Munitions Empire-Chapter 980 - Tank 902 leads the way

Chapter 980: Tank 902 leads the way Chapter 980: Tank 902 leads the way The Tang Empire, although not directly engaged in combat, did indeed provide a great deal of assistance to the Fengjiang defense troops. For example, the Tang Empire’s individual soldier communication system played a significant role in this battle.

The Tang Empire’s frontline observation posts carried communication equipment and professionally reported the exact locations of the Dahua Empire’s attacking troops.

Thereafter, Fengjiang’s artillery needed only to take charge of firing. Their shells would blanket the enemy, instantly inflicting heavy casualties.

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The Dahua Empire’s artillery also tried to suppress the Fengjiang defenders’ guns, but due to accuracy issues, the effectiveness of this suppression was actually very limited.

The frontline battle was still fiercely ongoing; the Dahua Empire’s troops could not possibly crumble and give up this attack opportunity just because of a round of precise artillery fire.

Zhao Chen had issued a life-or-death command to the frontline troops: to take the first line of defense at all costs, so the commanders of the combat troops could not easily order a retreat.

A Type 3 tank began to roll over the Fengjiang defenders’ front trench, and at that moment, a machine gun that had been hidden on the flank of the Fengjiang defenders began its strafing fire.

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This was all standard procedure. After being taught so many lessons by the Great Tang, the covert flank machine gun emplacements were no longer a secret. Similar arrangements were in place with all nations’ positions; the only differences were the quantity and flexibility of their movements.

With the sound of machine guns flaring up on the flank, the attacking Dahua soldiers almost instantaneously threw themselves to the ground.

As for how many were actually hit by machine gun fire and how many were simply taking cover, only heaven knew.

An extremely well-hidden anti-tank gun suddenly fired at this moment, the loud bang causing everyone to involuntarily shrink their necks.

Because of the close proximity, this shot pierced right through the relatively thin frontal armor of the Dahua Type 3 tank, setting it ablaze.

The Dahua Empire’s diesel engine technology was not up to snuff; thus, the tank still used a gasoline engine, which, after all, had been in use for a longer time and mechanics were more familiar with it, making it more user-friendly.

This also included logistics maintenance efficiency and the complexity of fuel supply, so the use of a gasoline engine in tanks was not entirely without merit.

However, compared to diesel engines, gasoline engines were still far too prone to catching fire. Moreover, the Dahua Empire’s Type 3 tank lacked any explosion-suppressant fire systems, making it akin to a highly flammable and explosive danger.

The tank’s driver and other crew, such as the commander and gunner, flipped open the hatch, trying to climb out to escape, but as soon as they lifted the hatch, flames burst out from within.

The tank’s crew, who had partially emerged, did not have time to climb out and struggled in the flames, screaming like tormented spirits.

Just as they began to go still, the Dahua Type 3 tank exploded. The massive blast blew off the tank’s turret, scattering parts from the hull, and immediately turning the surroundings of the tank into hell.

A metal storm swept through everything around, and even the Fengjiang defenders hiding in the trenches behind the tank were thrown about by the violent explosion.

After the ground-shaking explosion, the battle still continued. Dahua soldiers, getting up from the ground prepared to move forward, were once again pinned down by machine gun fire from the flank.

“Hand grenades! Blast that damn machine gun position!” shouted a Dahua commander lying on the ground, and many who heard the order reached for the hand grenades hanging at their waists.

Over at the Fengjiang machine gun position, the shooters heard the enemy’s shouts. They knew their location might have been compromised and had become unsafe, so they quickly picked up the machine gun and retreated along the communication trench.

There was no helping it; if they ran even slightly slowly, they would surely be sent sky-high by the enemy’s hand grenades.

Sure enough, as they dashed, a series of hand grenade explosions rang out behind them. The enemy didn’t seem sure of the machine gun position, and they blanketed an area with seven or eight hand grenades.

A second Type 3 tank began approaching the trench, and the Dahua soldiers following behind the tank, no longer threatened by the flank, got up and started advancing towards the Fengjiang defenders’ trenches. They had only taken a few steps when a hail of bullets came from the Fengjiang defensive positions in front.

Machine guns on the tank, including the hull and coaxial guns, ceaselessly fired, with bullets hitting near the trench and kicking up a cloud of dust. Fengjiang soldiers were struck down, and the rest immediately shrank back into the trench.

The two sides were now very close, so the Fengjiang soldiers who had pulled back into the trenches quickly pulled out their hand grenades, preparing to surprise the “friendly forces” on the opposite side.

