Chapter 217: A New Day
The brothers of Company E boarded the truck, and they were to return to France to recuperate. The truck gradually moved away from the defense line, and the brothers looked at the defense line one by one with blank eyes, and no one spoke. To be honest, I've been here for a long time, I've been tortured, and once I'm leaving, it's really a bit indescribable.
Operation Market Garden proved to be a high-risk operation that failed. Hopes that the Allies had planned to end the war by Christmas were dashed. The 101st Airborne Division and the 506th Regiment lost more than 130 people in this battle, more than 40 people were killed and 380 wounded than expected in the previous life, which was also much less than in the previous life, but the overall result of the entire 101st Airborne Division killed more than 750 people and more than 2,100 injured did not change. Moreover, the result of the British 1st Airborne Division losing more than 8,000 people has not changed, and more importantly, although the Arnhem Bridge was occupied for a time, it unexpectedly caused the Nijmegen Bridge to be blown up by the Germans, resulting in the Arnhem Bridge being blown up in the end, making the Allied offensive fall short. The overall result of the operation did not change, but this operation made the 101st Airborne Division a dazzling star, and Captain Parks of Company E of the 506th Regiment once again entered the eyes of the Allied generals in this operation, and his name was greatly publicized among the Allied forces, becoming an American-style lonely hero and making countless people admire and worship.
Company E set out on 17 September with a total of 156 officers and men. At the time of the withdrawal from the Netherlands, there were 122 officers and men. Lieutenants Brewer, Compton, and 25 soldiers were wounded. Seven officers and men of E Company were killed, and in Normandy there were 45 casualties of E Company, so that by the end of November, the total number of casualties in the two battles was 79, and none of them were captured.
Company E did not stop at all, they hurried along the "Hell Highway" and returned to the rear, there was no artillery fire, no continuous rain that could not be avoided that made people collapse, there was no sound of teeth oozing after bullets tore people's bodies, and there were screams after being injured! Everything feels like a trance. Although the brothers have also experienced a lot of battles, they will feel this way every time, and each time they will be more and more in their eyes, so that they will be disgusted with war.
The Dutch lined up on both sides of the road to cheer their liberators. The girls were more excited than the others, and they let out bursts of screams, which occasionally caused the GIs in the truck to poke their heads out and whistle loudly at them.
"God, I've never thought a Dutch girl was so pretty!" Lutz said to Moore beside him, "It's a pity we can't stop here. Maybe we can stay in Eindhoven in the evening, and the girls there are nice! Will you be with Malachi? Or the three of us have some fun in that town! ”
"You haven't seen a woman in too long! Lutz!" Moore smiled, "If we spend the night in Eindhoven, I promise I'll take you out." ”
E-Link did stay in Eindhoven for one night, but it was this night that made the local Dutch angry. Private Hanknu forcibly annihilated a local Dutch girl, and when the girl's husband arrived to stop her, Hanknu shot her pistol three times. That night, a Dutch underground resistance group approached Colonel Zinke, who was also camping in Eindhoven.
At the regimental headquarters, Colonel Zinke threw a cup, and it was clear that he was very angry about it. Captain Winters, Captain Nickerson, Captain Parkes, and Lieutenant Wales were all at the regimental headquarters, receiving the wrath of Colonel Zink.
"You have disgraced the medal! Captain Parkes! Colonel Sink did not address Parks by his close salutation, but instead used his rank, "It's simply unforgivable, I can't believe that such a thing could happen in your company." I need your explanation! ”
"No explanation, sir!" Parks straightened his chest, he decided that no one could be implicated, and planned to take the responsibility for this incident himself, "I am willing to accept the punishment!" ”
"Sir!" "It's a bit too much," said Winters, "but the fact that the soldiers have been in the trenches for so long, and whose emotions are on the verge of collapse, and who have suddenly slackened, will make mistakes of one kind or another, the problem is serious, and the American soldier must be dealt with severely, but Captain Parkes-"
Zink interrupted him and said with some dissatisfaction: "Dick, don't defend him, he didn't manage his subordinates well, and he should be responsible for this incident." Of course this is not his responsibility alone, including the Welsh lieutenant! ”
When Parks heard this, he quickly replied: "Sir, this matter has nothing to do with Lieutenant Welsh, he is carrying out my other orders, and I am willing to bear it alone!" 'He can't pull Wales into the water as well.
