72 hours in hell. The feat of the immured tankers

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The night of August 22, 1917, near the village of Paschendal, was damp and cold. Two armies, German and Allied, stood opposite each other.

Military operations in these god-damned swamps had been going on for a month now: the allies under British command were breaking through to the bases of German submarines off the coast of the North Sea. Once upon a time there were endless neat green fields, drained by many years of labor of Belgian farmers. However, the drainage canals were abandoned long ago, and it rained almost incessantly this summer, so that the dry hilly area turned into impassable swamps, in which the corpses of people and horses disappeared without a trace. Thousands of people have already died here in July when the Germans first used mustard gas. Tens of thousands will still die before November, when the Allies retreat, failing to take the hills. The place itself seemed poisoned …

Offensive

The British headquarters consulted all night. By morning, an hour before dawn, a large Allied tank offensive was ordered. The Mark IV tanks, the newest heavy combat vehicles recently delivered to the army, were impressive in their appearance. A few days ago they were brought to the front line. It seemed that these monsters would easily break through the German defenses and quickly reach the sea.

Tank MARK IV

Years of release	May 1917 - December 1918
Weight	28 t
Dimensions (edit)	8, 05x4, 12 m
Number of issued units	1220
Armor thickness	12mm
Engine power	125 h.p.
Highway speed	6.4 km / h

British heavy tank. Equipped with Lewis machine guns. The males were additionally armed with two 6-pounder Hotchkiss cannons. For the first time, the Mark IV used fascina - several three-meter beams on chains, which were thrown over ditches to facilitate the passage of the car. Also, the Mark IV was equipped with a self-pulling beam. Used almost exclusively during World War I. After the failure at Paschendal, the combat vehicles were somewhat rehabilitated in the Battle of Cambrai, in which 460 tanks participated.

It was the most secure tin can ever.

Meanwhile, those who were to make a historic breakthrough, the crews of battle tanks, slept peacefully, wrapped in blankets. War anesthetizes the nerves, and even on the eve of such a responsible event, the soldier easily falls into healing oblivion, taking advantage of the rare moments of calm. Slept and merry captain Donald Richardson with his crew. This trip was to be the first for them. The tank of the former grocer Donald bore the proud name "Fry Bentos" - that was the name of the best stew in Richardson's pre-war warehouse. Fry Bentos was a male. In the British classification, this meant that in addition to the two Lewis machine guns, additional 6-pounder (57 mm) howitzer cannons were installed in his side turrets. In general, according to the captain, it was "the most secure tin can in the world." And he was absolutely right.

In the predawn twilight, tanks and infantry launched an offensive. The combat mission of the tanks was to destroy the former farm houses behind the ridge of hills, which the Germans turned into fortified bunkers. Almost immediately it became clear that the reality was fundamentally different from the optimistic plans of the command. Tanks and people moved very slowly, getting stuck in the mud. It rained all night, and the Paschendal swamps appeared in all their impenetrable splendor. The Germans woke up and began to actively defend themselves. The Fry Bentos went first, fired from all her guns and seemed invulnerable. And now the first target - the Somme farm - was destroyed! The tank turned towards the Gallipoli farm. In the excitement of the battle, his crew did not notice that other cars were skidding far behind. At some point, shrapnel fragments flew into the viewing slot. Richardson staggered back, hitting the lever with his elbow, the Fry Bentos lunged forward and slumped onto its right side.

Donald quickly reassured the crew. “Guys, this is a normal situation! We need to get out through the top hatch, disconnect the tow bar, insert it under the track - and we return to the starting position! Who will go?" "I AM!" Private Brady responded instantly. He was the hottest rookie ever. Without further ado, Brady opened the hatch, climbed out, began to unfasten the beam, and … was instantly killed by a German sniper. The worst thing was that Brady let go of the beam and she lay across the side hatch, blocking the exit.

Trapped

Brady's death quickly sobered everyone. Richardson assessed the situation. The Fry Bentos was left alone, and neither the British infantry nor the rest of the tanks reached it. He got stuck, getting out of a huge crater, and lay in a kind of trench, from where he could shoot at the enemy from the side cannon, which was now at the top. Next to this cannon was the only unblocked exit to the outside. However, using it means getting out onto a tank standing in the middle of the battlefield and surrounded on all sides by Germans who are firing. Nonetheless, the Fry's 12mm armor reliably protected the Fry from any shells. Thus began the longest siege of a tank in the history of hostilities.

It is known for certain that the Fry Bentos continued to fire all morning while British infantry and tanks tried unsuccessfully to storm the German positions. Moreover, he managed to destroy all nearby German firing points! By two o'clock in the afternoon, when the shots around had subsided somewhat, a new attack fell upon the crew of the heroic tank: the weather in Paschendaal clearly decided not to act on their side: the day of the battle turned out to be extremely clear and hot. An 18-ton tin can, already heated by two air-cooled Lewis, was blazing hot in the sun. Drinking water supplies were rapidly declining. At this point, Hill and one of the machine gunners were wounded by shrapnel fragments flying into the viewing slot. Their wounds sharpened their thirst. Captain Richardson decided to try again to move the tank and get out of the mud.

