artillery arc

Chapter 717: The First Battle of Night Combat Equipment

Proson technical experimental unit.

Lt. Col. Kanin watched as technicians checked the night vision equipment mounted on a Panther tank.

At this time, Major Luke of the 51st Armored Grenadier Regiment of the th Armored Grenadier Division, who was cooperating with them, came over, stood next to the started tank, put his hand in front of the exhaust port, and used the warm exhaust gas to keep warm.

"It's really cold, Lieutenant Colonel." He said, "Your night vision equipment is just a searchlight. What if it is shot down by an enemy sniper?"

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin shook his head: "No, this headlight emits infrared rays. Only the infrared night vision device equipped on the top of the tank can see what it illuminates. The Ants don't have infrared night vision devices, so they can't see it."

Major Luke: "Then we can't see it either? How can we cooperate with you in the pitch black? Your own infantry can't see it either, what's the point?"

"You can see that as long as we set the enemy's position on fire with incendiary bombs, you can see the enemy's position." Lieutenant Colonel Kanin said, "Also, there is an identification strip on the back of the tank that can emit a weak fluorescent light at night. When you follow it, you can look at it to make sure you don't get caught in the tank's tracks."

Major Luke took out a cigarette and said, "Damn it, why don't you tank commander light a cigarette and let us look at the light of the cigarette butt to confirm the position of the tank."

"No, enemy snipers will shoot at the fire from cigarette butts." Lieutenant Colonel Kanin replied immediately, "Before I was transferred to the experimental unit, an officer was killed for running outside the bunker to smoke in the middle of the night."

"By a witch?"

The female biplane pilots who came to bomb at night were called Night Witches by the Prosen people, and the corresponding female snipers of Ant were also called witches.

The male soldiers of Proson would not admit that they were afraid of these Ante female soldiers, and could only slander them for using witchcraft, while what they were afraid of was the evil witchcraft.

At this time, the chief technical officer of the technical experimental unit came over, saluted Lieutenant Colonel Kanin, and then reported: "All night vision equipment and 'Nightingale' infrared headlights have been checked. We can attack."

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin: "Understood. Major Luke, please get your regiment ready."

Major Luke put out his cigarette and exhaled all the remaining smoke in his lungs. "This is the first night combat equipment used in actual combat in human history. We can be said to have left our name in history."

After saying this, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin climbed onto the tank, got into the turret, put on headphones, and picked up the microphone: "Attention all vehicles, activate infrared headlights and night vision equipment, and start moving forward."

The engine volume of the lieutenant colonel's car suddenly increased, and the car took a sharp step forward before moving forward steadily.

"Hank," the lieutenant colonel called the driver's name, "don't be so aggressive."

Corporal Hank: "Lieutenant Colonel, I just finished armored recruit training. At the school, I drove a 38T teaching tank. I am not used to the Leopard yet."

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin: "Plosen soldiers don't make excuses for themselves, remember that."

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel."

The gunner interrupted the conversation: "Lieutenant Colonel, the technical officers said that infrared rays are a kind of heat energy. So are we warming the Ante soldiers? Can they sense the heat and discover our attack?"

Lieutenant Colonel: "The technical sergeant said no."

“But last time I tested it, I put my hand in front of the headlight and it got really hot!”

Lieutenant Colonel: "That's because the headlight is an electrical appliance. If you put your hand close to the glowing light bulb, it will also get hot. Stop talking nonsense and observe carefully."

After saying that, the lieutenant colonel picked up the infrared night vision goggles specially equipped for him.

Because night vision goggles are relatively large and expensive, even the modified tanks of the technical experimental unit only have two night vision goggles, one for the gunner and one for the driver. The commander and the mechanic (part-time machine gunner) beside the driver do not have such goggles.

The lieutenant colonel's handheld night vision goggles were removed from the machine gun of the infantry squad - yes, in an infantry squad, only the machine gunner had night vision goggles.

On Earth, Sandezi had equipped the STG44 assault rifle with night vision goggles in the late stages and distributed them to a small number of elite troops. However, Proson has not yet developed the assault rifle, and the night vision goggles are still experimental products, with very few in number.

The lieutenant colonel saw the "road" illuminated by the infrared headlights through the night vision goggles. He was a little surprised that the lighting effect of the headlights was so good.

He suddenly remembered the first time he saw a kaleidoscope as a child. He must have been so surprised and curious about the magnificent world in the kaleidoscope.

After "playing" for a while, as the excitement wore off, the lieutenant colonel felt the limitations of the night vision goggles.

The field of view is too small. Even if the magnification is adjusted to the lowest and the field of view is maximized, it is still just a small area.

And in the part not illuminated by the infrared headlights, everything is very blurry.

