Chapter 25: Even Novices Can Have Great Wisdom

"Lieutenant, we've lost two soldiers, Mendi and Tock..."

The Second Lieutenant's face fell, the glimmer of hope that had just emerged was dashed by the unfortunate deaths of his comrades.

Logan was also taken aback. He had only been with these paratroopers for less than two days, and he couldn't even remember some of their names. But when each vibrant life suddenly ended, his mood plummeted.

Boom!

A nearby bomb pounded Logan's heart, jolting him awake in an instant: either rally to avenge his comrades or join them in heaven. There was no third option on the battlefield!

"Rent, do you see that gun over there? Can you use it?"

Steinfeldt glanced at the small artillery piece behind the damaged shield not far away. "It's a 35-year-old model 35 light anti-tank gun produced by Krupp, with a 37mm caliber. It's lightweight and easy to use, capable of penetrating the armor of armored vehicles and regular tanks! Besides being widely equipped in the army, it's also supplied to naval fortress troops and air force paratrooper units! Here... there should be plenty of people who know how to use it! Hey? Lieutenant, I heard that you won second place in our division's artillery competition last year!"

"Well... that's hardly worth mentioning!" Logan awkwardly concealed, surprised that "Hans Logan" had such talent. Unfortunately, he hadn't gained even a fragment of memory.

"But this type of gun is unlikely to pose a threat to Matilda!" Steinfeldt said, puzzled.

Logan smirked, "Heh heh, Lieutenant, it's difficult, yes, but not impossible! Now, let's set up a beautiful ambush! Let the British know that the German army isn't just about bombers and armored units!"

"An ambush? Us? Here?" The paratrooper lieutenant looked skeptical, his mind probably filled with question marks.

After explaining his idea, Logan applied the thinking he had instilled in Stundt to this "weapons encyclopedia": "Of course! Don't forget, paratroopers are the only versatile troops!"

"Versatile troops? Well, God is also versatile! Do we have any other choice?"

The lieutenant seemed more surprised than lacking in confidence, probably never having been introduced to such a concept. However, Logan still found a sense of honor and confidence waiting to be kindled in his shimmering eyes: turning the impossible into possible, achieving his own feats in war, how proud that would be!

"To achieve this tactic, it's best to have two gun crews supporting each other!" Logan looked around and finally spotted several German gunners still fighting behind another armored vehicle, along with their anti-tank gun. In the situation where it was difficult to discern the position of enemy tanks, their every shot was precise, cleverly utilizing the nearby armored vehicles and terrain, allowing them to survive longer than other gunners!

"You lead the inspection of that anti-tank gun and collect as many machine guns, submachine guns, grenades, and bullets as possible. I'll go talk to them!"

Logan straightened his cap and dashed out.

Separator

Nearly half an hour had passed since the battle began, and the disoriented Germans gradually stabilized their position. These experienced veterans who had participated in the Polish campaign knew how to maximize the effectiveness of existing weapons. They established crude but effective linear defensive positions along the road and ditches. When the Allied infantry emerged from the woods under the cover of tanks, German soldiers continued to play their role as "battlefield insecticides" with their MG34 machine guns. In just a few minutes, the attackers lost many infantrymen who had advanced alongside the tanks! Using the light provided by flares, the Allied tanks attempted to suppress with artillery and machine guns but fell into a dilemma: with limited light, they couldn't keep up with the constantly relocating German machine gunners!

However, the thick armor of the Matildas was something ordinary German infantry couldn't deal with. As these slow-moving infantry tanks gradually approached the road, the German frontline began to waver: some German commanders started to retreat with their troops, while others tried to use anti-tank grenades to stop the British tanks from advancing. But it seemed to have little effect!

Logan lay low in the grass by the roadside, wearing a helmet he found. It was a dark night without starlight, with only the explosions of shells and burning objects on the ground providing limited light. The metallic friction became increasingly clear in his ears; in his line of sight, the jumping fire from muzzles and barrels drew closer, with several vague figures just a stone's throw away from the road!

