Chapter 156 Brave Warrior's Battle

Boom... A deafening explosion roared from the rubble behind, shaking the earth and sending flames soaring into the sky. It was as if a hammer of the gods had descended from heaven, poised to shatter the vile demons into oblivion.

The anger of the gods was not about the war itself, for it was still fundamentally a clash of civilizations. Lynn dodged the shrapnel from the exploding shells while worrying about the safety of their two heavy tanks. When the strongest force of the explosion subsided, Lynn quickly turned to look back. From the dissipating smoke, it was evident that the heavy shells fired from the street only hit the rear right side of the second Tiger tank. Even the largest shell fragments posed no direct threat to such a heavy tank weighing over sixty tons. It was clear that these were high-explosive shells rather than armor-piercing ones. Lynn realized that the newly joined Soviet tank crew was uncertain about the position of the German tanks, merely relying on experience for their probing bombardment. Therefore, as long as they swiftly dealt with the nearby T-34s, their two Tiger tanks had a chance to engage in a clean ambush with the support of infantry.

Thunk... Without changing position, the first Tiger tank fired its third shell. Lynn, facing that direction, saw the fiery yellow light jumping on either side of the muzzle brake. In the relatively dim battlefield, this undoubtedly provided the Soviet tank crew, who had to rely on their naked eyes, with a very clear guidance!

Anxious, Lynn turned back to the front and saw a smoking Soviet tank hit in the street, but something felt off. He quickly raised his assault rifle with night vision scope for a look. Sure enough, the hit tank was the fourth in line, which had already been hit once in the second round of German tank fire. The previous hit didn't ignite it, but this second shell left a hot hole in its turret, indicating the lethal shell had penetrated into it. The only suspense was how much damage the consecutive two armor-piercing shells would inflict on the crew.

Bang... Bang... The Soviet tanks blocked on the street retaliated fiercely against the ambushers hidden around the corner. Unlike later models of German tanks, the T-34/85s were not equipped with muzzle brakes, which reduced the muzzle flash significantly. However, for Lynn using infrared night vision goggles, the muzzle flash temperature was still very high, resulting in an exceptionally bright spherical light in the scope. This allowed him to easily identify that the fifth and sixth tanks firing were from behind, with the former being the original target for the first Tiger tank. With its 88mm gun firing specialized armor-piercing rounds, even at such close range, it could cause severe damage to the T-34, KV series, or the heavily armored IS series, potentially forcing them to withdraw from the battle.

The shells fired by the Soviet tanks whizzed over Lynn's head, prompting him to quickly duck behind cover. In an instant, two impacts resembling heavy hammers hitting drums reverberated in his ears, sending chills down his spine - these should be the sounds of shells hitting armor and bouncing off. However, Lynn wasn't sure about the concepts of the Tiger's "absolute invincibility" and "relative invincibility," considering that the 85mm guns on those T-34s were formidable. At such a close distance, could the Tiger really withstand it unscathed?

Despite his concerns, Lynn didn't waste time constantly turning to check on their tanks. Hearing the nearby gunfire, he felt the excitement of hunting down enemy infantry targets, but the roles of a battlefield commander and elite soldier were vastly different. Lynn didn't engage in shooting again, instead turning his gun towards the barricade ahead. After a few minutes of combat, the surrounding German soldiers had mostly eliminated the Soviet infantry advancing with the seven T-34s. Those who managed to survive were pinned down behind the tanks. The Soviet tank crews also refrained from continuous machine gun fire as they did during the day, likely to avoid giving away the Tiger's positions. Thus, Bruhl and Noah were able to advance more than twenty meters forward almost unimpeded, gaining a favorable and effective attacking position.

Thunk... The second Tiger tank fired, though the interval was a bit long, the gunner's precise aim compensated for it. Through the infrared scope, Lynn saw the turret of the sixth Soviet tank hit head-on, and the temperature around the impact point instantly skyrocketed. Joy mingled with a sense of regret: the Tiger truly lived up to its name, capable of disdainfully facing anything on the battlefield. It's just a pity they were produced too late and in too few numbers. Otherwise, even if they only served as mobile firepower points in defensive battles, they would be enough to halt the Soviet's proud armored onslaught.

After a similar interval, the Soviet heavy tanks that joined the battle later finished reloading their shells. Instead of continuing straight down the street, they followed the lead of the IS-2 tank and entered a nearby rubble field. Through Lynn's scope, he faintly saw many Soviet infantry rushing over the old barricade lines.

Thinking of relying on infantry to turn the tide of the artillery battle? Bring it on! Infantry against infantry, we'll still make you dizzy! Lynn sneered inwardly.

Finally, Noah's anti-tank rocket launcher fired. This infantry weapon didn't have night vision targeting assistance, so it was crucial for Bruhl, who accompanied him, to fully utilize his infrared night vision goggles to assist with targeting.

In Lynn's expectant gaze, the rocket streaked across the night sky with a bright tail flame - direct hit!

"Well done!" Lynn roared lowly, then turned to gesture to Bruck to "take out the fifth tank." However, he soon realized his fellow trainee from the assault team hadn't received the message as before, and didn't even see him among the rubble. Worried about the delay, Lynn hurriedly got up and ran towards the Tiger tank, realizing that there were still Soviet shells incoming. He had to duck and weave as he ran, occasionally glancing back with a somewhat awkward posture—only to see an explosion illuminating a figure on the street, unable to confirm if it was the only remaining functional T-34. When he finally reached the first Tiger tank, he knocked on the driver's hatch following Bruck's example. As the German driver opened the hatch and stuck his head out, Lynn gasped for breath and loudly said, "The fifth tank... you should target the fifth tank! Also, the later Soviet heavy tanks are hiding in the rubble about 300 meters ahead, be careful of their shells! There may be four Joseph Stalin II tanks!"

The muffled roar of the engine didn't affect the driver's hearing, and he immediately reported Lynn's information through the internal communication line to the tank commander - the commander of this dual-tank tactical group. Considering the need for adjustments in the upcoming battle, Lynn didn't leave but instead waited for the commander's response. During this time, several Soviet shells came flying again, and Lynn just moved slightly to the side, dodging them like fireworks. After a moment, the driver gave a response: "We'll withdraw a block back and reset the ambush!"