Chapter 96 Lost in Confusion

For a long time, the efficient staff departments and high-quality staff members have been the characteristics of the German army, playing a crucial role in the glorious achievements of Prussia, the Franco-Prussian War, and the early stages of both World Wars. However, throughout the entire Second World War, the German military staff system can only be described as chaotic and mediocre—the coexistence of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces with the Command Headquarters and Staff Departments led to many overlapping and conflicting authorities, and Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring often interfered with personal power. Sometimes, a frontline combat unit would receive conflicting orders from different command headquarters; sometimes, army commanders were forced to accept tasks they simply could not accomplish. In such a situation, for a military force that does not possess absolute superiority to maintain long-term victory in a six-year-long large-scale war, victory must be accompanied by the constant presence of the goddess of victory.

Unfortunately, the goddess is also a woman, and no one can accurately predict her changing thoughts.

During his nearly half-month stay at the "Vampire" assault team headquarters, Lin had his own experience with these somewhat puzzling phenomena. Unfortunately, as a low-ranking staff sergeant, apart from doing his job diligently, he was powerless to offer better suggestions regarding the system and order.

After leaving the headquarters, he quickly packed his belongings and went to wait at the camp gate with his assault rifle slung over his shoulder. After about forty minutes, Lieutenant Luca Motticelli appeared driving a Horch Kfz15—considering that it usually took less than twenty minutes for his leadership team to draft the first version of an operational plan, given the complexity of real combat requirements, such speed was quite remarkable!

"Hey, buddy, are you really going to the front with us?" Perhaps with Colonel Bach's permission or hint, or perhaps interpreting his superior's intentions on his own, the young lieutenant wearing black sunglasses asked with a tone that clearly suggested bias before Lin got into the car.

Lin directly tossed his luggage and assault rifle onto the back seat and sat in the passenger seat, calmly responding, "I can't help much here, so I might as well go to the front and fight bravely!"

Lieutenant Motticelli, also talented and proud, didn't waste any more words since Lin had said so. He lightly stepped on the accelerator and skillfully turned the steering wheel. When the car reached the asphalt road ahead, he immediately increased the throttle, causing the powerful military vehicle to dash forward like a spirited horse.

Lin's earlier understanding of German vehicles mainly focused on combat vehicles, from the Panzer I to the Tiger, from assault guns and tank destroyers to self-propelled howitzers and anti-aircraft guns. He could name them just by seeing the real vehicle. However, now that he had truly integrated into this era, he realized that the army was like an axe: it couldn't rely solely on the blade; it also needed the handle for support, and various non-combat auxiliary vehicles such as command vehicles, transport vehicles, communication vehicles, and towing vehicles were the handles of this axe. As military enthusiasts in later generations know, the Volkswagen Beetle, a mass-produced military version, was the most numerous and widely used type of equipment, but in the "Vampire" assault team headquarters, the VW82 belonged only to the lowest-level utility vehicles. Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, and Horch were all present, and Colonel Bach even had an enviable advanced armored command vehicle. Compared to these, the Horch Kfz15 they were riding in today was a practical off-road vehicle with four-wheel drive, high chassis, and sturdy body. However, there were also obvious shortcomings: the upper part of the body was covered with a steel frame and canvas structure, which could withstand wind and rain, but in winter, it couldn't withstand the deep cold outside!

Wrapped tightly in his coat, Lin sometimes looked at Lieutenant Motticelli skillfully driving with envy and sometimes looked out the window at the scenery. It had been almost a month since he left the front lines, and the temperature was rising, and the ice and snow were melting. Although the predominant colors were still mainly gray and white, the footsteps of spring were approaching—whether history would deviate slightly due to his arrival or not, the end of the empire was getting closer!

"Sir, can I ask you a question?" After half an hour of silence, Lin finally spoke.

Although the young lieutenant had been silent all the way, he had frequent contact with Lin on weekdays. They also had some mutual recognition in terms of professionalism and character. So he responded calmly, "Go ahead!"

"Well... I know this may involve confidential taboos, but it has been bothering me for a long time!" Lin said cautiously, "You should have seen those disc-shaped aircraft!"

Upon hearing this topic, the lieutenant appeared very calm. He glanced at Lin with a hint of bias in his tone, "You really shouldn't ask too much about this. If you mention it in front of the Colonel, he will give you the same advice!"

