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.
