Munitions Empire

Sometimes having weapons that are too advanced is not entirely a good thing for the front-line soldiers, as a drastic reduction in participation actually poses a serious problem. Turning a battle into a beachhead landing game is the dream of every soldier, because life is the most important thing. However, the loss of engagement could indeed be a dull affair; just like Liu Guozhu at this moment, who found the battle in front of him somewhat boring. He didn't even have to make too many decisions—his job was merely to assist the gunner in finding the next target, then after the gunner fired, he searched for another target... For them, this game felt like an ultra-realistic beachhead landing game, stationed at a cannon, using a powerful artillery to destroy the oncoming enemies. "Missed!" The gunner, noticing his shell had deviated from the target, lamented loudly without a hint of panic in his voice, but full of regret. As the tanks of the Dahua Troops were destroyed one after another, the angle between them and the attacking enemy tanks gradually widened. Therefore, aiming began to get difficult because they had to take into account the advancing speed of the enemy tanks in advance. Thus, their shells began to miss their marks, and it took about two or three shots to destroy a target. After all, they had no crosswind sensors or ballistic computers; all operations had to rely on the gunner's personal shooting experience, and the 5x magnifying precision scope in front of him. This was a skill, and anyone who has played shooting games knows that leading shots through sights is a challenging task. Because you have to quickly judge the distance between the enemy and yourself at the fastest speed, which is a matter of experience, you need to refer to the scale on the scope, compare the actual size of the target, and quickly calculate an approximate distance. In modern main battle tanks, this task is generally instantly completed by a laser rangefinder, but in that era, it was the job of the little brain behind the gunner's eyes. Once the distance is established, then you calculate the lead based on the enemy's relative speed, which likewise requires experience and calculation, and also relies on the gunner's experience for manual operation. It's like old players in a shooting game who start shooting based on experience the moment they open the scope, with a low probability of hitting on the first shot, and adjustments are all dependent on touch and experience. Moreover, it is unlikely that the enemy will maintain a constant speed, even a passive deceleration or turning due to terrain could affect the hit rate after the shell is fired. God knows if those advancing Dahua tanks would slow down because of a rock in front or suddenly change direction to avoid an ally... In short, it was basically impossible to destroy an enemy tank with two shots; successful hits could only be attributed to good luck. The only situation that could guarantee hitting accuracy was when both sides were relatively still, so attacking the Dahua tanks heading straight for them was when they had the highest hit rate. Generally, the gunner and the tanker would first choose to fire at the enemy tanks facing their own because it was easier to hit, and at the same time, they could take out the targets that posed the greatest threat to them! After all, those targets that were difficult for you to hit were also likely difficult for them to hit you! Therefore, for a World War II era tank, rate of fire was actually a very important performance indicator. Hence, the IS-2 tank that used two-piece ammunition was definitely not a good tank, as its rate of fire could be frustratingly described. Moreover, it had a pitiful ammunition supply of only 28 rounds; aside from the frustrating consumption for calibration, it is estimated that only one-third of the shells could hit the target. This meant that the IS-2 tank had extremely poor endurance in combat, and the only reliable tactic for victory was to use the 122mm caliber cannon at point-blank range for a one-shot kill. However, combined with the tactics of the Soviet Army's tanks that had already gained an advantage during the middle and later stages of the war, the IS-2 merely relied on its high health and thick armor to hold the line, covering for the T-34s flooding the German Army, so these shortcomings weren't apparent in actual combat. Liu Guozhu's crew members were all veterans; they had experienced the war against Qi Country and had become quite in sync. The gunner had a wealth of practical experience, and after switching to the Panther Tank, they had undergone numerous live-fire drills, so their technique was quite solid. He calmly adjusted the turret of the Panther Tank, re-aimed at the target, and once again directed the elongated barrel towards the distant Dahua tank. The next second, he stepped on the pedal again, and a shell thundered out, hitting the Dahua tank's body with precision. Another burst of flames, another Dahua Empire tank lay crippled on the battlefield. Because the power of the 75mm caliber long-barrel cannon was simply too great, it was guaranteed to penetrate its target at any angle. As the distance between them continued to close, a Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle that had been hidden on the flank and had not fired suddenly shot, destroying a Dahua tank attempting to maneuver close to the village. This completely disrupted the formation of the Dahua tank units, as they had already