Chapter 112 Cold-Blooded Killer

From the early hours of the Soviet attack until dusk, listening to the gunfire, artillery, and explosions coming from the front lines, Lynn tried to maintain a calm and composed demeanor, but deep down, he was filled with anxiety and unease. He knew all too well how fierce the Soviet assault was, with sustained artillery fire akin to a raging storm, sharp tank formations leading courageous infantry, and the relentless waves of attacks, wearing down the defenders both physically and mentally until exhaustion set in.

As night finally descended, Lynn patiently buttoned up each button, soothing his subordinates' nerves through his actions. Then, he silently shouldered the heavy battery box—according to the technical data provided by the instructors, it was supposed to support the "Vampire" infrared illuminator for infantry operations for 180 to 200 minutes under normal conditions, but experience told Lynn that in this cold and damp environment, it would probably only last for two hours at most. The maximum effective range of the illuminator and the scope theoretically reached 120 to 150 meters, but this was also heavily influenced by temperature and environmental conditions.

Turning the knob, with one eye on the aiming mirror receiving infrared reflection waves, his four soldiers were ready. Unteroffizier Wolfrum held his mp44, although he had a poor memory, his marksmanship was impeccable, making him responsible for the group's suppressive fire. Gefreiter Graf, despite his left hand being less dexterous, still had strength in his right hand, so besides his mp38, he also carried a double pouch of hand grenades, earning him the title of the group's "grenadier." The two "youngsters," Gefreiter Tanze and Tichmeyer, were no longer reliable for calm shooting or close combat, so Lynn entrusted them with the explosives he had brought, instructing them to follow orders promptly.

With the infrared illuminator turned off, Lynn led his soldiers away from the shabby makeshift hideout, swiftly crossing through the urban area towards the northern defenses. Tonight, there were two more five-man night combat groups joining the fray—Lynn had proposed to Captain Kaleger, commander of the 4th "Night Assault Combat Group," to allocate half of the remaining night combat groups to conduct nocturnal raid operations. This not only leveraged the technical capabilities of night vision equipment but also effectively alleviated the pressure on the defending forces. If all twenty groups were kept on standby in the city, their actual combat effectiveness would likely only be equivalent to that of regular troops once the Soviet forces breached the defenses during daylight hours.

In Lynn's view, Captain Kaleger, who was not yet thirty years old and lacked the decisiveness of Bach, hesitated and hesitated, looking both forward and backward. On the one hand, the size of the Oranienburg urban area was limited, and if the Soviet forces penetrated the city in the morning or afternoon, the defenders might not be able to hold out until the first night. On the other hand, the superior's orders were to hold Oranienburg, without explicitly granting the Night Combat Group the authority to counterattack at night. As a result, Kaleger made a decision of "I don't take the credit, you take the blame," allowing each night combat group commander to choose whether to attack or stay behind.

Lynn chose to attack without hesitation, partly from a strategic perspective and partly from considerations of practical combat experience.

Arriving at the German defensive lines surrounding the Oranienburg urban area, Lynn was confronted with a hellish scene he was all too familiar with. It was evident that although the Soviets had not yet deployed heavy artillery, the considerable number of ordinary artillery pieces and "Katyusha" rocket launchers had left deep marks of war here. The T-34 and IS heavy tanks left behind on the German positions also revealed the Soviet's determined commitment to the offensive—perhaps they were just one step away from victory.

After questioning a dirt-covered Waffen-SS lieutenant about the Soviet troop deployments observed during the day and the situation of minefields and ambushes laid by the defenders, Lynn requested soldiers be reassigned to join the fight—a consistent method used by the "Vampire" assault teams to supplement their manpower shortages. Despite the lieutenant's willingness to fully support a nighttime counterattack against the Soviets, the continuous days of intense combat had inflicted massive casualties on his unit, making it difficult for the remaining troops to sustain the defense, let alone be reassigned for a counterattack.

