Chương 67: 67
The bombardment ended when the sun began to rise and remove the darkness from the sky.
Richard barely raised his head and gurgled as he breathed in air filled with dust and fine concrete powder.
When I finally came to my senses, the enemy's attack began.
"emergency! It's an enemy attack! emergency!"
"Everyone to location!"
"Hurry up, bastards!"
Once the bombardment of the 88mm anti-aircraft guns ended, the tanks came running.
When the Royal Marines saw the Norwegian soldiers riding on the German-made Panzer 2 and Panzer 4, they were immediately put on alert.
"Look at that, Richard! "It's a tank!"
"I know, damn it!"
Richard was more shocked by not being able to eat bacon for breakfast than by the fact that the enemy was attacking with tanks.
Damn you kids. Why are they attacking today after being quiet until now?
"I guess they smelled bacon too. "This has become annoying."
Sergeant Gale clicked his tongue lightly and ran to lead his platoon members.
After Sergeant Gale left, Richard, who was left alone with his classmate, took out a grenade in advance and placed it down next to him so that he could use it right away in case of emergency.
What was a huge disappointment for the Royal Marines was that they did not bring anti-tank guns because they had heard that the Norwegians had no tanks.
However, there was an anti-tank rifle instead of an anti-tank gun. It was the new King's anti-tank rifle.
Even though it was worse than an anti-tank gun, it was better than nothing. Since it was a precious body with only one unit per company, it had not been used much until now, but not now.
The anti-tank gunners targeted the relatively thin Panzer 2 instead of the thicker Panzer 4.
A huge flame, much larger than the firing of a rifle, spewed out from the muzzle.
As soon as the 14×120mm armor-piercing round hit the bottom of the hull, Tank No. 2 stopped. The transmission was broken.
As the tank was shocked, the Norwegian soldiers jumped to the ground all at once.
He jumped out of the tank and fired a hail of bullets onto the heads of the Norwegian troops spreading out left and right.
To support the Norwegians, Panzer 2 opened fire with its machine gun.
The brick wall that was hit by the cannonball collapsed, separating the upper and lower bodies of the soldier hiding behind the wall.
Richard, who saw his comrade being torn in half without even being able to scream, was so shocked that he forgot to pull the trigger.
My hands and feet were shaking as I thought that I might end up like that too. I felt like I wanted to throw away everything, including my duties, and run away.
"Hey, what are you doing! Hurry up and don't shoot!"
"Ah oh!"
Richard, who reflexively pulled the trigger at the shout of his comrade, saw the turret of Tank No. 2 rotating.
The moment he thought the tank's autocannon was heading towards him, sparks flew out of the turret.
"Good!"
As the King's anti-tank rifle blasted a hole in the tank's turret, the tank fell silent. It seemed certain that the tank crew had been killed or injured in the attack just moments before.
However, only one tank No. 2 had been captured, and the enemy was still in high spirits.
As Panzer 4 rushed forward and fired its main gun, three or four British soldiers were swept away by the explosion.
Richard sniped at a Norwegian soldier who was hiding behind Panzer 4 and firing a rifle.
A Norwegian soldier who was hit in the thigh fell backwards in pain.
As the tank rolled backwards, the Norwegians were trapped in a track with no time to escape.
"You idiots, they killed each other on the same side."
Richard's taunts were drowned out by the tank's gunfire.
Every time flames spewed out from the muzzle of the 75mm 24 caliber main gun, an ear-piercing explosion rang out.
For poorly armed infantrymen, tanks were like messengers of death.
As many as 12 soldiers have already been hit by just one Panzer 4. The King's anti-tank rifle continued to fire, but the bullets ricocheted each time.
Unless the flanks were exposed, the King's anti-tank rifle was powerless against the Panzer IV.
The gunner aimed at the weak points, the front machine gun seat or the driver's observation window, but it was easier said than done.
"Someone do something to that bastard!" "If this continues, we will all die!"
"Fuck, who doesn't know that?"
If the 4th tank was not dealt with, annihilation was only a matter of time.
Just when I was hoping that someone would come forward and defeat that steel monster, Sergeant Gale stepped forward.
"Richard, take cover."
"yes? Wait, boss!?"
Sergeant Gale ran toward Tank 4 holding an anti-tank mine. Sergeant Gale was not caught in the sight of Panzer 4.
He pushed the anti-tank mine between the track and the car body and quickly ran away.
As the endless track rolled, a mine fell to the ground, and the track that stepped on the mine fell to pieces.
With the movement blocked, anti-tank gunners were able to target the enemy's weak points.
It is much easier to shoot at the weak point of a stationary target than to shoot the weak point of a moving target. The gunner immediately fired a bullet toward the tank's machine gun seat.
