"Whoosh—" The piercing whistle of artillery shells finally broke the silence of the bridge.
Explosions scattered around the bridge; the German had already begun their attack, with shells raining down on the British and Polish positions like raindrops.
Dirt and stones were thrown high into the air, then fell, hitting the heads of the brothers behind the positions.
"The German seem to be planning a massacre!" Guarnere shrank his head, then pressed his body tightly to the ground.
Fortunately, the foxhole they chose was further back, but even so, it forced them to lie flat, not daring to move an inch.
And the British and Polish had an even harder time.
"Stay low, stay low!" Welsh shouted from the side, his job was to watch over his brothers, to prevent them from doing anything reckless to steal the thunder from the British and Polish.
However, looking at the current situation, the brothers were basically very willing to keep their posture very low.
The defensive positions near the entire bridge turned into a sea of fire, with screams constantly coming out, as well as calls for medics.
Every time a German bomb exploded, someone would be thrown out of the position by the blast, then turn into a corpse.
"God, God!" Every time a bomb exploded, Cobb instinctively shrank into the foxhole and called out to God.
He had never experienced such an offensive, even Normandy was far too different compared to now.
Webster also lay tightly in the foxhole, hugging his rifle, the huge explosions almost shattering his eardrums.
Lieutenant Welsh's voice came intermittently; he was moving between his brothers' foxholes, constantly reminding them to be careful.
He suddenly felt a sense of closeness to this not-so-tall man.
No one was willing to crawl out of a foxhole under heavy artillery fire, move through the shelling, and constantly remind their brothers.
Suddenly, a shell exploded not far from Welsh, and the huge airwave knocked him to the ground.
"Lieutenant—" Landers shouted, crawled out of the foxhole, and ran towards Welsh.
"Are you injured, Lieutenant?!" Landers fumbled over Welsh, trying to find the wound.
Welsh coughed violently for a while, then got up and said, "No, Landers, I was just knocked down by the airwave.
Damn it, the German have really gone all out this time.
I really don't know if we can hold on until Lieutenant Parks returns."
"Martin!" Landers shouted, "Come help!"
Sergeant Martin crawled out of the foxhole and then ran towards the two, the violent explosions almost suffocating.
"Let's get the Lieutenant into the foxhole!" Landers and Martin lifted Welsh and ran towards their foxhole.
Another shell flew over with a sharp whistle, exploding with a boom beside them.
The airwave knocked all three down.
Welsh was sent tumbling, rolling a long way on the ground.
"Damn it!" Martin muttered to himself, got up, and shouted at Welsh, "Lieutenant, are you injured?!"
"Damn it, why do you always ask me such a stupid question?" Welsh's voice came from over there, "I'm not injured, alright, I'll crawl over myself, you all go back to your foxholes and stay put!"
At this moment, Welsh crawled over again, then flipped into Landers's foxhole.
He then pulled Landers in as well.
Their bodies were pressed together in a heap, and it took a lot of effort to adjust.
""Big" Bill Guarnere, you almost crushed me to death!" Welsh shook his head.
"Better than being blown up by the German!" Landers chuckled, then shouted out of the foxhole, "Martin, hurry back to your foxhole."
Then he kept watching Martin until he hid in the foxhole.
Just then, the roar of airplanes suddenly came from the sky, gradually moving from far to near, and then the sound was quickly drowned out by the explosions of shells.
"God, Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers and Heinkel He111 bombers." Welsh lay in the foxhole, looked up at the sky, and then exclaimed, "The British and Polish are finished!"
He almost groaned in despair.
"This is truly terrible!" Landeman couldn't help but say.
"The bridge is also finished!" Welsh added.
It was clear that with the 50-kilogram bombs carried by the Heinkel bombers, Arnhem Bridge would be reduced to ruins, and the retreat route of the British and Polish armies would be completely cut off.
"Damn it, why didn't the British set up positions on the north side of the bridge?" Landers felt a chill in his heart; he had obviously understood Welsh's words and suddenly realized, watching the Heinkel planes fly over the bridge and drop heavy bombs.
"Boom—" The huge explosion from the bridge made General Urquhart's heart tremble, followed by a chill.
It seemed he had greatly underestimated the German's determination to attack.
Their troops now lacked anti-aircraft fire and could only watch helplessly as the bridge turned into a sea of fire under the German planes' repeated bombing.
And the Stuka bombers repeatedly wreaked havoc on the British and Polish positions, emitting bursts of heart-wrenching screams, dropping bombs, and then harvesting lives.
General Urquhart moved his command post into a German abandoned underground bunker.
Even so, dust and rocks constantly fell from the bunker due to the intermittent explosions.
General Urquhart looked through the observation port of the bunker, watching Arnhem Bridge behind him turn into ruins under the German bombers' bombardment, and couldn't help but sigh, "Now we are surrounded again, this is truly excellent!"
General Sosabowski also stood beside him, dumbfounded, muttering, "Are we going to swim back?"
It was clear that the bridge had been destroyed, and holding on here would be meaningless except to increase their own casualties.
Everyone understood this point.
Even if they were to swim across, there was still the question of when the German attack would stop.
The defensive positions formed by the British and Polish had already been shattered by the German bombardment.
It was believed that the German infantry would launch an attack under the cover of tanks.
At that time, it would be the desperate situation for the British and Polish armies.
"Contact Allied Headquarters, immediately! Have them try everything to support us." General Urquhart suddenly walked to the radio and shouted at the Lieutenant, "Damn the order, don't say four days, even one day, we are already finding it difficult to hold on."
General Browning, after hearing General Urquhart's report, obviously realized that with Arnhem Bridge destroyed, the entire plan had fallen through, and his hand trembled slightly.
The Allied had paid a huge price for this offensive, and now the British First Airborne Division, which had suffered the greatest losses, was still trapped south of Arnhem, with heavy casualties.
"We have suffered a devastating blow from the German!" General Browning truthfully reported the situation to General Blielitun, the supreme commander of the Allied First Airborne Corps, "Now most of the First Airborne Division and the Polish First Airborne Brigade are trapped at Arnhem Bridge.
The bridge has been destroyed."
"Heavens!" General Blielitun gasped, the destruction of Arnhem Bridge meant that all troops separated by the Rhine River would become a feast for the German, a delicious meal for them to enjoy.
"What can we do?" General Blielitun looked at General Browning.
Now he was somewhat annoyed with General Browning; it was due to his negligence in not taking German intelligence seriously that the Allied forces were repeatedly severely damaged by the German army throughout the operation, especially the shocking losses of the British First Airborne Division.
"Perhaps we can provide air support to suppress the German bombing, but I'm not sure how effective that will be.
However, we must try.
As for the rest, it's up to God's blessing." General Browning was somewhat embarrassed; he knew General Blielitun's attitude towards him was problematic now.
"Perhaps we can send people to ferry them across by boat during the night."
