Chapter 93: Familiar in a Foreign Land

From being reserve soldiers to "alternative elites," the intensity of physical training decreased significantly, replaced by a large number of military courses, team exercises, and practical sessions at the camp headquarters - this could be considered the command center of the "Vampire" assault team. Even Bache spent a lot of time here strategizing. In just a few days, Lynn witnessed the devilish side of this young colonel: working at least eighteen hours a day with unwavering energy, astonishing memory, and meticulous control over every detail.

If Lynn hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that such a perfect person existed in the world!

As it was the headquarters, there was naturally a lot of combat information being relayed. As Lynn knew, Germany was on the brink of collapse. Whether on the Eastern Front or the Western Front, news of line breaches and strongholds being overrun came almost daily, especially on clear days when the bad news was even more frequent. In such circumstances, the most common orders from the Supreme High Command were "hold at all costs" and "counterattack." In situations where frontline units were unable to reclaim territory despite their best efforts, the adept night combat skills of the "Vampire" assault team became the fire brigade of both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Sometimes, squads of two or three dozen night fighters acted alone, disrupting enemy deployments by raiding their command posts or logistical centers, creating opportunities for their own forces to counterattack. Other times, night combat units worked alongside regular soldiers, launching attacks on enemy positions under the cover of darkness. In addition to the "Dark Warriors" equipped with infrared night vision goggles, the company-level "Vampire" assault team also commanded an armored unit the size of a battalion. Although Lynn had never seen it personally, through his contact with the headquarters' relevant information, he learned that infrared equipment had been successfully fitted onto Panther tanks and had demonstrated strong nighttime combat capabilities during operations.

The more he learned, the more Lynn admired the "Vampire" assault team. It was worth noting that this was not the era of Navy SEALs or Delta Force; it was the distant year of 1945. Most countries still adhered to traditional modes of warfare, competing in the numbers of aircraft, tanks, and warships. Special operations were still in their infancy.

However, despite having outstanding technological advantages, the "Vampire" assault team was far from reaching its full potential on both the Eastern and Western Fronts, largely due to the limited production of special equipment. Although Lynn couldn't obtain precise numbers, he could infer that there were no more than fifty Panther tanks equipped with infrared gear, along with a hundred or so sets of infrared night vision goggles for individual soldiers. Moreover, the monthly production rate of these expensive equipment was very low. Consequently, Bache had to make the most of the existing equipment through careful planning and demand that the "Dark Warriors" make every effort to protect their night vision gear.

Sympathy aside, Lynn also felt helpless. His admiration for Bache gradually led him to envision persuading this young SS colonel to join him in some post-war venture. If he could gain his full support, it would be much easier to secretly take away troops and equipment upon Germany's surrender. However, Lynn was troubled by how to broach the subject with this godlike young colonel, as any notion of striking out on one's own before Germany's complete defeat could be seen as treason. Although he wanted to discuss it in private, he found himself swallowing his words at the sight of Bache's noble character.

Unbeknownst to him, ten days as an alternative elite had come to an end. In a test presided over by Bache himself, Lynn, armed with knowledge and insights far ahead of his time, achieved an absolute advantage in comprehensive scores, and his special purpose made him particularly active in his interactions with his colleagues, earning him high praise. On the day after graduation, Bache personally awarded him the rank of SS reserve army sergeant, allowing him to "advance three ranks" in just half a month. However, as the war approached its end, to boost the morale of frontline soldiers, battlefield promotions and honor medals were somewhat "abundant," so this lowest-level "three-level jump" was not surprising.

The four soldiers who were also selected as alternative elites similarly received promotions, and immediately afterward, the assault team headquarters announced the deployment plan for the five alternative elites: two went to serve as platoon deputies in units composed of new assault team members who had received basic training at the same time, one went to the assault team's directly subordinate armored company, and the remaining two stayed in the assault team's staff to engage in basic staff work.

What surprised Lynn was that despite expressing a strong desire to go to the frontline units during conversations with the officers before, he became one of the two who remained in the staff. Thinking that it might be good to learn more from Bache, he accepted the assignment and stayed calmly.

In terms of the number of combat personnel, the "Vampire" assault team was at most a reinforced company-level unit, but its headquarters, whether in facilities, equipment, or staffing, had reached a higher level. In Bache's own words, many army headquarters couldn't match it. From Bache downward, the headquarters had more than sixty full-time staff and technical personnel, and soldiers responsible for internal and peripheral guard duties formed a full platoon. In the remote geographical location coupled with tight security, Lynn felt like he was in a scene from a single-player version of "Medal of Honor." It was the same secret base in the snow-covered jungle, the same reinforced concrete semi-underground structure, and even the MP44 assault rifles in the sentries' hands were identical. The only difference was that he was wearing a brand-new uniform of the SS reserve

 army, with a cap adorned with an eagle emblem, standing in this doomed camp, eagerly awaiting his chance.

"Hey, buddy! What are you thinking about?" 

Hearing this voice, Lynn deliberately turned his head with a melancholic expression. "Thinking about home!"

The newcomer's mood was initially good, but upon hearing Lynn's words, he sighed with deep nostalgia, "Ah, I don't know when I'll see my family again!"

Lynn naturally took out a cigarette from his pocket. When he was undergoing the second phase of training as an alternative elite, he had already joined the "Vampire" assault team and enjoyed the treatment of an official member - two packs of cigarettes per week were provided, and additional cigarettes could be obtained by exchanging sugar and the quota cigarettes. With the half-portion of the quota he had received as a reserve member before, Lynn had now accumulated three packs. He usually refrained from smoking, but whenever he saw his fellow foreigner, the "Danish compatriot" Golf Di Gregorio, he never hesitated to share.

After taking a few puffs, Di Gregorio's expression relaxed slightly again. "The war will end! Sooner or later!"

"Yeah, sooner or later!" Lynn always echoed with emotion, not because he lacked his own opinions. Unlike himself, Di Gregorio was a mechanical engineering graduate and a high achiever who had been conscripted into the SS as early as 1940. He had also earned the appreciation and trust of his superiors, rising to the rank of SS second lieutenant and now overseeing the military equipment allocation in the headquarters. If it had been a few years earlier, or if the war hadn't broken out yet, this could be considered a cushy job combining public and private interests. However, the current situation had turned into a nightmare for every Wehrmacht logistics officer: huge demands on the frontlines, difficulties in supply in the rear, and relying solely on personal coordination ultimately led to thankless efforts.

The more it went on like this, the more Lynn regarded himself as Di Gregorio's fellow countryman and younger brother, admiring him like the flowing river and occasionally revealing his "genius ideas" in mechanical engineering during casual conversations, causing Di Gregorio to fluctuate between confidence and contemplation. With their similar ages and easygoing personalities, they quickly became good friends in private.

"Don't think too much about it, let nature take its course!" Di Gregorio nudged Lynn with his elbow. "Let's go practice shooting during the afternoon break! Let's see whose accuracy is higher and bet five cigarettes!"

"Sure, sounds good!" Lynn's tone sounded more positive now. As staff members of the assault team headquarters, shooting practice was a mandatory subject to maintain individual combat capabilities and relieve mental stress every day. However, in the harsh environment, ammunition was not supplied in unlimited quantities. Under normal circumstances, each person had a quota of ten rifle rounds and fifteen pistol rounds per day. If you just wanted to maintain proficiency, these were sufficient, but if you wanted to excel in marksmanship, they were far from enough!