Chapter 176 Final Dream

"I solemnly pledge allegiance to Adolf Hitler. I pledge allegiance to him and to my superiors. Adolf Hitler: Victory Forever!"

On a moving Sdkfz251 half-track armored vehicle, six seemingly bedraggled but spirited soldiers faced their young and charismatic commander and recited the oath they took when they joined the Armed SS. Afterward, Lynn addressed them with a solemn and heartfelt tone:

"Brothers, from now on, we will march together toward a new goal. This is a path full of difficulties and dangers, but it is also the great road to final victory, where our proud ideals of battle will continue, and our iron will shall be reborn in the fire! Remember, brothers, no matter how dire the situation, we will never abandon each other!"

"Never abandon each other!" the soldiers echoed lowly but powerfully.

Nodding, the young SS Obersturmführer rose from his seat and carefully moved to the front of the compartment. An unfamiliar SS soldier manned the vehicle-mounted MG42 machine gun—an apparatus with a convex shield, a long metal belt dangling with dozens of bullets from the gun's position, exuding a peculiar beauty of violent machinery, as well as the lethal potential of the human body exposed outside the armor and defensive structures. Unless using armor-piercing rounds, even ordinary thin steel plates could stop its effectiveness.

"Hey, buddy, let me take over for a while!"

Lynn's proposal received an immediate response from the SS soldier manning the machine gun. It seemed that standing here with intense concentration was also quite a laborious task.

Manning the machine gun was not Lynn's expertise; he simply wanted a better view of their situation. The armored vehicle they were riding in was at the rear of the armored column. The "Panthers" and "Jaguars" ahead had blended into the night, leaving only the sight of Panzer IV tanks and similar half-track armored vehicles with armored skirts. Lynn counted in his mind; when they left the city, there were a total of 26 tanks and armored vehicles. By now, nine had been lost, a third of their strength depleted. Among the damaged vehicles, there should be three of the most powerful Panther tanks, two balanced and stable Panzer IV tanks, and four of the least resilient half-track armored vehicles. If it weren't for the high casualty rate among accompanying infantry, Lynn and his six soldiers wouldn't have seats. They'd either be on foot or crouching behind the tank as "human shields"!

Though they had moved away from the concentrated Soviet deployments in the outskirts of Berlin, resistance along the way hadn't completely ceased. The German armored column still faced occasional artillery and gunfire attacks during their advance. Bullets occasionally struck the armored vehicle's side panels from a distance, making thudding sounds that forced Lynn to cautiously lower his head. However, his gaze lingered on the vehicles ahead. He thought to himself: Since this armored column is escorting **oss, then he must be on one of these vehicles. The half-track armored vehicle was more comfortable, with relatively spacious compartments that could accommodate sofas and beds. But its defense was too weak; even anti-tank rifles or large shell fragments could penetrate the compartment's armor plates. Considering their previous breakthrough through the buildings' fire blockade and subsequent engagement with Soviet ambush units, even reinforcing the armored vehicles wouldn't be safe enough. The Panzer IV tanks had similar flaws—in the late stages of World War II, their armor was insufficient to withstand attacks from Soviet T-34s, SU-85s, or Allied "Shermans", let alone heavy enemy tanks. In this case, the most likely "Elder's vehicle" should be one of the Panther tanks, but their narrow and crowded cabins, along with the loud noise, made one wonder if the high-ranking dignitary could bear it?

The more Lynn thought about it, the more questions and confusion arose. He even began to doubt whether this armored column was just a decoy used by the higher-ups to divert Soviet attention. If the ruler was really willing to evacuate, it was entirely possible to take a safer route, such as secret tunnels, light aircraft, or even mini submarines. However, considering the progress of the Battle of Berlin and the overall situation, the danger of leaving by plane was considerable. If intercepted by enemy anti-aircraft guns or fighter jets along the way, it would be game over.

Leaving the outskirts of the city behind, the terrain on either side of the road became slightly more open. Many factories used to be distributed here, but due to the intense and sustained bombing by the Allies, most of the factory facilities were relocated to the southern mountains or distant rural areas between 1943 and 1944, dispersed into hidden secret workshops, leaving behind dilapidated factory buildings. However, under such circumstances, Germany's military production actually peaked in 1944—thinking of this, Lynn couldn't forget the renowned architectural genius, Albert Speer. According to historical records, Speer prevented Hitler's scorched earth order towards the end of the war, was captured by the British, underwent the Nuremberg trials, and became the only official in the core circle of the Third Reich to escape the death penalty.

