Chapter 16: The Soul of the Iron Cross
The intact runway, like a landing field prepared specifically for the "Black Dragon," saw this legendary behemoth descend with complete disregard for the myriad dots rising from the ground, the chaos of the battlefield, and the tangled struggles typical of conventional combat. Amidst the flying sand and stones, it landed with an imposing air!
The battlefield suddenly fell silent for a moment. Soldiers from both sides, entrenched in fierce combat, watched in astonishment at this breathtaking sight, momentarily forgetting the weapons in their hands!
Standing amidst a small creek, German Air Force Colonel Hans Logan felt the proudest. Without his efforts, it would have taken another eight months for these heavy gliders to take flight. Yet, he would never have the chance to partake in actual airborne operations throughout his lifetime!
Although only three freshly tested prototypes were deployed at the moment, their overwhelming presence exceeded all expectations!
Alright, let the Brits witness what it means to have a godsend! Logan thought. It was fortunate that Dr. Friedrich's "ambition" was vast enough. The heavy gliders he designed had a maximum payload capacity of 22 tons – the most advanced tank in the German arsenal at the moment, the Panzer IV D, weighed in at 20 tons in combat configuration, with room for over a ton of safety padding inside the hull.
Indeed, the cargo hold of the gliders housed none other than the famous Panzer IV tank, not the thinly armored Type I or II tanks equipped only with machine guns or autocannons. In Logan's words, it was a "one-shot deal"!
With all eyes on it, the "Black Dragon" settled at the northern end of the runway, its fuselage painted black, adorned with prominent iron cross insignias on its body and wings. The most impressive moment belonged to Colonel Logan, who stood in a small stream. Without his efforts, these heavy gliders wouldn't have taken to the skies until eight months later. Yet, he'd never have the chance to partake in actual airborne operations throughout his lifetime!
Though the scene was awe-inspiring, there were no flamboyant flames or scenes of Transformers-like transformations as the "Black Dragon" came to a halt. It was eerily quiet, like a meteorite from outer space that had exhausted all its energy before impact.
A deathly silence!
Moments later, the people on the battlefield snapped out of their trance, only to be greeted by the cacophony of gunfire once again. The "Vickers 6-ton Tank" that had just slaughtered several German paratroopers hastily turned its guns towards the "Black Dragon" within its range, unleashing a fierce barrage.
Bullets from the machine guns swept past, emitting a faint "puff" as they pierced through the aircraft's skin!
Inside the glider, there was no movement. Most of the bullets, even after penetrating, didn't exit the other side. The rectangular cargo compartment seemed like a mysterious black hole, swallowing up the dense bullets fired by the Vickers Mk.E (A) tank!
Under the suppressive fire from the British, the German soldiers, including those around Logan, began to show a shift in their excited expressions: from anticipation to doubt, even to disappointment. Had the landing been too intense, causing their comrades inside to be stunned or killed?
As time passed, even Logan's face began to show signs of anxiety.
The two machine guns in the Vickers Mk.E's dual turrets continued to roar until their belts of 250 rounds were depleted, temporarily calming down. However, the British onslaught didn't end there. Sensing their prey, a strange contraption resembling an armored truck appeared from another direction. Due to substantial equipment losses in France, the British had converted various vehicles into armored cars during the summer of 1940, using all sorts of weapons. Behind the driver's cab, a prominent feature was a Lewis air-cooled machine gun with a thick barrel – the primary weapon of British fighter aircraft during World War I!
The decrepit "Lewis" machine gun, not content with silence, opened fire. Bullets rattled towards the glider's nose, shattering the glass canopy, but there was no trace of a pilot in the damaged cockpit!
Logan suddenly heard a faint sound of an engine. Was that the heartbeat of the beast?
Even though it was at least 500 meters away, he believed he heard it.
Swoosh... Boom!
The familiar sound came, and Logan instinctively lowered his head. Initially, he thought it was the anti-aircraft gun in a horizontal firing position, but moments later, he stared in disbelief as a British armored car, converted from a truck, appeared at the edge of the airfield. Its carriage lowered a shield, and before the smoke from the explosive charge dissipated, it was evident that the previous shell was fired from the small-caliber infantry gun inside!
Facing the threat from the German side, the British truly showcased their imagination to the fullest!
As Logan began to speculate on why the other two "Black Dragon" gliders had yet to arrive, the damaged one not far away seemed to have new activity. He quickly raised his binoculars.
In his line of sight, the thick tank body's shield appeared first from the still-smoking hole in the nose, followed closely by the 24-caliber 75mm gun of the Panzer IV, almost simultaneously with the prominent black-and-white Iron Cross emblem on the side of the vehicle – the unique symbol of the German Army!
This scene couldn't help but remind Logan of an idiom: rebirth through fire!
Tanks weren't phoenixes, but on this battlefield, they were even more miraculous than phoenixes!
The vehicle hadn't fully left the cabin, but the massive turret was already turning slowly. The door of the "Black Dragon" had been situated in the lower front part of the fuselage, and regardless of whether it had been jammed before, the British had just given this fully armed Panzer IV the opportunity to open its door. Now it was the German tankers' turn to "repay the favor"!
The machine guns on the Vickers 6-ton tank continued to roar, but their effect was nothing more than leaving shallow marks on the thick armor of the Panzer IV!
Perhaps even while still inside the cockpit, the German tank crews had already become familiar with the rhythm of these machine guns. The barrels quickly found their targets, and when the massive vehicle abruptly stopped its advance, there was almost no delay before it spewed forth a burst of flames!
Although these young men from the Fuhrer's Guard Armored Battalion had no real experience in airborne operations before (previously, airborne units were equipped with at most Panzer II tanks), after a week of intensified training, they seemed to have overcome their fear and disorientation of boarding the aircraft. Their first shot showcased the quality of the Waffen-SS armored units, instilling fear and trepidation in the hearts of the British, and more importantly, it demonstrated Germany's soaring ambition!
Armor-piercing shells effortlessly tore through the 13-millimeter-thick armor on the front of the Vickers 6-ton tank. The subsequent explosion ripped open a horrifyingly large hole in its vulnerable hull, resembling the opening of a can. A thick tongue of flame emerged from the driver's hatch, and under the force of the massive explosion, the turret hatch was forcibly thrown open. Following this, starting from the rear engine position, the entire tank was engulfed in dense black smoke and flames.
Most chillingly, not a single one of the three crew members managed to escape!