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

Chapter 125 Tank Battle: Numbers Are Not Everything
The position here was defended by the 502rd Company of the German nd Heavy Armored Battalion.

This was a newly established German Tiger tank company. Since the 502nd Battalion was established in August 1942, there was only one first company at the beginning, and the other second and third companies were just paper units.

It was not until the eve of the Battle of Kursk that the relevant Tiger tanks were delivered, and then the personnel were also pieced together.

Even so, Lieutenant Hegen still showed off in front of the battalion commander Captain Schmidt, and used these new recruits to quickly turn the Third Company into the most powerful armored brigade of the German Army on the southern front.

Although as the fire captain, he went wherever he was needed and suffered heavy losses, now only four Tiger tanks were left.

What annoyed him was that more than a dozen tanks in the company were almost all abandoned due to mechanical failures, which made him feel it was a pity. He knew too well how difficult it would be for the Empire to replenish these precious tanks for him.

But he had no choice. If he didn't abandon them, they would be surrounded. The stupidest thing the armored troops could do was to stand there and do nothing.

In fact, he was not optimistic about this defensive battle, but Battalion Commander Schmidt insisted that he hold on here for a day and a night to provide sufficient time for the German troops in Belgorod to retreat.

Through his conversation with the battalion commander, he had already realized that the German army could not hold Belgorod and was now retreating to Kharkov, preparing to rely on the strong fortifications there for further defense.

At this moment, all the German troops were collapsing and evacuating. This opportunity to turn the tide alone might mean death for others, but for a fanatic like Hegen, it was a good opportunity to make a contribution.

Moreover, he had studied the terrain here very carefully and found it to be an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack place. If the Soviet tank troops charged head-on, not too many troops would be deployed at one time and his own tanks could easily destroy them.

The only thing that worried him was the Soviet army's strong numerical advantage. If the enemy sent troops to attack his rear and cut off his retreat, it would be devastating.

At this point in the battle, the German army's fuel supply could no longer keep up, especially after the powerful Soviet air force intervened, the air supremacy in this area began to be gradually taken over by the enemy.

Battalion Commander Schmidt was quite tough on this point. He admitted that as long as Hegen could complete his mission, he could directly ask General Hermann Brett for air support, including his biggest concern, which was whether the Soviet army would cut off his retreat.

Since all these were available, Hegen certainly had no reason to refuse.

After he arrived here with his troops, he gathered some of the defeated soldiers and remnants and built a defensive position here.

The vanguard of the Soviet 23rd Guards Infantry Army that rushed over was unaware of the situation and was severely taught a lesson by Hegen right from the start. After suffering huge casualties, they called for Lin Chen and his troops to come for reinforcement.

Hegen strictly ordered the tanks to attack at a lower frequency. He wanted to use the precious and limited fuel for the final breakout. After completing the blocking mission, he would definitely retreat in large strides. At that time, these infantrymen would have to fend for themselves.

Unexpectedly, the Soviet army thought he only had two tanks, which would cause him to suffer a great loss.

What made him happy was that the powerful mechanized army of the Soviet Union that came to reinforce (the German aerial reconnaissance was wrong and thought it was a mechanized army) had no intention of taking a detour, but instead continued to attack, which was exactly what he wanted.

When the Soviet artillery covered their defensive positions, Hegen and his men were resting in a hidden place. He was very experienced in combat, and through the frequency and intensity of the Soviet artillery fire, he felt that this time the Soviet attack was probably even more powerful.

Decisively ordered the Tiger tanks to move into the pre-selected firing positions.

The Tiger tanks used obstacles to form cross fire, and a regiment of the 4th Independent Guards Tank Brigade was given special "care". With the Tiger tank's high-precision aiming equipment, the Soviet tanks that slowly climbed the slope became its delicious meal.

Many T34s were destroyed, and even the KV tanks could not withstand the 88mm main gun of the Tiger tank.

After just one encounter, a tank company lost its combat effectiveness. Colonel Parosovich's face twitched a little. How could the German Tiger tanks be so powerful?
"Order the self-propelled artillery battalion to close in and bombard! Go ahead!"

He gave the order coldly, but in fact he was already a little unsure whether he could get it or not.

