bookrandom Chapter 147 Battle
Chapter 147 Battle
The German flanking force, mainly composed of the 21st Tank Division, took action that night. At the same time, the 7th Tank Division of the Second Army was also moving in the same direction. According to the situation, the two armies would inevitably meet after dawn and a tank battle would break out.
The German 21st Tank Division was not an all-Panther tank division. Although it had a strong organization of three tank regiments and 156 tanks, the proportion of Panther tanks was still insufficient, with only more than 80 tanks. The rest were equipped with Panzer IV tanks, and it also had 36 Panzer III tank destroyers.
英军第7坦克师也有三个坦克团，坦克编制上少于德军，共装备丘吉尔坦克36辆、M4谢尔曼64辆，M5A1轻坦18辆、M6B1坦克歼击车24辆，此外，还有18辆M6A1重型坦克。
The 7th Division also had an advantage: it was equipped with 36 multiple rocket launchers, an artillery battalion of 24 105mm howitzers, and a battalion of 24 155mm self-propelled artillery. The Germans also had 108 artillery pieces and 36 88mm anti-tank (anti-aircraft) guns. It could be said that the two divisions were evenly matched in firepower, but the Germans had a clear advantage in combat experience and veteran composition.
At dawn, the 7th Division's lead reconnaissance team encountered a German Panzer II light tank. The German Panzer II was clearly no match for the British M5A1. After a brief engagement, in which the Germans lost one Panzer II, the experienced German tank crews quickly disengaged. Both sides hurried back to report their sighting of the enemy tanks to the main force.
Subsequently, the two sides began to make tense arrangements at a distance of about 3000 meters. The air forces had already started fighting for air supremacy. For a time, thick smoke billowed in the sky and the sound of tearing engines continued to echo.
Both sides simultaneously occupied several higher sand dunes on opposite sides, where tank destroyers, self-propelled artillery, and other weapons began digging in positions. On the 7th Division's side, General Strand had 18 M6A1 heavy tanks digging sand pits at the front line, forming the main force of their final line of defense. Thirty-six Churchills were deployed on the perimeter, with 36 M64s forming the assault group in the center. Behind them were the M4B6 Hunters, divided into smaller teams. Behind several dunes, three strike groups of 1 multiple rocket launchers immediately laid siege to the German tank cluster.
Cruwell was also observing his opponent's every move. Intelligence indicated that the enemy was likely the British 7th Tank Division, not the Chinese. Cruwell felt a little regretful, but he appeared more composed. He was even more confident against the British. Although the British tank division looked strong from the opposing camp, Cruwell still felt confident he could defeat it.
Since the attempt to launch a flanking attack had been exposed, Cruwell simply launched an attack first, preparing to annihilate the British 7th Tank Division, a new army, in a fair and square manner.
The 143rd Tank Regiment was the backbone of the 21st Division, and Kluwer dispatched it without hesitation. Simultaneously, 108 artillery pieces began bombarding the 7th Division's positions. Kluwer ordered his deputy, Rodisweg, to gather the tank destroyers of the other two regiments, split them into two detachments, and move them to the flanks. Thirty-six anti-tank (anti-aircraft) guns formed three echelons in the front, ready to strike at any advancing enemy tanks.
The 143 tanks of the 51rd Regiment also rushed towards the opposite position in two columns, followed by grenadiers, and attacked the 7th Division's flanks with great momentum. When the German tanks were halfway into the battle, Strang ordered two rocket launcher groups to open fire, each covering the two columns of German attack areas, and at the same time, ordered the Churchill tank column to meet them.
For a moment, artillery fire raged, and the explosions sent yellow dust flying through the air, enveloping the entire battlefield. This was precisely the effect Cruwell aimed for. Without hesitation, he dispatched all his tank destroyers, intending to use the low-profile "three-wheeled vehicles" to stealthily approach and strike at the tall, bulky Churchill. Strand, with the same idea, ordered the M6A1 heavy tanks into action, using their thick armor as cover to attack the Germans.
The two sides quickly entered the best combat zone of about 800-1000 meters. The German grenadiers were unable to keep up with the tank array due to the coverage attack of rocket launchers. Both sides had no auxiliary troops in the close-range tank combat. At this time, whoever discovered whom first, whoever fired first, and whoever had more powerful artillery would have the advantage.
Over half of the 143rd Regiment's tanks were Panthers. Their 75mm KwK 42 L/70 guns were incredibly powerful and accurate, capable of penetrating Churchill frontal armor at a range of 2000 meters. However, their current opponents were newer Churchills, modified according to Chinese suggestions. These were equipped with the QF 75mm gun and featured a specially designed outer armor shield consisting of a large number of logs lashed together. Following Kuang and Pu's suggestions, multi-layered armor (first-generation reactive armor) constructed from steel sheets encased in sand was being manufactured at a makeshift repair facility in Sudan. It was expected to soon be deployed on various Allied tanks and armored vehicles.
"BOOM!" With a deafening roar, German tank ace Christian's Panther tank #155, like a ferocious cheetah, opened fire first, accurately striking the foremost Churchill tank #011. Instantly, flames erupted, and the Churchill tank seemed to be catapulted upward by the force of the explosion.
However, after the explosion, a shocking moment arrived! The Churchill was completely intact, swerving rapidly, its gun barrel pointed coldly at him. Terrified, Christine quickly ordered the driver to reverse and swerve. His extensive experience saved his life at a crucial moment. An armor-piercing round struck the turret No. 155 at a slight angle, deflecting nimbly from the sharp edges. Shocked, Christine was filled with confusion, thinking to himself, "At a distance of less than 1000 meters, and a direct hit, the Churchill wasn't destroyed, but was able to counterattack so quickly. There must be something fishy going on!"
His teammates exclaimed in surprise. They had clearly hit the enemy effectively, but it hadn't been destroyed! Christine, acutely aware of the severity of the situation, immediately issued an order to the entire company: "Attention! Attention! Prioritize attacking the enemy's tracks, turrets, and sides! The enemy tanks have been modified to withstand our shells!"
Christine, commanding Tank 155, repositioned himself before charging forward again, accurately striking another Churchill whose flank was exposed. This Churchill was not so lucky; it burst into flames, sending the tank crews fleeing in panic. Christine decisively stopped the machine gunner from attacking the tank crews and ordered the driver to accelerate and meet the other Churchill.