Chapter 584: Escape

This was the second bombing in just one afternoon. Even if Malashenko's First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment was fully equipped and in peak condition, it could not withstand such a torment. Moreover, the number of remaining tanks was less than half, including the captured German tanks that were used to make up the number.

Strictly speaking, the Stuka dive bomber, which had developed to the D type, was not originally designed for full-time anti-tank operations. It was a multi-purpose front-line fighter that took into account the precision bombing of large targets on the ground and at sea and important enemy hubs. The anti-tank operation was forced by the Soviet tanks to the German ground forces.

At first, the pilots of the German Air Force's ground attack wing were a little uncomfortable with bombing small and highly mobile Soviet tanks. The bombs dropped at higher altitudes would always miss the target. As long as the Soviet main tanks with thick skin and flesh were not directly hit within the absolute destruction range, they could often continue to start after a slight pause, making the Germans taste nightmares and scream.

The German pilots were forced to lower the bombing altitude again and again, and gradually developed into attacking with low-resistance delayed-time fuze bombs close to the face and then pulling up from the height of the treetops.

At first, even the Germans themselves did not believe that the Stuka was competent for anti-tank work. The combat efficiency was getting higher and higher. From the beginning, the bombs were always thrown off the target to the abnormalities like Rudel who could throw bombs directly on the face of the Soviet tanks. The Stuka gradually became the absolute savior of the German ground forces when they were ridden by the Soviet tanks.

Although the Stuka fleet with a small number of bombs could only fight for more than ten minutes at most, they had to return home quickly because they had dropped all the bombs. However, the record of knocking down dozens of tanks in one wave often exceeded the casualties of the Soviet tank troops, and then disintegrated the Soviet counterattack to turn the tide for their own ground forces.

At present, Malashenko, who was stationed in the village to perform anti-tank tasks, became the best target for German pilots. The bombs whizzing down from the sky were more accurate when dealing with heavy tanks that were difficult to maneuver.

There were at least three attacks, and Malashenko saw with his own eyes that those 250 or 500 kg aerial bombs were thrown directly at the faces of his own tanks.

The power of hundreds of kilograms of aerial bombs was so earth-shaking that it was completely incomparable to the power of the army's howitzers.

After the mushroom cloud of black smoke, only a bare aerial bomb crater was left. The KV1 heavy tank that was originally placed there had been completely restored to the state of assembled parts in the factory. Not to mention the shadow of the tank, even the human body could not be found.

The shrill roar of the Stuka fleet tried its best to respond with the maximum firepower bombing from the beginning. The aerial bombs that rained down like free money turned the whole village into a sea of ​​​​boiling flames.

The Stukas, who had very clear goals, didn't care about the infantry trenches at all, and only targeted the huge KV1 heavy tanks with high recognition rate from the air. Regardless of whether the Soviet tanks were clustered or not, even if a 500-kilogram bomb could knock down a KV1, the Stukas would not hesitate to take action on the spot. Such a scene was obviously a desperate order from their superiors.

Half of the remaining twenty or so KV1 heavy tanks in Malashenko's hands lost contact in a short while, and many of the miserable calls in the radio channel turned into a sudden interrupted silence.

Malashenko, who was almost bombed to the point of being unable to take care of himself, realized that this air strike was aimed at him. In this case, staying in the tank was tantamount to being a target for death. No matter how precious the tank was, it was time to make a decision at this time.

"Everyone! Abandon the car! Abandon the car quickly and find shelter! Quick!"

Unlike the Germans who had voluntarily abandoned their tanks and fled a moment ago.

The First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment, which regarded itself as an elite and led by Malashenko, a tank hero, had a strong collective honor no matter when and where.

The First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment, whose members are mostly veterans, has always been disciplined. Under the influence of veterans, the new recruits who were added to the troops to make up for the losses were basically qualified.

Unless Malashenko personally ordered to abandon the vehicle, in the past battles, there have been countless scenes of KV1 heavy tanks continuing to fight despite the bombs whizzing down from the top of their heads. The Red Army soldiers who risked their lives in the name of the Guards were far more terrifying than their opponents with skulls.

But at this juncture, it is no longer the time to continue to risk their lives. Malashenko knew very well that the most important existence at hand was these experienced veteran crews. Tanks are as many as they want for the Soviet steel torrent that wins by quantity, but if too many veterans die, the combat effectiveness of their own troops will be directly broken into two and greatly reduced.

The tank soldiers who abandoned their vehicles and escaped according to Malashenko's order did not mean absolute safety. The few Stukas that were still hovering in the sky with bombs were like the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.

Leaving the tanks, the tank soldiers holding their self-defense weapons immediately ran to the places where they remembered the shelters. Many food storage cellars in the village had been opened for ventilation yesterday. Hiding in these places was the most reliable guarantee to avoid the German bombing.

Malashenko, who had left his tank, called Iushkin and others and immediately ran to the small wooden house not far away. Malalashenko clearly remembered that there was a food storage cellar behind the wooden house, which was large enough to accommodate 30 people at the same time.

It took twenty seconds for all four crew members to withdraw from the tank. The German pilots, who were hovering sideways over the village to overlook the ground, had sharp eyes. The Soviet tank crews, who were running like ants on the ground, quickly Under their full view.

"The Russians abandoned the car, and a few people got down to give them a taste of the jelly beans."

Just because the bombs were thrown cleanly does not mean that the Stuka has completely become a toothless tiger. The two wing-mounted 92mm aviation machine guns cannot penetrate the thick armor of the KV1 heavy tank, but the tank soldiers who have left the tank are mortal. Things will be different then.

The Stukas, which were not flying very fast, lowered their engine output and dived towards the ground. The relatively slow dive speed resulted in a longer firing time, and the 92mm tracer machine gun barrage was like a blazing fire dragon. It hit the tank soldiers who were fleeing in all directions.

The dirt road in the village beneath his feet was filled with dust and debris. Malashenko, who was running all the way, could even feel the burning and stinging sensation when the warm dirt splashed onto his face.