The Dahua soldiers who had just gotten up to continue their advance hadn’t gone two steps before they found grenades rolling at their feet.

“Boom!” One explosion after another, Dahua Empire soldiers killed by hand grenades fell in succession. The remaining soldiers of the Dahua Empire, stepping over their comrades’ corpses, continued to advance step by step.

“Ratatatata!” Elsewhere, a Number 3 tank, brandishing its prowess, pressed on, taking advantage of the fact that the Fengjiang defense force didn’t have as many tanks—Dahua’s forces were going all-in this time.

Dozens of tanks arrayed before the position indeed presented an astonishing deterrent. Machine-gun fire raked across the reinforced concrete bunkers, immediately shrouding the firing ports in white smoke.

Since the position was very well concealed, the just-fired anti-tank gun had yet to be discovered. Behind the shelter, the loader was frantically stuffing a shell into the gun chamber.

After closing the breech, the gunner cranked the handle beside the gun, adjusting his muzzle to take aim at another Number 3 tank that had entered his firing range.

That tank seemed to be looking for an angle to rake the Fengjiang troops’ trenches, so it exposed its side, giving the anti-tank gun team a very favorable angle.

Without the slightest hesitation, the gunner fired a shot that penetrated the Number 3 tank’s side armor, leaving behind a black cavity.

The shell, after piercing the armor, would carry fragments with it to create a metal storm; these shards would easily turn everything inside the tank into a sieve.

Those lucky enough not to die might have a chance to scramble out and escape, but the unfortunate ones inside the tank were dead in the instant it was breached.

After being hit, the tank immediately became paralyzed on the spot. Judging by the angle at which the shell penetrated, the gunner, commander, and loader were probably done for.

Sure enough, the next second, the tank’s hatch was flipped open from the inside, and the driver and electromechanic scrambled out in a panic—sympathetic detonation could happen at any time, and they certainly didn’t want to end up cooked and hanging on the tank.

After a tank is breached, there isn’t much time to think; all the surviving crew instinctively flee the tank—it’s almost a reflexive response.

But in the brutal battlefield, this response is just the first step of escape. After climbing out of a tank, the crew still face a frenzy of enemy bullets.

Many were lucky enough to survive, and quite a few were shot dead during the process of escaping the tank. In the end, everyone relied on luck to live; no one had more experience than anyone else.

Indeed, as he was clambering out of the tank, the electromechanic was hit by a bullet from out of nowhere, screamed, and fell back inside the tank.

The driver next to him was much luckier; he leapt off the tank and quickly dove into a nearby shell hole, disappearing without a trace.

Should the Dahua Empire’s assault troops capture the nearby positions, he might have a chance to continue fighting; if the Empire’s assault fails, he would likely become a prisoner of the Fengjiang defenders.

“Load! Load quickly!” Seeing another tank approaching, the anti-tank gunner shouted at the loader behind him to hurry and bring another shell.

But while he was urging, the turret of the distant Number 3 tank was already turning, the medium-caliber 90mm tank gun’s barrel, was gradually pointing toward the shelter where the anti-tank gun team was.

“They’ve spotted us! Load quickly! Damn it!” The anti-tank gunner was almost in tears, watching death inch closer was truly enough to make one crumble.

The tank gunner, under the frightened gaze of the anti-tank gunner, took aim and then fired. The gunner closed his eyes, awaiting the descent of death, but the shell didn’t hit its target.

The shell struck beside the shelter and was deflected by the angle, leaving behind only a shattering sound that shook everyone to the core.

The anti-tank gunner swallowed hard, then turned around and hysterically yelled, “Load the shell! Hurry! They’re about to hit us!”

The loader frantically pushed the shell into the chamber and then deftly closed the breech: “Loaded!”

“Boom!” The gunner, already aimed, fired directly, piercing the front armor of the opposite tank. Watching his shell hit the target, the gunner finally exhaled in relief.

The anti-tank gunner swallowed hard, then turned around and hysterically yelled, “Load the shell! Hurry! They’re about to hit us!”

The loader frantically pushed the shell into the chamber and then deftly closed the breech: “Loaded!”

“Boom!” The gunner, already aimed, fired directly, piercing the front armor of the opposite tank. Watching his shell hit the target, the gunner finally exhaled in relief. The gunner finally exhaled in relief. The gunner finally exhaled in relief. The gunner finally exhaled in relief.