Munitions Empire

An armor-piercing round screamed towards its target, then sliced into the frontal armor of the Qin Army tank like a hot knife through butter.

The armor, more than a hundred millimeters thick, seemed non-existent, effortlessly penetrated. Then the turret of this Qin Type 4 tank was sent flying, as if equipped with some sort of ejection device.

Within seconds, the attacking Qin Army tank troops had seven or eight tanks hit by shells, either catching fire or having their turrets launched skyward.

And those Qin Country soldiers accompanying the tanks all fell to the ground with each explosion, as if they had been completely wiped out.

This sudden attack caught the Qin Army tank crews off guard; they discovered the distant firing Tang Army tanks but had no effective way to respond at this range.

A few tanks stopped to counterattack, but the shells they fired landed on the hills before the Tang Army tanks; at this distance, the accuracy of their attacks was entirely left to chance.

Hoping for a lucky hit on the Tang tanks that only exposed their turrets, hiding behind bushes, was merely a dream.

Moreover, even if their shells miraculously hit the Tang tanks, they would likely be neutralized by the small box-like new armor, reactive armor hanging on the Tang tanks, reducing most of the impact, barely scratching the main armor.

That's right, the Tang Army's Type 64 main battle tanks were equipped with first-generation reactive armor, primarily aimed at countering armor-piercing shells, but it could also reduce the power of armor-piercing rounds.

Because there were so many Qin Army tanks, eventually, a shell did hit a Tang tank, causing its reactive armor to explode, seeming seriously damaged after the hit.

Yet inside the Tang Army tank, the crew only felt a vibration; during this time, the autoloader continued reloading shells with no delays.

This Tang Army tank, just hit, resumed firing within seconds, blasting away the Qin Army tank in its path, the slaughter continued without pause.

Liu Guozhu was unwilling to open his tank hatch to observe the battlefield because he had a new device, an independent observation device for the commander.

Similar to a submarine's periscope, its vision was excellent, so Liu Guozhu didn't have to risk sticking out his head to see everything happening around the battlefield.

Through this observation device, he saw Qin Army tanks accelerating, attempting to encircle Liu Guozhu's tank company from the flanks.

Unfortunately, as soon as one side's Qin Army tanks crossed a small hill, another Tang Army tank company on Liu Guozhu's flank blocked their path.

The deafening roars of tank guns were continuous on the battlefield. The Tang Army tanks with autoloaders, laser sighting, and even ballistic computers kept firing, incapacitating Qin Army tanks one after another in the fields, burning and emitting thick smoke.

Soon, the burning tank wrecks on the battlefield began obstructing the view, any Qin Army tank emerging from the smoke within over 500 meters would be targeted and destroyed by several Tang Army tank main guns.

Gradually, Qin Army tanks stopped emerging from the smoke, and those attempting to bypass from another flank were caught in a pincer move by the supporting Tang Army tank troops, nearly losing combat capability instantly.

Over a hundred tanks, lost effortlessly, bodies littered the battlefield, the Tang Army tanks launched counterattacks, maneuvering efficiently past the burning wrecks, reaching the retreating Qin tanks, spotting a tank commander waving a white flag.

Hundreds of tanks, numerous vehicles, along with various anti-aircraft guns, logistics soldiers, and infantry tasked with tank cover.

These troops stood densely together, numb, watching the Tang Army tanks with low profiles adorned with square boxes roll past them.

The weapons of these Qin Country soldiers piled together; their former ferocity and bravery vanished as they stood in groups by the roadside, guarded by a few Tang Army soldiers, like a bunch of lambs awaiting slaughter.

A bloody battle, or rather a one-sided bloody conflict, concluded entirely within hours, leaving the task of counting prisoners, clearing the battlefield, and resting for logistical support.

Ammunition trucks threaded through the countless prisoners, replenishing those Type 64 tanks that had used up half or even most of their ammunition.

The main forces of the tank regiment Liu Guozhu belonged to arrived at the battlefield, dozens of tanks of the same model but without reactive armor, along with armored command vehicles, ammunition supply trucks, fuel trucks, and trucks laden with food, seemed more grandiose than the Qin Armored Division.

The repair trucks were crowded with Tang Army mechanics, and a logistics personnel carrying an MP5 submachine gun sat on a spare engine in a truck carriage, overlooking the surrendered Qin Country soldiers enjoying their lunch.

Rumor had it these Qin Country soldiers would rather die than surrender, possessing high combat skills, bravery, tenacity, and unparalleled ferocity. In actuality ... they turned out to be just a bunch of young men, sharing their rations, docile as lambs.

An armored recovery vehicle modified from the 113 armored vehicle chassis equipped with massive cranes saw the Tang engineers leaning against the cranes descend with orders to maintain Liu Guozhu's tank company that had recently fought fiercely.

They needed to refuel tanks, clean gun barrels, inspect all tracks, and replenish ammunition; such extensive work couldn't be expected from just three crew members in a tank.

Furthermore, commanders like Liu Guozhu, along with company and platoon leaders, all needed to gather for meetings, review the battle, report combat situations, detail combat processes, and obtain new assignments from the battalion and regiment headquarters.

In short, everyone had tasks to be done, the entire troop needed to regain combat effectiveness, while nearby Qin Army prisoners were to be sent by second-tier troops to the POW camp.

There, already overcrowded, Qin Army soldiers gathered from all directions filled each newly built POW camp, with their surrender rate even surpassing the Qin engineers' speed in constructing new quarters.

Allegedly, many tents originally designated for troops had been allocated to the POW camp under urgent circumstances ... of course, this was just unit gossip, whether true or not, no one knew.