This land has never lacked schemers and opportunists who profit from others' struggles.
A U.S. Army unit was actually stationed in the newly occupied areas of the Eighth Route Army, heavily guarded on all sides, and some even found out that anti-aircraft artillery was deployed around the airport.
Why was this?
Several parties were vying, all wanting to find out what this U.S. Army unit intended to do and how to deal with it.
Of course, the Japanese were most eager to understand, as were the Eighth Route Army and the Kuomintang.
Moreover, because it was a newly occupied area, various forces were still intertwined and had not been completely controlled by the Eighth Route Army.
The U.S. Army did not disclose this mission to any party, as they did not trust anyone; all they wanted these Chinese troops to do was to ensure security.
General MacArthur put in a great deal of effort, even ignoring the Kuomintang's protests, to provide weapons to the Eighth Route Army.
All of this stemmed from his guilt towards General Wainwright and the oath he made upon leaving the Philippines.
Parks did not want to bother with any of this; he believed that everything around him had nothing to do with him.
No matter how they fought, he had already canceled the order to go out and strictly forbade anyone from secretly leaving the camp.
This was also to prevent the mission from being leaked, and transferring Herman and Kaufmann out of the company was also a deterrent to the other team members.
Training continued as usual, with daily simulated assault rescue drills, ambush sniping, interdiction of support, and other training.
Everything was in preparation for the upcoming operation.
Meanwhile, at the Eighth Route Army's garrison near Liuting Airport, General Li Zemin was presiding over a meeting of battalion level and above.
The main attendees were Liu Jiangting, commander of the 31st Regiment, and Gong Youyuan, political commissar, who were the main force in the attack on Yantai; Zhang Xingzhong, commander of the 23rd Regiment, and Zhang Wenxuan, political commissar; Ma Qingshan, commander of the 63rd Regiment, and Wang Zizhen, political commissar; and Tian Weixin, commander of the 65th Regiment, and Qin Lieying, political commissar.
The atmosphere of the meeting was somewhat solemn.
Deputy Political Commissar Li Zemin looked at the commanders and political commissars gathered around the table and shook his head, saying, "This is a newly occupied area, and we have many problems to solve.
However, this incident can affect our overall strategy in the anti-Japanese war.
From an international perspective, the Japanese are retreating steadily on the Pacific battlefield, which is a good thing.
This forces them to withdraw troops to the Pacific region and their homeland for defense, which will greatly reduce the pressure on us on the anti-Japanese battlefield.
This attack on Yantai is an example; the Japanese did not resist fiercely, which is why we were able to capture it smoothly.
Moreover, our attack on Yantai this time is not only to expand our revolutionary base areas, but more importantly, it can bring us back very valuable weapon resources.
Two divisions of American-style weapons and equipment, comrades, what does that mean?
With this batch of equipment, our combat effectiveness will leap to a new level.
However, we have only received less than one division's worth of equipment, and the rest is still in the hands of the Kuomintang.
If we want to get the remaining equipment, then there can be no problems here.
Our main goal now should not be to figure out what the Americans want to do; a company-sized unit cannot do anything earth-shattering.
Our goal must shift to fully ensuring the security of the airport until those Americans leave here.
I think it won't be long, perhaps about ten days or so.
Therefore, to prevent another conflict like the last one, we must formulate measures!"
When Li Zemin stopped, Liu Jiangting, commander of the 31st Regiment, said, "Let me say a few words first.
I agree with Political Commissar Li Zemin.
Regardless of the Americans' purpose this time, as long as they do not harm our interests and as long as they can fulfill their promise to send weapons, we will protect them.
Anyway, it won't be long, and this deal is very worthwhile!"
"Zhang Pai Zhang is from our regiment, and we are thoroughly investigating him.
However, we found that he has no problems, he was just instigated by someone.
As for soldier Wang Erhu, he enlisted before the attack on Yantai.
He claimed to be Zhang Pai Zhang's fellow villager, so he used that connection to enlist.
His background is somewhat unclear, so he is already under investigation, and we are trying to get a confession from him as soon as possible.
I suspect he might be a Kuomintang member, trying to stir up trouble and undermine our relationship with the U.S. Army, so that they can swallow the remaining division of American equipment, achieving two goals with one stone," said Gong Youyuan, political commissar of the 31st Regiment, after a moment of thought.
"That makes sense!" Li Zemin nodded.
"Everyone, feel free to speak your minds."
"Let me say a few words!" Tian Weixin, commander of the 65th Regiment, pulled his hat off his head and said gruffly, "It doesn't matter whether he's a Kuomintang member or a Little Japanese.
We just need to do our part.
This is called, you do yours, I do mine.
If you don't move, I don't move.
If you move, I still don't move.
Son of a turtle, do they dare to pull out troops and fight us?"
When Tian Weixin said this, all the attendees burst into laughter.
Although his words were a bit crude, they made some sense.
At this point, Liu Jiangting nodded again and said, "Commander Tian is right.
And according to our understanding, this U.S. Army unit is extremely powerful in combat.
When Zhang Pai Zhang went to their camp to cause trouble, their actions were swift, their tactical movements were precise, and they were very good at seizing key points and advantageous positions.
Also, their sniper was terrifying.
When Wang Erhu tried to fire, his rifle was hit by a bullet, breaking it into two pieces at the Trigger.
If anyone truly breaks through our defenses and enters their camp, I believe they will definitely not fare well.
My assessment is that this is an elite unit with very rich combat experience, far stronger than the Japanese we encountered before, even the elite among the Japanese."
Li Zemin nodded and smiled, "Good, good, meticulous analysis can help us understand the enemy's situation.
Commander Liu's words just now are very correct; this is not an ordinary company.
I had that feeling the first time I saw them.
And Major Parks, who leads them, looks somewhat familiar to me.
Later, I found some newspapers published in the Kuomintang area.
Do you know who this person is?
He was the company commander of Easy Company, an ace company of the U.S. Army's most elite 101st Airborne Division, Major Reese Parks."
As Li Zemin spoke, he looked at the somewhat bewildered commanders and political commissars around the table and shook his head, smiling, "You are truly ignorant, only knowing how to fight the Japanese but neglecting international news and situations.
Let me briefly explain.
This Major Parks is a legendary figure himself.
He enlisted in Taccoa, U.S. Army in 1942 as a soldier, but now he is a Major.
His promotion speed is incredibly fast; even in our Party's army, where talent is valued, there hasn't been such rapid advancement.
Moreover, this man participated in the Normandy campaign, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of Bastogne.
It can be said that he participated in the U.S. Army's biggest battles in Europe.
What's even more remarkable is his past history: in Normandy, he once led a small squad of a dozen people to raid the German rear, rescuing a large number of U.S. Army prisoners of war, and incidentally destroying the German regimental command post, killing Colonel Heide, the commander of the German elite Sixth Parachute Regiment.
In Operation Market Garden, he led a platoon of men to parachute near Arnhem Bridge, launching a surprise attack, blowing up the German armory and fuel depot, and even occupying Arnhem Bridge for a time, leading the German to misjudge and self-destruct.
