It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 139 | Powerful Strike Group!

"This is their graveyard! Open fire!" the young lieutenant ordered.

The crosshairs of the telescopic sight were aimed at the slow-moving, fragile steel behemoth T-35, and the four VZ.34 37mm anti-tank guns spewed out their fury at the same time!

When shooting at large targets at a distance of four or five hundred meters, the hit rate is almost 100%.

The thin side armor was easily breached; armor-piercing rounds made of high-quality Bohemian alloy steel penetrated it effortlessly and detonated the ammunition rack.

"boom!"

Dazzling flames erupted from the turret ring, and with a deafening roar, parts of all sizes shot out in all directions.

The accompanying Imperial Russian infantry suffered collateral damage, with several unfortunate soldiers being knocked to the ground by flying debris.

Small-caliber anti-tank guns use very light shells, weighing less than two pounds, and have a very high rate of fire. Well-trained gun crew members can fire a shell every five or six seconds.

That's why tank crews hate anti-tank guns the most—they're low and concealed, hard to spot, and always launch surprise attacks.

In just a few dozen seconds, by the time the Imperial Russian tank crews reacted, two T-35s and three T-26s were on fire, and nearby infantrymen were shouting in panic.

More than ten tanks hurriedly rotated their turrets and aimed at the Hungarian anti-tank gun bunker.

In an instant, shells and a dense rain of bullets flew past.

The Hunnic artillerymen operating the anti-tank guns showed no fear, ignoring the bullets whizzing past them, and tacitly repeated the process of loading armor-piercing rounds, aiming and fine-tuning, and firing.

Several Imperial Russian tank crewmen, their bodies engulfed in flames, pushed open the hatches and crawled out, rolling around on the ground before quickly becoming still, leaving only their charred corpses.

Two anti-tank guns were hit by shells in succession, and smoke and dust filled the air. All the gun crew members were killed in action at their posts.

Anti-tank guns are highly dependent on pre-established positions and usually require careful selection of locations with good firing arcs to maximize their effectiveness, making them difficult to move.

This also means that once exposed, the artillery crew members often have no choice but to fight to the last moment, unless they abandon the gun and flee.

Nearly a hundred Imperial Russian infantrymen launched an assault in a dispersed formation, attempting to eliminate the threat posed by the oblique cutting position, but were intercepted by machine gun fire.

Urged on by their officers, the Imperial Russian infantry continued to advance bravely into the hail of fire, using mortars and rifle grenades to counter the enemy's fire.

Upon approaching the position, they charged forward with their Mosin-Nagant rifles fixed with bayonets, and in an instant, the shouts of "Hurrah!" echoed across the battlefield.

"Gentlemen, the capital is right beneath our feet. Unless we escape to the other side of the Danube," the lieutenant shouted to his artillery crew, their faces covered in blood and dust. "This is not only the enemy's graveyard, but also ours. Charge!"

"Long live!!!"

Seeing the enemy charging towards them, the lieutenant drew his Steyr pistol, and the other surviving anti-tank gunners also picked up their old Mannlicher rifles.

The group rushed into the trench and engaged in fierce fighting with the enemy who had broken into the anti-tank gun position...

The brief hand-to-hand combat was over in an instant, and the shouts of battle gradually subsided.

The bodies of soldiers from both sides lay scattered haphazardly on the battlefield, many still in the postures of their last struggle.

Two reinforced infantry platoons and an anti-tank gun company, totaling more than 300 men, stationed at the oblique cutting position were completely wiped out. As soldiers, they resolutely fulfilled their duties and fought to the last moment.

From a tactical perspective, this oblique cutting position played a crucial role—delaying the enemy's rapid advance and buying them valuable time. An oblique cutting position refers to a defensive position positioned diagonally between two positions or lines of defense. Once the main position is breached by the enemy, the oblique cutting position can severely threaten the enemy's flanks, thereby slowing their advance, disrupting their battle formation, and preventing their expansion.

Initially, Shang Ke thought this place was relatively open, which would be advantageous for the enemy's combined infantry and tank attacks.

Out of a sense of being prepared, he specifically suggested building an additional position here.

Some people expressed doubts—wasn't it unnecessary to expose limited troops to open terrain with little cover? But they did it anyway.

The Davydov assault group hastily cleared the battlefield and, urged by their commander, continued their westward advance.

"Hurry up! Popov, what are you waiting for? These stubborn Huns have been holding us back for too long!"

Lieutenant Colonel Davydov was both annoyed and anxious, glancing at his watch and looking westward every now and then.

The open area along Chomery Avenue is not a good place for either the attacking or defending side.

According to the operational plan, the Davydov assault group should advance to the vicinity of Lantos Stadium and Heroes' Square, where it should establish a base to support the main force that follows.

However, the unexpected concealed flank positions caused considerable trouble, destroying all four imposing multi-turret tanks, and the light tank destroyers also suffered the same fate.

Lieutenant Colonel Davydov was so angry he wanted to curse—dreadful Huns, do they really only target big, expensive, and high-value targets?

At 15:53 p.m., Davikov's assault group approached Heroes' Square under the cover of the remaining nine T-26 tanks.

The garrison here consisted of a mortar company and a reinforced infantry battalion from the 12th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division of the Hungarian Army, as well as three 75mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns, making their firepower quite abundant.

As a distant relative of the 88mm anti-aircraft gun, the Bofors 75mm anti-aircraft gun is equally formidable. Its muzzle flash extends for several meters, and its armor-piercing shells penetrate the T-26 like piercing an eggshell, entering from the front and exiting from the rear with undiminished force!
what?
Such a terrible blow was something the soldiers of Imperial Russia could not even imagine.

Under the barrage of light and heavy fire, the assault group's probing attack quickly crumbled, and the black smoke from the burning wreckage of several tanks rose straight into the sky.

Lieutenant Colonel Davikov knew he could no longer underestimate the enemy and advance recklessly; the losses to his troops were too great, and he feared he would be sent to a military court.

He ordered his troops to build field fortifications on the spot, dig trenches and hold their ground, waiting for reinforcements to arrive, while simultaneously calling in artillery fire to cover the enemy in front of them.

"The enemy defending the square is stronger than we anticipated. Those cannons are too much of a threat; we must have our artillery bury them!"

Before long, a communications soldier rushed over and cheerfully reported, "Lieutenant Colonel, the second echelon is crossing the open ground; they'll be there soon..."

“BOOM BOOM BOOM—BOOM BOOM—”

No sooner had the communications soldier finished speaking than a series of rapid explosions came from behind.

Davikov looked back, his eyes reflecting the flashes of the explosion. His gaze sharpened, and he immediately sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

下午17时02分，第144师第432团的两个步兵营在跟进过程中遭到匈军150毫米榴弹炮的炮火急袭，动弹不得。

Powerful long-range firepower came from the west bank of the Danube—one of the field artillery groups composed of artillery regiments from several divisions.

A crisis was brewing, and by then, those with good hearing had already noticed something amiss.

It sounds like I'm hearing the sound of a tank engine coming from the northwest street area? And the screeching sound of tracks moving on the concrete?

(End of this chapter)