Chapter 224 The First Battle

On December 20, the remaining personnel of the 1st Battalion of the 506th Regiment were evacuated from Noville. They dragged the German 2nd Armored Division to Noville, northeast of Fooy, with the 10th Armored Division. Six hundred people [***] 13 officers and 199 soldiers were killed when the 1st Battalion 20th retreated behind Foy. The 1st Battalion and the Desobury detachment jointly annihilated at least 30 enemy tanks and casualties of 400 to 700 enemy troops. Most importantly, during the construction of the fortifications around Bastogne, they dragged the enemy for 48 hours.

Although the Germans suffered a blow, they continued to send more troops to Noville, thus causing greater difficulties for the First Battalion and the De Thorbury detachment. In the absence of an aid force, they withdrew from the defense line, and the Germans advanced to the defense line of the Second Battalion, and the first was the defense line of Company E.

"Our only advantage is that German tanks are inconvenient to move in the forest area, so we face very few German tanks, but we really have to guard against a large number of infantry!" Winters, Nixon and Parks stood at the edge of the woods, where there was the sentry of Company E. From the sentry, you can see the whole kilometer of open space.

"Our only support is the bunker invented by Les. I hope it can play an important role in the German attack. Winters picked up the telescope and looked ahead. He could faintly see the figure of the Germans in the area behind the open space. They seemed to be preparing, and then launched a large-scale attack on the E company defense line.

While they were observing, Parks suddenly saw that there seemed to be a flash of fire in front of them, and then there was a sharp whistle, the sound of shells flying.

"Shoot, enemy cannons!" Parks shouted, and the three of them lay on the snow almost at the same time. A huge explosion sounded in the woods. The trunk of a big tree was blown off by a shell, and the trunk of the big tree swayed towards Parks and others. Parks was shocked and got up. He carried Winters and Nixon's collar in one hand and retreated them a few meters. The tree made a "squeak" sound and fell to the ground.

"Hidden!" Captain Winters got up and shouted at Parks and Nixon, "Let's go back. The German attack may begin!" With that, he patted Parkers on the shoulder and ran quickly to the rear. There is still a long way to go from the sentry post to the company headquarters. The three people ran fast, and in the whole forest, the soldiers of Company E kept running on the snow, and they made bursts of shouts and curses.

The shells are like raindrops, and the explosions in the woods are coming one after another. There are constantly blown broken branches flying in the air, and then falling one after another. Even very small branches can make small blood grooves on the face.

"Stay in the bunker, stay in the bunker and don't come out!" Sergeant Li Pu kept moving between the bunkers.

"Li Pu, come here! Come to me!" Hubler watched Li Pu keep passing through. He shouted at Li Pu and said, "Come here quickly. You're in danger now." As soon as his words fell, a shell exploded near his bunker. A wave of air lifted the dense soil into the observation port of the bunker, and the air wave pushed Hubler down heavily from the observation port into the bunker.

Li Pu disappeared from the observation mouth after watching a shell explosion of Hubler near the bunker not far away. He couldn't help but be surprised and shouted, "Huborough!" He rushed over quickly, regardless of the branches bombarded by the shells, and jumped into the bunker. Hubler was lying diagonally in the bunker, leaning against the earth wall of the bunker and coughing constantly. By his side was Muck, who was busy touching his body and muttering: "No blood, no blood!" Hubler, you were just pushed down by the air.

Li Pu looked at Hooborough's grinned expression and couldn't help shaking his head and saying, "I thought you hung up. I didn't expect you to be so lucky that you didn't hurt you at all in such a close distance explosion. What a piece of luck!"

"Do you want to see me hurt so much? I'm not a good friend!" Hubler grinned, struggled to stand up, and said to Muck, "Leaved me alone. I'm sure I'm fine. This bunker is really not covered. It's great. I like this!"

"Well, this is good news. I don't want to face a guy with few arms and legs all day long!" Muck smiled and said to Li Pu, "Sergeant, can't the Germans finally help it? They were hit hard by the brothers of the first battalion, and they even wanted to make trouble with our E Company. I don't think they can get any good this time!"

"Shut up!" Li Pu lay on the edge of the bunker and observed the situation around him. The German shelling was still continuing, and there was a feeling of tremor on the ground from time to time. He couldn't help sighing, "It's like the end of the world!" The Germans are so generous that they use so many shells to set fireworks for us!"

"Doctor! Doctor--" I vaguely heard someone shouting at the doctor. Someone was injured by a shell.

A large piece of Yin Hong's blood on the snow. A U.S. soldier was lying on the snow. His screaming was a little hissing, just like a sound from hell, which made people panic.

