Chapter 17: Tactical Pedal

Together, the two British armored vehicles that had attacked the "Giant" eagerly restarted their engines: it was unclear whether the drivers intended to maneuver their own speed against the German Panzer IV or simply flee the scene.

The young men from the Führer's Guard Flag Regiment not only possessed outstanding physical conditions but also underwent rigorous training for an extended period. After the first shell hit its target, the tank did not move immediately. Instead, it fired the front machine gun (the D model had its front machine gun restored) at the British armored truck directly opposite it. The continuous bullets accurately hit the side of the driver's cabin, although they did not penetrate the steel plate to harm the personnel inside, the psychological impact still caused a major mistake by the British driver: turning the vehicle to face the German tank with its rear. Now the German tank crew didn't need to calculate the moving distance, they just needed to adjust the cannon slightly, and with one shot, they made the unlucky armored vehicle perform a highly difficult maneuver: the rear of the vehicle was raised high in the explosion, the vehicle flipped 90 degrees to the left in the air, slid forward for several meters on its side due to the immense inertia, and finally, the wheels were spinning desperately!

Seeing this situation, the last truck containing a field gun belonging to the British drove away towards the direction far from the runway, as if to give the German tank crew a rare opportunity for moving target shooting. The first shell hit three meters in front of the truck's front, forcing this makeshift armored vehicle to make a clumsy turn; the second shell hit the left rear of the vehicle, directly disabling one of its rear wheels. The immobilized armored truck became like a small mouse played with by a cat, and the final shot from the German tank eventually turned it into a burning firebird!

Although there was some regret among the tank crews of the Waffen-SS about the ammunition, Logan regained his confidence: in his estimation, as long as one Panzer IV successfully landed, it could greatly influence the entire situation on the battlefield — against the 75mm tank gun, the British fortifications and machine gun nests on the airfield were no different from graves. After this, the airborne troops would use tanks to pave the way and march triumphantly towards the port of Newport, inevitably sweeping everything in their path!

Logan once again tried to search the sky for the other two "Giants", and finally, another "Black Dragon" appeared in his sight. Its landing process was even more heart-stopping than its companions: due to not mastering the optimal landing point, it directly rushed out of the runway, and the uneven grass caused its fuselage to lose balance, the right wing touched the ground and snapped hard from the root. The rising dust looked like a small dust storm. Fortunately, the fuselage and the cargo inside were basically intact, and the tank crew in the rear of the cockpit only suffered minor injuries. With the help of the paratroopers, the second fully equipped Panzer IV quickly joined the battle.

At this moment, Logan received a telegram from the rear, saying that one of the "Giants" had crash-landed in France due to a broken towline after takeoff. Although the aircraft was severely damaged and almost impossible to repair, the Panzer IV carried on board had no major problems, and the crew only suffered minor injuries.

This "accident" was completely within Logan's expectations. After all, according to conventional practices, a weapon needed strict testing and adjustments before being put into actual combat after leaving the test site, and this heavy glider named "Giant" had only undergone three flights after being transferred, with the only adjustment being the reinforcement of the landing gear. In Logan's plan, the worst-case scenario was that none of the three "Giants" successfully landed on the Isle of Wight, forcing the paratroopers to assault the British firepower points with their own flesh and blood. Considering the control of the British Royal Air Force over the coastal areas, the fighters taking off from France could only provide a fragile air umbrella, and Stuka had to do his best to cover the German fleet departing from the ports of France!

The long history of war has already proven that whether it is the "Big Bertha," the "Fokker Dr.1," or the later "Bismarck," "Dora," and "Me262," limited technological weapons cannot change the strategic situation at all, but on the tactical level, they absolutely have the ability to turn the tide. On the vast Newport airfield, the two German Panzer IV tanks with Iron Cross insignias were like hungry wolves rushing into a flock of sheep, recklessly destroying one British fortress and machine gun nest after another. The British anti-tank guns and field guns could only scratch the surface, and the first British commander to use anti-aircraft guns to shoot tanks was said to be frowning at a thick combat manual in some military academy...

After nearly three hours of fierce fighting, the only large military airfield on the Isle of Wight — Newport Airport finally fell into the hands of the German army. In the battle, the officers and soldiers of the German paratroopers and airborne units demonstrated good quality and extraordinary courage, but the most impressive were the two Panzer IV tanks belonging to the Führer's Guard Flag Regiment. Authorized to participate in the battle in the name of the Führer, the tank crews jointly destroyed 1 British tank, 4 armored vehicles, 21 fortresses, and several machine gun nests and anti-aircraft positions. In the face of the fierce German offensive, 127 British officers and soldiers eventually gave up resistance.

In the British airport command room, the paratroopers found a map of troop and weapon deployment. According to this map, explosives were placed in sections under the runway, and once detonated, the airport would be unusable even if it fell into enemy hands for a short period.

Logan broke into a cold sweat, instructing the paratroopers to quickly dismantle the detonation device. However, in the area indicated on the map, the paratroopers only found some newly started drilling holes and a small number of pipelines. It turned out that this project had just begun. In terms of workload, even with complete equipment, it would take at least a week to complete!

Upon receiving this news, Logan was even more grateful for his judgment and perseverance. When the action plan was submitted for study at the Supreme Command Military Conference, it received the support of the Führer, so the senior generals no longer scoffed at it as "far-fetched." However, almost everyone felt that the preparation time was too hasty, especially considering that there were only three prototypes of the "Giants," and the ships gathered by the Navy in northern France could only transport a small number of troops at a time. Therefore, there was a strong recommendation to delay the operation until the end of August when conditions would be more favorable. However, Logan argued based on reason, ultimately ensuring that the operation proceeded on schedule.

After clearing the runway, the first batch of Junkers Ju-52 transport planes flew to the airport under the cover of a large number of fighter planes. Although the "Aunties" were slow and had weak firepower, their sturdy landing gears and durable corrugated aluminum skins made them suitable for rough landings on field airstrips. As the first "Auntie" safely landed, the paratroopers resting near the runway erupted in cheers. At that moment, the odd-looking cargo planes were more inspiring than pin-up girls!