Chapter 1300: Tug of War
However, it is a pity that although the Germans regained their disadvantage in firepower, they failed to match these powerful guns with a strong enough chassis! THESE VEHICLES THAT WERE WELDED WITH STEEL PLATES ON THE HALF-TRACK AND AN 88MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN AND PULLED ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD WERE UNDOUBTEDLY A GROUP OF THIN-SKINNED GUYS. After a short shock, the counterattack of the Huaxia troops also hit the other side with blood!
In the case of being able to penetrate each other's armor, the fighting is more tragic than people believe. Almost every hit takes away a vehicle and the life on it. The roar of artillery was continuous, and the shells shuttled through the air at high speed, flying towards targets not far away. From time to time, tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed and turned into a burning wreckage in a burst of fire. The Germans' half-track tank destroyers pierced the formation like a sharp spear, while the remaining No. 4 tried to make a detour from both sides. Together, the two groups of German forces finally overwhelmed the opponent in numbers, and the sharp artillery and numerical superiority made the flanks less solid!
"Let the infantry fighting vehicles go up. We don't have enough firepower! "AWARE OF THE DANGER OF THE FLANKS, THE HUAXIA COMMANDER QUICKLY PULLED SOME HIGH-SPEED WHEELED ARMORED VEHICLES FROM BEHIND THE FORMATION, THESE GUYS ARMED WITH 30MM MACHINE GUNS AND 57MM GUNS WERE MORE PROFESSIONAL IN DEALING WITH LIGHTLY ARMORED TARGETS, AND THE SALES WERE HIGHER, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, THE HOWITZERS AND MORTARS ACCOMPANYING THE ARMORED FORCES WERE ALSO RAINING BULLETS IN FRONT, AND THE SHRAPNEL SCATTERED AFTER THE EXPLOSION OF HIGH-EXPLOSIVE SHELLS WAS DEFINITELY A TEST FOR THE FRAGILE HALF-TRACK AND TANK WALKING SYSTEMS.
The chain of bullets fired by the machine cannon writhed terribly like a fiery snake on the battlefield. The shells flew towards the self-propelled anti-aircraft guns that were fighting hard with a rapid screech. At this moment, the high speed of wheeled armored vehicles and the high rate of fire of machine guns were brought into full play, and they quickly rushed into the battlefield through the direct gap in the tank formation, and then harvested the lives of the opponent's lightly armed troops at a very close distance. A rain of scythe-like bullets slashed across a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, and powerful armor-piercing shells pierced through the thin steel plates on the sides of the hull without hindrance. Smash the artillery and personnel inside to pieces! These infantry fighting vehicles were like sharp blades, cutting through the opposing lines at critical moments in the battle, making the situation on the flanks clearer.
Just when the two wings gradually occupied the upper peak, the head-on battle had entered a critical moment, the Germans and Huaxia were somewhat similar, with a large number of No. 3 and No. 4 tank destroyers to cooperate with the tanks to block the Huaxia attack, and the towed anti-aircraft artillery hidden on the battlefield by colleagues also made Huaxia very uncomfortable! as the center of the breakthrough. IN ADDITION TO AN ARMORED COMPANY, FANGHONG IN THE CENTER WAS SUPPORTED BY TYPE 29 ASSAULT GUNS AND SOME 90MM GUNS, BUT EVEN SO, THE BATTLE WAS STILL DIFFICULT. The flank positions deployed by the Germans made the Chinese armored forces fearful. Even with the existence of such a Type 29 tank destroyer, which claims to have absolutely reliable frontal protection. Still don't dare to go too deep into the opponent's defense line before the two wings can succeed.
Shells of various calibers rained down on the heavy sloping armor of the Type 29 tank destroyer, leaving craters and cracks on the surface of the anti-magnetic armor, and the sound of metal tears and shell explosions tested every officer and soldier. Quite a few Type 29 tank destroyers lost their combat effectiveness due to the destruction of the shells by dense shells. Because there is no turret, tank destroyers can only be used as targets once they move. This is the case with thicker armored tank destroyers, so the situation of tank units is even more difficult. The Chinese armored soldiers had to carefully deal with the opponent's fixed fire points and tanks.
The entire attack surface was expanded, and the armored men, accustomed to rampage, had to flexibly use the terrain and smoke screen to cover the enemy's fierce artillery fire. A Type 29 tank slowly approached a newly destroyed No. 4 tank, using the wreckage to cover its flanks, the commander carefully observed the situation outside, less than 700 meters away from him, a flash of fire, a cloud of smoke rose near the ground, and a huge muzzle storm lifted the camouflage net on the surface. Judging by what was revealed. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN 88MML56 ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN. "Their line of fire is so low!" Under the guidance of the commander, the gunner locked the anti-tank gun firmly in the scope, and with the sound of the turret being loaded, a high-explosive shell whistled towards the target! Less than 2 seconds later, a cloud of smoke rose into the air, carrying up countless debris and leaving a huge crater in the ground.
