Chapter 1043 Leopard Head Crying
Steiner's death right after Schleheim was a foreseeable death knell for the attacking forces of the Totenko Division.
But what Lavrinenko, Malashenko and Kurbalov did not expect was that this wave of diehard SS fanatics, who had lost almost half of their troops, still had no intention of retreating. The remaining 7 Panther tanks continued to attack with the support of almost the same number of Panzer IV tanks, followed by the SS infantry who were shouting fanatically.
"These Germans, if they want to die, let them do it! Keep firing, shoot the German panthers first!"
Malashenko, who was busy observing the battlefield situation and giving orders, had no time to help Kirill reload. Kirill, who was the thinnest in the entire crew, seemed to be extremely exhausted. Every time he picked up the projectiles and fired the cartridges, Kirill, whose lung function was already damaged, would blush and have difficulty breathing.
"Can you still hold on, Kirill!"
Malashenko, who noticed that something was not right, asked, and Kirill answered him with a firm voice without hesitation.
"No problem, comrade commander!"
Although he said so, the physical effort was obvious.
It took a lot of effort to put the 122mm full-caliber wind cap armor-piercing projectile on the breech block. Without even a chance to breathe, Kirill bent down again and picked up the propellant cartridge that had been prepared in advance and placed at his feet. He held the middle with his left hand and clamped it with his right elbow. With a forward push, the projectile and the propellant were all sent into the barrel.
"Armor-piercing projectile is good!"
"Die, Nazi lackey!"
Click--
Boom--
Iushkin, who stared at the target with his right eye through the main gun sight in front of him, pulled down the main gun firing lever without hesitation almost at the moment when the crisp sound of the breech block closed.
The majestic chemical energy of the propellant combustion surged violently in the barrel, and the armor-piercing projectile that was ready to be fired was sent out of the barrel with a tremor in the muzzle, rushing straight to the target that was less than 200 meters away with a terrible scream that was enough to tear the air.
The courage of the Skeleton Division is commendable, but the reality of war is cruel and ruthless.
A Panther D tank painted with summer yellow and green striped camouflage was hit in the center of the gun shield by a 122mm armor-piercing projectile. The mere 100mm semi-arc gun shield could not withstand such a fierce and heavy blow.
The 122mm armor-piercing projectile with powerful launch kinetic energy penetrated the gun shield armor and broke the internal crossbeam supporting the gun shield. Under the action of the smoothly operating armor-piercing delay fuse, the warhead charge was instantly detonated.
In the last moment before the flames of death enveloped their bodies, the three SS armored soldiers in the turret, whose faces seemed frozen, were still shouting loudly, as if they were making the last effort for the victory that was already within their grasp.
Boom--
After a loud and powerful noise, there was no longer a Panther D tank with 108 painted on the side of the turret.
Instead, there was a pile of steel wreckage that was torn into pieces by the strong explosion of all types of ammunition and most of the remaining gasoline fuel. The chaotic and messy scene was not enough to make people distinguish that a Panther D tank, a masterpiece of German military industry, once stood here.
At the origin of the explosion center where the smoke had dissipated, there was no trace of the struggle or survival of the unknown SS armored soldiers, and even a piece of blackened and charred meat could not be found.
The most terrifying thing about the 122 gun is not the amazing armor penetration depth brought by the huge chamber volume, but the fact that once the armor is penetrated by the 122 gun, it means death. There is no chance of surviving from the warhead charge of this caliber.
The powerful 122 gun can kill a kid with one shot when shooting the Black Panther, which is very exciting, but the extremely long reloading time is enough to make people anxious and helpless.
For example, Malashenko, who couldn't stand the long reloading, went to help Kirill reload again.
"You go get the propellant, and give me the bullets! Hurry!"
Kirill, who received the order from Malashenko, did not dare to neglect it. He immediately bent down on the spot to prepare to stand up the propellant cartridge lying flat and hold it in his arms.
Malashenko opened the ammunition rack at the rear of the turret and just took the heavy projectile into his arms. Before he could turn around and stuff it into the breech block, the Germans' useless struggles followed again.
Ding-bang--
Swish--
"One o'clock in the right front! The Germans' Panthers are shooting at us!"
"Aim at it! Reload soon, don't worry!"
Knowing that the more anxious you are, the more you can't lose your composure, Malashenko continued to move in an orderly manner, holding his breath, and almost at the same time as Kirill, who stood up straight, he moved the things in his hands to the breech block.
Swish--
Boom--
A sudden whistling sound from far to near passed by the car. The Panther tank, which had stopped again and was ready to shoot, was like a drunkard. Before the car body stopped moving, it suddenly burst out a burst of hot and violent core energy, and the small head turret on the car body was immediately launched into the sky like a rocket.
However, even so, the headless vehicle body that failed to brake in time still rushed forward with raging flames for seven or eight meters before it stopped. It is conceivable how fast the Black Panther was with the accelerator pedal pressed to the bottom.
If it were not for the sudden explosion on the spot without any warning, Iushkin, who watched his opponent die in the crowd, estimated that he might eventually destroy the opponent at a distance of thirty meters or even closer.
However, whether it was Iushkin who was holding the firing lever, or Malashenko and Kirill who were holding bullets and propellants in their arms, they were all surprised by what on earth had blown up the Black Panther that was rushing towards them?
The answer does not need to be deliberately explained by anyone, and the reality will naturally be quietly revealed by the passage of time.
When the three IS6 heavy tanks, the fastest in the brigade, rushed to the position and began to approach and directly support the infantry defense, the slower IS1 and IS2 heavy tanks finally arrived at the last moment and rushed into the battlefield.
The addition of the large force of the 1st Heavy Tank Brigade of Stalin's Guards became the last straw that broke the camel's back for the infantry-tank coordinated attack of the SS Division.
Facing the new Russian heavy tanks that continued to join the battle like a flood, the armored soldiers of the SS Division, who did not know what fear was, finally woke up from their dreams.
It turned out that these Russians had more than just three monsters.
But it was too late.