Chapter 142: Only one charge is needed (Third update, please subscribe)
Gminder, both ends of the mechanized engineering bridge were crowded with tanks of the 130th Armored Instructor Division.
When the huge King Tiger tank passed through the engineering bridge, the steel bridge even trembled slightly, which made people wonder whether this steel bridge can bear the weight of the King Tiger tank?
However, people's worries were unnecessary. Soon a limited number of King Tiger tanks successfully reached the other side, and then the Panther tanks of the Fifth Armored Army also passed through the Our River. .
But now the 130th Armored Instructor Division is finally in action.
"We will take Bastogne tomorrow."
The division commander, Major General Fritz Bayerlein, turned to the officers around him and said
"This attack will have a decisive effect on the battle. . I am at the head of the vanguard. It doesn’t matter whether I die or not. The important thing is that we must attack and attack all the time!”
As the strongest armored division in the German army on the Western Front, Armor instructors have always had a kind of madness and a desperate will to win.
Although the Armored Instructors lost almost all of their tanks during the Battle of Normandy, thanks to the acceleration of German military production in the past few months, they added fifty more Panther tanks and even more to 5 King Tiger tanks.
As soon as the armored instructors who had recovered most of their strength crossed the Our River, they surged all the way. The 902nd Armored Grenadier Training Regiment, which was reinforced by armored troops, was still making rapid progress despite strong resistance from the US military. The grenadiers were covered by tanks. The U.S. military strongholds were quickly destroyed one by one, and many U.S. tank destroyers and armored vehicles were captured.
Just like that, they rushed and fought all the way towards Bastogne.
The northernmost tip of this small country, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is like a wall sandwiched between Germany and Belgium. As of daytime on December 3, multiple German tank teams had penetrated deeply into the wall in Luxembourg, and all offensives were aimed at the Belgian town of Bastogne on the other side of the wall. Bastogne is the most important railway and road center in the Ardennes region.
In just two days, the 902nd Panzergrenadier Training Regiment defeated the US military's defenses one after another, completely opening the road to Bastogne.
When the German Panzergrenadiers marched towards Bastogne, two squadrons of the 6th Group had been deployed to Neff. While they were defending inside and outside the town, one squadron was withdrawn from the front line. The American company is evacuating to the rear.
"Germans!"
A lieutenant shouted,
"Their attack is very fierce. You will definitely not be able to stop them. You'd better come with us!"
< br>The lieutenant reminded specifically.
"When the time comes, those Germans won't care whether you are American soldiers or not..."
The lieutenant looked at the people in front of him. Although they were wearing U.S. military uniforms, they did not have military ranks. They were obviously not real U.S. soldiers, but maybe just employees of the military.
"Sir, we will definitely stay here, even to the last one."
Gu Changchuan said calmly. The US lieutenant glanced at him and just shook his head. It seems to be saying that you are just sending yourself to death.
Even if I die, I will die here!
Whether it is Gu Changchuan or others have this mentality, they will never give up easily. After all, this battle has extraordinary significance to them.
Using houses as fortifications, they smashed the windows to avoid being injured by flying glass during the fighting, deployed mortars in the town, and pushed anti-tank guns into the middle of the road.
While the task force members are making preparations, the armored instructor is currently moving forward along several muddy branch roads more than ten miles to the south, sparing no effort. The 26th Volksgrenadier Division used the same road as them.
Two other German divisions are also gathering towards Bastogne. Although the German army was moving relatively slowly due to terrain and weather constraints, General Heinrich Lütwitz, the commander in charge of the three divisions, was still very satisfied.
“At least it’s faster than planned.”
The 56-year-old General Lutwitz has a beer belly and a monocle. He is the kind of person who can be recognized at a glance. Comes out typical Prussian.
Soon the intelligence staff reported to him the recently obtained intelligence.
"What? Are you sure?"
The intelligence staff report made General Lutwitz's expression full of surprise. "Are the Chinese defending Bastogne? When did the Chinese arrive in Europe?"
"General, those Chinese are a task force under the Allied Forces Command. Their mission They are a group of logistics personnel who collect weapons abandoned by our army on the battlefield and transport them back to China..."
The intelligence staff explained on the sidelines, but for that task force, the intelligence in his hands was pitiful. After all, no one would specifically search for information on logistics personnel.
"Logistics personnel? Eisenhower has no troops left. He wants to use these Chinese to hold us back and buy time for reinforcements..."
General Lutwitz He ordered with a smile.
“Let the 130th Division immediately attack Bastogne at full speed and occupy Bastogne before their reinforcements arrive. If everything goes well, we only need one charge to take control of Bastogne from the Chinese Take Bastogne.”
In General Luttwitz’s view, this battle should not be too easy. After all, they were not facing well-trained elite US troops, but a group of logistics personnel. , or even the kind that lacks training.
They are just a group of Chinese workers. Even if they are armed, so what? Still vulnerable.
"Gentlemen, if nothing else happens, we will occupy the entire Bastogne tomorrow, and by that time we will win this battle."
Bastogne is very important.
Even for those with no military training, a quick glance at the map will tell you that Bastogne is the key to the offensive's survival.
General Lütwitz’s order was not needed. The armored instructor division commanded by Bayerlein, commander of the 130th Division, was like a sharp knife, pointing directly at Bastogne.
A brutal battle often starts with some kind of ordinary start. The 2nd Battalion of the 902nd Panzer Grenadier Training Regiment served as the German forward. They stopped about one kilometer away from the town. The fourth one in the lead On the assault vehicle, when the commander leaned out to observe the defense situation in the town, they did not notice at all that on the hillside behind the town, a camouflaged 88mm anti-aircraft gun was slowly moving its barrel and aiming. Half-track at the rear of the convoy.
"High-explosive bombs..."
Zhang Kun, who was controlling the artillery, felt his throat was a little stiff when he aimed at the half-track vehicle. In fact, he is not a professional artilleryman, but in the past few months, when collecting weapons, they have inevitably had to test fire and adjust them. Basically, they can do everything artillery can do, but they are not so skilled. That’s all.
"Zhang Kun, take aim, we only have ten chances to fire at most!"
What will happen after ten shots?
This place will either be covered by artillery fire, or it will be blown to pieces by German tanks. The most regrettable thing is this 88 gun.
"Don't move, don't move..."
Aiming at the half-track vehicle, Zhang Kun gently shook the handle, and soon, the crosshair was suppressing the half-track vehicle.
“Aim at the target!”
“Let go!”
Following the squad leader's order, Zhang Kun stepped on the firing pedal.
The sound of "boom", accompanied by the violent sound of artillery, the shock wave from the muzzle dispersed the camouflage net, and the artillery shells roared towards the half-track vehicle. Two or three seconds later, the artillery shells fell on the road Although it missed the target, the shock wave and debris from the close-range explosion still destroyed the vehicle, and several German soldiers were also blown over.
At the same time, another artillery shell fell near the convoy. In the violent explosion, the German troops on the highway shouted.
"It's the 88 gun..."
As soon as they finished speaking, a No. 4 assault gun was hit. Flames and black smoke rose, covering the entire highway in an instant. .
(End of this chapter)