The longest siege of a tank in the history of hostilities begins

Obeying the commander, the Fry Bentos started up, growled, darted - and suddenly tilted further to the right, driving the breech of the lower cannon into Heavy Budd's chest and breaking his ribs. Seven of the crew remained - with one corpse outside and one inside a red-hot tin can …

5 facts about tanks

The largest tank was called the Panzer VIII Maus. It was designed by Ferdinand Porsche (the creator of Volkswagen) in Nazi Germany in 1944. The tank weighed 200 tons, the thickness of its armor reached 24 cm. In total, two such vehicles were produced. One of the "Muses" is in the Tank Museum in Kubinka.

The first tank (a reinforced tower on wheels with a cannon and a crew of shooters) was invented by Leonardo da Vinci. However, until the invention of the internal combustion engine, such a design could not be applied in practice: too many horses (alive and vulnerable) were required to move it across the battlefield.

The Kursk battle is considered the most grandiose tank battle in the history of mankind. In total, over 6 thousand vehicles took part in hostilities there. Before the start of Operation Citadel, the Germans threw all their forces into organizing a massive tank attack (in a few months Hitler's tank forces increased significantly), but the fascist vehicles were never able to break through the Soviet defenses.

The name "tank" comes from the English word "tank". For conspiracy, the first armored fighting vehicles, designed in Great Britain in August 1915, passed in war papers under the guise of water tanks. It was under this name that they were delivered to the allied Russia, where the new military equipment for some time was called "suckers".

The main problem for the first tanks was their movement (very powerful engines were needed, which constantly broke). Until the end of World War II, the breakdown of a tank every 50 kilometers was considered the norm. The engine power of the M1 Abrams tank reaches 1,500 hp. with., which exceeds the power of the fastest modern supercar Bugatti Veyron.

Night

Evening was approaching. Suddenly, the tank was hit by a shell, obviously launched from their own British positions! "What are these magic tricks?" - the crew looked at the commander in bewilderment. “I knew it would be like this, guys,” Richardson said. “They see that we have ceased fire, and they think that no one is left alive. Now they will try to destroy the tank so that it does not fall into the hands of the Germans. The Mark IV is the latest weapon in our army. " Twilight brought relief at least from the heat. Budd's body was carried to a corner and covered with a rag. The wounded were bandaged. Seven tankmen shared the ration - biscuits and those same canned meat, the role of which, ironically, they themselves had to play now.

“It will be dark soon,” said Sergeant Missen. "I think you can try to get out and get to your own people to inform them of our situation and at least cease fire from the other side." Captain Richardson approved the plan. As darkness fell, Missen opened the top hatch and slipped out into the unknown. He reached his own and became the first surviving member of the crew. By morning, their fire on the tank ceased.

Tankers opened the radiator and began to drink industrial water

Meanwhile, the six remaining were firing back from the Germans all night. The shooting helped to keep warm: at night the iron tank turned out to be a damn cold place. Toward morning, everything calmed down again. The emaciated machine-gunners nodded, when suddenly the upper hatch flew open and in the predawn twilight the silhouette of a German with a grenade emerged! Richardson instantly jumped up and fired at him with a revolver, so that the enemy did not even have time to throw a grenade and went straight down with it. A dull explosion rang out near the tank. Sleep vanished from the tankers. "Good morning!" Richardson greeted them.

Siege

The coming day promised to be clear and hot again. Water supplies have run out. The tankers opened the radiator and began to drink technical liquid.

However, there was still enough ammunition to fire the cannon and both Lewis. At the same time, it turned out that "Fry Bentos" was in a key position: one tank could hold back the entire flank of the enemy! The British tank attack drowned in the swamps, yet infantry and artillery continued to support the die-hard Fry Bentos on the front lines. Richardson understood that the success of the entire campaign depended on their resilience at this moment. No, they weren't going to give up!

It was a fight at the limit of human capabilities. By noon the air was hot again. The scent of six living tankers and one dead did not contribute to the overall concentration, and Richardson decided to take turns holding the top hatch ajar - this also gave an overview of the rear of the tank. It should be understood that it was necessary to "hold" a reinforced slab 1 x 0.6 m! Private Tru was shot in the face while on an Atlanta mission.

By the evening, five were wounded. But the Germans couldn't get past the devil's tin can! During the day, the tank repelled two attacks. At night, I managed to hold back one more.

Liberation

The third morning found the tankers in the same position. An oblique ray of sun through the viewing slot, the last biscuits, a sip of industrial water, hands tremble and the mug knocks on teeth. They should have died a long time ago. Sometimes it seemed that they had already died. Yet the main problem was that they were running out of ammunition. And then it turned out … the Germans surrendered! Surrendered first! There was not a single direct attack on the tank that day, only distant shots! The front line has shifted to another location.

“Well guys, it's time for us to leave,” Captain Richardson said in the afternoon.

However, it was possible to leave only in the dark, because the battle was still ongoing nearby. Waiting for the night in almost complete inactivity, taking turns fainting from wounds and dehydration, panting, trying to doze and waking up in pain … It was the home stretch, and all six of them managed to get through it to the end. Moreover, getting out of the tank, staggering and bending to the ground, the tank crew dragged out and dragged two Lewis to theirs, as required by the instructions. And only having handed them over against receipt, Captain Richardson fainted with a sense of accomplishment.

Slept off and recovering from the battle team "Fry Bentos" received the highest awards of the British army and became the most titled tank crew in the history of the First World War. But what about the Battle of Paschendael? Alas, it ended in failure and the retreat of the allied forces. It was then that the British lost faith in the overwhelming power of the tanks, which were simply stuck in the Belgian mud. So the feat of our heroes mattered only as an example of the senseless courage that makes this world such a curious place.