"Boss, will Nazis come back to the bridge again?" Martin asked softly, lying beside Parks. He was a little worried now; once Nazis returned to the bridge, they would be surrounded by Nazi.
"Nazis is still searching for us. They must think this was done by a small British harassment force, and they certainly wouldn't think that we would turn back and kill our way to the bridge. Even if they were to come, it wouldn't be now; they are busy putting out fires over there!" Parks led his troops to lie in ambush near the bridge, waiting for Lieutenant Welsh to arrive. Without their anti-tank weapons, capturing the bridge would surely result in considerable casualties.
Parks took out his pocket watch and looked at it again; he had been waiting for half an hour.
"Will Lieutenant Welsh arrive on time?" Guarnere whispered, "Will he encounter germans?"
Parks shook his head and smiled, "No gunshots means they haven't encountered germans. We'll wait another ten minutes. If they don't arrive after ten minutes, we will launch an attack alone."
Guarnere glanced at Parks, shrugged, and said, "Alright, Boss, although I'm not very optimistic, I'll follow your lead." He worried that their side had too few people and might only become a big meal for germans. However, he also had a somewhat blind faith in Parks. Many seemingly impossible tasks had been successfully completed under Parks's leadership, which was the source of his confidence.
"Who? Is it Lieutenant Welsh?" At this moment, the voice of a vigilant soldier came from the rear flank of the ambush.
"It's me, we've arrived!" A voice came, and Parks recognized it as Welsh's voice. The people he led had arrived, and the two teams would merge into one.
"Harry!" Parks walked over, smiled at him, then shook his hand and said, "It's good to see you back." Then he glanced at his panting brothers behind him and asked, "Any casualties among the brothers?"
Welsh nodded and said, "Klinken is dead, Frank and the glider pilot Lisbon are wounded. Lisbon has a leg injury and can't walk easily. If we need to move quickly, we obviously can't take them with us."
Parks nodded, then turned and called out, "Second Lieutenant Peel."
Second Lieutenant Peel was one of the two glider pilots. He stepped forward and said, "Lieutenant, what are your orders?" To be honest, after this battle, he still greatly admired Parks.
"You, Frank, and Lisbon stay behind, find a place to hide, and be aware that Nazis has already started a large-scale search. You must stay away from this area. We have no way to take care of them, so I can only entrust them to you!"
Peel couldn't help but frown, wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't. He actually wanted to witness this great sneak attack with Parks, but he still obeyed Parks's order.
"Bazookas?" Parks looked at Welsh.
Welsh nodded and said, "Ten. We can't each carry one, otherwise our speed would be slowed down, and germans has already come, so… "
"No problem, ten is enough!" Parks smiled slightly, "Now we're going to take the bridge. Let germans remember this day!" With that, he led his brothers to quickly hide in the darkness.
In the darkness, dozens of figures rapidly approached the bridge. They moved agilely and swiftly, carrying a dangerous aura, quickly closing in on germans guarding the bridge.
"Toeys, is there still hope for us in this battle?" A German soldier on duty by the bridge machine gun bunker asked another German beside him, his tone filled with frustration and disappointment.
"There's hope!" germans soldier named Toeys nodded, "I believe in the Führer. Yujinko, you are too pessimistic."
Yujinko shook his head upon hearing this and said, "No, no, Toeys, we all know what happened with the big explosion tonight. The despicable British ambushed our fuel depot and ammunition depot. We are finished; we can't hold this place."
"No, we still have supply lines; we can directly transport ammunition and supplies from Germany." Toeys patted Yujinko's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. The British are at the end of their rope; they will collapse sooner or later. Even if we don't have weapons and gasoline, we can still defeat them. They only have some remnants left, with no fighting spirit!"
Yujinko clearly didn't believe such words. If they had no fighting spirit, why hadn't they been able to capture the British fortress north of the bridge after so many days? Although their side had the upper hand, the British simply refused to surrender; they still fought to the death and were not the dispirited remnants Toeys spoke of. He believed this battle would be incredibly brutal.
Yujinko stopped talking. He leaned against the bunker and sat down, then took out a notebook and pen from his pocket. Under the dim light, he began to record his feelings from the past few days. This was his habit. In his notebook, there was also a photo of his younger brother, a very handsome boy, fourteen years old. He had already left school and entered a factory, working desperately overtime to produce materials and ammunition for this war.
"Writing a letter?" Toeys looked at Yujinko and smiled, "To your girlfriend?"
"Nekov." Yujinko smiled, "My younger brother, he's in an armory factory now, producing ammunition. I hope to go home after this battle. I'll give him this notebook. It's all things I've written for him."
"You really are sentimental!" Toeys smiled, "Don't write these for now. We need to keep a close watch. We've been attacked, and the British will definitely know. We need to watch their movements. They are not good people."
"Alright, I'll write after this battle is over!" Yujinko stood up, closed his notebook, and was about to put it in his pocket. But his figure, under Parks's gun sights, was gradually enlarging and becoming clear.
"Bang—" A crisp gunshot broke the silence by the bridge.
Yujinko suddenly clutched his neck, and streams of blood gushed from between his fingers, dripping onto his notebook that had fallen to the ground. He reached out to pick up the notebook, but his vision went black. He collapsed softly by the bunker. He didn't touch the notebook, but the blood from his hand dripped onto it, one drop after another.
"Enem—!" Toeys screamed in terror, but he only managed to utter one word before he was shot in the head, and a mist of blood dispersed in the air. He fell heavily to the ground like a sack of potatoes dropped from a shoulder.
In the bunker on the bridge, the machine gun immediately roared. But soon, a rocket with a trail of smoke flew towards it with a "whoosh," then exploded with a huge bang. The bunker was blown apart by the rocket, and the machine gun fell silent.
When some other German soldiers reacted and tried to resist, machine gun and rifle bullets rained down like a fierce downpour, suppressing them so they couldn't lift their heads. Then, what awaited them were American soldiers charging forward, firing intensely at them from very close range.
This battle ended quickly. germans was diverted by the explosion, leaving only a platoon of troops here. The main German forces besieging Brigadier General John Frost at the north end of the bridge, however, could not reinforce in time. In just a few minutes, the south end of the bridge changed hands.
"Well done!" Brigadier General John Frost, besieged north of the bridge, was hiding among the ruins. He clearly saw what was happening at the south end of the bridge. Although he didn't know which unit it was, he was certain that germans's south end of the bridge must have been attacked by their own people.
"Will they succeed?" Colonel David sighed, then felt a little uneasy.
"Yes, they will!" Brigadier General John Frost nodded and smiled, "This is an excellent tactic; it could be written into military textbooks. First, ambush germans's fuel depot and ammunition depot, then divert most of germans troops guarding the bridge, and then, while germans is still searching there, occupy the weakly defended south end of the bridge. This commander must be an outstanding tactician! Who could he be?"
