novelSusiti Chapter 52 I suddenly felt like saying something to them
Chapter 52 I suddenly felt like saying something to them
After an in-depth conversation with Major Cross, Thorne discovered that the internal conflicts within the British armored forces were far more complex and worse than he had imagined.
Thorne pulled up a chair, invited Major Cross to sit down at his desk, and brought him a cup of coffee.
"Thank you, Captain." Major Cross took the coffee. "Sorry for saying so much in front of you, but you'll probably have to get used to it. That's how armored soldiers usually are."
As he spoke, Major Cross gave a knowing laugh.
Thorne nodded in understanding.
He truly understands.
If someone knows that their mortality rate on the battlefield is as high as 30% to 70%, they are under psychological pressure that outsiders cannot imagine, and they need to release this pressure.
On the other hand, they have nothing to worry about.
Should they be imprisoned or sent to a military court for saying the wrong thing?
They couldn't be happier, because that way they wouldn't have to go to the battlefield or die!
The most dangerous people in the army are those who are about to die, even generals.
"You could say more, Major," Thorne joked. "That way I can go and complain to General Ramsden about you."
Major Cross chuckled to himself.
"Sorry, Major," Thorne said, "it was just a joke. As an advisor, I want to understand more about the issues so I can solve them."
"Of course, Captain." Major Cross nodded. "I understand."
Then he let out a long sigh, his brows furrowed with deep sorrow, like a pitiful person whose heart had been broken.
"The biggest problem between us is actually trust," he said.
"I also hoped to fulfill my duty to my country."
"I once hoped to fight for my homeland on the battlefield, to protect the peace of England with my blood and flesh, and to uphold the glory of the empire with my perseverance."
"But now, all that's left for us is 'fuck!'"
Thorne understood what he meant.
"This is a major mistake by the British government and military," Thorne said. "They cannot cover up the fact that tank crews suffer high casualties just because they are worried about manpower shortages."
They should understand one thing: even if they replenished the tank force through deception, it would backfire if it broke the soldiers' morale and made them unwilling to fight.
Major Cross seemed to see through Thorne's thoughts, and he shook his head slightly:
"No, Captain, you don't understand."
"Distrust exists not only within armored units, but also between armored units and infantry."
Thorne looked surprised; this was something he hadn't expected.
Major Cross's seemingly young face was etched with weariness, and a hint of fear shone in his eyes.
"I was the commander of the Matilda tank a year ago."
"Its maximum speed is only 12.8 kilometers per hour."
Do you know what a speed of 12.8 kilometers per hour means?
(The image above shows the British Matilda tank, characterized by its thick armor and slow speed. It was entirely an auxiliary to the infantry and was known as an "infantry tank.")
Gray, who was listening intently, couldn't help but interject, "It means it's not fast; an infantryman could catch up with it at a trot."
(Note: The average speed of a middle-aged or elderly person jogging is 8 kilometers per hour, while the speed of the Matilda tank on the battlefield is about the same, or even slower.)
"Not just that, Major." Major Kress shook his head with a wry smile, forcing out a sentence through gritted teeth: "This speed means we're waiting for the enemy to fire at us."
These words shocked Gray, as he had never considered the issue of "Matilda" from this perspective before.
"Think about it, Major." Kress turned to Gray and continued:
"You're in a confined space, and bullets are hitting armor with a 'clang' sound."
"Aim at the shells that keep exploding around you. One misses and kicks up a cloud of dust, another grazes your armor and gives your eardrums a baptism."
"You want to escape but you can't, because the top speed is only 12.8 kilometers per hour."
After taking a moment to calm himself down, Kress continued:
"You don't know when a shell will hit you, so all you can do is hold the cross and pray to God."
"I keep having images flashing through my mind of shells piercing through my armor and tearing me to pieces, or the pain of being engulfed in flames."
"And those infantrymen, they use you as a shield, and even intentionally lead you in dangerous directions, doing so only for their own safety."
He grew increasingly agitated, tapping his fingers on the table in front of Gray: "Tell me, Major. What would you do if you were in that situation?"
Gray was speechless.
It's like a person sentenced to death being slowly cut by a rusty, dull knife; the pain comes not only from the physical but also from the mental level.
More importantly, they will feel betrayed and abandoned by everyone.
The motherland, the commander, and the comrades-in-arms.
Gray nodded slightly to Thorne in agreement:
"Armored soldiers usually don't have a good impression of infantry."
"After the battle, the surviving armored soldiers usually don't celebrate."
"Instead, they'd grab an infantryman and beat him up, just grab anyone, because they didn't know who to go after."
Thorne was taken aback: "But I... I'm an infantryman too."
"We know you're innocent, Captain." Major Cross looked at Thorne with a smile.
"You've never served in the military before, so you certainly can't be one of those bastards who screwed us over."
"And you buried the German 5th Panzer Regiment."
His tone then turned light and cheerful:
"You probably have no idea what the 5th Armored Regiment did?"
"It captured Cyrenaica, thwarted our counter-offensive at the Halifaya Pass, seized Sidi Rezeg Airport, and captured Tobruk in 14 hours, taking 3 of our prisoners."
"By burying it, you saved many of our lives, more than once!"
Thorne couldn't believe that the 5th Armored Regiment was so capable.
Gray gave an affirmative answer:
"When Rommel arrived in North Africa, the first troops he brought with him were the 5th Light Division."
"After it was expanded into the 21st Armored Division, the core force of the original 5th Light Armored Division became the 5th Armored Regiment."
"It was Rommel's elite core force, the armored force he trusted most."
Thorne suddenly realized.
"Okay," he said.
"In the salt marshes, it's impossible to distinguish between the elite and the dregs."
"However, I think the taste might be a little different."
They both laughed, and the heavy atmosphere turned into a relaxed one.
Major Cross looked at Thorne, his eyes filled with gratitude:
"I want to say, Captain, you don't need to feel guilty when facing armored soldiers. We all owe you one."
"Therefore, even if you kick our asses and send us to our deaths, we'd still feel it's the right thing to do."
"Besides, we know you wouldn't do that."
Thorne stood up: "I suddenly feel like saying something to them!"