Chapter 714: German-Soviet War (54)

As the saying goes, "the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment." President Wilkie, who had high hopes for the ice aircraft carrier, felt that God seemed to have played a not-so-funny joke on him, and it turned out to be an absurd farce in the end.

On the way back, he had a gloomy face and didn't say a word; but when he returned to the temporary office base outside Washington, another not-so-good news was waiting for him.

"The newly developed M1 60mm rocket launcher is ineffective against German tanks? How could this be?! Could it be that the Soviet soldiers did not master the correct method of use?" The expeditionary force commander Eisenhower personally sent a telegram to "complain" about the problem of the M1 60mm rocket launcher, saying that in the mouths of Soviet soldiers, this rocket launcher was not even as good as a fire stick, which was simply a disgrace to the United States.

Marshall shook his head. "It shouldn't be. I've studied this rocket. The operation method is quite simple. Just aim at the enemy tank and pull the trigger. Not to mention soldiers, even ordinary people can easily learn it. It may be that the German armor is too thick, and the rocket is not powerful enough to penetrate it." Although this M1 60mm rocket launcher claims to be able to penetrate 130mm thick steel plates, the actual combat effect can only penetrate 80-90mm at most. As long as the thickness of the German armor exceeds this amount, the rocket launcher will naturally be helpless against it.

President Wilkie frowned slightly. "What can I do?" This newly produced rocket launcher is actually ineffective, which is really a bit depressing.

MacArthur on the side spoke up. "The solution is simple. Since the current rocket launchers are not powerful enough, we should increase the caliber of the rocket launchers, preferably more than 80 mm like the German "tank killer". In this way, the penetration should be more than 200 mm, which can deal with German tanks."

"How long will it take to develop it?"

"Since we have the experience of developing the M1 60mm rocket launcher, I think it will take less than a month."

"Then develop a large-caliber rocket launcher as soon as possible."

At this time, the secretary came in with a document. "Mr. President, the fire on Oahu is out. This is the damage report."

"..."Everyone's face was not very good, and President Wilkie's hand even trembled slightly when he opened the document. The fire burned for seven days and seven nights. Everything on the island was burned, causing countless property losses and casualties. Fortunately, the fire did not trigger a volcanic eruption on the island, otherwise the island of Hawaii would probably disappear from the map.

The first to bear the brunt of the loss was naturally the 7.2 million tons of fuel. What is the concept of 7.2 million tons? When Germany launched the war in 1939 in the original time and space, the reserve of refined oil was only 2.4 million tons.

Some fighters took off to intercept German fighters (although none of them were shot down). These fighters that took off escaped by luck, but the fighters, bombers, torpedo planes, reconnaissance planes, etc. that remained on the ground could not escape. The number of aircraft destroyed by the fire exceeded 500.

There are also various buildings, vehicles, facilities, and supplies. Everything that can be burned was burned to ashes.

Next is the casualties. Looking at the terrible number, President Wilkie felt a pain in his heart, and his hands unconsciously covered his chest. Beads of sweat kept flowing down his cheeks.

"Come on, call a doctor!" Everyone hurriedly called a doctor, and after a diagnosis, the doctor said. "Mr. President has a mild heart attack and needs to rest for a while."

"Oh my God!" Marshall couldn't help but pat his forehead. The previous President Roosevelt suffered from severe hypertension and heart disease. How come President Wilkie also has heart disease? "Then let Mr. President have a good rest."

On the German-Soviet battlefield, in a small village west of Smolensk.

"German tanks!" A Soviet soldier looked at the German tanks rushing over from a distance and loudly reminded his comrades around him. "Prepare for battle!" There was a bit of panic in his voice. They didn't have any decent anti-tank weapons here, only a few bottles of incendiary bombs. They were a little nervous to use these things to deal with German tanks.

But it was not the German jackal tanks or leopard tanks that came, but several hunter destroyers and assault guns equipped with 88mm cannons on the chassis of jackal tanks, followed by a group of infantry.

These destroyers and assault guns stopped not far from the entrance of the village and fired at the village with howitzers. The first to suffer were the small houses at the entrance of the village. Seeing the houses used as shelters around them being blown up one after another, several Soviet soldiers could only retreat to the defense point in the center of the village.

The defense point in the center of the village was built on the basis of a small church. As soon as they ran to the vicinity of the church, the political commissar on the second floor of the church shouted to drive them away. "No retreat! Go back to your position!"

One of the three retreating Soviet soldiers replied with a tall soldier. "Comrade Political Commissar, the German tanks are coming and our position has been destroyed."

"No retreat!" The Political Commissar obviously didn't want to listen to his explanation and pulled out his pistol and pointed it at them. "Have you forgotten Comrade Stalin's Order No. 270? If you take another step back, you will be shot! Go back now and stick to your post! Eliminate as many enemies as possible!"

Damn, isn't this just letting them die in vain? !

The eyes of the other two Soviet soldiers flashed with a trace of ferocity, and they slowly tightened their guns.

"Yes, Comrade Political Commissar, we will go back now." The tall soldier pulled the other two soldiers back and ran, shouting as he ran. "Are you crazy?! If we are charged with treason, our families will suffer."

One of the soldiers spat in anger. "With his bastard character, even if we die in the battle, maybe that bastard will write us as traitors with a stroke of his pen. Where can we go to seek justice then?!"

Another soldier echoed. "Yes, whether he is a martyr or a traitor depends on his words. The superiors will only listen to him."

The tall soldier was stunned when he heard it, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face. After hesitating for a few seconds, he pulled them to the back of the house next to him.

At this time, the German tank destroyer and assault gun had slowly entered the village. A Soviet machine gun position suddenly fired at them. The bullets hit the front armor of the tank destroyer and made a crackling sound, but only left some shallow marks. However, the Soviet machine gunner did not intend to move his position and continued to fire, as if the tank destroyer could be destroyed in the next second.

Although the main gun of the Hunter can only rotate at a limited angle (11 degrees to the right and only 5 degrees to the left), this machine gun position is just within the shooting range of the destroyer. Without turning the entire vehicle to aim, the main gun quickly fired a grenade, and the Soviet machine gun position was submerged in an explosion.

The German soldiers advancing behind suddenly saw a wooden stick sticking out from behind the ruins not far away. A white cloth strip was tied to one end of the stick and kept shaking.

"Hans, take two people to have a look!"

"Yes!" Hans picked a soldier who could speak Russian and touched the ruins.

When he came to the ruins, Hans pulled out a grenade and held it in his hand, and winked at another soldier.

The soldier shouted in unskilled Russian. "Put down your weapons and come out!"

Three Mosin-Nagant rifles were thrown out, and then three Soviet soldiers with their hands raised came out.