Chapter 275 Lost

The Paipu battle group of the Sixth Panzer Army of the German Waffen-SS is on the top of the mountain halfway between Marmedy and Noville, near a small village in Bagnez. They encountered a small force belonging to the U.S. 285th Artillery Observation Battalion. After a short time of fire, the U.S. troops surrendered. After being disarmed, they were driven to stand in an open space near the intersection with about 150 other U.S. troops who were captured earlier. They were shot dead by the Germans here. This incident shocked the whole Allies and made General Eisenhower angry.

However, the Paipu battle group entered Stavog and encountered the tenacious resistance of the U.S. defenders. After failing to defeat the U.S. troops in this area, he left a small support force in the town and 48 U.S. military prisoners who were later captured, and then led most of the troops to the bridge in Troiphon. And this support force is a battalion with a total of 317 people. The battalion commander is Ruili? Lieutenant Colonel Gurian, he finally got the order to retreat if he couldn't hold on and shoot all the prisoners.

Lieutenant Colonel Gurion built a defense line in the town and placed the prisoners of war behind the defense line, sending soldiers to contact the U.S. military attacking this area. If the U.S. military shelled, they could not guarantee the lives of the prisoners. These prisoners are the bargaining chips of the present Guri. He doesn't care what others think of him. Because in the German army, it is rare to threaten the enemy with prisoners and will be ridiculed.

But the U.S. military wants to occupy this small town, and then it can tear open the German defense line to achieve the goal of completely liberation of Baststone. The 37th Tank Battalion of the U.S. 4th Armored Division mixed with the 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion made a desperate breakthrough here. After a hard battle, Gurian was finally forced to withdraw from the town and retreat in the direction of the town of Noville, but they found a problem. They were surrounded by the U.S. military. They were surrounded in the forest area. Although they were not found by the U.S. military, their breakthrough became difficult.

They hid in the forest area. Despite the lack of supplies, they reduced the necessary activities, stayed in a concave valley, and kept removing scouts around, and occasionally exchanged short-lived fire with the U.S. military. However, their sporadic exchange of fire did not attract the attention of the U.S. military. Instead, it would be regarded as a German patrol near Noville.

The U.S. military did not stay for long and continued to move forward, which gave Gurion a chance to breathe. In despair, he even wanted to kill all the prisoners of war and then fight to the death with the U.S. military. But he chose to forbear. The prisoner of war of the U.S. military is his bargaining chip, and he will not give up easily. But once he is in a desperate situation, he will not hesitate to do it, as if he were slaughtering American prisoners of war in Malmedy.

On January 15, 1945, Gurion was finally able to continue to act. The small patrol team he excluded came up with a piece of information. Most of the U.S. military is moving forward, and the threats around them have been removed. This means that Gulian, who has been dormant in this valley for many days, can finally return to his defense line with the opportunity of the U.S. military to move forward. But after the first battle with the U.S. tank armored soldiers, plus temporary casualties and deserted soldiers, there were only 34 of them. And they all look depressed.

They lost the map and did not have a compass. They could only continue to explore in the forest. They were not only careful to prevent encounters with the U.S. military, but also to be careful to prevent getting lost in the wind and snow. Gurian can only judge the way to the town of Noville by his own experience. What he can do now is to pray to God that the town of Novill has not been occupied by the U.S. military, and he can join the German army in the town, and then get supplies and retreat to the rear.

"Middle Colonel Gurian, how far do we have to go?" Is it a person named Roger? Second Lieutenant Aard, this is the highest-ranking officer below Gurion. Now he is Gurion's deputy battalion commander. "I have a bad feeling. Are we lost?"

"No, we haven't lost our way yet. I remember this direction. I have to be careful not to meet Americans. We are not suitable to fight with them at this time!" Grian is full of confidence in his judgment. But he just talked like this in front of his subordinates. In fact, they have been wandering in the forest for a long time, and they have no heavy weapons, no machine guns and mortars, and everyone only has 98K rifles and a few submachine guns in their hands, which is far from being able to enter the battle. In the past few days, the wind and snow are pervasive, and the temperature has dropped sharply. There are more times when you can't see the direction clearly, and it is easy to get lost. But one advantage is that it is not easy to be found by the U.S. military.

The German army's days are not easy, and the U.S. military prisoners are even worse. Their only warm clothes were also collected by the German army and used by the German army to keep out the cold, and they could only wear a military coat and tremble in the cold wind.