"I'm sorry, sir, I think I was on patrol last night, it's my fault, I didn't find out about the condition of the soldiers, Parks completely handed it over to me, so, it doesn't have much to do with Captain Parks!" Wales' face was a little ugly, but he decided to take the responsibility on his own.
The words of Wales were exactly what Colonel Zink was going to hear. He didn't want Parks to be responsible for this incident, he was the image of an American hero who was personally nurtured by the 101st Airborne Division or even President Roosevelt, and if he was discredited because of this incident, it would definitely be more than worth the loss, and General Taylor's attitude tended to be low-key, even if the final responsibility still fell on Parks.
"Welsh lieutenant, I am in charge of E Company, not you!" Parks insisted on his point of view, and he said to the Welsh lieutenant, "If you want to be responsible, wait until you become a company commander!" 'His words were tough, but Wales understood that he was exculpating himself. He wanted to say something, but Parks didn't give him any chance.
"Sir, I automatically request to be held accountable for this incident, I don't need others to take responsibility for this incident for me!" Parks said firmly to Zink.
Colonel Zinck looked at Parks, then at the others, and wanted to say something, when Lieutenant Colonel Strell came over and whispered a few words to Colonel Zink, and then heard Colonel Zink say, "Well, it's better to have a detailed investigation into this matter, and hand that scum soldier over to the gendarmerie to deal with." Disband! He waved his hand as he seemed to sigh.
When they were all out, Lieutenant Colonel Stryll smiled and said, "The Dutchman is out of danger and has no life, and the girl asks for a certain amount of money, which is compensation, and General Taylor has agreed." The Dutch underground resistance had no intention of pursuing it further, and General Taylor demanded that it be dealt with in a low-key manner. I think that's what he means! ”
Zink nodded, "I know." Lacey is not to blame for this, after all, this is only an individual case, but his luck is not good. After a pause, Zink suddenly smiled at Streil, "However, I admire him, E Company needs such a company commander to take responsibility, if he agrees to me to deal with Wales, even if it is a default, I will feel a little uncomfortable in my heart!" ”
"And the final result?" Striele looked at Zink and added, "I mean Lacey!" ”
"Demote him to lieutenant and continue as company commander of Company E." Colonel Zinke looked at Strieve, "This is going to send the notice to the whole regiment, although this is a case, but we can't let him linger." ”
The notice was sent to the whole regiment in the morning, and of course the 101st Airborne Division had to move on, and this matter did not come among the Dutch, and the Dutch underground resistance knew that in many things, they still had to rely on the help of the American army, and it was not yet very hard. Hanknu may be court-martialed, but Parks has taken on the blame and he is once again a lieutenant.
"It's not fair!" The Welsh lieutenant complained to Parks in the jeep, "That damn guy did something bad, why should you be left alone!" ”
"I'm his company commander! Harry. "Parks doesn't care about rank, as long as he can lead Company E. He also had to help the brothers of Company E through the storm in Bastone. Parks turned his head and looked at the Dutch on both sides of the road who were still very enthusiastic about the American officers and soldiers, and they were still cheering for the American liberators, and couldn't help but sigh slightly.
The soldiers' mentality is not normal, and it is inevitable that problems of one kind or another will arise in a cruel environment, and Parks can only make these things happen as little or no as possible.
But after the Hankenu incident, everyone's emotions were restrained a lot, and even Lutz, who had more desires for women than ordinary people, no longer talked about Dutch women easily. In their opinion, this is already contraband. This contraband is formed in their minds unconsciously.
"Damn it!" White sat in the truck and couldn't help but curse.
"What?" Lip looked at him differentially.
"That blind boy!" White said angrily. Apparently everyone knows who the kid he is talking about! In fact, the matter of Parks accepting the punishment was like a handful of grass in the hearts of the brothers of E Company, which made people a little uncomfortable. The people in the truck looked at White and then fell silent, and the joy and relief of leaving the trench seemed to be overshadowed.