"God, how long will that take to ferry? We only have rubber boats available for crossing the river, and not many of them!" General Blielitun annoyedly slapped his head.
He suddenly regretted his indecisiveness and his compromise to balance the relationship between the US and British armies, which led him to lose his own judgment.
General Taylor of the US 101st Airborne Division had warned him long ago.
But to balance leadership, he had to choose to compromise.
"General—" General Browning called out as he saw General Blielitun lost in thought.
General Blielitun nodded and said to him, "By all means, rescue them.
I will explain the situation to Montgomery, you go prepare, the sooner the better!"
"Yes, General!" General Browning, uncharacteristically, saluted General Blielitun, then withdrew.
It was clear that all current factors had to tilt towards the battlefield of Arnhem Bridge.
However, planes taking off from British airfields would obviously take a long time to reach Arnhem Bridge, and fighter jets had a relatively shorter range, making it impossible to provide long-term combat support overhead.
Everyone knew this, but since it was about doing everything possible, nothing else mattered.
"Lieutenant Welsh, what do we do now?" During a brief lull in the German artillery fire, Guarnere crawled into the foxhole where Welsh and "Big" Bill Guarnere were, and said to him, "We can't just die here with the British and Dutch.
Honestly, that feeling is just too awful."
Welsh nodded and said, "Of course, Lieutenant Parks left us a retreat route, right here."
Saying this, Welsh took out a map and pointed to it, "This is a ferry crossing.
The German have already withdrawn from this crossing, we need to occupy it, then cross the Rhine River and rendezvous with the US 82nd Airborne Division in Nijmegen."
"Oh, God, the Boss is really a good person, he had already thought about the retreat route, hadn't he?" Guarnere couldn't help but exclaim joyfully, "Then what about the Boss?"
"He will meet us at the ferry crossing!"
Guarnere was stunned, then nodded: "That's great, God bless the Boss! Honestly, I really don't know how the Boss managed to do all this.
I hope he can shoot that son of a bitch with one shot!"
"What about the British and Polish?" Landeman couldn't help but say.
Welsh shrugged and said, "I'll inform them; if they're not so stubborn, I don't mind taking them with us!"
"I am a rock. I don't move! I slowly stuff snow into my mouth! This way the wolves won't see my breath! I wait patiently for the wolves to come closer!" A low voice in the grass, like the faint chirping of a cricket, barely audible, "I only have one bullet. I aim for the wolf's eye, my finger on the Trigger! I'm not shaking! Misjudging isn't scary! I'm a big kid now!"
"Boss, what are you saying?" A similarly hushed voice.
"Nothing!" Parks was reciting a line from a movie in his previous life, "Enemy at the Gates," the sniper's line. Now, he and Shifty were fully camouflaged with grass, quietly lying prone on a vantage point in the woods. He observed his surroundings cautiously through his M1 sniper rifle, then lay still like a rock.
"Will they come this way?" Shifty's confidence was clearly not as strong as Parks', even though the person he was following was Parks. But the two of them weren't facing a single platoon from the last rescue mission, but two entire German divisions.
"Patience, willpower, courage, and decisiveness are the qualities a sniper should possess, Private Shifty!" Parks glanced at him, then refocused his attention on the road ahead.
"Boss, you know their supreme commander?" Shifty continued, "Field Marshal Model? General Bittrich?"
Parks shook his head and said, "No, I don't know them, but I know their ranks! The German will be passing through here soon. The bridgehead has already taken a saturation attack, now is their time to strike! Wait quietly, Shifty, aim at your enemy, don't hesitate at all, or it will bring you utter disaster."
"I understand, Boss!" Shifty nodded, then quietly lay back down.
A gust of wind blew, rustling the leaves. From the distant bridge, continuous "bang bang" explosions could be heard, and even the ground trembling from the shell explosions could be felt. A German Stuka shrieked overhead, almost skimming the treetops, causing several slender tree trunks to sway and lifting a corner of the grass camouflage on Parks and Shifty.
"I hope the British can hold on a bit longer!" Parks mumbled softly, then said to Shifty, "You keep observing, I'll be back in a moment!" With that, he put down his sniper rifle, then quietly walked towards the rear, constantly scanning with his binoculars. He had to ensure that escape route was not discovered at all times.
Woods, grass, a stream, then a turn into dense bushes that could completely conceal a person. This was the best escape route, leading directly to a small path to the ferry crossing.
After Parks confirmed there were no issues, he returned to Shifty's side.
"Did you find anything?" Parks lay down and whispered.
"Two wild goats 300 meters away, other than that, no movement!" Shifty said in a deep voice.
"Oh, they're not the enemy, no need to kill them!" Parks smiled slightly.
Shifty suddenly turned his head and said, "Boss, how do we escape this place? I mean, if we succeed."
"Two paths. One is the small path directly to the ferry crossing, that's our first choice because we can quickly shake off the German and it's very close to the ferry crossing, so we might catch a boat. The downside is that the German will pursue us if we can't easily shake them off; the second is by water, we follow the stream west, then cross a patch of woods. The advantage of this path is that the stream water might render the German search dogs' noses useless, and besides the fish in the stream, no German will chase us. But we'd have to detour, and if so, it would be hard for us to catch the last boat of our unit." Parks glanced at Shifty and whispered.
Shifty nodded, then smiled slightly and said, "Boss, this is truly good news, we'll have to work hard for that last boat ticket!" Then he murmured softly, "This damn place really keeps one on edge, unable to relax for a moment!"
"Shh, quiet, Shifty!" Suddenly Parks softly called out, "I think our prey is arriving." Then he smiled slightly at Shifty and said, "Happy hunting, Shifty!"
As Parks spoke, their bodies, lying prone on the ground, already felt a tremor. The German troops were advancing towards the bridge. The rumbling sound of tanks and armored vehicles advancing vibrated the ground.
"Happy hunting, Boss!" Shifty responded in a low voice, then muttered to himself, hunting? He really dared to think that. He still didn't know who was the prey and who was the hunter.
German tanks led the way, with columns of German soldiers following behind them. The road was wide and the visibility excellent, and in the sniper rifle's scope, the German were advancing in an orderly fashion.
"Boss, they've stopped!" Shifty suddenly whispered to Parks, "They've stopped, here, God, have they found us?" His voice revealed tension and unease, and was full of anxiety.
"Relax, relax! Shifty, they haven't found us!" Parks softly calmed him, "This place is only suitable as a German command post. They will establish a temporary command post here. It's only about a kilometer from the bridge, and the terrain is open, suitable for the assembly of large forces. This is the best command post location for them."
"You planned this all along, didn't you?" Shifty's heart calmed down a little.
"Yes, yes, otherwise what are we ambushing here for? We didn't ambush in a German village, nor in the narrow bend ahead? This is the spot we want." Parks murmured, "We have to anticipate the enemy, predict every step of their thoughts, and then do what we believe is right!"