If it weren't for the U.S. Army dragging its feet, he probably would have changed the entire Operation Market Garden battle by himself and achieved success.
In Bastogne, he led a patrol of a platoon, penetrating deep behind the German lines, using tactics to confuse the German, killing two platoons of German, and blowing up the German artillery threatening Bastogne, as well as seizing German logistical supplies.
And he once single-handedly instigated the defection of over 30 German soldiers guarding U.S. Army prisoners, turning them into prisoners."
After saying all this, he shook his head and couldn't help but exclaim, "He is not simple, this man!"
All the commanders and political commissars sitting there looked at Political Commissar Li Zemin in astonishment.
Such a combat style, they had a hint of doubt in their hearts, always feeling a sense of déjà vu.
Finally, Commander Tian hesitated and said, "Damn it, isn't this the same as our guerrilla warfare?"
After hearing Commander Tian's words, everyone felt enlightened and nodded, saying, "Exactly.
I didn't expect there to be someone in the U.S. Army who could fight guerrilla warfare.
It seems this person is truly extraordinary!"
Li Zemin nodded, then shook his head and said, "Commander Tian is right.
This indeed looks like the guerrilla warfare we often use, but there are also differences."
This question stumped everyone again.
Everyone was pondering, but couldn't find the answer; what was the difference?
Li Zemin did not interrupt them, he just watched them one by one fall into deep thought, a smile on his face.
In fact, he was also very interested in this company, especially after reviewing the experiences of this legendary company commander, his interest grew even stronger.
"Can't figure it out?" Li Zemin asked with a smile.
"Can't figure it out!" Commander Tian, being impatient, was the first to shake his head and say, "It's just guerrilla warfare, there's no difference."
Li Zemin shook his head and smiled, "We can see the shadow of guerrilla warfare in it.
However, there are many differences from guerrilla warfare.
For example, at Arnhem Bridge, he used the method of air infiltration deep into the German heartland.
When instigating the defection of German troops in Bastogne, he used psychological warfare, and so on.
On the surface, it looks like guerrilla warfare, but their combat style and guerrilla warfare have many differences.
For example, each operation is an active penetration deep into the enemy's heartland, directly striking at vital points, paralyzing the enemy's reinforcements, supplies, or leadership, causing the German to fall into chaos and paralysis, thereby creating conditions for the main force's attack.
Our guerrilla warfare, on the other hand, is a forced combat method, mainly engaging the Japanese's outer forces, and generally aimed at breaking their sweeps and encirclements, rarely posing a threat to the Japanese's heartland.
It's like a dog plaster, sticking to them makes them uncomfortable, but they can't shake it off!"
With this vivid analogy, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed considerably.
Zhang Xingzhong, commander of the 23rd Regiment, said, "Yes, yes, this analogy is good.
But now this unit has appeared here; are they planning a paralyzing operation against the Japanese command?
That doesn't make sense, because without the cooperation of ground main forces, such an operation would be a waste of effort, wouldn't it?"
"Right!" Li Zemin nodded.
"But you all overlooked one point: they need an airport.
This is also why they wanted us to attack Yantai.
They need Liuting Airport here.
I estimate that this time, it might be like the Battle of Market Garden, where they use parachuting to penetrate deep into the Japanese interior.
As for what they are going to do, that's not for us to worry about.
However, we can now be sure of one thing: this operation will only benefit us and not harm us.
So I require your regiments to cooperate with each other, clear the surrounding area, and protect the airport until they leave!"
"Yes!" The commanders all replied with full vigor.
Li Zemin, however, was thinking about another matter: if this matter concluded, would he be able to have a good exchange with Major Parks?
He very much wanted to understand this combat style, a surprise attack that could achieve the greatest results.
Moreover, this person might also be very crucial for promoting the relationship between the Party and the U.S. Army.
What he hadn't mentioned was that this person was a hero of the entire U.S. Army, a recipient of the Medal of Honor, and he also had a girlfriend who was an arms dealer.
All this information came from Yan'an's highest intelligence bureau.
Parks did not know how the Eighth Route Army would handle this conflict; what he was thinking about was only the current operation.
Seven days had already passed, and in three more days, it would be the day of the operation.
July 26, 1945, was a very calm day. The weather was excellent, with clear skies. Major Parks had issued the tactical objective early that morning: to rescue those imprisoned in Shenyang, and the formulated tactics had clear mission assignments for each platoon. Ultimately, this was a tactical coordination.
The brothers had no training tasks that day. Everyone gathered in the barracks or on the training ground; no one wanted to leave the camp. Ever since Herman and Kaufmann were transferred by Major Parks, no one wanted to incur bad luck. However, the brothers still had a lot of complaints. This could be said to be their most frustrating experience. Compared to Europe, it made them feel completely at a loss. In Europe, at least they would go to residents' homes to exchange for things they liked, or find some whiskey or rum, and even trade cigarettes for eggs, but here they could do nothing, not even go out for fresh air.
"Isn't this an area occupied by our company? Why are they hostile towards us?" Cobb lay sprawled on his bunk in the barracks, his eyes glancing at Hubler opposite him. "Even just ten short days feel like a year. It's truly unbearable, even more so than training."
"We're a bunch of dumb soldiers trapped in a concentration camp!" Hubler chuckled, tidying his uniform and folding it neatly. "The Boss has never been this strict. Perhaps it's related to his Chinese complex, buddy. Just bear with it. After today, everything will be fine. May God bless me! Amen!"
"To be honest, I don't really like it here. The girls here won't let you touch them easily, and I don't want to get beaten into a pig's head like Herman was by the locals. That idea is just too stupid!" Luz nodded. "Why are we here? Just because there are Japanese and someone General MacArthur needs to find. I can't believe so many of us are here just to find one general!"
"Stop complaining, Luz, this is a reflection of our value." When Toy walked in, he heard Luz's complaint and chuckled at him. "One general is worth one hundred and twenty-six commandos. But I like this mission; I haven't killed any Japanese devils yet. But they all have fascist blood, just like the Germans, right?" He said, sitting on the bed, then pulled out his favorite bayonet from his waist and continuously wiped it with a cloth until it gleamed coldly.
"Alright, I've decided to make my first assault company mission even more perfect; perhaps I'll use this luger." Hubler pulled a luger from his leg pouch and raised it, aiming at Cobb opposite him.
"Damn it, don't point that at me!" Cobb grumbled unhappily, then turned his body. His reaction made Hubler burst into laughter, saying, "Don't worry, there are no bullets in it!"
"No, no, Hubler, I'm afraid your thing in your pants will shoot out; there are bullets in there, always loaded, aren't there?" Cobb's words immediately caused a roar of laughter in the barracks.
The atmosphere in the barracks was quite relaxed, while Parks and Captain Welsh were making their final preparations for tonight's operation. At this moment, a roar sounded in the sky; six C-47 transport planes transferred from Chengdu Airport arrived at Liuting Airport. Each plane was equipped with three crew members, and they were properly accommodated.