-Kwajak!
The radio operator who was firing the machine gun was killed by a bullet that penetrated his armor, and the fragments flew out and hit the temple of the operator next to him.
Even though the radio operator and driver were dead, the turret was still alive. The turret rotated and fired the main gun and machine guns to cover the Norwegian troops.
Sergeant Gale took out a grenade, grabbed the tank, and climbed up.
The tank commander, who belatedly discovered Sergeant Gale, opened the hatch, came out, and tried to fire his pistol, but Richard was one step faster.
"Wow!"
The bullet fired by Richard pierced the tank commander's neck. He quickly covered the hole in his neck with both hands, but the bleeding showed no signs of stopping.
"Eat this, Jerry!"
Sergeant Gale popped the grenade into the hatch. I thought I could hear a panicked voice coming from inside the tram, but it was cut off by an explosion of sound.
Sergeant Gale successfully defeated a tank that was no different from the Death of Death, but his luck ended there. As he jumped out of the tank, a Norwegian soldier jumped out from behind the tank and attacked his back.
"Yaaaaaa-!"
The Norwegian soldier ran out shouting and plunged his bayonet into Sergeant Gale's back before he could react.
"Boss!"
Richard quickly fired his gun and knocked down the Norwegian soldier, but Sergeant Gale collapsed, spitting blood from his mouth.
Two soldiers who rushed to rescue Sergeant Gale, who had fallen, fell to the ground under machine gun fire from the Norwegian army.
"Richard, look at that!"
Richard, who had been staring blankly at Sergeant Gale, who was no longer moving, turned his head to hear his colleague's words. The new Panzer IV was approaching, rolling on the tracks.
"retreat! "Everyone retreat!"
The company commander decided that it would be difficult to hold out any longer and ordered a retreat.
The order given to him by his superiors was to defend his current position until further instructions, but the company commander chose to go against his superiors' instructions instead of being annihilated.
"Retreat to the preliminary defense line! Everyone move!"
Although he was usually distant from the company members, this time the entire company welcomed his orders. It was clear that if he continued like this, he would be wiped out.
"1st platoon provides covering fire from the current position! "The 2nd and 3rd platoons retreat immediately!"
While the 1st Platoon was buying time with covering fire, the 2nd and 3rd Platoons hastened preparations for withdrawal.
While soldiers carrying machine guns and cartridges were running around, Norwegian troops supported by German tanks approached the defense line.
"One, two, three!"
Richard pulled out the safety pin of the grenade and threw it with all his might.
When the grenade exploded, two Norwegian soldiers nearby somersaulted. Other soldiers fell to the ground and returned fire.
"Now it's our turn. "Let's go quickly."
Richard also took his weapons and ammunition and left. A gunshot followed behind my back. It was the sound of the Madsen light machine gun used by the Norwegian army.
Personnel from the 2nd and 3rd platoons, who had previously retreated, provided covering fire to cover the retreat of the 1st platoon personnel.
The Norwegian soldiers who had been lying down firing machine guns formed a hive and lowered their heads.
In a scene of chaos with bullets coming and going, Richard was running so hard that the soles of his feet were on fire. The only thing that could save his life now was his own two legs.
"hey! "Here, here!"
A platoon member whose name I did not know motioned toward Richard.
There were only three soldiers sitting in a camp that could accommodate seven to eight people. Richard rushed into the camp without delay.
At that moment, his vision became bright and a harsh feeling of oppression struck his face mercilessly.
Richard rose about 2 meters into the air and then fell upside down on the ground.
What on earth? What happened?
Richard didn't know what had happened to him.
When he barely opened his eyes, he could see black smoke billowing from the camp where the soldier who had been gesturing towards him just moments before was standing.
It had been hit by a tank shell.
Richard, who heard the sound of rolling tracks, stood up and tried to run again.
But for some reason, I couldn't get any strength into my lower body.
"······uh?"
Richard's lower body had disappeared due to the shock from earlier.
Where his legs and crotch should have been, there was pink intestines instead.
The moment Richard saw his internal organs spread out on the floor, his vision turned white and soon he could not even hear a sound.
The gunfire continued.
***
May 3, 1940
North Sea
As the German-Norwegian forces fought the Anglo-Norwegian forces at Bergen, Trondheim, and Narvik, fierce fighting also took place in the North Sea.
After the first engagement with the British fleet, Bismarck anchored in Stavanger for repairs and then sortied to battle the British fleet again.
According to FM, it had to be repaired for at least a month, or at least three months, but the urgent war situation forced the wounded giant back into the battlefield.
