Chapter 358 The Winter War (17)

After leaving the field kitchen, the small squad took a long detour and set up an ambush near a remote road.

After waiting for more than half an hour, a convoy appeared in the distance. Ten trucks were driving on the not-so-wide road, and at the front of the convoy was a BT-5 fast tank.

Due to the elusive Finnish guerrilla squads everywhere, Soviet logistical units often encountered attacks, leading them to strengthen the armed escort of their supply convoys.

The most distinctive feature of the BT tank is the use of the "Christie" suspension system. Each side has four large-diameter road wheels, along with vertical or horizontal spiral springs, making it stand out. Another feature of this suspension system is the combination of wheels and tracks. It can travel using tracks or wheels. When using tracks, the engine's power passes through a gearbox, differential, and the main drive wheel, propelling the tank forward, reaching a maximum speed of 52 kilometers per hour. When using wheels, the tracks need to be removed and neatly placed on the fenders. The engine's power ultimately drives the last pair of road wheels, pushing the tank forward, with a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour.

Looking at the standards of the 1930s, whether tracked or wheeled, tanks could run very fast, fully demonstrating the specialty of "fast tanks." However, Soviet tank crews rarely used the wheel (road wheel) driving mode. Converting from tracked to wheeled mode took two crew members 30 minutes, while converting from wheeled to tracked mode took two crew members 40 minutes.

The members of the small squad lying in ambush in front of the road raised an anti-tank rifle.

Although various countries produced various types of anti-tank rifles during World War II, one of the best and most effective was the Soviet PTRD-41. It was a single-shot bolt-action anti-tank rifle with a simple structure (each unit of the PTRD rifle required very few maintenance and other components, only an integrated cleaning rod, a nipple brush, a screwdriver, and a wrench). It had powerful penetration capabilities against vertical armor at distances of 100 meters and 300 meters, reaching 40 millimeters and 35 millimeters, respectively. Against angled armor plates at 30 degrees, the penetration depth at 100 meters and 300 meters also reached 30 millimeters and 27 millimeters. This performance was better than some 20-millimeter anti-tank rifles, such as Japan's Type 97 20-millimeter automatic cannon.

The Soviets also had another model, the PTRS-41 semi-automatic anti-tank rifle with a five-round magazine, but it was heavier and often jammed, so it wasn't very popular.

In fact, Finland also had a highly effective anti-tank rifle. With a 20mm caliber and a maximum range of 6.5 kilometers, it could penetrate 12mm steel plates at a distance of 1000 meters. However, this weapon had a total weight of 57.7kg (while the PTRD-41 anti-tank rifle weighed only 17.25kg), earning it the nickname "elephant of guns" in the military; it was simply unsuitable for small, highly mobile squads to carry.

Therefore, Janek provided a batch of PTRD-41 anti-tank rifles to support Finland, and two of these rifles were in this small squad.

A standard anti-tank rifle team required at least two soldiers, a shooter who also handled reloading and another responsible for observing and indicating targets. Watching the approaching convoy, the observer with binoculars spoke, "Distance one hundred meters, BT-5, open fire at any time." The front armor thickness of the BT-5 fast tank was 13mm, and bullets could easily penetrate its armor at this distance.

"Bang!"

The shooter's right index finger, which had already been placed on the trigger, instantly pulled it without hesitation.

The recoil of the PTRD-41 anti-tank rifle was proportional to its power. The sturdy soldier was shaken all over by the huge recoil that hit his shoulder like an attack. The 14.5mm tungsten core armor-piercing bullet, which had undergone acceleration through the elongated barrel with spiral grooves, burst out of the gun with a fierce flame and a deafening gunshot.

The tungsten core armor-piercing bullet, effortlessly penetrating the 13mm armor, instantly shattered the unfortunate Soviet tank driver's head into a messy watermelon pulp. Subsequently, it turned into a terrifying fragment, leaped several times inside the narrow interior, and directly entered the chest of the gunner who hadn't reacted, bursting out like an alien larva and leaving a huge wound the size of a bowl on the front chest. The immense kinetic energy of the 14.5mm tungsten core armor-piercing bullet was completely exhausted.

After a single shot, the BT-5 fast tank, with two crew members lying flat on the spot, slowly stopped like a wild boar struck by a heavy club. Although the tank appeared intact from the outside, its interior was already filled with the smell of blood. The only surviving crew member, the tank commander, hurriedly opened the hatch to abandon the tank and escape. However, just as he extended his body, a burst of blood mist suddenly rose from his chest, and a soft, squishy mass slid into the tank.

"Stop! Enemy attack!" The convoy behind urgently hit the brakes, coming to a halt one after another. The truck at the rear had just started to reverse when, accompanied by a loud bang, the engine hood was blown away by tremendous force, and the engine was instantly rendered useless, emitting a thick black

Now, with the front and rear blocked, the entire convoy couldn't move. The Soviet soldiers on the vehicles had to jump down and hide on both sides of the cars, pointing their Mosin-Nagant rifles aimlessly around.

"Hehe, let's have some fun with them!" The captain of the squad sneered and attached a silencer to his SVD sniper rifle. He aimed at a distant Soviet soldier and pulled the trigger.

Puff! The silenced gun didn't make much noise, and the Soviet soldier in the distance screamed in pain while clutching his thigh.

The squad captain ordered, "Just wound them; no need to kill."

In the battlefield, for the sake of victory, should one kill the enemy or wound them? More and more studies in the future indicated that on the battlefield, wounding the enemy was often more effective than killing them.

Exploring the reasons, first was the assistance on the battlefield. Usually, if a soldier was injured, his comrades wouldn't abandon him. To help him leave the battlefield, it often required mobilizing several nearby soldiers to assist, thus instantly reducing the opponent's forces by several people.

Second was the subsequent treatment. In the process of medical treatment or evacuation in the rear, the injured soldier needed to consume a large amount of logistical resources (medical care, drugs, stretchers, etc.), significantly diverting normal logistical operation resources. If a large number of casualties occurred in a short period, it might exceed the frontline medical treatment capacity.

Lastly, morale. Witnessing a comrade killed by the enemy on the battlefield could induce fear. However, imagine when you see your close combat buddy killed instantly. When facing the enemy afterward, would you choose to run for your life or raise your big knife to attack the enemy? On the battlefield, most people often choose the latter; this is what is meant by "seeing red."

However, if only wounded, on the one hand, you need to take care of the injured comrade, causing a loss of combat effectiveness. On the other hand, during the injured soldier's treatment period, if that person vigorously exaggerates the enemy's atrocities, it not only consumes resources but may also affect the morale of the army.

Of course, "wounding the enemy" can only be achieved in a situation like the current one where they completely have the advantage. If one thinks about just wounding the enemy in a situation of evenly matched forces or intense combat, the unlucky one might be oneself.