The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 215 The Severe Battle Situation

General Dollmann himself was in charge of commanding the German counterattack. He transferred the 7th and 20th Tank Corps and mobilized all his subordinate units, including his own guard regiment and military police. He deployed the German tank divisions as units and, based on frontline intelligence, targeted the 17th Army's offensive. Each German tank regiment was supported by at least one grenadier battalion or infantry unit, launching a relentless and fierce attack on the Chinese. The mobile artillery quickly established their positions, and hundreds of guns immediately unleashed a terrifying fury.

"Boom boom boom--", the 17th Army was once again subjected to heavy artillery bombardment, with explosions and flames everywhere. Although the 17th Army immediately began to counterattack with mobile artillery accompanying the attack, it seemed very weak in the face of the absolute strength of the German army.

The 36th, 37th and 34th Tank Divisions rushed to the forefront in a V-shaped formation and suffered the heaviest blow. However, the two division commanders were also tough guys. When they were suddenly attacked, they decisively ordered all the armored units to retreat first, and they and some infantry stayed where they were. They had to make use of the ruins of the battlefield as much as possible to establish a simple defense line to block the German counterattack.

"Boom!" A German tank fired at a Chinese firing point behind the wreckage of a destroyed armored vehicle. The massive explosion sent the armored wreckage and the firing point ablaze, illuminating an area more than ten meters around. The German tank, observing the area surrounding the flames, quickly advanced, its onboard machine guns continuously raking suspicious locations.

However, it hadn't anticipated that, in a massive crater nearby, two Chinese anti-tank soldiers were clinging to the ground, patiently awaiting its arrival. As the ground shook more and more intensely, accompanied by the crunching sounds of tank tracks, the two soldiers grew increasingly nervous. One, clutching a Soviet-made RPG-43 anti-tank grenade, wore a serious expression, constantly regulating his breathing and trying to calm himself. His trembling hands gradually calmed.

Another soldier was holding a Soviet-made PPSh submachine gun in his hand. He looked more experienced. He had to stand up the moment the tank rushed past and attack the German infantry accompanying the tank, creating opportunities for his comrades holding anti-tank grenades.

The German Panzer IV, with its long barrel extended and its bulk gradually becoming apparent, was armed with a 4mm gun with a 75x scope, posing a deadly threat to the M45 Sherman at a range of 500 meters. The German tank formations placed great emphasis on high-low tank coordination. During offensives, the Panzer IV was often the primary attacking force, while the Panzer IV was responsible for flanking attacks, a lethal threat to the Soviet T-4. A team consisting of a Panther and a Panzer IV could easily defeat a four-tank Soviet T-5 platoon.

At the moment the Panzer IV reared up, the soldiers holding PPShs stood up without hesitation and, using the cover of the crater, opened fire behind the tank. The accompanying German infantry, unaware of the huge crater in front of them due to the darkness, were clearly unaware of the enemy's sudden appearance and were unable to react. They were immediately mowed down by the soldiers' continuous fire. The soldiers holding anti-tank grenades seized the opportunity, pulled the safety, and hurled their grenades at the Panzer IV.

"Boom!" A massive explosion erupted, followed by a sky-high glow of flames and a deafening roar. Though the two soldiers had taken cover in the crater, the massive shockwave still swept them down. The German tank's turret was thrown high into the air, landing heavily on the edge of the crater. Luckily, the two soldiers avoided further injury. One of them spat out a mouthful of blood, hugged his companion, and laughed heartily...

The lagging infantrymen of the 36th and 37th Divisions fought tooth and nail, and under the cover of darkness, they suffered heavy losses while also slowing the German advance. Dozens of German tanks were destroyed within 1000 meters, a heartbreaking experience for Dollmann. He knew that if he continued fighting like this, even if he broke through the enemy positions ahead and captured the blocking positions he had always sought, his tank force would likely be short. He knew that the enemy tanks were also desperately advancing, and if his troops were weakened enough, he would face a terrible disaster.

Dollmann quickly ordered the grenadiers and infantry to charge forward and engage with these hateful Chinese soldiers. He ordered the tank column to immediately form a cone-shaped charge forward as the German army usually did, and not to worry about the infantry this time. He needed to be brave, fierce, and ruthless to break through the enemy's obviously empty position as soon as possible, kill deep into the enemy, seize the terrain, and make the final effort to welcome the arrival of the large-scale tank clusters of the Chinese and Soviet armies for the final decisive battle!

The German army launched a desperate charge, pouring all its artillery fire on the positions of the 17th Army. He had to seize the opportunity to rush in while the enemy was still unstable. This was his only chance to win!

"Boom boom boom boom—" the night was illuminated by fierce artillery fire, explosions were everywhere, and the splashing fire and shrapnel formed a metal rain, constantly devouring those young lives...

The high-ranking general who arrived at the defensive position first took over the command. In response to the complaints of the major general in charge of logistics, he shouted loudly: "We must defend it whether we can or cannot! We must defend it to the death! Even if everyone dies!"

The major general was also furious. He retorted loudly, "You're leaving us, the logistics and baggage personnel, in charge of the defense. Many of them don't even know how to use machine guns or blasting tubes. The enemy has tanks and armored vehicles. You're gambling with the lives of innocent people!"

General Gao Gao snarled, "I'm gambling. War is a gamble. It's either you or me!" He then turned to his adjutant and said, "You must immediately organize an inspection team, including me. Anyone who dares to take a step back will be shot immediately!"

"No need!" Li Pinxian's voice appeared behind him. He walked over, looked at the logistics major general hatefully, and said in a low but clear voice: "You are dismissed, and the military court will try you!" Then he waved his hand, and several guards immediately detained the logistics major general.

Li Pinxian said to General Gao, "I order you to immediately form an inspection team. Just as you just said, anyone who dares to take a step back, including me, will be shot on the spot!"

At this time, Wu Bairen had already rushed over with the 602nd Division. He hurriedly said, "Second Commander, our 602nd Division has taken over here. Don't worry, as long as one person in the 602nd Division holds on, the German army will never get through here!"