This time, the Deutschland-class armored ships Lützo and Graf Spe, the Atmiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser Blücher, and three additional destroyers joined.
In addition, three minelayers and a whaling ship belonging to the Norwegian Navy followed the German fleet into battle with the British Navy.
As the German fleet approached, the British fleet at Bergen was stuck supporting the ground forces.
If we left to fight the German fleet, our troops left behind in Bergen would have been annihilated by the Germans.
While the British Navy was at a loss, unable to figure out what to do, a U-boat secretly approached the British fleet while remaining hidden.
"You idiots. "The enemy is right in front of you and you don't even notice."
Major Günter Prynne, the captain of the Type 21 U-boat U-47, smiled like the devil as he watched the British ships floating on the sea without knowing anything.
The Knight's Cross hanging around his neck sparkled under the light of the electric lamp.
"It seems like the Royal Navy of the world is now just a bunch of idiots."
The lieutenant, the head of the engine, agreed and laughed.
It was the composure of war veterans who had flattened the pride of the British Navy, which prided itself on being the strongest in the world, with the Scapa Flow surprise attack.
"Now then, we should give them unforgettable memories."
Aiming is already done, and all you have to do is press the button.
The command for death fell from the mouth of Prine, who was rubbing his palms while licking his lips.
"Firing tubes 1-4!"
Four Gisela torpedoes cut through the cold North Sea and headed toward their target.
The British warship that Prine targeted was the Courageous-class aircraft carrier Courageous.
All four shots hit the Courageous, and immediately the Courageous tilted sharply to the right.
Dozens of gladiators lined up neatly on the deck of the aircraft carrier, like pieces on a chessboard, poured into the sea.
Pilots and maintenance personnel also fell into the dark sea along with the aircraft.
People who fell into the sea floundered with their arms outstretched, like a baby bird spreading its wings for its first flight.
"It's a hit!"
Unlike the British sailors who were in shock and fear, the crew of U-47 cheered in unison.
With this, they achieved another new achievement: sinking an aircraft carrier.
The sailors all shouted 'Hurrah', and some who were very loyal even shouted 'Heil Hitler'.
When the deck of Courageous was completely perpendicular to the water, U-51, which was operating along with U-47, also fired torpedoes one after another.
Its target was the aircraft carrier Furious.
The result was a hit.
Like the Courageous, the Furious tilted rapidly and began to sink into the sea.
The difference with the Courageous was that it tilted to the left rather than the right, but for the crew who had fallen into the sea or were about to fall, the direction of tilt was not a big deal.
German aircraft attacked the British fleet, which was in panic due to the loss of two aircraft carriers in an instant.
"This is the flight commander. From now on, we start hunting for Tommy. "Go wild."
"Gazua!"
All anti-aircraft guns on British warships hurriedly opened fire at the uninvited guests who flocked to them like flies upon discovering the carcass of a decomposed animal.
The aircraft that were supposed to deal with the enemy aircraft were thrown into the North Sea by U-boats.
Because of this, the British Navy faced the cruel fate of having to fight German aircraft only with anti-aircraft guns.
While tracer bullets decorated the dark night sky, a Stuka crashed after being hit by anti-aircraft artillery.
"It's a hit!"
"I did it-huh?!"
The Stuka, which was falling while emitting smoke, crashed into the signboard of the Admiral-class battlecruiser Hood.
The ship itself did not suffer much damage, but the problem was the fire caused by the collision with the Stuka.
"The ship is on fire!"
"I know! What does the fire department do? "Don't rush out!"
In the pitch-black darkness, the fire on the ship was as noticeable as the red pepper powder between the teeth.
The sailors who knew this fact quickly worked diligently to extinguish the fire that broke out on the deck.
However, with the battle still in full swing, putting out the fire was not an easy task.
-Too-ta-ta-ta-ta!
"Aaaah!"
As a Bf109 passed by and opened fire with gunfire, the sailors who had been dispatched to extinguish the fire collapsed.
Fresh blood flowed from the bodies of the sailors who had become a beehive and spread over the sign.
The anti-aircraft gunners desperately turned the steering wheel to hit the enemy aircraft flying between the ships.
In some cases, they were so focused on shooting down enemy aircraft that they ended up firing anti-aircraft guns at friendly ships.
"Anti-aircraft fire hit number 6!"
"Those idiots! Where are you shooting at? "You can't even identify your friends properly!"
While the British fleet fought the German aircraft, two U-boats also fired torpedoes, sinking one more destroyer and damaging Hood.
Destroyers belatedly gave chase, but the U-boats quickly fled.
By sinking two aircraft carriers and one destroyer, and damaging an enemy battleship, they had achieved enough to earn their living.