Colonel David was clearly not as optimistic as Brigadier General John Frost. He shook his head and said, "General, if germans at the south end of the bridge hears the gunshots, they will definitely come to attack the occupied south end of the bridge regardless of anything, and germans besieging us will certainly send reinforcements. In that case, the attackers will definitely be attacked from both sides, and they are truly in danger! They cannot hold the bridge."
Brigadier General John Frost immediately fell silent upon hearing this, then nodded and said, "Yes, they are in trouble. The number of people in this unit certainly won't be many, otherwise they wouldn't have easily infiltrated germans's defense line. Now, if they are attacked from two sides, they will be in danger." He sighed. A turning point that had finally appeared seemed about to vanish.
"Can we counterattack germans to tie down germans here, which might relieve their pressure?" Colonel David tentatively suggested to Brigadier General John Frost.
"No, if we counterattack, we will expose ourselves completely to germans. They might not reinforce the south side of the bridge, but they will quickly eliminate us, and then they will have no worries and will reinforce the south side of the bridge more boldly and with full force. Then that unit on the south side of the bridge will be annihilated even faster!"
Colonel David immediately shut his mouth. Clearly, this was not a good idea.
"Pray for them!" Brigadier General John Frost shook his head, "God bless them!"
David wanted to say something, but Brigadier General John Frost had already walked from his hiding place to the basement. Clearly, the situation here was already very clear; although there was good news, there would certainly be bad news as well.
As Brigadier General John Frost expected, one unit of germans besieging them was drawn away and quickly rushed to reinforce the south side of the bridge. And the troops that had been diverted from the south end of the bridge heard the battle happening at the bridge and quickly rushed over to reinforce as well.
The fastest to arrive were germans from the north of the bridge. Within fifteen minutes of Parks and his men occupying the bridge, they charged over. Leading the charge was a Panther tank. Behind it were several armored vehicles and a tiger heavy tank.
"Attention, wait until they get closer before firing. We need to hit them with one shot. First echelon attacks, if it doesn't work, the second echelon attacks again." Parks repeatedly instructed his brothers, who were lying by germans-built bunker with bazookas.
"Steady!"
"Wait a moment."
"Now, fire!" Parks decisively gave the order.
Several rockets trailed smoke as they flew towards the advancing tanks and armored vehicles. With several "boom!" explosions, the leading Panther tank spewed thick smoke, and the two armored vehicles behind it were hit and caught fire. The tiger heavy tank behind them tried to break through with its thick armor, but several more rockets flew towards it, exploding one after another. It crashed into the bridge railing and burst into flames.
The south end of the bridge was blocked by burning tanks, and after germans armored vehicles in front were destroyed, those behind them could not advance, so the soldiers inside jumped out and began to attack Parks' defensive position.
The MG42 that germans had set up on the fortress for defense against the British First Airborne Division now became their own deadly weapon. Christenson was a machine gunner, and this time he only carried a BAR, which clearly made him feel not satisfied enough. But the MG42 gave him a different experience; its rapid rate of fire and storm-like hail of bullets gave him an exhilarating thrill.
"Come on, I'll kill you all!" Christenson roared. This time, the sound of the MG42 didn't make him feel helpless fear, but rather an extreme release. "Taste your own machine gun. What an amazing treasure, I really want to own a machine gun like this."
What germans did not expect was that they were only tens of meters away from the bridge, but these tens of meters became their graveyard. The heart-wrenching sound of the MG42, which they had always been proud of, became their own death knell. Bullets tore their bodies to pieces, turning their repeated charges into a path of death.
"This isn't fair! This isn't fair!" A German soldier finally couldn't stand the suffocating, deathly atmosphere of being suppressed by machine gun fire. He shouted, threw down his rifle, and ran back. He started it, and then it spread like a plague to the other German, who fled desperately to the rear. Then some were caught by bullets and shot dead on the bridge.
germans's first attack was repelled. They retreated very quickly, fleeing like the wind. Of course, they would not give up, but the second attack had to accumulate strength. This period of respite allowed the brothers of First Platoon to relax a little.
It was only when germans retreated that Welsh realized his current predicament. He clearly thought of the possibility of a two-pronged attack by germans. He then frowned and found Parks.
"What should we do now?" Welsh said with a wry smile, "We can't withstand a two-pronged attack from germans. Clearly, germans behind us will catch up very soon! We can't hold this place."
Parks smiled faintly and said, "Who said we were going to hold this place?"
Welsh was stunned and said, "Then why did we occupy it?"
"Gather the brothers, Harry, we're going to meet the Polish." Parks patted Welsh's arm. "The remnants of the Polish First Brigade are being blocked by germans on the west side of the Rhine River, south of the bridge. What we need to do is link up with them and then have the Polish attack the south end of the bridge again."
Welsh said in surprise, "How do you know the Polish are west of the Rhine River?"
"Judgment!" Parks pointed to his head and smiled, "My judgment of this battle. Trust me, Harry, I won't put the brothers in danger. I promise!"
"Alright!" Although there were still questions, Welsh still showed trust in Parks, because he also had no other choice. If the brothers didn't retreat now, they would quickly fall into a desperate situation.
"Guarnere!" Parks shouted, then said to him, "Gather your brothers, cut all the circuits on the bridge, not leaving a single one. We'll pack up our gear and get ready to move out!"
"Cut the wires?" Guarnere mumbled. "Yes, if germans attacking from the north of the bridge and germans attacking from behind the south of the bridge can't see each other, do you know what will happen?" Parks shook his head, then pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it, saying, "God bless them, as long as the timing isn't perfect!"
"Boss, I have to say, you're really too bad!" Guarnere chuckled, "But I like it. germans are in for a hard time, they'll go crazy." With that, he took a few brothers and started working.
Even Welsh couldn't help but laugh at this idea. As he marched towards the Polish, he laughed, "How lucky that you're not on germans side. My God, this idea is truly brilliant. If Dick knew, he would definitely be amazed by your genius plan. You know, he doesn't easily admire anyone. At least I know, you are one of the people he admires most right now!"
Parks smiled faintly, saying nothing. Now they had abandoned all their heavy weapons and were traveling light. To save time, they had to link up with the Polish before germans realized what was happening, and then lead them to retake the south end of the bridge. This had long been part of Parks' plan. He just hadn't told anyone before, because after he cut off all communication on his side, he was almost completely out of touch with his own forces. So, the Airborne Division in Netherlands certainly wouldn't know. But, Parks was different from others in this regard; he had the advantage of knowing history, and that was the most important thing.
