The soldiers standing at the entrance of the village, while the two commanders were talking, all rushed to the automatic sled and looked at this new type of snow transportation curiously.
Lin Hua, who was talking to Yakup, suddenly heard the machine gunner of the automatic sled saying loudly: "...This is the nkl-26 armored automatic sled that our army has recently successfully developed. It is a snowmobile with a two-man crew. The platform and the car body are designed as a fully enclosed wooden structure. The overall box shape is divided into two parts: the cockpit and the crew compartment. The roof has a shield that can be used to fire a 762 mm machine gun in a 300-degree circumferential direction. The person sitting in the back Platoon member operations.
The car body is surrounded by skis that are independently suspended by springs. The skid components are composed of a skid body, a support rod, a rotating shaft and a spring suspension device. The front and rear two sets of skids can achieve differential steering. The skid body has a unique T-shaped cross-section and is made of solid duralumin..."
"Comrade Captain," Vanya, who was standing next to Lin Hua, obviously heard what the machine gunner said. He asked curiously: "I just saw your automatic sled running very fast. I don't know what the speed is. Every hour. How far is the next longest voyage?”
The question Vanya asked was exactly what Lin Hua wanted to ask. He stared at Yacup intently, waiting for the other party to tell the answer he wanted to know. Yakup smiled and said: "This kind of automatic sled can reach a speed of 25 to 35 kilometers per hour when it is full of fuel, and the maximum range is 160 kilometers."
Hearing that this kind of sled can actually run at such a speed on the snow, Vanya became even more interested: "Comrade Captain, isn't the driving of this kind of automatic sled good?"
Yakup did not immediately answer Vanya's question, but smiled and said to him and Lin Hua: "Follow me!"
The soldiers surrounding the automatic sled saw the friendly commander approaching with his company and platoon leader, and quickly opened a passage for them. Yakup walked to the cab, reached out and opened the door, pointed to the cab and introduced to Lin Hua and the others: "The automatic sled uses the same steering wheel as the car, which is the ignition switch, starter button, fuel pressure gauge... Front skid brake, rear skid brake..."
Lin Hua saw that each button on the driving platform was labeled with a name. Even a person who could not drive a vehicle could gain a perceptual understanding of the driving of an automatic sled as long as he could read and read inside for a while.
Yakup sat in the cab and explained further to Lin Hua and the others: "It is said that during the design, the leaders of the Machinery and Armored Vehicle Administration considered that this type of vehicle would have to operate in harsh climate conditions, so they made special requirements The nkl-26 armored automatic sled can be started at any time in the severe cold of minus 20 degrees Celsius. For this reason, engineers specially installed additional batteries, starters and low-temperature starting preheaters for the automatic sled, so that we can start like Just like driving a normal car, you can easily start the engine by turning the ignition switch to the start position in the cab."
After Lin Hua waited for Yakup to finish speaking, he tapped the car body with his fingers and asked with some worry: "Comrade Captain, the entire car body is made of wood. Isn't it easy to be destroyed by the enemy in battle?"
Regarding Lin Hua's concerns, Yakup explained with a smile: "Comrade Lieutenant, on the front of the cab, there is a 10mm armored steel plate tilted at 60 degrees, which provides a certain armor protection capability for the sled and can maximize to provide the necessary protection for the occupants of the sled.”
After understanding the overall performance of the automatic sled, although everyone was full of praise for this sled, Lin Hua felt that this automatic sled still had many shortcomings: for example, the load capacity was too small and it was difficult to use for supplies and soldiers. transportation; and the armor of the car body is too thin and cannot be used in offensive combat except for reconnaissance.
While everyone was studying the automatic sled, suddenly the huge roar of the sled engine came from the distance. Before Lin Hua could figure out where the sound came from, he heard the machine gunner sitting in the back say loudly: "Comrade Captain, it's the other automatic sleds in the company that are coming."
Not long after, another fourteen automatic sleds stopped outside the village. A man who looked like an officer got out of the car, walked up to Yakup, and reported to him: "Comrade company commander, based on aerial reconnaissance, a German unit was discovered fifteen kilometers away to the west. , about two hundred people, are heading in the direction of Voloklamsk. Our superiors ordered our company to attack this enemy and find a way to defeat them."
"Understood, Comrade Deputy Company Commander." After listening to the other party's report, Yakup nodded and said to him: "Let the soldiers rest for ten minutes, and then we will set off."
Lin Hua, who was standing aside, heard that the task of the automatic sled company was to attack an enemy force heading to Voloklamsk. He couldn't help but have an idea. He quickly asked Yakup: "Comrade Captain, I want to ask Can anyone stand on the four crowbars?"