Without formal combat orders or a higher rank to override the lieutenant's decision, Lynn silently accepted this reality. Fortunately, the weather remained overcast, making it suitable for nighttime operations without moonlight or starlight. The lieutenant also sent his signalman to guide them through the minefields on the frontline. Feeling their way through the pitch-black battlefield for four or five kilometers, Lynn continued to use the infrared equipment to observe the surrounding environment every five minutes for about half a minute, while his four soldiers followed closely behind—this formation was vulnerable to a machine gun, but their technological advantage allowed them to maintain the initiative.

When the infrared sight finally picked up the silhouette of a living person, Lynn quickly raised his right hand in a decisive motion to signal his subordinates to halt their advance.

Several kilometers away from the Soviet alert position illuminated by searchlights, and according to the Waffen-SS lieutenant, there were no ambushes by the defenders this far out. Lynn swiftly judged that this was a Soviet scout. While it would have been easy to take him out with a silenced pistol, the technology for silencers was not advanced at this time, and their production was limited due to the prioritization of resources for higher-priority equipment during the late stages of the war. Consequently, the only options before Lynn were to bypass or to eliminate him.

If he were operating alone, Lynn would undoubtedly choose the former. But now, as a commander, albeit at the lowest level, he unhesitatingly opted for the latter given the circumstances.

Keeping the soldiers waiting in place, Lynn crouched, legs bent and buttocks slightly raised, adopting a posture reminiscent of a crouching stance in CS. Slowly and gracefully, he moved towards the target. Despite the short distance of about fifty to sixty meters, he patiently traversed it for over three minutes. As he drew closer to the target, he held his breath, fearing any inadvertent noise that might startle the enemy. Ten meters, five meters, three meters—the figure in the infrared scope remained still. Lynn averted his gaze from the scope and saw only a slight mound ahead—a presence that might have gone unnoticed in the darkness without the aid of the infrared equipment.

With his left hand gripping the handguard, he positioned the assault rifle equipped with the infrared sight and scope at his waist on the left side. His right hand slowly withdrew the dagger from behind. This versatile knife, specially issued to the "Vampire" assault teams, was sharp and durable, with an exquisite appearance akin to a work of art. It was undoubtedly a rare collectible after the war. However, in the hurried formation of the night combat group, it was no longer part of the standard issue.

After a previous botched "chicken killing" experience, Lynn had learned from it and consulted with veteran assault team members for practical combat techniques. This time, he moved to a concealed position near the Soviet scout, found a corner of the camouflage net, and yanked it forcefully. The Soviet soldier lying underneath had no time to react, turning his head subconsciously in disbelief, as if he were still in a nightmare, trying desperately to scream but unable to produce a sound.

Without any hesitation, Lynn swiftly lunged forward, abandoning his rifle with his left hand, and accurately grasped the enemy's head. Before the unfortunate Soviet soldier could resist, the sharp blade of the dagger slit his throat. But Lynn didn't stop there; with a slight upward motion, he aimed the dagger at the soldier's chest and stabbed fiercely. The brutality of this action was reminiscent of a butcher slaughtering a pig. As the soldier was not lying flat yet, the blade angled towards his heart until it was stopped by the ribs, preventing it from penetrating deeply. Lynn promptly withdrew the dagger and stabbed again.

Throughout this process, the Soviet soldier struggled desperately, but his position hindered any significant movement of his limbs, especially under Lynn's weight.

With three fatal stabs, Lynn felt like he had turned into a cold-blooded monster who killed without hesitation.

After wiping his face with his hand, he picked up the assault rifle and opened the infrared night vision device to survey the surroundings. Seeing his four soldiers still patiently waiting in the distance, he roughly inspected the Soviet scout. He found a PPSH submachine gun, two drum magazines, a signal pistol, and a box of signal flares. As for personal items, Lynn left them untouched.

Returning to his team, Lynn instructed Tichmeyer to discard the Mauser rifle and proceeded to teach them the tricks of using the PPSH—although for a young man still hesitant to shoot, there might not have been much difference between the two firearms. Nonetheless, the automatic submachine gun offered at least the possibility of hitting the enemy.