Medical Officer Luo ran to the place where he called for help with the roar of shells above his head and the continuous explosions around him. He saw a man lying on his back in the snow from afar, making a miserable moan and a cry for help. His leg was blown off, and his broken calf hung far away on the branches of a big tree four or five meters away. The ticking blood dyed the white snow below red.

"Who is injured?" There was a shout from the nearby bunker, which sounded like Gnauri. He shouted at Medical Officer Luo, as if he was about to rush out.

"Stay there, sergeant!" Medical Officer Luo shouted at Gnery, who was trying to climb out, "I'll do it alone. Don't come over. I'm still shelling!" According to the regulations, it is true that only medical officer Luo needs one person here!

But Gnery still climbed out. He followed Medical Officer Luo and ran quickly towards the injured guy. Lying on the ground moaning was the recruit Soth. He looked at Medical Officer Luo rushing over and couldn't help shouting with pain and hatred, "Damn it, I've been lying here for a long time. My leg is broken, my leg is broken, damn it - God, how can I go back?

"We will let you go back safely, brother!" Gernelly squatted down, put down his rifle, and stretched out his hand to comfort South. The scene was so miserable that he didn't pay attention to South's blame and scolding.

"Morphine!" Medical officer Luo took morphine out of his pocket and injected it into Soth's other leg. He quickly cut off Soth's trousers, revealing the wound, where the flesh and blood were blurred, and the broken meat and bones hung there. Medical Officer Luo skillfully wrapped his legs with bandages and said to Gnery, "When the shelling stops, we have to immediately transfer him to Baston's medical station and then transport him to the rear. We must send this guy out before being completely surrounded!"

"It's up to you!" Gernery said that he was about to carry the soth on his shoulder. Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched it, he heard a huge explosion. A shell exploded not far from them, and the air wave pushed the three people down heavily on the snow. South made a sad scream. When he fell down, his thigh was blown off and hit again.

"Oh, my God, it hurts me to death. Damn it, it's better to blow me up directly with a cannonball, so that I won't be tortured like this. God, what's the matter!" South roared and vented his dissatisfaction. Although he used morphine, he still hurt so much that he couldn't help cursing in the direction of the German army.

"Boom--" Another huge explosion sounded. Gernery, who was about to get up, was suddenly pushed to the ground by the air waves, as if a thin ** came to his face, spraying all over his face.

"Oh, again!" Gnari scolded, "Damn it!" He got up again and shouted at the medical officer Luo, who was also getting up, "Are you all right? Doctor. This damn German!"

"It's okay!" Medical officer Luo shouted at Gernelly. He gestured at Gernelly, "Let's go and see Sebbins. We have to get him out, or he will die here!" With that, the two bent down very low and crawled towards South.

Susus lay on the ground. He did not moan or mutter and scold. His body was twitching and coughing constantly, but every time he coughed, a lot of blood foam gushed out of his mouth. His eyes were slowly dissipating, and one hand was grasping on the snow, as if he wanted to grab something.

"Sos!" Gernery shouted. He began to check his body and pulled away the heavy military coat to reveal the body inside, but a deep wound could be clearly seen on South's chest, which was bleeding out.

Medical Officer Luo kept wiping the blood from the wound on his body with a bandage and tried to bandage him, but Grenari stopped him and gently patted his hand and said, "Medical Officer Luo, it's useless. He's dead!" When Gnari stretched out two fingers and pressed on South's carotid artery, there was no more beating there.

Medical Officer Luo's hand shook, and then turned his head to look at South. His eyes were no longer bright, and they were gray. His body didn't even hesitate a little. Obviously, Gnelly is right - he's dead!

"Ah--" Medical Officer Luo pulled off the bandage wrapped around Sos's body like crazy, and then threw it on the snow fiercely. He roared hard in the direction of the German army: "You bastards, you bastards, why did you kill them all? You devils, murderers, dirty clowns..." He scolded almost all the swear words he knew.

Genelly squatted down and gently patted his knee with his hand and said, "You have tried your best, doctor. He is a soldier. He should be ready to die at any time!" With that, he put his hand to Sos's chest, pulled off his military card, then looked at it in his hand, patted Medical Officer Luo on the shoulder and said, "Hist, we have to hold on. Brothers still need you!" With that, he walked straight towards his bunker.

At this time, the German artillery had stopped. The woods looked particularly quiet after a piece of smoke and explosion. At this time, the brothers could faintly hear shouting at each other: "Is anyone injured?"

"Gerry, are you still alive?"

"Stay alive, Luz, thank you for your concern. Protect your balls by yourself. The cannonballs don't have eyes!" As for the listless answerer Luz's joke, Grenari jumped into the bunker and put his buttocks in the bunker. Then he raised his hands again and looked carefully.

