Battle of the Third Reich

"The Holy Spirit and our hearts testify that we are children of God. Both children and heirs, heirs of God, are heirs with Christ. If we suffer with him, we will also be glorified with him. I think now The misery of the suffering is less important than the glory that will be shown to us in the future. Whether it is death, life, angel, power, power, present things, future things, high The place is low, it is other creation, and it cannot separate us from the love of God.

This love is our Father in heaven in our Lord Christ Jesus, and may everyone honor your name. May your kingdom come; may your will walk on the earth as you walk in heaven. Our daily diet is given to us today. Forgive us our debts, just as we forgive people's debts. Don't ask us to meet temptation; save us from evil. Because the kingdom, power and glory are all yours forever. Amen. "

Schneider gently closed the Bible in his hand. He looked up at the horizon and took a long breath, and his men stood with their heads down on their respective tanks and slowly crossed the chest.

The battle is about to begin, and these brave German soldiers have a hunch that this time it may be their last fight. Three hours, only three hours away, this battle may be another ending, but now it is useless to say, the smoke raised by the French striker's forward unit has been diffused on the horizon. Schneider and his men had no choice. They had the duty of a soldier on their shoulders. In order to complete the task assigned to them by the command, everyone was ready to die in their hearts.

Schneider's company did not have a chaplain, so he had to be the supreme commander of the battlefield to lead the soldiers to make the final prayer before the battle. Schneider slowly glanced at the familiar and young faces around him. He wanted to deeply engrave the faces of those people in his heart. Because Schneider knew that many of them would fall on the battlefield in the coming battle, perhaps including himself.

"The French striker has passed the hidden location of the sentry and is advancing towards us." The mechanic reported with a headset.

"Take over, I want to talk to him."

Schneider climbed into the body of the tank and put on his communicator, then he turned around and commanded his subordinates aloud: "Preparing for the battle, all the personnel entered their respective battle positions according to the predetermined plan."

"Observe, sir." The tankers promised to get into their tanks loudly, and a "bang" sounded in the woods to close the armored hatch.

Schneider hurried into the turret and closed the hatch above his head. The loader and gunner were already in their seats, and they nodded to the commander.

"Sir, it's ready." The operator Stewans reported in the headset.

"Take over."

"Observe."

"I am Lieutenant Schneider, report the observation." Schneider said to the intercom.

"Reporter, I am an observation post. The French pioneers just passed by me. There were about one battalion of infantry, three to four trucks and armored vehicles. No tanks and artillery were found. They were marching in a hurry, and the speed was very fast." A low voice answered.

"Continue to observe and find the enemy's tank and report it to me. Pay attention to safety and don't let the French find you. If you are exposed, you know what to do."

"Understand, sir, I will fight to the end."

"Fool, I mean to let you run away, you have to come back alive. The call is over."

Schneider took out the map from the document bag, and then carefully studied under the small fluorescent lamp mounted on the top of the turret.

"I’m Lieutenant Schneider, and each row is paying attention. Keep it concealed. The first batch of French troops are infantry, let them go and let the troops on the position deal with them. Our goal is the French tank, I don’t need to emphasize this point again. Okay. Don’t fire without my orders. Do you hear clearly?"

"Listen clearly, sir."

"Understood, Lieutenant." The platoon leaders answered loudly on the radio.

"Stevans, give me a position." Schneider ordered.

"Observe, sir.... Connected, sir." The mechanic quickly adjusted the radio frequency.

"Lieutenant Hans? I'm Lieutenant Schneider."

"This is Hans, please."

"We have discovered the vanguard of the French and they will immediately pass through our ambush area. Please prepare for battle. They have a battalion or so, they don't have the weight, they are all infantry, and they don't have tanks and heavy artillery. You can Start acting according to our planned plan." Shi Naide loudly informed the enemy of the enemy.

