Chapter 36 Soldier (Part 2)

As for the shortcomings of the KV2 heavy tank's 152mm cannon that is slow to load, the German army, which has captured a large number of KV2 heavy tanks, is naturally aware of this.

After these four tall and mighty KV2 heavy tanks carried out a round of salvo fire coverage, the German army, which had been waiting for a long time on the position, finally showed its ferocious fangs and sacrificed its ace killer weapon-FLAK36 88mm anti-aircraft gun.

Different from the situation described in some street rumors, the German army used 88mm anti-aircraft guns loaded with armor-piercing projectiles to shoot enemy tanks levelly for a long time. It did not only start after the North African battlefield.

As early as during the Spanish Civil War, in order to support the Spanish dictator Franco to consolidate his power and strive to bring him under the leadership of his Axis powers, Hitler, then the head of Germany, secretly sent a number of elite German troops to the battlefields of the Spanish Civil War. Give Franco a boost.

At that time, the German army, which was only equipped with No. 1 and 2 small tanks, went to Spain to participate in the war. It was unable to resist the T26 light tanks sent by the Soviet Union to secretly support the Spanish opposition.

In desperation, the Germans, who were stunned by the T26 tanks, directly turned the muzzle of the 88-gun used for anti-aircraft operations, lowered the barrel and fired flatly. They destroyed multiple Soviet-made T26 tanks with one shot and proved the 88-gun's effectiveness. Outstanding anti-tank effect, this is the first detailed record of 88-gun anti-armor first kill in military history.

When the German army launched a blitzkrieg against Europe, they fought against the armored forces of the British and French coalition forces in France.

The German armored forces, already equipped with Panzer IV tanks, which seemed to be relatively advanced at the time, once again found in actual combat that their tanks had lagged behind their opponents.

Whether it was the Matilda heavy tank equipped by the British Expeditionary Force at that time, or the B1 heavy tank used by the French armored forces, both of these heavy tanks were considered to be armored monsters at the time. All levels far exceeded the limits of the German anti-armor capabilities at the time.

At this critical moment when the German armored forces were helpless against the iron bastards who were pushing forward from the British and French forces, and the battle was about to collapse, the powerful and powerful 88 gun finally stepped forward again, allowing the British and French armored forces to face the enemy. After leaving dozens of burning tank wreckage behind, he finally fled.

It is worth mentioning that the German commander who commanded the German 7th Armored Division to complete this anti-armor combat mission and finally turned the tide at the critical moment was none other than one of the most legendary German generals in World War II who was widely known in later generations. Major General of the Wehrmacht - Erwin Rommel, known as the "Desert Fox".

In this encounter with the heavy tanks of the British and French coalition forces in France, the terrifying anti-tank power of the powerful 88 mm anti-aircraft gun undoubtedly left a deep impression on Rommel, then commander of the 7th Armored Division.

After this battle, Rommel, who had seen the powerful anti-armor firepower of the 88mm anti-aircraft gun, kept it in his hand as an anti-armor trump card from beginning to end, and finally used countless British tanks in the rolling sand and dust of North Africa. The wreckage has written an immortal legend of its own.

Regardless of what will happen in the future from the perspective of future generations, at the moment, the German 88th Artillery Team, which has been waiting on the battlefield for a long time, finally received orders from their superiors for the perfect opportunity to show off their skills.

"All gun positions obey orders! Aim at those Soviet heavy tanks and fire concentrated fire. Two guns concentrate firepower on one combat group. Load armor-piercing shells. Quick!"

Under the command of the commander of the German 88mm anti-aircraft gun company named Schmeisser, the eight 88mm anti-aircraft guns that were originally deliberately concealed by bushes and weeds and leaves immediately began to prepare to fire after taking off their camouflage.

The Soviets attached great importance to the powerful KV2 heavy tanks in the hands of the Soviets. The Führer Guards Division, which had already confirmed through reconnaissance aircraft reports that these armored behemoths were about to attack their own positions, was already well prepared.

As the frontline armored confrontation situation has continued to deteriorate since the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the Soviet armored forces had an absolute superiority in quality, forcing the German army to make some targeted changes, including moving some The 88mm anti-aircraft guns in the hands of front-line troops have been specially modified for anti-armor combat missions.

These 88 guns, which have been specially modified for anti-armor combat missions, have undergone considerable changes in appearance.

Its huge, bulky, conspicuous and easily exposed square gun mantlet was directly removed. The tall gun mount, originally used to support the gun barrel for large-angle anti-aircraft elevation attacks, was further deliberately compressed due to the problem of being too high and easily exposed. Lowered height.

After such transformation, the 88 gun has transformed from the original anti-aircraft gun into a semi-professional 88 mm anti-tank gun. Although these bulky big guys still cannot be pushed by manpower and must be towed and transferred by tractors, Its significantly reduced front projection area of ​​the gun body has basically met the concealment needs of a frontline anti-tank gun in battle.

Before the Soviet vanguard led by Malashenko officially started to attack, Dietrich, the division commander of the Führer Guard Flag Corps, realized that the 88-gun ace in his hand must be used with caution. After much thinking, Dietrich finally made a decision. He made a decision as difficult as a strong man breaking his wrist.

Once the Soviet army in front of them began to attack, the German defense forces on the position first used the small-caliber PAK38 50mm anti-tank gun to resist the T34 tank offensive that delayed the Soviets.

After the KV2 heavy tanks that were slowly following behind were close enough to be effectively penetrated from the front, the concealed 88 gun crew took advantage of the long time that the KV2 heavy tanks took to fire and then reload to attack from the dark, killing them in one fell swoop. These hulking and powerful armored behemoths were all destroyed.

In this way, the German defense forces on the front line can ensure that their precious 88-gun cannon will not be destroyed by the covering bombardment of the KV2 heavy tank's 152mm cannon due to premature exposure of the target.

At the same time, it can also ensure that those KV2 heavy tanks that have entered the long reloading stage cannot make any counterattack after being attacked by 88-gun concentrated fire and penetrated through the frontal armor. At the same time, due to their too bulky size and maneuverability And there is absolutely no way to escape from the effective penetration range of the 88 gun.

The above are the most accurate decisions made by Commander Dietrich, who had served in the first armored forces of the German Army during World War I, regarding the current defensive situation where the enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered. plan.