Steel Soviet Union

While the gunner of Bolt's car roared angrily because he failed to hit the target, several other German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks, which were charging forward side by side a few meters away, also began to open fire and attack.

It's just that before the epoch-making equipment of two-way stabilizers was applied to the tank main gun, it was as difficult as a running person trying to accurately hit a long-distance target with a single-shot bolt-action rifle.

Even if they maintain the first combat gear and move forward at a low speed and at a constant speed to minimize the shaking of the vehicle body, the gunners of the German tank crews are still aiming at the sight of the gunner, as if suffering from Parkinson's syndrome due to the rugged off-road road. And the shooting accuracy in this state of shaking and shaking is not an exaggeration even if it is described in the metaphysical way of "half-destined".

Fully half of the armor-piercing shells fired in a moving salvo missed the target on the spot, and the remaining armor-piercing shells that hit the frontal armor of the Soviet tanks did not fare much better.

It was a fluke to be able to hit a moving target while on the move. The German tank gunners who tried their best to target the weaknesses of the Soviet tanks did not receive very good reports. A T34 tank, which was unfortunately broken by an armor-piercing projectile flying in the direction and paralyzed on the spot, was the only gain after this round of firing by the German tanks.

Quite the opposite of the dire situation faced by German tank crews.

With the excellent quality of tanks with strong armor and sharp guns, it has been able to penetrate all types of German tanks while ensuring accuracy at a shooting distance of 600 meters. It is familiar with the armor thickness and defense of all types of German tanks in 1941. The powerful Malashenko immediately ordered to stop advancing.

"All the crews of the first company stopped advancing and immediately opened fire on those German tanks! Stop their intentions and we cannot let them surround us!"

After receiving the order, the Soviet tanks that stopped one after another immediately began to turn their turrets and fire. The Soviet KV1 heavy tanks and T34 medium tanks, both equipped with 76 mm main guns, were destroyed at a shooting distance of less than 600 meters. German tanks with vertical armor are more than enough.

As the Soviet tanks that had stopped and turned their muzzles for precise shooting continued to fire, the German anti-armor Panzer III tank, which had only 50 mm of vertically rolled homogeneous steel armor in front of the turret and body, was It could not withstand the ferocious attack of Soviet tanks.

It is still able to penetrate 80 mm thick vertical armor at a distance of 600 meters. The 76 mm BR-350B hooded armor-piercing grenade that continued to fire easily penetrated the fragile vertical armor defense of the German tank.

The 76mm armor-piercing grenade that detonates an explosion inside the vehicle body or in the turret releases amazing power in the narrow tank space.

Most of the German tank crews whose armor was penetrated from the front without any suspense were completely destroyed on the spot as their ammunition exploded. Few German tank crews survived after being shot and abandoned their vehicles to escape.

The explosive yield of the armor-piercing TNT grenade of 94 grams is obviously beyond the reach of the fragile human body, not to mention the additional damage caused by the fragments of projectiles exploded by the warhead charge and bounced around inside the tank.

Looking through the periscope of his commander, the German tanks facing the enemy were hit three times in a row and then exploded and burned. Malashenko, who was gradually regaining his numerical disadvantage, quickly realized a new problem.

Although the KV1 heavy tank equipped with the first ready-to-fire ammunition rack in the turret has improved the loading speed to a certain extent, under the operation of a skilled loader, it only takes about five seconds from the firing of the main gun, the removal of the breech shell to the completion of loading.

However, after the target is destroyed, the re-acquisition of the enemy and the adjustment of the turret steering gear and the height of the main gun cannot keep up with such a fast rate of fire. It takes at least half a minute from the detection of the enemy to the destruction of a German tank and locking on the next target. .

There is also a certain degree of ricochet and miss-missing probability caused by a small incident angle. This is definitely not good news for the 10 Soviet tanks led by Malashenko who are at an absolute numerical disadvantage.

While Malashenko was thinking about countermeasures in his mind, the German armored forces, which had paid the price of several tanks being destroyed, had already switched to a high-speed advance to the final distance where they could use the outflanking and roundabout tactics.

The German army, which was divided into two groups like a branch of a large river, instantly divided into two armored battle groups of equal numbers and began to outflank them from left to right at the same time.

Several fast and flexible 38T light tanks rushed to the front of the German armored team. These compact little guys had excellent high-speed mobility in 1941.

Although the KWK38 37mm tank gun it is equipped with can hardly cause any substantial damage to the front armor or even the sides of the rough-skinned and thick-skinned KV1 heavy tank.

But if they are successfully bypassed by these small German tanks that can run faster than rabbits, Malashenko will be fully aware of the disastrous consequences of being raped, even if he thinks about it with his feet.

After seeing this situation, Malashenko was forced to make another compromise on dividing his forces. Dealing with these 38T light tanks that were rushing towards his backside like mice was undoubtedly the top priority at the moment.

"T34 No. 104, 105, and 108 immediately eliminate those German light tanks. We can't let them outflank us and come back behind us! The heavy tanks cover them and focus their fire on the German tanks that fire at the T34!"

As the saying goes, the only martial arts in the world that cannot be broken is fast.

Faced with these 38T light tanks that are extremely maneuverable and difficult to hit while running wildly on the undulating cross-country terrain, the KV1 heavy tank with a combat weight of nearly fifty tons is too bulky and obviously not good at dealing with these brisk opponents. Use The T34, which has good maneuverability and is basically close to the maneuverability of the 38T light tank, is obviously the best choice at the moment to use it to quickly control the enemy.

After receiving Malashenko's order, the three T34 tanks immediately started to move, and from behind the cover of the heavy tanks' huge bodies, they intercepted the German 38T light tanks that were quickly outflanking the roundabouts on both wings.

Realizing that the Soviet tanks in front of them had reacted, the German tank force also did not sit idly by. The T34 tank, which had its entire hull and turret sides exposed due to its sideways interception of the 38T tank, became one of these slightly slower tanks. Some large groups of German tanks focused fire on the target.

"Stop those T34s, don't let them intercept the 38Ts! Fire, quick!"

The loud orders echoing in the headset urged Bolt to reach out and pat the gunner in front of him on the back. The gunner who felt an obvious force on his shoulder then shook the turret steering gear in his hand frantically, turning the black hole. The muzzle of the gun was aimed at the T34 tanks that were galloping horizontally.