Steel Soviet Union

This kid Kulbalov got himself a whole battalion of Grizzly assault guns, which was the most unexpected thing for Malashenko.

Malashenko originally thought that Kulbalov might have seized a battalion of bison infantry guns or some German open-top self-propelled artillery. Compared with the Red Army's equipment of the same level, it is not powerful and advanced at all. Compared with the Red Army's similar equipment, these German support artillery are basically inferior garbage, but I really didn't expect that the equipment they got was actually grizzly bear.

Among the many derivative sub-models of the Panzer IV tank, the Grizzly assault gun can be said to be the most special among them, and of course the one with the most important battlefield role.

Similar to other types of German assault guns, the Grizzly removed the turret and extended the upper armor of the car body upwards, eventually covering the entire front of the fighting room. It also strengthened the physical thickness and adopted a sloping layout, so that the front armor of the Grizzly's fighting room was It has the defensive strength to withstand direct fire from Red Army tank guns with a caliber of less than 100 mm.

There is one thing to say, this level of defense is enough to cope with most not-so-difficult battles, ensuring that this assault gun tank that requires frontal attack operations has sufficient battlefield protection.

In addition to the frontal main armor protection that is much thicker than the original Panzer IV, the Grizzly Bear has also upgraded the extremely fragile side and rear armor of the Panzer IV. A super large body is attached with additional skirt armor to resist direct fire from light anti-tank weapons, such as some small-caliber direct-aimed artillery, or the more numerous and most common Red Army anti-tank rifles.

Judging from the protection of the Panzer IV tank body and chassis alone, the Grizzly Bear is definitely the one with the strongest defense and the best ability to withstand beatings among the entire Panzer IV tank family.

However, what this thing is really proud of is not the armor protection that is enough to cope with most battles, but its 150mm StuH 43 12-fold main gun, which is as thick and short as a pig's nose. A full-caliber high-explosive grenade with a projectile mass of 38 kilograms and a warhead charge of up to 8 kilograms.

Judging from the charge alone, Grizzly Bear's shells are almost the same as the high-explosive grenade charge of later generations of 155mm self-propelled howitzers. It is just slightly insufficient in terms of yield coefficient and cannot compare with those high-energy warhead devices of later generations in the 21st century. The actual explosive power will be slightly smaller, but it is still an absolute battlefield weapon with amazing power.

Because the projectile warhead has a huge charge, not only the ordinary Red Army infantry bunker fortifications cannot withstand this thing, even Malashenko's IS6 and even IS4 heavy tanks were hit by this thing. , the powerful 8-kilogram warhead charge explosion will also give the Red Army's steel behemoth an absolutely fatal and devastating blow.

If the main armor belt on the front is hit by a shot, the best result is that the tracks are broken and the barrel is exploded. The tank is paralyzed on the spot and cannot move, and is forced to withdraw from the battle. If the situation is worse, the overpressure can be penetrated into the car through the gap between the turret and the car body and the driver's observation window, and the driver at the front of the car body can be killed in just one breath.

As for whether the guys in the turret at the rear of the vehicle are okay, it all depends on Comrade Stalin's blessing.

The result of a single shot to the front armor of the fighting room, which has the strongest defense, is already so bad. If the curved projectile hits the top of the head, no matter whether you are IS6 or IS4, the result of flying head on the spot is nothing to brag about. The premise is that it can really hit Hit.

Also because the barrel is too thick and short, the Grizzly Bear can not only perform direct-aim shooting, but can also use the assistance of friendly units to perform some tricky tasks that are difficult for conventional assault guns, such as hunting cattle across the mountain from behind the blind spot. The concealment is absolutely first-class, and it is also very safe, enough to avoid most enemy retaliatory firepower, as long as you choose your position well enough.

In addition, both the Panzer IV chassis and the 150 mm caliber main gun are off-the-shelf products, with mature technology, guaranteed quality and reliable performance, and no problems in terms of versatility and logistical support.

Therefore, compared with the various expensive new cars produced by the Germans in the past two years, Malashenko actually feels that the Grizzly Bear is the one that can truly enable frontline troops to quickly form combat effectiveness, and provide practical stability after the combat effectiveness is formed. nice one. If the Germans can develop a main battle vehicle according to this design idea, the troubles they will encounter will definitely increase a lot.

Fortunately, even if the Grizzly is mass-produced, it is only a special armored combat vehicle with a very low output. The limited number of vehicles cannot affect the outcome of the battle. At most, it is in a certain battle or overall strategy. To slightly delay the progress of the German army into destruction, to delay it for some time, that's all.

If Malashenko remembers correctly, the grizzly bear himself saw records of being put into actual combat and participating in frontal battlefields in the combat briefing shared by the brothers last year. It should have made its first appearance in the Battle of Kursk. It's just that because the number is too small, its performance in the overall battle is mediocre. Even the Red Army troops who have seen this thing are only a few.

In addition, the Germans are very protective of this new type of special armored combat vehicle. If the battle situation is slightly unfavorable, the Grizzly assault gun combat unit, which is fairly maneuverable, will immediately be prioritized. The grizzly bear's reliable traveling device and mechanical structure are not prone to breaking down on the battlefield, so there is no problem in terms of running away.

Therefore, even though the Battle of Kursk ended with a strategic victory for the Red Army, none of the Red Army troops participating in the war captured this thing, let alone carrying out actual research after getting it. After the war, only some eyewitness reports lacking evidence and information were briefly mentioned. Malashenko also came to the conclusion "Oh, there is such a thing" after reading the reports, and nothing else.

Therefore, it was the first time in history for Malashenko to have close contact with a real Grizzly assault gun.

Looking at the tall, fat "big guy" in front of him, Malashenko had to admit that although this thing looked silly, black and rough, it was still very impressive if he stood up close and felt it. It has a sense of power and can be called mighty and domineering. The thick and short 150mm large tube alone looks powerful enough.

"Which unit does this German guy belong to? Have you found out?"

He reached out and patted the cold armor of the big steel man in front of him, which was so brand new that even the skirt and armor had not been scratched. He was curious as to whether this was the horse of the German army that was so "talented" and threw the enemy at the enemy without firing a single shot. Shenke couldn't help but asked curiously.

"It's been found out, Comrade Division Commander. The German battalion deputy made it clear that their designation is the 218th Independent Assault Artillery Battalion of the National Defense Forces."