Chapter 116: Fortune and Misfortune Hang on a Single Thought

Similarly acquired from the Soviet army, traversing the rugged fields, with artillery shells trailing behind, how could this scene not remind Lynn of his first night raid, recalling the unfortunate tall officer who fell? Looking back now, his former self was so naive, eagerly joining the perilous battle with a heart full of dreams, almost committing acts of bravery and fearlessness fueled by fervor—personality is destined, isn't today just another wild and crazy adventure?

Ever since realizing his squad mate was killed and their rocket artillery vehicle was seized, the t-34, resembling a "one-eyed dragon," began its relentless barrage. Fortunately, its headlights lacked the power of searchlights, only providing limited guidance for the gunner, as most shells landed far from them, not even grazing them. In this light, just one t-34 seemed insignificant, but the vehicle Lynn and his comrades were in was the fearsome "Katyusha" that made German soldiers shudder, armed with 16 powerful 132-millimeter rockets. Once hit by artillery fire, there wouldn't be a soul left alive on the vehicle.

It is said that life and death are fated, and fortune is in the hands of fate. Having mastered the operation of this truck, Lynn shifted gears and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket with his right hand. Good things are meant to be shared, but due to limited resources, he seldom smoked since taking command of the night raid squad. Now, he lit one for himself and passed the rest to Wolf.

An old soldier is indeed an old soldier, knowing it's hard for Lynn to light a cigarette in this state, he struck a match to light his own, then exchanged it for the one Lynn had in his mouth.

The strong smell of tobacco instantly invigorated Lynn's spirits. Glancing through the rearview mirror, the tank's off-road capabilities were undoubtedly superior to ordinary cars, but the t-34 didn't dare stray too far from their own lines. Presumably, it wasn't a command tank, and communication with higher headquarters wasn't that convenient, so it hadn't been authorized to pursue independently, just bombarding from afar with high-explosive shells.

"Goodbye to you!"

Lynn joked inwardly, relaxing himself. From start to finish, the fierce artillery fire from the Soviet rear hadn't ceased, it had been over half an hour now. Lynn couldn't help but admire the formidable firepower of the Soviet army towards the end of the war. Thinking back to those days he spent in the frontline trenches, he finally understood how the iron will of the German army was worn down—no matter how good the fortifications or defenses were, they were difficult to withstand such ruthless devastation, let alone human beings.

A few more minutes passed, and finally, the Soviet tank's headlights disappeared from the rearview mirror, and the artillery shells seemed to no longer be trailing them. Lynn calmed down and contemplated that he should drive this "Katyusha" rocket artillery back to their own lines. Stirring up a sensation was secondary; the key was that such a feat of pulling the teeth from the tiger's mouth should earn himself and his comrades real honor and rewards, not in vain after everyone's efforts in life and death struggles.

But the good times hadn't arrived yet. Suddenly, Lynn felt the truck lurch downward, thinking to himself, "This is bad." Despite the engine still running, the truck indeed came to a halt, with the cabin leaning heavily to the left and right. Lynn leaned out of the window to take a look, and oh dear, the wheels were stuck in a large pit again!

The reason for saying "again" was because it had been stuck once before, which gave Lynn and his comrades the opportunity to boldly seize the vehicle. Although the wheel stuck in the pit this time had been replaced, no matter how hard Lynn pressed the accelerator or reversed, the engine roared in vain, and the truck remained immobile like a stranded beast in the mud. It's worth noting that the American-made truck provided was configured as a 6x6, boasting far superior off-road capabilities compared to the Soviet-made Gaz.

With no other choice, Lynn got out of the truck. This mud pit was likely caused by medium-caliber artillery shells, causing most of the wheel to sink in. However, just a mud pit wasn't enough to trap a six-wheel-drive truck. He walked around the truck. After being soaked by rain, the soil in the field had become very soft, easy for a person to sink in, let alone a several-ton six-wheeled truck.

Lynn had no idea about the exact weight of the "Katyusha". Due to the recent gear changes and reverse maneuvering, the other five tires had also "dug" into the muddy ground. Logically, if they didn't want to give up on the "Katyusha," they would have to place objects like wood or stones under the wheels to increase traction while also reducing the weight on the truck.

Lynn looked around with his hands on his hips, wondering where to find wood and stones.

