No one wants to die if they can live. This is a simple question that can be answered without thinking in most cases.
But if it were at this moment, in this situation where defeat is 100% certain and there is no possibility of a comeback, whether or not you want to survive has already changed.
Seeing that his crew members were a little surprised for a moment and could not give a reply, they probably needed some time to think about it.
Captain Hank, who had already made his decision, did not urge him. Instead, he pushed open the turret roof above his head, raised the MP40 submachine gun with a white gun wipe attached to the muzzle, and poked it out of the vehicle.
"Oh, what the hell! What are you doing!? Hank!"
Compared to the gunner's surprised look, Hank himself, who had done something unbelievable, looked much calmer.
"You can continue to think about it, but if you don't raise this thing, the Russians won't even give us time to think about it. It's as simple as that."
The remaining four crew members were stunned for a moment when they heard this, and then returned to their normal expressions after a moment of silence. They indeed did not have much time left to hesitate.
The roar of the diesel engines of the hordes of Russian tractors is getting closer and closer, and the infantrymen chanting slogans seem to be riding on their faces. The interior of the intact Tiger tank is surprisingly quiet, so quiet
It was a bit strange, there was no communication sound from the other two Tiger tanks, which were also intact.
"Bertha is still waiting for me to go back. I promised her to marry her...I...I..."
The first person to speak was the gunner sitting in the turret. His words were evasive and accompanied by a low gaze that did not dare to look directly into the eyes of his comrades. He really didn't know how to say something that was originally a shame.
So high-sounding, even if it is true.
"Let me put it bluntly, I don't want to die! Even if I am in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp, I will find a way to go back alive. Bertha is still waiting for me to go back. I promised her."
After hearing this, Hank touched the sweat-soaked hair on his head, but his expression seemed calm and not at all surprised.
"Okay, the first person has decided, what about the remaining three?"
...
The questioning from Captain Hank rang through my heart. It is not easy to make the right choice between oath and life, but in the end, what stands at the top of the winner is the strong desire for life.
"Since the choices are the same, pack your things and get ready to go out. You go first, I will be the last to leave, there are still some things to do..."
Through the main gun sight in front of him, he could see that the three Tigers had all stopped, as if they were dead on the spot without any movement, but Iushkin, who knew clearly that the German guy inside was still alive, was still a little uncomfortable.
Undo Malashenko's order.
"We have surrounded them, why don't we just give them a few shots? What are you waiting for? Comrade Commander."
Malashenko, who was furious just now, has basically calmed down.
After the crazy surge of adrenaline subsided, our brigade commander was a little tired, but he still held the commander's periscope with his hand and remained still, and did not let the stationary Tigers disappear from his eyes.
"Kill those who surrender when you encounter them. Who will dare to surrender to you after your reputation spreads? If all the Germans encounter us and fight to the death, with no way out, don't you think about how many meaningless casualties this will cause?"
The outspoken Iushkin said whatever he wanted, but for the time being his thoughts remained on the first level, while Malashenko had already considered the long-term third-level consequences.
"Just wait, I guess the results will come out in less than a minute. Those German guys must be more anxious than you now."
As soon as Malashenko finished speaking, an IS1 that was less than a hundred meters away from the three Tigers and had already pointed its black muzzle at the Tiger's side armor opened its turret roof.
, it was Lieutenant Colonel Kurbalov, commander of the 1st Battalion, who leaned half out of the stationary tank turret. While leaning out, he actually held a large iron horn in his hand.
"Listen to the German armored soldiers in the car, you have been surrounded by heroic Red Army troops, and our guns have been aimed at your fragile abdomen. Give up resistance and immediately leave the tank and surrender with your hands. This is your only chance. I repeat.
Once again, surrender within one minute, this is your last chance!"
Malashenko, who was holding the commander's periscope in his hand, completely heard Kulbalov's shouting with a big iron trumpet. The loudness of his voice made Malashenko a little stunned. How could he not find this guy before?
His voice is so loud?
"Comrade Commander..."
"Um?"
"Captain Kurbalov, his German seems to be much better than yours. He sounds smoother and speaks faster."
Malashenko, who had never expected Kirill to say this, had something wrong with his expression. When did Kirill become so fond of gossiping?
Needless to say, it must be the old boy Iushkin who failed to learn how to bring up the child. This must be the case.
A sneeze——
After shouting loudly, he quickly stretched out his hand and rubbed his nose. Iushkin, who did not remember that he had a cold, was a little confused as to why he sneezed without incident. But after thinking about it for a while, he still couldn't figure out why.
Maybe it was a girl from far away who was missing him, Iushkin, an old bachelor who had never even had his first love, thought of this, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly seemed to be vaguely happy.
At the same time that the episode happened, the three Tiger tanks that had just been shouted out by Battalion Commander Kurbalov using a large iron loudspeaker finally started to make new noises.
People were the first to come out of the turret that was pushed away. At the same time, the heads of the driver and electromechanical personnel of the car body also emerged from the roof. Even the heavy escape hatch on the side of the Tiger tank turret.
The hatches were all opened from inside and people came out.
A group of German armored soldiers emerged from the tank. None of them carried weapons. They all jumped out of the tank with their hands raised and stopped moving, waiting to be killed.
Kulbalov, who had received Malashenko's authorization, nodded to the infantry battalion commander next to his car. The latter waved his hand knowingly, and a large number of Red Army soldiers lying on the ground, ready for action, immediately swarmed around him.
Then he went up and rushed towards the toothless tigers.
boom--
Everything that happened was so unexpected and unexpected.
Both sides who raised their hands to surrender and prepared to surrender did not expect that the Tiger tank in the center and farthest away actually spiraled into the sky with a loud noise. The shock wave and fragments generated by the explosion of ammunition even lifted the hands that had been raised.
Several German armored soldiers who had walked slowly a hundred meters away were instantly knocked to the ground.