"It was a red dawn when our Tiger tanks arrived at the front for the first time."
After taking over the new vehicle, only after a short two-day running-in training, Wittmann immediately received the order to go to the front line and led his crew, which could only be said to be barely able to use the Tiger tank, to Leninger.
Le battlefield.
The Henschel staggered road wheel design that finally stood out in the competition with Porsche was widely criticized for being complicated to maintain, but it was extremely smooth when running with the Tiger tank's wide tracks, at least in terms of comfort when traveling off-road.
It is much stronger than Wittmann's previous No. 3 assault gun mount vehicle.
Everything brand new in the tank made all the crew members, including Wittmann, look around like curious babies. Even after a two-day running-in period, they were generally familiar with the overall appearance of the tank, but they were not yet familiar with it.
The strong sense of freshness that has completely subsided still surrounds the entire crew.
"God, I feel like I'm in a dream right now, Michelle. I don't feel like I'm driving a tank. Instead, I feel like I'm driving a Mercedes-Benz."
The steering wheel-type operation interface with hydraulic assist makes the 57-ton Tiger tank extremely flexible and labor-saving to drive. In a sense, it is even easier than the Type III assault gun and the Type IV tank. This is the most exciting thing.
What Wittmann crew driver Koldenhoff did not expect and was surprised about.
Not only was the driver expressing heartfelt admiration for the powerful Tiger tank, but Klink, the gunner in the Wittmann crew, was also playing with the main gun sight in front of him with a happy expression on his face.
"Look at her, Michelle. Precise Zeiss craftsmanship. I bet you could use it to spy on women taking a shower if you wanted to. This is the best scope I've ever used!"
Rather than the constant admiration of his gunners and drivers, Wittmann, as the commander, cared more about the new commander's command tower installed on the Tiger tank.
The commander's command tower protruding outside the turret gave Wittmann an omnidirectional 360-degree periscope view of the commander. Although it was still difficult to see every detail outside the vehicle with this primitive and crude optical equipment, it was better than
From the original No. 3 assault gun carriage, Wittmann swore that this change was as enjoyable as riding a horse and switching to a car in an instant.
"It seems that Coral guy didn't lie. I think this is indeed the most powerful heavy tank in the world."
Before he finished speaking, he opened the turret roof from the commander's command tower. Facing the cold wind, Wittmann looked out of the car and could already see his own infantry who were not too far away. These were surrounded by
The infantry unit that had been in Leningrad for almost a year was the one who came to support his party.
A total of four Tiger tanks roared and slowly stopped very close to a band German infantry. The straight line distance of less than ten meters allowed Wittmann, who was half leaning out of the turret, to see clearly.
See the surprised faces and the envy expressed in the whispers.
"Is this the new tank mentioned before? I already thought she would be very powerful, but I never thought she would be so big!"
"She looks as big as two Panzer IV tanks put together. God, it's the first time I've seen such a huge tank. I don't think those Russian toilet tanks can compare to her."
"Look at that cannon, guys. I guess we won't have to worry about Russian tanks anymore. I bet she can take on any enemy!"
A German squad leader who looked to be in his thirties walked out of the crowd of murmurs of admiration.
After saluting Wittmann in the Wehrmacht style, the German squad leader, whose face was marked by the cold winter, spoke immediately.
"Is this Staff Sergeant Michel Wittmann?"
He clearly heard the simple question from the Wehrmacht squad leader in front of him, and Wittmann, who had a skull tattoo on his cap badge, nodded quietly.
"Yes, you are here to pick us up, right?"
Wittmann nodded to Wittmann, who had his upper body leaning out of the commander's command tower. The squad leader, who didn't seem to be surprised at seeing a Tiger tank for the first time, immediately raised his hand and waved.
"Please come with me, Sergeant Michel, and I will take you where you need to go."
About twenty minutes later, when Wittmann, who had parked his car, walked into the slightly dilapidated cabin, he finally realized that the agreed place he had come to report for duty turned out to be the frontline headquarters of a German infantry battalion.
The battalion commander in charge of commanding here is Major Gunther Henkel.
"Welcome, Sergeant Michel, I have long admired your name. I heard that you are the best assault gun commander in the Guards Division. It seems that the superiors have chosen the right person to send you to perform this mission."
"Choose the right person? The best?"
Wittmann, who was praised wildly by Major Heinkel when they met, looked confused. As a person involved, he didn't even know how he got the honorary title of "the best commander".
"Didn't you receive the mission details?"
After seeing the confused look on Wittmann's face, which was obviously wrong, and feeling that the situation might be different from what he expected, Major Heinkel then asked in a tentative tone.
Facing Major Heinkel's question, Wittmann, who had no idea what he was going to do on this trip, immediately shook his head.
"I don't know, Mr. Major, I don't even know what we are here to do this time. No one has told us these things, and I have always felt that we are not qualified to know this."
As a member of the Wehrmacht, Major Heinkel had not had much contact with the armed SS, which was not easy to deal with. Many of the only contacts he had with the Wehrmacht were organized by a few words from his colleagues, but these were circulated among the mid-level officers on the front lines of the Wehrmacht.
There are only a few rumors about the SS, and the reputation is very poor.
But when he saw Wittmann for the first time, his expression didn't look like he was lying at all, but it completely overturned Major Heinkel's previous understanding.
At least in the view of Major Heinkel at this moment, Wittmann seems to be very different from the rumored armed SS who like to torture Soviet prisoners of war and civilians as a form of leisure and entertainment. It can even be said that they have
A world of difference.
"Okay, Sergeant Michel. I only knew that the details of the mission would be kept secret from you, but I didn't expect that the people above would keep it so tight, so that you, the actual mission executors, would not know any details.
"
The four German military crews, including Wittmann's crew, couldn't help but look at each other after hearing this. It seemed that the Wehrmacht major in front of them knew far more than their own side.