"Understood, we are ready to fight. We have long waited for them to come. Rest assured, Lieutenant, we will leave everything to us." The other party's answer was firm and powerful.

"That's good, keep in touch."

"understand."

Schneider turned off the communicator's switch and let out a breath.

The force led by Lieutenant Hans was the first and only support force Schneider had acquired so far. Shortly after Schneider received the firm command from the military command, the convoy drove into the village with mighty force. At that time, Schneider almost couldn't believe his eyes.

It was a heavily armed logistics transportation team. Their original mission was to build a medium-sized comprehensive logistics supply station in the village occupied by Schneider. Unexpectedly, they arrived at the village early under the urging of the overly efficient logistics commander. As a result, they just hit the sudden attack launched by the French. After being informed of this news, the Group Army Command was of course reluctant to give up this defensive force that is now rare at this critical moment, so this logistics unit was not allowed to retreat but was ordered to carry out the combat defense they had never experienced. task.

Although it was a logistic force, the transport team was armed to surprise Schneider. The infantry of the company that guards the convoy is exactly the strength he needs most. Although most of them are rookies who have just been transferred from the rear, they are all hairy boys in their early twenties, but these guys are finally talking about It is a regular infantry who has received 16 weeks of strict infantry basic training. In addition to lack of experience, it should not be much worse than those French soldiers when fighting.

What makes Schneider even more happy is that this transport team is also equipped with a platoon of light tanks. This tank platoon composed of two Type 2 tanks and three Type 1 tanks can’t play any role in fighting the French armored forces. Function, but if they are allowed to carry out mobile defense on the infantry defensive position, the 20mm machine guns and machine guns they are equipped with are enough to make them the most feared nightmare of the French infantry.

Schneider also accidentally obtained three 75mm infantry artillery and two cardinal shells. This is part of the transportation materials of this convoy. Others have enough machine guns and rifles to equip an ordinary infantry regiment and can maintain one. The regiment-level combat team had a day of ammunition, and of course there were a lot of other supplies, which stuffed the seventy two-ton trucks.

The infantry began to work hard to build a defense line around the village. All the resources that could be used were used, and the arms and supplies were directly discharged to the position. Lieutenant Hans ordered the trucks in the transportation team to leave the ten for the infantry, and the rest were immediately retreated to the rear, allowing these unarmed vehicles to be lost in the upcoming battle. The commander of the logistics force is intolerable waste.

After discussion, Schneider and Hans decided that they must abandon the defense system in depth against the current serious shortage of forces, and instead build a solid arc position with all their strength. They concentrated all their troops and firepower on this position, and the light tank platoon was placed behind this position as a mobile support force. This is no solution. They only have 176 soldiers and 32 low-level sergeants. They simply cannot fully defend such a large village, let alone build a deep position.

Line defense is the most dangerous of all defense methods. As long as one of them is breached, the entire line of defense will collapse immediately. But this is the only way to control a wide area with a small number of troops. They can only make such a choice.

Just as Schneider was concerned about the progress of the project, the military command finally sent a telegram to let him relax. The telegram clearly stated that the military headquarters did not abandon them. It was only because the French attacked too suddenly that they could not draw out troops to support them. However, the news about the French attack has gained the attention of the highest command. The command has been A strong reinforcement was dispatched and is now on the way to them. The Luftwaffe has also been dispatched to stop the advancement of the French army as much as possible, and destroy their heavy equipment to reduce the pressure they bear. The command required them to stay there until 9 o'clock the next morning. Before that, no matter how much damage they suffered, they must stick to their positions. They must insist on the arrival of reinforcements at all costs. The final signature of the telegram is Goodrian.

Schneider and his soldiers received great comfort from this telegram. When they knew that the command had not given up on them, and even the Supreme Command was alarmed, the speed of combat preparations increased a lot. Everyone invested their work with greater enthusiasm, and the German fleet that flew over them quickly raised their originally low morale. Smiles began to appear on the soldiers' faces, and they began to rebuild confidence in whether they could hold on to the village.

