Transmigrated as the Crown Prince

The Type 38 tank destroyer (also known as the "Stalker") was one of the best armored combat vehicles of the German army during World War II.

How good is this tank destroyer?

The first unit equipped with Stalkers, the 731st Tank Destroyer Battalion, reported the relevant combat experience to the German High Command as follows.

“The Stalker has passed the test of actual combat. Its crews are very proud of it and the infantrymen are also full of confidence in it. Particular praise is given to the reliable performance of the MG34 machine gun. The Stalker’s powerful 75mm The main gun, low body, and extremely angled armor make it not only capable of fighting enemy tanks, but can also provide support for attacking or defensive infantry."

"After a period of running-in, our unit achieved confirmed destruction of 57 Soviet tanks in the first large-scale defensive battle on the Eastern Front, and repulsed an enemy tank brigade that penetrated the defense line, including one In just one day, the company cleanly killed nearly 20 Soviet tanks and successfully destroyed two IS-2s at a distance of 800 meters. During this period, not a single 'Stalker' in our battalion was killed by the enemy. Army artillery fire penetrated. In order to rush to the combat position designated by the Army Group Headquarters, after continuous fierce fighting, it advanced 160 kilometers in one day without any mechanical failure of a 'Stalker'."

In addition to full recognition of combat and mechanical performance, the ministry's report also specifically emphasized the importance of vehicle camouflage. "On the march to the assembly point, we camouflaged all our armored vehicles in colors similar to the bushes so that we could make full use of the surrounding terrain for cover. It is this 'magical' coat that makes our tanks Able to move quickly and obtain a favorable position for observation and firing without attracting the enemy's attention."

The most concerning thing in this report is the combat experience and lessons of the Stalkers. The relevant German departments later used the actual combat conclusions drawn by this battalion as the doctrine for training other units. "In a firefight with enemy tanks, the low profile of the vehicle allows the 'Type 38 Tank Destroyer' to ambush enemy tanks with direct fire within the effective range of the artillery. After the first firing, it can still take advantage of the enemy's panic. He quickly moved his combat position and opened fire again."

"The reassuring front armor can completely resist the attack of the Soviet 2mm caliber tank gun and will never be penetrated by it. So far, all battle losses of our battalion have been due to hits on the sides or rear of the vehicle. Therefore, it is particularly important to use strong front armor exposure to withstand enemy tank gunfire."

"To counterattack enemy tanks or self-propelled artillery accompanied by a large number of infantry, the 'Stalkers' must arrive at the close battle line with at least one platoon of troops, but they must avoid entering the assault direction that the enemy's artillery firepower is prepared to cover. , villages, traffic junctions and other targets often chosen by the enemy must also be constantly vigilant. Once the enemy has formed a breakthrough, it is necessary to attack the infiltrating enemy from the flanks head-on. This is the only way to repel the enemy. It is the fastest method for the army, and it can often cause heavy losses to the enemy."

Of course, in the process of using the Stalker, the German troops also discovered many of its inherent shortcomings, which may only be made up for through tactical advantages and tacit cooperation between the crew: "It should be said that the Stalker is designed to It is not used to perform tasks in areas near swamps, because once it leaves a better road or terrain, it will be like a tiger trapped in a quagmire and cannot extricate itself. And if it has been operating on the road, it can be called stupid. Since the rotation angle of its 75 mm caliber Pak39 tank gun is extremely limited, it cannot attack the flanks of enemy tanks. What is even more dangerous is that since the side armor of the Stalker is quite weak, it is easily defeated by the enemy in this situation. The military anti-tank gun penetrated."

"Because the Stalker travels very slowly, it cannot be incorporated into motorized or reconnaissance units. Even if it is played in such a role out of necessity, it will only cause mechanical failure due to the overspeeding of the motor, causing unnecessary Loss."

In fact, not only in the field, but also in Warsaw's battle to suppress the Polish uprising, the 731th Battalion's Stalker also played a very important role. This may be due to its flexibility of operation and its remote-controlled MG34 overhead machine gun.

