Munitions Empire

Chapter 580: The 539 is stuck.

Atop a steed, a nimble Knight carried a Thompson Submachine Gun on his back. Clamping his legs against the horse’s sides, he dashed forth along the road, a dark green armband with three eyes arranged in a triangle on his sleeve.

As he spotted the advancing Tank Troops, he tightened the reins in his hand, and then raised his arm.

“Luo Town ahead! A large number of enemy tanks spotted, guarded by Infantry! The number is unknown!” His warhorse pirouetted on the road, and the Knight, turning back around, shouted toward the tank commander who had poked his head out of the tank turret.

Tank No. 4 had its turret side hatches open at this moment, allowing fresh air for the gunner and loader, thus reducing the heat inside the stuffy tank and increasing their field of vision.

“One kilometer from Luo Town! Prepare for battle!” the lead tank commander called out to the commanders behind him after he relayed the scout’s report.

The scout squeezed his horse’s sides and moved counter to the convoy, loudly repeating the intelligence he had gathered: “Luo Town ahead! A large number of enemy tanks! Guarded by Infantry! Numbers unknown!”

“Spread out! Set up firepower in concealed positions on both flanks!” Infantry commanders waved their arms, directing their Troops into battle readiness.

On the trucks following behind the tanks, groups of Soldiers jumped from their vehicles, some grabbing extra ammunition from the ammunition trucks.

The artillery following the convoy pushed forward, and the modified 105mm howitzer built on the Tank No. 2 chassis, with its massive open turret, shook as it moved off the roadbed, raising its short, thick barrel in an open space.

To reduce the recoil and ensure that Tank No. 2 could bear it, the vehicle-mounted 105mm howitzer had lowered chamber pressure and shortened the barrel, thereby reducing its range. These were the necessary sacrifices to install the artillery on a vehicle and enhance the mobility of the gun crews.

After a quick formation, the Infantry had distributed their ammunition and left their baggage in the vehicles. Organizing into fire teams and platoons, they quickly advanced past the tank units still deliberating their battle plan.

“The enemy’s tanks are all gathered inside Luo Town, posing the greatest threat to us! Their turrets are equipped with large-caliber cannons; these must be our priority targets!” The platoon leader glanced at Liu Guozhu and briefly explained the situation.

Then he continued with his orders, “Liu Guozhu and I are responsible for advancing into the village quickly! Remember, avoid prolonged combat! Destroy all enemy tanks you see! Don’t give them a chance to counterattack!”

“What about the tanks we can’t see inside the village?” Liu Guozhu pointed at the map showing only a town marker for Luo Town and asked.

They didn’t have a detailed map. While the nearby map was fairly accurate, its precision left much to be desired.

It was already a feat that the cartography spies had managed to produce something this good at the risk of their lives. If they had used the outdated maps, they might not even have been able to locate Luo Town.

“That will depend on our ability to adapt on the spot! We cannot determine where all the enemy tanks are deployed,” replied the platoon leader, glancing again at Liu Guozhu. “Prepare to attack! Dismissed!”

Liu Guozhu jogged back to his own tank, by which time the tanks nearer to the meeting point had already started up.

“Start engines! Check fuel gauges! Radio test! Position the Armor-Piercing Rounds where they’re handy!” He climbed into his tank turret, put on his headset, pressed the transmitter switch, and ordered.

“All systems normal!” the driver reported loudly on the status of the tank’s power system.

“No problems on my end either!” the electrician-mechanic confirmed.

Consequently, Tank No. 4 came to life. Following the previous tactical arrangements, Liu Guozhu ordered his tank to keep pace with the platoon leader’s tank, charging down the highway toward Luo Town ahead.

“Luo Town ahead! They seem to have spotted us too!” As Liu Guozhu passed his own Soldiers and saw the town ahead, the Qi Army on the other side appeared to be frantically preparing for combat too.

“See the tanks on the outskirts of the town? Pick a target! Fire!” The platoon leader’s command came through the headset, prompting Liu Guozhu to immediately give the order, “Stop! Load the shells! Gunner, have you acquired the target?”

“I have the target in sight! Didn’t even need to search!” The gunner had already spotted a Shireck Mark I tank in the distance through the gunsight.

That behemoth stood tall and large, draped in steel black, with no consideration of concealment whatsoever. It sat there, as if afraid that no one would notice it.

“Load complete!” the loader shouted. The breech locked, followed by the gunner stepping on the firing pedal.

“BOOM!” The short-barreled 75mm cannon spit out a puff of white smoke. At a distance of around 500 meters, the shell flew straight at the target and effortlessly penetrated the armor of the Shireck tank.

