Chapter 293: Destruction

Straddling the Moder River, a tributary of the Rhine, Agno has a population of nearly 20,000. The position of E Company was on the rear flank of the 5O6 Regiment, at the confluence of the Moder River, which was circulating here, and a canal that had intercepted part of its water and passed through the town. E Company occupied houses on the south bank, and the Germans occupied houses on the north bank. The river's bed is so high that the water has overflowed its banks and the current is rapid. The width of the river ranges from 3o to 1oo meters, and grenades cannot be thrown, but it is close to machine guns, rifles and mortars. There was artillery support on both sides. A few kilometers behind the German lines, there was a large railway gun with a caliber of about 2o5 mm left over from the First World War.

Airborne troops are stationed in the houses occupied by the 79th Division. A couple of people in a row took over a house of the 79th Division at the confluence of the Moder River with the canal, which was their observation post. The house was badly damaged, several walls had been blown down, part of the roof had been blown down by mortar shells, all the window panes had been shattered, the stucco, bricks and broken glass on the floor were as deep as a foot's neck, the railings had been burned as firewood, the toilets were overflowing with feces, and the basement was full of ashes, dirt and military cans.

"That's terrible, let's clean up this hell place," Corporal McCkelly grumbled as soon as he came in, "I can't imagine that those guys from the 79th Division could stay in such a place, they are all garbage people?" ”

"And that's not the worst," Webster slung his rifle on his back, then looked out the window, "Look at the six of us, with such a semi-automatic rifle, and yet guarding an observation post with two machine guns and 18 people. That's what we're worried about, in Eisenhower's eyes, the soldiers of our E Company are on top of the guys of the three infantry divisions. ”

"Why don't you take this as their compliment?" McCreary chuckled, then said as he cleaned up the room, "Don't forget, those bastards also said that the area was calm and that neither side was attacking each other, so as long as we didn't actively want each other to shoot or shell, we shouldn't have a problem." ”

But as if deliberately trying to turn against McCreary, they heard the shrill whistling of cannonballs as soon as he finished speaking. Then there was a loud bang, a "boom", which shook the people in the house to the ground.

"Enemy artillery fire," Webster screamed, rolled over and threw himself on the floor from the window. Everyone lay on the floor and did not dare to come out, they held their heads in their hands, waiting for the German shells to come again, but there was no movement. Only the dust from the roof of the house kept falling on the heads of these people.

"Damn they lied," McCreary cursed, "these bastards didn't shoot at them before they came." This is what the bastards of the 79th Division said about not attacking each other? Shit"

At this moment the door was suddenly pushed open, and Sergeant Martin walked in, and he watched several people get up from the ground in embarrassment, and the corners of his mouth twitched, and Webster thought that he was trying his best to endure it, and did not laugh out loud.

"Guys, I'm going to talk to you guys." "Corporal McCreary is in charge of Observation Post 2, and two people are on duty for an hour at a time, one at the window on the third floor and the other in the basement guarding the phone. You can see from the window the half of the town occupied by the Germans. And we also have the privilege of having the artillerymen open fire on each other at any time. Of course, don't expect the Germans to bomb them obediently, they will return the favor with artillery fire, so I advise you to stay obedient and not act rashly, unless you are willing to hide in a dirty basement or shake in the house. ”

"Of course, I'm not stupid," McCreary chuckled.

"Very good," Sergeant Martin gave him a thumbs up, "but guys, I'd advise you not to act casually during the day." The German snipers will shoot accurately, and they can take out the guys who are hanging out there with a single shot. Don't make too much noise, or you'll get mortar shells. Don't be outside with two or three people unless you have to, as you will be bombarded by the Germans' 88-mm guns. Alright, that's all I have to say, I'll have to tell the rest of the brothers," Martin said, clapping his hands as he prepared to leave.

"Those damn bastards," McCreary cursed again.

"What?" Martin couldn't help but look back at McCreary.

"I'm talking about those 79th Division bastards, who think the Germans on the other side are our friendly neighbors and never cause trouble." McCreery gritted his teeth and said, "If we really believe them, it will be enough for us to see."

"You'd better not trust them, be careful," Martin said in one of Captain Parkes' most common words.