"What if they don't set up their command post here?" Shifty couldn't help but ask again.
"So we also have to bet on our luck!" Parks turned his head and smiled slightly at Shifty.
"God, I hope I didn't mishear!" Shifty couldn't help but murmur softly. Clearly, Parks's mention of luck made Shifty feel lingering fear.
"Yes, luck, Shifty!" Parks shifted his gaze back to the scope, muttering softly, "It seems our luck is quite good. My luck has always been good, and this time is no exception!"
Shifty was about to say something when he heard Parks suddenly whisper, "The prey is about to come out, Shifty, look at the damn scope. If you have any more questions, let's talk after we hunt the prey, don't get distracted!"
Shifty was startled, then quickly shifted his gaze to the scope. The scope clearly projected the German into his eyes. He could even clearly see the German soldiers' smiling faces, as if they were on vacation this time. The entire German stopped, and some German even smiled and lit cigarettes. Smoke curled up, clearly visible in the scope.
"Three o'clock direction, a German general, looks like a Major General. See if there's anyone with a higher rank? Shifty, you take this Major General, he's yours!" Parks said softly, then gently moved his muzzle. He continued to search for the next target through the scope. Clearly, this Major General was not the supreme commander.
"Okay, Boss, leave it to me!" Shifty groaned softly, "If I told those guys I killed a German Major General, they'd surely stare with wide eyes. But the premise is that we have to escape here alive."
"If before, I bet them I would kill a German general, then now is the time for us to collect our money, Shifty. I've found a Lieutenant General. Oh, God, I know this person, SS Lieutenant General Bittrich. I think we're going to get rich. What an unexpected gain, I didn't expect him to come personally." Parks couldn't help but smile, and his scope never left that figure.
The SS uniform, the rank of Lieutenant General, these were his hallmarks, and his characteristic thin face was impressive. This was Parks's understanding of this Lieutenant General in his previous life.
Parks had a good impression of this Lieutenant General. In the original Operation Market Garden, during the battle for Arnhem Bridge, it was this Lieutenant General Bittrich who privately allowed the British to evacuate seriously wounded soldiers from the battlefield, through the German lines to the British field hospital. He had also echoed Rommel in attempting to overthrow and arrest the German Nazis, believing that the first to be arrested should be Hitler, the leader of the SS. In February 1945, he was stationed in Vienna, but he moved his troops away from Vienna to prevent the destruction of this famous Austro-German cultural and music capital due to combat. Because of this, he resisted executing Hitler's military order to "hold the position and fight to the last man." It was hard to imagine that such a general actually came from the SS headquarters.
But today was very unfortunate, he appeared in his scope. Parks always adhered to one principle: being kind to the enemy is being cruel to oneself. Clearly, he had to make this German SS Lieutenant General fall under his gun.
"Steady, steady!" Parks constantly reminded Shifty, lest Shifty accidentally fire due to nervousness. In his scope, Lieutenant General Bittrich's figure was behind several German staff officers, surrounded by these men. From the scope, he seemed to be continuously issuing orders.
The German shelling and bombing were still ongoing. Although not as intense as at first, they basically never stopped. Lieutenant General Bittrich's strategy was obvious: to keep the British and Polish on edge at all times, then, when they were most tired, off guard, or lost courage, to launch a fierce attack and annihilate them, thereby preventing them from escaping from the bridge.
"Damn it, they're blocking him!" Parks muttered softly.
"What do we do now?" Shifty kept his eyes on the scope, not relaxing for a moment, "I've already aimed at that German Major General, Boss, should I fire?"
Parks looked at him, then said, "Alright, you listen to my command, hold steady, wait for the shell to explode, then we'll fire. That way we won't expose ourselves."
After a series of orders were given, the German vanguard tanks and infantry began to advance, and Lieutenant General Bittrich at this moment separated from the surrounding staff officers, then waved to the Major General.
A clear shot appeared.
Just then, a German shell exploded with a huge sound in front, and the opportunity flashed by.
"Now, fire!" Parks said decisively, then pulled the Trigger.
"Boom—" The shell exploded with a huge sound, and then, before the eyes of all German officers and soldiers, blood splattered from Lieutenant General Bittrich's chest.
"The Germans are coming!" Welsh held his binoculars, and he could clearly see that the Germans had stopped their tanks and armored vehicles. This indicated that the Germans were preparing for their final assault.
"What should we do? Should we leave now?" Sergeant Martin asked Welsh.
"No, no, we have to wait. If we retreat now, the Germans will surely pursue us relentlessly; they will seize the opportunity to wipe us out!" Welsh shook his head, pondering when Parks would make his move.
Before this, Welsh had already told General Urquhart about Parks' plan and pointed out the location of the Veerdorp ferry crossing, which was not very far. If the German attack was disrupted, they would only need to gain four hours to occupy the crossing and cross the river. He just didn't know what General Urquhart intended to do.
"You should at least consider this suggestion," Brigadier General John Frost said to General Urquhart. "I think that Lieutenant is quite reliable. Anyway, we have no retreat now, so why not try?"
"I also agree with the Brigadier General," General Sosabowski nodded. "To be honest, I quite like that young man. And I fully believe he will bring us another miracle."
"A miracle?" General Urquhart was not optimistic, but they were already at a dead end and had to try. The destruction of the bridge meant waiting for death, and now a glimmer of hope appeared before them. "But that ferry crossing is not marked on our map. How did he know there was a crossing there?" He still raised his doubt.
"Don't forget, General Urquhart, Lieutenant Parks parachuted here by glider before our airborne landing. They were here for reconnaissance. Could there be a problem?" General Sosabowski retorted.
"You've got me there!" General Urquhart didn't know how to answer, then said to the Lieutenant, "Quickly contact Allied Headquarters, tell them our position. We will occupy a ferry crossing called Veerdorp, eight miles west of the south end of the bridge. Tell them to send all available boats to pick us up and provide cover. The Germans have planes, heavy artillery, and tanks!"
"I hope this decision is correct!" General Urquhart couldn't help but sigh.
"God bless us!" Brigadier General John Frost made the sign of the cross.
"I need to go to the front lines and take a look." General Urquhart grabbed the binoculars and military cap from the table, then quickly walked towards the front line. Brigadier General John Frost and General Sosabowski followed behind him.
German tanks could be clearly seen through binoculars a kilometer away. General Urquhart had very good reason to worry, as his side's anti-tank weapons were almost depleted, and they had no heavy artillery, making them completely incapable of stopping those moving steel monsters.
"The Germans have stopped! It seems the situation is not good!" General Urquhart said to General Sosabowski beside him. "They are making their final preparations for the attack. Damn it, we only have rifle bullets here. Damn the supplies, no air-dropped jeeps, no air-dropped heavy weapons. We only have one hope left now."