After receiving the order, Lin Chen ordered each company to move forward quickly and follow the attacking armored forces to a distance of nearly 1500 meters from the Tiger tank. This distance was actually dangerous, but in order to support the Soviet vanguard troops, they decided to take the risk.

The German tanks quickly discovered Lin Chen's heavy self-propelled artillery. They were also very knowledgeable and saw the huge threat posed by these vehicles at a glance.

So Hegen decisively ordered the Tiger tanks to take advantage of their range and bombard these self-propelled artillery.

The range of the German Tiger tank made Lin Chen break out in a cold sweat. It could actually fire at a distance of 1500 meters. The most terrifying thing was that it actually hit one of them and the front armor was penetrated.

However, Lin Chen still did not order the troops to retreat. If they retreated too much, the SU-152's shooting accuracy would not be able to provide much support.

"Target, the direction of the German Tiger tank, two rapid shots!" This was the greatest support Lin Chen could provide. As for how much effect it would have, it all depended on fate.

11 large-caliber shells flew over in two waves. The first round did not hit the German tanks, but when the second round came, a German Tiger tank was hit on the top armor.

The top armor-piercing capability brought by this large-caliber shell is still very terrifying, and it directly flattened the turret of the German Tiger tank.

After losing another self-propelled artillery, Lin Chen decisively ordered his troops to retreat.

Because according to intelligence, the German army only had one Tiger tank left, and the rest should be handed over to the assault force. Moreover, since the distance between the two sides was already very close, it would be easy to cause accidental injuries if they fired at the same time.

Hegen was shaking with pain when he saw that one of his men had lost his car.

I didn't expect the Soviet Army to have such a tactic and such a powerful weapon. I must report this to my superiors when I return. I must pay more attention to this movement of the Soviet Army, otherwise the good days of the Tiger tank will be over.

Now he still needed to repel the Soviet tanks. "Let's go!" He called for another Tiger tank. It was time to send in the reserve. There was no need to hold back.

With the addition of two Tiger tanks, the Soviet army, which was originally in high spirits, was stunned. Weren't they supposed to have only two tanks in total? How come there were more and more of them?
Fear can be deadly on the battlefield, especially in an offensive like this.

Hegen's Tiger tanks fired slowly and steadily, and the remaining German infantry also quickly used the weapons in their hands to reap the enemy frantically. The Soviet tanks were destroyed one after another and were soon suppressed.

At this critical moment, fighter jets and attack aircraft from both sides arrived at the scene.

Although the Soviet army had more planes, many of them were ground attack aircraft. On the contrary, the German army had all BF109 fighters. Their fierce firepower caused the Soviet army a lot of trouble. Many Il-2 attack aircraft were shot down, while the Soviet army achieved very little results.

Is this the long-awaited air support?

The Soviet troops on the ground became even more desperate and had no choice but to retreat.

After driving away the Soviet planes, the German fighters did not forget to use the remaining machine guns to inflict certain damage to the Soviet attacking forces. Finally, they waved their wings towards their own positions in the afterglow of the setting sun and left in a swagger.

"Alas, we can't take it down today!" Colonel Parosovich's face was full of despair and disbelief. He raised his fist unwillingly and smashed it hard on the log of the command post.

Lin Chen held a meeting with several company commanders to discuss the gains and losses of today's attack operations. This was an idea proposed by Lin Chen himself, and it would be of great help in improving the overall combat effectiveness of the troops.

The biggest feeling is that the Tiger tank's range is too long. If you want to ensure safety, you have to concentrate on using SU-2000 at 2200 meters or even 152 meters, but the impact point may be more touching.

After all, this is a heavy self-propelled artillery, and bayonet combat with tanks is not its strong point.

The loss of two SU-152s made everyone feel heartbroken, especially since the officers and soldiers inside them died, which was a priceless treasure.

As the Soviet Union's military output accelerated, it became easier and easier to replenish equipment, but it was difficult to train skilled tank soldiers quickly.

Just when everyone was discussing heatedly, Colonel Parosovich arrived with a sullen face. The first thing he asked after entering the room was, "Why did you retreat early today?"