Under Parks' absolute authority, the brothers of First Platoon, including Welsh, chose to blindly follow. In fact, they had no other choice. Only this way might they have a chance to escape. Otherwise, once germans came to their senses, they would likely be mercilessly crushed by them.
germans's second attack from the north of the bridge quickly unfolded. It was larger in scale than the first, and they aggressively intended to capture the south end of the bridge in one fell swoop. They had also contacted their troops on the south bank via radio, preparing a pincer movement to completely annihilate this group of what they believed to be "British" south of the bridge, to exact their revenge.
germans on the south end of the bridge, personally led by Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich of the enraged SS 9th Hohenstaufen Panzer Division, were the first to reach the bridge's defensive fortress. However, they found it pitch black. They cautiously advanced forward, attempting to catch those hateful "British" off guard. They were disappointed; the first German soldier who nervously rushed through found the place already deserted.
The "British" had fled! Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich was furious; this was a disgrace to him. After being ambushed by the "British" at the fuel and ammunition depots, they had somehow managed to sneak attack the fortress at the south end of the bridge, repel germans reinforcements from the north, and now they had slipped away right under his nose.
"What should we do, General!" a colonel asked Lieutenant General Bittrich.
Lieutenant General Bittrich immediately came to his senses, then frowned and pondered for a few minutes, saying, "This group of British should be moving west; there are Polish paratroopers who air-dropped today. They will link up with the Polish. We will pursue them to the west!" He clearly understood the intentions of those damned "British" in his mind.
"West!" the colonel shouted loudly, relaying the order to the surrounding officers.
No sooner had his voice fallen than a hail of bullets poured onto the bridge deck towards him. The colonel was immediately riddled with bullets and fell headfirst. Several surrounding officers were caught in the crossfire and also fell.
"British, British sneak attack, defend, defend!" germans officers shouted loudly. They used the MG42 machine guns set up on the fortress to furiously rake the dark bridge that the attackers were charging across.
Explosions boomed one after another, accompanied by screams and shouts. The bridge was lit up by various explosions, and groups of soldiers were charging towards the south end of the bridge. But no one cared about anything else; they just fired desperately.
Bittrich, covered by his adjutant, hid behind the fortress. But he quickly felt that something was wrong. He said to his adjutant, "Do you hear anything?"
"It's a British sneak attack, General!" the adjutant replied.
"No, no, damn it, we're shooting at our own men!" Lieutenant General Bittrich suddenly said furiously, "We've been used by the British, damn it, cease fire immediately, use flares, and then show our insignia! Hurry--" He shouted loudly at the end of his sentence.
Clearly, this was another British trick. When germans from the north of the bridge launched their first attack, they were scared by what they believed to be the British's anti-tank weapons. This time, they attacked entirely with infantry, believing that under the cover of darkness, infantry could better achieve surprise and a sudden assault. However, this also led to a situation of self-inflicted casualties.
"General, are we still pursuing?" The adjutant asked Lieutenant General Bittrich again, "We are all ready!" germans forces from both sides quickly resolved their misunderstanding and had integrated, waiting for orders.
Lieutenant General Bittrich shook his head and sighed sadly, "We have already lost the best time and opportunity to pursue. Have the troops stand by, reinforce the defensive fortress, and we must prepare for an attack from the west. I believe they will appear very soon!" He knew that if this small group of British linked up with the Polish, it was very likely that they would join the Polish in attacking the south end of the bridge, especially since they had already blown up their own ammunition and fuel depots, which they considered the best time to attack.
Just as Lieutenant General Bittrich expected, Parks and his men had moved west, approaching the Polish defensive zone. They were entrenched in Driel village on the south bank of the Rhine River, using it as their headquarters. The Polish First Independent Parachute Battalion was stationed here, and opposite them was the British First Airborne Division's drop zone, which had now been occupied by germans. They could not cross the river to link up with the British.
General Sosabowski personally commanded this battalion. However, they suffered some losses when they were ambushed by germans during their airborne drop. But they still had approximately 1,200 men, and their morale remained.
On the outskirts of the Driel village headquarters, Polish soldiers were patrolling, their nerves taut. Several sentries made loud noises on the grass, trying to appear braver.
"Sandra, I'm a little scared!" A Polish sentry's voice trembled slightly in the darkness. There were two other soldiers beside him.
"I'm scared too!" another Polish soldier responded.
"When will this damned battle end?" the soldier named Sandra continued to ask.
"God knows, the British are surrounded by germans, we have to rescue them. Oh, are we God? Damn it!" The soldier cursed, sounding a bit dejected.
Suddenly, he pricked up his ears, then cautiously bent down and raised his gun towards a nearby fence, shouting, "Who's there? Come out, or I'll shoot! Hurry!"
The other Polish paratroopers immediately raised their guns as well, aiming at the rustling fence.
"Don't shoot, don't shoot, I'm an American!" Someone shouted loudly from behind the fence, raising his hands high. He had no weapon in his hands.
"American? My God, an American wouldn't be here!" Sandra shouted, "You must be German!" With that, he raised his rifle, ready to shoot.
"Stop it, or I'll blow your brains out!" At that moment, five figures darted out from the bushes to their side, raising their M1 rifles and aiming them at the Poles.
Sandra and the others froze. They hadn't expected anyone else to be ambushed nearby, and they stood there, guns raised, at a loss.
"Put down your damn guns! Hurry, do you want to eat lead?" Another voice beside them said coldly, "Don't test my patience. I'm only counting to three. Damn it, put them down now!"
Sandra immediately came to his senses, his hand loosened, and his rifle dropped to the ground. He then raised his hands, and the three Poles beside him also put down their guns and raised their hands.
One of the five men walked out and said to them, "We are First Platoon, Easy Company, Second Battalion, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. I am Lieutenant Reese Parks. You must believe me now. I need to see your General Sosabowski; I have important intelligence." Parks nodded at Sandra and said, "Take us in, soldier!"
Sandra already believed him. He stammered, "I can only take you to the command post. You'll have to tell them yourself!" After he finished speaking, he gestured to the others and then began walking towards the command post.
"Hey, buddy, your weapons!" One of the men shouted at him.
Sandra awkwardly turned around, and he and the other brothers picked up their weapons, muttering under his breath, "Damn Americans!"
"What did you say?" Guarnere, who was behind him, heard Sandra muttering and asked loudly.
Sandra turned his head and smiled, "I said, welcome to the Americans! We thought reinforcements had arrived!"
"We are the reinforcements, here to rescue you from your predicament!" Guarnere chuckled, "That's right!"
The Polish command post was in a cellar within a village farmhouse, and General Sosabowski was in a dilemma. If he were to cross the Rhine River to reinforce the British First Airborne Division, they clearly couldn't find boats, and there was strong German firepower on the opposite bank. If he were to occupy the southern end of the bridge, he clearly didn't have enough strength.
General Sosabowski lit a cigar, took a puff, and continued to examine the map, trying to find something from it, but this was clearly a futile attempt born of extreme distress. In fact, he could only resign himself to fate. Especially since communication with the First Division was completely cut off, and he had no idea of the First Division's current situation.