With a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his mouth, Volfram walked up to Lynn and said, "Captain, you know how to drive Soviet vehicles, but do you know how to use Soviet artillery?"

"What do you mean?" Lynn found this phrase quite familiar.

Volfram was always direct in his speech, saying, "Those rockets weigh almost a ton altogether. If we fire them, not only can we teach the Soviets a lesson, but we can also lighten the truck's load!"

The idea wasn't bad at all. However, the "Vampire" Assault Team's training ground didn't have such Soviet-made rocket artillery, nor were there any related operational instructions. The only thing they could refer to was the German-made sdkfz4 self-propelled rocket launcher. It combined a semi-tracked armored vehicle with a six-barreled 150mm rocket launcher, and although its performance was quite good, its limited production numbers severely restricted its effectiveness on the battlefield.

"Alright, I'll give it a try. You, Anton, and Karl find something to put under the wheels. Marcos, come with me!"

After assigning tasks, Lynn took Private Tanze to the rear of the rocket artillery truck. The "Katyusha" was simple in construction, merely mounting rocket launcher rails on the truck chassis. Obviously, the Soviets intended for them to fire as soon as they reached the firing position, which was only about two kilometers from the starting point. Therefore, they had already loaded the rockets onto the rails before departure, making the eight double-layered steel rails look like a box full of matches. However, since they seized the truck, Lynn had driven it quite a distance without jostling the rockets loose, which was quite fortunate.

Similar to the German sdkfz4, adjusting the firing platform of the "Katyusha" was done manually, and all control wheels were located at the rear of the driver's cab - right where the four loaders sat. One by one, Lynn and Tanze quickly figured out how to do it. As the steel rails rose and aimed upward, an extremely bright flash suddenly erupted from the distant left rear, followed by a strange sound resembling a giant playing an organ.

Lynn didn't need to guess; that was the simultaneous barrage of Soviet artillery.

If he hadn't intervened, the "Katyusha" would have been in the firing sequence, and with so many rocket artillery vehicles, hundreds or even thousands of rockets would be poured onto the German positions. Such firepower output was as terrifying as that of a traditional artillery corps!

"Quick, turn the wheel!" Lynn shouted to the somewhat dazed Private Tanze. Together, they rotated the circular base of the firing rail clockwise until it aligned with the position where the rockets had just been fired - conveniently offset from the cabin, alleviating concerns about the exhaust flames damaging the driver's compartment.

Once they had everything set up, Tanze asked Lynn a somewhat irritating question: "Captain, can these rockets hit the Soviet artillery positions?"

The maximum range of the BM-13 rocket artillery was eight and a half kilometers, which should have been enough to cover the Soviet "Katyusha" firing positions. However, with everything dark, Lynn couldn't even see the markings on the wheel, let alone the professional artillery parameters. Therefore, he could only vaguely respond, "Let's give it a try!"

Meanwhile, Volfram wasn't wasting time. He dismantled everything he could from the driver's cab - cushions, backrests, partitions - to place them under the tires. Graf and Techimel also found some branches and stones nearby. Although it didn't seem very effective, it was better than nothing.

Despite the upcoming challenge of driving on an empty frame, Lynn seemed unfazed. As the Soviet artillery shells continued to fly overhead in quick succession, he joked loudly, "Alright, everyone, step back and enjoy the most spectacular fireworks of the century!"

In less than ten seconds, the "Katyusha" completed another volley, much faster than any human could accomplish the task manually. Watching the rockets shoot out one after another, Lynn's spirits soared. This was what they called "fighting fire with fire"!

Just like a fireworks display, white smoke filled the area around the truck, the smell strong and pungent. With such a commotion, the Soviet positions were bound to notice, and the message would quickly reach the artillery units - it was only natural to allocate a few guns to "cleanse" the "traitors." Calmly, Lynn called out, "Brothers, get on the truck. Let's go!"

The explosions coming from the direction of the Soviet positions sounded like a string of firecrackers welcoming the New Year, and everyone was running with high spirits. The identity of the driver seemed inconsequential now as the American-made GMC gasoline engine roared happily. With confidence, Lynn pressed down on the accelerator, and the truck obediently moved forward. Although it was a bit difficult at first, once the left front wheel left the pit, Lynn quickly turned the steering wheel to maneuver smoothly around the crater. Then, he shifted into gear and sped away before the Soviet artillery arrived.