Battle of the Third Reich

The British Matilda II tank is called an infantry tank. Its mission is to accompany infantry operations and provide infantile maneuvering fire support. At the same time, it is responsible for breaking through enemy positions and anti-tank tasks. The set index is not high, as long as the speed can keep up with the infantry's charge speed, the key is that the armor should be thick enough to resist the opponent's conventional infantry anti-tank weapons and tank attacks, and the demand for firepower is also very high. Simple, as long as it can penetrate the conventional tank armor of countries around the world...

In the early days of the war, Matilda did meet the indicators required by the British Army, and his performance on the battlefield was considered qualified. Basically, as long as he played, he could usually complete the tasks assigned to him by the Army.

In general, the British Army is quite satisfied with its performance on the French battlefield. Compared with several other tanks brought by the Expeditionary Force, Matilda II caused the most trouble to the Germans, and the loss was the smallest. . Most of the battle damage did not occur during frontal operations. Generally, they were attacked by infantry at close range or crushed by anti-tank mines. They were also destroyed by tankers after they could not continue fighting. Fuel exhaustion, mechanical failure, etc., account for a large part of the total loss.

In the end, the British Expeditionary Force was destroyed in Dunkirk. More than 90% of the tanks of the whole army were thrown on the beach, including all Matilda tanks, all of which became German loot. However, in the eyes of the British Army, it was a strategic mistake. The Germans were too cunning and fierce. They could only say the crime of non-war, which had nothing to do with Matilda's performance.

So until now, the British still put this untimely tank as the main equipment into production, and even because of the threat of the German new medium-sized tanks, the production scale of this infantry tank was intentionally expanded, and a large number of weakly armored cruisers were lifted. The share of the tank.

The latter is considered by some high-ranking officers in the army to be a large and useless flashy thing. It can be said that it is ugly in the French battlefield, a waste can that can be penetrated even by the German 37 knocker. Because of this, the cruising tank theory was totally useless. If it is not to take care of the interests of arms dealers, the British Army even wants to completely abolish the model of cruise tanks and specialize in infantry tanks. They believe that the tanks needed by the British Army in the future must be larger and heavier and stronger. The work can be handed over to the light tank. The latter has a faster speed and a smaller target, but it can also be equipped with the same level of firepower as a cruise tank. More importantly, the price is cheaper and the material consumption is less. When this material and capital are currently in short supply, it meets these two This condition is the most important.

It can also be seen from the change in the strategic direction of the British Army. They have soberly recognized the fragility of the British Army and began to change from focused attack to defensive defense. Armored weapons are regarded by them as an important part of the defense strategy. In the defensive battle, mobility is secondary. Firepower is the most important indicator, so the Ordnance Department of the British Army is working hard to develop a new generation of heavy infantry tanks. The information obtained from the eyes of Odin shows that it should be the famous a22 heavy infantry tank in later generations.

When Xu Jun saw the sketches and indicators obtained by the intelligence personnel, he immediately issued the sentence "Originally Churchill." The exclamation, the personnel present at that time were confused by this inexplicable emotion. As a result, when the follow-up information obtained by the Eye of Odin was sent to the headquarters, it was discovered that the British had determined to name this type of tank "Churchill" infantry tank. At this time, recalling the emotion sent by Xu Jun at that time, the headquarters immediately went up and down. Shocked by heaven and earth, the aura of God's apostle in the past few days was similar to that of a searchlight, and it was a fanatical gaze to glide around the command headquarters.

The Matilda Tank Battalion of the First Armored Division was a reorganized force, replacing the 7th Battalion of the Royal Armored Regiment of the First Army Tank Brigade surrendering in Dunkirk.

These tanks are stock equipment of the British mainland. In some places, the British will show the habit of rodents. They like to hide things. Each batch of equipment they always use to deduct a little as a reserve. It's like squirrels storing winter food. In the times of peace, this was obviously an unnecessary waste, letting those precious equipments be put in the warehouse in vain, but this habit of the British finally came in handy at this time.

The Army pulled out two battalion tanks and supporting vehicles from the warehouse at one time. Suddenly, although this number was far from enough to solve the problems at that time, it was considered to have slightly eased the army’s equipment crisis. The first armored division was formed on the basis of these reserve equipment and training and backup vehicles collected from various places. of.

