Matilda

The commander might have considered two reasons for launching the attack on Tengerten without artillery support:

On one hand, there were no visible targets like trenches, bunkers, or barbed wire around the perimeter that were worth bombing.

The troops were carrying a limited amount of ammunition, and as a penetration force, they could foresee that they wouldn't be resupplied for quite some time, so conserving ammunition was crucial.

On the other hand, the commander hoped to capture Tengerten intact, allowing the troops to use the buildings for cover rather than ending up with a pile of rubble. Additionally, they hoped to seize any ammunition stored in Tengerten for their own use.

However, the Germans underestimated the enemy; the armed forces inside Tengerten were not as weak as they had imagined.

The assault troops advanced toward Tengerten at a speed of about ten yards, initially in a single column, but quickly spreading out into three columns to encircle Tengerten... This was the standard German attack formation. If possible, the flanking German troops would penetrate the rear of the target to attack the enemy's weak points.

The civilians outside Tengerten quickly noticed the Germans running toward them. They screamed and fled back into the town, and in their panic, a few women dressed in black dropped the water jars they were balancing on their heads. Qin Chuan seemed to see clear water spilling from the broken jars and soaking into the sand.

This was a good sign; it indicated that the enemy was unprepared. Otherwise, the sound of gunfire would have already erupted.

However, the actions of these civilians were not wise. In this situation, they should have stayed outside the town... the German soldiers wouldn't waste bullets shooting at civilians, but the town was about to become a battlefield.

As expected, the soldiers encountered no resistance as they charged into the town... It was only after entering that the German soldiers realized there were British troops on the outskirts of Tengerten, but they were too frightened to open fire.

The British were few in number, almost like sentinels, and they were clearly terrified by the sudden appearance of so many German troops. Their first instinct was to raise their hands and surrender.

But it made no difference. The Germans unhesitatingly shot them... They had no intention of taking prisoners because they knew that after occupying Tengerten, a fierce battle would ensue. They weren't even sure if they would survive the day, so they certainly wouldn't leave British prisoners behind to cause trouble.

Then the gunfire grew more intense. Some British prisoners, realizing that surrendering wouldn't save their lives, tried to pick up their guns and resist, but German bullets quickly brought them down.

Later, the Germans realized this was a mistake because the gunfire alerted the British forces inside Tengerten, allowing them to prepare for battle—and they were the real threat.

Bazell thought the battle was almost over, so he loudly ordered, "Search every house, drag out and eliminate every British soldier you can find!"

This was understandable. If the Germans were to garrison and fortify the town, they first needed to ensure that there were no enemies left inside to cause trouble. Otherwise, they would face not only a two-front battle but also an assault from within.

The troops advanced along the streets, searching as they went. Everything proceeded smoothly; the British were clearly unprepared and had no time to blend in with the civilians, so most of the houses contained only civilians. The German soldiers simply dragged them out and gathered them in one place to keep them under control.

Qin Chuan felt uneasy facing these pitiful civilians because he felt he had no right to do so... breaking down their doors, dragging them out of their homes, and seizing their food and water.

But this was war, and Qin Chuan knew that these civilians' homes were destined to become ruins because the Germans had chosen this place as a battlefield, making it a ground for strategic maneuvering between both sides.

It seemed unfair to the Libyan residents. They had done nothing to offend the Germans or the British; they just wanted to live on this land, but they were helplessly caught in the crossfire of great powers.

Just then, Kuhn, who was leading the way, suddenly signaled for the troops to stop. Qin Chuan noticed the sound of an engine coming from around the corner... it wasn't very noticeable amid the gunfire and the civilians' cries.

In fact, it was because Qin Chuan was used to the sound of car engines in the modern world that he didn't perceive it as a dangerous signal.

But on reflection... in a place like Tengerten, civilians couldn't possibly have cars, and the German vehicles were behind them. The British wouldn't drive cars to fight either, so there was only one possibility: it was a British tank.

"Take cover!" Kuhn shouted. "Tanks!"

It was only then that Qin Chuan realized what was in front of him and quickly ducked to the side.

Sure enough, a dark tank barrel emerged from around the corner, followed by the thunderous roar of a shell being fired.

Qin Chuan could even feel the rush of wind and heat as the shell flew past him... it was almost unimaginable. If it were shown in slow motion, you could see the shell passing within a meter of Qin Chuan, striking a building a few dozen meters away.

Another loud explosion followed, sending shrapnel and debris flying. Qin Chuan saw a dozen or so German soldiers buried under the collapsing building, disappearing in an instant without even having time to cry out.

Qin Chuan then realized he was almost fully exposed to the tank's firepower, so he quickly turned and kicked open the door of a nearby house, rushing inside.

The dark interior immediately filled with frightened cries from seven or eight civilians, mostly women and children. Among them was a bearded man holding a kitchen knife... yes, a kitchen knife!

Qin Chuan had no time to deal with them. He quickly scanned the room, dragged a table to the wall, and climbed onto it with his rifle. He then peered through a ventilation hole... he didn't dare look out the window, knowing that was where the enemy's machine guns and infantry would be focusing their fire.

Sure enough, a few German soldiers quickly took up positions at the windows, but before they could pull the trigger, a volley of bullets shattered the windows, killing them instantly.

The ventilation hole, being higher up, gave Qin Chuan a view that the enemy overlooked.

But the enemy didn't anticipate one thing: the ventilation hole offered a clear view of the tank...

The "Matilda" tank was 2.5 meters tall, and Qin Chuan could see the tank's turret passing by in front of him, occasionally swiveling with a "clank" to adjust its angle.

Without hesitation, Qin Chuan pulled an M4 grenade from his belt, armed it, and tossed it out of the ventilation hole.