At that moment, a shell suddenly exploded not far from General Urquhart. Colonel David, who was beside Brigadier General John Frost, lunged forward, pressing the General beneath him. The dirt blown into the sky rained down, covering their heads and faces.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, Colonel, you can get up now!" General Urquhart struggled, trying to crawl out from under Colonel David.
"Are you sure, General!" Colonel David was not at ease.
"Yes, yes! I feel very good now, not injured at all!" General Urquhart struggled again, and only then did David move off him, then he surveyed him.
"Good, isn't it?" General Urquhart smiled slightly at him, then shrugged his shoulders.
"General, the Germans, look!" Brigadier General John Frost suddenly shouted at him. "They seem very flustered, their attack formation is completely chaotic. God, we didn't hear gunshots just now, but they are in disarray!"
"They succeeded!" General Sosabowski suddenly said slowly. "I knew he could do it. General Urquhart, quickly give the order. We must retreat while they are in chaos!"
General Urquhart saw through his binoculars that the German forces were in complete disarray. They were constantly firing in all directions, and then the German artillery turned its attention, wildly bombarding the surroundings.
It seemed General Sosabowski was right; the opportunity was fleeting.
"Alright, I order it, retreat immediately!" General Urquhart put down his binoculars, looked at the two of them, then took a deep breath. "God bless us, everyone!"
"God bless us!" The two nodded simultaneously, then immediately issued separate retreat orders. They abandoned all their supplies and equipment, traveling light, and taking advantage of the German confusion, they quietly retreated, rushing towards the ferry crossing.
Welsh led the First Platoon, walking at the very front, guiding the way, followed by the bewildered British and Polish soldiers. They made no sound, just silently, even jogging, following the First Platoon.
"Whoosh—" A bullet whistled, instantly burying itself in General Bittrich's uniform, and then a pool of crimson blood quickly soaked his uniform, spreading outwards. He merely stumbled before falling to the ground, motionless. Then, the officers around him, who were about to rally the troops, were stunned, then swarmed forward, surrounding Lieutenant General Bittrich.
The Major General just lifted his head, and then a spray of blood bloomed on his head, knocking off his military cap. He also fell to the ground without a sound, a gurgling death rattle escaping his throat.
"Sniper!" Someone shouted loudly. Clearly, Lieutenant General Bittrich being shot dead by an enemy sniper in plain sight caused panic throughout the entire unit. Everyone immediately fell into chaos. Although the SS was a well-trained unit, if an ordinary officer was shot, someone would quickly fill in and take command. But the highest commander had been shot dead, and also a Major General, both killed in front of the German soldiers. The German attack, which was being prepared, stopped. Without an order from the supreme commander, the troops would absolutely not launch an attack.
"Fire, fire immediately, fire in all directions!" A Lieutenant Colonel suddenly shouted loudly. The basic military quality of the Germans was evident; after a brief moment of panic, they immediately began to return fire, although they did not know the target. Shells and bullets began to sweep the area like a carpet.
"Go!" Parks slapped Shifty's shoulder, got up, and ran back. Shells quickly covered their recently vacated hiding spot, kicking up clouds of dirt.
"Faster, faster, faster!" Parks and Shifty ran for their lives, leaping through the woods. Their excellent physical training from normal times was evident now. Ahead was a slope.
"Jump!" Parks shouted, and then he dropped down the slope. As the two of them descended the slope, shells whistled over their heads, exploding not far from the slope, and the ground behind them looked as if it had been plowed, pitted with shell craters.
Watching the shells continuously falling ahead, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
"Boss, what do we do now? Do we take the first road?" Shifty looked nervously at Parks.
Parks looked behind him. He could vaguely hear the sound of German motorcycles, and the constant shouts of soldiers. Clearly, the Germans had sent a large number of troops to search, and he even heard dogs barking.
"No!" Parks suddenly said, "The Germans will follow our tracks to the ferry crossing, and then the British and the First Platoon will be finished. Shifty, we have to take the second road!"
"Oh, God, this is truly bad news!" Shifty couldn't help but slap his forehead.
Parks patted his arm, got up and said, "Hurry, we'll follow the stream!" With that, he quickly ran towards the direction of the second escape route. Clearly, Parks wanted to shake off the Germans and then meet up with the First Platoon at the ferry crossing.
The German search teams fanned out, beginning a carpet search along both sides of the road. Furthermore, Germans immediately dispatched many hunting dogs from Dessau to hunt down the British who dared to ambush. They still believed that the destruction of the fuel and ammunition depots and the sniping of Lieutenant General Bittrich were the work of the British. Model received the report immediately, and the wise Field Marshal was instantly enraged. He even paused the attack on the British, determined to first find the sniper. This was to avenge the ammunition depot, the fuel depot, and the sniping of his general.
Just as Parks said, sometimes war also relies on a bit of luck. Now that Model was blinded by rage, the British, the Polish, and the First Platoon had gotten lucky.
In fact, Field Marshal Model already believed that the British and the Polish were trapped. The Arnhem Bridge was destroyed, cutting off the British retreat, and the Nijmegen Bridge was also destroyed. Allied reinforcements absolutely could not cross the river by pontoon bridge within a day or two. This was why he could boldly issue a wartime order to cease the attack and focus solely on annihilating this group of assault personnel who had caused him so much trouble.
The hunting dogs stopped by a stream. They circled the stream continuously.
"Colonel, it seems there's no path here!" A German Sergeant reported to the Colonel behind him.
The Colonel walked forward with a grim expression, then squatted down to examine the area carefully. Clearly, the footprints by the stream had disappeared, and there were no footprints on the opposite bank either. The stream had washed away all human scent, and the hunting dogs were helpless, having lost their target.
"Could the British sniper have been walking in the stream the whole time?" The Colonel couldn't help but wonder. If the British sniper was walking in the stream, their speed would definitely be slow, and it was very possible to catch up to them.
"Continue searching along the stream, and pay attention ahead." The Colonel pondered carefully for a moment, then gave the order. A large group of Germans searched forward along the stream.
The barking of the dogs gradually faded from their ears; the Germans had gone far away.
At that moment, in a patch of chest-high grass not far from the stream, the weeds suddenly swayed gently a few times. A figure emerged from within, hunched over, looking around. Then he waved to the grass and softly said, "Shifty, come out, we've shaken them off!"
The Germans chased down the stream, but they didn't see any trace of the British. The colonel knew he had been tricked, but the scent had clearly disappeared by the stream, and there were no traces or scents of anyone having crossed to the other side of the stream. They had lost the enemy's trail. But the colonel didn't give up; they turned back and investigated places they considered suspicious. Still, they found nothing, except for two startled goats scurrying through the grass.
The Easy Company brothers guarding Veghel had been quite relaxed since receiving news from Parks and his group. The happiest thing was that their brothers, whom they had thought were wiped out by the Germans, were still alive. Of course, this excluded the officers. Captain Winters and the company officers had learned of the order for Parks and First Platoon to hold the bridge with the British and Poles for four days.
