I asked you to escape, but you became a soldier in World War II

Chapter 116 Tank Showdown (Part )
"It's completely over now!" Everyone's mood sank to the bottom. The vehicles of both parties were still together, but No. 549 was dragging such a pile of scrap metal that it could not move at all.

As the German anti-tank destroyers moved again, the situation became hopeless.

The four of them were quietly waiting for death to come. Only Lin Chen had not given up and was still stepping on the accelerator desperately, hoping to break free from the wreckage of the German tank.

But it seems all is in vain.

The roar of the tank engines was still rumbling, but everyone understood that there was a high probability that they would not be able to escape this time.

"boom!"

There was a loud bang and everyone closed their eyes in despair.

Wait, why is the explosion so far away?

It doesn't look like this is mine.

"Haha, it's the Il-2 ground attack aircraft coming to support us!" Lin Chen shouted happily through the observation hole.

"Where is the German anti-tank destroyer?" This is the question that everyone is concerned about.

"It's been written off!" Relying on the knowledge from his previous life, Lin Chen had a general idea of ​​this type of ground attack aircraft, which was not very mature during World War II.

The early Il-2 was a single-seat aircraft without a rear machine gun, so it had almost no resistance in the air. Coupled with its poor defense and the participation of many novice pilots, the combat efficiency of this ground attack aircraft was average, but its damage rate was astonishingly high.

It was not until the Il-1942M model was put into production in 2 that it came out with bulletproof glass and a two-seat design, equipped with machine gun defense. In addition, it began to carry eight large 132mm rockets with an armor-piercing capability of 8mm, a firepower that no tank top at the time could withstand.

Therefore, the Il-2M ground attack aircraft was called "Flying T34" by the Soviet Army, and "Black Death" by the German Army. Comrade SDL even likened it to being as indispensable as bread and air to the Red Army.

It is the Soviet Army's most effective ground-to-ground anti-tank weapon.

At this time, the Soviet infantry unit finally arrived. Because the main armored force of the German army was attracted by Lin Chen and his men, they had enough time to draw on the surrounding tank units to launch a counterattack, and finally successfully defeated the German attack.

Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich, who arrived, was as excited as a child and gave warm hugs to every crew member of Tank No. 549. Of course, Kirilenko was promptly sent to the rear field hospital for treatment due to his injuries.

"Lieutenant Lin Chen, your identities have been verified, you are all heroes!" Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich excitedly shook Lin Chen's hand.

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, may I ask, what is the current situation of the war?" Lin Chen knew very well that it was not the time to completely relax in this decisive battle that was related to the life and death of the Eastern Front.

After hearing this, Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich could not help but admire Lin Chen's awareness of the overall situation. He is neither arrogant when he wins nor discouraged when he loses. He is truly a talented person!
"Because you have tied down the most elite tank unit of the German army, our brigade has had enough time to mobilize troops to support us. The German attack has been contained. However, according to the news from other comrades, the German attack on Hill 171 to our north is very fierce, and we have suffered heavy losses."

"Do you know how many troops the enemy has?"

"There are about 40 tanks, including nearly ten of the latest Leopard tanks. There are also some Ferdinand heavy anti-tank destroyers. Because of this, the front army has transferred all its reserves over there, and you have been unable to get support here. Fortunately, we shouted countless times and finally called an attack aircraft over."

"Hehe, to be honest with you, if it had come a little later, we would have been finished." Lin Chen briefly recounted the situation just now, and Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich was amazed.

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, give us a tank, and we will go to Hill 171. The situation there is probably very tight!"

"Is this Tiger tank no longer usable now?" Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich actually didn't have many tanks left.

"It is badly damaged, and I think the headquarters needs it more. By studying its data, our future operations will be easier. Please be sure to protect it!"

"Well, I understand!" Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich's face was solemn. As the commander of a mechanized brigade, he certainly knew how valuable a complete Tiger tank was.

"You guys, get a tow truck here right now and find a way to get it to the back. I'll contact someone to take over."

"It's better to send some fighter planes or anti-aircraft artillery units over for protection. I'm afraid the Germans will make a desperate move and send the Stuka over." Lin Chen suggested kindly.

Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich naturally agreed completely. Such a precious thing was too important.

"Second Lieutenant Lin Chen, we have another KV85 in the brigade headquarters. Are you interested? The performance of this tank is not bad. It is a heavy tank after all. However, this type of tank has just been put into actual combat and has many problems."

(In real history, KV85 was not deployed in the Battle of Kursk. This is purely for the needs of the plot. Military fans please don’t criticize me for this, haha.)
"How could a tank like this be idle?" Lin Chen was very curious. He certainly knew that this tank was a transitional model of the IS series of heavy tanks, but even if it was a transitional model, it was definitely the trump card of the Soviet armored forces.

"To be honest, most of the original tank crew members died gloriously. They fought fiercely for several days and nights. When they came back for repairs, they got off the tank to eat something. They happened to encounter a German air raid. Except for the guards in the tank, all of them died heroically. The surviving soldiers have joined other tank crews and rushed to Hill 171."

"However, the machine gun and fire control aiming system of this tank were damaged, and there is some oil leakage, but it is indeed a very good tank!" Lieutenant Colonel Parosovich said somewhat unnaturally.

Lin Chen was instantly relieved after hearing this, because the fire control and aiming system was broken. Most tank soldiers would not be able to use such a tank. The shooting of the tank gun looked very simple, but it was actually quite complicated. Without the assistance of relevant equipment, it had to rely entirely on the experience of the commander.

Due to the huge losses in the early stages of the Great Patriotic War, many of the newly recruited tank soldiers of the Soviet Army were hastily sent into battle, and what they lacked most was probably experience. The German tanks were not only experienced, but also had advanced aiming equipment and meticulous military industrial quality, so they could often achieve a terrifying exchange ratio on the battlefield.

"Then give me this tank!" Lin Chen was very confident, mainly because he knew very well that this tank was one of the few tanks that the Soviet army had on the Eastern Front that could compete with the German Tiger and Panther tanks.

In the open space of the command center, Lin Chen and the other three finally saw the tank.

这种坦克就是“239工程”，其编号为KV-85重型坦克，是KV-1与IS-85之间的中间型号。KV-85的首席设计师是M·F·巴尔吉，他也是KV-1和后来的IS-3重型坦克的设计师。

In addition to widening the hull, many improvements were made to the interior of the vehicle. The radio operator was removed and a machine gun was added to the rear of the vehicle to eliminate German infantry that were outflanked from behind.

However, the production time of KV-85 was very short. The last tank of this type was delivered to the Soviet army in early November 1943. A total of 11 tanks were produced.

It was put into the frontline combat at the end of 1943 and played its due role. The KV-85 soon gave way to the more technologically advanced and more solidly armored IS-2 heavy tank, and was withdrawn from the frontline troops in the autumn of 1944. Lin Chen and others saw that the front armor of this big guy was full of pits and craters. Needless to say, these were all left by the German Army's Type and Type tank guns.

If it is the main gun of the Panther or Tiger, it will still pose a huge threat to it, not to mention the Ferdinand heavy anti-tank destroyer.

The four of them worked together without any pressure, but the simplicity of the equipment inside the vehicle still made Lin Chen feel a little emotional. The internal technological content of the German Tiger tank was obviously higher, but fortunately the Soviet tank was relatively simple to operate.

After filling up the gas, the tank drove at full speed towards the designated high ground as soon as the accelerator was stepped on.

Before reaching the designated area, rumbling artillery sounds were heard from the front. Through the observation port on top of the tank, Lin Chen saw that the area below Hill 171 was like a purgatory on earth.

Countless tanks from the Soviet and German sides roared on the vast plains, artillery fire intertwined, and they fought to the death.

The battlefield was filled with thick smoke, and the sky was dyed gray by the artillery fire.

The blazing wreckage of tanks was scattered everywhere, some still emitting smoke, as if telling of the unprecedented brutality of the battle.

The long-range heavy artillery of both sides were still desperately pouring steel into this area, and many soldiers suddenly disappeared in this hellish scene.

