"121 paratroopers? Hold off a large number of American tanks here? Brandt looked at his boss and smiled bitterly: "Lieutenant, it looks like we're going to die on Newfoundland." Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ”

"Don't worry, there will be armored forces to support us." Brandt's boss patted his chest and assured, "The ZSO523 transport plane has sent us a lot of tanks and tank destroyers, and with them, the Yankees are no opponent!" ”

"If only that were the case." Brandt was still not very optimistic about the Nazi invasion of Newfoundland, but he nodded his head at his superiors.

"No problem," said the company commander with a smile, "the tanks and tank destroyers supporting us will arrive soon, and some supplies and weapons will be sent to us." ”

The tanks, tank destroyers, supplies and replenishment of weapons that the company commander said soon arrived. There were 1 No. 4H tank and 1 E-25 tank destroyer...... It's a little panicked, but there's no way, who told Admiral Shipper to put out only one assault battalion and put it into defense? The assault battalion had only 14 operational E-25 tank destroyers and 15 No. 4H tanks. It was not easy to send 1 tank and 1 tank destroyer to Brandt's company.

The tanks and tank destroyers that came to support were a little less, but the supplies and weapons and ammunition that were sent were satisfactory. Three American Dodge trucks arrived along with the two tanks/tank destroyers.

Two of the trucks each were pulling a 57mm anti-tank gun - weapons captured from the Americans. The compartment was also loaded with a number of 57mm shells, 50 anti-tank mines, 50 anti-infantry mines, as well as two M2 Browning large-caliber heavy machine guns and several thousand rounds of machine gun ammunition, as well as two 60mm mortars and more than 100 shells.

The German invaders were stunned by the contents of the other truck—it was a whole truckload of U.S. Army K rations. It was captured from an air base occupied by Brandt and others. The rations were packed in large wooden boxes with the "KS" logo on them.

Inside the box was a day's worth of marching rations for 12 people. These include butter, biscuits, cheese, sugar, jam, instant coffee, chocolate, chewing gum, canned ham, canned luncheon meat, canned beef, flakes, cigarettes, can openers, spoons, napkins, matches, and more. Packed in brown, green, and blue boxes, these goodies were generously portioned, and they all tasted so good that they were much better than the German field rations—and the supply in Europe, though much better than it was historically, was still far worse than in the United States.

After enjoying a box of American rations (a box of 36 rations for 12 people for a day, but Brandt's men did not care so much, they took out one and divided one of them, and they were all fed), the Germans, who had regained their strength and energy, began to set up defenses.

Brandt's platoon was placed in the middle of a two-kilometer defensive strip, with 36 officers and men plus one 57mm anti-tank gun and one 60mm mortar (neither the 57mm nor the 60mm mortar had a dedicated crew, but artillery-trained paratroopers to serve as the position) to guard the front of about 700 meters. The two tank/tank destroyers were not under Brandt's command, but were controlled by the company commander, and a platoon of the reserve was placed behind the main defensive position for a while.

It is said to be a defensive position, but in fact there are no fortifications, just some foxholes and 2 artillery bunkers with sandbags for 57mm guns. 60mm mortars were deployed behind the main position and were used as support fire. The 100 mines were buried in the front of the 700-metre-wide line.

In addition to a 57mm recoilless gun, Brandt's soldiers had a number of Iron Fist anti-tank grenade launchers that could be used against American tanks. These "Iron Fists" are the latest models of Iron Fist-150, with an effective range of up to 150 meters and an armor-piercing depth of 220mm. That is, at a range of 150 meters, the German paratroopers were not afraid of any American tank.

While the German paratroopers were hastily arranging the defensive line, dozens of kilometers away, on the road, American armored units marching with their headlights on lined up a marching line that could not be seen as far as the eye could see. U.S. Army 16th Armored Division Commander Morris. Sitting in a jeep, Major General Ross triumphantly said to an adviser in the uniform of the Soviet Red Army (because the U.S. Army was extremely inexperienced in mechanized warfare, so Roosevelt brought in many Soviet advisers while he was alive): "The Germans must not have known that we had so many tanks deployed on the island of Newfoundland, otherwise they would never have dared to drop the paratroopers." Now it's good that my tank troops can sweep away the paratroopers who don't have much heavy equipment, and they will lose this battle. ”

The Soviet adviser nodded, and Major General Ross was right. The Germans on Newfoundland were determined to lose, even if they dropped 100 or 200 tanks, they would not be able to defeat the American army with more than 2,000 tanks/tank destroyers, and even if the Germans could send an armored division, they would not be able to win.