The spearhead of the tank destroyers failed to tear through the opponent's defenses, and after a series of firefights, the Germans, with superior firepower, gradually suppressed Fang Hong's direct forces. Nearly 30 per cent of armoured vehicles were damaged or destroyed. Although the Germans also paid a heavy price, the attack on China was mainly by tank destroyers and anti-aircraft artillery with fierce firepower. So at this time the remaining tanks of the Germans could also launch an attack.
The frontal line of defense was in tatters. The Germans finally found their chance, and the remaining dozen or so tanks led the mechanized infantry in a counterattack, and behind them, long-dormant mortars and rocket launchers were activated. In a very short period of time, I hit a very high amount of projection! Countless rocket artillery and mortars covered the Huaxia attack formation once! The shock wave and shmelel generated by high-explosive shells tested every vehicle in the area of artillery fire, and tanks may also be able to rely on heavy armor to ensure safety, while infantry fighting vehicles and armored transporters are not so lucky, many of which have their side armor torn by large pieces of shrapnel, and the high-speed shrapnel pouring in from the breach turns the inside of the hull into a Shura field.
"Alright, they shouldn't have any more follow-ups. Let's shoot with rocket artillery. "Look at the pillar of smoke rising in the distance and the flames rising behind the opponent's formation. Xu Huaide ordered. It was about 7 kilometers behind the attacking force. More than a dozen Storm rocket launchers have lowered their stands, and up to 32 rocket launch rails on each vehicle are slowly pointing into the distance. After the order is given, these weapons, which claim to be the strongest suppressive firepower, will fire up to 500 shells in less than half a minute, all of which will be distributed as evenly as possible throughout the central German position, and the mixed high-explosive and incendiary shells will be extremely efficient in clearing all targets except tanks! Behind Fang Hong's troops, another mixed formation of tank destroyers and assault guns would repel the desperate German attack and restabilize the front.
Under the blow of the storm rocket artillery, all non-permanent fortifications and non-armored units were not spared, and the armored vehicles and infantry that accompanied the counter-charge of the tanks were destroyed at the first time, and rows of shells exploded in the attack formation, tearing the infantry and the mortar and machine gun groups that had just been deployed to pieces. Gray-black plumes of smoke and orange flames continued to rise, blowing up the entire position to pieces.
When the German tank unit narrowly rushed through the fire blockade area, it was the armored reserves of China that collided head-on, and without cover, the No. 4 tank could be described as a lamb to the slaughter in the face of tank destroyers and assault guns. More than a dozen No. 4 tanks were destroyed by powerful anti-armor fire in less than ten minutes. It turned into piles of burning wreckage, left on the battlefield forever. At this time, the situation on the battlefield was already clear. The attacks of the German flanks on the left and right had already been repulsed. The defense system and counterattack in the middle also tended to collapse under multiple blows, and by now, it seemed that there was no force left to stop the attack of the Huaxia armored forces!
Suddenly, a whistling sound from the distant air caught Fang Hong's attention. Fang Hong, who had just experienced a tragic battle, was extremely sensitive to any crisis, and judging from the sound, it should be some kind of long-range artillery, but from the perspective of ballistics and flight time, the range of these guns should be more than 20 kilometers!
"Shelling, retreat!" After the first shell landed on the ground. FANG HONG QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A SHELL FIRED BY AN ARTILLERY GUN OF MORE THAN 155MM, AND THE LONG-RANGE HEAVY ARTILLERY GROUP THAT THE GERMANS HAD HIDDEN FOR A LONG TIME FINALLY WIELDED ITS MIGHT! The roar of the SFK18 170MM heavy gun resounded across the battlefield, and the shells fired from 25 kilometers away were scattered all over the entire front. And tumbling and moving forward!
"Fire smoke bombs to cover the retreat." WHEN THE AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE INFORMED XU HUAIDE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE OPPONENT'S LONG-RANGE ARTILLERY, THE LATTER RELUCTANTLY ISSUED AN ORDER TO TEMPORARILY RETREAT, THE FIRING POSITION OF THE OPPONENT'S 170MM HEAVY ARTILLERY WAS OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF HIS OWN 155MM ARTILLERY, AND THE HUAXIA 155MM ARTILLERY WAS NOT BAD WITH THE FRENCH SCHNEIDER ARTILLERY AND THE AMERICAN LONG-LEGGED TOM, THE FIRING RANGE WAS IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER, THE WEIGHT WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT, AND THE MANEUVER WAS FAST. IT WAS SAID TO BE A VERY GOOD ARTILLERY, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS A GERMAN 170MM GUN. This is almost the farthest in the history of the conventional artillery of World War 2, with a maximum range of nearly 30 kilometers!