"Is Field Marshal Montgomery insane?" Nixon always complained in the company headquarters. "Holding out for four days? The British have suffered heavy losses; they have no anti-tank weapons, no artillery, no reinforcements, and even their medicine is insufficient. I can't imagine if Parks and his men can last these four days."
Captain Winters was about to say something when Corporal Wester, the communications technician for the company headquarters, walked over. He looked a bit grim and said to Captain Winters, "Captain, you'd better take this call. It's Colonel Sink!"
Colonel Sink called, and he spoke very quickly, like a machine gun: "Dick, I have to tell you some bad news. The Germans have already started attacking Arnhem Bridge. Their planes bombed Arnhem Bridge."
"Parks and his men had their retreat cut off?" Captain Winters immediately realized something and said in surprise. Then he waited for Colonel Sink's next words. If it was all bad news, he certainly wouldn't have called him first.
Indeed, after a brief pause, Colonel Sink continued: "Well, there's also some good news. Under Parks' guidance, the British moved and retreated to an area west of Arnhem Bridge, and they will cross the river at a ferry crossing called Veerdorp. The Allied forces will cooperate with them, providing them with boats and cover. Although we only have some rubber dinghies, it's a hope, isn't it?"
It was indeed good news, compared to that kind of despairing bad news. Captain Winters took a deep breath, then spoke into the receiver in as calm a voice as possible: "So—Colonel, do you need us to do anything?"
"Take your men to the Veerdorp ferry crossing and bring Parks and his men home!" Colonel Sink's tone was very firm. "I'll have D Company take over your defense sector, so don't worry about defense! The Germans in this area are completely overwhelmed!"
"As you wish, Colonel!" Captain Winters agreed without hesitation.
Watching Captain Winters hang up the phone, Nixon looked at him and smiled slightly, "Is it good news?"
"I don't know what to call this news, or perhaps it's good news!" Captain Winters smiled faintly at Nixon, then shouted, "Wester, go call P Ka, Lieutenant Halliger, and Staff Sergeant Talbert!" He then said to Nixon, "Nick, we're going to pick them up. This time, we have to do it beautifully. Parks and his men are going to cross the river. We're going to a ferry crossing called Veerdorp, right here!" Captain Winters walked to the map, pointed to a spot, and then showed a brilliant smile.
The brothers of Easy Company finally received the latest news about Parks and his men, and they were going to move out again, only this time they weren't going to fight the Germans, but to bring their own brothers home.
"Oh, I can see dear Luz again!" Sergeant Leo Bohler whistled. Upon hearing Talbert relay this news, it was clear that he and Luz had a very good relationship in Easy Company.
"God bless them!" Talbert added. To be honest, the mission sounded good—bringing their brothers home—but the danger Parks and his men faced was also extremely great. If the Germans caught up, their hope of crossing the river would be very small. After all, the Germans had received reinforcements; they still had tanks, heavy artillery, and even planes.
All of Easy Company, amidst excitement and tension, prepared their gear. Then they climbed into a line of trucks. Captain Winters stood on the road outside Veghel, looked at Veghel, and then looked ahead.
"Bringing Reese and his men back should be the end of this operation, right?" Captain Winters twitched the corner of his mouth slightly. "I don't like this feeling, Nick."
"Yes, Nijmegen Bridge has been bombed, and now Arnhem Bridge has also been bombed. I think the Allied forces will have to find another route to Germany." Nixon glanced at Captain Winters, then climbed into a jeep next to him and said, "There's a first time for everything. We'll bring Parks back, and then it's time for a good vacation."
"Did General Taylor say that?" Captain Winters climbed into the jeep, sat in the driver's seat, and started the car.
"No, I said that to myself!" Nixon chuckled, "I believe General Taylor will also say to us when he sees us: 'Hey, brave lads, I'm giving you a long vacation, go and enjoy yourselves. Paris is a good place.'"
"Hmm, I believe that sentence, you definitely said it to yourself," Captain Winters laughed, "General Taylor wouldn't say something like that. He would only say, 'Warriors of the 101st Division, I am proud of you!'"
As Captain Winters spoke, he stepped on the accelerator, and the car immediately sped away, kicking up a cloud of dust on the road. The trucks, fully loaded with the brothers of Easy Company, gradually disappeared down the road, finally vanishing into the green shade at a bend in the road.
Parks and Shifty ran for their lives through the woods and grass. They had to shake off the Germans, otherwise, they would only bring disaster to the First Platoon brothers, the British, and the Polish forces.
"Huff, huff, huff—"
Heavy panting echoed through the forest, tree shadows constantly flashing past behind them. Although their legs felt heavy, the two continued to run. Shifty was clenching his teeth tightly. He felt like he couldn't hold on much longer, and the German search was still ongoing; they could be discovered at any moment, even though they had successfully shaken off the Germans by the stream.
Parks used two goats to successfully erase their tracks, disorienting the hounds and misleading the German forces. That was a rare and precious time and opportunity, allowing them to gain distance from the Germans. However, he was very impressed by Parks' ingenious ideas. And for the first time, he also experienced what it felt like to ride on a goat's back. Although it was comical, they still successfully tricked the Germans.
"I never thought the goats we saw before the sniper mission would help us so much!" Shifty gasped, but his indescribably excited mood still made him unable to stop talking.
"I agree, they are good goats. I'll have General Taylor award them medals!" Parks replied while running, "Shifty, I think we'd definitely run faster if we didn't talk!"
"I agree too!"
The two ran wildly, then saw a small path ahead. This path was the first one Parks considered, the one that led directly to the Veerdorp ferry crossing. But now, both of them hesitated a bit. They stopped.
"What should we do, Boss!" Shifty gasped, then wiped the sweat from his face with his hand. "Should we take this path?" He looked behind him again. The Germans were in hot pursuit; he could even smell the commotion of the Germans chasing them.
"Yes, take this path, but only you!" Parks suddenly made up his mind. If both of them took this path, the Germans would definitely follow it. Not only would they both fail to escape, but they would also alert the Germans to the troops at the ferry crossing. Now there was only one way: let Shifty go first, then he would draw away the Germans, and after shaking them off, return to the ferry crossing. No matter what, one person crossing the river was safer than 5,000, and he could even swim across.
"Why?" Shifty was startled, then he understood why Parks wanted to do this!
But Parks didn't give him a chance to object, looking at him sternly and saying, "This is an order, Private Shifty!"
Shifty pursed his lips, then nodded and said, "Yes, sir!"
"Go!" Parks said decisively to him, "Now!"
Shifty nodded at him, then ran along the small path. He didn't look back, but he knew that Parks would definitely draw away the Germans and let him reach safely. As he ran, he suddenly felt something catch in his throat, making his eyes sting uncomfortably.
At a distance of 500 meters, Parks raised his sniper rifle, and the face of the German colonel was clearly visible. He was the German officer in charge of the search in this area. If he could be killed, the German search would definitely be delayed for a while.
