บท 50: MG34
Very quickly, the soldiers' attitudes towards Qin Chuan changed, because this was something the unit had never seen before—a sergeant actually deciding the entire unit's strategic direction... It was almost as if Qin Chuan was commanding the unit.
"Do you know?" Werner said to Qin Chuan, "When I found out that this plan came from you, I felt much more at ease!"
"Why?" Qin Chuan asked.
"Because I know your abilities!" Werner smiled, "More importantly, I know you wouldn't come up with a plan that would get yourself killed, right?"
Qin Chuan couldn't help but laugh, and Werner was indeed smart, knowing that Qin Chuan wouldn't be foolish enough to put himself in a deadly situation.
At that moment, an order came down:
"Full speed ahead!"
"Full speed ahead!"
...
The unit increased its marching speed again. Just as everyone was wondering, Bazel shouted to Qin Chuan from a few meters away: "Sergeant, the colonel asked me to tell you that you guessed right. There are only a small number of troops stationed at Tugla and its eastern strongholds, and most of them are logistical personnel. We've just received this intelligence from the British general—we're in luck!"
The German soldiers let out quiet cheers, and their morale was boosted.
Werner even joked, "Did you hear that? We're in luck. What do you think of? I'm thinking of Vivien Leigh, and I hope we capture her at Tugla!"
(Note: Vivien Leigh was an American actress who won the Best Actress award at the 12th Academy Awards for her role in Gone with the Wind.)
"Baker!" the baker reminded, "Vivien Leigh is American, and you hope to capture her from the British?"
"Who cares!" Werner replied, "They all speak English!"
The soldiers couldn't help but laugh.
"Silence!"
"Silence!"
...
The orders coming down told the soldiers that the target was just ahead.
"Prepare for battle!" Bazel ordered.
So everyone took their guns off their backs, performed basic checks, and loaded their rifles.
"Follow me!" Bazel, who was in front, turned back and whispered an order: "Don't shoot unless absolutely necessary, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone followed Bazel, crouching low as they ran forward. After crossing a sand dune, they were met with the sight of several campfires... This left Qin Chuan and the others puzzled.
Starting a fire in the desert wasn't impossible; in fact, it's a survival skill in the desert.
As previously mentioned, the temperature difference between day and night in the desert is significant, and it often drops to below freezing at night. A fire not only provides warmth but also scares away wild animals, preventing attacks.
But...
This technique is only effective during peacetime. In a state of war, starting a fire almost certainly means revealing your position to the enemy, which is why the German army strictly forbade it.
This also showed how lax the British defenses were... but this was exactly what the German army hoped for.
Judging by the campfires, the target was about a kilometer ahead. This distance was still far, but the unit was clearly planning to catch the enemy off guard before dawn, so they quickened their pace towards the campfires.
Eight hundred meters.
Qin Chuan saw several machine gunners stop. They quickly assembled MG34s on tripods and built simple trenches.
The MG34 was the world's first general-purpose machine gun... meaning it could be used as both a light machine gun and a heavy machine gun.
This was actually a product of the Treaty of Versailles. After World War I, Britain and France prohibited Germany from producing heavy machine guns, so the Germans came up with a solution: produce a weapon that looked like a light machine gun but could be easily converted into a heavy machine gun. This weapon was the MG34.
If it was fitted with a 75-round drum, it was essentially a light machine gun by traditional standards.
But if it was fitted with a tripod and a 200-round belt, it could be converted into a heavy machine gun. It could even be paired with another MG34 to form an anti-aircraft gun...
At this moment, the German machine gunners were using it as a heavy machine gun. Once they were ready, it could be said that half the battle was already won, while the British were still completely unaware.
Five hundred meters.
Another wave of MG34s was distributed, and this wave was clearly used as light machine guns. Accompanying them were several riflemen, providing covering fire for the machine guns.
Qin Chuan stopped advancing as well. He found a spot to lie down. After thinking for a moment, he picked up his gun and moved about a dozen meters to the side to find a new position... The previous position was too close to the machine guns, and the enemy's attention would likely be drawn to the machine guns, potentially involving Qin Chuan as collateral damage.
Qin Chuan raised his rifle and looked ahead. He then realized that the British soldiers ahead were probably motorized troops... The flickering campfires faintly illuminated the neatly parked "Matador" military trucks behind them.
Two hundred meters.
The British still hadn't noticed the Germans steadily advancing toward them. It was clear that their sentries had fallen asleep.
At this point, the German army began to hesitate.
They were faced with two choices: continue advancing or start the battle now.
The former might not be a good choice, as it could lead to close combat and cause the Germans to lose the advantage of all the firepower they had set up... with both sides mixed together, the machine guns wouldn't be able to fire.
The latter, if they started the battle now, would seem to give up a great opportunity for a surprise attack.
The Germans clearly chose the latter because Qin Chuan saw them setting up 50mm mortars... This short-barreled mortar was commonly equipped by the German army, with almost every platoon having one, and it could exert powerful combat strength at close range.
Then, under the officer's order, a mortar operator gently placed a shell into the mortar... With a "bang," a shell was fired.
The shell accurately hit a campfire, sending sparks flying and scattering embers everywhere. The British soldiers sleeping on blankets were instantly awakened from their dreams. Their first reaction was to reach for their guns and check the situation...
But they were around the campfire and couldn't see anything beyond its light, while the Germans could see them clearly. Immediately, there was a more intense barrage of gunfire and shelling. Bullets and shells rained down on the British, leaving them stunned.
After a while, the Germans stopped firing. Then someone held up a loudspeaker and shouted in English to the British: "If you want to live, raise your hands! Any resistance is futile. You are surrounded!"
It was clear that the Germans wanted to conserve ammunition; otherwise, they wouldn't be interested in taking prisoners.
The British were very obedient and raised their hands in surrender, and at that moment, Qin Chuan hadn't even pulled the trigger once.
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