Chapter 555: Death of Tiger

This early Tiger tank driven by Wittmann's crew belongs to the exploratory configuration version of the S-torpedo launcher. There is an S-torpedo launcher installed at each of the four corners of the vehicle body and one side of the middle part, with a total of 5 ready to fire, pre-loaded with 92mm full-caliber anti-infantry grenade and ready to fire at any time.

This 92mm full-caliber anti-infantry grenade with parabolic trajectory and chemical energy has a maximum range of 400 meters, which can effectively suppress and kill enemy infantry within the effective range.

The pre-loaded 92mm anti-personnel grenade warhead is loaded with steel balls and chemical charges, and uses a firing delay fuze. It can explode above the heads of enemy infantry to form a mixed killing barrage of fragments, steel balls and explosion impact flames covering the circular area, effectively suppressing and killing unprotected soft targets to block enemy infantry trying to approach the tank.

In general, the S-torpedo launcher is a relatively successful anti-infantry weapon for tanks.

After the successful testing of the S-torpedo launcher on the initial Tiger tank, it was soon expanded to all tanks of the German armored forces and became standard equipment.

The Tiger, Panther, King Tiger, Jagdtiger, and even the Mouse are equipped with S-torpedo launchers.

The difference is that the S-torpedo launcher of the German tanks in the later period was changed from being set outside the tank to being hidden inside the fighting room. It can be safely operated by the crew in the fighting room to launch at different angles instead of being remotely controlled outside the vehicle to launch at a fixed angle, which improves the man-machine efficiency and actual combat flexibility of the weapon.

At the same time, the S-torpedo launcher can also serve as a smoke bomb launcher because of its large caliber of 92 mm. It is equipped with a dedicated 92 mm full-caliber projectile smoke canister, which can provide the German armored forces with more diverse tactical options on the battlefield.

The Soviet infantry, who had not yet seen the power of the new toys of the German tanks, slowly approached, raised the cluster grenades and RPG-40 anti-tank grenades in their hands and tried to kill the three huge German tanks.

But what was unexpected was that the inconspicuous small cans placed on these huge steel monsters suddenly made a muffled sound, and the small black shadow of the trajectory that was difficult to capture with the naked eye exploded above the head before the human brain could react.

The scattered bullet fragments and hundreds of steel balls formed a circular killing range that instantly swept down the Soviet infantry. The Soviet infantry, who were screaming incessantly, had no idea what fancy new weapons the Germans had come up with. The battle to encircle and suppress the three Tigers was on the verge of paralysis and stagnation.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Soviet infantry was stunned by the wake-up call and suffered heavy casualties, and had not yet recovered from the time, the gunner Klink, who was working hard, finally aimed the main gun driven by the hydraulic steering machine at the target direction.

"High-explosive bombs are good!"

"Fire!"

Boom--

The Tiger tank, designed specifically to fight against Soviet tanks, is also equipped with 88mm full-caliber anti-personnel grenades. The explosion of 700 grams of TNT equivalent is equivalent to the power of 7 German standard M24 long-handled grenades, which is undoubtedly devastating for unprotected infantry.

The Soviet infantry, who suffered a sudden change and then another disaster, suffered heavy casualties.

The temperature of the MG34 machine gun barrage that whizzed past their scalps was almost enough to burn their hair. The feeling of being so close to death made the Soviet infantry so depressed that they couldn't even lift their heads. Wittmann pushed open the turret hatch on his head and was using the MG34 machine gun on the circular machine gun mount to splash water on the Soviet infantry.

"Klink, keep firing high-explosive shells! Eliminate these Russian infantrymen!"

After being hit by S-mines and machine guns, the Soviet infantrymen who surrounded them in a semi-arc attack have suffered more than half of their casualties so far.

The Soviet infantrymen, who lacked effective anti-tank firepower, could only rely on light weapons, and at best some anti-tank grenades thrown by humans.

This level of firepower could not destroy the thick-skinned Tiger tanks, and the limited attack distance made it impossible for the Soviet infantrymen to get close.

Three huge Tiger tanks deployed a circular defense surface to protect the paralyzed Tiger tank in the middle. Three SS armored soldiers who dodged in time and did not suffer any damage dragged two seriously injured comrades and took advantage of the short time when the Soviet infantrymen were suppressed by firepower and could not even lift their heads to rush into their comrades' Tiger tanks.

If the war continued to develop at this momentum, it would only be a matter of time before Wittmann and his entourage eliminated the remaining Soviet infantry in front of them.

But as the saying goes, things are unpredictable, and the scene that Wittmann did not expect suddenly took place without any warning.

Three Il-2 attack aircraft flew from nowhere and fired a volley of armor-piercing rockets. Wittmann, who heard the whistling of the propeller engine and looked up, did not even have time to be surprised. He immediately put down the MG34 general-purpose machine gun in his hand and retreated into the turret to seek cover.

The rockets that kept exploding like thunder around the three Tiger tanks released amazing destructive power.

Because the air attack had a high angle of incidence, most of these rockets that dived straight down from the sky hit the body and turret dome of the Tiger tank.

Although there were some deviations in accuracy and precision, they could not withstand the firepower volley that was compensated by the large number. When the Il-2 attack planes that came and went quickly finished their dive and began to rise in altitude, Wittmann, who felt a little dizzy from the explosion, saw something passing in front of him.

"Damn it! What the hell is flying in here!"

Accompanied by the loud scream of gunner Klink, he looked down and saw a smoking Russian lemon grenade spinning under his feet.

He had no time to be surprised at how those Russians threw the grenade so accurately through the top cover of the commander's tower that he had not had time to close, just like playing basketball.

Wittmann grabbed the grenade under his feet and threw it out through the open commander's tower at the fastest speed. The grenade exploded less than a second after it left his hand and almost blew off Wittmann's entire right hand.

Covering his right hand that was scratched and bleeding by shrapnel, Wittmann could vaguely hear the sound of the three Il-2 attack aircraft circling in the distance, and finally issued the order that he was most reluctant to say.

"Retreat, all crews retreat immediately!"

The three Tiger tanks attacked by three Il-2s were destroyed on the spot, one severely damaged, but fortunately, the severely damaged Tiger tank only had the turret steering machine stuck and one of the outer road wheels broken. Although the turret could not turn, it was still able to retreat with difficulty.

Even though Wittmann was unwilling, this short armored ambush battle that lasted only fifteen minutes ended with a tactical victory of 2 to 18 for the German army, which ended in a not-so-perfect end.