"How far is the damn road?" Second Lieutenant Elder looked at Lieutenant Colonel Gurion, who was leading the way ahead, and felt puzzled for the first time. He is a staunch follower of Grian. Throughout the battle and retreat, soldiers continued to flee, and officers not only could not control their soldiers, but also took the lead in leaving the soldiers to escape. In the harsh environment and encircled suffering, he adhered to his duties and beliefs. He firmly believed that the lieutenant colonel would lead him out of this damn place. But now, when they overcome one difficulty after another, they can't help but waver.

"How far is it to the town of Noville?" This is not only the doubts of Second Lieutenant Elder, but also the doubts of Capper, Toy and Hudson who came out with Captain Parks. Unfortunately, they caught up with this day, and the wind and snow filled the whole forest area so gray that they got lost. And Parks' jeep wandered around the forest for a long time, running out of gas and lying motionless in the snow.

Captain Parks was eager to return to Company E, and the three of them were the same, so even if today's weather was in a bad state early in the morning, they were still on the road, and they borrowed a jeep because of Captain Parks. The destination that would have arrived soon is now out of reach.

Four people wandered around the forest and couldn't find a way out. They came out of the rescue station without any combat tools. The only paratrooper knife was carried by Toi all the time. Of course, there is also Captain Parks's souvenir - a Luger pistol and ten bullets. Karber and Hudson were bare-handed.

"It seems that we have to wait for the wind and snow to stop before we can move forward!" Parks looked at the snowflakes in the sky and the dark sky. He couldn't help shaking his head and said, "Now let's find a place where we'd better get through this day."

"Do you want me not to go back? Damn, if there is no place to hide, we can't get through here. There is no shelter and nothing to cover. Cap couldn't help muttering, "It seems that we have bad luck!"

"Okay, guys, there is also a military tarpaulin in the jeep. We will support it, and we can curl up together, so that we can always survive!" Captain Parks looked at the jeep and beckoned to everyone, "We're working, Carber, come and help. We need your help!"

The tarpaulin was quickly set up and a simple tent was reached, but there were enough for four people to stay in it. The snow in the tent was cleaned up, and Captain Parks removed the jeep's cushion and spread it on the ground. The four people huddled together, but it also looked a little warm. Then they looked at the sky through the opening exposed in the tent and became in a bad mood.

They have nothing now. In addition to a piece of No. K dry food with you. This is the only thing that can sustain their lives. God knows how long the snow will last. According to the usual experience, we have to wait until about 10 a.m. the next day. That is to say, from five or six o'clock in the afternoon, they will stay in the snow for 16 hours, and the worst thing is that the weather will drop sharply at night.

Captain Parks has nothing to do about this situation. If he has a map or a compass in his hand, he can definitely take his brothers out of such a forest, but now he has nothing. When he was bored, he took out the seized Luger pistol and began to wipe it. He skillfully unloaded the pistol and then loaded it again.

Hudson looked at Captain Parks with envy. Although Company E had won a series of victories, Hudson had never captured a handful of Ruger. He approached and then watched Captain Parks reassemble the pistol and make a aiming posture. He couldn't help laughing and said, "Head, can you lend me a look!"

Parks looked at Hudson and couldn't help laughing, "Why not?" With that, he handed him the pistol. This made Hudson very happy. He took the pistol and kept rubbing it in his hand.

Seeing that the sky has slowly darkened. Captain Parks smiled at Hudson and said, "Okay, corporal, it's time to give it back to me." With that, he got the Luger pistol out of his hand, and then loaded the bullet and said to the three people inside, "If we want to rest, there must be someone on guard outside. Let's rotate, let's start from now on! The second class of Kaber, then Hudson, and finally Toy. Don't pull too far. We need to patrol around!"

Kaber looked at Parks puzzledly and said, "Didn't the Germans be kicked out by us? Why do we have to worry about them?

Captain Parks glanced at Carbo and said, "Be careful, the Germans can't all be driven away. If there are any omissions, we will be finished. Be careful, it's not a big mistake!" With that, he tightened his tight coat and went out with a Luger pistol.

Hudson watched Captain Parks go out and couldn't help laughing and said, "I'd rather be on duty outside with a Luger pistol."

"You'd better say this in front of the boss, and then he will give you the whole night, and then give Luger to you! You idiot!" Carper said angrily to Hudson.

Their conversation, as Parks went further and further away, gradually blew in the wind and snow. Parks felt the cold wind in his neck. He couldn't help stamping his feet, and then cautiously stopped fifty meters away from the tent. From here, the tent looks blurred in the wind and snow, and the gloomy white in front extends in the deep forest, as if there are countless pairs of hidden eyes staring at themselves. Parks has a strange feeling for no reason. This is an occupational disease left by his previous career. The hidden crisis often stimulates his sixth sense!

(to be continued)