"General, there's someone outside claiming to be from a unit of the American 101st Airborne Division. The leader is a Lieutenant, and he wants to see you!" At that moment, a Colonel walked in hurriedly and said to General Sosabowski, "He says he has important intelligence."
"A unit of the 101st Airborne Division?" Sosabowski couldn't help but feel suspicious. The 101st Airborne Division was still in Eindhoven. How could their men appear here? He subconsciously asked, "Has their identity been confirmed? How many of them are there? What about their weapons and equipment?"
The Colonel nodded and said, "Their identity has been confirmed. They are indeed from the 101st Airborne Division. One of them is quite famous, the First Platoon leader of Easy Company, Second Battalion, 506th Regiment, named Lieutenant Reese Parks."
"Reese Parks?"
"Yes, General. He's the guy who, in Normandy, led 11 members of their Easy Company to form a commando unit, penetrated deep into germans rear, rescued prisoners of war, and destroyed germans command post. I've seen his face in the newspapers, no mistake." The Colonel nodded and said, "General, are you sure you want to see him?"
General Sosabowski quickly nodded and said, "Of course, bring him in!" He suddenly had a premonition that Parks would bring him good news. Although he didn't know why this guy would appear here, considering his previous mission of infiltrating enemy lines, he must have his reasons and methods for being here!
General Sosabowski suddenly felt a sense of anticipation. He took a puff of his cigar, and through the smoke, he saw a strong young man with an m1 garand slung across his body, walking in with a smile on his face.
"Hello, General!" Parks saluted the middle-aged man with a mustache.
"Reese Parks?" General Sosabowski couldn't help but voice his question again, and then he realized that this question was completely redundant, which made him feel a little embarrassed. "I mean, how did you end up here?"
Parks couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "We were ordered by General Taylor to land here by glider the day before Operation Market Garden began. Our mission was to scout for accurate German intelligence, then report it to Allied Command to make the correct decisions. After that, we were to continue to lie low, wait for the opportune moment, and strike germans forces."
General Sosabowski couldn't help but laugh, "What intelligence did you gather?"
"We know there are German armored units here, and they are well-prepared," Parks shrugged. "But... you know the outcome!"
"That's the command's fault!" General Sosabowski blushed slightly. Clearly, General Taylor had mentioned this intelligence at the command, but no one listened. The British wanted a major victory, and they were carried away by their successful offensive. He himself had raised questions at the time, but Montgomery was stubborn.
"Alright, what intelligence do you want to tell me, Lieutenant!" General Sosabowski felt he couldn't continue this unpleasant topic. He changed the subject and smiled at Parks, "German armored units? Or German defensive strongholds, or German troop movements?"
Parks smirked slightly and smiled, "No, General. I believe that tonight, you've already heard two huge, shocking explosions, and they came from the area south of the bridge occupied by germanss."
"Yes, we heard them, and we guessed that germans ammunition depot and fuel depot were destroyed!" General Sosabowski nodded.
Parks chuckled, "General, that's not a guess, it's a certainty. germanss have already lost their ammunition depot and fuel depot, because it was us who blew them up! We did it!"
General Sosabowski suddenly stood up, staring intently at Parks, and after a long moment, he nodded, "Incredible, truly incredible, Lieutenant, tell me, how many men did you bring?"
"One platoon, thirty-eight men, including two glider pilots," Parks nodded, and then briefly recounted the details of the raid on the fuel and ammunition depots to General Sosabowski, as well as the process of capturing the southern part of the bridge, causing germans forces to friendly fire, and then their calm escape, all to General Sosabowski.
"God! Incredible! Incredible!" General Sosabowski said "incredible" twice in a row. He looked at the young face and couldn't help but shake his head, "You are truly a brilliant tactician. Alright, I choose to believe you now. So I understand your meaning now. You want me to lead my men to seize the southern end of the bridge while germans forces are in disarray, thereby linking up with the British and completely occupying the Arnhem Bridge, right, Lieutenant?"
Parks nodded and smiled, "Yes, General, that's my idea. And this is also a rare opportunity." Parks didn't elaborate, but he knew that for the Polish paratroopers, this was a chance to prove themselves, and perhaps capture military honors in this battle.
"Of course!" General Sosabowski shouted loudly, "Colonel Remster, immediately issue the order, tell the brothers to get ready, we are going to attack germans bridge. Hurry, opportunities are rare!"
"Are we not going to bother with the British on the other side?" The Colonel named Remster came over, looking somewhat surprised at General Sosabowski.
"No, what we are doing is relieving them," General Sosabowski laughed. If they didn't act now, then when germanss ran out of ammunition and supplies, and they retreated, they would gain nothing. He believed the British also knew this, and after dawn, they would launch an attack to break through and possibly capture the bridge.
Colonel Remster immediately agreed, then blew his whistle outside the barracks. The entire Polish camp immediately began to stir.
"Well done, Lieutenant Parks, you are truly young!" General Sosabowski exclaimed sincerely, "Follow me, young man, you don't need to act as the vanguard now. Leave these to our brave Polish soldiers."
"Of course!" Parks nodded and smiled, "General, as you wish!"
It was already dimly lit, and platoons of soldiers were marching on the flat road, with about ten jeeps loaded with ammunition slowly moving along the road. The air by the Rhine River in midsummer was a bit humid, and breathing the fresh air made one feel refreshed and invigorated.
The brothers of First Platoon, after a night of rushing, looked a bit tired. They followed beside the Polish troops, moving their bodies somewhat sluggishly. In the morning light, compared to the neatly dressed Polish paratroopers, they looked like a group of beggars. So much so that they constantly attracted the attention of the Polish paratroopers who passed by them, looking energetic.
"My God, these guys look like they came from hell!" A Polish paratrooper walked beside them and then whispered to his brother beside him, "I heard they took out germans ammunition depot and fuel depot!"
"Cool!" Another paratrooper nodded, then looked at the ragged Americans beside them with admiring eyes, "But now it's our turn to butcher germanss. I'll make them piss their pants!" Clearly, this guy's voice was a bit loud; he wanted the First Platoon to hear him, to show that he was also not bad.
Welsh obviously heard this guy's boast and couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, little virgin, want to fight germanss? Then look more spirited, don't let germanss break your first time."
"Sir, I... I'm not a virgin anymore!" The Polish paratrooper tried to argue, "I'm a man, I'm going to kill germanss."
"Oh, God, how old are you?" Guarnere chuckled from the side, "Tell me, little man, who was the unfortunate girl? Ha, you're blushing? God, did you lie? Only liars blush. Oh, don't tell me, you really are still a virgin!"
The paratrooper closed his mouth, refusing to say another word. He quickly quickened his pace, walking past the brothers of First Platoon. Clearly, he was a bit embarrassed.