With a "bang!", the bullet whistled and then pierced the colonel's head, splattering blood.
"British!" The German soldiers immediately ducked down. They opened fire, and a volley of bullets hit the spot where Parks had just been crouching, sending grass clippings flying and dirt splattering.
Parks had already changed positions. He moved along the direction of the stream, then he saw a major take over command, waving his hand, trying to get the Germans to rush the spot where he had just ambushed them.
Parks raised his rifle and aimed again. He adjusted his somewhat rapid breathing, then held his breath, aimed the crosshairs at the major's head, silently muttered "God bless," and pulled the Trigger.
"Bang!"
The major fell to the ground. The German firepower shifted very quickly; as soon as Parks left the ambush point, bullets tore through the grass there. Parks then used the cover of the human-high grass, moved continuously along the stream, then turned back, occasionally firing to snipe Germans. And the Germans had also learned to be smarter. Officers and soldiers mingled together, making it impossible to tell who was in command, which made Parks lose his primary sniping target, forcing him to only snipe ordinary soldiers.
But Parks also made the Germans suffer greatly. His almost deadly hit rate made those Germans extremely cautious. Every step they took, they carefully observed their surroundings.
Suddenly, he heard the Germans shouting, then saw the searching Germans temporarily stop. Then he heard a "whoosh" sound in the air; the Germans had brought in mortars. With a "boom!", an explosion occurred, and the surrounding grass immediately caught fire. Parks inwardly cursed, realizing the Germans were using incendiary bombs. They wanted to burn away the grass, either burning him to death or forcing him to reveal himself.
Shifty sprinted down the path, his urgent breathing making his lungs feel like they were about to explode. He had even thrown away his sniper rifle and ammunition; he needed to quickly rendezvous with his brothers. Tree shadows flickered in front of him, his steps grew heavier, and his breathing became rougher. He firmly believed he was about to succeed.
A fresh breeze suddenly swept across his face, carrying the fresh, moist sensation of the river wind. Through the gaps in the trees, he could see the surging waves of the river.
Shifty saw the riverbank and the figures moving on the other side of it. He saw clearly that it was the uniform of an American Airborne Division soldier; the eagle's head embroidered on their shoulders was visible even from a distance. Actually, he couldn't see it clearly, but he saw it clearly in his heart; as long as it was that familiar uniform, the eagle was in his heart.
"Who is it?" The group of people obviously saw Shifty run out of the woods and shouted loudly.
"It's Shifty!" Someone recognized him and then cried out in surprise.
"Lieutenant Welsh, Lieutenant Welsh!" Shifty shouted loudly, ignoring the brothers running towards him. He looked up, glancing around, trying to find that person—Lieutenant Welsh.
"It's me, it's me, Shifty!" At this moment, a person parted the surrounding brothers and then shouted at him, "Shifty, where is Lieutenant Parks? Shifty, tell me, where is Lieutenant Parks?"
Shifty wanted to open his mouth. He wanted to tell Welsh where Lieutenant Parks was and where he had gone. He wanted Lieutenant Welsh to save him, to bring Lieutenant Parks back. But he only opened his mouth, then his vision went black, his ears buzzed, and then he knew nothing. He collapsed.
"Shifty!" Landeman caught him, preventing him from falling, and then shouted loudly, but Shifty was already unresponsive; he lay limply in Landers's arms.
"Shifty!" Landers shook him, trying to wake him up, but it was clearly unsuccessful.
"He fainted! Sergeant Landman, he's suffering from severe exhaustion. Let the British doctor examine him. Notify me as soon as he wakes up!" Welsh's expression was a bit grim. He parted the crowd and walked towards the ferry crossing. They were the advance guide unit. The British troops followed closely behind, already beginning to organize themselves in an orderly fashion.
The Veerdorp ferry crossing was overlooked by the German. Both they and the British were drawn to the Arnhem Bridge, where they were engaged in a desperate struggle, yet they abandoned this ferry crossing here. What the German and British did not expect was that the ferry boats here were very well preserved. There were six large ferry boats, capable of transporting over a thousand soldiers in one trip.
When General Urquhart arrived here, he couldn't help but exclaiming in admiration. Clearly, if he had known about this place earlier, then the Arnhem Bridge would not have been the only option. He could have chosen to cross the river here and then launch a surprise attack on the German positions south of the bridge. That would have been much easier, and the Arnhem Bridge would have returned to his control.
"God, I never expected this!" General Sosabowski couldn't help but exclaim. This was his first reaction upon seeing the ferry crossing, and then he burst into hearty laughter, saying, "I knew God would favor us."
"We have to thank that Lieutenant!" Brigadier General John Frost nodded, "Lieutenant Parks. Oh, by the way, I wonder if he has arrived yet. Colonel David, go talk to the Americans and ask them if Lieutenant Parks has arrived. We want to talk to him!" He shouted loudly to Colonel David, who was preparing the ferry boat nearby.
"Yes, General!" David was clearly very happy. He quickly walked towards the First Platoon's brothers.
General Urquhart then said to the Lieutenant in charge of communications who was following him: "Lieutenant, contact the Allied forces and tell them we are preparing to cross the river. We have six ferry boats. Also, ask them to send all their boats to meet us. We will try to cross the river as quickly as possible, so the German don't have time to react, otherwise we will be blown up and sunk in the Rhine River to feed the fish."
"Yes, General!" The Lieutenant nodded. He felt that General Urquhart's tone was excellent now, compared to his irritable mood of the past few days; now he was completely relaxed.
Good news followed one after another. The Allied forces could get fifty rubber boats and wooden boats, which would increase the transport capacity by about five hundred people. This meant that a force of five thousand people could be transported in just three round trips. This would undoubtedly greatly shorten the time.
"The German didn't expect us to cross the river here. It seems they'll be busy for nothing!" General Urquhart looked at the soldiers busy preparing to board the boats at the ferry crossing and said to General Sosabowski.
"But our entire operation ended in complete failure, and we suffered heavy losses, General!" General Sosabowski was also looking at the boarding soldiers, and his expression couldn't help but darken.
His words made General Urquhart fall silent for a moment, and his expression suddenly became forlorn. The British First Airborne Division, which had more than eleven thousand men when they set out, now had only over four thousand left. Nearly seven thousand had been killed or captured by the German. Moreover, the proportion of those killed was much higher than those captured; most British soldiers died heroically in battle. He looked at the dejected soldiers again, silently.
"Colonel David, has the Lieutenant returned?" Brigadier General John Frost said to Colonel David, who was walking over.
"The Corporal who went with him has returned. His name is Shifty. But he's the only one who came back. He's already unconscious, not injured, just exhausted. He ran four or five miles at high speed; his whole body is depleted!" Colonel David's tone was a bit low, "Perhaps, the Lieutenant won't be able to come back!"
