章 172: Chapter 250 The French Doomsday (20)
After eliminating the most significant threat, the Hetzer Tank Destroyers, the French tanks accelerated with great momentum and charged towards the German position.
However, these overly confident French tank crews did not notice that they had lost the accompanying infantry behind them. After all, they were hiding in their iron beasts, not afraid of bullet sprays, but the infantry outside were still flesh and blood. No matter how brave and fearless they were, they couldn't withstand the power of bullets.
Bullets pierced through their bodies, tearing apart their limbs. Unfortunate individuals were hit by several bullets at once, their bodies turned into a bloody mess as they fell.
Gradually, the infantry fell behind the tanks. By the time the tank unit rushed to within a hundred meters of the German position, they were greeted by a swarm of Panzerfaust rockets.
"Infantry-tank coordinated combat", in simple terms, it means that tanks need infantry cover to avoid threats from anti-tank weapons, and infantry needs tanks to deal with tanks and firepower points that infantry cannot easily handle. If these infantry closely follow the tanks, the German Panzerfaust rocket launchers would have to pay a much higher price.
Now, the French tanks without infantry cover were caught in a dilemma. Despite the tank machine guns firing frantically, one tank after another experienced violent explosions. In some cases, the turrets of the tanks were lifted several meters high and then harshly fell back down. The wreckage of the tanks burned, emitting rolling black smoke that covered more than half of the nearby sky. The already gloomy sky now appeared even more ominous due to the thick smoke.
This brutal explosion scene caused the attacking French soldiers to snap out of their bloodthirsty courage from just a moment ago. They began to hesitate, unsure whether to continue risking their lives in the attack or to retreat safely.
They hesitated, but the Germans did not. A storm of bullets swept through the entire French attack line like a hurricane, causing them to fall in chaos.
Finally, the French soldiers began to retreat, leaving behind the bodies of hundreds of their own comrades on the ground. They awkwardly returned to their starting point, carrying their weapons.
David couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but he still didn't dare to relax. "Check the ammunition! Count the casualties! Be aware of enemy artillery!"
After this count, he found that nearly one-third of their forces were casualties from the enemy's two attacks. Although they had eliminated enemies several times their number, the situation was still quite grim. "Communications soldier, communications soldier!" Shouting several times without a response, he then noticed that the communications soldier's foxhole not far away had taken a direct hit from a shell, and both the person and the radio were blown into pieces, quite a bloody sight.
"Poor kid.", David sighed helplessly. Since ancient times, on the battlefield, blades have no eyes. Once on the battlefield, except for those with a unique skill that can protect themselves, the rest basically face life and death in battle, each with their own destiny. Being brave doesn't necessarily guarantee safety, as unlucky individuals can easily be hit by bullets.
Here, no matter what you do, you could be hit and killed in the next second. Even if you do nothing, even if you obediently crouch in a foxhole, it's all the same. Courageous individuals charging with weapons through the enemy's gunfire may have a thousand bullets fired at them, but they may not be hit. Cowards hiding in trenches, covering their ears and crying, could suddenly be blown to pieces by an incoming shell with no trace of their remains.
With the radio gone, David could only send a liaison soldier back to request reinforcements.
"Artillery fire!"
Hundreds of French soldiers were still lying in front of the German position, wailing and shouting, as another round of artillery fire rained down. This time, it was still the 81mm Brandt mortar. This was good news, indicating that the heavy artillery of the French had not yet arrived.
After another routine fifteen minutes of artillery bombardment, the sharp whistle echoed through the position again. The German soldiers felt the ground trembling slightly once more.
"!!" David couldn't help but frown. The wreckage and thick smoke in front of the position obscured their view, but he was certain that the rumbling sound coming from the opposite side was definitely the roar of tank engines. "Prepare for battle!"
Although the order was given, due to the obstruction of the wreckage and smoke, the Germans couldn't see where exactly the French had advanced to. David once again ordered the Iron Panzerfaust launchers to move forward and commanded the remaining 20 machine guns to be ready to open fire.
The current situation was that the burning tank wreckage not only blocked the Germans' view but also hindered the French advance. The burning flames not only stopped the infantry from advancing but also hindered the tank units. After all, their tank fuel was gasoline, and no one dared to boldly pass through the burning flames. If the engine accidentally ignited, it would be equivalent to preparing their own funeral.
The French might have wanted to maneuver from the sides, but as soon as they showed their heads, they were turned into another obstacle by the Panzerfaust rocket launchers that had long been lying in wait.
As a result, both sides temporarily reached a stalemate.
"This is not bad.", David hoped that they could stay in this deadlock for as long as possible. After all, the longer it dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for them.
But just standing there was a bit boring. He found a soldier who understood French and had him shout across to the other side. "Listen, French brothers on the other side, our main force is about to cross the river. At that time, you'll be like fish in a barrel, only destined to be eliminated! Now is your chance, put down your weapons and surrender obediently! We treat prisoners well, and soon you'll be able to return home safely and reunite with your families! Don't miss this opportunity!"
A series of curses came from the other side. Several German soldiers who understood French also fiercely cursed back. Just when both sides were getting into a heated exchange, the sound of shells falling from the sky rang out again.
"Artillery fire! Take cover!"
David had just retracted into the foxhole when the shells began to fall.
However, strangely, these shells did not land on their position but rather fell not far in front of the position.
David, puzzled, peered out and saw several shells landing near the burning tank wreckage, emitting rolling black smoke.
"What are the French up to?" Had their shells become so abundant that they could afford to waste them? Or did the mortar crews have problems with their eyes?
However, those shells just now were obviously used for calibration. A few seconds later, countless shells landed among the group of French tank wreckage, creating dozens of massive fireballs.
Soon, David realized that something was wrong. Some shells hit the burning wreckage precisely, exploding abruptly. The flames that were burning were instantly extinguished by the shockwave generated by the explosion, and the thick smoke was blown away.
"This is not good!" David instantly realized the French's intentions and urgently ordered, "Prepare for battle!"
The French's relentless bombardment had indeed worked. The flames and thick smoke gradually dissipated due to the shockwaves from the explosions. With the infantry of the French providing cover, the tanks slowly pressed forward towards the German position.
Because the barrier formed by the thick smoke was gone, when the French advanced to a distance of five hundred meters from the position, David ordered to open fire. "Hit the infantry first and let the tanks get closer!"
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