But the officers were not as optimistic as the soldiers, and Schneider and Hans and their men knew the dangers they were about to face. Even if the German Air Force is brave and brave, it is impossible to wipe out the French troops, and the French have an unknown number of armored forces. Unless the French can’t work hard to start retreating after suffering such a violent aerial attack, as long as The French continue their offensive, so this small position will face a disaster. But they will not show their worries in front of the soldiers, so that the soldiers can maintain this morale is very helpful for the upcoming battle.

The Luftwaffe bombers flew over their heads in a swarm, and slowly flew toward the French squadron. This scene continued until the darkness did not stop. The soldiers became more and more optimistic about their situation. They cheered and waved to the bombers, talking all over the place about what the French would be bombed.

The officers did not participate in the discussions of the soldiers, they had more important work to do. The news sent to them by the command made them worry. Although the Air Force suffered heavy losses to the French squad, they have not been able to completely stop their progress. It seems that this time the French sent a stubborn commander to command the attack. The intelligence sent back by the reconnaissance aircraft showed that although the French ** team changed their course of progress, they were still persistently advancing slowly towards the German occupied area. The French vanguard will arrive in their village early the next morning.

The officers quickly held an emergency meeting, and they began to discuss the tactics used in the defensive battle and how to use the armored force of the company Schneider. At first, everyone supported the use of these medium tanks as infantry support artillery according to the original plan. Nineteen 75mm tank guns could play a key role in combat.

However, Schneider made a different opinion. He believed that the tactics previously planned were temporary means in an emergency, and not the best way to use the firepower of these tanks. Now that the situation has changed, the Air Force has snatched them all night, and they now have time to consider tactics for more effective use of these armored forces.

Schneider proposed that his tank company take the initiative to attack and set up an ambush position on the only way for the French team. His reason is very good. The tank is a mobile force. Using the tank as a fixed turret is the most passive defense method. Not only can it not take advantage of the strong armor of the tank's power, but it will also become an ideal target for the opposing long-range artillery. And it is not yet known whether the Air Force destroyed the French artillery’s artillery unit. If not, it would be better to risk these tanks and smash them one by one on the position. Unexpected effect.

Another reason for him was that the officers could not refute. The French armored forces were still there, and they could not resist the impact of those tanks by relying on traditional defense methods. Schneider pointed out that his ambush targets were those French tanks. In the event of a sudden attack, even if the French tanks cannot completely eliminate the French, they can at least drag them down and create their chaos, so that the pressure on the infantry will be reduced a lot. If the raid is successful, the French* * The team's offensive steps must be disrupted, which can delay some time. If those support troops arrived in time, most of the people on the position would probably survive. In order to win the final victory, even if his armor is even wiped out, it is worth trying. It is better than being combined by the French army's cannons.

In the end, all the officers agreed with Schneider's opinion. Although Schneider's armored company may be wiped out by the army in this plan, this risk is indeed worth taking. As long as there is a silver lining, they will fight for it to the end.

"Sir, French troops are here."

Rulf's soft report came from the headphones. The third row was placed on the most western side of the ambush position, which was the direction the French team came. Schneider placed his ambush position in a forest two kilometers away from the village, and the only road leading to the village just turned from the forest. This is the only place for the French ** team, as long as they still have Some heavy equipment will definitely move along the road, and they also have a group of tanks. This is the habit of the French army. It seems that they will not change even after the end of this war.

The trees on the road side of the woods are very lush, and they are all tall bushes. This is a natural tank ambush position. Tankers can clearly observe everything on the road through the gaps between the trees and leaves. The troops marching on the road could not find the existence of these dangerous prying eyes.

"Pay attention to concealment, let them pass." Schneider replied softly. He carefully pushed the hatch at the beginning, then leaned out his head and looked at the road with the telescope.