In fact, as a simple armored division, the first armored division should be equipped with cruise tanks. Matilda’s infantry tanks should belong to the army’s tank division. Although the two are only two words apart, the connotation has a world of difference. do not. But now it has reached this point. The British Army still has a feeling of picking fat and picking thin, as long as it is a tank, it is grouped together in a brain and then kicked to the most important key area. At this time, how to withstand the German attack is the most important thing.

In this way, the 7th Battalion of the Royal Tank Regiment was incorporated into the 1st Armored Division, and then followed the big troops on the battlefield of Dover.

This battalion really dragged the hind legs of the entire armored division along the way. The 12-kilometer off-road speed made people hate it. If they slowed down the overall marching speed of the large troops, the first armored division might be able to do that afternoon. Rushed to Dover. As a result, it was dragged into the middle of the night. When the troops were busy arranging for garrisons, they hit the German artillery. The division was caught by surprise, and the equipment and materials were seriously damaged. Some don't wait to see them.

The officers and men of the 7th Battalion did not think so. They thought it was because of their speed that they saved many people in the armored division. If it was not for them that slowed down the march, when the German artillery came, the division might not be all Having fallen into a dream, rather than that night, many tanks were still busy looking for and transferring stations. The tank driver did not leave his tank before he could finally escape from the German artillery.

Major Philip, the company commander of the 1st Company of the 7th Battalion, was one of those who held this view. He scoffed at the accusations against the 7th Battalion, and at the same time thought it was the defamation and slandering of the jealous dogs.

Because the seventh battalion was too slow and was not placed in the central city, only a small amount of damage was sustained during the German artillery bombardment.

The Matilda i tank of the second company suffered some losses during the bombardment, because the armor of the gadget was only 25 mm, which was judged by Philip to be an unqualified infantry tank. This model suffered heavy losses on the French battlefield. The German infantry can solve it with cluster grenades. If it is not lack of equipment, Philip believes that the Army should not reactivate this model at all.

The second company's station was bombarded by a large-caliber stray bullet, and two rows of tanks were turned into pieces on the spot. Fragmented tank parts, armor plates, load wheels, and personnel corpses scattered the periphery of the crater.

At that time, the first company stopped at less than two blocks away from the second company. Finally, it escaped the disaster until the end of the shelling. There was no more German shells in this area, and it was kept unscathed. However, the results were met with hostility from fraternal units.

Those troops suffered heavy casualties, and when someone saw that they were intact, and then compared with their own misfortunes, this obvious gap immediately turned into jealousy, and all kinds of grotesques came to the seventh battalion in a row, such as hiding in the corner. Cowards, the first company with a curse, **** who let comrades die, and demons that **** luck from their allies. Major Philip didn't take those words seriously, and even he felt a bit dark, like devil or something... isn't it a cool and fashionable title?

After nightfall, the first company was ordered to rush to the Cox Hill Army defensive position between Minnes Trail and Arkham Road. They reported that they would stay on this position until the reinforcements described above arrived.

In the view of Major Philip, it was all gibberish used to deceive the soldiers. The situation in the rear was unclear to others, but Philip was fully aware. This is due to the fact that he had an uncle who served in the War Department, has been in contact with him by correspondence, and occasionally made several phone calls. He was able to learn that many ordinary people had difficulty in knowing the secret.

Now from Dover to London, there are only the first armored division and those two infantry divisions. This is the only mobile force that the British Army can mobilize at present.

Unless London is willing to mobilize its garrison troops, it would have an infantry division and a tank brigade, but how could London risk the loss of final safeguards and transfer these troops to Dover.

Regarding the battle with the Germans, Philip believes that he has made sufficient psychological preparations. He is here to kill the Germans. As the Viscount empire, the Philip family has experienced twelve generations. In the long family history, there are many heroes who have thrown their heads and shed their blood and generosity for the country. From Waterloo to Verdun, every battlefield has left Philip family members. Blood, now it’s his turn to add another glory to the family crest.

"We should go around here, major."

Even the voice of Captain Blanche awakened him from his thoughts. The major was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and looked around.

"Sir, we may be late. The position is on the top of the slope, behind the woods." The captain continued to yell in his headphones.

"Ah?! Ah... try with a row, can you find a way up the mountain." Philip picked up the bakelite microphone hanging on his chest and replied loudly.

The British military’s efforts in tank communications have already kept up with the Germans in some respects. For example, these infantry tanks, each equipped with a 11-vehicle radio, can easily communicate with each other. (To be continued.)