Long live Joachim

Chapter 65: Celtic Soldiers in the Mud (First) On a moonlit night in early summer, the blue wheat waves in the fields sway with the wind. This is the most beautiful painting of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, but the blood red flames that illuminate the sky, the black smoke that spreads everywhere, and the constant brutal killings make this painting change color. In the wheat fields behind the Allied defense line, three tanks with rigid lines and symmetrical shapes stopped, and the fallen wheat clearly marked their trajectories. Temporarily detached from the battle, the turret covers of three tanks were opened one after another, and Irish soldiers with sweat stains on their faces leaned out from inside, looking around solemnly. After confirming that there is no enemy situation, the captains ordered the members of their respective fleets to be on standby and alert. The cockpit cover and escape hatch on the side of the turret opened from the inside out, and fresh air rushed into the cabin, blowing away the residual smoke, oil, and gas, which also gave the young tank soldiers a sigh of relief. The world is so beautiful that only by living can one experience it. However, the sound of gunfire coming from the front constantly reminded them that the killing had not stopped and the battle was still ongoing. Our own soldiers were struggling to resist the enemy's fierce attack, leaving them with little time to breathe. Three chariots, three captains, one of whom is wide and fat with a face full of flesh. While wiping away sweat, he said to his colleagues, "These British cavalry are like mice in a barn. We can't get rid of them with sticks. We either ambush them somewhere or ignore them altogether. Can you receive the wireless signal from the platoon On the nearest tank to him, the commander with a small goat beard had just instructed his communication soldier to switch the radio to the backup frequency, so there was no response at the moment. On the slightly farther tank, the handsome and unshaven commander was confirming the ammunition situation with his loader. Four rounds of W bullets, seven rounds of A bullets, four rounds of H bullets, three rounds of F bullets, there should still be two base numbers of machine gun bullets, that's all!” The ammunition handler reported the numbers clearly and accurately. The cautious conductor immediately turned his head and spoke to their colleagues, "I have very little ammunition left, and the battle ahead will definitely be difficult. Perhaps we should return to the beachhead as soon as possible, replenish our ammunition, and then come back to kill This is a practical suggestion, but leaving the infantry alone to return to the landing area several kilometers away is ultimately not a glorious thing, so the other two captains did not respond. After a moment, the captain with a goatee spoke in a tone of first rising and then falling, "We have received a message from the company, and the latest order given to us is... to cover the retreat of the troops! Oh, damn it, our defense line has been breached by the enemy In the elite Irish armored forces, radio equipment has been distributed to every tank, but only platoon level command vehicles use dual-purpose radios for transmitting and receiving signals. Ordinary tanks are equipped with radios that only receive radio signals, which can only be used to receive combat instructions and cannot communicate information in both directions. The chubby driver suddenly exclaimed, 'God bless you.'. Next, the three captains coincidentally gazed in the direction of the defense line. Three to four kilometers east was the main position of the defense line. During the day, with the help of a telescope, the situation there could be clearly seen. However, the world under the moonlight seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil, with flames flickering and smoke swirling around the allied positions, making it difficult for people to intuitively judge the changes in the battle. The driver with a goatee turned his gaze to the guy whose face had become very serious with every piece of fat on it: "Hey, Fat Jack, what do you think we're going to do next The command vehicle of the platoon where these three "Celtic Warriors" are located has been destroyed, and the platoon leader has been seriously injured and left the field. The remaining three captains are all soldiers, and it is reasonable for anyone to take the lead. 'Cover the retreat of troops' is not a specific instruction, and it requires the executor to understand and operate based on the actual situation. On the complex and ever-changing battlefield, commanders find it difficult to make precise maneuvers for every unit. Therefore, having an excellent team of non commissioned officers is the key to winning battles for the army. On the other hand, even if there are talented generals serving as commanders, it is difficult for the army to win in tough battles. The chubby driver looked around and pointed to the farmhouse in the distance, saying, "We're going there to ambush The goatee squinted and said, "It seems like there's one of our field hospitals over there The chubby captain immediately expressed his thoughts: "If we return directly to the defense line, there is a high probability of encountering the British tank troops. We have too little ammunition and only three tanks. The best way to provide cover is to ambush the enemy The goatee grinned and said, "He is truly the most cunning and treacherous chess player in the tank battalion. He has a good idea, so let's do it The guy with the best appearance responded unequivocally, 'Okay, let's do it!' So, three Irish tanks covered in camouflage quickly began to move, forming an irregular "cross" shape and heading towards a farmhouse a kilometer away. These "Celtic Warriors" adopt a torsion bar suspension system, with six pairs of large-diameter load-bearing wheels being their prominent appearance feature that distinguishes them from British tanks. The advantages of this