"John Ringo - The Legacy of the Aldenata 7 - Watch On The Rhine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ringo John)

Though he stood alone, and though his tank was alone, the black-
uniformed soldier knew no fear. If he had ever known true fear there were
no witnesses to tell of it. His comrades had never seen it and few of his
enemies could have detected it, even had they lived.

Neither, so far as the soldier could tell, had the enemy detected his tank.

It took him scant moments to reach his decision. With a roar hidden by
the mass of the enemy's idling engines the driver started the engine and
headed for a cart track to the left of the enemy column. Already the
gunner, Wohl, was swinging his turret to the right.

"Take the first one, Balthazar," ordered the soldier, the commander.

"The half-track?" asked Wohl, incredulously. "It can't hurt us."

"I know. But by blocking the road it can help us."

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"Ahhh . . . I see, Herr Hauptmann," answered Wohl, returning his
attention to his sight. He whispered, "Come on, baby . . . just a little
more . . ." then shouted into his microphone, "Target!"

"Fire."

The eighty-eight millimeter, L56 gun belched smoke and flame.
Downrange, at the head of the enemy column, a British half-track was
thrown violently across the road, blocking it. The half-track caught fire
and began emitting great plumes of smoke of its own.

Onward the Tiger roared, its gun belching death and destruction at a
fantastic rate. Tanks, Bren Carriers and half-tracks were smashed with
each round. At this range Wohl couldn't miss. The enemy, blocked by the
wrecked half-track, could not advance. Neither, given the narrowness of
the road and its border of trees, could they easily retreat. Instead, they
simply died.

A lone enemy tank swung into the path. In a race against time the two
hostile turrets and guns swung towards each other. Though Wohl
trembled slightly, the commander did not. The Tiger proved the faster of
the two and yet another British machine went up in smoke and fire.

The way into the town was clear. Though built-up areas were death
ground to a tank, the commander felt no fear. He directed his driver into
the town. There the Tiger met three more British tanks. Boom . . .