The rest could be left to the friendly fleet.
The shadow of disaster fell over the British fleet, which had been battered by U-boats and was busy fighting with aircraft carriers.
The German fleet appeared over the horizon and spotted the British fleet.
After completing their mission, the aircraft turned around and returned to their mothership.
Although the battle took place at night, which was more advantageous than during the day, the losses were surprisingly large, with a quarter of the dispatched aircraft being shot down.
In return, it sank two destroyers and inflicted heavy damage on three ships, but did not cause significant damage to the battleships and cruisers.
However, it achieved its purpose by confusing the British fleet and tiring the enemy sailors.
"Look at the starboard side! Enemy battleship Hamyoung! Distance 25,000!"
Now that the aircraft's turn was over, it was time for the battleships to move forward.
"All guns fired! "Hurry..."
Lütjens' words were cut off by the British fleet's lead attack.
The British fleet, discovering the German fleet approaching them, hurriedly opened its guns and opened fire.
Because the shot was fired without adjusting the aim, the accuracy was poor.
The majority of the shells did not reach the German ships and ended up in the North Sea.
"It looks like the Tommys were in quite a hurry. "You're shooting without even aiming properly."
Lütjens smiled awkwardly and nodded at Lindemann's words.
The moment I saw the enemy fleet's firing light, I accidentally bit my tongue and couldn't speak.
Only after the pain had subsided did Lütjens finish what he wanted to say.
"Target enemy battleship, fire!"
A huge shock wave split the North Sea.
A thick, massive cannonball larger than a human body flew in a gentle parabola.
As the power and kinetic energy of the shell itself were added, even a steel plate tens of centimeters thick was pierced like a sheet of paper.
Balls of fire larger than a warship bloomed one by one in the darkness.
The heavy cruiser Exeter exploded and sank rapidly.
Even the thickest part of the armor was insufficient to block Bismarck's 380mm armor-piercing shells.
In addition, the Scharnhorst and Graf Spee shells directly hit the ammunition depot and fuel tank, respectively.
The Exeter, whose hull was split in half by the explosion, sank, spraying a huge amount of oil into the sea.
Many young British men who enlisted with the sole belief of protecting their country shared their fate with their ships. Their desperate screams were muffled by the cold seawater rushing into the ship.
But the hood didn't fit. The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships Queen Elizabeth and Valiant also suffered only minor damage and were still floating in the North Sea.
It was the British Navy's turn again. All ships, starting with Hood, spewed fire.
Every time a flash of light emitted from the main gun, the surrounding area became as bright as day.
"Enemy battleship fire! "Prepare for shock!"
Lütjens squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed the handle of the chair. There was a loud sound of metal clashing against metal, and the ship rocked.
Fortunately, the shell did not penetrate Bismarck's strong armor.
Unsightly bullet marks appeared on the surface of the armor where the shell hit, but it was better than being sunk by the ship.
However, the fate of other ships without as thick armor as the Bismarck was different.
"Graf Spee hit!"
"Rucho was also hit! Checking the damage!"
"Damn it!"
The Graf Spee, which was hit by shells from Hood, Queen Elizabeth, and Valiant almost simultaneously, instantly became a pile of scrap metal and was engulfed in fire and smoke.
Although it was floating on the surface of the water, it seemed certain that it would soon sink to the bottom of the sea.
Several sailors from the Graf Spee, whose bodies were also engulfed in flames, jumped into the sea.
Voices calling for help and the lamentations of people in despair came from all directions.
Lucho also suffered significant damage, although not as much as Graf Spee.
All main turrets were unusable, the bow was destroyed, the rudder was broken, and a fire on board made the battle impossible.
In an instant, the two capital ships left the force.
For the Kryxmarine, where every warship was precious, it was a loss that could not be ignored. Lütjens gritted his teeth.
"Damn you guys!"
"Hurry up and reload! "Shouldn't I die after avenging my comrades?"
As Lindemann shouted at Jeonsungwan, the German sailors moved even busier.
In a firefight, speed is as important as aiming.
The faster you reload, the more shots you can fire, and the more shots you fire, the more likely you are to survive.
"Loaded!"
While the British ships were reloading, the German ships opened fire.
"launch!"
Bismarck's 380mm armor-piercing shell flew toward the British battleship Hood.
The moment Bismarck's main gun opened fire, the observation deck on Hood's bridge screamed at the top of his voice.
"Enemy ship fire! Prepare for impact!"
"Let's go until we go somewhere-"
The captain, who was forcing a smile through gritted teeth, reflexively stopped speaking when an enemy bullet came into view.
A pure white flash filled my vision. It was a dazzlingly white, completely white flash.
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