"Okay!" Although Yakup didn't know the reason for Lin Hua's question, he still answered truthfully: "But if there are people standing on the crowbar, it will directly affect the speed of the automatic sled."
Knowing that people could stand on the crowbar, Lin Hua breathed a sigh of relief, and then said to Yakup: "Comrade Captain, I have a bold idea: Let our soldiers stand on the crowbar and rush with you. Voloklamsk.”
Regarding Lin Hua's request, Yakup said with some embarrassment: "Comrade Lieutenant, you should have heard what my deputy company commander just said. We are going to attack the enemy heading towards Voloklamsk. Bring us with you." Without you, the maneuverability of the automatic sled will decrease."
"Don't worry." After hearing Yakup's worries, Lin Hua smiled and said to him: "The order given to you by your superiors is to attack the enemy and try to defeat them. Although you have more than a dozen machine guns, if you want to complete the Such a task is still difficult. But if you take us with you, the situation will be different."
"Why is it different?" Yakup asked puzzledly.
"Take us to chase the enemy." Seeing Yakup's confused look, Lin Hua explained to him: "After catching up with the enemy, the automatic sled will first move and use machine guns to shoot at the enemy. Wait. When the enemy is defeated, I will jump off the sled with my soldiers to destroy the fleeing enemies."
When Yakup was considering Lin Hua's proposal, his deputy company commander couldn't wait to say: "Comrade company commander, I think this lieutenant's proposal is very good. You also know that because the propeller of the automatic sled is too large, As for being unable to drive on narrow forest paths or bushes at all. At this time, having an infantry team to assist us will surely be able to better complete the tasks assigned to us by our superiors."
Hearing what his deputy company commander said, Yakup no longer hesitated. He immediately said to Lin Hua: "Okay, Comrade Lieutenant, let your soldiers come up."
Since the automatic sled company only had 15 sleds and could not bring all the soldiers of the Istria company, Lin Hua ordered Seryosha, Pavel, Asya and the wounded to stay in the village, while he took the 59 commanders and combatants went to cooperate with the automatic sled company to eliminate the enemy.
Seeing the soldiers standing on the crowbar, Yacup gave the order to set off. As soon as the sled started, the cold wind hit his face, making Lin Hua, who was standing on the crowbar, feel pain in his face like a knife. He hurriedly lowered his head and hugged the support frame tightly to prevent himself from being knocked down during the high speed of the sled.
Forty minutes later, the enemy marching in the snow appeared in front. As soon as they entered the firing range, Yakup, who was driving the automatic sled at the front, knocked on the partition with his hand, indicating that the machine gunner could shoot. The machine gunner heard the signal, immediately pulled the trigger and started shooting at the German soldiers in front.
Because there is no radio to communicate between the sleds, and it is impossible to have a dedicated person signaling with a semaphore like a tank, so the firing sound of the company commander's sled is an order to fire. Seeing the company commander firing, the machine guns on the 14 automatic sleds that followed also started firing.
The dense bullets splashed the snow around the enemy like a fountain. Before many German soldiers could figure out what was going on, clouds of blood mist erupted from their bodies, and then they fell headlong into the snow. The remaining people either fled towards the distant forest or lay down on the spot to avoid Soviet machine gun fire.
The speed of the automatic sled slowed down, which was the signal for the attack that Yakup had agreed with Lin Hua in advance. Lin Hua gritted his teeth and jumped off the crowbar. His hands and feet were a little inflexible because he had stayed in one position for too long. I rushed forward several steps before barely returning to normal. The soldiers of Istria Company also jumped off the crowbar and rushed towards the scattered enemies with weapons in hand.
Lin Hua saw that although the enemies were fleeing in all directions, they were far more numerous than his own soldiers. Even with the cooperation of the machine guns on the automatic sleds, it would not be easy to eliminate them. After shooting down a German soldier, he shouted at the top of his lungs: "Henderhoech! Hinderhoech!"
When Andre and other old subordinates heard Lin Hua's shouts, they continued to rush towards the Germans and shouted in the same pattern: "Hundhoch!" Not long after, the same shout sounded across the entire battlefield. shouts.
Some German soldiers who were suppressed by Soviet fire and unable to move in the snow heard Lin Hua's shouts and quickly dropped their weapons, squatted on the ground and raised their hands. Those German soldiers who tried to escape into the forest were blocked by the automatic sleds that were detouring. With no other way out, they could only imitate their companions and obediently throw down their weapons and surrender.
The entire battle lasted less than ten minutes, and the German army of more than 200 people was completely destroyed. After a battle count, it was found that of the 219 German soldiers, except for more than 60 who were killed, the rest were all taken as prisoners. On the Soviet side, except for a few soldiers from the Istria Company who accidentally sprained their feet when jumping off the crowbar, there were no more casualties.