Raising his head slightly, about five meters in front of him, there was a flipped 37mm gun. The British must have seen it when they illuminated the road with flares, but it didn't arouse any suspicion - they apparently thought it was an abandoned or damaged gun!

The light from the flares also failed to make the Allied tank crews and infantry notice the lurking German paratroopers nearby. Along the sides of the road, the bodies of dead German officers and soldiers numbered over two hundred, their sprawled corpses forming various shapes.

Since the outbreak of the Western Front, perhaps only the Battle of Arras had left more painful memories for the Germans!

Seeing three Allied tanks driving onto the road, Logan whispered, "Rent, it's about time we made our move!"

Steinfeldt puffed out his cheeks, apparently summoning his last ounce of courage. After a moment, he said, "All right, let's go crazy together!"

"Everyone, follow my orders!" Logan said in a low voice, the sound of gun bolts being pulled echoed around him.

As the three British tanks drove onto the road, the first one crossed the road and continued to advance south. In that direction, the retreating Germans were still resisting vigorously. The second tank stopped on the road and fired eastward at the German forces, the Vickers-Maxim machine gun making a raucous sound. The third tank continued westward along the road, pouring fire towards the retreating Germans in the direction of Monk. It quickly passed by where Logan and the others were hiding. If the tank crew didn't think to drive the tank off the road, these German paratroopers would become minced meat!

The unexpected didn't happen. The tank rumbled on to the west, followed by twenty or thirty infantrymen who were completely unaware of the "corpses" lying nearby.

"Action!"

Logan shouted, changing from lying on his belly to a crouch, his Webley aimed at the British infantrymen. These three shots were the signal for the German paratroopers to join the battle. To deal with the Allied infantry, they had previously braved gunfire to collect two MG-34 machine guns, seven MP38 submachine guns, and many hand grenades from both sides of the road. They also made several makeshift Molotov cocktails from oil flasks - if more than four Allied tanks drove onto the road, they would have to rely on these simple yet effective and risky weapons!

Fortunately, the Allied tanks didn't fully utilize their numerical advantage like the German armored units did. The reason infantry tanks were called "infantry tanks" was to fight alongside infantry and provide fire support. Following this tactical approach, infantry remained the main focus on the battlefield, with tanks merely as their support...

In an instant, a dense barrage of bullets swept across the road, with explosions from grenades almost seamlessly connected. Before the rapid-fire guns and exploding shrapnel, the human body appeared incredibly fragile. In just a dozen seconds, the Allied infantry within sight either fell dead or wounded.

While their comrades easily decimated the Allied infantry, Stephenberg led four experienced gunners towards the small-caliber anti-tank gun. Leveraging the dim light, they worked together to flip the cannon over and quickly loaded shells from the pre-positioned ones in the nearby grass.

The barrel soon aimed at the third tank, just over ten meters away!

Although the frontal armor of Matilda I and II tanks surpassed that of the German IV tanks, their rear armor was much weaker—vulnerable to being pierced by large-caliber anti-tank guns at close range.

Boom!

In a flash, the tank hit from behind exploded, catching Logan and his comrades off guard. In the ensuing explosion, the entire tank was engulfed in a massive fireball!

Just three or four seconds later, the army gunners hidden almost identically on the other end of the road also opened fire. With less than thirty meters separating them, they decisively hit the first Allied tank from the side. Following this tank were unfortunate British infantrymen. Some were directly blown down, while those who narrowly escaped the initial blast fell prey to nearby German machine gunners. After a storm of gunfire subsided, at least twenty to thirty more men fell!

"Speed! Speed!" Logan shouted. "Quick, turn and deal with that tank!"

The stationary Matilda on the road began to move to the right, its turret rotating clockwise. As the barrel and machine gun appeared in Logan's and his comrades' sight, Stephenberg and the gunners miraculously repositioned the barrel and completed another reload. With a command from the Air Force lieutenant, the shell thundered out of the barrel, heading straight for the side of the British tank!