GBP Chapter 145 The Power of the Tank Destroyer
Chapter 145 The Power of the Tank Destroyer
"Boom!" A Panzer IV tank, unable to withstand the intense fire, detonated its internal shell, tearing off its turret. Several other burning tanks quickly reversed, attempting to retreat from Nasser City. The tank company commander in charge had no choice but to order a retreat outside the city. The grenadiers followed the tanks, resisting and fleeing.
The 82nd Regiment gave a brief chase, and after annihilating dozens of German soldiers and damaging and destroying several tanks, they immediately retreated to various hiding places. The German retaliatory artillery fire soon arrived, and some of the gradually dissipating yellow sand and dust once again surrounded the entire town.
The German regimental commander was also very surprised when he received the report from the tank company commander. It seemed that the enemy from the East was obviously different from the Americans and British. They were very adaptable to positional defense, which was obviously not a good thing for the German army.
The regimental commander asked the chief of staff to immediately report the situation to the 3rd Tank Division, and at the same time ordered the coordinating Italian 518th Infantry Regiment to follow up and participate in the attack on the city of Nasser.
At this moment, the sand fog in the city gradually dissipated. Zhou Xuhui coldly observed the changes in the Axis attacking forces, secretly amused. He had witnessed the combat effectiveness of Italian infantry in the past few days. It can be said that a single battalion of the 82nd Regiment was fully capable of defeating an Italian regiment. Zhou was concerned about the German tanks and grenadiers accompanying the Italian attack. The grenadiers were particularly concerned. Their precise firepower had already cost the 82nd Regiment several heavy machine guns and a 102mm mortar team in the brief exchange of fire.
Zhou Xuhui had to pull out several multiple rocket launchers in advance and calculate the distance and trajectory. Zhou Xuhui ordered three groups of rocket launchers to load high-explosive bombs and bombard the Italian infantry group. At the same time, he ordered three groups of rocket launchers to load armor-piercing shells and then attack several German Type 3 tanks in the bulge in the middle area.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!" Rockets rained down like arrows, showering the Italians with over twenty shells. The Italian attacking force was instantly thrown into disarray. Several Panzer IV tanks in the German salient quickly adjusted their fire, accurately targeting the exposed rocket artillery positions.
"Boom-boom-boom--", three groups of rocket launchers were destroyed. Fortunately, Zhou Xuhui was very smart and had predicted the actions of the enemy tanks long ago. He asked the gunners to fire and then evacuate quickly without caring about the artillery, so that no casualties were caused.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh--", another three groups of rocket launchers fired at the enemy tanks like fire dragons. The German Type 3 tank was vulnerable under the fire coverage of 107mm armor-piercing shells. Three of them were blown up on the spot, and one had a broken track and was emitting billowing black smoke.
The German grenadiers' firepower responded immediately and landed accurately on the rocket launcher positions, and the 82nd Regiment lost two more groups of rocket launchers.
The German colonel was also watching all this closely with a telescope in a tank command vehicle in the distance, thinking to himself: the number of enemies on the opposite side is obviously not large, estimated to be only one or two battalions, and the exposure of several rocket launchers means that the opponent has revealed his last trump card, and it is time to launch a full-scale attack.
At a command from the German colonel, 36 artillery pieces of the artillery battalion began to fire continuously. Half of the tanks of the regiment joined the attack. The Italian infantry regiment also went out in full force, determined to win and vowed to take down the city of Nasser in one go!
This time, Zhou Xuhui arranged reconnaissance points at secret locations outside the city. They quickly reported the enemy's movement speed, artillery positions, etc. Zhou wanted this result. He decisively ordered the remaining 10 rocket launchers and 6 75mm howitzers to fire at the enemy's attacking tanks and infantry, and at the same time ordered the 6 105mm howitzers hidden behind to bombard the German artillery positions!
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh——”, “Boom, boom, boom——”
The 82nd Regiment's various artillery pieces roared in unison, especially the powerful 105mm howitzers, which dealt a heavy blow to the German artillery battalion. At this moment, the main force of the German and Italian forces was already speeding along the offensive path. The German regiment commander resolutely threw all the tanks of the regiment into the attack.
Zhang Lingpu, hiding to one side, was secretly delighted. He immediately led his tank column forward, strangling the German tanks. The German 212th Tank Regiment was primarily equipped with Panzer IV tanks. Although numerous, it only had a single company of 17 Panthers, making it inferior to Zhang Lingpu's M4 tank column in firepower. Coupled with Zhang Lingpu's sudden attack, several German tanks were damaged or destroyed in a short period of time, forcing the German tank battalion to turn around and engage Zhang Lingpu's tank column.
At that moment, the German three-wheeled vehicles, hidden until now, suddenly appeared. Eighteen of them spewed flames, their 18mm anti-tank guns especially deadly. Nearly a third of Zhang Lingpu's tank column was instantly struck and destroyed, and the situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse. Ambush-bound Major George decisively ordered his M88B6 Jagdpanzers to open fire. These Jagdpanzers swiftly and accurately destroyed several of the German three-wheeled vehicles. However, the German three-wheeled vehicles, with their low profile and maneuverability, saw the situation was dire and immediately withdrew from their ambush position.
The M5A1 light tanks demonstrated their unique ability to maneuver and pursue the enemy. Leveraging their lightweight and high speed, they quickly circled behind the German Panzer III tank destroyers (three-wheeled vehicles). In the close-range exchange, their high-velocity 37mm armor-piercing rounds continuously pounded the Panzer IIIs' vulnerable points. In a single round, five of the three-wheeled vehicles were destroyed, forcing the remaining Panzer IIIs to flee at full speed.
Just as the M5A1s were about to pursue the German three-wheeled vehicles, a German 88mm anti-aircraft gun appeared like a ghost and launched a fierce attack on the M5A1s. One of the M5A1s was instantly blown up, bursting into flames. Faced with this sudden attack, the light tank column was forced to abandon the pursuit of the German three-wheeled vehicles.
On the battlefield, the roar of artillery, gunfire, and tanks intertwined to form a breathtaking symphony. Tanks from both sides darted through the smoke, each shot potentially determining victory or defeat. This tank battle was not only a clash of steel against steel, but also a contest of wits and courage.
The M6B1 Jagdpanzers spun at breakneck speed, unleashing a powerful attack. Twelve Jagdpanzers, each armed with a 105mm gun, dealt a crushing blow to the German tanks. Twelve tanks were completely destroyed, including eight Panthers. Even the commander of the German tank battalion was not spared. Witnessing this, the commander of the 12th Regiment, realizing the situation was unfavorable, promptly ordered a retreat, attempting to lead his troops out of this dangerous battlefield.
The Germans deployed several 88mm anti-aircraft guns on high ground, providing a lifeline for the Germans. Faced with the threat of German artillery fire, neither Zhang nor George dared to pursue them. They could only watch helplessly as the remnants of the Axis forces retreated further and further, eventually disappearing from sight.