"What a bunch of rookies!" Welsh shook his head and smiled at Parks, "Full of passion, impulsive, hot-blooded, wanting to kill Germans to show their courage and bravery. God, I really don't know what the outcome of this Polish attack will be. Reese, I suddenly don't have much confidence in these guys. It looks like you're going to fail this time!"
Parks smiled slightly and said, "A newborn calf doesn't fear a tiger; they haven't suffered at the hands of a tiger. So, they just need enough courage. germanss won't fight for long; they will definitely strike the Poles hard once, and then retreat before they can recover!"
In the early morning of September 20, 1944, the air still carried the scent of fresh grass, which was invigorating. On the eastern outskirts of Eindhoven, the brothers of Easy Company witnessed germans air raid on the Town last night, and in the early morning, wisps of smoke could still be seen rising from the Town, indicating heavy British losses.
Colonel Sink received news that a German armored unit was approaching Veghel on Hell's Highway. They intended to capture Veghel and cut off the Allied supply line. The entire 506th Regiment would set out towards Veghel. They would engage germans in battle there, defend the Town from German occupation, and keep the supply line open. The Second Battalion, personally commanded by Major Horton, led with F Company and Easy Company, accompanied by three British tanks.
"Easy Company brothers, hurry up! We're taking the vehicles to Veghel!" After Lieutenant Brewer, the deputy platoon leader, and Compton, the platoon leader, were injured, the Third Platoon was temporarily commanded by Sergeant Talbert. He loudly called out to his brothers.
"Why are we always the ones leading the charge?" Ellie couldn't help but complain to Talbert. "The 506th Regiment has so many companies, why are we always at the forefront?"
"I guess it's because Captain Winters hasn't complained to Colonel Sink!" Talbert couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, stop talking nonsense, get in the vehicles quickly, we're leaving!" With that, he climbed into the truck himself. Then, as the vehicle trembled, it drove forward. But every one of them knew that every battle since the start of this operation had been a tough fight. Clearly, the brothers no longer had the optimism they had at the beginning of the operation. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, they only wanted to know when this fighting would stop.
The trucks passed through Veghel and entered Veghel without encountering any resistance. They smoothly began setting up roadblocks on the road to Veghel, and then all the brothers started digging foxholes and establishing defensive positions on the outskirts of Veghel. Meanwhile, F Company, led by Major Horton, was stationed in Veghel to serve as the reserve force for Easy Company in Veghel.
"Winters, we need to find an observation point!" After assigning tasks to the brothers, Nixon suggested to Winters, "We need to understand every move of germans, otherwise we will suffer a great loss."
"That's a very good observation post!" Winters smiled slightly, then pointed to the spire of a church in Veghel Town. "From that bell tower, we can see everything around us. germans won't escape our eyes. Let's go, Nick, let's take a look! Maybe we can discover something." With that, he pulled Nixon and walked towards the church's bell tower.
"Oh, damn it!" Winters observed for a while with his binoculars, then exclaimed, "germans tanks are cutting off the road between Veghel and Veghel. We will lose contact with Major Horton."
"This is really bad. We're surrounded by germans!" Nixon also raised his binoculars, observed for a moment, then put them down and smiled helplessly at Winters, saying, "We're going to have to fight alone again."
Winters smiled back at him and said, "Paratroopers are born to be surrounded, Nick. There's nothing to complain about." As he spoke, he raised his binoculars again, then shouted to Nixon, "Nick, germans are coming. They have a patrol of about fifty men. Let's go down and gather the men."
Winters ran down the bell tower quickly and saw a soldier. He shouted loudly, "Muck, go find Talbert, Lieutenant Pkack, and Lieutenant Halliger. Tell them to gather their men and set up defenses outside the Town. We're going to give germans patrol a head-on blow. Hurry!" Then he turned and said, "Nick, let's go to the positions outside the Town."
A team of German, in skirmish formation, approached Veghel. They appeared very cautious, with a few scouts in front. They cautiously advanced towards Easy Company's defensive positions.
"Listen to my command." Winters moved through the positions, constantly relaying orders in a low voice among the platoons. "Aim well. We're going to open fire fiercely. Don't let germans breathe."
"Aim, brothers, concentrate, shoot accurately!"
"Wait for them to get closer, hold steady!"
"Listen for my gunshot!"
Winters also crouched down, then raised his rifle and aimed at a German soldier walking at the very front. germans soldier held his rifle, moving cautiously, constantly scanning his surroundings. Winters felt he had germans in his sights, and he was close enough. Winters took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and pulled the Trigger.
"Bang—" A gunshot rang out. germans soldier was hit in the chest, stumbled forward, and fell down.
On Easy Company's defensive positions, intense gunfire immediately erupted. They struck germans fiercely, just as Winters had instructed. The sound of gunfire was like popping beans, followed by the frequent "ding" of empty magazines ejecting after rapid firing. The brothers truly didn't let germans breathe, nor did they let themselves breathe.
germans soldiers at the front were immediately struck by this fierce, rain-like assault, with over a dozen killed. The others, seeing the unfavorable situation, turned and ran. They didn't even have time to return fire.
"Mortars!" Winters shouted, "Piper, take them out with mortars!"
"Whoosh!" The sharp whistle of artillery shells sounded in the sky, then struck the ground with huge explosions. Several German soldiers running at the front were taken out by the first shell. Then, one after another, shells fell among germans.
"Machine guns! Machine gun fire! Don't let germans escape!" Winters continuously directed, shouting loudly.
The remaining German threw down their weapons and sprinted desperately backward, but soon, mortar shells and machine gun bullets caught up to them, devouring their lives, eliciting piercing screams and cries for help.
germans patrol of fifty men left behind thirty-four bodies and fled back. The brothers of Easy Company let out a huge cheer. This time they fought very satisfyingly; germans had almost no strength left to retaliate. The accompanying British tanks did not participate in this battle, and they appeared somewhat awkward. One of the majors walked over and smiled at Winters, saying, "It seems you guys did quite well!"
"Yes, Major!" Winters smiled politely at him. He knew what the British man wanted to say. "These are just small groups of German. Perhaps after suffering losses, a large force, possibly with armored vehicles, will arrive soon. Without your tanks, we can't hold this place. I look forward to your performance, Major!"
Clearly, Winters' words pleased the British man. He abandoned the idea of causing trouble, then nodded and said, "Alright, Captain, using tanks against these small patrol teams is a bit of overkill!" With that, he shrugged his shoulders and left.
"This guy likes to take credit. God, it seems all British officers have this fault!" After the British Major walked away, Nixon shook his head, walked over, and said to Winters.
"Including General Montgomery?" Winters smiled at Nixon and said, "You'd better not say that in front of the British. They not only have this fault, but they're also narrow-minded! Hehe, Nick, I bet if germans attack again, he'll definitely drive his tank out."
"I agree too!" Nixon raised his hand and smiled.
