A new day, the dawn is quietly coming. The brothers of E Company waited quietly, they all expected today's German attack in advance. And they were also warned by the company commander, Captain Parkes. The German offensive would be very formidable, and they would have to rely on the Parks trenches to achieve the best results.

Thick snow occasionally fell from the branches, some of which fell on the bodies and necks of the soldiers, but they did not move at all, and did not dare to relax in any way. They knew it was going to be a tough battle. With the aftermath of victory and the newly replenished forces, the Germans tried to break through the defensive line of E Company in one sentence, so as to achieve the goal of crushing the American control of Bastone.

"Will the Germans come?" White asked Gordon beside him, he was a little anxious, even if the sentence was pronounced to die, but the taste of waiting for death was really uncomfortable, and many people were like this.

Gordon was leaning on the machine gun, his eyes were firmly fixed on the line of defense in front, he didn't turn his gaze, just nodded and said, "The Germans will definitely come, they have routed the first battalion, it is clear that they will continue the attack, and we will inflict heavy losses on them here." Although I don't want the Germans to attack us, I can't help it! ”

Yes, Gordon had no choice, and so many of the people in E-Company waited anxiously in their hearts, and every look and movement seemed to say "when are the Germans coming". The brothers are not afraid of fighting, but waiting for the battle does make people's mentality a little abnormal, so that all the brothers are highly focused.

A shrill whistle rang out in the air, and the Germans began shelling again, apparently earlier and, as Parks had predicted, more violently. The mud of the snow was lifted high, and the trunks of the big trees were constantly bombarded by the Germans, falling down, and smashing on the top of the bunker continuously, shaking and making all the brothers tremble.

"Lower your posture! Lower your posture! "There was a loud shout, and the non-commissioned officers had a light sense of responsibility, even under intense artillery fire, and they kept loudly reminding their brothers around the bunker to hide their ideas.

The German artillery fire was prepared for twenty minutes, which made the brothers suffer great hardship, although the Parks bunker was able to cover them well, but in a few hits of 88 mm guns and 105 mm guns, there were still some wounds, of course, only minor injuries, but this is already the best result, if it is a general foxhole, it is estimated that the losses suffered by the brothers of E Company will be immeasurable.

"Damn it! Can't the Germans just attack us? I don't want to be killed by a shell without even seeing the Germans, that's too bad! Wales grumbled at Parks. It is clear that he also lost some patience with the German shelling. In particular, such a strong shelling makes people's spirits so nervous that they collapse, for fear that a shell will hit the bunker directly and then annihilate themselves.

"Patience, Harry!" Parks took out his binoculars and looked at the front line, he had a gut feeling that the Germans' attack would make it difficult for the brothers, but he also had a feeling that with the advantage of cover and the fighting spirit of the brothers, they would also block the Germans' attack and repel them.

Suddenly, there was a slight tremor in the snow beneath my feet. Everyone suddenly raised their hearts, and they stared at the front. And the tremor of the ground made all the brothers concentrate their energy to a high degree. This was the shaking of the ground caused by the movement of the tanks, and it was also the prelude to the German offensive, who, under the cover of the tanks, drove towards the line of defense of Company E.

"Everybody's watched, the Germans are on the offensive and we have to hold the line tightly so that they don't have a chance. Cheer up! "The role of the sergeants in the battle was brought into play, and Goneri was shouting at his brothers nearby, and it was clear that they were the backbone of the E-face, keeping the soldiers of the E-Company vigilant and fighting spirited.

White gripped his M1 rifle tightly, and through the rifle's crosshairs, he aimed at every target that seemed to be moving, but there was nothing in front of him. Despite being a veteran, he is highly nervous, and in every fight, he has to concentrate and then make sure that he doesn't get hit. Veterans are like this, first to save their lives, and then look for opportunities to fight the enemy. Because for them, how to save their lives on the battlefield is the first task.

The recruits are much more nervous than the veterans. Stenson and Pooh were placed at the outpost of the position, where they were tasked with observing the movements of the Germans, and after their initial contact with the Germans, they quickly returned to their positions to defend themselves with the rest of their brothers in Company E. And with them were Heflang and Sebins. Hevron was more experienced than they were, he was one of the first to join Company E, after landing in Normandy, and took part in Operation Market Garden and trench warfare on the island. Pooh is in charge of the outpost's liaison with the company, and he is in charge of the outpost's walkie-talkies, which is his forte.