“Phew,” Liu Guozhu inhaled the smell of gunpowder burning within his tank cabin. The Tank No. 4’s exhaust fan couldn’t clear the residual combustion gases inside the tank, making the crew’s experience during combat far from pleasant.

“Armor-piercing rounds! Load!” Liu Guozhu peered through the gap and saw a Shireck tank catch fire after being hit, and he also spotted another Shireck tank nearby that had been struck.

The explosion of such colossal beasts was a spectacular sight. Flames spewed out from the six machine gun ports surrounding the Shireck tank, as if it were a giant alchemy furnace.

“Ding!” At this moment, the Qi Army began to counterattack. The troops dispatched to defend Luo Town were elites, so their combat effectiveness was formidable. A bullet struck Liu Guozhu’s tank, producing a crisp sound.

Unfortunately, using rifles to attack tanks was an utterly futile act. Besides the noise, the shot had no effect.

Liu Guozhu’s tank remained stationary and continued to fire, coolly destroying another Shireck tank parked at the edge of the town.

Next to the fourth Qi Army’s Shireck tank, crew members of the Qi Country were scrambling into their own tank when they were hit by the platoon leader’s shell, turning into a burst of fireworks.

The smoke from the four fiery explosions started to obstruct the view on the battlefield, and by then, the Tang Army infantry had already reached a corner of the town under the cover of their tanks.

In this era, the towns didn’t have buildings of three stories or taller. Overall, it was quite flat, so the combat was less three-dimensional.

There was no need to be cautious of machine gun positions on high grounds, nor to worry about the enemy throwing a grenade from above.

It was merely a matter of climbing over the walls to see groups of Qi Country soldiers running around chaotically like headless flies.

Then the Tang Army soldiers began firing their guns, shooting down every Qi Army soldier in sight. The dense gunfire erupted, and the Qi Army soldiers, realizing they were under attack, began to return fire blindly.

At this time, Liu Guozhu’s tank broke through the smoke outside the town and found a new target in front of it.

The tank came to a stop on the road with a slight shake, and the gunner aimed effortlessly before firing. Another Shireck model 1 tank that wasn’t ready for battle disintegrated in an explosion, sending up billowing smoke beside the road.

“My view is blocked! I can’t see anything!” Liu Guozhu pressed his throat mic and loudly reported to his platoon leader.

If he chose to move forward now, he would have to plow through the Shireck model 1 tank he had just destroyed.

However, such reckless behavior could lead to a series of problems. It might cause tank number 4 to stall or even damage it.@@novelbin@@

“I can’t see either. I might be stuck!” the platoon leader shouted in frustration. “I’m trying to get over the wall, damn it!”

“I’m reversing! I’ll cover you, get out of there!” Liu Guozhu immediately ordered his tank to reverse. “Do you have enemy troops over there?”

“Right outside my hatch, they’re everywhere! They’re firing at me! Damn it! Bloody hell!” the platoon leader cried out desperately over the channel.

“I’m coming!” Liu Guozhu’s tank reversed a dozen meters and then saw the platoon leader’s number 1 vehicle deep in enemy territory.

“Coaxial machine gun! Fire! Nine o’clock! Sweep them! Sweep them!” While loudly commanding his gunner to fire rapidly, Liu Guozhu lifted his own hatch.

He needed to see clearly what was happening on the other side to make a further judgment. As he poked his head out, the coaxial machine gun on the turret of his tank number 4 roared to life.

“Tat-tat-tat-tat!” A hail of bullets hit the steel plates of the platoon leader’s number 1 vehicle, sparking a shower of sparks.

The Qi Army soldiers climbing on number 1 vehicle were instantly torn apart, their flesh shredded by the relentless gunfire. The vehicle was quickly cleared of the dense crowd surrounding it.

“Platoon leader! Can you hear me? Platoon leader!” Liu Guozhu pulled his head back in and pressed the throat mic, shouting loudly, but no matter how loudly he called, there was no response.

“Goddamn it… Gunner, cover me! Keep firing! I’m moving over to check on the platoon leader!” Liu Guozhu cursed, then tore off his headset. He climbed out of his turret and jumped off the side of his tank.

Fortunately, a burning Shireck model 1 tank on the other side of the street was producing a thick cloud of smoke, concealing the Qi Army’s view from the other side; otherwise, Liu Guozhu’s actions would have been tantamount to suicide.

He drew his M1911 pistol used for self-defense from his waist, crouched, and ran towards the platoon leader’s tank with the pistol in hand.

Behind him, the coaxial machine gun on the turret of tank number 4 kept firing non-stop, splattering the armor with bullets that flung off the tattered bodies that lay on top.

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