Two tanks almost simultaneously struck each other, and the No. 4 tank's shell pierced through the enemy's turret armor, while Dahua's tank also penetrated the No. 4 tank's hull armor.
The usually composed commander of the No. 4 tank felt as if his tank had been heavily slammed by a battering ram. His head nearly smashed against the steel hull, and the violent noise made his hair stand on end with fear.
Almost instinctively, he lifted the hatch above him, bellowed an order to abandon the tank, and then scrambled out.
Even though the No. 4 tank had been refitted with a diesel engine, which greatly reduced the risk of sympathetic detonation, instant abandonment after being pierced remained an unquestionable lifesaving measure.
The gunner also pushed open the side hatch and darted out of his own tank. The cold air around him rushed over his face, immediately sobering him up quite a bit.
