243

Episode 243: The Fall of the Giants (3)

"emergency! "Enemy tank appears!"

"Load armor-piercing rounds!"

When British tanks appeared, anti-tank artillerymen pushed armor-piercing shells into the chambers. And waited until the enemy came within range.

"firing!"

As soon as the enemy came within range, the PaK 40, covered in tree branches and camouflage, burst into flames.

"Hit!"

Cromwell, hit by a 75mm armor-piercing round, exhaled smoke and the injured tank crews jumped from the tank.

As the attack by the ambushed anti-tank battery began, screams and shouts overflowed from the radio.

When the tank ahead was destroyed, the tank behind quickly latched onto the destroyed tank and guarded against the enemy.

"Where on earth are Jerry hiding?!"

Visibility was poor due to the smoke rising from the wreckage, but because the German army's ambush was so thorough, it was not easily noticeable.

Some tanks took the risk of coming out from behind the wreckage and advancing, but as soon as they came out from behind the wreckage, they were hit by shells and turned into a ball of fire.

"Fuck you! "Fucking Jerry bastards!"

"How to move!"

Six tanks were hit in an instant.

The tank crews could not advance for fear of enemy attack. When the leader stopped, the laggards also stopped all at once, and soon Montgomery was also notified.

"The lead tanks have stopped and are not moving forward? Does this look like a war game now?"

Montgomery had a tantrum. You never know when the Stukas will fly in and drop bombs, but you're just standing still!

"Tell them to move forward now! Before I kick your ass!"

When Montgomery's solemn order was delivered, the tanks that had stopped at the forefront reluctantly resumed their advance.

-bang!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

A gunner with his right leg amputated opened the hatch, fell to the ground, and struggled.

It was bad luck for the Sherman tank crews, but thanks to their sacrifice, the tank commanders of the tanks that followed were able to see where the enemy anti-tank guns were ambushed.

"found! 1 o'clock, enemy anti-tank gun at 1 o'clock! Turn the turret!"

While the Sherman, armed with a 76mm main gun, turned the turret to aim the anti-tank gun, the ambushed Tank No. 4 opened fire.

An armor-piercing round penetrated the Sherman's smooth, curved sloped armor and sent the turret flying into the air.

"found!"

"Fire!"

As many as five shells flew at one Panzer 4. Tank No. 4, which was hit by armor-piercing bullets evenly across its hull and turret, was completely destroyed to the extent that not a single intact part could be salvaged.

-Emil got hit! Bastards.

-Keep shooting! Don't let the tommies pass by!

The three Panzer 4s opened fire and destroyed the three Shermans almost simultaneously.

One Cromwell luckily hit the front of the ambushed Panzer 4, but since the front of the hull had tracked tracks, the armor-piercing bullet could not penetrate the armor and was blocked in the middle.

Soon after, Panzer 4 opened fire and defeated Cromwell in reverse.

Cromwell's tank crews, whose turrets had cracks due to the impact of the bullets, hurriedly escaped and were scattered in a barrage of machine guns.

The tanks hesitated, unable to advance again. Montgomery finally exploded and took extraordinary measures.

Ignore the attack order and attack the stopped tanks.

The unit commanders who received the order were doubtful whether this was a real order or whether the enemy was interfering with the radio network and sabotaging it.

However, it was only when Montgomery gave the order again, mentioning his name, that it was confirmed to be true.

"I tell you this for the last time. Take the damage and move forward unconditionally. "Anyone who hesitates or refuses will be sent to military court for disobeying orders."

The front-line soldiers responded that it was better to undergo a military trial than to endure an assault where death was likely, but the front-line regiment and battalion commanders did not.

Not long after, two Cromwells were destroyed one after another.

It was not caused by an enemy attack. The shell came from behind. When orders were not followed, the Shermans opened fire on our tanks.

"crazy! "Did you really shoot it?"

"hey! Move forward! "It's no joke!"

Only then did the tanks advance again. This is because I learned that if I stay still like this, I will die.

As the distance between the tanks closed, the Germans in the trenches fired Panzerfausts.

Tanks hit by Panzerfaust stopped and tankers whose bodies were on fire jumped out of the tank and were killed.

However, the British attack did not stop.

"Push!"

"Keep moving forward! "Don't stop!"

The German army's seemingly impregnable defense line gradually began to crumble due to the British army's aggressive attack with gritted teeth.

"There are too many enemies!"

"Boss, if we continue like this, we will all die!"

"Damn it, retreat!"

Seeing its fellow tanks being destroyed one after another and the anti-tank gun being trampled and crushed by the Sherman's track, the 4th Tank retreated and left its position.

The Sherman, armed with a 76mm main gun, rushed toward Tank 4 while firing its main gun, but was hit by a 75mm shell and destroyed.

Spare track tracks were attached to the front of the car body to reinforce the armor, but because the distance was so close, it was pierced through.

Although the damage was heavy, the British offensive seemed to be successful. That is, until an uninvited guest barges into the party.

-Why?!

As the Stuka squadron flew in, sounding Jericho's horn, the British army fell into panic.