At this time, the Eighth Route Army deployed around the airport had noticeably strengthened the airport's guard. All personnel were strictly forbidden from entering the airport, and the atmosphere around the entire airport was extremely tense. Moreover, an unexpected incident occurred in the afternoon. A shepherd's sheep accidentally ran into the grass near the airport. The farmer wanted to go in and find his sheep but was stopped by an Eighth Route Army soldier. The farmer clamored for the Eighth Route Army to compensate him for the sheep, or let him into the airport to find it. During the pushing and shoving, a miniature telescope and a Japanese military Type 14 Nambu pistol fell from the farmer's person.
Parks was unaware of this situation, but in the afternoon, he met with Deputy Political Commissar Li Zemin of the Eighth Route Army's Jizhong Military Region again. This time, he didn't say much, only asking Major Parks if he needed anything else, and discussing topics such as hoping to see Parks again if the two armies cooperated in the future. However, these were not things Parks could decide.
"These past few days, people have constantly tried to enter the airport and your camp. It seems some people are uneasy about your arrival!" Finally, General Li Zemin, whether intentionally or unintentionally, brought up the events of these days. "Someone tried to sneak into the airport and your camp to spy, but we sent them away. Take today, for example; there was even a Japanese spy disguised as one of our farmers, trying to sneak in. Some people just can't stand the cooperation between our two armies and are trying every possible means to undermine this cooperative relationship!"
Parks smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Thank you very much for your army's help. I personally really hope to cooperate with your army, but as you know, I am just a Major; I have to follow orders. Of course, I will convey the sincerity you have shown this time to my superiors, if I can meet MacArthur."
Li Zemin wanted exactly that sentence. To be honest, the Eighth Route Army's situation was quite difficult at the moment. Although it was the end of the War of Resistance, their conditions had not improved much, and after the war ended, external contradictions would inevitably turn into internal contradictions. At that time, the conflict between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party would be unavoidable. Currently, the Kuomintang was strong, and they were weak, so how could they find a way out of the predicament? Clearly, establishing good relations with the American army was one way out. Otherwise, the Eighth Route Army would not have risked huge potential losses to attack Yantai and capture Liuting Airport. Although they might gain two divisions of American equipment, it was very likely to provoke retaliation from the Japanese and resentment from the Kuomintang. The military and political risks were very great. Therefore, General Yang Cwu specifically instructed that this escort mission must be handled well, and to use this opportunity to express an attitude to the American army: the Eighth Route Army also wanted to have good relations with the American army, not to engage in confrontation.
"In that case, I thank Mr. Parks in advance!" Li Zemin smiled slightly, clearly satisfied with Parks' statement. Then he calmly stated, "Regarding the conflicts that occurred some time ago, we have dealt with our relevant personnel. That Wang Erhu was a spy in the army led by the Chinese Kuomintang, and Zhang Pai Zhang was merely incited by him. So, we dealt with Wang Erhu and dismissed Zhang Pai Zhang from his post to express our apologies!"
"Thank you very much!" Parks nodded. He knew what Li Zemin was thinking. But he couldn't show too much; this wasn't his responsibility, nor was it something he could do. The two spoke a bit more, and then, upon parting, Li Zemin again invited Parks, saying, "Mr. Parks, I personally invite you again. If you have the chance, I hope you can visit our base, and we can discuss some war strategies. I am very impressed by the honors you have achieved."
"Why not?" Parks nodded. This was a non-committal promise that might never be fulfilled; a verbal expression was fine. He also knew that the Eighth Route Army must have investigated his background. And his background was no longer a secret to the whole world. Now, they just wanted to use his connections and influence.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the company began to pack their gear. They could not take extra items; they only carried the weapons and equipment for this mission. Then, after the mission was completed, they would fly directly to the Yorktown aircraft carrier.
At half past four in the afternoon, boarding began. Each platoon was divided into six teams, riding in trucks to Liuting Airport. On the way to the airport, there were Eighth Route Army guards standing post not far away all along the route. The posts were arranged very densely, to prevent any problems at this final moment.
The truck gradually left Liuting Airport. soldier Webley kept his mouth tightly shut, silently watching the camp gradually recede. Lieutenant Thomas, sitting beside him, looked at him, then patted his arm and said, "Hey, Webley, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, sir!" Webley straightened his body as if on a spring, then spoke seriously to Lieutenant Thomas. His hands were a bit at a loss, not knowing where to put them.
"Are you nervous?" Thomas smiled slightly, looking at Webley. "How long have you been in Europe?"
"Three months, sir. I was a replacement after the Battle of Bastogne," Webley replied, his expression still a bit stiff, clearly indicating he was indeed nervous.
"Haha, you're still a new recruit then, but being able to join the assault team is a commendation for you. Your shooting is quite good; you're a sniper. Staying calm is your best way to defeat the enemy."
"Yes, I understand, sir!" Webley nodded, trying to smile at Lieutenant Thomas, but only his mouth twitched. Lieutenant Thomas didn't mind at all; he patted Webley's shoulder and said, "Actually, I'm quite nervous too. Oh, by the way, Webley, do you know what our company commander, Major Parks, once said? In battle, you only stop being afraid when you're dead. I don't know if that's the exact quote, but the meaning is pretty much the same."
"Yes, sir. I've heard that!" Webley nodded.
"Very good, soldier Webley!" Lieutenant Thomas stopped talking there. He looked in the direction of the barracks, which were no longer visible; the military vehicle had already turned several bends.
The truck entered the airport. Everywhere near the airport, Eighth Route Army soldiers were standing guard, armed with live ammunition. After the truck came to a stop, the soldiers jumped down and began to prepare for boarding. Each platoon was divided into two groups, one plane per group.
"Poor Japanese, you are about to welcome a hungry tiger released from its cage!" Guarnere couldn't help but exclaim loudly the moment he boarded the plane.
"Kill the Japanese!"
"I want to parachute into Tokyo and kill the Emperor!"
"God, the Japanese are going to be unlucky, it's because we're coming!"
...
The brothers were amused by Guarnere's words, and then as each person entered the cabin, they would shout loudly at the cabin door, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
At 5 PM on July 26, 1945, the plane's engines roared, the propellers stirred up a huge wind, and the plane began to slide on the airport, gradually gliding into the clouds!
Parks was the last to board the plane. He stood at the cabin door, took one last look at Liuting Airport, and then surveyed the surrounding scenery, feeling a slight sigh of emotion. Farewell, Liuting Airport; farewell, Yantai! Parks had felt a complex mix of emotions from the moment he entered this territory until now, leaving it. This was not the China he was familiar with from his previous life, and it was hard to articulate the feelings within him.
The plane roared as it taxied into the sky. There was still sunlight in the afternoon, but it felt cold on his body. The scenery below gradually blurred as the plane flew towards its destination. After this mission, they would no longer stay in China but would go directly to the Yorktown, where they would await further orders.
"They've left!" Commander Liu Jiangting said to General Li Zemin, who was watching the planes take off and fly away. "I wonder what the Americans really want to do. They spent so much money for a company-level mission. Is it worth it?"