"Tank!" Heflon looked at the snow in front of him with binoculars, and suddenly two or three tanks appeared, the first one, although it was moving very slowly, but from the low turret of the tank, it was clear that it was the German Tiger, and behind it were two light tanks. Behind the tank were German soldiers, dressed in thick long overcoats and carrying rifles, carefully following behind the tank.

"Tiger Style! Damn it! Heflon scolded, it is clear that the Tiger tank has always been a shadow in the hearts of the US military, even the invincible E Company. They have suffered a lot under the attack of such tanks.

Pooh's nervous mouth was wide open, and he felt his throat feel a little dry and tight. The first time I participated in the battle, I faced this terrible tank, which was directly reflected in the green face of the face. So much so that he ignored the shouting of Hefflang at him around him.

"Damn, report to the company immediately, the Germans have Tiger tanks, and the number of attackers is about one company!" Hefflang yelled at him again, "If you don't contact him again, we'll wait for all of us to die here, damn it!" Seeing that Pooh hadn't moved, he kicked Pooh in the ass and kicked him over, and the walkie-talkie was linked to the company.

Pooh was kicked over, and then he woke up like a dream, he screamed in panic, and then seemed to climb out of the bunker, but Heflon pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him and said viciously: "Pooh, if you dare to step out of this bunker before me, I will shoot you, you coward, coward!" Just as he was talking, he got in touch with the company. After he reported the situation, he was given the order to retreat.

"Let's go!" Heflon picked up the trembling Pooh and picked up the rifle he had left in the bunker, "Damn, now you can run, hurry, before the Germans knock us out." ”

"Retreat!" As Hevron and Pooh climbed out of cover, they yelled at their brothers at the outpost, "We retreat, we slaughter them in our positions." ”

Pooh's cowardice was also a bit of a disdain for Stenson, who had always considered himself a good paratrooper instead of showing such a bad form. He didn't even look at Pooh when he ran past him.

Parks saw through the telescope the soldiers at the outpost retreating. He did not want to make the thin outpost pay for the German offensive. After all, the Germans still had tanks, although there were not many, but for Company E, which was all infantry, it was already a very powerful attacking force. The soldiers at the outpost retreated, not looking flustered, he knew that some recruits were inside, which also showed that the courage of the brothers of Company E was still there, and they were waiting to fight the Germans.

Company E had been replenished with weapons and ammunition, which was arguably the most important point that Parks insisted on. Now this is just the case with the superior surname. Parks arranged a number of rocket launchers in the bunkers on both sides, although it could not directly destroy the Tiger tanks, but if the tracks of these tanks were directly destroyed, then even if it was the Tiger type, it could only be a tiger that could not run, and it was slaughtered by others.

The color of the snow in the woods seemed to be darker than that in the clearing. The Tiger tanks first entered the open field on the edge of the forest, and the Germans used a total of three Tiger and five No. 4 tanks as leads. The 88 mm guns and 75 mm guns on the tank looked cold and hideous against the snow. This made the Germans who followed behind feel a little relieved.

"Where are the Americans?" That was Rank's first question when he stepped into the clearing. If you want to defend, when they step into the open area, it is the best time for the American army to counterattack, the view is so good that everyone can almost become a live target, even if there are tanks, but once they enter the woods, the opportunity will be lost.

Rank, a recruit who had been drafted for just over four months, had fought in the Battle of Arnhem Bridge, his first battle. He was recruited as a recruit into the then retreating SS. But his age matched the time he had joined the army, he was now only seventeen years old, he dropped out of school, and while at school, in the passionate and enthusiastic speech of an SS major, he put down his pen and resolutely threw himself into the army. There were many classmates like him who were conscripted into the army with him. But the only people who were able to enter the SS were him and another classmate, Vikinko, a strong-looking classmate a year older than him.

Rank's first entry into the war was to slaughter the British army. They were ordered to launch an attack on the British troops defending the bridge, and the shells alone bombarded them for half a day. Then all they had to do was keep chasing them along the trail of the British retreat. The fight went unexpectedly well, making Ranke feel that the fight was really an easy thing to do. Even Vikinko is optimistic.