The barrage of barrage fired by the Germans with heavy artillery temporarily closed the gap, and although it could not last because of the huge ammunition consumption, it was enough to withdraw the remaining troops from the battlefield. The situation encountered by Xu Huaide happened on almost the entire front, and the high combat effectiveness of the German army on the frontal battlefield that had been prepared for a long time still surprised Huaxia very much, and the simple armor against Huaxia was not afraid, but when the Germans combined various anti-aircraft artillery and long-range artillery, and made full use of the preset positions and flexible tactical battles, Huaxia was really a little uncomfortable.
In the first day of fierce fighting, both sides paid a terrible price! THE HUAXIA LOST MORE THAN 30% TANKS AND VARIOUS VEHICLES THAN EXPECTED, AND MOST OF THEM WERE DUE TO THE GERMAN 88MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS. And the Germans, in addition to losing more tanks than the Chinese. By the way, a lot of anti-aircraft guns and stored ammunition that had been misappropriated from the Air Force were also lost.
"If we continue to play like this, our performance will get worse and worse. IN JUST ONE DAY, WE LOST NEARLY 30% OF 88MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, ALTHOUGH WE CONTAINED THE OPPONENT'S ATTACK. But as the number of large-caliber cannons continues to decrease, and the opposing air force joins in, our situation will be very dangerous. The latter, in particular, made Brauchitsch very uneasy. IF THE AIR FORCE JOINS, THEN THE GERMAN ARMY WILL INEVITABLY DIVIDE SOME ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS FOR AIR DEFENSE, AND THE 170MM HEAVY GUNS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY COVER THE WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS WILL NO LONGER BE SAFE. And because Huaxia controlled the entire battlefield. All damaged vehicles could be brought back for repair, but the vehicles abandoned by the Germans on the battlefield were completely lost. Although the number of tanks in China has suffered some losses, there are still many tank destroyers and assault guns. Strength should not be underestimated.
"Let the Air Force prepare, if you rely solely on the army to attack, the cost is too great!" Peng Yi looked at the battle damage table and was also uncomfortable. Originally, the battle between China and the Allies was smooth, but today it seems that the Germans are worthy of being the first army power in Europe, and they once rivaled the existence of Britain, France, the United States and Russia. It is still stronger than China when it first entered the battlefield in terms of the coordination of various arms of the armed forces, and if it were not for its superiority in tanks and rocket artillery, the outcome of today's battle would be uncertain.
Although the first day of fighting was scarred by the fighting between the two sides, it could only be regarded as skin wounds to the powerful legions of both sides. Although it seems to be miserable, it is far from the extent of breaking the muscles and bones. For the first time, Huaxia learned the power of the German Army in a large-scale field battle, and it was unrealistic to want to penetrate the opponent's defense in one go. Even Peng Yi had to admit that if he continued to fight like this, it would not be of much significance even if he won. So Peng Yi readjusted his deployment and began to work steadily and steadily, and at the same time asked the Air Force for assistance. The combat mission has also changed from dividing, encircling and then encircling the opponent to attrition the opponent. AT THE SAME TIME, IN ORDER TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF FIREPOWER, HUAXIA ALSO SPECIALLY TRANSFERRED SOME HALF-TRACK ASSAULT GUNS FROM THE REAR AS AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT, THESE HIGH MOBILITY LIGHT PROTECTION, BUT THE GUY EQUIPPED WITH A 75MM CANNON IS TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF TANKS. These things are a bit similar to the Hellcat tank destroyers that the Americans did in World War 2, they are fast, have strong firepower, and have a turret that can turn, but the defense is relatively poor.
In the same way, after the first day of fighting, the Germans also realized that they could not defeat China in a head-on confrontation, and when all means were used, they still did not have an advantage in a head-on confrontation. In the case that the air force cannot guarantee air supremacy, once the Chinese air and ground join forces, the situation of the war will definitely take a sharp turn. If Brauchitsch and others still had some reservations about Guderian's tactics before the war, then after a day of fierce fighting, the German front-line generals had to admit that it would be difficult to achieve victory if they did not want to make some fuss in the opponent's rear, so both warring sides had hole cards to play, and although they had guessed some of each other's tactics, they were not clear about the details. Huaxia only knew that the other side might penetrate from the flanks, but he didn't know about the scale and tactics, and although the Germans knew that the Huaxia Air Force would definitely exert its strength, they didn't expect that Huaxia still had a highly mobile force.
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