"That's their business!" Li Zemin shook his head and smiled. "I'm quite interested in that Major. Well, with these people gone, our mission is complete. Everyone has been busy from top to bottom during this period. For one company of American soldiers, all sorts of forces have been fighting. The Kuomintang and the Japanese all wanted to get involved. During this time, we justifiably used the Americans' demands to attack Yantai, and the Kuomintang had nothing to say. Now, the weapons they owe us should be returned! It's finally settled. Let's go back, let's go back!" As he spoke, he waved his hand and walked back with Commander Liu. A jeep was parked there, along with two platoons of alert soldiers.
"Then—what about Wang Erhu?" Commander Liu asked General Li. "He refuses to admit to being a spy, and we don't have much evidence, only some analysis from the intelligence bureau. Also, the handling of Zhang Pai Zhang needs a decision. This matter concerns the relationship between the two armies, and I find it difficult to handle!"
"You sly old fox! You don't want to take responsibility, do you?" General Li laughed, patted Commander Liu's shoulder, and shook his head with a smile. "Since Wang Erhu is already suspected, he cannot be wrongly released. Execute him. Zhang Pai Zhang will be removed from the ranks and reassigned to grassroots work in local government. I will explain the situation to the American liaison office in Yantai. Things were quite unpleasant last time, and it severely damaged relations between the two armies!"
"Yes, I understand!" Commander Liu nodded. Compared to the future relationship between the Eighth Route Army and the American military, even if Wang Erhu was wronged, he had only one path: death. Besides, many suspicions already pointed to him. As for Zhang Pai Zhang, he was just a reckless fool. For such a fool not to be arrested was already a stroke of luck.
Parks sat by the plane window, looking out at the scenery. This would be a long flight, over eight hours, enough time to relax one's nerves. The sky gradually darkened, and the world below was a hazy gray. Only an occasional light or two could be seen, followed by a blurred black shadow.
"Lipton, what are you thinking about?" Parks, sitting across from Lipton, saw him lost in thought and couldn't help but smile.
"Sir—" Lipton looked at Parks and smiled slightly. "I was thinking how fast time flies. From Normandy until now, we've gone from Europe to Asia. We've experienced two battlefields. Honestly, I miss the brothers from Easy Company. Maybe they're home now, or maybe they'll come to the Pacific, but—I don't know how to describe this feeling!" Lipton shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands.
Parks smiled and nodded, "I miss them too. Many of the old soldiers' points must have accumulated by now, and then they can go home, away from this damned war." He paused, then looked at Lipton seriously, "What made you join this company again? Sergeant, your points are almost enough. Just a little more time in Europe, and you'll reach it, then you can go home."
"Do you want to hear my honest thoughts?" Lipton suddenly chuckled. "I know, it might sound a bit sappy, but what I want to say is that half the reason is that this company still has many old soldiers from Taccoa, and it feels good to be with them, even in war. It's that kind of brotherly feeling you can only experience in war. Of course, the other half of the reason is because of you, and the unique nature and honor of this company, Sir."
"Thank you, Sergeant!" Parks smiled slightly. He looked at Lipton and said, "Do you know why I chose to lead a new company to the Pacific?"
"No, Sir!" Lipton shook his head, then looked at Parks expectantly, hoping Parks would say something.
"Because of orders from the big shots, Lipton." Parks smiled at him. "So I formed the company, and then came here! General Taylor told me he was very happy, and General Eisenhower was proud of me! I can continue to serve Captain America."
Lipton couldn't help but laugh: "Yes, a very simple reason, not that complicated!"
Things were that simple. Parks received orders to form an assault team, which was part of his plan after Bastogne, and this plan wasn't necessarily for him to execute, but he was still the obvious choice; no one would be more suitable. However, now that he had truly arrived in Asia, his mood was not as he had expected during his time in Europe.
Outside, it was already a dark world. The formation of six roaring planes suddenly heard a crew member tell Parks, "Major, we have made contact with the ground. After we took off, the bombers and fighters from the Yorktown have already taken off. They will cover you in occupying the POW camp."
"Understood. Reply: All normal!" Parks nodded.
The planes flew again in the darkness. As they entered Shenyang airspace, the roar of the planes obviously alarmed the Japanese defenders. At this time, the Japanese lacked effective anti-aircraft weapons; they were just shooting randomly into the sky. They didn't even know how to defend themselves, relying entirely on their instincts.
"They're shooting at us!" Cobb looked at the occasional bursts of fire on the ground outside the window, then turned to Patrick Christenson. "God knows what weapons they're using. Don't the Japanese have anti-aircraft machine guns or anti-aircraft cannons?"
"If you knew that during our training at the airport, bombers took off from the aircraft carrier every day and bombed the Japanese anti-aircraft positions, you wouldn't be so surprised!" Captain Welsh looked at Cobb and couldn't help but smile. "Their air defense capabilities have basically been destroyed. Now our planes can do whatever they want here."
Captain Welsh was right; they had been informed long ago. The Yorktown fleet sent planes every day to bomb the Japanese anti-aircraft positions near Shenyang. Their anti-aircraft weapons had been completely destroyed. The American military could now wreak havoc in the skies over Shenyang without any threat, which was one of the reasons why Parks's operation would take place ten days later. This was MacArthur's preparation to ensure everything was foolproof.
"Looks like tonight is another nightmare night for the Japanese!" Hubler chuckled, touching the luger in his pocket. "I like this feeling. This feeling is much better than killing Germans. No need to brave a hail of bullets to jump. And no need to worry about a damned bullet hitting your body in mid-air."
"Poor guys!" Toy was playing with his gleaming dagger. "The Boss warned everyone before we set off: don't show mercy to Japanese soldiers. We won't take prisoners. We'll kill everyone who dares to stand in our way, understand? Besides Bastogne, this is the second time I've seen the Boss so ruthless."
"Guys, we're almost at our destination." Landeman said loudly at this moment. The red light next to Captain Heliger, the platoon leader, lit up.
"Stand up!" Captain Heliger stood up and began to issue pre-jump commands. "Hook up, check your gear!" He loudly reminded everyone.
"Report equipment check status!"
All commands were being carried out in an orderly manner. Parks stood up again, his gaze fixed on the cabin door. At this moment, the pilot's voice came from the cockpit: "Major Parks, you need to be ready. The destination will be reached soon. We will drop you off and then return. Bombers will be coming to help you!"
"Understood!" Major Parks replied loudly. In the night sky outside, there was still no anti-aircraft fire. He then shifted his gaze to the indicator light at the cabin door.
"We have reached the designated location. We can inform Major Parks to land!" A crew member said, then reached out and pressed a button next to him.
With a "beep," the red light turned green.
Major Parks said to his brothers behind him, "Guys, see you on the ground!" With that, he leaped into the vast darkness. Parachutes bloomed in the night sky, like blossoming flowers, dancing brilliantly in the air, then two, three, four… soon filling the sky.
The plane circled in the air, then turned around and flew back. Meanwhile, the soldiers of the entire assault company had quietly landed in the darkness, and the piercing air raid siren could be heard throughout Shenyang City. The Japanese were already paranoid, still thinking it was a bombing raid like usual, and everyone was scrambling into air raid shelters.
Under the American bombing, Shenyang had become an undefended, startled city. However, this time, it was not the Chinese people who were hiding, but the Japanese garrison and the Japanese anti-aircraft units outside the city, which had become defunct in all but name.