The Sherman and Cromwell's armaments were dismantled and anti-aircraft tanks equipped with Oricon 20mm cannons began firing, but the Stuka pilots paid no heed and began the attack.

No matter how strong a tank is, its upper armor is bound to be thin.

Tanks hit by 60mm rocket guns burned without fail.

The ground hit by the SC1000 dropped by the Stuka caved and then rose, and the Cromwell and Sherman in the blast radius overturned and their main guns fell to the ground.

"Um, those damn bastards… !"

The British army was angry as they saw the German planes coming like the wind, attacking like the wind, and then disappearing like the wind. As many as 13 tanks were destroyed in a single airstrike. The casualties of the infantry were also severe.

Montgomery also received reports from the scene. However, he simply gave his next command in a calm tone devoid of emotion.

"Don't worry about the damage and move forward. "This is an attack that was already expected to cause this much damage."

As he said, Montgomery knew that this offensive would cause considerable damage.

Nevertheless, he chose to go on the offensive.

To delay the German army's entry into London by a day, or even by an hour.

***

Although there were many sacrifices and twists and turns, the British army managed to break through the German defense line and advance toward the heart of the enemy.

Lieutenant Joseph Wilson's M4A1 Sherman from Newfoundland encountered a German transport unit while driving down the road.

The driver, surprised to see Wilson's Sherman, quickly applied the brakes.

"Surrender, Jerry!"

As the 76mm main gun was aimed at him, the driver raised his hands and got out of the truck.

The drivers of the truck that followed also got out of the truck and raised their hands.

Soon infantry arrived and took the surrendered German soldiers prisoner.

The truck was loaded with corrosive material for the German troops at the front. Chocolate, cigarettes, bread, sausages, canned food, etc... … .

In fact, Wilson and his crew, who were credited with taking the convoy prisoner, did not even get a pack of cigarettes.

This was because I received an order from the company commander to leave immediately and not stop. Wilson quenched his appetite.

"We were the ones who got the Jerrys to surrender, but we only did a good thing for the ground dogs."

"That's right. "What kind of feelings does that person, company commander, have for us?"

Gunner Sergeant Ben Wiggins agreed.

Thinking about the dogs feasting on the mountain of supplies piled up in the truck made me feel sick to my stomach.

Still, Wilson didn't know why the company commander was impatient.

There was already a delay due to the German army being caught in the early stages, so it was an urgent situation.

I continued along the road until I came to a corner.

"Of course it goes straight, right?"

"for a moment. "Something is strange."

Although Wilson did not have a lot of actual combat experience, he was confident that his instincts were at least as good as those of a veteran.

His sixth sense was speaking. It's dangerous to go straight like this.

I didn't know that there might be infantrymen with anti-tank guns or Panzerfausts lying in ambush behind the wall at the corner across from me.

"Turn around and cross."

"Didn't you hear me clearly?"

"There might be jerry ambushes behind the wall. If they're waiting for us to pass in front of them, we cut diagonally and appear behind them. how is it?"

"Oooh... … !"

Wilson shrugged his shoulders as he listened to the crew's praise for his proposal.

The driver turned the tank to the right and advanced, destroying the wooden fence of a house.

Wilson also informed the following tanks by radio. He told me to get off the road and follow him.

As expected, a wall made of bricks came out. If it were infantry, they would have had to use cumbersome methods such as going around the wall or climbing over it, but if it was a tank that was just a piece of metal, it was a matter of just ramming into it.

When the 32-ton Sherman struck, the wall collapsed like a sand castle.

"… … uh?"

As Wilson expected, the Germans were there. To be exact, behind the old mansion beyond the wall.

I didn't expect the Germans to be with the Tiger.

The color drained from Wilson's face when he saw 88 aiming at him.

The tank commander on the other side also blinked in confusion at Wilson's sudden appearance and then quickly entered the turret.

Wilson entered the turret a step later than him.

"It's a tiger! Tiger!"

"yes? Tiger?"

Ben was surprised. Due to his location, he could only look ahead and had no idea that Tigger was right next to him.

"Which direction?"

"It's right next to us!"

"Yes?!"

"Turn the turret! right now!!"

Wilson was on the verge of passing out.

The moment Ben, who was stunned by Wilson's words, was about to turn the turret, Tiger's 88 caught fire.

The 88mm armor-piercing round that struck directly on the side of the vehicle completely destroyed the Sherman.

Wilson was thrown about 6 meters out of the hatch due to the impact of the explosion and fell to the floor with a loud sound.

Wilson fell to the ground, his entire body charred and his back joints twisted grotesquely.

***

Fuck. What the hell is going on?

Karius' heart pounded.

As soon as I received the company commander's order to get ready because the Tommies would appear soon, I heard the sound of an engine, and a Sherman appeared right in front of me through the wall.

Tommy also had a dazed look on his face, as if he had never dreamed that Tigger was ambushing him behind the mansion.

He belatedly realized the situation and went into the turret, but just as the turret was about to turn, Sergeant Kramer, Karius' gunner, struck preemptively and detonated the Sherman.