Lin persisted, "I know, but since it concerns the fate of the empire, I really want to know the answer!"

The lieutenant shook his head, "I am also confused about many things, but most of them are destined to remain unanswered!"

Since they were alone and the other party's attitude was relatively friendly, Lin went straight to the point, "I just want to know one thing now: since they are real, why don't they intercept enemy bomber formations?"

The lieutenant looked ahead coldly, "How do you know they haven't played an interception role?"

Lin lightly countered, "But aren't the enemy bombings getting more and more intense?"

The lieutenant paused for a moment and changed his way of speaking, "Then do you think our night vision equipment is powerful?"

Lin thought for a moment and replied, "It's advanced, but with proper use, but the quantity is too small to change the overall situation!"

The lieutenant continued to question, "Even if we have five hundred or even a thousand sets, can we stop the Soviet tank cluster attack?"

Lin had no answer; he felt like he had grasped a clue to the answer but couldn't pull it out of the fog.

In a moment, the military vehicle arrived at an outpost. Although they belonged to an elite special forces unit, Motticelli and Lin were still required to present their credentials for inspection.

"Hey, buddy, how far is it to Grafenwoehr?" Motticelli asked the sentry.

"42 kilometers!" the sentry replied.

Although there were no markings on any map indicating the location of the "Vampire" assault team headquarters, based on the route they had taken and the current road, Lin inferred that it should be located somewhere in the north of Germany—meaning it was likely near the famous Grafenwoehr base!

After the routine check was completed, the sentry stepped back and saluted respectfully. At the same time, the two sentries in front quickly moved the wooden tripod stands with wire mesh. After the car passed the sentry post, Lynn watched through the rearview mirror as the young soldiers hurriedly moved the stands back into position. He was about to continue the conversation with the lieutenant to extract more information when suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a black dot in the sky through the mirror. Before he could determine if it was an Allied aircraft, he saw the German soldiers at the outpost scatter in panic, and the black dot rapidly descended, its outline growing larger.

"Enemy aircraft! There's an enemy aircraft behind us!" Lynn quickly shouted to Mottchig.

The lieutenant glanced at the rearview mirror and immediately turned the steering wheel, guiding the off-road military vehicle off the road. Lynn gripped the door handle, ready to push the door open and jump out. However, Mottchig remained silent, frequently turning his head to observe the direction from which the aircraft was approaching. He pressed hard on the accelerator, causing the military vehicle to bounce across the field like a rabbit. Despite being only a short distance from the trees, the enemy aircraft was closing in rapidly. Lynn glanced up and recognized the familiar yet menacing silhouette of the "Mustang."

To dare to penetrate deep into German territory in broad daylight, this single aircraft was clearly taking advantage of the incompetence of the German Luftwaffe!

The sound of machine gun fire erupted, and in a flurry of activity, the lieutenant abruptly turned the steering wheel to the left, executing a ninety-degree turn in the field. While Lynn and the lieutenant managed to hold onto their seats, the luggage and firearms in the back rolled around chaotically. Bullets whizzed through the air, kicking up dust on the ground, rapidly closing in on the military vehicle. The loud bang of a tire bursting almost made Lynn's heart leap out of his throat, and the bullets pierced through the canvas, creating a piercing sound in the car compartment, accompanied by the sound of bullets hitting metal!

Fortunately, luck was on their side. When the gunfire ceased, both Lynn and the lieutenant were unharmed, feeling only a distinct shadow passing overhead, accompanied by the deafening roar!

"Damn bad luck!" Mottchig muttered angrily as Lynn got out of the vehicle to inspect. The right rear tire had been directly hit, and it was uncertain whether the axle and other components had been damaged. Fearful that the Mustang would quickly turn around for another strafing run, the lieutenant quickly retrieved his briefcase from the back seat - fortunately, it hadn't been pierced by the bullets from the American warplane. However, Lynn's luggage had been riddled with holes, leaving irreparable "wounds" in his spare underwear and vests.

Gathering their rifles, ammunition, and belongings, Lynn followed the lieutenant towards the outpost, pondering in his mind: If the flying saucers he had seen were truly formidable weapons, why would they allow these Allied aircraft to act so brazenly? But then, where did the problem lie?