34 or 42 machine guns had been set up in optimal firing positions, and the gunners carefully cocked the bolts, waiting for the order to open fire; two 80mm light mortars were placed in the middle section, but the remaining ammunition could not support them for long; soldiers using infantry anti-tank weapons and light mortars were concentrated in the prepared teams, several large soldiers closely guarded the only "doll" anti-tank rocket launcher - they had managed to preserve this 100-kilogram equipment during the chaotic retreat, these soldiers' merits were fully worthy of an Iron Cross medal.
At this moment, two German armored vehicles covered with a large number of branches and almost "moving bushes" were still lurking on the west side of the forest. Due to the trees forming an arc-shaped corner about 500 meters away from the three-way intersection, the Soviet troops advancing northwest along the highway could not directly observe them, and they had to move forward about 100 meters to obtain a shooting angle if they wanted to attack the Soviets. So, when the German infantry was ready to open fire, they started in advance and rumbled forward, and this mechanical sound was particularly clear in the quiet forest. Fortunately, the Soviet soldiers were distracted by the roar of their own tanks and vehicles, and completely ignored the crisis lurking on this side of the forest.
"Bohac Zhum Kamp!"
The officers whispered to the soldiers, reminding them to be ready for battle at any moment. The sound of guns being cocked instantly filled the air. Next, some leading officers, including "Butcher", once again reminded their own soldiers of their respective combat deployments - fortunately, "Butcher" had previously used hand gestures and drew a simple combat map on the muddy ground with a tree branch, so Lin En knew that his small team would charge out of the woods and attack the Soviet troops from the side and rear after the battle began. Needless to say, this was a very dangerous task, and if it were in the past, Lin En might have complained about his superiors not knowing how to push people around, but on this battlefield filled with blood and fire, if everyone was afraid of fighting, then the disadvantaged side could only wait for death!
The battle is about to begin, and Lin En, who has personally experienced six battles, is still tense, the oppressive atmosphere even making him want to hold his breath. In the previous defensive battle, he spent most of his time avoiding artillery fire and constantly firing his gun; this will be the first time in his life that he participates in a field battle, and the unknown prospects make him uneasy, but deep down, there is also a desire to fight.
Boom!
A deafening cannon shot suddenly rang out, and the shell hit the rear of the T-34 that was turning at the intersection in an instant. The timing and location were just right! Lin En didn't have time to cheer for his own armored soldiers when the machine gun fire, like "tearing through linen", burst forth densely. The 80mm mortar also started firing - its normal range reached 2400 meters, while the shortest distance from the edge of the forest to the kilometer was only about 500 meters.
The sound of the cannon was the horn of attack, and "Butcher" suddenly jumped up, shouting "Angriff", holding a submachine gun and rushing out of the forest. The momentum was entirely without hesitation! Closely following the other soldiers in the squad, Lin also quickly got up, holding his Mauser rifle with both hands and taking large strides forward. In the blink of an eye, they had already rushed out of the forest, and the sunlight outside was dazzling and piercing to the eyes. When Lin's eyes adapted to the change in light, he found that there were many soldiers also running at full strength around him, as if it were a marathon with hundreds of participants. These soldiers were not rushing directly towards the Soviet army convoy but were instead making a flanking maneuver towards the rear of the convoy. About 200 meters away was a depression parallel to the highway, its slope very gentle, and the lowest point less than one meter from the road surface. It was about 40 meters long and five meters wide, the only natural terrain outside the forest that could be utilized. The German soldiers at the front arrived at the depression and faced the highway side, fiercely opening fire on the Soviet soldiers who were organizing a defense with rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns. The soldiers behind - including the squad led by "Butcher" - also quickly dispersed along this depression line, using their respective weapons to open fire on the Soviet infantry about 300 meters away.
When the German infantrymen brought two 50mm caliber light mortars and only one "doll" to the pit position, the German armored vehicle with a 75mm cannon had fired four times in a row, except for the first shot attacking T-34, the remaining three shots were all fired at the BT tank with less armor. Another German armored vehicle rushed out very bravely, speeding up on the open ground while firing at the Soviet army with its onboard 80mm mortar and machine gun.
As soon as the Soviet troops faced them, it was clear that they were not newcomers to the battlefield. Even when suddenly ambushed, they did not fall into chaos. The tanks, armored vehicles and accompanying infantry quickly began to counterattack, only in the direction of fire still a bit inconsistent - this is the only opportunity for the German army!