The company and platoon leaders looked at each other in bewilderment. What happened to their brigade commander? Didn't he have a good relationship with Captain Lin?
Lin Chen looked calm. He understood that his superior was probably going to pass the blame on for today's failure.
"I gave the order because our self-propelled artillery was within the attack range of the Tiger tanks. According to the intelligence we had, the enemy only had one Tiger left. We believed that the regiment was capable of taking the position."

"What are you talking about? The enemy situation is changing rapidly. Who told you that the German army only has one Tiger? Reconnaissance intelligence is only of reference value. As a commander, you need to have an intuitive judgment on the scene! If your battalion can continue to fire at close range today, the German army will not be able to hold on!" Colonel Parosovich actually roared.

The officers present were somewhat disheartened, because if they continued to shoot at close range, their losses would be even greater, and Lin Chen was essentially saving their lives.

However, in Lin Chen's opinion, the brigade commander's anger was justified. Even if the self-propelled artillery battalion was wiped out, it would still be worthwhile as long as they could destroy the German troops on the opposite side and quickly achieve a breakthrough.

From this perspective, he did make a mistake. Although he did not receive a clear order to continue the attack, from a global perspective, he did make a mistake.

"Comrade Brigade Commander, I am indeed wrong, I request punishment!" Lin Chen understood that his friendship with the colonel had ended here.

"In view of Captain Lin Chen's mistakes on the battlefield, he is relieved of his post as the company commander of the first company of the self-propelled artillery battalion, and the command is handed over to the company commander of the second company." Then he left without looking back. In fact, he didn't want to do this, but someone had to take the blame for today's failed attack, otherwise he would suffer if such a mistake fell on his head.

The situation of the German army on the opposite side was actually not good either. Although they repelled the Soviet attack, they suffered heavy casualties, especially as they ran out of ammunition reserves.

At this critical moment, Hegen received another telegram from his superiors, ordering them to withdraw from their positions under the cover of night and head directly to Kharkov for mobile defense.

Hegen knew that Belgorod was doomed.

He ordered his men to pack up and carry the lightly wounded into the tanks. Some infantrymen were loaded onto Tiger tanks and several surviving Type 3 tanks, while the rest followed the main force in retreating.

As for the seriously injured, he really couldn't take care of them and just left it to fate!
Later he learned that the Soviet 11th Army, supported by the 4th Guards Tank Army, had crossed the Vorskla River from the north and opened a gap in the defense line of the German th Panzer Division, threatening the Tomarovka-Borisovka highway from the northwest (only kilometers away).

Moreover, Vatutin had already planned to bypass the Tomarovka-Borisovka line and ordered the 20th Guards Army (note, not the 52th Guards Tank Army, they are different) and the 48st Tank Army to bypass Borisovka from the south and then turn to the northwest to cooperate with the th Guards Army and even the th and th Armies further west (these two armies advanced kilometers northwest of Tomarovka) to encircle and annihilate the entire German force in the area (most of the German nd Army and part of the th Armored Army).

In other words, if he waits until daybreak to leave, there is a high probability that he will not be able to leave.

The next morning, Colonel Parosovich's troops launched another fierce attack, but found that the German army had withdrawn, leaving only some seriously wounded soldiers. Of course, the Soviet army would not be polite to these German troops.

Colonel Parosovich was reprimanded by the army's top brass for this, because the Battle of Belgorod had ended and the goal of encircling and annihilating the German army had not been achieved. The next step was to continue the attack on Kharkov.

Lin Chen said goodbye to his comrades who had been with him day and night. He needed to be transferred back to the rear and wait for advice. Although many of his comrades felt that this was unfair, Sergei even didn't want to do it anymore and wanted to follow Lin Chen.

However, Lin Chen sternly stopped him. The war was not over yet. If he left his post without permission, he would be regarded as a deserter and would be shot.

As for fairness or unfairness, is it realistic to strive for absolute fairness in a place that is not your own country?

This is the fundamental reason why the country must become strong. Without a strong motherland to back you up, you will encounter such a situation.

"Don't worry, I'm just going back. It's hard to say how to deal with it now. Maybe there will be a new task." Lin Chen explained calmly and told them not to be careless in the next battle. Although Kharkov was the remnant of the German army, the German army's combat effectiveness was still there.

(End of this chapter)