Bang... Bang... Rat-a-tat-tat... The gunfire from the front made Lynn focus his attention back to the present. At this moment, one could vaguely see a series of bullets flying with a faint red glow towards the right side of the road. Judging from the gunfire, it was likely that scattered Soviet soldiers were using anti-tank rifles or similar weapons to harass from a distance. In such a situation, their Panther and Panzer IV tanks wouldn't easily expend their limited ammunition, and even the machine gun fire for suppression seemed somewhat sparing. Lynn hadn't seen a large stockpile of ammunition crates since he switched from the armored command vehicle in front to this armored transport vehicle. Under Hauptmann Zeigern's arrangements, his combat team received two boxes, and Lynn and Brühl once again used familiar night combat equipment, while Noah obtained an 88mm anti-tank rocket launcher left by a fallen soldier, also as a "heavy tool of the trade".

Seeing Lynn somewhat at a loss with the machine gun, the SS soldier who had rested for a while took the initiative to stand up and said, "Let me do it, sir!"

Lynn had just moved back a seat when he heard a subtle "thud", and before he could turn around, he saw the SS soldier in front of him slowly sit down, clutching his abdomen in pain. His expression of astonishment quickly turned into extreme agony.

In the dim compartment, although Lynn searched with wide eyes, he didn't see where the bullet hole was, but the blood oozing from the soldier's fingers was undeniably real. Seeing the situation wasn't right, Wolfgrum also came over to help, but before they could attempt to stop the bleeding, the soldier, whose name they didn't yet know, had already stiffened in the forward compartment of the vehicle, breathless.

Another life had irreversibly perished beside him. Lynn's mood was like a sudden dark cloud drifting over clear skies; the profound sense of loss and sorrow couldn't simply be brushed aside. Witnessing this scene, he even harbored a deep-seated concern: perhaps history was as most people knew, not because the **oss attempting a secret breakout ultimately reached their destination, but because they perished midway along with their conveyance, leaving the survivors' testimonies to be dismissed as "fanciful tales"?

With the machine gunner's death, there were only Lynn and his six soldiers left in the compartment. Wolfgrum bravely took over the machine gunner's position, but he didn't blindly open fire to avoid actively exposing the armored vehicle's specific location to the enemy. There were no major changes in the noise outside, indicating that the attackers were still just scattered Soviet irregulars.

The noisy environment largely isolated the sound communication between the compartment and the driver's cabin. In this situation with no outsiders present, the youngest, Techimel, was the first to ask.

"Sir, where are we going?"

Lynn sat down and calmly replied, "I only know that we are escorting a very important person out of Berlin. As for where, I'm eager to find out myself!"

That was Techimel's question, and Brühl, sitting across from him, rummaged in his bag for a while, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, which seemed to still contain quite a few. He handed out one to each of his comrades in the compartment and struck a match to light one for Lynn, then asked in a low voice, "Sir, I'm not questioning your decision, I just want to know... what does this mean for us?"

Smelling the familiar scent of tobacco, Lynn's tense mood eased somewhat. Indeed, for soldiers constantly on the brink of life and death, cigarettes were a good thing, sometimes even more valuable than weapons and food. Among them, Brühl seemed to be the only one with remaining stock. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Lynn had already seen him conduct two trades with neighboring comrades, exchanging food for cigarettes, and vice versa. There was nothing wrong with that, especially in the heavy atmosphere of the collapsing empire, which easily evoked thoughts of "everything is negotiable" regarding Jews.

Amidst the clouds of smoke, Lynn calmly responded, "Have any of you ever thought about what the ultimate outcome would be if we faithfully adhered to our duty as soldiers, continuing to defend Berlin against the enemy? What would be the final result?"

Almost without hesitation, Brühl replied, "Death in battle or capture!"

Lynn glanced at the others, including Wolfgrum, who stood at the machine gun position but was still listening intently, and continued, "When I was still a child, I dreamed of wearing a uniform, fighting bravely in the midst of gunfire, and earning the respect and recognition of everyone. Later, as I grew older and gained understanding, I learned that there was such an army in this world. They possessed an indomitable will and an arrogant fighting spirit. They regarded loyalty as the highest honor, and there always seemed to be a mysterious aura surrounding them. Unexpectedly, one day, I became a member of that army. Honestly, I've been confused, fearful, and even thought about never waking up again, but there was an invisible force driving me forward. After much thought, I suddenly realized that this is the power of dreams!"

Despite the gunfire outside, the bullets occasionally passing by might include large-caliber machine gun rounds and anti-tank rifle rounds; even so, the soldiers were spellbound, listening to Lynn's passionate words.

"Evacuating Berlin with everyone's safety in mind was originally just to avoid death or capture, so that we could seek better living conditions after the collapse of the Third Reich. However, half an hour ago, when I learned from an old friend that the existence of this unit is part of the 'Aryan Ark' plan, I found that my thinking had been confined to old patterns, always oscillating between emotions and reason. In fact... not everything can be analyzed and judged with reason! Today, from now on, let us strive for that seemingly illusory dream—even if it ultimately proves to be wishful thinking!"