"Alright, germans have suffered a loss and certainly won't let it go. Let's go observe again. Come on, Nick, let's go to the bell tower and take a look!" Winters said, and then walked towards the bell tower.
But Winters was wrong; germans never sent anyone to attack Veghel again. However, he saw through his binoculars large groups of German soldiers and tanks, including several German King Tiger tanks, heading towards Veghel. germans had suffered losses in Veghel, and they must have thought it was heavily defended, so they changed their direction of attack to Veghel.
Nixon also saw this situation and couldn't help but show a bitter smile, saying, "I really don't know whether to be happy or worried!" He said to Winters, "germans abandoned us, but went to trouble Major Horton instead. It's estimated germans have a regiment, and they seem to be coming fiercely."
"If germans had known just now that we only had one company and three tanks here, this place would have been leveled by them." Nixon couldn't help but nod, saying, "God bless Major Horton!"
germans, just as Winters had expected, were misled by Easy Company's fierce initial attack. They indeed believed that the US Army had a strong presence here. They shifted their main attack direction to Veghel. However, Major Horton only had one company—F Company—in Veghel, and no tanks or anti-tank weapons. They were originally intended to be Easy Company's reserve force.
"Boom—" Bricks and dirt scattered in the air. The 88mm guns on germans King Tiger tanks continuously spewed flames. Veghel became a place where they rampaged everywhere.
"Damn it, immediately call battalion headquarters for support! We can't hold against germans attack!" Major Horton's command post seemed to be tottering during the shelling.
"Major, battalion headquarters is connected!" A signalman handed the walkie-talkie to Horton.
"What, we still have to wait two hours?" Horton received discouraging news while talking to Colonel Sink. The main force led by Colonel Sink and the British tank battalion could only arrive in two hours at the earliest.
"God!" Major Horton shook his head in distress. "Keep in contact with battalion headquarters. Notify me immediately if there's any new information!" He could only do that. germans offensive was fierce, and two hours would cause catastrophic consequences for F Company. He grabbed a rifle, then rushed out with several staff officers from Battalion HQ.
He rushed into the Town, but couldn't contact even a single squad. F Company was dispersed by germans; they had lost contact with their respective squads and platoons and began fighting independently.
"German tanks!" Suddenly, a staff Lieutenant near him pointed behind him and shouted, "Major, take cover!"
Major Horton subconsciously turned around, and then he saw a German King Tiger tank. Its massive body shook, and its 88mm gun spewed flames at him.
"Boom—" With a sound, Major Horton was directly hit by the shell, and then, in the explosion, was torn to pieces. A steel helmet rolled on the ground, making a clinking sound.
General Urquhart had already issued orders at dawn; he was preparing to break out.
He judged that germans would not be able to sustain a prolonged battle after their ammunition depot and fuel depot were destroyed.
This was their chance.
The sound of whistles echoed over Oosterbeek.
The British soldiers looked tense; they had just received orders that General Urquhart had decided on a final battle to break through and establish contact with the north side of the bridge, to link up with Second Battalion led by Brigadier General John Frost, who was defending the north of the bridge, thereby solidifying the bridge's northern defenses.
On a vital road leading from the village to the north of the bridge, German tanks waited silently in the woods, their heavy bodies concealed by branches and green grass.
germans waited quietly, their gun barrels and muzzles emitting a cold, eerie light.
In the morning glow, the British figures seemed to emerge from the horizon, marching in neat steps as if they were going to a review.
"Whoosh—" A sharp whistle pierced the morning mist, and a shell struck the ground, emitting a huge explosion.
The air, mixed with dirt and gunpowder smoke, instantly spread through the British ranks.
"German!" someone screamed hysterically.
The orderly British formation scattered instantly, as if swept away by a flood.
But germans had already opened fire; their tank cannons and 88mm anti-aircraft guns continuously let out terrifying screeches, then kicked up bursts of dirt on the ground, constantly devouring the young lives of the British.
"General, we are suppressed by germans.
Their firepower is fierce!"
A Colonel crawled over to General Urquhart, who was lying by a small mound, and said, "Their firepower is more intense than the past few days.
Have they detected our plan?"
"No, impossible!" General Urquhart frowned, but it was clear that germans's fierce counterattack was unexpected.
He was a bit puzzled.
But now that the troops were pinned down here, it was like a slaughterhouse for germans.
Currently, the British had no good counter-measures, nor any good fortifications to use.
"We have to find a way to take out those tanks!" General Urquhart was very troubled; the dozen German tanks in front were a huge obstacle between the two armies.
"Colonel, immediately arrange for men to destroy the tanks with bazookas."
"Yes, General!" The Colonel crawled away, knowing it would be extremely difficult to break through germans's dense firepower to destroy their tanks, but it was the only way.
"Boom—" With an explosion, a German tank was hit by a bazooka and quickly caught fire.
But two British soldiers were quickly riddled with bullets by germans.
They fell to the ground, their blood quickly soaking the surrounding earth.
This was the tenth life of a British grenadier sacrificed, only to destroy one German tank.
"Damn it!" General Urquhart couldn't help but frown and curse.
He was now in a dilemma.
germans seemed determined to clash fiercely with them here.
It seemed the destruction of the ammunition depot and fuel depot had not affected them at all.
Their artillery was still sharp, and their morale seemed high.
"What exactly is going on?" General Urquhart couldn't quite understand.
Were they planning to make a desperate gamble?
But General Urquhart was also clearly pondering a question: how much longer could this group of German last?
Now it seemed to be a test of endurance; if this group of German ran out of ammunition and food, there would only be one outcome: being pursued and killed by him.
Why not retreat, knowing this outcome?
General Urquhart's mind was still racing.
He suddenly realized that this battle was a test of endurance.
If he couldn't withstand this German attack, then germans would take the opportunity to wipe them out.
If he withstood their attack, it was very likely that they would quickly retreat after a fierce assault.
While General Urquhart was troubled, Brigadier General John Frost was also troubled.
Last night, his assessment of germans situation had been very objective, but this morning, the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for them.
"Boom!" With a loud bang, a ruined wall next to him collapsed.
germans tanks and soldiers were simply going mad, launching attack after attack against them.
"General, germans have become even more insane.
Was our judgment wrong last night?" Colonel David clearly did not understand germans's abnormal behavior; in his opinion, germans should have retreated after their fuel depot and ammunition depot were destroyed.
"No, no, if I were germans, I would do the same!" Brigadier General John Frost shook his head and smiled, "germans will definitely go all out.
If they can eliminate us here, that would be the best outcome for germans.
Even if they can't, they must inflict heavy casualties on us, then retreat, making us lose the ability to pursue.
Even in the worst-case scenario, if they can't inflict heavy casualties on us, they can still strike at our morale, making us believe they still have the ability to fight, so that we dare not pursue them when they retreat."