The French ** team slowly entered Schneider's line of sight from the corner of the road. At the front was a team of vanguards. They searched around and moved forward quickly. The French also sent reconnaissance troops on both sides of the road as usual. But maybe these Frenchmen were choked by the German Air Force yesterday. The attention of the soldiers is now mostly in the air. No one expressed interest in this forest, which is only 500 meters away from the road. This made Schneider secretly glad. Luck yourself.

Behind these reconnaissance units were large groups of infantry. They lined up in a marching order. Schneider found that there were only a few cars in this unit. This was really abnormal for a force of this size, but remembered yesterday afternoon Schneider couldn't help smiling with the bombers flying by in groups. The force in front of it must have lost most of its heavy equipment in the airstrike yesterday, and it may even have lost most of their weight. Judging from the attitude of the French infantry marching, their morale has suffered a major blow. It seems that the French offensive has reached the end of the crossbow, and Schneider suddenly established confidence in his position until the arrival of reinforcements.

The French team in front of them has a battalion, and the blue Adriatic helmets converge into a blue long dragon winding on the road. The two French wheeled armored vehicles maintained a fine ring on both sides of the road. The one on the left of the road passed slowly in front of Schneider less than one hundred meters, but the French did not find the tank hiding in the woods. The armored car continued to sway forward, but scared the cold sweat of the armored lieutenant alive.

It’s no wonder that the dark gray paint on the German tanks was originally specially selected to hide in the bushes of Europe. This color allows them to hide well the dense bushes that are common in central Europe. yin shadow. It was not until they met the scarce shrubs and large areas of yellow soil on the Soviet battlefield that this kind of coating that was like a target there was eliminated, but this dark gray with a slight blue point became In the future, the film and television Reed's logo, this color has even been labeled as the German gray.

The French's marching speed is obviously much higher than their usual time. In peacetime, the French team advances in a marching posture that looks a little swaying, and the speed is the slowest of all European troops. In the future Among the European mixed forces, the biggest nightmare of the German infantry was to be ordered to march behind a French infantry unit. As the fastest-paced army in Europe, the Germans had to be very careful along the way to avoid putting French shoes. Follow it off.

But now this French force has abandoned their usual high-flying gait. It seems that the German Air Force has brought them a lot of influence. This French team looks like they are being chased by someone. After a while, these French infantry walked out of Schneider's vision and disappeared across the road.

"Lieutenant, another infantry force." Rulf's voice rang in his headphones again.

"Still let them go, our goal is the other party's tank."

"understand."

The troops coming this time are obviously larger than the strikers. It seems that there are more than two thousand people, but there are still only a few poor transporters. Probably because of the safe passage of the forward force, this force was completely unconscious. They walked in front of Schneider's muzzle in such a big way that no one found that they were so close to the **** of death.

Schneider looked at the French team in front of him and swallowed. As long as he used a 75mm high-explosive grenade to make a salvo, at least one-fourth of the French soldiers in front of him could be eliminated. Their team is too dense. I believe that a single shell can easily tear up a platoon of infantry. However, Schneider still tried to suppress his desire to fire. He wanted more prey than these, and he did not want to destroy his carefully prepared traps for these infantry.

Schneider noticed the 40mm anti-tank guns and 65mm light infantry guns towed by these French soldiers. These artillery pieces were completely pulled by the infantry with human power, and they did not see those supporting ammunition vehicles. It seems that the ammunition of these cannons has basically been destroyed in the bombing, and presumably the soldiers will carry very limited.

As long as the firepower is not sustained, the defensive position in front of the village will be able to persevere. Schneider cheers for the Luftwaffe in his heart. These proud vultures can indeed be proud of their technology.

At this time, there was a fierce gunshot from the village, it seems that the French forward troops have already caught fire with the blocking position. The French forces in front of them began to speed up after a commotion. The French officials Standing on the top of the truck and shouting loudly to the team, the infantrymen speeded up and trot towards the village. Five minutes later, only a piece of raised dust was slowly falling on the road in front of Schneider.