The biggest difficulty with night parachuting is team assembly. However, this was not a problem for the Assault Company at all. Fixed-point landing was one of the tactics they emphasized in training.
As the brothers of the Assault Company landed and gathered at the predetermined location, the entire process went smoothly. The Japanese had no idea that what the planes dropped this time were not bombs, but a company of paratroopers.
At 1:00 AM on July 27th, the company had assembled. Parks covered the light with his discarded clothing, then checked the map. "We're about 3 kilometers off our target. Heiliger—" He said to Captain Heiliger, who was standing guard with his soldiers not far away, "Send a squad ahead along this road. Move quickly, we don't have much time."
Indeed, they didn't have much time, and the group moved forward quickly. The paths here crisscrossed, but the team's speed was fast. Under the cover of night, they quickly advanced towards their destination.
At the Fengtian POW camp, over a hundred kilometers from Shenyang, searchlights occasionally swept the surroundings. Barbed wire was strung around the perimeter of the POW camp. On the tall watchtowers and at the sentry posts around the camp, soldiers constantly scanned the area with the searchlights.
The Japanese near Shenyang, over a hundred li away, had been bombed in recent days, but nothing had happened here, except for one time during a bombing when two bombs fell, killing 17 prisoners. But this was nothing; not a single Japanese soldier was injured or killed. Compared to the Japanese near Shenyang, they were much luckier.
"There are over 250 Japanese defenders here. These positions are where the Japanese machine gunners are, and to the southeast, there's a Japanese mortar unit, with about four mortars and over twenty soldiers guarding them. We must take them out as quickly as possible.
It will take about an hour for Japanese reinforcements to arrive from the nearest military camp. Our mission is to complete this within that hour. Our biggest problem is not knowing where General Wainwright is being held; we need to ask the prisoners, so we need to capture one or two alive! Understand?" Major Parks whispered to the three platoon leaders, giving them their orders.
"Yes, sir!"
Parks nodded. "The brothers are all ready!" A low voice came from the darkness, it was Li Pu Sergeant's voice, "The brothers are all ready, we can launch the attack at any time!"
Parks nodded, then said to Lipton: "Relay to all platoons, we will attack as planned. The positions here are the same as the aerial map we received. The Japanese have not set up bunkers around here, perhaps it's their oversight, but it's very advantageous for us." Parks again raised his binoculars and looked towards the POW camp. The POW camp, two hundred meters away, appeared very quiet.
The order was quickly passed down. Figures continuously undulated from the grass, like rolling stretches of grass moving forward. Each soldier was camouflaged with turf-like coverings. They crawled on the ground and quickly cut the barbed wire, entering the outer perimeter of the POW camp.
The searchlights constantly swept over the team, but the Japanese did not discover them; the team's camouflage was very successful.
"Ishikawa Captain, it seems the Americans are air raiding Fengtian again." Matsuda Colonel, the commander of the POW camp, had a very exquisite small room. He liked small things, but they had to be exquisite and meticulously crafted.
The two knelt before a small table in the room. On the table was a long-necked, curved small porcelain bottle, filled with sake, the Japanese's favorite drink. In front of each man was a small white porcelain wine cup.
"Yes, Matsuda Colonel!" Ishikawa Captain bowed his head and said, "But they manage to bypass this place every time. It seems the Americans already know about this POW camp, otherwise, it's impossible for only two bombs to have fallen!"
Matsuda Colonel nodded, then took a deep breath and said, "Times are tough. During the first air raid, the Imperial Army could still use anti-aircraft weapons to retaliate, but now we can only stand by helplessly.
And in our homeland, including Tokyo, we endure the Americans' indiscriminate bombing every day. In March and May alone, Tokyo suffered two major air raids, the industrial areas were practically destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. Even the Imperial Palace did not escape its fate." Matsuda Colonel looked very dejected as he said this.
"But we have not failed yet, Colonel!" Ishikawa Captain said, "The Empire will defeat the Americans sooner or later."
Matsuda Colonel couldn't help but smile silently. This was nothing but a fool's dream. It was already clear that the Japanese's defeat was inevitable. Germany had been defeated, and the Soviet Union had also begun to declare war on Japan at this time.
Although there had not been a large-scale offensive yet, they were beginning to mass troops in the northeastern border region, and this war was unavoidable. The Kwantung Army was already a shadow of its former self; elite troops had been withdrawn, and what remained were second and third-rate combat units.
It was no longer the elite force of yesteryear, renowned throughout the Soviet Union. Moreover, their weapons were becoming scarce; now, even depleted anti-aircraft weapons could not be replenished. What more could they hope for? The Japanese's military industry had been severely impacted.
"Yesterday—" Matsuda Colonel paused, "Intelligence came through, saying that the Americans are actively planning an operation to rescue prisoners of war. And before that, I received a secret order from the Kwantung Army headquarters, instructing us to secretly execute these prisoners before August.
And now there are only three days left until the deadline."
"Everything is at your command, Colonel!" Ishikawa Captain bowed and nodded to Matsuda Colonel again.
Matsuda Colonel remained silent. The final outcome of this war was already visible. But he didn't say it; he believed Ishikawa Captain could also see that Japan had no hope in the war. However, the order he received was to kill all the prisoners of war.
It should be known that this place held prisoners from the American, British, and Australian armies, among others, and also a group of high-ranking generals. Once this order was carried out, he would bear immense responsibility after the war. This made him hesitate to make a decision.
"Your decision is—" Seeing Matsuda Colonel's prolonged silence, Ishikawa Captain hesitated and asked again, "Should we deal with it tonight or wait a few more days?"
"A few more days, wait for my orders, Ishikawa Captain!" Matsuda Colonel sighed softly. He knew this decision was very difficult, and he couldn't bring himself to make it until the very last moment. He waved his hand and said, "I'll leave this matter to you. Complete this task before the deadline of the order! I'm a bit tired, you may leave!"
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"Hai!" Ishikawa Captain bowed and nodded again, then stood up, bowed to Matsuda Colonel, and walked out. He also understood Japan's current predicament, but he still held onto hope. He was even willing to commit seppuku for the Emperor.
And now, Matsuda Colonel's hesitation and wavering made him very dissatisfied. He decided to act preemptively; once the deed was done, Matsuda Colonel wouldn't say much.
"Beep! Beep!" Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded in the POW camp, and the lights in the camp immediately came on. Major Parks was startled, realizing that the situation might change, and the change was not that the Japanese had discovered them, but a problem within the POW camp.
"Damn it, have the Japanese found us?" Captain Welsh cursed in a low voice. Parks shook his head and said, "No, Harry, there's a problem with the POW camp. Damn it, the Japanese might be killing the prisoners! The situation has changed. Order all platoons to take immediate action!"
Parks had already seen teams of Japanese soldiers assembling, fully armed. But it wasn't because they had discovered themselves, as the Japanese watchtowers weren't showing any signs of attack.
"Immediate action!" Parks's order was quickly relayed to all platoons.
