Steel Soviet Union

The loud noise of the roaring 152mm howitzer was so loud that even the Red Army soldiers who were still fighting the German infantry on the position were stunned for a moment.

The steel behemoth that once fought under the red flag is now turning back to fight against its former comrades. Most of the Red Army soldiers who witnessed this scene for the first time were in extreme shock and felt overwhelmed. accept.

"Don't be stunned! Open fire and fight back! That's no longer a tank of our Red Army, it's a steel body under the control of Fascism. Pick up weapons and destroy it!"

The instructor, who played the absolute mainstay role in the grassroots Red Army troops, was the first to raise his pistol and take the lead, pulling the trigger on the behemoth Iron Cross KV2 heavy tank.

The 62mm Tokarev pistol bullet hit the thick frontal armor of the KV2 heavy tank, leaving only a spark. However, this seemingly useless waste of bullets and gunshots are far from being measured by simple damage. .

Under the leadership of their instructors, the young Red Army soldiers overcame their disbelief and shock. They once again raised their weapons and fired back. Among them, the light individual anti-tank firepower that bore the brunt was three Simonov 5mm guns. Anti-tank rifle.

Before the U.S. bazooka and the German Panzerfaust and Tank Nightmare anti-tank rocket launchers were put into actual combat, the Simonov 5mm anti-tank rifle, which had been widely equipped with the Soviet front-line infantry units when Operation Barbarossa was launched, can be called the The most effective individual anti-tank weapon in the contemporary global context.

This type of anti-tank rifle uses powerful 5X114mm steel core armor-piercing projectiles, which can penetrate 40mm 90-degree vertical homogeneous steel armor at a distance of 100 meters.

As long as the shooting distance is close enough, this type of anti-tank rifle can even destroy the frontal main armor belt of the German Panzer IV and III tanks from the front, not to mention the weaker weak points such as the sight port and driver's window. Its popularity among the Soviet infantry in 1941 was even higher than that of small-caliber anti-tank guns with wheeled gun mounts.

The only drawback is that this extremely long rifle needs to be carried by two people when marching. One person carries the disassembled barrel and dozens or hundreds of rounds of 5mm ammunition bags, and the other person is responsible for carrying it. It is made of heavier steel and is assembled and fired when it enters combat status. In this aspect alone, it is somewhat similar to the two-person anti-tank rocket launcher team of the German and American troops (except for the Iron Fist).

Although the Simonov anti-tank rifle's maximum vertical armor-piercing power of up to 40 mm was enough to deal with the main German tanks, it almost stopped scratching when facing the KV2 heavy tank, which was known for its absolutely rough skin and thick flesh in 1941. itch.

The pointed steel-core 5mm armor-piercing projectile hit the turret armor and body front armor of the KV2 heavy tank. It was like a BB gun hitting a steel plate and was directly bounced away with dazzling sparks. The only result left behind was shallow. Thumb-sized impact craters and narrow ricochet scratches.

The German armored soldiers, who had to be wary of Soviet anti-tank rifles in previous close battles, did not worry about switching from shotgun to cannon this time, and continued to load the next concrete shot with an attitude of almost completely ignoring it. Destruction rounds ready to fire again.

Malashenko, who witnessed this scene with his own eyes through the binoculars in his hand, knew that using the Simonov anti-tank rifle to attack the KV2 tank was simply a useless exercise, and understood that the only hope at the moment was entirely entrusted to him. Malashenko turned around and gave orders loudly with firm eyes.

"Iushkin! Are you looking at the girl's photo?! Hurry up and fire and kill that fascist bastard!"

"I'm already taking aim, but this thing is hand-cranked! It's not a bare anti-aircraft gun! This is a 7-ton heavy tank turret! Comrade Commander!"

Iushkin, who was sweating profusely and roaring in low voice, almost dislocated his wrist while rapidly turning the turret steering gear in his hand. The turret of the KV1 heavy tank, which weighed more than 7 tons, sped up. As it is said, the direction speed of a light anti-aircraft gun without armor protection is not comparable to that of a light anti-aircraft gun.

The hand-operated turret steering gear and the loading of 152mm sub-shells raced against each other. Both sides tried their best to get the first attack opportunity before the other party opened fire, but Malashin was so nervous that he was about to enter the state of me. Ke followed closely, but his thoughts were interrupted again by the sudden sound of gunfire.

As a battalion-level command vehicle, Malashenko's vehicle has always been surrounded by escort tanks to protect its safety.

Realizing that their battalion commander was in danger, the other three KV1 heavy tanks belonging to the battalion headquarters, although they did not receive any clear orders, still quickly killed the German infantry in front of them and rushed forward at full speed, roaring towards the dead tank. The KV2 heavy tank belonging to the Red Army roared and opened fire.

When dealing with the crispy German Panzer III and IV tanks, the 76mm hooded armor-piercing grenade, which was as easy as cutting a cream cake, hit the thick frontal armor of the KV2 heavy tank but had no effect.

If I had to describe it, the two 76mm hooded armor-piercing grenades that were directly deflected into the air were exactly like the scene when the German Panzer IV tank attacked Malashenko's car. The Soviet armor-piercing projectile equipped with a positive cap is almost as weak as the German Type 40 tungsten core armor-piercing projectile when dealing with sloped armor.

"Asshole! I knew it! If you don't weld it and turn it into a straight hat to deal with the sloped armor, it will really be damned if it can be penetrated!"

Malashenko, who was extremely anxious and agitated, had no time to finish his rant, but his train of thought was forcibly interrupted by a loud shout coming from the radio next to him.

"Malashenko! If you can still command, give the order quickly! Our armor-piercing bullets cannot deal with the front of the KV2. What are you going to do now!?"

Generally speaking, the best solution when the frontal armor of an enemy tank cannot be penetrated is to immediately switch the tank to high-speed maneuvering mode to avoid enemy fire attacks, and at the same time look for opportunities to get close to the side or chrysanthemum of the enemy tank. Wait for a flanking opportunity in a position with weak armor weight, just like what German tanks did to Malashenko before.

However, the KV1 heavy tank, which was designed with the defensive firepower attribute of the armored gun as a priority, does not have such capabilities at all. The transmission system and maximum cross-country speed are both as bad as a piece of shit. The KV1 heavy tank cannot be bypassed by the enemy. The sides are all burning incense.

Letting the KV1, which is so cumbersome that it relies on step-by-step tactics, to crush the steel behemoth of enemy positions and armored forces head-on, and to do things like flanking attacks that only the T34 can do, is simply to seek death by exploiting weaknesses and avoiding strengths. .