"Whose is this? Sos?" Toy looked at the military card and couldn't help but tighten his heart.

"Yes!" Gernelly muttered, obviously, if it was normal, he didn't want to mention anyone, and he might not even know such a new recruit. But on the way to Bastion, Grenari has fallen in love with this soldier, not only because of his two packs of cigarettes, but in the ice and snow of Baston, every brother will make Grenari feel at ease and feel that their existence is the existence of Company E.

The forest is full of broken branches and some bare trunks make the white snow a little dazzling. The Germans did not carry out infantry attacks except for shelling. The German stopped unexpectedly. Obviously, they were accumulating strength and waiting for reinforcements. After all, after being hit hard by the 1st Battalion and the 10th Armored Division DeSosbury, they did not have the ability to attack continuously. The follow-up reinforcements of the German army will be gathered here, and they will attack the U.S. military here, because they believe that the U.S. First Battalion and the D.S. Sobery detachment they defeated have made the U.S. defense line vulnerable.

The sky gradually faded. At this time, the German infantry had not yet launched an attack. If it's nightfall, the German attack will have to be carried out tomorrow. And tomorrow, German reinforcements may also arrive. They can launch an all-out blow.

The night shrouded the woods. Parks looked quietly ahead, and then looked at the tired Wales around him and said, "The German army may attack tomorrow. What we have to do is to prevent the German infiltration tonight. Otherwise, it will look very passive!"

"I believe in our defensive bunker!" Wales turned his head and smiled at Parks, "Look at the German shelling during the day today. We are basically unharmed. We are well protected!" God, Reese, the Germans use the 88mm gun. There are also 105mm cannons. Their shells are like rain, but we resisted!"

"A good bunker is not as good as a good soldier!" Parks shook his head at Wales and said in a low voice, "We still lost a soldier, Private Soth. A recruit was killed in the shelling of Bastogne on the first day.

"Did you come in from the Momian barracks or after the market garden?" Wales looked at Parks and suddenly shook his head and said, "I'm not very familiar with those soldiers. They are recruits, have many shortcomings, and they are not very good at some rules on the battlefield. But the veterans don't want to stay with them. Their combat experience depends on themselves again and again!"

"They are experiencing a very cruel battle now!" Parks nodded, "Harry, tomorrow will be a fierce battle, but our only choice is not to retreat, but to stick this German force firmly here so that they can't occupy it. This is a strategic place. Perhaps the victory or defeat of the whole battle lies in Bastogne!"

"I hope you're not right!" Wales suddenly shook his head and smiled, "I'd rather this is a place that the Germans ignore than a place they focus on taking care of. Damn it, our luck is always the best. We always fight the hardest battle in the hardest places!"

Parks didn't say anything more, and his eyes were always staring at the front. Although he couldn't see anything except some trunks, he was still a little distracted.

In the early morning, the air is colder. Many brothers hiding in the bunker are shrinking their necks, their hands in their sleeves, and they are staring out. Only the sound of breathing was heard quietly at night.

Countless sharp whistles suddenly sounded in the air, followed by violent explosions and tremors on the ground. The Germans chose to launch another shelling in the early morning. They are going to use artillery fire to disturb the defending U.S. military, make them tired of coping with it, and then have no energy to deal with the upcoming battle tomorrow.

"Boom--" A shell hit the trunk of the tree and made an explosion. The firelight was more dazzling at night, just like fireworks at Christmas. At the same time, it was gorgeous and painful!

"German shelling, pay attention to concealment!" Sergeant Tebert's voice came faintly, and then many voices were reminding the defending brothers around. The role of non-commissioned officers is very important at the most critical time. The shouts of Sergeant Tebert and other non-commissioned officers made many people feel the peace in the waves of anger.

This German shelling lasted for ten minutes, but these ten minutes were the most difficult ten minutes. It makes people feel extremely long. The gunfire was more fierce than during the day, and all the brothers lay tightly in the bunker and could not look up at all. Even Sergeant Tebert did not dare to stick his head out and shouted at his brothers. He lay in the bunker and kept cursing: "Damn it, damn it!"

"Are the Germans going to attack at night?" Wales' body and neck were covered with dirt, but he lay down tightly and did not dare to move for a while. The gunfire was too fierce. He looked at Parks, who was also lying beside him, and shouted, "The Germans seem to want to fight out their old capital!"

Parks nodded and also shouted at Wales, "I don't know what will happen to the Germans, but I know that if the Germans attack tomorrow, their gunfire will be more fierce than this!"

The fireworks-like shelling gradually stopped. When everything around was silent again, the surrounding scenery gradually became clearer and clearer - the sky gradually lit up.

A new day has finally arrived.

(to be continued)