"American Liberators!" In another truck, looking at the sign held up by the Dutchman outside, Gunari couldn't help but sneer, "I'm afraid they don't know about last night!" What a bad luck the boss! ”
Toy shook his head and said, "I never felt like I was a liberator, we didn't liberate the Dutch, and Hankenu was worse than the German SS. Didn't you hear it in the trenches? The Germans' radio - Anne of Arnhem said: You can enjoy our music, but you can't walk on our streets. She was right, we didn't really go into Arnhem, and even when we did, we got out. ”
"We're not heroes, we've never been!" Goneri nodded, then looked at the Dutchman who looked beaming outside, "I hope the next time we come, we can stroll through the streets of Arnhem!" ”
The car kept moving forward, swaying, and although some people still joked from time to time on the road after that, it was clear that most of the brothers looked listless. Captain Winters once deliberately shared a car with Parks and wanted to talk to Parks, but he found that he was wrong, and Parks was in a normal state of mind, and even joked with himself from time to time.
"Dick, that German pouted his ass, I kicked him, and kicked him in the mouth and gnawed on the mud!" Parks smiled at Winters with great interest, he was depicting a battle, and his hands were constantly gesturing, looking very energetic, and the sound was so loud that in the jeep he even transmitted the sound to the truck in front of him, causing the brothers to keep looking at them.
"You've been demoted, Lacey!" Winters looked at Parks and couldn't help but remind him again.
Parks' voice stopped abruptly. He sighed deeply and said to Winters, "Dick, it's nothing big. I'm pretending to be calm, but I'm still sorry. The innocent Dutchman, and the innocent girl. I didn't even know how to help them, so I had to leave all my dollars to her. Hope it helps! No matter how I put it, it's all my fault, Hanknu made an unforgivable mistake! ”
"It's not your fault!" Winters patted Parks on the shoulder, and the two didn't say anything more. Winters didn't know how to comfort him, but Parks said he didn't care, but in his heart he still cared, not about his rank, but about the Dutchman and the woman who were shot by Hanknu.
At 6 p.m. on November 26, when the sun was still stretching everyone's shadows, E Company went to the French barracks of Dammion, located outside the village of Grande Maumion (nearby is the village of Petit Maumigne), about 30 kilometers from Reims, known as the city of Duomo and the center of Champagne. Momian has been a garrison for at least 1998 years.
The baffle of the truck bed is lowered and makes a "click" sound. Everyone got out of the car, and they looked at the place curiously, even though they were tired, there was always some curiosity about a new place.
"In 54 B.C., Juris? Caesar and his Roman legions once camped here. Nickerson got out of the car, then looked around the place, and couldn't help but say with emotion, "The French have also established military camps here for hundreds of years!" For us American GIs, it should be a revisit to the old land! ”
"Have we been here?" Apparently Parks didn't know much about this place, and he looked around as the brothers of Company E began to head to their respective camps under the orders of their respective squad leaders.
"To the south of the Marne and to the north of the Aisne, Maumien is located on the historic gateway to Paris, a land that has witnessed many wars over the centuries. More recently, it was devastated by World War I, and our U.S. infantry fought in nearby Thierburg and Bellewood in 1918. "Nickerson is like a narrator, talking eloquently.
"Luckily we were young!" Parks couldn't help but smile. Obviously, this joke has cleared a lot of the shadows in their previous hearts.
"Lacey, we will be on a garrison duty here, and on the first day, we can make free arrangements for our brothers, but we can't leave the barracks, and on the second day, we will have to practice. I would like to be able to do some recovery training first, and then I can train for regular retreat and offensive formations under the cover of artillery fire. If you have any suggestions in this regard, let me know as much as you can, and I will support you! "As soon as Winters shifted the subject to military affairs, he showed his ability!
"Got it!" Parks nodded, he began to notice that there should have been no fighting in the last few days, but a brutal battle that ensued came from Arden. The Ardennes operation will be the toughest and most casualty battle for the brothers of E-Company. The brothers are not only tortured by **, but also by mental torture. And these torments are unavoidable.