While driver Sergeant Carl Baresch was starting the tank, Karius's companion, Sergeant Albert Kerscher's Tiger, ran up and fired at Sherman.

Perhaps because of the close distance, the shells fired by Kerscher's Tiger pierced two Shermans one after another.

"Forward the tank!"

Karius advanced Tiger.

Even without a separate order from Karius, Sergeant Bareche tilted the Tiger's hull to prevent it from being easily penetrated by enemy bullets.

Sure enough, a 75mm shell flew out and hit the side, but thanks to the angle of inclination, it ricocheted, leaving only a long bullet mark on the armor.

"Load armor-piercing rounds!"

Sherman, who fired a cannonball at Carius' Tiger, was caught by Kersher's Tiger.

Carius had Kramer aim at Cromwell at 2 o'clock. This guy was also heading towards the turret.

"launch!"

88 roared, and by a narrow margin, Cromwell's main gun also burst into flames. The two shells crossed each other and directly hit the turret of the opposing tank.

While Cromwell's turret was shattered like a glass thrown to the floor, Tiger's was unharmed.

Even the meager 6-pounder could only make small scratches on the Tiger's 140mm gun mantlet.

-This is Owl 3, I will join the party.

-Owl 4 will also join.

"It's coming so quickly, really."

Two additional Tigers appeared and rained shells on the British army, which was overwhelmed with just two Tigers.

The 2nd Company of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion, which broke the lead of the British Army, soon joined the 1st Company and advanced, digging into the flanks of the 8th British Army.

***

June 19, 1943

New Fuhrer's Residence in Berlin, Germany

The British 8th Army attacked the flanks of our troops moving north toward London, but they were soon caught by our troops.

It was decided that the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion, which played a major role in stopping the British army's offensive, would be awarded a medal at a later date. If you have made a contribution, there should be an appropriate reward.

The identity of the British general who commanded this offensive was Bernard Law Montgomery, a famous rival of Rommel in real history.

There is a lot of talk about his personality, and he is said to have exaggerated his actual abilities compared to his reputation, but he is not without abilities, so when almost all of the British army retreated, this guy was the only one who attempted a counterattack.

Should I call this kind of thing even if it is rotten?

Still, the British army could not be ignored because most of its main force had gone to the Middle East and India, but the British army stubbornly resisted and hung on, biting at the ankles of its allies.

The damage was still not outside of the expected range, but now we couldn't just ignore the damage to our allies.

It's been almost two weeks since we landed in England, and our forces have reached the total amount of damage they suffered in the western blitzkrieg.

"This proves that the British are braver than the French."

"yes. But don't go out and say something like that. "The French are now our allies."

"Oops, I forgot."

The best of our forces have reached Croydon and Dartford and are preparing for a full-scale attack on London.

The Axis navies - Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden - traveled back and forth between the English Channel and the European continent every day, unloading Axis troops and supplies on the island of Britain.

The total number of Axis forces that have landed in Britain to date is approximately 700,000.

Of these, 610,000 are German soldiers, and a large force of 3 million troops is scheduled to land on the island of Britain until Britain is completely occupied.

On the other hand, the United States is said to be experiencing delays in sending reinforcements to the United Kingdom due to a series of large-scale adverse events.

"Jesse Owens… … "It's such a shame."

Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens was killed by military fire while walking at the front of a protest against the White House.

With the death of Jesse Owens, public opinion among black people in the United States exploded.

Up until now, a certain degree of order had been maintained, but after Jesse Owens' death was reported, what little order remained disappeared.

According to regular reports from SD agents in the U.S., even the term "messy" is considered noble.

As soon as the death of Jesse Owens became known, I had Goebbels immediately issue a condolence statement.

Goebbels read his own eulogy, paying tribute to Jesse Owens and fiercely criticizing the FDR administration that led to his death.

"Jesse Owens! He was an Olympic gold medalist and a great athlete who served as a role model for athletes in the United States and around the world. However, the U.S. government brutally murdered its citizen. Just because his skin color is dark.

Americans! Are you going to go to war with Germany, loyal to a government that discriminates against you, justifies discrimination, and treats you like lab rats just because you are different because of your skin color? Or will you use your own strength to overthrow the government that treats you as slaves and achieve freedom and peace?

Your tomorrow is something you decide and create yourself, not anyone else! Stand up now and start fighting for freedom! "Germany sincerely supports your struggle for freedom and is willing to negotiate with the new government created by your own hands!"

Look. What wonderful words. It is worthy of being considered one of the most prestigious schools of the 20th century.

Just in case, I tried to contact the United States through Switzerland.

Are you willing to cancel the declaration of war even now? He made an unprecedented proposal that Germany would send troops to help in the war against Japan if they canceled the declaration of war and announced that they would not pay attention to British affairs, but Roosevelt's response was very consistent.

I have no intention of doing that, so wake up from your dream.

Even though the situation is like this, the war will continue until the end.

This is a very, very great belief.

In that case, I should also show my beliefs.