"Sir, the sentry reports, the target appeared." Stewans reported loudly.

"What? Hurry, I want to talk to him." Schneider hurried back into the turret.

"I am Schneider, report the situation soon."

"Sir, the French armored force has just passed by me. There are fifteen h35s, six b1s, ten trucks and two tankers, and there is a car in the team. To a French communications car, two towed 37mm anti-tank guns and a large caliber anti-aircraft gun, which may be 79mm, this seems to be their division headquarters." Excited.

"Okay, great. Is there anything missing? Did they follow the infantry?"

After hearing this news, Schneider couldn't help but be overjoyed. If the sentinel's report was true, then the French command might be completely reversed. Of course, before that, the tanks and artillery had to be cleaned up. Before destroying a car and being hit into a ball of fire, you must protect yourself before gaining the victory. The goal of the tank driver is always the one that threatens you most.

"Only two trucks carried some infantry, sir."

"Okay, you have done a good job, continue to observe, and report to me immediately if there is any situation."

"Observe, sir."

After ending the call with the sentry, Schneider set the switch to the inter-car communication frequency, and he seriously ordered to his subordinates: "All attention, our goal has appeared, and we are coming to us. I hope everyone can play The best level is behind more than two hundred infantry soldiers and the positions we must hold, so we must not let go of a French tank. I understand."

"Understood, sir." The captains answered firmly and neatly.

"Okay, I emphasize again, our goal is tanks, and only those tanks can be solved before we can attack other targets. The opponent also has two 37 guns and one 79 gun, and these three targets are handed over to the third row. , Rulf, you must ensure that the French kill them before they use these things to blow us up."

"Follow your orders, sir." Rolf replied confidently.

"The other rows pay attention to attacking the other tank. The other party has fifteen h35s. We have encountered this before. I think everyone knows how to deal with it. But this time the French have six b1s. We have never had it before. After dealing with this kind of tank, we only learned a little from the information issued by the Ministry of the Army. I heard that it is difficult to deal with. Everyone must be careful and pay attention to the weak links that attack it. Do you understand?"

"Understood, sir."

"Sir, they are here." Rolf yelled loudly.

"Okay, everyone, follow my orders. Everyone is ready. Let's give a good lesson to the French armored soldiers."

Schneider pushed open the top cover, took the telescope and looked towards the highway.

The first to appear in the telescope's field of vision were two French h35 medium tanks, a weapon that made the German armored soldiers a headache. This medium-sized tank with a 40-mm armored shell is only not much larger than the German Type II tank, which makes its internal space very narrow. I really don’t know how the French put the three tankers in.

Its maximum speed is only 30 kilometers. This is an obviously slow infantry tank. In other words, it is only suitable for supporting infantry attacks. In the field of tank battles, the German Type 4 can easily circle around it.

This tank is equipped with a beautiful streamlined turret, and its resilience is surprising. In addition, the short tube 37 mm gun with 21 times diameter is also very powerful. Although it can not pose a major threat to the German Type 3 and Type 4 tanks, it is easy to deal with those thin and poor Type 1 and 2 .

The biggest headache for German tankers is that its heavy armor and beautiful bulletproof appearance make it difficult to destroy. Unless it hits the weak side, it can still smash in front of you even if it is hit by a shell. Shake it, and accidentally be bitten by the small gun. In the early stage of the French battle, many German tanks were carried in the hands of such tanks.

But now it can't cause any trouble to Schneider, they already know its weaknesses, and they all know how to deal with it.

As the French tanks appeared one by one on the road, Schneider’s small tank company was about to launch a dangerous raid. Perhaps this company will disappear from the German sequence after this adventure, but at the time it did not. A person showed a slight hesitation.

The German tank drivers were ready to use their lives to prove to the world what kind of fearless heart was beating under the heavy gray armor.

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