Steel Soviet Union

If there is no effect, it means there is no effect. No matter how incompetent and furious you are, you can't change this result. No matter how bitter the result is, you can only swallow it with force. There is no other way.

"It's over, retreat immediately! Now, hurry up!"

"Retreat? Then did Peterson and the others die in vain? Just forget it if we suffered such heavy losses?"

It’s not that there are people who are unwilling to do so. Even the U.S. military, which is full of young soldiers and ruffians, still has some reckless men. But it is obvious that the armored commander who took the lead does not think so, and still maintains a relatively calm mind. .

"There are only three cars left. Are you going to go up and rely on these three cars to accomplish what even a single column couldn't do, or are you going to scare the Germans to death with these three far inferior cars? You know that the Germans don't have any Set up an ambush circle in front of you, so you know that the retreat will really defeat you and not lead you to take the bait? Your brain is a good thing. If you don’t need it, feed it to the dog. Don’t let it grow in your skull.”

""

A superior is still a superior, and if he scolds you so hard that he loses all face, he is still a superior.

The dissatisfied fellow fell silent, and the order to retreat was quickly carried out.

After the remaining three Pershings opened fire to repel Wittmann's No. 007 King Tiger, they immediately chose to retreat to avoid battle and save the car, seizing this golden opportunity to withdraw first.

It is somewhat similar to some situations on the US military side. The Wittmann crew, which had just retreated, was also unwilling to accept it.

"Damn it, if the loader had enough ammunition just now, I could kill all those Yankees and not even a single one of them could escape! They dare to come out to fight in whatever rag they drive. It's not as good as the stroller my grandma used to push me to the park when I was a kid. "

Wegener not only insulted the United States but also insulted Pershing. Wegener, who was very good at talking, only received a casual reply from Wittmann.

"Save it, I'm lucky enough not to have been penetrated by the Yankees. Who knows how many shots I just took at the same time? I feel like the car is shaking. It's like the stroller your grandma was pushing you to play in the park with was kicked." The same as the feet.”

Although Tiger King is strong, he is by no means invincible, and Wittmann knows this very well.

Although he had been deployed to fight on the Western Front a long time ago, it was only after he came to the Western Front that he actually received the new King Tiger car and the current 105 upgraded King Tiger. Therefore, Wittmann has never had the experience of driving a King Tiger to fight against the Russians. The last time he fought against the Russians was during the Tiger One tank period.

But Wittmann had heard that the seemingly powerful King Tiger actually had an unpleasant experience fighting on the Eastern Front. It could even be said that he was dealt with miserably by those wild and rough Russians like chopping melons and vegetables. At least This is true in some battles.

There is a special armored unit kill record ranking list within the entire German armed system. Any Wehrmacht or Waffen SS armored unit fighting on the front line is eligible to be on the list, as long as you are strong enough and can achieve enough to be on the list. The destruction record will be enough.

This list is well-known and well-known within the German army. It was regarded by Dr. Goebbels, the "King of Propaganda" in Germany, as a magic weapon to inspire the fighting will and morale of the soldiers and civilians.

The list was originally updated once a month, but now it has been updated once a week. The list will faithfully record the kill results of each armored soldier on the list before the last update date to determine the ranking.

The last time Wittmann looked at the record list, it was three days ago, and his ranking on the list had just risen to first place. The "uncrowned king" who had always been firmly in the first place, Kalvus of the 502nd Heavy Armor Battalion of the Wehrmacht, was pushed out. He firmly ranked first on the list with a superb record of destroying 168 tanks.

For this reason, Himmler, the leader of the SS and a well-known chicken farm owner, even sent Wittmann a commendation telegram to express encouragement and praise. , which won the supreme honor and glory for the armed SS troops. Even the head of state expressed congratulations to Wittmann after learning about it, and hoped to make persistent efforts. Himmler conveyed it in the telegram on his behalf.

As for honors and awards, considering that the fighting on the front line was tight, Wittmann and the troops he led did not have the conditions to leave the battlefield for the time being, and Wittmann himself was temporarily unable to leave the command post. Therefore, the matter was postponed until there was an opportunity in the future. This was Himmler's personal guarantee in the telegram. By then, a Knight's Cross of Iron Cross with diamonds, gold, double swords and gold oak leaves would be indispensable.

Under the premise that the Führer had extreme distrust of the Wehrmacht, Himmler relied on his eloquent words and lobbying to easily win this honor for Wittmann, who was already powerful. The Führer's smile, encouragement, and more trust in himself, the supreme leader of the SS.

As for whether this was Himmler's real purpose?

Wittmann didn't know and didn't care. He didn't even think that the medal should belong to him.

"If that kid from the National Defense Force hadn't had his hand broken and returned to the training team to become an armor instructor, I'm afraid this medal would be his, or at least it shouldn't be mine, including the number one spot on the list."

Wittmann was quite humble about this great honor, although several brothers in the same crew felt that this honor should indeed belong to him and to the No. 007 crew. It was earned by all the brothers in the car who risked their lives together.

But no matter what, the fact that Carlius was seriously injured from the front and sent home did have a great impact on Wittmann.

This made Wittmann realize how bad the battlefield situation faced by King Tiger, who was invincible and invincible on the Western Front, was on the Eastern Front. So much so that even the top ace like Kalvus could not protect himself in a simple armored confrontation in which the Russians did not receive any support while taking the initiative to attack first. This in itself is a very serious statement.

As for his achievements on the Western Front battlefield, which were completely one-sided armored confrontations, Wittmann didn't think they were that great. At most, he had honed his killing skills and fighting skills, and became more proficient. Skilled.

If possible, Wittmann still hopes to one day compete with the Russians on the Eastern Front. This is at least a challenge. Wittmann was convinced that he was looking forward to the day when such a challenge would come, and he also hoped to win and prove himself.

"Then what should we do now? Retreat to the starting position, or find some other fun?"

After the battle, when the adrenaline rush gradually faded away, Wegener continued to use his usual cynical tone and asked his commander for answers. Wittmann, who was slightly lost in memories, also spoke without thinking.