configuration are long range and wear resistance, which can effectively reduce the bumps generated by the vehicle when driving on complex terrain, and improve comfort and stability during aiming. However, the disadvantage is that maintenance and replacement are relatively complex, requiring specialized equipment for repair. The early production of the "Celtic Warrior" was equipped with a liquid cooled inverted V-shaped 12 cylinder diesel engine produced by Daimler AG, and later achieved the localization of the power system due to the introduction of production technology for this type of engine by the Royal Vehicle Manufacturing Plant in Limerick. In addition to the loud noise, the low fuel consumption, high output, and low risk of catching fire after being hit by diesel engines have greatly satisfied the Irish military. The 330 horsepower power output makes this 20 ton tank have the same speed as cavalry marching in the wilderness. The Cohen Peninsula has a flat terrain, filled with farmland and pastures. There are no large areas of forests here, only scattered patches of trees and small-scale villages. Allied command, logistics, medical and other field departments are placed in these trees or farmhouses. The British are not foolish. During the daytime air raids, they selectively attacked some densely vegetated areas, and the villages and houses occupied by the coalition army were also attacked. However, the farmhouses ahead were not bombed. The key reason is that people spread a large white and red cross flag next to here. British people who value chivalry on the battlefield usually do not attack such targets. Nowadays, this battlefield medical facility equipped with ten operating tables is overcrowded, with hundreds of wounded soldiers waiting to receive emergency treatment or undergo preliminary treatment before being transported to the rear. Upon hearing the roar of tanks from far to near, almost everyone was startled. Soldiers carrying weapons rushed to guard, but their numbers were too small and their equipment was too weak to fight against enemy tanks. Therefore, the soldiers were basically prepared to fight with despair. When they saw that it was a small group of Irish tanks approaching, many people cheered happily. The most elite tank troops in Ireland are well-trained, and most of them have been trained in France. The tank commanders are already proficient in deploying attacks or defenses according to local conditions, and do not need to gather together to discuss and arrange defensive formations based on the terrain. This place appears to be dominated by German officers and soldiers, with the highest ranking combat personnel being an Irish lieutenant colonel who took the initiative to approach and inquire about the intentions of this tank squad. It is said that a fat man who can freely enter and exit the tank is not too fat, and this statement is true. The slightly chubby tank commander in front of him quickly got off the tank and took three or two steps to approach the major. Sir, we belong to the 1st Tank Battalion of the Irish Army. The defense line has been breached, and we have been ordered to cover the evacuation of our troops. If any enemy cavalry passes by here, we will give them a heavy blow. If it is an enemy tank unit coming, we will find a way to kill them all The major shrugged in surprise and said, "But we haven't received the order to retreat The chubby captain was a little surprised, but he immediately said without restraint, "Actually, we only contacted the company a few minutes ago. To be honest, about twenty minutes ago, British cavalry broke through the defense line. We rushed to support the artillery unit's call for help, but we were one step late. Those British cavalry had already disappeared without a trace The Major had no reason to question the situation described by the other party. He turned around and looked at the place where a large number of wounded soldiers had gathered. "So, should we immediately organize personnel to retreat to Abersow I don't have any advice to give you, "the fat driver replied." If you can't get friendly support, you may be attacked by British cavalry on your retreat, and if you continue to stay here, we can't give you any guarantee Got it! "The Major nodded." I'll try to get in touch with my superiors through the field telephone line. If the line doesn't work, can I borrow your radio The fat guy shrugged helplessly and said, "I'm sorry, we don't have a platoon level command vehicle here The major was speechless, then turned around and walked towards the farmhouse. The fat man sighed lightly, and by the time he returned to the tank, his crew had already found some branches nearby and disguised the tank in a simple way. The enemy is not terrifying. The 50mm KwkL/56 gun of the Celtic Warrior has reliable accuracy and power, capable of destroying any target within 200 meters. What worries him at this moment is the scattered wounded soldiers here. If they cannot withdraw in time, ambushing the enemy here is not a good idea. At the nearby frontline positions, communication soldiers shuttle through various trenches, conveying orders to each platoon to hold their ground and not to withdraw without permission. The desire for victory among most coalition soldiers may not be inferior to the will of the British military and civilians to defend their homeland, but on this terrible night, they were not involved in a fair confrontation. Without the suppression of naval artillery on the battlefield and the precise firepower of field artillery, the Allied soldiers had to use their own flesh and blood to resist the British offensive and block the continuous attacks of British tanks and cavalry. Although the signal soldiers are still transmitting orders to hold their positions, some troops have already begun to retreat in the face of hopeless defense. Germans and Irish people crowded together without distinction, covering and supporting each other, trying their best to bring the wounded and heavy weapons back to the beachhead near Abossoch.