Seeing soldiers from the same camp, whom he had never met but shared allegiance with, hoisting anti-tank rocket launchers to aim, Lin didn't utter a prayer but held his heart full of prayer. With fearless courage, he held his assault rifle upright, risking the danger of being hit by enemy bullets at any moment, and fired at the Soviet infantry following closely behind the T-34s. Several MG-42s in the same position poured out dense and lethal bullet rain at a high rate, where dark red light dots were accompanied by flying debris and splattering blood plasma. Some Soviet soldiers were instantly hit by several or even dozens of machine gun bullets, their bodies collapsing as if struck by a heavy axe, falling face up before they could even open their mouths; others, when hit, wore an expression of disbelief, their limbs uncontrollably stretching out; and still others fell to their knees while maintaining an upright posture with their upper bodies, before collapsing like wooden stakes or falling sideways. Victory was within reach, yet these Red Army soldiers were helplessly stopped just short of the finish line, such was the battlefield.
While enduring the dense barrage of German bullets, the Soviet tanks and surviving infantry also retaliated recklessly. Almost every submachine gun sprayed flames of revenge, while the halted T-34s lowered their barrels. At almost point-blank range, whenever their barrels flashed, explosions and thick smoke billowed on the German positions. A single 85mm high-explosive shell could flip over a whole pile of rubble, and hardly any German shooters behind cover could escape unscathed.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield just a stone's throw away turned into a terrifying meat grinder.
Witnessing this scene, Lin's earlier fear and apprehension were completely replaced by boiling hot blood. He pressed his helmet against his brow, his single eye glaring angrily, left leg crouched, right knee on the ground, body slightly tilted to the right, chest pressed against the gunstock, pulling the trigger with each bullet fired, his left hand subtly moving the muzzle. Figures fell one after another through the scope, but he didn't judge whether they were killed by him, nor did he get distracted by the sudden burst of gunfire beside him. So concentrated was he that even if he were to be fatally hit by enemy bullets, he might not feel an ounce of pain.
At this critical moment, the sudden surge of the group instilled fear in the German defensive forces, who were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. It also bought precious time for their anti-tank marksmen. Taking cover behind square concrete pillars and scattered ruins, the anti-tank combatants opened fire. One after another, oversized or regular-caliber rocket-propelled grenades trailed bright flames and thick white smoke as they flew out of the ruins towards the Soviet tanks. These armor-piercing shells, equipped with hollow charge technology and instant detonators, exploded upon contact with the target, piercing armor through the cumulative effect of concentrated energy. If they didn't directly hit the enemy tanks, their destructive power might not even match that of a regular hand grenade. Fortunately, the German anti-tank shooters had ventured forward to more advanced positions, and four out of six rockets fired within half a minute hit their targets. The foremost T-34, like a raging rhinoceros, resisted even after being hit by the first rocket, its turret machine gun continuously firing forward. It wasn't until the second rocket hit the front of the tank that it finally "submitted." The second T-34 attempting to evade the German anti-tank rockets by emergency braking and reversing seemed somewhat clumsy in its movements. The rockets coming straight at it seemed to inject it with an anesthetic, as its steel tracks still moved a distance along with the idler wheels. In no time, the rear hatch opened, and a severely wounded Soviet tanker struggled to climb out of the tank, only to be rescued by accompanying infantry—yet, before he could take a few steps, he was mowed down by a quick German machine gunner.
The third T-34, a bit further away, took a direct hit to the front of its turret. The armor in this position was thickest, and there was a good chance that the driver and the crew under the turret would escape unscathed. So, instead of immediately taking cover after being hit, it turned the vehicle at a slight angle and quickly stopped behind the two previously destroyed tanks, thereby avoiding the German anti-tank fire, but also withdrawing from the battle.
As a cartridge emptied, Lin caught his breath. Seeing three Soviet tanks ahead—two destroyed and one damaged—he breathed a sigh of relief. It would be difficult for the Soviet infantry alone to break through in such a battlefield.
Unfortunately, this was no longer a balanced struggle. In less than a minute, the fourth Soviet tank emerged from the ruins, followed by the fifth and the sixth. By the time the seventh vehicle rolled out, Lin couldn't help but gasp: this one was larger than the ordinary T-34 and had a unique profile resembling a "unicorn beetle." Due to his memorable combat experiences, he recognized it at a glance—Joseph Stalin 2 heavy tank!
In addition to outstanding defense, this type of Soviet heavy tank was equipped with a powerful 122mm caliber gun and had a mobility comparable to the German Tiger and Tiger II, yet its standard weight was only one ton more than the T-34/85—this would probably make German tank designers frustrated and German tank crews cry foul!