Although its loader needs to open the hatch to reload the machine gun, the clever Stalker crew will radio to another accompanying friendly vehicle to provide covering fire.

As a model unit of the Stalkers, the 731st Tank Destroyer Battalion began to deploy on the Eastern Front at the end of July 1944 and continued to fight there until the end of the war. Although it brought a full complement of 45 brand-new Stalkers when it first entered the battlefield, the bloody battle also caused the 731st Battalion to pay a heavy price. Just one month later, 12 of them were deregistered and 3 more had to be sent back. The rear was overhauled. By October 1, 8 more vehicles were lost in the battle, and only 18 of the remaining 25 taels could barely be driven. However, in November, the headquarters sent 10 vehicles to the 731st Battalion. The newly built Stalkers were replenished by 20 vehicles at the end of December, but there has been no replenishment since then.

So as of December 1st, despite the constant fierce fighting, the number of Stalkers owned by the 731st Battalion has increased instead of falling. 11 of the total 26 vehicles can be used. Coupled with the large blood replenishment at the end of 44, 2 of the following year On March 1, the number of Stalkers of the 731st Battalion suddenly increased to 41, with 27 available. In the last occupation report of the 731st Battalion on March 1st, the battalion's full strength - 28 Stalker tank destroyers The number of vehicles that can be put on duty is 13. Perhaps from the perspective of combat effectiveness, it may be more appropriate to call it a company, but this kind of equipment was already quite good among the German troops at the time.

In later generations, it was called the last life-saving straw for Germany in World War II. There is also a saying that if the German army had equipped this weapon earlier, it could even change the course of the war.

The real opportunity for the birth of the original space-time "Stalker" must be "thanked" to the Royal Air Force: At that time, the British Air Force launched a new round of large-scale air strikes on the German mainland, and the British dropped a heavy bomb that hit the suburbs of Berlin. The production plant of Alkaite Company, where the No. 3 assault gun produced here, was forced to stop production for a period of time.

Santuzi could not be replenished in time, which was a disaster for the frontline troops. For this reason, the German Army High Command decided to let the Czech BMM company, which has been annexed by Germany, produce a light tank destroyer of about 13 tons. Because the chassis follows the LT-38 tank and has the application of a large number of mature technologies, it took Czech engineers only 4 months to complete the entire design of the Stalker.

Its main weapon is a 48-caliber Pak39 75mm gun (with 41 rounds of ammunition). When fired with type 39 armor-piercing projectiles, it can penetrate horizontally placed 91mm thick 60-degree inclined armor at a distance of 500 meters. It penetrated 82 mm thick armor with a 60-degree inclination at a distance of 1.5 meters and was fully capable of dealing with most of the Allied forces' main armored vehicles at that time.

And its artillery hit rate is very high. It can fire within 15 seconds of discovering an enemy, and has excellent hit rate and damage within 1,500 meters, especially 1,000 meters.

Moreover, the Stalker is very easy to maintain and even more convenient to manufacture. You must know that the German Panzer IV tank worked for 30,000 hours, which is already reduced to the minimum. The Tiger tank's labor hours were 250,000 hours. In contrast, the Soviet KV series heavy tanks only lasted 100,000 hours in peacetime, and were further reduced during war. The T-34 medium tank only had about 8,000 hours of work. Therefore, there are always more Soviet tanks than German tanks on the battlefield.

The working hours of Stalkers are less than 3,000 hours, which means that Stalkers can be mass-produced in a short period of time, which is very suitable for filling the front line. In the final years of World War II, the Stalker tank destroyer withstood the torrent of Allied and Soviet armor. Although it could not save the defeat, it greatly hindered the Allied and Soviet attacks.

Many Western European war history experts hold this view - only the "Stalker" is the only way for the German army to deal with the huge number of American-made M4 Sherman tanks and Soviet-made T-34 tanks.