"Puff" A muffled sound came, and a Japanese soldier on a watchtower was hit, then fell from the air. He landed on the ground with a heavy thud, but the Japanese soldiers were assembling, and no one heard the sound of him hitting the ground.
Then another Japanese soldier on the watchtower fell, and the surrounding watchtower soldiers fell one after another under the silenced sniper rifle fire of the snipers.
"Bang! Bang!" A few shots, and the searchlights were extinguished one after another. Aside from the lights within the POW camp, it was pitch dark all around. The Japanese had realized the problem. Immediately, an alarm sounded in the POW camp!
"Matsuda Colonel, someone is attacking the POW camp!" Ishikawa Captain burst into Matsuda Colonel's exquisite room. He had rushed in, but he saw Matsuda Colonel still sitting at the table, with a wine glass on it.
But he didn't make a sound. Perhaps deep down, he even hoped it was like this, so he too would escape the charge of slaughtering prisoners of war.
"Colonel, you need to decide!" Ishikawa Captain was a bit impatient. Seeing Matsuda Colonel show no reaction, he stepped forward and bowed deeply to him.
Matsuda Colonel nodded and said, "I know. You order the troops to block the enemy. Everything is at your discretion!" After saying this, he slightly closed his eyes, then listened to Ishikawa Captain's heavy footsteps as he left. He had still relinquished the decision-making power, knowing that Ishikawa would eliminate these prisoners at all costs.
"Guarnere, Landers!" Heiliger made tactical gestures towards them, "You two attack from here and here," then he said to those behind, "The rest follow me!" Then he waved his hand and said, "Go. Quickly!" With that, he swiftly attacked the POW camp. Just then, the Second Platoon and Third Platoon also attacked the POW camp from different directions.
"Da da da!" The Japanese machine guns began to sweep, but then the "bang bang" of sniper rifles was heard, and the machine guns fell silent. Dark figures leaped from all directions towards the POW camp, constantly advancing.
The muzzle flashes of automatic weapons flickered intermittently.
This was almost a one-sided battle. Over two hundred Japanese soldiers could not withstand the attack of the assault team, who were armed to the teeth. Soon, breaches were torn open in all three attack directions. The main gate of the Japanese POW camp was directly blown sky-high by a rocket launcher. The assault team rushed in.
"Whoosh whoosh!" Li Pu Sergeant ran quickly, occasionally raising his weapon to fire at the Japanese who rushed out.
"Bang!" Another Japanese soldier's head was blown open by a bullet, spraying a mist of blood. The corpse slumped to the ground like a soft bug. Just then, he suddenly heard the sharp whistling of an artillery shell, and he couldn't help but shout, "Mortars! It's the Japanese mortars. Take cover!"
With that, he suddenly heard a "boom," and a huge blast of air knocked him to the ground, his automatic rifle also thrown aside. He struggled to get up as two Japanese soldiers screamed and rushed towards him.
Lipton cursed under his breath, "Damn it!" He tried to grab his gun, but a Japanese soldier had already started to aim.
"Puff!" A bayonet pierced the back of the neck of the aiming Japanese soldier, a spurt of blood gushed out, then the bayonet was quickly pulled out and plunged into the neck of the turning Japanese soldier. When the bayonet was pulled out, the person behind, unable to dodge, was sprayed with blood all over his face.
"Damn it, Japanese blood stinks!" It was Toy's voice. He ran over to Lipton and dragged him into a corner. "Are you hurt, Lipton?!"
Lipton felt his body, then shook his head and said, "No, thank God!"
"You should thank me too!" Toy chuckled, the blood on his face mixing with his camouflage paint, making him look like a devil released from hell!
"Bang, bang, bang," a series of dense gunshots, the continuous strafing sound from the PV45, followed by explosions, and the Japanese mortar position was quickly cleared.
The assault team, while evading shells, had already breached the Japanese defensive line.
"Kill them all, kill all the prisoners!" Ishikawa Captain, with over twenty men, rushed into the barracks area of the prisoner camp.
At the same time, more than a dozen dark figures rapidly approached from all directions.
"Baka! Drive them all out, quickly!" Ishikawa Captain kicked a Japanese soldier in the butt.
The others dared not delay, rushing to the barracks, smashing doors, and yelling in simple, broken English, "Come out, get out! Quickly! You American pigs!" Then with a "bang," he kicked the door open.
"Damn it, what are the Japanese doing? Who are they fighting?" An American prisoner was driven out by the Japanese.
All of them were skin and bones; they had been tormented by the Japanese to the point of being unrecognizable, but this situation was truly the first time it had occurred.
They didn't even believe that someone would be fighting to rescue them.
"Look at these Japanese, we might not escape our doom!" Japanese soldiers had already set up machine guns around them.
The leader, Ishikawa Captain, was called the 'Bull' by the American prisoners; he was usually very cruel to the prisoners of war.
He was the second-in-command of the POW camp, ruthless and vicious!
Now, seeing his fierce gaze fixed on them, all the prisoners couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread.
"Ready!" Ishikawa Captain drew his samurai sword and raised it high.
He understood very well that this group attacking the POW camp was extremely powerful, and their numbers were large; he couldn't hold out much longer.
He had to complete the mission sent by the Kwantung Army Headquarters: execute all these American prisoners.
There were 1583 British, American, and Australian prisoners of war standing densely packed here.
Now, when these prisoners saw Ishikawa Captain raise his sword high, they couldn't help but panic.
Clearly, the Japanese intended to massacre them.
And this outer attack might have been aimed at them, with someone trying to rescue them.
Immediately, the prisoners began to stir.
Some started shouting, some started crying, and some even wanted to rush forward, but the Japanese had already set up ten machine guns, aimed directly at them.
The dark muzzles prevented them from easily crossing the line drawn by the Japanese.
"God, we're going to die!"
"Damn Japanese!"
The prisoners started to cry out in pain and wail in disarray when suddenly a voice loudly shouted, "Guys, let's charge them and fight them, maybe there's still a way to live, we can't just wait to die!"
"Baka!" Ishikawa Captain, with a ferocious expression, was about to bring down his command sword.
He could not tolerate the prisoners' rebellion.
The crossfire from ten machine guns was enough to kill all of them in front of him.
"Ready!" he roared.
"Bang!" A gunshot rang out.
Ishikawa Captain's command sword did not fall.
His body suddenly leaned backward, his head seeming to break in half, tilting towards the sky, and a spray of blood erupted from his forehead.
Before his body even hit the ground, continuous gunshots were heard.
All the Japanese machine gunners, without exception, almost simultaneously slumped their heads, while the remaining Japanese soldiers holding rifles fell to the ground, struck by bullets.
All of this happened within a few seconds.
And all these sudden changes stunned all the prisoners; they even stopped stirring.
The entire barracks area became exceptionally quiet, and at this moment, the gunfire from all around gradually ceased, with only occasional sporadic shots still being heard.
More than a dozen figures jumped down from the surrounding walls, and soon the prisoners discovered that these people were different.
Although their faces were painted with camouflage, making their features unclear, and they wore camouflage resembling turf, their armbands, without exception, were American flags.
Clearly, this announced to the prisoners that these people were American.