Brigadier General John Frost couldn't help but smile: "Precisely because of this, germans will definitely retreat.
It just depends on whether we can survive this fierce assault.
If we do, germans will be completely defeated!"
"I hope your prediction is correct, General."
Colonel David clicked his tongue, about to say something more, but a shell exploded not far from him, and the huge air blast immediately threw him to the ground.
"David!" Brigadier General John Frost rushed over, checking his body.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, General!" Colonel David got up, but his hand was covered in blood.
It was clear he was injured.
"It's just a little scrape on my arm, this small injury is nothing, General!"
"David, go see the men, how many men do we have left?
germans's offensive is too fierce, I'm afraid the men can't hold on!" Brigadier General John Frost said to David.
"Alright, General!" Colonel David nodded.
In reality, the situation for the British defending the northern section of the bridge was not optimistic.
germans's offensive was much stronger than yesterday.
They seemed to not care about their dwindling ammunition.
They frantically shelled every building held by the British, collapsing every wall, not even sparing ruins, sweeping every inch of the area with a scorched-earth policy.
"Hold on, lads." Colonel David constantly moved between units.
He loudly reminded every combat group.
"germans won't last much longer; they will run out of ammunition and food.
They have no ammunition, and no fuel to run their tanks."
"We'll outlast them." A British soldier, his face covered in black dust, smiled at Colonel David and said, "Don't worry, Colonel, we won't let germans break us."
"Good man! Lad, keep it up!" David patted the soldier's shoulder.
"germans are coming again!" At this moment, someone shouted, and German tanks appeared in front.
Under the cover of the tanks, German soldiers once again launched an attack on this stronghold.
"Boom—" A rocket bounced off germans tank's armor, then exploded next to the tank.
The tank was completely unaffected, but its muzzle turned and fired at the two British soldiers who had just launched the rocket.
Accompanied by a huge explosion, the two soldiers were blown sky-high by germans.
"We don't have anti-tank bazookas or rockets left!" A Captain complained to Colonel David, "Damn it, we're going to be slaughtered by germans."
"Captain, let me! Let me go and take out that damned tank!" At this moment, a Sergeant crawled over and said to the Captain, "We can take out that tank with a cluster grenade."
"Where did you learn that?" The Captain asked, surprised, looking at the Sergeant.
"From a textbook! Sir!" The Sergeant chuckled.
The Captain didn't have time to think; he called to the remaining men around him to collect the remaining grenades and handed them to the Sergeant: "Alright, we'll provide cover for you.
Take out that damned tank!"
germans tank was clearly still wreaking havoc.
It swept every corner with its machine gun, then used its tank cannon to destroy every wall and building that could serve as cover.
This left the British soldiers nowhere to hide, driving them out of the buildings like ducks by germans, then having them sniped by germans soldiers behind the tank.
The Sergeant quickly rushed out of cover.
At the same time, the British machine guns began to sweep germans soldiers behind the tank, suppressing them and providing the Sergeant with a very valuable window of time.
Soon, germans tanks and soldiers were all drawn to the machine gun.
The cannon began to adjust.
"Get down quickly!" Colonel David shouted at the covering machine gunner.
But it was too late.
"Boom!" With a bang, the tank cannon hit the machine gunner's cover, and the machine gun fell silent.
"Damn it!" David cursed fiercely.
And just then, a machine gun from another position began to fire at germans again.
It was the Captain, personally manning the machine gun, continuously cursing: "Damn it, you sons of bitches, come on, let me kill you, you stupid bastards!
You scum, go to hell, German pigs!"
"Captain, take cover!" Colonel David could only shout at him, because germans tank's muzzle was turning towards that direction again.
"Boom—" A huge explosion came.
The Captain's machine gun was still spitting flames.
Then David saw smoke rising from the bottom of the tank.
The Sergeant agilely leaped, trying to run back from the tank whose tracks and engine had been destroyed.
"God, I got it!" he shouted excitedly as he ran.
"Cover him, cover him!" David shouted loudly, "Fire, don't let germans react."
After germans tank was destroyed, the suppressed British immediately poked their heads out from cover, and various weapons opened fire on germans.
A German threw a grenade towards them.
"Boom!" With a bang, the Sergeant disappeared into the smoke after the explosion.
Colonel David rushed forward, braving germans counter-fire, and carried the fallen Sergeant on his back.
At this moment, another British soldier rushed out to help Colonel David, and then another… germans finally stopped their attack near noon.
Then the entire position north of the bridge fell into a deathly silence.
On the road from Oosterbeek village to the northern end of the Arnhem Bridge, the British 1st Airborne Division was blocked by germans forces in an open area and subjected to their fierce attack.
The British, completely exposed, suffered heavy casualties; in less than two hours of fighting, 461 soldiers were killed and 853 were wounded and incapacitated.
This outcome was definitely something General Urquhart had not anticipated.
His eagerness to link up with the British forces north of the bridge and then occupy the bridge led him to misjudge germans actions and resolve, underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly, resulting in significant casualties for every step the British took forward.
"germans attack is too fierce, General, should we retreat first and then figure something out?" the Colonel said, tightly hiding behind cover, frowning at General Urquhart.
General Urquhart remained silent, thinking rapidly.
He clearly realized his mistake.
germans offensive was obviously in anticipation of his movements, and now his troops had suffered heavy losses again, which would greatly weaken the soldiers' morale.
If they retreated now, germans forces would certainly pursue them, and at that point, they would be utterly defeated and unable to recover.
Retreat was absolutely not an option.
However, advancing was also impossible.
They were already at the most critical moment.
"General!" the Colonel called out again.
General Urquhart shook his head and said, "No, absolutely no retreat.
We must withstand germans attack.
Now it's a test of patience.
germanss are not good at prolonged battles; they don't have enough ammunition and fuel, and a reversal of the situation is only a matter of time.
It just depends on who can hold out until the end.
Colonel, tell the men to hold on, they must hold on longer than germanss!"
"Alright, General!" The Colonel was somewhat disappointed and was about to go out to relay the order.
Suddenly, faint gunshots and artillery fire were heard from the northern end of the bridge.
"germans forces north of the bridge have also started their attack!" General Urquhart nodded to the Colonel, "It seems germanss are determined this time; if they cannot defeat us, they will retreat without hesitation."
"Alright, alright, let's see who has more patience now!" General Urquhart said, "This is the toughest moment; if we get through it, it's victory, if not, then we'll be buried by germanss."
"Yes, General!" The Colonel nodded and then went to relay the orders.
Southern end of Arnhem Bridge.
"Whoosh--" A bomb whistled sharply, exploding at the bridge's stronghold, and several German soldiers were lifted into the air by the blast wave.
The Polish forces launched an attack on the southern end of the bridge, just as the British forces were in great difficulty.