However, out of "awe" for the German army, the Soviet adviser still kindly reminded: "General, the infantry of the Germans also has strong anti-tank capabilities, and their iron-fisted anti-tank grenade launchers are very powerful, which once made the Soviet tank troops suffer a lot." ”

"We're not afraid," said Rear Admiral Ross, turning around and pointing to an M4A3 "Sherman" tank with bulletproof grilles welded to the frontal armor plates, "and we've found a way to deal with the iron fist, and...... We also have a lot of tanks, enough for us to afford more than 100% equipment loss! ”

Theoretically, the Americans have endless tanks! Because the basis of the tank industry is the automobile industry and the tractor industry. The United States is far superior to Europe in both areas, producing more than 5 million cars in 1929, while Europe did not pass the million car (including half-track) mark until 1944. This five-fold gap determines the huge advantage of the United States in the production of armored vehicles.

And in the past 1944, the American arsenal produced 22,000 M4 series medium tanks, 7,000 M10 tank destroyers, 2,000 M36 tank destroyers, 1,500 M26 heavy tanks, 10,000 M3/M5/M24 series light tanks, 2,000 M18 tank destroyers, if you count the production of M7 self-propelled guns, M12 self-propelled guns and various self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, In 1944, the Americans successfully produced a total of 55,000 tanks/tank destroyers/self-propelled guns!

Moreover, the United States also had a total production of tanks / tank destroyers / self-propelled guns in 1943 as in 44, and in the first months of 1945, American arsenals were also operating at full capacity.

Most of these tanks/tank destroyers/self-propelled guns that have been produced are still in existence, either equipped with troops or stored in warehouses for later use.

Now the number of tanks / tank destroyers / self-propelled guns owned (including in stock) by the US Army and Marine Corps has long exceeded 100,000 units! And every month, 4,600 brand new tanks/tank destroyers/self-propelled guns roll off the production line.

With so many tanks/tank destroyers/self-propelled guns, it was impossible for the Germans to land in North America. And the Americans are not afraid of the loss of equipment at all - they can produce 10 armored divisions of equipment a month, and they still have 200 armored divisions of equipment in stock, which is not at all afraid of consumption.

Of course, tankmen who drive tanks are not so easy to produce. So it really made the Germans' 25 armored divisions drive to North America, and most of the Americans couldn't bear it. But where is it so easy for armored divisions to be transported to North America? It was all a dead and heavy army, and a division would probably need hundreds of thousands of tons of freighters to load, and it was a joke to use airplanes to transport them.

Even if the Germans barely transported dozens to more than a hundred tanks to Newfoundland with giant transport aircraft, it was not an armored division...... The Panzer Division can include not only tanks/tank destroyers, but also a large number of transport, auxiliary and fire support equipment, up to 2000 vehicles of all kinds! In addition, there are a large number of spare parts and spare vehicles, which is the only way to ensure the continuous operation of the armored division.

And what the Germans are doing now is to maintain combat effectiveness for 2-3 days, and they simply cannot afford to wear it down for a long time.

So the confidence of Major General Ross is not unreasonable! From the point of view of fighting a conventional war, the United States is unlikely to lose on the island of Newfoundland.

……

"Colonel, we've defeated them!"

At the same time, outside a wooded area outside Port Cabernier, a major of the German Airborne Forces was excitedly shouting at Colonel Skorzny.

Just now, an armored group of more than 80 E-25 tank destroyers and No. 4H tanks engaged in fierce battles with dozens of tank/tank destroyers of the Americans on the outskirts of Port Cabernier. With the help of night vision devices and powerful anti-tank fire of the E-25, the battle was fought without suspense and was quickly won. The Americans dropped thirty-four flaming chariots and retreated in panic into the city of Port Cabernier.

"It seems that the Americans have relied too much on their tanks and tank destroyers," Skorzny said to his major as he watched the retreat of the Americans while holding up a night market binocular...... However, it is normal to deploy in this way, and the fronts of those terraces are steep cliffs, and it is impossible to land. And although the back of the mesa is relatively flat, how could they have thought that our tanks would fall from the sky behind them? ”

He paused and ordered loudly: "Let the brother prepare, we are going to attack the port of Cabernier!" ”