"God, Americans! They're Americans!" someone suddenly pointed at their armbands and shouted loudly, followed by a huge cheer erupting from the entire prisoner of war camp.
"It's so good to see you, God, God!" Someone pushed forward and embraced these American soldiers.
"You are Americans, I am Captain Gagriano, it's so good to see you!" A prisoner pushed forward; he was also skin and bones, but his spirits were high now.
He said to an American soldier he was embracing, "Tell me your name, I want to remember you, this is the most important moment in my life!"
"Malarkey!" the soldier replied.
At this moment, Captain Welsh had already rushed in.
He saw this scene and was dumbfounded, turning to Lipton beside him and saying, "I need Major Parks to come over, God, what have we done? How can there be so many prisoners of war? We can't possibly take them all.
We need a decision now!"
Major Parks had already led his men into the Japanese garrison area of the prisoner of war camp.
All the Japanese here had been dealt with, leaving only one seemingly exquisite house.
This was likely the residence of a Japanese commander.
"Boss!" Luz ran over at this moment, "Second Platoon and Third Platoon have cleared out the Japanese defenders; the entire camp is under our control now!"
"Excellent!" Parks nodded, then led his men to prepare for an attack on this last remaining place.
At this moment, the door of the small house opened, and a man in a Japanese Colonel's uniform appeared at the doorway.
He looked at Major Parks expressionlessly, holding a Japanese military sword in his hand.
"I am the highest commander here, Prisoner of War Camp Commander Matsuda Colonel!" Saying this, he calmly sat down right at the doorway, placing the military sword horizontally on his lap.
Then he looked at Major Parks and said in fluent English, "I wish to die by your guns, rather than use this sword for seppuku." Saying this, he slightly closed his eyes.
Colonel Parks nodded and whispered to Luz beside him, "Have they found the place where General Wainwright is being held?"
Luz shook his head and said, "Not yet."
Parks frowned, then nodded, hesitated for a moment, and slowly walked in front of Matsuda Colonel, squatting down and looking at him, saying, "Matsuda Colonel, may I ask you a question?
If you answer truthfully, you will be our prisoner of war.
You will stay safe until the end of the war, and then return to Japan.
You know, your country can no longer afford this war!"
Matsuda Colonel opened his eyes and looked at Parks, saying, "I know.
So I have already anticipated today's outcome.
Ask away!"
"Where is General Wainwright imprisoned?" Parks slowly asked this question.
Matsuda Colonel's face showed no emotional fluctuation, then he suddenly looked at Parks and said, "Is your target this time General Wainwright? Clearly, you've come to the wrong place.
He's not here.
Only officers below the rank of general are held here!" He paused for a moment before continuing, "They are imprisoned in the Liaoyuan Prisoner of War Camp, 230 kilometers from here.
That is a sub-camp of ours, and it holds 41 Allied generals; you will be interested in that."
Parks nodded, but his heart could not be calm.
This attack clearly showed that the American intelligence was wrong; they had mistaken this place for a prisoner of war camp holding important war criminals.
"I need more detailed information from you, even a map of the prisoner of war camp."
"I am now a prisoner of war, and I demand to receive the treatment of a prisoner of war.
I will assist you to the best of my ability!" Matsuda Colonel seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
His affairs here were basically concluded.
Now, what remained was the matter of these American soldiers.
From what he had seen tonight, this group of American soldiers was quite combat-effective, and the second-rate troops stationed in Shenyang were far from being their match.
"Sir, Captain Welsh wants to invite you to take a look!" Lipton walked over at this moment and said to Parks, "He's at the prisoner of war camp, and I think we have a big problem!"
Yes, this was indeed a big problem.
1583 Allied prisoners of war from America, Britain, and Australia were quietly waiting there.
At this moment, the sound of planes echoed in the sky again; clearly, American bombers had arrived.
They would once again bomb the Japanese garrisons on the outskirts of Shenyang and around the prisoner of war camp to prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching the camp.
And now, what Parks had to do was to quickly capture the airfield and cover the planes to take off with some of the prisoners.
"Damn it, how are we going to transport so many people back?" When Guarnere followed Parks to the prisoner of war camp's lodging area, he was stunned by the vast crowd of prisoners before him.
What shocked him even more was that these people were all extremely weak, each one skin and bones.
"Long live the American Army!" At this moment, the prisoners saw Major Parks walk in, realizing that he might be the commander of this operation, and couldn't help but raise their arms and shout in unison.
"Look, this is a big problem.
Our mission was to rescue General Wainwright, and now, well, there are so many people." Captain Welsh frowned and smiled bitterly, "By the way, Reese, has General Wainwright been found?"
"I'm afraid there's another problem, Harry.
General Wainwright is not in this prisoner of war camp.
He is far away, 230 kilometers from here, in the Liaoyuan area of Jilin Province, China.
It's a sub-camp here, holding 41 Allied high-ranking generals.
It seems our intelligence has put us in an awkward situation." Parks could only smile bitterly.
"You need to make a decision, look, the bombers from the aircraft carrier have started bombing; we can't take many people, but look at these people, we can't possibly abandon them." Welsh frowned, looking at the prisoners who were embracing and cheering with their comrades, "This reminds me of the concentration camps in Germany.
God, these people have suffered tremendously.
We cannot abandon them.
Reese, you need to make a decision, no matter what decision you make, I will stand by you."
Parks nodded.
He looked at the prisoners around him.
He knew he couldn't abandon them.
He decisively said to Welsh, "We'll go in two directions.
You lead a platoon to occupy the airfield; there aren't many Japanese there, and with no planes to protect, the defense is weak.
Then wait for the bombers to land and take some prisoners away.
We will stay here with the majority of the prisoners.
This place is over 230 kilometers from the Liaoyuan Prisoner of War Camp, and I hope to rescue General Wainwright!"
At this moment, Second Platoon Leader Captain Leni Han excitedly walked over and said, "Sir, we found an armory!
It turns out there's also a factory here, a place where the Japanese manufacture weapons.
There are weapons and ammunition there."
"Yes, sir, there's a factory here where the Japanese forced us to produce weapons; we've suffered from torture and high-intensity labor!" A prisoner walked towards Parks, "Captain Gagriano reporting to you!" Saying this, he saluted Parks.
"Captain, we must make a decision now. We will go to a nearby airport later, but we cannot take all of you back by plane. We can only take a small number of people this time, no more than sixty. Sixty of your personnel can return to the Yorktown with our Third Platoon. The rest of you must follow us and take up arms to fight, because we still have a mission to complete. We need to go to the Liaoyuan area, over 230 kilometers away, where our captured generals are!" Parks said, looking at his watch. "I'll give you ten minutes, then we'll start moving."
"Sixty?" Captain Gagriano looked at Parks in surprise. "Aren't you here to rescue us? Why can you only take so few people? Heavens, how is this possible?"
"Nine minutes left, Captain!" Parks frowned. "I don't know if you are the highest-ranking prisoner of war here, but I need you to discuss it with them and make a decision. The Japanese will be here with reinforcements very soon. Our planes cannot stay here for long. Some things, I will tell you later!"