But both sides were so blood-curdling that they didn't even have time to think about death.
Even the surviving tank soldiers quickly picked up guns and became infantrymen after leaving the tanks, fighting frantically at this moment until they fell down.

But overall, among the destroyed tanks, there were obviously more dark green Soviet tanks, especially the German army, which was mainly defensive, and their Tiger tanks and anti-tank destroyers had advantages such as powerful firepower, long range and high accuracy, which were fully utilized.

In addition, the assault force composed of Leopard and Panzer IV tanks frequently attacked the waist of the Soviet attack echelon, making the Soviet offensive very difficult.

Although light tanks such as the Panzer III could no longer pose a threat to the Soviet T34, they were still more than enough to deal with infantry and attract anti-tank fire.

The German army's well-trained troops were astonishing, and their proper command system shocked even elite soldiers from the previous life like Lin Chen.

"Comrade Captain, do we want to join in?" It was the first time that Jacques participated in a tank battle of this scale, and he was really nervous.

"No, we won't go. If our tanks drive to the main battlefield, they will quickly attract the attention of the German army, and we will be killed in just a few hits!" Lin Chen understood that in front of the Tiger and Ferdinand anti-tank destroyers, although his KV85 was quite good, it would definitely not last for a few hits.

The essence of our ancestors' use of troops is: Those who are good at fighting should take advantage of the situation.

Why can't we attack the German army where it's weakest? Attack its rear?

After Lin Chen told everyone his idea, Sergei expressed his concerns. No one knew where the German rear supply station in this area was, and the recent sneak attack must have forced the German army to strengthen its defense.

If you just rush forward alone, you will easily be surrounded by the German army and end up losing more than you gain.

"Ha, Sergei, you finally use your brain! What you said makes sense, but if we go to report to the Soviet commander, he will most likely send us to the front line, where we will be even less useful!" Lin Chen's thinking was definitely not based on his own petty views. If the Soviet commander wanted to launch a sneak attack, he would have done it long ago.

Now that the battle has reached this point, if a tank from our side reports for duty, we will definitely send it to the melting pot of Hill 171 without hesitation.

A confident look appeared on his face. "Don't worry, trust me, I can find the enemy's supply station, and we will withdraw after taking advantage of it!"

There were some things he couldn't reveal, because when his level was upgraded from LV2 to LV3, the system unlocked a new skill for him: the ability to identify danger!

He can judge where the German army has heavily deployed troops or even buried mines. With such a plug-in, he can naturally accomplish things that others cannot do.

Although Jacques was still a little worried, Sergei had no reason to doubt since the captain had said so.

Just do it!

Vasika would not say anything more, obedience was his greatest strength.

The four checked their ammunition and fuel, then began to bypass the main battlefield and move forward along a dense bush under the high ground.

During the journey, Lin Chen relied on his sixth sense and chose a route that the German army was most likely to overlook.

This was a minefield where they had deployed anti-tank mines. Although the density was not high enough due to time constraints and limited mines, it was still enough to make a sound for any sneak attacking enemy, thus providing an early warning.

But Lin Chen and others didn't play by the rules at all and just forced their way through this "death zone".

Because Lin Chen ordered all vehicles to move forward at a low speed and keep the noise as low as possible, and the sound of artillery fire on the main battlefield was deafening, they were not discovered by the German army along the way.

After crossing a small hill, Lin Chen finally saw their target through the telescope.

The German Imperial Division headquarters was next to a supply station.

"First, destroy the enemy's supply station, and then focus on the oil depot! Then knock out the enemy's headquarters!" Lin Chen decisively issued the order to attack.

Everyone is in high spirits and plans to follow him to make something big!
At this time, the German troops at the supply station were concentrating on refueling or replenishing ammunition for the tanks retreating from the front line, and were completely unprepared.

The German troops on duty were also transferred away due to the fierce fighting situation at the front, and the defense of the entire German base was very weak.

As a result, Lin Chen and his tanks were only about 200 meters away from the camp before they were discovered.

This doesn't seem to be our tank, it's painted dark green, oh my god! It's Russian!
The German army was terrified and subconsciously began to shoot sporadically at the KV85 with their machine guns and rifles.

(End of this chapter)