After Winters finished speaking, he said to Parks and Nickerson, "Let's go too, what I want most these days is to be able to get a good night's sleep, now I have to get a hot meal first, then take a hot shower, and lie comfortably in bed." As he spoke, he patted Nickerson on the arm and said to Parks, "You should return to the company as soon as possible!" ”
Parks nodded, looked at Winters as he was leaving, and suddenly stopped him, "Hey, Dick." ”
"What?" Winters turned and looked at him.
"Now I think the training in the near future should be focused on how to defend and attack in cold weather," Parks said. After all, as the weather changes, we will probably meet the Germans in the harsh winter. If we prepare first, we can be prepared. You know, we're in Takoya, and we're not doing enough about that! ”
Winters was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "Do you think we will fall from the sky again on a heavy snowy day, and then go to war with the Germans?" But there's some truth to your suggestion, I'll tell Colonel Zink. With that, he waved at Parks and said goodbye to Nickerson.
Obviously, even Captain Winters suggested to Parks only out of friendship. Maybe winter is really not suitable for airborne, but airborne troops do not just fall from the sky to fight. Parks couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
The brothers haven't showered in more than 60 days. The first thing I did when I came back was to rush into the bath, strip it naked, and let the hot water run from head to toe. Then there was a loud exclamation.
Miller was rubbing his balls with soap when he heard someone laughing loudly, "Hey, Miller, wash it well, that thing can't get moldy." Then go and make a fire. Roast them dry, and maybe they can be used as potatoes and become our dinner! ”
It's just a joke between them, and no one really cares. The shower was so long that many squad leaders and platoon leaders shouted loudly outside the bathhouse: "Damn, do you all want to let yourself lose a layer of skin in it?" Hurry up, hurry up, we still have a great dinner, whatever you want to eat, you'll get it! ”
These words work more than anything else. The naked men in the bath room immediately came out one after another, and they swaggered outside the bath room to get dressed, not at all worried about being looked at, because there were no women here.
Dinner was indeed sumptuous, roast beef, mashed potatoes, steak, vermicelli, pasta, beer, rum, etc., there were so many to choose from, compared to staying in the trenches, there was no doubt that one was in heaven and the other was in hell. So much so that many of the brothers ate with a swollen stomach and some bloating. Then they vented their energy after they had eaten on the fighting in the barracks, and pillows and blankets flew everywhere, a mess, of course, this was the catharsis of the emotions that had accumulated for a long time.
Parks had some insomnia that night. Although he was physically and mentally tired after a long day of guarding the trenches, he still lost sleep, after all, the time for the Ardennes battle was running out. He didn't even convince Winters enough, so how did he convince Colonel Zinke and General Taylor?
And in this strong J incident, Parks clearly felt that Colonel Zinke had a subtle change in his attitude towards himself? Maybe not just Colonel Zink, maybe General Taylor!
The Ardennes area would be the weakest line of defense for the American army, which would have made Hitler misestimate the situation. and prepared to counterattack from the Ardennes, and attempted to reoccupy the Belgian Lieja and Antwerp, cut off the supply lines of the American and British armies, and encircle and annihilate their main forces, thus forcing the British and Americans to make peace with Germany alone. By that time, the German army would have 23 divisions and more than 200,000 men. The Germans, under the command of Rundstedt, the commander-in-chief of the Western Front, began their offensive at dawn on December 16 in the snowstorm. Unfortunately, the U.S. Army only had 4 divisions in the Ardennes, which was completely incomparable to the Germans. The final result of this battle was that the Allies lost more than 80,000 people, of which 77,000 would be American troops, causing the American army to suffer the greatest setback and casualties since the Normandy landings.
What am I going to do? The night was the question that Parks thought about the most. But he was only a company commander, and it was not his turn to intervene in the transfer of troops, and although he had some impressions in front of many big people, he was not at all convinced of their ability. Because in every respect, Hitler would not have launched a counterattack from the Ardennes - this is the opinion of the big men. But it is this unconventional counterattack that makes the whole campaign extremely passive and long.
Parks didn't know when he fell asleep, after all, he was so tired that even if he had something to mind, he couldn't stop his sleepy eyes. When I was in a daze, I heard the whistle outside the barracks, and then the whole barracks gradually began to be noisy as if it were boiling a pot. Parks opened his eyes and looked at the roof of the barracks - a new day began!
(To be continued)