Colonel David's words attracted the two Generals. They opened their mouths but didn't say a word. Clearly, this outcome was also within their expectations, but when the news suddenly arrived, there was still some surprise.
"General, what do we do now?" Colonel David asked with some hesitation, "Do we need to leave people behind to meet him?"
General Sosabowski looked at General Urquhart and said nothing. Brigadier General John Frost was about to speak, but General Urquhart spoke. His lips twitched a few times, and then he said, "No, no need."
Brigadier General John Frost opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. General Urquhart's decision was correct. If they stayed behind, those people would all be annihilated here by the awakened German, and many more lives would be lost.
While the several people were discussing, a whistle sounded from the ferry crossing. The Allied boats for rendezvous had arrived. General Urquhart looked towards the woods, then turned around and said, "Colonel, let them start boarding!"
The British began to board the rubber boats, small boats, and ferry boats. They walked silently, mechanically taking their steps. Sandra walked on the gangplank, looking at the ripples of the Rhine River, and couldn't help but look back. Then, urged by the person behind him, he quickly jumped onto the ferry.
"Lieutenant Parks is dead!" As soon as he sat down, he heard several people whispering next to him.
Lieutenant Parks? Immediately, a figure popped into his mind: the Lieutenant from the American 101st Airborne Division who had been talked about so miraculously among the British paratroopers and Polish paratroopers in the past two days. Sandra knew about his deeds, and he also knew that this retreat location was provided by that Lieutenant. One could say he saved everyone here.
But was he dead? Sandra pricked up his ears.
"He killed a German General!" One person said with a somewhat somber expression, "That's why we had the chance to escape here and take a ferry home. Honestly, I'm grateful to him from the bottom of my heart!"
"He's truly amazing!" Another British soldier interjected, "If I could kill a General, I really wish I had joined that assassination mission, but unfortunately, my marksmanship isn't good!"
"God bless, I hope he's still alive!" Another person said, "I'm sure he's still alive. If it weren't for the Corporal who hasn't woken up yet confirming it himself, I wouldn't believe it."
"Oh, be realistic! He's surrounded by the German; it's impossible, though I also hope he can come back alive!" The first British man shook his head and then walked away. This topic was heavy-hearted, and he didn't want to talk about it anymore.
Sandra didn't say a word. He listened quietly, then turned his head towards the river. At this moment, the ship suddenly vibrated, the engines began to roar, and then it gradually left the shore. Around the ferry, the Allied rubber boats and small wooden boats were tied with ropes. The ship slowly left the shore and sailed towards the middle of the river.
"God bless Parks!" Sandra suddenly made the sign of the cross on his chest, then shifted his gaze back to the river surface. Just as he turned his head, he saw several people facing the Rhine River, with their heads bowed, silently making the sign of the cross on their chests.
Welsh watched his brothers board the rubber boats, then watched them leave the riverbank and gradually sail towards the middle of the river. Many of his brothers' eyes looked over here. He saw Webster's silent, firm gaze and suddenly smiled faintly. He was going to stay here and wait for Parks. This was his decision.
Welsh did not let any of the First Platoon's brothers stay behind, even though they all wanted to. But he couldn't let his brothers risk it again. Shifty hadn't woken up, and the British doctor said it would take at least a day for him to wake up. But Parks couldn't wait a day. Welsh firmly believed that Parks was not dead. Just like Webster's firm gaze, all the First Platoon's brothers firmly believed that Lieutenant Parks was not dead; he was still alive.
Brigadier General John Frost was the commander who decided to stay and withdraw last. General Urquhart and General Sosabowski had already boarded the ferry boat and left. When he looked over here, he saw Lieutenant Welsh, and then he walked over.
"Lieutenant Welsh!" Brigadier General John Frost saluted him.
"General!" Welsh stood ramrod straight and returned his salute.
Brigadier General John Frost looked at him and said, "You believe he's still alive?"
"Yes, General!" Welsh nodded.
Brigadier General John Frost cleared his throat and then said, "Lieutenant, I don't know how to persuade you! But I still have to make you understand that you should cross the river with us!"
"Is that an order, General!" Welsh suddenly looked at Brigadier General John Frost and grinned.
Brigadier General John Frost was silent for a moment, then solemnly nodded and said, "Yes, Lieutenant, you must obey the order!"
----
"Boom!" A German incendiary bomb exploded in the grass, immediately igniting a large fire.
The fire burned all the surrounding grass and trees.
The Germans wanted to burn Parks to death, or they wanted to use this method to drive him out.
While waiting for the fire to burn, the German troops formed a fan-shaped encirclement.
The crackling sound of the fire made the Germans a little excited; if that damned sniper was inside, he would definitely be burned to a crisp.
And they did indeed determine that the sniper was inside; there were no signs of him having escaped.
The fire burned for over an hour, and then the Germans began to clear the burnt area, trying to find one or two unburnt bones from the blaze.
But they were very disappointed; there was nothing but the charred remains of some small animals.
The sniper seemed to have evaporated into thin air.
"Where is he?" The German Major looked into the distance, gritting his teeth and speaking fiercely.
But the German soldiers, with blank stares, could not answer his question.
Like the Major, they felt bewildered and at a loss; how could a person just suddenly disappear?
"Sir, there are traces here!" A German Sergeant knelt by the stream at the edge of the burnt area, then pointed to a jacket by the stream and shouted loudly; clearly, this was the evidence.
The Major ran over quickly, picked up the jacket, and saw that it was a military uniform, not British, but an American military uniform.
And from the slightly reddened silver bars on the uniform, it was a Lieutenant's uniform, and from the tattered uniform, one could still see the eagle embroidered on the arm and the paratrooper badge on the chest.
"Damn it, this is an American paratrooper's uniform! And a Lieutenant's! Is the sniper not British but American?" The Major couldn't help but frown, then clutched the uniform tightly in his hand, speaking through gritted teeth.
"Sir, what should we do now?" The Sergeant looked at the Major and asked.
"Pursue along this stream; we must catch that damned American.
And notify the Air Force to intensify the search; this stream leads to the Rhine River, and we must position men at the stream's exit to absolutely prevent that American from slipping away!" The Major suddenly shouted loudly to his back, "Signalman, damn it, come over quickly, report our discovery to the General immediately, and have them send out the Air Force!"
"Yes, Sir!" The signalman immediately began contacting, and soon received a response from German headquarters, agreeing to the Major's request to send out the Air Force for reconnaissance.
And they also transferred other search personnel to assist the Major, expanding the search area.
It seemed the Germans were determined to capture the sniper and would not give up.
The German search area expanded, but they did not find Parks.
However, the German Air Force had an unexpected gain.
Reconnaissance planes continuously searched in the air, constantly expanding the search area, carefully checking the exit of the stream and the banks of the Rhine River.
But they also found nothing and were about to fly back when the co-pilot of the plane suddenly pointed ahead and exclaimed, "What is that? Are those our people? It looks like a ferry crossing!"
