The Rise Of A Billionaire 1943-Chapter 133 - 143: Where’s Our 88?

Although they were two kilometers away, the 88mm gun, positioned high above, was like a sniper—each shell landed precisely on the road. In the violent explosions, vehicles were struck one after another. The leading Panzer IV assault gun was blasted straight into the air.

Once upon a time, the Germans relied on the 88’s high rate of fire and accuracy to "call out" Allied vehicles one by one. Now, under the fire of the 88, they were just as powerless to resist.

Meanwhile, the mortars in the town began raining shells onto the road. Each 120mm mortar round let out a deep whistle as it landed, blanketing both the road and the German soldiers on either side in a sea of iron and fire.

In truth, the task force defending Neuf didn’t have especially strong firepower—just three 120mm mortars, one 88mm gun, and a few 75mm anti-tank guns. For a unit of battalion size, this was already formidable firepower.

But they had the Germans to thank for this. If the Germans hadn’t lost so many weapons in the Ardennes, how could the task force have picked up so many and used them to strike back?

Because their manpower was limited, from the very beginning they poured out as much firepower as possible to suppress the enemy’s advance.

Faced with this intense barrage, the German 902nd Grenadier Training Regiment was completely stunned—at least for a moment. Especially with the 88mm gun firing from above, shell after shell landed precisely on the road in a very short time. Each armor-piercing round sent a Panzer IV assault gun flying.

Though the grenadiers were battle-hardened, they never expected the enemy to use an 88mm gun to deliver such long-range fire. They didn’t even have time to deploy their mortars. Having lost the initiative, the grenadiers didn’t just sit and take the pounding—they quickly retreated. However, the destroyed vehicles blocked their withdrawal. As the infantry pulled back, the vehicles stuck on the road became sitting ducks. Two immobilized Panzer IV assault guns drove into the fields on either side of the road and began firing furiously at the 88mm gun on the hill.

Several shells landed near the 88, but thanks to the partial reverse-slope protection in front of the gun position, the shells only blasted some dirt and rocks into the air.

Amid the whistling shrapnel, the gun crew kept reloading. "Boom!" Another shell screamed out. Seconds later, black smoke poured from one of the Panzer IVs in the field. A tank crewman, his uniform on fire, jumped out of the vehicle. He only managed a few steps before collapsing.

Faced with such fierce firepower, the Germans didn’t try to tough it out—they retreated quickly, leaving behind seven destroyed vehicles and dozens of corpses.

"The Germans are pulling back..."

As Zhang Kun and the others cheered, the squad leader shouted,

"Get to the shelters!"

They had only just made it to the shelters about a hundred meters from the gun position when a barrage of incoming shells enveloped the 88mm gun. Feeling the shockwaves, Zhang Kun and the others in the shelter couldn’t help but be amazed.

"This barrage... it’s really intense!"

Not only intense, but also accurate and ferocious. In just one minute, dozens of mortar shells with calibers above 82mm landed near the gun position. One shell even landed directly above the shelter. In the violent explosion, dust and debris from the logs above rained down on the soldiers’ helmets and shoulders.

"Thank goodness those weren’t 120mm mortars, or we’d all be buried alive..."

Finally, as they breathed a sigh of relief, the shelling ended. When the smoke cleared, the once well-camouflaged gun position was completely transformed. Even the 88mm gun itself was now twisted and its long barrel drooped helplessly.

"What a pity..."

The scene before them made them realize why they had found so many destroyed guns during their searches. Under such fierce and accurate artillery fire, direct-fire guns were easily countered.

Although they had lost an 88mm gun, the soldiers defending Neuf had still—

Their successful attack shattered the German army’s arrogance, making them realize that this was definitely not a place that could be taken with a single charge.

A dozen minutes later, a squad of German soldiers cautiously advanced toward the small town. Hunched over, their K98 rifles at the ready, they slowly approached, their white camouflage uniforms blending seamlessly into the snowy landscape. They moved with extreme caution.

"The Germans are coming up!"

Watching the Germans draw closer, Gu Changchuan pressed his lips together, picked up the field radio, and called out directly:

"Bearing 104, three rapid-fire rounds!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a shrill whistling sounded overhead—the mortars screamed through the air, and at the same time, the staccato of machine gun fire erupted.

The moment the machine gun opened up, the Germans were momentarily stunned. It was a sound they knew all too well—the MG42!

As the ripping sound of gunfire tore through the air, German soldiers fell one after another in the snow. At the same time, the incoming mortars brought another wave of bloodshed.

While Germans continued to be taken down, their own artillery barrage began as well. Shells rained down on the town, but compared to the defenders, the Germans were more cautious. Worried that the ruins would block the roads, their shelling was restrained, mostly targeting areas a bit farther from the road on either side. This gave the defenders of Neffe some relief, and the two-foot-thick brick walls of the Ardennes houses provided excellent protection. As soon as the Germans neared the town, they were met with fierce fire.

The defenders weren’t using M1 carbines, but STG44 assault rifles. Though there were only just over four hundred defenders, their powerful automatic firepower made the attacking Germans start to question their own reality.

It wasn’t just the strength of the defenders’ firepower—it was the familiarity of the gunfire. From the 88mm guns, to the MG42s, to the STG44s, everything sounded so familiar that the Germans even wondered for a moment if they were facing their own troops.

But that thought vanished as quickly as it came. After all, the intense fire was deadly. Some Germans were shot down the moment they poked their heads out. Despite the grenadiers’ disciplined assault, they couldn’t withstand the dense firepower. The disparity in firepower made it nearly impossible for them to organize an effective assault, and under the relentless gunfire, the German attack was quickly repelled.

After a few quick bursts that took down a retreating German, Gu Changchuan couldn’t help but admire the STG44 in his hands.

"This thing really is a fine piece of equipment!"

"No kidding, Captain! With this baby, I could take on ten men by myself!"

"Honestly, we should thank the Germans for giving us such great guns!"

For a moment, the room was filled with laughter. By dusk, leveraging their superior firepower, they had repelled three attacks in succession. As night fell, the Germans had left behind only dozens of corpses.

Thus, the first day of the Battle of Bastogne came to an end.

The defenders’ stubborn resistance turned what the Germans had called "a battle that could be won with a single charge" into a pipe dream. At the same time, this initial victory convinced the soldiers that they were every bit as good as the Germans.

After all, this was their first real combat experience—and their enemy was none other than the famed German army!