If there is no effect, it means there is no effect. No matter how incompetent and furious you are, you can't change this result. No matter how bitter the result is, you can only swallow it with force. There is no other way.
"It's over, retreat immediately! Now, hurry up!"
"Retreat? Then did Peterson and the others die in vain? Let's just forget about it if we suffer such heavy losses?"
There are not many people who are unwilling to do so. Even the US military, which is full of young soldiers and ruffians, has some reckless men. But it is obvious that the armored commander who took the lead does not think so, and still maintains a relatively calm mind.
.
"There are only three cars left. Do you plan to go up and rely on these three cars to achieve what even a single column has not been able to do, or do you plan to use these three far inferior cars to scare the Germans to death? You know that the Germans have no
Set up an ambush circle in front? Then you will know that the retreat will really make you run away and not lead you to take the bait? Brain is a good thing, feed it to the dog when you don’t need it, don’t nest it in the skull to make big excrement and maggots."
"."
A superior is still a superior, and if he scolds you so hard that he loses all face, he is still a superior.
The dissatisfied fellow fell silent, and the order to retreat was quickly carried out.
After the remaining three Pershings opened fire and drove away Wittmann's No. 007 King Tiger, they immediately chose to retreat to avoid fighting and save the car, seizing this golden opportunity to withdraw first.
It is somewhat similar to some of the situations on the US military side. The Wittmann crew, which had just retreated, was also unwilling to accept the situation.
"Damn it. If the loader had enough ammunition just now, I could kill all those Americans and not even a single one of them could escape! They dared to come out to fight in whatever rag they drove. It's not as good as the stroller my grandma pushed me to the park when I was a kid.
.”
Wegener not only insulted the United States but also insulted Pershing. Wegener, who was very good at talking, only received a casual reply from Wittmann.
"Save it, I'm lucky enough not to have been penetrated by the Yankees. I don't know how many shots I've just received at the same time. I feel like the car is shaking. It's like the stroller your grandma was pushing you to play in the park with was kicked."
The same as the feet."
Although King Tiger is strong, he is by no means invincible, and Wittmann knows this very well.
Although he had been deployed to fight on the Western Front a long time ago, and he actually received the new King Tiger car, up to the current 105 upgraded King Tiger, it all happened after he came to the Western Front. So Wittmann has never received it yet.
I have had the experience of fighting against the Russians while driving a King Tiger. The last time I fought against the Russians was during the Tiger One tank period.
But Wittmann had heard that the seemingly powerful King Tiger actually had an unpleasant experience fighting on the Eastern Front. It could even be said that he was dealt with miserably by those wild and rough Russians like chopping melons and vegetables. At least
This is true in some battles.
There is a special armored unit kill record ranking list within the entire German armed system. Any Wehrmacht or Waffen SS armored unit fighting on the front line is eligible to be on the list. As long as you are strong enough, you can get enough to be on the list.
The destruction record will be enough.
This list is well-known and famous within the German army. It was regarded by Dr. Goebbels, Germany's "King of Propaganda", as a magic weapon to inspire the fighting will of the military and civilians and boost morale.
The list was originally updated once a month, but now it has been updated once a week. The list will faithfully record the kill results of each armored soldier on the list before the last update date to determine the ranking.
The last time Wittmann looked at the record list, it was three days ago, and his ranking on the list had just risen to first place. The "Uncrowned King" who had always been firmly in the first place,
Kalvus of the 502nd Heavy Armor Battalion of the Wehrmacht was driven off, and he firmly ranked first on the list with an incredible record of destroying 168 tanks.
For this reason, the leader of the SS, Himmler, the famous chicken farm owner, even sent Wittmann a commendation telegram to express encouragement and praise.
, which won the supreme honor and glory for the armed SS troops. Even the head of state expressed congratulations to Wittmann after learning about it and hoped to make persistent efforts. Himmler conveyed it in the telegram on his behalf.
As for the awards and honors, considering the tight fighting situation on the front line, Wittmann and the troops under his command do not have the conditions to leave the battlefield for the time being, and Wittmann himself cannot leave the command post for the time being. Therefore, this matter will be postponed to a later date.
If the opportunity comes again, this is what Himmler personally guaranteed in the telegram, and when the time comes, a Knight's Cross of Iron Cross with Diamonds, Gold, Double Swords and Gold Oak Leaves will definitely be indispensable.
Under the premise that the Führer had extreme distrust of the Wehrmacht, Himmler relied on his eloquent words and some lobbying to easily win this honor for Wittmann, who was already strong in his own right. At the same time, he also
The Führer's smile, encouragement, and more trust in himself, the supreme leader of the SS.
As for whether this was Himmler's real purpose?
Wittmann didn't know, didn't care, he didn't even think that this medal should belong to him.
"If that kid from the National Defense Force hadn't had his hand broken and returned to the training team to become an armor instructor, I'm afraid this medal would be his, or at least it shouldn't be mine, including the number one spot on the list."
Wittmann was quite humble about this great honor, even though several brothers in the same crew felt that this honor should indeed belong to him and to the No. 007 crew. This was achieved by all the brothers in the car risking their lives together.
But no matter what, the fact that Calvus was seriously injured from the front and sent home did have a great impact on Wittmann.
This made Wittmann realize how bad the battlefield situation faced by King Tiger, who was invincible on the Western Front, was on the Eastern Front. Even the top ace like Karlus was unable to take the initiative.
In the case of a sneak attack, the Russians did not receive any support to protect themselves in a simple armored confrontation. This in itself is a very serious situation.
As for his achievements in the Western Front battlefield, which were completely one-sided armored confrontations, Wittmann didn't think it was that great. At most, he had honed his killing skills and combat skills and became more proficient.
Skilled.
If possible, Wittmann still hopes that one day he can compete with the Russians on the Eastern Front. This is at least a challenge. Wittmann is sure that he is looking forward to the day when such a challenge comes, and he also hopes to win and prove himself.
"Then what should we do now? Retreat to the starting position, or find some other fun?"
After the battle, the adrenaline rush gradually faded away. Wegener continued to use his usual cynical tone and asked his commander for answers. Wittmann, who was slightly lost in memories, also spoke without thinking.