"Let's go take a look!" The pilot maneuvered the plane and flew towards the troops seemingly crossing the river at the ferry.
Soon they made an astonishing discovery: they were British, waiting at the dock, and on the opposite bank, several ferries were moored, with British soldiers continuously disembarking; they were retreating.
"God, the British are escaping!" The pilot shouted, "We must inform headquarters immediately!"
Soon, the plane circled once in the air and flew back.
This was an unexpected discovery that directly sent the last batch of British paratroopers into hell.
But the Germans did not find Parks.
When the German shells exploded and ignited the big fire, he knew it was going to be bad.
He desperately ran through the grass; now the only thing that could save him was the stream.
The Germans used incendiary bombs, and he didn't want to be buried in the sea of fire, but the fire still swept towards him.
Parks simply took off his jacket, wrapped it around his head and upper body, and hunched over, like a leopard fleeing through a burning field, swift and agile.
He felt as if his muscles were about to explode.
Closer, the stream was right in front of him.
The fire behind him was also about to engulf him.
Parks' body was like a fish, sliding through at the last moment.
He threw away his jacket, then pushed off with his feet, and his entire body plunged into the stream, submerging himself underwater.
The tongues of fire from the blaze swept over the stream and then vanished instantly.
He was safe, but Parks dared not move; he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be discovered by the German, as the grass had already been burned away.
He lay quietly in the stream.
The only thing he did was remain motionless, stretching his entire body into a natural state, then suddenly taking a deep breath, floating his body, and drifting with the current.
Although this was slow, the fire had burned for over an hour, and during this time, it was impossible for the German to search, which also allowed him to drift a sufficient distance without being discovered by the German.
Then he crawled out of the stream and turned to run into the woods.
Because he heard the roar of planes in the air, the Germans must have dispatched planes for reconnaissance after not finding his body.
It seemed the Germans were determined to catch him.
Being taken so seriously by the German, Parks couldn't help but feel a little secretly pleased, even though he was still in danger.
As he passed through the woods, Parks already felt that he had seemingly shaken off the German pursuers behind him.
Their pursuit along the stream was destined not to find him.
He took out a compass from his pants zipper (a trick he learned from Captain Winters), then pulled out a nearly rotten map from his pants, carefully unfolded it, and determined his direction.
Then he carefully put the map away again and headed towards the Veerdorp ferry.
But as he approached the ferry, he heard the sound of explosions and machine gun fire, as well as the strange, heart-wrenching sound of planes diving, which clearly came from the ferry.
Parks was startled; had the Germans found them after all?
He quietly moved closer, then lay on the ground, took out his sniper rifle, and observed the situation at the ferry through the scope.
German bombers continuously strafed the British soldiers boarding the ships, while ships that had already left the shore were subjected to relentless and frantic bombing and strafing by the German from the air.
Then Parks saw two ships, after being strafed by the German, spinning in place, and then the bombers roared down and dropped bombs, destroying the ships; the entire ships, along with the British soldiers inside, were torn apart and reduced to ashes.
Apart from the British soldiers killed by German strafing on the dock, there were no other British soldiers present.
Clearly, this was the last batch of retreating British, and after this bombing and strafing, fewer than a hundred British were able to cross the river.
"Heavens!" Parks couldn't help but exclaim.
He slowly pulled back his sniper rifle, somewhat dumbfounded; his reaction was the same as everyone else's.
He had originally thought he had found a suitable retreat for the British, but now nearly a thousand British soldiers were still buried in the Rhine River.
He had thought he could change the fate of the British, but he didn't know that the fate of the British seemed to be predetermined.
The British had not anticipated that the German would make a desperate counterattack after the fuel and ammunition depots were attacked, nor had they anticipated that the German would blow up Arnhem Bridge, cutting off their retreat.
Even more, they had not expected that a chance discovery by a German plane would ultimately send a portion of the British, who were almost successfully crossing the river, into the Rhine River.
This German bombing coincidentally pushed the British casualty figures to around 8,000, which is also the historical number of British casualties in the Battle of Arnhem Bridge.
It seemed he had changed nothing; the only change was that two bridges that had not been destroyed were blown up by the German.
Parks couldn't help but feel a wave of frustration.
Operation Market Garden, the Allied still failed; the German would still control the area south of the bridge, and then with support from their homeland, they would be able to form a standoff with the Allied.
It seemed this road to Berlin was blocked.
"Damn British! Arrogant British!" Parks cursed a few words without provocation; clearly, this failure was not his fault.
The British's arrogance and conceit caused their casualties.
On the positive side, the 101st Airborne Division's casualties throughout the operation were much lower than historically, and most of the brothers in Easy Company, who were originally nearly half killed, were able to save their lives.
However, this conclusion was reached by Parks later after questioning Winters.
It seemed the dock was out of the question; he believed German infantry would soon advance and clear the battlefield.
If Model knew he had been momentarily foolish and felt he had been deceived, then the German's attention would certainly shift back to him, and then it would be even harder for him to escape them.
Parks quietly left the area.
He quietly hid in the woods, vigilantly watching his surroundings, then disguised himself with grass.
He had to constantly pay attention to the surroundings, even the slightest movement.
And now there was another bad thing: he was already tired and hungry, and if he couldn't replenish his strength in time, escaping from here would likely be a pipe dream.
Parks lay there quietly, watching his prey, and also paying attention to the predators who were always watching him.
A cold snake slithered in front of Parks, and suddenly raised its triangular head towards Parks.
"Thank you for bringing me dinner!" Parks smiled faintly, muttering to himself, then suddenly stretched out his hand and instantly pinched the snake's vital spot; his speed was very fast.
Then with his other hand, he firmly stroked the snake's body, and the snake's fierce demeanor immediately vanished without a trace, becoming a dead snake.
Raw snake meat was not tasty.
Parks endured the nauseating smell and taste, forcing himself to swallow.
He dared not start a fire, because even a little smoke would expose his position.
After enduring the urge to vomit and eating the long snake, his stomach felt a little more settled.
Then he waited patiently and caught two frogs, which gradually helped him regain some strength.
The sky gradually darkened, and the Germans had already cleared the battlefield along the Rhine River.
Over two hundred British soldiers were killed on the riverbank dock, and about five hundred more were buried in the Rhine River.
This outcome almost made General Urquhart lose control.
After the German planes flew away, he looked at the less than a hundred men in his team, and at Brigadier General John Frost, whose face was covered in blood, and for a long time, he couldn't speak.
It was a sleepless night.
The German search stopped as night fell.
They had set up sentry posts along the entire Rhine River, guarding almost all the surrounding riverbanks.
Parks discarded his sniper rifle, then quietly approached the Rhine River.
He watched the soldiers patrolling the riverbank with flashlights, then, when they turned their backs, he swiftly and silently approached the river, and then quietly slipped into the cold waters of the Rhine River.