Although the horrific corpses along the way caused Ronk to vomit all the food in his stomach, he was full of anticipation for the battle. And Vikinko is full of hunger for battle, and he longs for every opportunity to go to war. But soon they took a break and did not have the opportunity to participate in new battles. But the exchange of fire with the US military two days ago, as well as the death of his comrades-in-arms, made the mood of the two become a little unpredictable. It seems that the US military is not at its own mercy as it has been in previous battles.

"Where are the Americans?" Ronk muttered again. His voice caught Vikinko's attention, and he advanced side by side with him, a distance of a meter or two.

"God knows where the Americans are? They didn't attack us, and I wish they all fled! Vikingko smiled at Ranke and said, "Don't worry, Rank, we're going to beat the Americans!" ”

Ronk nodded, and he walked cautiously forward. Another advantage of having a tank in front of you is that it is possible to trigger infantry mines, allowing the infantry to avoid disaster. But this did not completely save the infantry from the mines, especially in such a snowy area, where the snow obscured everything. Let all the attacking Germans be overwhelmed.

"Boom-" The explosion exploded more than 20 meters next to Rank, and Ranke subconsciously lay on the ground, thus avoiding the possible surname of the injury. The US army's anti-infantry mines have a very large killing range, and in this case, everyone is cautious, and if they accidentally step on the mines, the first thing they do is to call their companions to leave.

But the more you worry about something, the more something will happen. Suddenly, Ranke heard another desperate sound from about ten meters away from him. Once you step on a landmine, especially in an attack, the only person who can help you is your brother. Soon the man had companions around him to help. But before the German could run, the explosion sounded again. Ranke was pushed in the back and fell to the snow, but this time he was not injured, and it was Vikinko who pushed him.

The German soldier who tried to save the people was sprayed with blood all over his body by the steel balls exploded by the bouncing mine, and the whole person rolled and fell about two or three meters beside Rank. His eyes were black and hollow, one had been pierced by steel balls, his body was full of blood, and his broken body was blurred with flesh and blood.

"Uh-" Ronke got up and saw the appearance of this person, and couldn't help but let out a burst of retching sounds, this person he knew, a veteran, often trained people during training, but he was a good person, and he took good care of the recruits. Usually he looks very kind, but now he is just a flesh and blood body, lifeless and dignified.

"Don't look at it, it's war!" Vikinko tapped him on the shoulder. Now he must also brace himself, and if he does step on a mine, he is prepared for his own unique death, he has to use his body to crush the mine, and then avoid causing harm to others.

Ronk pursed his lips, nodded, and cautiously followed. This section of the open space was a nightmare for the German army, with people constantly stepping on landmines, and then people all around them suffered.

There was a soft "click", and Ranke suddenly felt like his heart was about to stop. Despite his repeated caution, he stepped on a mine. The despair quickly spread all over his body, his throat was dry, and then he turned his head to Vijinko and shouted, "I'm done!" Vikinko! I stepped on a landmine! ”

Vikingko turned his head and saw Ranke standing in a strange posture, not daring to move, and Ranke stepped on a mine. He was shocked suddenly, and then subconsciously shouted to Rank, "Don't move, I'll help you." ”

"No—" Ronke suddenly yelled at Vikinge, "don't come, don't come!" ”

Vikingo was suddenly stunned, he knew what Runk meant, he didn't want to send him to his death. But Vikingko would never have watched Ranke die in front of him like this. When they were at school, they were friends, not to mention that they had stayed together and fought, crouched in trenches, covered each other in battle, and he would never forgive himself if he watched Ranke die like this.

"Don't worry, I'll find a way, you wait!" Vikinko lowered his rifle and cautiously moved towards Rank. He and Ranke were originally relatively close to each other, but in the current form, the distance between them felt like a long time of four or five meters. And Vikinko tried to get closer to him step by step.

"Don't come here!" Ronk screamed again in despair, his voice with a crying tone, "Tell my mom, tell her I love her!" She is the person I love the most in this world! ”

"No—" Vikinko tried to take a few quick steps, but he saw Rank's body crushed against the snow, and he used his body to crush the mine he stepped on.

With a muffled "boom", the mine exploded, and the force of the explosion tore Rank's body apart. Warm blood splashed across Vikinko's face, and some crumbs of flesh stuck to his body, and he was hit by a wave of air, not very strong, but enough to knock him to the ground.

"Rank—" Viginko got up and muttered, he was a little dumbfounded, his good friend, the brother who had fought together for months, and was reduced to a bloody corpse. And his body was still clinging to the flesh and blood of this good friend and good brother, and the salty smell made his stomach twitch for a while.

