As a product of the joint cooperation between German fire giants Krupp and Rheinmetall, the SK18 105mm cannon howitzer exuded the noble atmosphere of the two arms tycoons, but it had an ill-fated fate.
Due to the undercurrent of competition between the two companies Krupp and Rheinmetall, the sk18 105mm cannon howitzer, which began bidding for design in the 1920s, was delayed until the early 2000s before it was finalized and entered the market after it passed the German acceptance.
Mass production stage.
The long-delayed design project and the secret rivalry between the two arms giants have made the sk18 105mm cannon howitzer, which has high hopes, difficult to achieve since its birth due to its excessive weight and the fact that it can only be regarded as light among the Western powers.
The caliber of divisional artillery was not very popular with the Germans.
But even so, the SK18 cannon howitzer, with a cumulative total production of more than 1,400 pieces, has still been given its own place of use.
Thanks to the weapon characteristics of the SK18 cannon howitzer, which can shoot at a large angle and reduce the muzzle depression angle for direct shooting, the German army, which originally planned to break through the Maginot Line from the front and carry out offensive operations, specially developed a weapon to destroy it.
105mm full-caliber armor-piercing grenade for solid concrete armored hybrid fortification.
Range test data shows that when the sk18 105 mm cannon howitzer uses this type of armor-piercing grenade to shoot directly at a homogeneous steel armor target, it can ensure the breakdown of a 125 mm homogeneous grenade placed vertically at a 90-degree angle at a distance of 500 meters.
Quality steel armor target.
In other words, in terms of anti-armor performance alone, the performance of the SK18 105mm cannon howitzer is on par with the 88mm anti-aircraft gun that was a life-saving straw for the German army.
But even so, compared with ordinary anti-tank guns, the high cost and the heavy weight of the artillery make it impossible for the sk18 cannon howitzer, which is used as division artillery support firepower, to be used as a frontline anti-tank gun.
Armored firepower appeared in a timely manner where it was needed most to deal with Soviet tank troops.
When it comes to why Malashenko met these opponents that he should not have faced, the result is completely dumbfounding and purely coincidental.
The German 29th Motorized Infantry Division, which received the task assigned by its superiors and was ordered to occupy Hill No. 142 and provide artillery support to the German forces attacking Smolensk, did not expect that its side would encounter the newly formed 1st Heavy Infantry Division under Malashenko.
Tanks broke through the battalion's all-out attack.
As the saying goes, a dog jumps over the wall when it is anxious, and a rabbit bites when it is anxious. The commander of the 29th Motorized Infantry Division of the German Army, who was frightened by the rumbling Soviet KV1 heavy tanks, had no other choice but to order those who were originally high-spirited.
The SK18 cannon howitzer, which provided long-range artillery support in the direction of Smolensk, turned its muzzle, loaded it with reserve armor-piercing grenades that had hardly been put to use, lowered the barrel of the gun and hid it, preparing to shoot Soviet heavy tanks levelly.
The performance of the powerful 105mm sk18 cannon howitzer did not live up to expectations. The 105mm full-caliber armor-piercing grenade, which was specially designed to attack the heavy concrete armor mixed fortifications on the Maginot Line, showed extremely powerful anti-armor power. 12 sk18
It only took less than half a cigarette to beat all the first eight T4 tanks of the Soviet army into a pile of parts.
After realizing that the German army in front of him was actually using a 105mm field cannon to shoot at his own side, Malashenko, who had just woken up from a dream, was not frightened by the "death waiting" posture of the German army.
It was already a desperate situation and the war situation had worsened. Only by destroying these German artillery units could they get a glimmer of hope for themselves.
"Attention, crews, these Germans are using 105mm field plus howitzers to bombard us with flat fire. This is not a new anti-tank gun!"
"Don't be afraid of the powerful firepower of these German howitzers. These guys use sub-loaded ammunition and the rate of fire is not very fast! Rush up at full speed and crush them. This is our only hope! Comrades, Ulla!"
"Ula!"
"Ula!"
Faced with these SK18 cannon howitzers, which were powerful enough to make the armor of his own KV1 heavy tank look like paper, Malashenko, who burst out with a strong courage to fight to the death, chose the most passionate way to bury these German artillerymen——
Charge at full speed and crush them!
When the ULA slogan roared across the entire battalion communication channel, accompanied by the surging sound of the 600-horsepower diesel engine, echoed over the German positions, the two Soviet troops who had been following closely behind the heavy tank breakthrough battalion led by Malashenko
Infantry divisions also began to swarm in through the gap in the German position that had been torn open.
"For the motherland! For Stalin! Attack!"
"Ula!!!"
Leading the way, the Soviet political commissar raised his Tokarev TT pistol high in the air and shouted loudly, as if a whole depot of explosives had been ignited. Hundreds of Red Army soldiers holding up various weapons in their hands followed closely.
The roar of Ula that followed was immediately overshadowed by the overwhelming force of the waves that followed, and the voice of the political commissar was instantly drowned out.
A brutal battle that burned out flesh and steel was like a meat grinder, involving tens of thousands of troops from three infantry divisions and one heavy armored battalion from both the Soviet and German sides.
The Soviet machine gunner, who was holding the bipod of the DP28 light machine gun to stabilize the gun, squeezed the trigger and ran forward like crazy for his life. The Soviet political commissar who had run out of bullets directly threw away the Toka in his hand.
With his Lev TT pistol, he flew onto a German rifleman and beat him hard with his fists.
The German G4 machine gun team, which had fired five barrels in a row, saw that it had no spare barrels to use. After looking at each other, the first and second machine gunners almost simultaneously picked up their engineer shovels and moved towards the Soviet rifles that were already a few steps away.
The hand rushed away.
The German major battalion commander, whose entire defense line was on the verge of collapse and on the verge of final loss, also roared like a beast. The Iron Cross hanging on the collar of his uniform followed his master's steps like a trembling edelweiss and launched the final charge.
After fourteen KV1 heavy tanks were destroyed or paralyzed one after another, the crew of the Soviet First Heavy Tank Battalion, which rushed towards them with roaring machine guns and turret main guns, had already been killed and their eyes were red.
Driven by wildness and revenge, he manipulated this fierce steel body and launched his final funeral towards the German artillerymen who had already shown terrified expressions.
"No mercy! Crush them! Leave no survivors! Use the flesh and blood of these Germans to lubricate our tracks, and I will hang these bastard Iron Cross medals as commemorative medals outside my turret!"
Malashenko, whose eyes had been completely replaced by crimson bloodshot eyes, had almost lost his mind. The loud and angry words on the wireless communication station were the best proof of his true state of mind.