encountered an unfathomably strong opponent in the front, and the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle that opened fire became the last straw that broke the camel's back. "They've stopped! I have them in my sights!" The gunner in the front reported what he saw to Liu Guozhu behind him. The next second, the body of the Panther Tank shook slightly—a 90mm caliber shell had struck the upper armor of the Panther Tank, causing the vibration upon impact. The shell's muzzle velocity was quite low, so it was easily deflected by the sloped armor, leaving a dark streak on the armor before flying off to who knows where. It wasn't long before the gunner returned fire on the enemy that had attacked their tank, and with one shot from the Panther Tank, it penetrated the Dahua tank that was stationary and reloading its ammunition. The gasoline engine of the Dahua tank exploded violently, the fierce blast and expanding flames engulfed the crew members inside the tank body; none of them made it out. Having upgraded to a new type of diesel engine, the Tang Country's Panther Tanks boasted a considerably safe power system, with high torque and low risk of sympathetic detonation. The only drawback was the retention of the central drive shaft, failing to completely relocate all power to the rear. However, this minor flaw wasn't really serious, because theoretically it only increased the overall height of the Panther Tank, but in a way, it balanced the center of gravity. Of course, having the power pack entirely located at the rear was the mainstream trend, so the Panther Tank also became the last type of tank Tang Mo showcased with a "pure German lineage." "Were we hit?" the nervous electromechanical engineer asked from the front row, as theoretically, his seat was the most dangerous spot in the tank. If a shell happened to hit the curved shield of the Panther Tank, striking the underbelly's shell trap, it could potentially penetrate the hatch above him and take him out. The place where he sat, right at the front, had the armor most likely to be hit—one of the parts of the tank that made people the most uneasy. Adding to the frustration was the fact that to give him something to do, there was a viewport in the armor right in front of him, the only opening in the Panther Tank's frontal armor: he manned a course-direction machine gun, which was typically used to engage the enemy... "Yes, we were hit... but the tank's fine!" Liu Guozhu peered through the observation slit of the tank to assess the situation on the battlefield. He saw that the enemy tanks were starting to reverse, and the infantry following alongside the tanks were also retreating. These Dahua soldiers dragged their wounded comrades away like the receding tide. Liu Guozhu let out a sigh of relief, knowing that in just under an hour of combat, they were nearly out of spare rounds. The Panther Tank was stocked with 79 shells, and they had fired a total of 63. To be honest, this number was already astonishing. The battlefield was littered with burning tank wrecks, and not a single one belonged to Tang Country. Following the Air Force's exaggerated K/D ratio of 200-0, the Tang military started to show its might as well. Just now, in this encounter of tanks on a narrow path, roughly more than 50 Dahua tanks were destroyed, which could be said to be the annihilation of more than a full-strength tank battalion by Tang Army's one tank and one armored reconnaissance vehicle. Just the Panther Tank under Liu Guozhu's command had destroyed at least 35 tanks, which could be considered an outstanding performance. An average of fewer than two shells per tank destroyed—this figure was definitely something worth boasting about—mainly because at the start, the formation of the dozen or so Dahua tanks rushing straight ahead was excessively dense, and the angle was good, which improved the hit rate of Liu Guozhu's crew. Later on, the distance of the engagement between the two sides also shortened significantly, which was a huge advantage for Liu Guozhu and his team. Liu Guozhu murmured distractedly while watching the retreating enemy forces, "They're retreating!" "Quick, resupply the ammunition..." the loader, who was now exhausted and the most pitiable inside the tank, barely had the energy to speak. He had loaded 63 shells in one go just moments before. Drenched in sweat, his military uniform soaked through, he was now slumped inside the tank, too reluctant even to stand up. "You rest for a while, let the electromechanical engineer and the driver come with me to resupply the ammunition later." Liu Guozhu also knew that his loader had just worked relentlessly, so he tried to console him. The company's ammunition resupply vehicle was on its way, but they had to retreat to the other side of the village to find a concealed location to replenish the spent ammunition—this was a regulation to prevent enemy bombardment. After Liu Guozhu's tank was resupplied with ammunition, the main forces of the tank battalion had arrived, bringing with them a full combat squad. The Tang Army then launched a counterattack, breaking through the defense line of the severely weakened Dahua military, and swiftly took control of a more westerly village. The fighting continued until nightfall, and the Dahua military's hastily arriving commanding officer found, to their dismay, that their attempted counterattack had left them even further from Wangchun City... ------- For today, just this one update, tomorrow I'll make up for today's. Sorry.