Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Final Desperate Struggle

  When Lin Biao learned that the Germans might have laid anti-tank mines on his main route, he put the sappers in front to clear the mines and slowly push forward!

  Actually, laying mines in urban warfare is also very particular, it's not just a matter of choosing a location and laying down mines. The Germans were not inferior to any other country in this regard. The arrangement of mine-laying points and the ambush of infantry is an extremely artistic and planned work, which must fully consider that once the buried mines and various killing mines explode successfully, how the infantry can quickly launch a surprise attack to eliminate the temporarily confused enemy, making the enemy suffer greater losses! If such issues are not considered, the buried explosives can only serve as roadside bombs, disturbing the enemy slightly.

  "Mine danger!" Sapper Lokak heard the alarm in his earpiece, had just loudly reminded others, but was shot by a German submachine gunner hiding at the front corner, and fell to the ground with a burst of gunfire.

  "He's at the corner, fire! Fire!"

  Machine guns suddenly burst into a chorus, except for shooting down a piece of debris, they didn't even touch a single hair of the Germans.

  "Up!" Lin Berna waved his hand and several soldiers behind him immediately took turns rushing up.

  "Sir, there's a minefield over here!" A sapper shouted loudly from one side to Linberna.

  "Can you get rid of him?" Lincoln Brower asked loudly with a frown.

  "Sir, I don't know! But if you give me time, it's still possible!"

  "No, I want you to get rid of it immediately!" Lin Berna said directly to the engineer without even considering it.

  At this time, the Germans had assembled several heavy firepower to stop Linberna's attack with all their might. Linberna was not to be outdone and immediately ordered the tanks to counterattack. Various bullets, grenades and shells began to make contact!

  My frontal assault can be said to have been extremely fierce, since John was grazed by a stray bullet on the face and pulled out a long blood mouth after narrowly escaping danger. After John recovered from his initial fear, he miraculously adapted to this scene of bullets flying around him, and from John's expression, it indeed began to look like an iron-blooded man with a bloody taste!

  "Kangdi, the front-line advance has already approached within 100 meters of the German defense. Should we call in the tanks now?"

  "Hold on Jones! After his troops arrive at the position, we'll push forward again! Too bad that little Bernie is being held up by a German minefield!"

  "What's his main attack?"

  I changed the subject and said, "His containment is still effective. Look at our right wing, the German's flanking firepower has clearly decreased. Otherwise, if their firepower was a bit stronger, we wouldn't have been able to advance to our current position! It seems that they are still very afraid of Linberna cutting off their retreat!"

  "Reporting sir, Ensign Jones has arrived at the designated location and is currently exchanging fire with the enemy!"

  "Alright, now's the time! Tanks advance, fifty meters from infantry, close support!"

  My tank didn't hide behind and give up supporting the infantry from the start, they were always using the tank's firepower and machine guns to suppress the enemy's key firepower. Wherever there was a German machine gun flame tongue, it would be followed by one or several cannonballs, such heavy firepower suppression made the German machine gunners miserable, not even able to fire a few rounds before having to move immediately, yet the German counterattack was still as fierce as at the beginning, with a hint of desperation.

  Now I really want to see the German Ostwind self-propelled gun appear, but for some reason, in such an extremely unfavorable battle situation for the Germans, the Germans did not bring it out to provide them with fire support!

  "Captain Ruman, why aren't our tanks coming to support us?"

  Captain Ruman glanced at the speaking Mooney without answering Mooney's question, but instead said to the remaining 23 German soldiers in a low voice: "I have already informed General Schreiber by telegram that the city hall has been under heavy attack by American troops since yesterday. In yesterday's fierce battle, we successfully destroyed two American tanks and eliminated more than 120 American soldiers. Today, from 4 am to now, an hour has passed in intense fighting, my unit has killed or wounded nearly 40 American soldiers. Now our positions are facing the danger of being cut off! Although our retreat route has not been blocked by the Americans, for Germany, I have decided that my 128 soldiers will fight to the end with the enemy from the moment we accepted the task of defending the city hall! Are you willing to stay with me until the last moment?"

  "Agreed!" The soldier's response was without a hint of hesitation!

  "Mani!"

  "Agreed!"

  Captain Ruman called out to Mo Ni, pulled out a package wrapped in canvas from the command bag, and handed it to young Mo Ni. He smiled and said: "Mo Ni, take this with the souls of these 104 brothers back, and be sure to hand them over to their families!" As he spoke, Captain Ruman couldn't help but smile bitterly, saying: "Of course, if you can find them, that's best; if you really can't find them, then just bury them together!"

  Mani was about to speak when Lieutenant Roman shook his head and said, "I know what you want to say, but this is the task I've given you! You must carry it out!"

  Mani's eyes welled up with tears, and he grabbed Captain Roman's arm, pleading: "Captain, tell the others to leave, but keep me here! I'm a good shot, I can take out a few more Americans! Captain!"

  Captain Luman flung away Mo Ni's hand, grabbed Mo Ni's collar and almost roared in his face: "Mo Ni, listen to me! Among us, your marksmanship is the best. You're alive, you can avenge us, you can do many things for us, you can avenge 128 lives!"