Although capable of sieging cities, the low-profile debut of the IS-2 did not charge forward. Instead, it silently made way for the breach, stopping alone more than 400 meters away from the ruins, with its high barrel slowly lowering, but not in salute to the defending German soldiers. Soon after, another IS-2 and two ISU-152s followed suit. Compared to the t-34s, these uniquely ugly behemoths remained silent before firing. After stopping where German anti-tank guns and rocket launchers couldn't reach, they calmly adjusted their positions and barrels. The posture even reminded people of golfers preparing to tee off!
As long as one's vision was normal, anyone on the ruins' side could easily spot the four "uninvited guests" across. Although IS-2 and ISU-152, with a total production of only three to four thousand each by early summer 1945, were considered "minor varieties" in the vast Soviet steel torrent, they still had the advantage over German Tigers and Tiger IIs, having participated in frontline battles after 1944 and becoming familiar faces to German officers and soldiers. Although no one shouted or spoke, Lin could still feel the change in the atmosphere of the battlefield—Soviet infantry became much quieter, with only the newly arrived T-34s shooting excessively towards the ruins, while the forward German anti-tank shooters sought more hidden positions to hide, and the rear machine gunners also simultaneously ceased fire. Only a few German soldiers armed with assault rifles and rifles were futilely hunting down the exposed parts of Soviet infantry in the ruins. What made Lin more uneasy was that a few German soldiers moving among the ruins were retreating, not advancing. Some were lightly wounded, some had lost their weapons, but none of these seemed to be sufficient reasons for a temporary withdrawal from their positions.
Once the thought of retreat arose, the hard-earned confidence began to waver. Yet, retreating at this time would significantly diminish one's image and trustworthiness among subordinates. After all, they pledged allegiance to the Emperor, and once one was no longer the brave and capable commander who could lead them to victory in tough battles, how many would risk following?
Thinking of this, Lin couldn't help but lament the brevity of time. If these soldiers had followed him for many years and developed a deep bond, he wouldn't need to be so cautious.
Just then, the adjusted Soviet heavy tanks and self-propelled artillery opened fire. Although they only had a few barrels, the 122mm and 152mm caliber shells made a world of difference with their powerful explosions. The intense blasts shook the ground, along with the already shattered buildings, creating a deafening noise that left unprotected soldiers with ringing ears, dazed minds, and internal organs enduring excruciating agony—the indirect injuries were just as devastating, as each heavy shell landing created instant destruction on rubble, debris, or human bodies.
Large craters appeared one after another, countless small fragments carried lethal kinetic energy, sweeping through like bullets, leaving even cement pillars with deep marks. When these fragments struck human bodies after passing through the ruins, the destructive power was no less than that of a dam bomb.
The Soviet artillery barrage lasted only 5 minutes, or to be precise, each IS-2 fired 11 to 12 shells, each ISU-152 fired 7 to 8 shells, and with the gunfire from several T-34s, the total number of shells fired by the Soviet attacking forces was about fifty, perhaps only a tenth of the strikes the dilapidated building had suffered before. However, when the gunfire ceased, the entire building was shrouded in gray-white smoke and dust, with faint coughing sounds heard and soldiers who had been stunned by the artillery staggering through the ruins, only to be knocked down by scattered bullets... "Damn! Cough... cough..."
Although Lin covered his mouth and nose temporarily with a handkerchief, he still felt as if he was suffocating, and the pungent smoke made breathing exceptionally difficult. If time were to slowly pass in such an environment, he could barely endure it, but his sober rationality made him feel heavy-hearted: the Soviet Union's ultimate assault was about to begin!
Many could anticipate this, but not necessarily guess the timing of the Soviet attack. As the smoke had not yet dispersed and the dust still lingered, the roaring sound of Soviet tanks starting became increasingly clear. Listening to the clanking treads, Lin struggled to lift his head, and suddenly the sharp and dense sound of gunfire rang out from nearby, bullets flew by without warning, their hissing sound like poisoned arrows, chilling to the bone. Shortly after, the surrounding gunfire, like an ambush attacking fiercely, rose to an extremely dense level in an instant, with the sounds of submachine guns and machine guns particularly prominent. A few seconds later, the explosions of grenades suddenly filled the air with an overwhelming force, but experienced soldiers could tell that these were the Germans' last efforts.
Lin struggled to rise, adjusting his assault rifle to automatic fire mode, fingers tight against the trigger. As soon as the Soviet soldiers emerged from the smoke, he would turn them into a hornet's nest in a split second. However, the first few figures and those that followed were all retreating comrades.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
The fearful shouts in German echoed in his ears, not just one, but forming a mutual response around him. Soon after, Lin realized that his companions were all retreating in panic, and the tide was already beyond anyone's control...