newbobooks Chapter 185: Battle of Salisk (2)
Chapter 185: Battle of Salisk (2)
Wang Weiping shouted: "Reload quickly, quickly!"
The gunner desperately turned the turret and, together with Wang Weiping, adjusted the muzzle according to the enemy situation observed through the observation hole. 450 meters opposite him, a German Type 4 tank destroyer was also desperately adjusting its body, trying to aim at Wang Weiping faster.
In this close combat situation, the Panzer IV's disadvantages were exposed. Lacking a turret, the anti-tank gun required the driver to rotate the vehicle to adjust the muzzle. Facing the tank head-on, the M4 Sherman quickly locked onto the Panzer IV. At Wang Weiping's calm command, a 4mm armor-piercing round was fired. At a distance of just 4 meters, the round accurately struck the Panzer IV, penetrating its frontal armor and exploding inside.
"Boom!" The German Type 4 tank destroyer spewed flames from its inside and then burst into flames. A tank soldier crawled out from the bottom, but fell to the ground after a few steps, his whole body engulfed in flames.
Wang Weiping and other crew members were not excited about this, especially the miserable state of the armored soldier. This might be their next fate.
The M2046 Sherman tank numbered 4 started to move again, set its sights on another target, and charged forward without hesitation...
Not far away, on a low hillside, a Tiger tank with the number 0377 was standing outside the turret. Major Rock Mathis Kvesev, the ace tank commander of the German 3rd Armored Corps, was observing everything on the battlefield with a telescope. In less than 15 minutes, his crew had damaged/destroyed 7 tanks and armored vehicles of the Chinese and Soviet armoured vehicles, and successfully occupied this relatively hidden low slope with a wide field of view.
Flanking 0377 were another Tiger and a Panzer IV, forming a formidable tank formation. Around them lay a dozen or so tanks, tank destroyers, and armored vehicles of various types, most of them Chinese and Soviet equipment. The smoke from the burning shattered tanks concealed the formation's position, allowing Kvesev to stand atop the turret and observe the surroundings.
"Malevich, drive your tank to the front of the K2 and hide!" Major Kvesev ordered the commander of the Type 4 tank destroyer on the left using the intercom. The K2 Soviet heavy tank that was destroyed not far away had stopped burning, and black smoke was rising around it. The low-slung Type 4 was the best cover to hide here.
Major Kvesev's success was indeed the result of his hard-earned abilities. He was good at making use of all terrains and was proficient in teamwork. From an inconspicuous tank driver entering the Soviet battlefield, in just two years he had become a major battalion commander, commanding a mixed armored battalion of 51 tanks/tank destroyers. He was also one of the first German elites to be equipped with Tiger tanks.
Today's battle also brought him a heavy price. His 533 Assault Battalion has been dispersed. The battalion headquarters he personally led had a total of 7 vehicles, 3 Tiger tanks, 3 Panther tanks and 1 Panzer IV tank destroyer. Now there are only 4 Tiger tanks and 2 tank destroyer left. Although they also eliminated nearly 1 times the number of enemies, their own losses were also very large. After just observation, they seemed to have been cut off and surrounded in a small area. The ammunition and fuel of the three vehicles were insufficient. Major Kvesev hoped to use these damaged tanks as cover, try to drag it out until night, and then evacuate quietly.
Wang Weiping joined several Chinese and Soviet tanks, each from a different unit. On a battlefield of this scale, the best offensive and defensive strategies for scattered tanks were to quickly form new combat teams and provide mutual cover. Soviet tank crews, veterans of numerous major battles, understood this well. A T-34 immediately approached Wang Weiping's M4 Sherman. Despite not speaking the same language, they tacitly became best teammates. With each destroying a German tank, they then teamed up to take out a Tiger. In the melee, more T-34s approached, and now they had reorganized into a team.
Wang Weiping and his peculiar team were searching this area. At this moment, the Soviet Union's unique cold wind had begun to blow, and the surroundings were gray. The observation distance had been reduced to less than 50 meters. A Soviet tank driver communicated with Wang Weiping in poor Chinese, suggesting that they either evacuate the area or find a place to hide from the cold wind.
They unknowingly approached Major Kvesev's squad. Similarly, Kvesev and his men hadn't spotted Wang Weiping and the others. Based on Kvesev's experience, the fighting on both sides had likely ceased under these circumstances. Major Kvesev believed his position was well-hidden, and given the weather, he shouldn't have to worry about the enemy. To conserve fuel, he ordered the squad to shut down their engines. Everyone huddled in their vehicles, wrapped themselves tightly in clothing, and used a battery-powered light to provide a minimal amount of light, preparing to rest and wait for darkness and the blizzard to subside.
After Lao Peng finished talking with the commander of the Soviet 58th Armored Army, the sudden snowstorm disrupted the Sino-Soviet plan. All units could only retreat as ordered and encircle the area. Part of the German army had escaped from the encirclement, but in this valley, at least hundreds of German tanks were still trapped. The German army encountered greater difficulties than the Chinese and Soviet armies. They could no longer find fuel supplies, and a large amount of supplies were blown up or lost. A large number of infantrymen could only be exposed to the blizzard. If such weather continued for a day and a night, the German 3rd and 14th Armored Corps would have collapsed without the Chinese and Soviet offensive.
Old Peng gave Huang Wei a wry smile and said, "Accidents can be both good and bad. I actually hope this snowstorm lasts longer."
Huang Wei smiled and said, "The weather team's analysis should be correct. If there is a prolonged snowstorm, the German army will not come out. This snowstorm came suddenly and caught both sides by surprise. I believe it will not last long. I have ordered all units to quickly lock up their pockets. I believe that once the snowstorm subsides, the enemy will definitely launch a large-scale counterattack!"
Old Peng agreed with Huang Wei's analysis. His concern wasn't how long the blizzard would last, but rather that the Germans would seize the opportunity to regroup and launch a fierce attack on the Chinese and Soviet forces after the blizzard. Furthermore, if the situation dragged on until nightfall, the situation would be even more disadvantageous to the Chinese and Soviet forces.
As expected, just as Old Peng had predicted, General Eberbach and General Valentin Hube were using the blizzard to forcibly consolidate their forces. Under pressure from officers at all levels, some soldiers gathered supplies, especially fuel and ammunition, within the area, seeking to replenish the tank units. Eberbach had already established contact with the rearguard, and some troops that had escaped the encirclement were joining the rearguard and forming a support column, advancing with difficulty in the direction of General Eberbach's planned breakout.