  Captain Luman yelled at Mo Ni, then pushed him to one side and said: "Those who want to leave something behind, quickly hand it over to Mo Ni! Hurry up and let him get lost!"

  Mani took the package and identity tag handed to him by Lieutenant Roman, and reluctantly walked away. On the way, Mani turned back to look at Lieutenant Roman, who was still fighting hard, and with a loving expression, touched his rifle and smiled imperceptibly before leaving without looking back.

  "Captain Konti, the Germans' firepower seems to have weakened significantly. Are the Germans already done for?"

  "Yes, the Germans are probably unable to withstand another of our assaults! Tell the brothers to hold on a little longer, we'll take City Hall soon!"

  "Sir, we've been fighting for half a day, but it seems like they don't have any reinforcements!" A soldier lying on the ground asked while continuously firing at the German position.

  "The Germans don't have that many troops in total, and they need to defend everywhere, where are they going to get so many troops from to support us?" I shouted at the soldier.

  "Oh, my god! You want the Germans to have reinforcements too? That way we'll be in for a real tough fight!" An old soldier who was listening on the side couldn't help but scold the speaking soldier.

  "Move, move! Behind that sandbag! Quick, behind that sandbag!"

  "Jones' troops are doing too well, they've already started infiltrating the City Hall building! John, it's your turn now, get your reserve troops ready to strike, take down the City Hall in one go, this is a decisive battle!"

  "Right! Follow me!" John led his reserve squad up quickly with an M1 Garand rifle.

  "This guy!"

  John surprisingly didn't like submachine guns, but instead liked rifles, which are single-shot weapons with great power and long range. However, no matter what, in close combat, the function of a submachine gun is still greater, with its extremely high rate of fire and locking-down ability, which is something that rifles can't compare to.

  The tank's close support fire was extremely destructive, and as the German resistance grew weaker, Lindemann's advance also became easier. The Germans' right flank had been cut off by Lindemann! Now only the remaining German troops in the town hall were still desperately resisting!

  I took a glance at my watch, it's almost six o'clock. "Hmph, I estimate that within half an hour we'll completely capture the city hall! Alas, it seems like the Germans are going to fight me to the end!"

  "Sir, the commander of S1 battalion asked us when we can take down the city hall frontline stronghold!"

  "Tell him, we have now cut off and occupied the outer defense line of the German city hall, only the Germans in the main building are left, so my troops estimate that all German resistance forces will be eliminated by 6:30 at the latest!"

  "Yes!"

  "Tell Jones to get his flame tank as far forward as possible! I want to burn the Germans so badly they won't recognize their own mothers!"

  My troops have paid a huge price and finally surrounded the city hall, which is heavily defended by the Germans. Although everyone has been fighting to this point with red eyes, I still admire the Germans' desperate struggle from the bottom of my heart! I called on a soldier who speaks German to persuade the last German soldiers hiding in the main building of the city hall to surrender!

  "German soldier brothers, you have already lost this war! But it's not your fault, you've done your best! German soldier brothers, we are all soldiers, we don't care about the damned politics! But I can tell you that your country will not perish because of defeat, she will still be a true great power in the world soon! However, she first needs you to survive and rebuild her! Your families, your parents, wives, and children also need you to support and protect them! German soldier brothers, surrender! Surrender is not shameful, surrender is to be able to protect your homeland and loved ones again! Now I give you two minutes to consider, after that we will launch a strong attack!"

  The remaining Germans still did not believe my persuasion, when a German anti-tank rocket came whizzing in, it was destined to bury this ruined city hall with them!

  "Strike! Leave none alive!" The ruthless order of annihilation!

  Sherman tanks' blazing fire columns through the windows, setting the entire building ablaze, thick black smoke billowing. Suddenly, a deafening explosion, and there was no more gunfire from inside City Hall.

  "What's going on?" Some soldiers were quietly asking each other!

  Captain Ruman of Germany and two severely wounded soldiers, who were the only survivors, were getting more and more suffocated in the big fire and thick smoke. Several soldiers who were seriously injured and could not move at all endured this choking smoke and begged Captain Ruman: "Captain Ruman, give me a gun! Give me a gun and let me go first!"

  Lu Man carefully looked at their young faces, gently tucking the military blanket that had been soaked in blood around each of them one by one, saying: "Are you afraid to die together?"

  A soldier with both legs blown off by a shell struggled to sit up, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't do it. He groaned and said: "Officer Rouman, give me a gun, please give me a gun! Let me go die myself! Let me go die myself!"

  Lu Man took a deep breath, gazing at the increasingly larger fire outside, and smiled sorrowfully: "Well, since we can't get out anyway! Since the Americans want to burn us alive, we can't let them have their way! Look, they can escort us on our way!" As he spoke, he pointed to a crate of hand grenades stacked on one side.

  The soldiers all smiled with tears in their eyes and said: "Officer Luoman, hurry up, it's really choking me to death!"

  Rommel gave his soldiers a German military salute and pulled the pin on a hand grenade.