Lieutenant General Bittrich finally waited for the Polish attack in the morning, and although he was fully prepared, the Polish forces were like madmen; their attack was fierce and sharp, and they charged forward regardless of danger.
Although germans forces had repelled their first attack, they resolutely and quickly launched a second attack.
"The Polish forces must be crazy!" Lieutenant General Bittrich shook his head.
But he knew very well in his heart that he himself wouldn't be able to hold out much longer; now it was a test of patience, a question of who would collapse first.
The First Platoon's men were hiding behind a temporary stronghold built not far from General Sosabowski, lying there and watching the Polish forces launch attack after attack on germans forces.
"Hey, Boss, will they succeed?
God, these Polish forces are absolutely crazy." Guarnere watched as the Polish forces left a few more bodies and retreated, shaking his head and saying to Parks, "Fortunately, it's not us attacking now.
It seems, Boss, you are really smart, at least smarter than those Polish forces!"
Parks glanced at Guarnere and smiled, "The Polish forces will succeed, but they will have to pay the price."
Welsh, who was beside him, also nodded and smiled, "Well said.
This is a vital route for germans forces.
germans forces besieging the British 1st Airborne Division and those north of the bridge will all retreat along this road.
If this place cannot be held, germans forces will be surrounded by the Polish and British forces, which is bad news for them, especially when they are out of ammunition and supplies."
"God knows what heavy price the Polish forces will pay!" Guarnere chuckled, "Boss, I admire you more and more now.
You know, what I like most about you is that you can always keep us out of dangerous situations.
Those stubborn British and Polish forces are different; they have to use the most dangerous fighting methods to show their bravery!"
Parks couldn't help but smile wryly and shake his head when he heard this.
"If we capture the Arnhem Bridge, maybe we can really go home for Christmas," Welsh said lazily, leaning comfortably on a slope, "If so, we really have to thank the British and Polish forces!"
The First Platoon's men were not tense behind their cover.
After a night of fighting, they also seemed a bit tired; many were sleeping against the cover, and many others were still talking with their comrades about the thrilling events of last night, appearing somewhat excited.
This was especially true for the soldiers who were participating in an operation led by Parks for the first time, including Hubler!
"Hey, Patrick Christenson.
I know why you trust Lieutenant Parks so much.
He really has a knack." Hubler chuckled at Patrick Christenson.
"But I don't trust the Polish forces!" Patrick Christenson, lying behind cover, watched as germans forces once again drove the Polish forces back, shaking his head and saying, "I don't think anyone other than us American soldiers can be as wise as we are.
Look at these Polish forces, they failed again!"
"If our Easy Company were to take on the attack mission, maybe we'd be sitting at the bridgehead smoking by now." Hubler clearly agreed with Patrick Christenson's statement.
"However, this time is more exciting than last time!" Patrick Christenson was clearly referring to the previous rescue operation.
"Too bad there's no luger this time!" Hubler clearly cared a lot about this.
If he didn't capture one, he wouldn't have anything to brag about in the future, which was the only regret of this operation.
"There will be!" Patrick Christenson was generous this time and didn't mock him, "As long as you continue to trust our Lieutenant!"
Hubler nodded.
Then he lay behind cover, looking forward, as the Polish forces were once again driven back by germans forces; this was their fourth charge.
But germans forces took longer this time.
Some Polish forces even charged into germans positions, causing some German casualties.
"God bless the Polish forces!" Hubler muttered softly, lying there.
"And bless the British!" Patrick Christenson added.
germans's steadfast defense made the Polish forces suffer greatly.
Although General Sosabowski knew from the beginning that germanss would not give up the bridge easily, he still underestimated their resolve.
They did not give up with only symbolic resistance just because their ammunition depot and fuel depot were destroyed.
This greatly annoyed General Sosabowski.
He turned to look at the American soldiers resting behind cover.
He found it hard to understand why a single platoon of American soldiers could inflict such heavy losses on germans forces.
He suddenly became very interested in Lieutenant Parks, who was observing the front.
Parks occasionally turned his head and happened to see General Sosabowski looking at him, so he nodded and smiled at him.
He understood General Sosabowski's current distress very well, and of course, he would not go so far as to ask him for advice on how to attack germans forces.
"Harry!" Parks suddenly said to Welsh, who was lying asleep nearby, "Hey, wake up."
Welsh suddenly sat up, then looked around, and seeing Parks, his tense nerves relaxed as he said, "Oh, damn it, I thought germans forces had attacked.
What's the situation now, Reese!"
"We need to be careful.
germans forces are clearly about to retreat, and they will definitely blow up the Arnhem Bridge before they retreat.
This is the only way they can stop the Allied forces.
If the two German units north of the bridge retreat to the south of the bridge, they might make their move." Parks smiled at him, "Harry, I don't trust this Polish force, we have to do it ourselves!"
"What?
Are you saying we need to stop germans forces from blowing up the bridge?" Welsh looked at Parks, then suddenly smiled, "I don't trust the Polish forces either, alright, I'll gather the men now!"
Parks nodded: "Before germans forces retreat, that is, before the Polish forces occupy the bridge, we need to be under the bridge.
Now that germans ammunition depot has been blown up, they certainly don't have that much explosive to blow up the bridge, but if they place explosives at critical points of the bridge, it will certainly have the same effect."
"Alright, Reese, I'll tell the men.
However, I believe there shouldn't be any problem." Welsh nodded, then turned and crawled towards the men.
Parks felt he should inform General Sosabowski, so he bent down and quickly ran over.
"Lieutenant, is there something?" General Sosabowski looked at Parks and couldn't help but nod and smile.
"It's like this, I've considered a problem, General!" Parks then expressed his concerns and plans, "We must prevent those German forces from blowing up the bridge; it's clear they don't have much time left.
If we watch the bridge now, then they won't be able to set explosives at those critical points."
General Sosabowski nodded and said, "You are very right, Lieutenant.
But..." He looked at Parks, "But I don't think the Polish paratroopers cannot complete this mission.
I know your plan, and I admire your wisdom and courage, Lieutenant.
But, please leave this mission to our Polish paratroopers; they need to prove themselves through this battle!"
General Sosabowski's words were very clear.
Parks should no longer think about this mission.
Parks smiled slightly, shrugging helplessly, "Alright, General, I will obey your orders.
I also believe the Polish forces will do very well."
General Sosabowski nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Lieutenant.
I know you are an excellent soldier, and I believe your General Taylor will agree with me on this point.
I will tell him everything you have done, and he will surely be proud of you."
"Thank you, General!" Parks was helpless and could only nod, then bid farewell to General Sosabowski.
He could tell that General Sosabowski was determined this time to show the role of the Polish military in this campaign by capturing the bridge.
"Is General Sosabowski going to let us go?" Welsh returned and sat beside Parks.
Parks shook his head and smiled, "No, he doesn't want us Americans to interfere.
But what does it matter?"