The lieutenant colonel took off the night vision goggles and observed the night with his naked eyes. Although there was almost no moonlight at this time, the human eye could still barely distinguish the outlines of the trees.

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin began to doubt whether this thing could really enhance night combat capabilities?

The witches in Ant have never heard of night vision goggles, but they can always drop bombs where the Prosen are stationed.

----

Filippov suddenly heard the phone ringing and looked up from the chessboard.

He was studying chess records by himself, which was his new hobby.

The regimental staff officer picked up the receiver: "This is the regimental headquarters. What's going on? Engine sound? Are you sure?"

Filippov stood up and took the receiver from the staff officer, just in time to hear a battalion commander's hasty report on the other end of the phone: "There was indeed an engine sound, everyone heard it, very loud, but we did not see the enemy's flares, which is not in line with the Plossen people's practice of attacking at night.

"I have ordered the soldiers to take up their positions."

Filippov: "Your order is fine. Keep observing and report if you find anything."

At this time, another phone started ringing. The phone happened to be next to the staff officer, so he picked it up.

Filippov put down the receiver and looked at the staff officer.

The staff officer repeated Filippov's order, put down the receiver and reported: "The second battalion also heard the engine noise."

Filippov: "The Third Battalion didn't hear it. The Second Battalion heard it a little later than the First Battalion - the enemy's main attack force was in the First Battalion's position. Connect with the First Battalion of the 355th Regiment."

Filippov's regiment had just been reinforced by the 355st Battalion of the th Regiment, which was now the regimental reserve and was stationed behind the core position of the regiment's headquarters.

The staff officer immediately answered the call and handed the receiver to Filippov.

"Commander, what's the matter?" asked the battalion commander of the 355th Regiment.

Filippov: "You move immediately to the position of the first battalion. They may be attacked soon."

"Now? When it's this dark?"

Filippov: “Just in case.”

As soon as he finished speaking, an explosion was heard outside the regiment's bunker.

Staff Officer: "It sounds like the direction of the first battalion."

Filippov: "Did you hear the sound? Now, hurry up and go."

"Yes."

Filippov almost dropped the receiver on the phone, then walked to the observation window of the regimental bunker and looked out.

There was obvious fire at the first battalion's position, and there were continuous explosions.

Staff Officer: "They were touched? So the engine noise was a trick to attract our attention, and the infantry that touched us were the main force?"

Filippov: "There should have been heavy gunfire."

At this time the phone rang again.

Filippov immediately picked up the receiver. Only then did he realize that he had hit it too hard and the receiver casing was cracked a little, but it did not seem to affect its function.

The voice of a battalion commander came from the receiver: "Commander! This is weird! We saw the flash of artillery fire at a distance of 800 to 1,000 meters. It was too dark to see clearly and there was no way to measure the distance.

"But the enemy was able to accurately fire at the bunkers we repaired in the afternoon." In the afternoon, Filippov's regiment occupied the enemy's first position, advanced about five kilometers, and then stopped at the edge of our artillery's maximum range.

The firepower points and bunkers on the first battalion's position should have been repaired temporarily after the position was occupied, and there might not have been time to camouflage them.

But - calling on the firing points one by one in the middle of the night?

Filippov: "The enemy fired flares? Why can't I see them from the regiment headquarters?"

"No! This is the weird part. We have already extinguished all the light sources on the battlefield. We extinguished them when we heard the engine sound. And I swear the soldiers did not violate the discipline. All the candlelight was blocked so that it could not be seen by the enemy in the distance."

Filippov: “That’s weird.”

He looked outside again to make sure there was no moonlight.

At this time, the battalion chaplain hurried into the regimental bunker: "What's going on? The enemy is attacking? I don't see any flares."

The priests were now resting according to their shift schedule, and would take over Filippov's shift in the middle of the night.

Filippov: "We are trying to figure out what happened."

Priest: “What do you mean?”

At this time, the staff officer suddenly said with a look of fear: "It might be a vampire! There are Moravians among the Prosons. Moravia is also the hometown of the vampire Count Dracula. The Prosons may have found a secluded vampire tribe and organized a vampire army to fight at night!"

Priest: "The Church has done special research on vampire legends. After all, the Moravians are distant relatives of us. The Eastern Holy Church also has quite a number of believers in Moravia, among whom the secular faction accounts for a large proportion.

“The local church has studied the legend of vampires and believes that the so-called vampires may be people who have developed antibodies to rabies, because rabies has given them better night vision and then they are afraid of bright light.

"The local church has been trying to capture a sample and send it back for research, but they haven't caught one yet. I don't believe the Prosen people have found a real vampire."

The staff officer looked at the priest in surprise: "Is that so?"

"That's right. One of the main purposes of the secular school is to use scientific methods to explain those strange and supernatural things. In this regard, we have something in common with Proson. It can even be said that Emperor Proson drew inspiration from the works of St. Andrew.