"Hey, Martin squad leader, how do we spend such days?" Webster suddenly stopped Sergeant Martin, frowned, and said, "Then aren't we going to stay here and stink?" Can't go anywhere? ”

"It's better than being in a dead man's heap," said Sergeant Martin, ignoring the guys, and the more patient you explain to them, the more they will be and complain to you until you get nervous.

Following the law Martin just said, McCreary decided to leave two people behind, and then everyone else hid in the basement, Private Roy? Kaber and Private Clarence? Lyle was left at the observation post, and they were the first shift, and then someone came to replace them. Private Roy? Like Webster, Kaber was one of the few veterans who came out of Takoa without serving as a non-commissioned officer. He couldn't help muttering a sentence after listening to McCreary's arrangement, but he still didn't say anything after all. McCreary left the binoculars behind and took the others to the basement, where they still needed to clean up.

"Do we need one on top and one on bottom?" Roy looked at Lyle and shook his head involuntarily, Lyle is a new recruit, he shook his head and said, "I don't want to stay here alone, go get the phone, let's observe here, there is always someone to be a companion, otherwise I'll go crazy this damn observation post"

"As you wish," Lyle grinned, "I thought so too," he said, quickly going downstairs and bringing the phone upstairs. One person by window, looking out to observe the movements of the Germans.

There was no movement on the Germans' side. They, like the Americans, huddle in their rooms unless they have to. But the more this happens, the more it feels like time is going to be hard. Lyle raised the binoculars and looked ahead, then put them down and rubbed his eyes, handing the binoculars to Roy again.

"Hey, man, I see a German," Roy suddenly exclaimed excitedly, as if he were a hunter with a majestic deer, and he handed the telescope to Lyerdaw, "man, help me see my results." There was a German a few hundred meters ahead, who did he think he was? You can ignore my existence, and in God's name, I will send this German to his old man's house," he said, holding his rifle up on the edge of the window, slowly squinting his eyes and aiming.

A German soldier walks back and forth in a room. Obviously, he completely ignored that he might be the best target for American snipers, and he seemed to be thinking and scattered. But it doesn't matter, the important thing is that he is just a prey now, his life is in the hands of one of Roy's fingers, and the hand that pulls the trigger can take his life away with a slight bend.

There was a "bang" of gunshots, and Lyle saw in the telescope that the German soldier's head was up, his hands were drooping, and he was on his side on the ground as soon as he rolled over. But his body was still moving, and although the shot just now hit him, it didn't kill him.

"God, he's not dead, he's struggling, as if he's calling for help into the house" Lyle clearly saw the expression on the German soldier's face through the binoculars, pain, survival, and cry for help, which made Lyle's heart flutter a little, but soon he felt that it was nothing, this was war, and the fallen German was the prey.

"Hurry up, Roy, he's going to crawl back into the house," Lyle held up the binoculars, urging Roy.

"Okay, okay, look at me, Lyle," Roy said, pulling the trigger twice in a row, "bang" two gunshots, and the spasms and tremors caused by the bullet hitting the German were all visible through the binoculars. When all fear, disgust, pity, and sympathy subsided, it gave him a pleasure of deprivation.

With each shot, the Germans let out a heart-rending shout, and even from a few hundred meters apart, Roy and Lyle could hear it clearly. It wasn't until the third shot that the Germans lay on the ground and never moved again.

"Haha, Lyle, I hit him, it's a ghost under my gun, I love it." Roy smiled at Lyle, "Learn something, rookie"

"Don't call me a rookie," Lyle muttered dissatisfiedly, but it was undoubtedly a great irritation for him, and maybe it would turn him into a bloodthirsty guy after that.

Not only Roy and Lyle, but every soldier who has been on the battlefield for a long time is like this, and they gradually feel that on the battlefield, they not only want to save their own lives, but also try to destroy each other's lives, and this destruction has beshadowed their compassion when they first entered the battlefield.

And every time they destroy the life of an enemy soldier, they will increase the fear that they may be destroyed by the other party. And this fear has been expanding inwardly until they are filled with disgust for the entire battlefield.

This was the case with the entire 1o1 airborne division, which was deployed at the front. Of course, the same is true of the brothers of E-Company.