Munitions Empire

Chapter 552 Novice in Exercise 514

Liu Guozhu was very satisfied with his position, as it was the first time he had come across such an advanced war machine.

For such a skinny young man like him, Tank No. 4 was indeed a behemoth.

This tank was equipped with the most advanced communication equipment, with frontal armor exceeding 60 millimeters, which was incomparable to those tanks and armored vehicles from other countries.

Having the chance to command such a tank filled Liu Guozhu with happiness. He could never have dreamed that one day he would be able to maneuver a steel beast across the battlefield.

Initially, he could have chosen a safer position because he had studied literature and technology in school, which would have allowed him to stay in a safer rear area.

But he had no hesitation whatsoever and enlisted at the first opportunity during the draft selection, becoming an honored member of the Armored Troops.

Because he was educated and understood various terminologies, was able to execute tactical orders, and could read operation manuals, he was appointed as the tank commander, responsible for commanding Tank No. 4.

When he first set eyes on this gigantic beast, he was completely stunned by the steel monster before him. But once he truly learned how to command such a tank, he fell deeply in love with this advanced war machine.

Honestly speaking, being in the Armored Troops wasn't that great, and wasn't comfortable at all. When the hatches were closed for battlefield maneuvers, the inside of the tank was just like a huge sauna.

The heat from the engine churned in the cramped space, making every soldier unable to resist stripping off their upper clothing to fight bare-chested. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

Due to insufficient smoke extraction equipment, after firing, a pungent, unpleasant odor instantly filled the tank and lingered for a long time.

The dim lighting inside the tank was merely symbolic, dimly lit and only getting used to after extended training sessions.

However, compared to the infantry who only had steel helmets, at least they had a thick steel plate in front of them to shield them from bullets whizzing directly towards them.

It was precisely for these reasons that Tank No. 4 was designed with as many as five hatches, allowing all members the chance to stick their heads out to get some air when it wasn't too dangerous.

Such a plethora of hatches significantly impacted protection, but even so, Tank No. 4 was still considered the best-protected tank in the world—without equal!

Having so many hatches had its advantages; for one, crew members could rapidly escape the tank if it was destroyed, and on the other hand, it indeed made it easier to resupply ammunition.

Compared to the first generation of Tank No. 4, Tang Mo made some basic improvements. One of which was the installation of a stowage box at the back of the turret.

This stowage box was supposed to be added in subsequent upgrades, but Tang Mo went ahead and installed it on the first generation of Tank No. 4, providing some extra storage space for less important items.

To maintain secrecy, the Armored Corps of the Great Tang Kingdom were deployed in rather desolate areas, with other troops on alert nearby.

Within this scarcely visited military restricted zone, new commanders like Liu Guozhu tirelessly trained in the basic operations of the tank.

Thanks to the most intuitive and experienced World War II German Army tank operation manual, the Armored Corps of the Tang Kingdom had a wealth of real combat experience from the start.

Fatefully reaching the battlefield, they immediately fell into a passive situation due to the terrain, and vehicle one was 'killed' by the enemy upon entering their position.

"Turn around! Follow me! We're going to charge through the side of the position!" Having turned in an open space, Liu Guozhu discussed with the commander of tank two.

"I'll listen to you!" The commander of tank two, who was a rookie like Liu, had no idea what to do at this moment and was happy to follow someone's lead. After all, it was just an exercise. Whether it went well or poorly, he wasn't going to lose his life, right?

After finally circumventing the mound, a vast area finally opened up before them. Through the gaps of the observation window, Liu Guozhu managed to get a rough grasp of the battlefield!

"Eleven o'clock direction! Eleven o'clock direction! Enemy tank spotted!" he alerted his gunner loudly, then ordered his driver, "Turn! Face the enemy head-on! Face the enemy!"

After issuing two commands, a thought suddenly flashed in Liu Guozhu's mind: It was unlikely that the enemy tank would expose its side in such an open area!

In the blink of an eye, he immediately revised his command: "Stop rotating the turret! Stop! Look carefully at the flank! Search carefully! There must be a tank covering at two o'clock! Watch out!

Tank two! Tank two! Do you see anything? Do you see anything?"

"I don't see anything but bushes, I can't see anything else!" The commander of tank two became anxious, ceaselessly searching for potential targets.

"Tank two is destroyed! Stop the tank! You're out!" the referee's voice came, and Liu Guozhu knew he was now left as the only rookie.

"Two o'clock direction! Suspected camouflaged bushes, coaxial machine gun fire to confirm target!" Liu Guozhu loudly reported his actions.

"... Shot effective, camouflage confirmed," the referee announced after a brief two-second silence.

"Fire!" Liu Guozhu immediately ordered his gunner, who also shouted over the radio, "Fire!"

"Attack judgement effective!" This time without hesitation, the referee immediately declared, "One enemy tank destroyed..."

"Ten o'clock direction! Ten o'clock direction!" After eliminating the threat on his right side, Liu Guozhu immediately ordered to rotate the turret.

Unfortunately, he was still one step too late; the referee group's decision came through the headset: "You've been hit, you are out!"

"Damn it!" Liu Guozhu pounded his fist against the side of the cannon's breech, very dissatisfied with his performance.

Having lost three tanks on his side and knocked out only one of the enemy's, this looked like a crushing defeat.

"Not bad fighting!" Surprisingly, over the radio, his platoon leader seemed quite sanguine, and as the exercise had ended, he simply encouraged him over the radio: "Managing to knock out one enemy tank is already very good."

Liu Guozhu hadn't come to his senses; he paused, lifted the hatch over his head, and saw that the enemy tank camouflaged as a bush had also opened its top hatch.

The opponent gave him a friendly thumbs up.