Captain Gagriano saw that Major Parks's attitude was firm, so he had no choice but to nod. What needed to be done now was not to argue reasons here, but to make a decision. Ten minutes to reach this decision was indeed very difficult. Parks decided not to interfere with them. This was their own decision, not his concern. He had his team members stand far away.
After Captain Gagriano conveyed this decision, the prisoners of war burst into an uproar, like a pot boiling over. Obviously, they had suddenly seen hope in their despair, but the hope did not last long, and they would again fall into disappointment. This kind of drastic emotional swing was difficult for many to accept.
"You have seven minutes left!" Staff Sergeant Li Pu had to remind these seemingly confused prisoners of war again. His voice was loud enough for most of the prisoners of war to hear clearly, and this reminder also caused the noise to gradually subside.
Choosing to leave meant they could escape the prisoner of war camp alive, while choosing to stay meant an unpredictable future, with life and death uncertain and a difficult path ahead.
Time passed minute by minute, and the prisoners of war began to gather and whisper again. Their voices were not loud this time; there were disagreements and approvals, and some even cursed loudly, but this could not change anything. Ten minutes, Parks would not give them an extra second, because every extra minute spent here meant an extra minute of danger.
Parks stood with his back to them. He knew that in the face of life-and-death trials, people would display many attitudes, whether noble or ugly. He did not want to face any of these, because he could not make the decisions, could not save everyone, and had no right to decide who stayed and who should not.
"Sir, I think they have a result!" At this moment, Li Pu Sergeant's voice came from behind Parks.
"Hello, Major!" As Parks turned around, Captain Gagriano walked over with a thin and somewhat short middle-aged man. No insignia of rank could be seen on his worn-out military uniform. He greeted Parks politely, then saluted.
"This is Colonel Lange, the highest-ranking American military officer here, Major!" Captain Gagriano introduced him to Parks.
Parks looked at the middle-aged man expressionlessly, then nodded and said, "Hello, Colonel! Do you have a result?"
Colonel Lange nodded, his face solemn, and said to Parks, "I know it's difficult to make a decision. We all have the right to survive, but this right is only confined to times of no war. I think our result is that we need to stay and fight with you. And we still have over forty extremely weak patients; they have the right to choose to leave. This is our decision, Major."
Major Parks pursed his lips. He hadn't expected such a result. He looked at the Colonel with some admiration and said, "Colonel, I respect your choice!" Then he turned his head and shouted, "Harry, you and Lieutenant Thomas take the Third Platoon to capture the airport. Captain Lenihan, you take the Second Platoon to transport these wounded to the airport using Japanese trucks and assist the Third Platoon in the attack. Remember, speed and surprise are most important. And resolutely snipe the Japanese to buy time for the planes." As he spoke, he took a map from his pocket, motioning for a few people to gather around. "There's a railway to the northwest of here, and a station nearby. We'll wait for you there to rendezvous." His finger pointed to two places on the map. "This is our chance. The Japanese trains are likely to stop running due to our plane's bombing. What we need to do is seize the train and head directly to the Liaoyuan prisoner of war camp."
"Understood, Reese!" Captain Welsh nodded, turning to Lieutenant Thomas, "Have your men find the vehicles here, we need to transport people. Captain Lenihan, have your men immediately carry out the patients here!"
Parks then looked at Colonel Lange and said, "Colonel, I hope to make one thing clear before we act: I am in charge here, under my command. Do you agree to this suggestion?"
"I agree, Major. I will obey your orders!" Colonel Lange nodded solemnly.
"Excellent!" Parks nodded. "Alright, Colonel, I now order you to take these prisoners of war to the Japanese armory. Everyone should take as many weapons as they need. Also, we need mortar operators and machine gunners. Understand?"
"Understood, sir!" Colonel Lange smiled slightly, then saluted, and turned to walk towards the prisoners of war.
"Captain Gagriano!" Parks called out to the Captain who was about to leave. "From now on, the prisoners of war are entrusted to the Colonel and you. I hope everything is done according to orders. I don't care if they are American, British, or Australian; from now on, they are no longer prisoners of war, they are soldiers."
"I understand, sir!" Captain Gagriano saluted, his face glowing. Evidently, he was somewhat emotional. From now on, they had finally escaped the damn prisoner of war camp and become soldiers again. Becoming a prisoner of war as a soldier might not seem dishonorable, but it was enough to wound Captain Gagriano's self-esteem. Now he could finally fight the Japanese again for his honor.
Captain Welsh's side was ready. As he left, he shook hands with Parks and said, "See you at the train station, Reese, good luck!"
"Good luck to you too, Harry!" Major Parks nodded, then watched Welsh board the truck and drive off into the dark night. Now only Captain Heiliger's First Platoon remained here, but that was enough. Although these weak prisoners of war seemed to have no combat effectiveness, as long as their strength recovered, they would still be well-trained soldiers.
"Set fire, burn this place down!" Parks watched as the prisoners of war packed their belongings one by one. They had plundered the place, taking all the food the Japanese ate and their military uniforms. They had endured enough torment, and after extensive scavenging, they even took some sake the Japanese drank. Although the taste of this alcohol was not to their liking, they were desperate, and for them now, it was a delicious drink. Any alcohol with an alcoholic taste would do.
"Blow up whatever wasn't taken from the armory!" Parks watched the prisoners of war, their spirits high, carrying weapons and leaving the prisoner of war camp. He said to Lipton, "Then burn this place again. We need to use this place to attract the Japanese, to delay their reinforcement of the airport and their pursuit of us!" As he spoke, he looked at the over one thousand strong force, sighing slightly in his heart. It seemed that the special operations, primarily led by the assault company, had now transformed into mobile operations of a regimental-sized unit of over a thousand people.
"Boom—" A loud bang, followed by continuous explosions, came from behind the formation. Firelight illuminated the sky above the prisoner of war camp, and the camps that had once held over a thousand people were engulfed in a roaring blaze, soaring into the sky.
Parks led the First Platoon alongside the thousand-plus prisoners of war. He stopped, then looked back at the sky-high flames of the prisoner of war camp, feeling a little lost. Many of these over one thousand prisoners of war kept looking back at the place that had held them for over two years, filled with emotion.
"We finally left this place!" Captain Gagriano stopped, then looked at the burning place, his heart unable to calm for a long time. Many soldiers had remained there forever due to torture and illness. When they first arrived at this prisoner of war camp in 1942, there were over two thousand people, but now, excluding the over forty severely ill prisoners of war who had left, there were only 1537 left. More than eight hundred people had failed to leave this place. His eyes were a little watery, and when he wiped them, it was indeed a handful of tears!
"Yes, we can leave. The road ahead may be difficult, but this gives me a chance to die gloriously in battle." Colonel Lange also stopped and looked at the place. Only a faint red glow could be seen now; they were far from that place. "If I ever have another chance to fight the Japanese, I think I would rather die than surrender!"
"That's exactly what I wanted to say, Colonel!" Captain Gagriano nodded, then turned and strode into the darkness. Beside him were his brothers who had shared his hardships, and ahead of him was darkness.
But everyone knew that when the darkest days passed, dawn would come!