"It's just that Saint Andrew acknowledges those supernatural things and wants to study and accept them, while the Proson people want to forcibly replace them with technology."

Filippov couldn't help but interrupt the conversation between the two: "Say something meaningful about the current situation!"

Priest: "We need to get to the heart of the matter, Colonel Davalish. So is the position lost?"

"No, it's just that the enemy's firing point was hit in the dark by an unimaginable method."

Priest: "Then hold the position until daybreak."

At this time, gunshots were heard from the first battalion's position.

Filippov grabbed the receiver, ready to call and ask about the situation, but the phone rang by itself.

"Commander!" The voice of a battalion commander came from the receiver. "There is an exchange of fire. The enemy infantry is trying to occupy the position. We are engaged in hand-to-hand combat."

Filippov: "Hold on! The regiment's reserve has already set out from the regiment's position and should be reaching you soon. Resist until the last man!"

----

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin has a strong desire to complain.

This night vision equipment is even more useless than expected! Although the night vision equipment destroyed the enemy's firepower points and anti-tank gun bunkers, the infantry still had to rush up and fight the enemy in hand-to-hand combat!
There are now flames from incendiary bombs on the enemy's position. After the infantry goes up, the two sides will be evenly matched and it will be just an ordinary close-range combat.

Also because of the fire from the enemy's position, the gunner of Kanin's vehicle had turned off the night vision equipment and was relying solely on the original sight to find the target.

The mechanics and electrical operators, who originally had no night vision equipment, were now relying on the firelight from the enemy's positions to find their targets and shoot at them.

So what is the significance of night combat equipment?
Lieutenant Colonel Kanin relied on his instinct to realize the most appropriate use of these night combat equipment: elite troop infiltration raids.

This kind of frontal attack will make no difference whether you have night combat equipment or not, unless you don't fire any artillery or set anything on fire.

The lieutenant colonel sighed. As a technical experimental unit, his unit had already tested several prototype weapons, but they were basically useless.

Perhaps in the future these equipments will be developed enough to change the form of warfare, but now, as “juvenile” forms, they are useless to warfare.

In order to verify his judgment, Lieutenant Colonel Kanin once again picked up the night vision goggles specially issued to him and looked at the battlefield.

This time, the night vision goggles worked! He saw that the armored grenadiers who had just rushed in for hand-to-hand combat were retreating.

As expected, I can’t beat the Ants in hand-to-hand combat—

No, Lieutenant Colonel Kanin realized that the infantry was wrongly blamed this time.

In the distance, under the "illumination" of the infrared searchlight on the Panther, a large number of ANT troops were entering the trenches on foot. It was obvious that enemy reinforcements had arrived.

Damn, they are worthy of being the Ant Guards with cloaks. The reinforcements come so quickly and the commander’s tactical skills are so amazing.

"The attack has failed. All Panthers, reverse and return to the starting positions."

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin's vehicle started first and moved backwards, followed by the other Panthers of the test squadron.

Except for one.

"Car No. 303, what's wrong with you?" Kanin asked.

No. 303 immediately responded: "Report! The gearbox is broken! Our reverse gear is out of order!"

"Then drive forward and turn around!"

"Yes!"

Engine No. 303 roared a few more times.

Even Lieutenant Colonel Kanin could tell that something was wrong with the gearbox.

No. 303 anxiously reported: "The forward gear is also gone, we are stranded!"

"Damn it!" Lieutenant Colonel Kanin ordered, "We can't let the tank be captured. Immediately place explosives on the infrared equipment and prepare to blow up the tank."

"Yes!"

At this moment, the gunner exclaimed: "The enemy has rushed out of the trenches and is chasing our defeated troops!"

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin made a prompt decision: "303, blow up the car quickly, and the other cars stop to cover 303 in blowing up the car!"

"No need, we have installed the explosives!"

Lieutenant Colonel Kanin looked towards No. 303 and saw the tank commander and the crew running backwards, while the tanks that remained in place were not even turned off.

Then, an explosion occurred, and No. 303 turned into a burning torch.

A burning torch?
Lieutenant Colonel Kanin's scalp tingled.

At this moment the anti-tank gun on Ant's position opened fire.

With a "bang", the shell flew over and hit a Panther that was illuminated by No. 303.

Because the distance was only about 800 meters at this time, the Panther was directly penetrated and stopped immediately. The two remaining tankers jumped out of the tank with amazing proficiency and ran backwards.

"It's a vortex! Release the smoke!" the lieutenant colonel shouted, "Release the smoke quickly, we are illuminated by the fire of No. 303! Release the smoke quickly!"

Amid the sound of smoke launchers, the first night battle in human history involving night combat equipment ended in such an inglorious way.

(End of this chapter)