Vikinko couldn't hold back any longer, fell to his knees, buried his head in the snow, and let out a burst of retching sounds. He wanted to vomit out everything in his stomach, but he felt like Rank's flesh stuck to his face had been accidentally swallowed into his stomach.

"Vikinko, stand up, grab your rifle and kill the Americans! They just killed your comrades, your brothers, you are a brave fellow, don't be a coward! Behind him was a sergeant, armed with a submachine gun, yelling at Vikinko, "Cleanse your hatred with the blood of the Americans and let them go back!" ”

Vikinko struggled to get up from the snow, he had vomited everything in his stomach, the feeling of emptiness in his stomach made his heart quiet a little, he no longer felt afraid, the death of his friend stimulated him, made him think that life and death were not so important. That's war, that's what he said to Rank. Now he said the same to himself. This is war, the more you are afraid of death, the more death will continue to bite your heart, making you timid, afraid, and cowardly to the point of vulnerability.

The mine array of Company E, which caused more than a dozen casualties to the Germans before the attack, although it could not make the Germans retreat, but it suppressed their morale, and they became sensitive and nervous. The short distance of one mile is indeed very long at the feet of the German army. The woods were close at their feet, and they had already walked past the damn mine-ridden place.

All the attacking Germans breathed a sigh of relief, and now they will face to face with the Americans. The Tiger and Tank No. 4 roared into the woods, and then an explosion was heard in the woods. All the German troops subconsciously lay down, and then the explosions continued to sound in the woods, and the huge tree trunks shook and fell.

This was not an artillery bombardment, the purpose of the explosion by the US military was a large tree in the woods. The huge trunk of the tree shook and fell, and then it stopped in front of the tank with a thud, and some of the large trees smashed directly on the top of the tank. The trunks of the trees on all sides surrounded the tank in the middle, blocking the tank's way out. Although the tank was able to break through the large trees in front of it, the large trees had fallen so much that the tank steering became a problem. At this moment, a group of people suddenly appeared from the side of the snow tank, and they carried bazookas at the tank.

A dense burst of bazookas flew towards the German tanks, and a continuous explosion was heard, and the bazookas accurately hit the tracks of the immobile German tanks, and soon the tanks lost power. The Germans opened fire on the bazooka-carrying Americans, but they soon withdrew.

"Keep attacking!" The German captain was behind him urging the Germans to continue their attack. They have not yet tested the strength of the American army, and it is impossible for them to retreat like this. Even if they lost the cover of the tanks, they still had to complete the attack mission this time, and they had achieved the goal of testing the firepower of the US troops.

The Germans appeared cautious, and they marched deep into the deep forest. The non-commissioned officers were constantly gesturing to each other and making tactical cover movements, and the German soldiers continued to advance towards the defensive line of Company E, leaning on the trunks of the trees and the shielding of the brothers.

Vijinko gasped as he moved from tree to tree and then gestured to his brother in attack. The Americans did not fire, they seemed to be waiting for something, which gave Vikinko a strong sense of unease.

"Up!" Vikinko shifted behind a large tree again, and then gestured to the soldiers behind the tree, signaling him to attack.

"Bang-" A gunshot rang out, and before the soldier could emerge from behind the tree, he was shot in the neck, and he suddenly went limp, grabbed his neck tightly with one hand, and slowly fell softly behind the trunk, and his rifle was thrown aside.

Vikinko was suddenly startled, he subconsciously felt that the American army had surrounded them, they seemed to be in front, and then around, he quickly lay on the snow, nervously looking around. If it weren't for the presence of U.S. troops all around, the soldier would not have been hit by U.S. troops before he even came up.

After a single gunshot, the U.S. troops finally opened fire. Their fire crossed over and formed a continuous crossfire in the woods, which locked the Germans firmly in the woods. It's a nightmare. The Americans seemed to have come out of the ground, weaving a huge firepower with machine guns, rifles, and mortars, and the Germans were like fish in a net, either killed or lying on the snow not daring to move half a step.

"Mom - help me!" When a German soldier was hit, he let out a terrible cry of dying. But the sound was muffled by the sound of heavy fire on the battlefield.

A German company tried to attack, losing all the Tiger and No. 4 tanks except for more than fifty soldiers.

(To be continued)