Chapter 171 Sounding the Storm

As an air-launched ground-attack rocket used by the early IL-2 attack aircraft, the S82 air-launched rocket's launch platform is still unquestionably and extremely powerful even if its launch platform is changed from the air to land.

The Soviet rocket engineer team, which pursues firepower first, "frantically" installed a relatively huge rocket rail launcher on the chassis of the petite T60 light reconnaissance tank.

On this rocket rail launcher, which is almost the same size as the chassis of a T60 light reconnaissance tank, a full 24 rounds of 82mm ground-attack rockets can be loaded in advance at one time, which is enough for an early IL-2 attack aircraft. The maximum bomb load of 8 rockets is exactly three times that of the rocket.

The electronic control wire is connected to the weapon operating system in the vehicle through the rocket launcher, allowing the crew members of this rocket assault tank to safely adjust the pitch and angle of the launcher in the vehicle space without getting out of the vehicle. , and fire and launch attacks anytime and anywhere.

At the same time, in order to facilitate the vehicle to face the complex actual needs of different combat situations in combat, the Soviet rocket engineer team also specially configured a relatively simple, but effective and sufficient set of equipment in the combat room of the vehicle to meet actual combat needs. The rocket optical sight can even be used to launch a dense barrage of rocket direct fire at enemy armored targets when necessary.

As a mobile delivery platform for this large rocket launcher, the chassis of the T60 light reconnaissance tank is known as a light reconnaissance tank, but on the Soviet-German battlefield just after the outbreak of the Patriotic War in 1941, the T60 light tank chassis Its defense is at the level of a medium tank.

In order to strengthen the tank's armor defense as much as possible and improve battlefield survivability, the limited armor tonnage of the entire vehicle should be concentrated on the front of the tank as much as possible.

The Soviet tank designers once again put aside the human-machine functional attributes of the tank crew and designed the chassis of the T60 light reconnaissance tank to be only slightly larger than an ordinary car.

After arranging the engine, fuel tank, transmission structure, ammunition rack, and suspension system in such a short and mini tank chassis, two more tank crew members were forced into every possible opportunity.

It is natural to imagine how crowded the chassis combat space of the T60 light tank is. Things like human-machine efficiency can be said to have been thrown into the dustbin by Soviet tank designers.

The result obtained after sacrificing body space and human-machine efficiency is extraordinary.

The T60 light tank chassis is equipped with a 15 mm thick piece of rolled homogeneous steel armor tilted at 73 degrees on the front armor part of the chassis, which can provide an equivalent armor defense of more than 40 mm on a horizontal incoming trajectory.

The lower part of the car body is protected by a complete 35 mm rolled homogeneous steel armor plate with an inclination angle of 24 degrees. It can also provide an equivalent armor defense of more than 40 mm on the horizontal incoming ballistic path.

In terms of armor defense alone, the T60 tank chassis, which was designed with a light reconnaissance tank as its design indicator, already has armor defense equivalent to that of the German Type 4 C medium tank of the same period.

With the help of the extraordinary skills brought by the sloped armor, the chassis of the T60 light reconnaissance tank is not only immune to ordinary anti-tank rifles and large-caliber machine guns, but can even easily defend against smaller-caliber anti-tank guns, such as those in the German infantry sequence. The main anti-tank gun with the largest number of equipment - 37 stepping stones.

Therefore, the chassis of the T60 light tank was selected as the basic platform of this new rocket assault tank. In terms of the current war situation in 1941, it can completely meet the actual war needs of the Soviet army.

This rocket assault tank, code-named BM8, is the same as the Katyusha vehicle-mounted heavy rocket launcher that was just put into actual use. It is a new rocket secret weapon of the Soviet army shortly after it was put into the front-line battlefield in 1941.

In order to resolve the battle in the Yelniya salient as quickly as possible with minimal casualties and stabilize the frontline battle situation, Zhukov mobilized a large amount of the Red Army's latest equipment and put it into the frontline battlefield. Naturally, he was not stingy with the use of BM8 rocket assault tanks. .

With a wave of his hand, all the latest secret weapons of the Red Army were thrown into the siege battle to deal with the strong German firepower points that were stubbornly resisting.

The rocket assault tank that uses direct aim and close range shooting not only has extremely powerful and astonishing destructive power, but is also unmatched by the Soviet field artillery group in terms of accuracy. This undoubtedly satisfies Zhukov's desire to ensure that Yelniya's The most basic requirement is that the city will not be completely destroyed.

The rising thick smoke barrier completely blocked all vision. After destroying the first Soviet heavy tank and repelling the enemy, the German defenders in the building had no time to be happy. It didn't take long for them to roar and roar. The Soviet heavy artillery bombardment only exploded thick smoke barriers that blocked the view. This unexpected situation made the German garrison commander in the building feel nervous.

"Intensify observation and be alert! The Russians may be mobilizing their infantry to prepare for a group charge and prepare to deal with the human wave tactics of these Ivans!"

After much thought, the German commander could only equate the Soviet army's next strategic intention with the human sea tactics. In the offensive battle, the Soviet infantry took turns to launch waves of intensive attacks regardless of the cost of casualties. The tactics of group charge are almost the same as the tactics of mass sea during World War I.

This also caused the German army, which had originally thought that the human sea tactic had been completely eliminated since World War I, to be shocked and at the same time encountering huge pressure and trouble.

The setting sun, which still had some time to go before it completely set, shone on the city of Yelnya shrouded in flames of war. The central square, which was not blown by the slightest breeze, was filled with smoke. The smoke screen that could not be quickly dissipated due to the natural environment undoubtedly gave Malashenko takes more time to prepare.

"Quick, speed up! The target is at two o'clock in the center of the square. Prioritize the deployment of rocket assault tanks!"

Knowing that he had to race against time, Malashenko no longer cared too much. He directly opened the top cover of the turret and stretched his entire upper body out of the turret. He waved his right hand vigorously to direct the entire column to quickly deploy the offensive position. .

Under Malashenko's unified command and coordination, the Soviet siege column, as narrow as a long dragon, quickly lined up outside the street square. A company of 12 BM8 rocket assault tanks were already fully loaded with ammunition. The rocket launcher is ready to go.