Because there were only 10 rounds of ammunition, Lynn was very cautious in each shot, aiming, holding his breath and gripping the rifle with all his might to minimize the recoil. He fired two shots like this, when suddenly he heard a strange whistling sound behind him, followed by an unusual smell of gunpowder. Turning his head, he saw that it was the "Doll"! In his memory, this heavy anti-tank rocket launcher could penetrate the armor of the T-34 within its effective range, but due to its high cost and complex manufacturing process, as well as the severe damage inflicted on Germany's military industry by Allied bombing in the late stages of the war, the number of equipment was relatively limited.
300 meters was well within the effective range of "doll", and it seemed that the German officers had also calculated it in advance. The first rocket shell accurately hit a BT tank at the rear of the Soviet army's convoy, and Lynn couldn't tell the specific model, but seeing it instantly enveloped in the flames and smoke of the explosion, he felt an unspeakable thrill in his heart.
Two 50mm light mortars had also been brought into this depression, and the terrain provided them with an excellent firing position. After the first salvo, a German lieutenant wearing black leather gloves loudly called out corrections, and after adjustments, their second salvo hit the convoy, instantly blowing Soviet soldiers who were using vehicles and the roadbed for cover off their feet.
Lynn continued to pull the bolt, aim and fire, repeating this process three times. He then retreated to a depression to reload, and another soldier with a rifle immediately filled his position. After reloading, Lynn was able to observe the situation on the battlefield for a moment: four of the seven Soviet tanks had been blown up, an armored car had also been hit and caught fire, and the Soviet firepower suddenly weakened greatly. However, the German armored vehicle that had attracted enemy fire was also hit and was now burning fiercely in the open field. The remaining three Soviet tanks continued to bombard the hiding places of the German armored assault vehicles with cannon fire, several large trees were blown off at the waist, and the flashing flames and swirling smoke made one worry about the fate of the assault vehicle.
"Angel River!"
Suddenly a loud slogan, the German soldiers who were lying on the edge of the pit suddenly burst out with a loud roar and immediately stood up to charge forward. Lin En was just a little late in reacting, and was actually thrown off by "Butcher" for tens of meters, hurriedly crawling out of the pit from the machine gunner who was still shooting, then holding his rifle and charging forward with all his might - having been suppressed by the enemy's attack for two days, one day becoming the attacker, the suffocation in his heart suddenly felt much more relaxed.
Under the joint strangulation of various German troops, the Soviet infantry on the opposite side suffered heavy casualties, but they were still shooting with all their might, and many were equipped with Degtyaryov light machine guns and "PPSh", and the firepower in close combat was also quite fierce. The German infantry who launched the attack carried combat equipment on their backs, and it would take only about a minute to run over 300 meters. The short distance was full of danger, bullets whizzing past from all sides, and the density was increasing continuously. Lin's heart was racing, but he didn't feel any fear at all, just taking "Butcher" as the only benchmark and rushing forward with his head down.
At last, the "butcher" stopped in his tracks. He had his left leg forward and his right leg back, his upper body slightly bent, holding a submachine gun level and firing rat-a-tat-tat.
Like the "butcher", experienced German soldiers opened fire in the first time. Faced with the rapid impact of the German army, some Soviet troops were still shooting on the north side of the roadbed, some people hastily got up and turned to face the German soldiers who had already rushed to their sides, and some people panicked and lost direction, retreating frantically to the front of the vehicle. In this situation, the German soldiers, who had the upper hand in terms of morale, launched a close-range "slaughter". The MP38/40 sang happily, and the officers' Lugers P08 and Walther P38 also played their role to the extreme. A small number of infantrymen using the MP44 even shot and killed those Soviet soldiers trying to retreat with terrifying efficiency in semi-automatic firing state.
Risking his life to cross the battlefield, Lin found no reason to "give up halfway", he held his gun and quickly searched for targets, and in just a short while, the battle around him had become a one-sided situation. He had raised his gun twice to shoot, but was preempted by other German soldiers. However, seeing bullets hit human bodies at a distance of over ten meters, the visual and auditory effects were many times stronger than those of CS or CF! Unconsciously, Lin was undergoing a transformation from civilian to soldier - although he was still far from meeting the requirements of a qualified soldier, he had already overcome many psychological hurdles.
