Wittmann didn't know what to say next. He was stunned by what Hank said and was speechless. He wanted to say something to refute but didn't know where to start. It was just like what Hank said.
Everything he said was completely correct, but Wittmann himself was unwilling to refute it deliberately.
It was also at this time that Enschel, who had been standing aside as a bystander, chose to stand up.
"He's right, Wittmann. You know that if you let these Americans go today, they might be the ones who kill you tomorrow. No one wants to do this intentionally, but we have no choice."
"...."
Is there still a distinction between right and wrong on this purgatory-like battlefield? Is there still a boundary between justice and evil?
To be honest, this was the first time that Wittmann had such a feeling of doubt from the bottom of his heart after fighting for so long.
Killing enemies on the battlefield is a soldier's bounden duty, but wanton slaughter is not what a soldier should do.
Does this count as a massacre?
Wittmann himself couldn't say whether it counted or not? Soldiers killed people with a purpose, not wantonly and indiscriminately. So what was going on here?
Regardless of the outcome, Hank at least got one thing right.
This kind of black job, which just sounds appalling, is indeed not what elite armored soldiers like them are good at. It is more appropriate to leave professional matters to professionals.
As for laymen, it’s better not to continue judging and pretentious here.
Wittmann smiled bitterly and turned away without saying a word. He no longer wanted to stay in this hellish place and suffer on his own.
Enschel had no objections to Wittmann's departure. It would be really good for him to have some quiet time in a different place.
But as the military commander of the 101st Battalion, Enschel still had things he had to do. He had to stay here instead of leaving at will like Wittmann.
"I also heard gunshots, so what happened?"
If it was just a building explosion, it stands to reason that Hank would not need to let his men shoot at all. Enshel wanted to know what was going on with the burst of gunfire that was connected with the explosion.
"You said that, a few Americans noticed something was wrong and wanted to escape through the window. If they ran out and had to chase them again, they would just cause trouble for themselves. I directly ordered the fire, and several Americans were blocked.
He was beaten to death by the window, and the body fell back. Before the Americans behind him could react, the detonator was already pressed."
"...."
The content of Hank's statement was not much different from what Enschel expected. In a situation like bombing a building, there would be loud gunshots. Thinking about it, the only possibility left was that the Yankees were planning to escape, and there was no other possibility.
.
While turning sideways, he glanced at the ruins of broken bricks and tiles in front of him. Enschel couldn't find any signs of living people in them. Even if there were any, they had to be firmly suppressed underneath.
Maybe he could come out on his own. The purpose he envisioned in advance has been achieved. The only difference is that Hank carried out the order in advance before he had time to issue it.
So fundamentally speaking, this result is exactly what Enschel wanted. Regardless of whether he sincerely wanted it or not, the fact is that the result is like this. It is nothing more than a few minutes later and a few minutes earlier.
Thinking of this, Enschel suddenly felt much relieved and no longer dwelled on the fact that it was a fait accompli. It would be useless to continue to waste time on this issue. It would not change anything at all. He should learn to accept the general situation.
It is much better than being incompetent and furious or struggling with this.
"Catch up, Hank. Gather your troops, we're going to start evacuating."
"clear."
After calmly giving such an order, Enschel immediately turned around and left, but he didn't expect that after taking a few steps, he ran into someone he didn't expect: Lieutenant Colonel Kruger.
Nominally speaking, Lieutenant Colonel Kruger is the city defense commander of this small town, and his military rank is one level higher than Officer Enschel.
Therefore, despite belonging to two different factions, the Wehrmacht and the SS, Enschel, who knew what to do, still maintained basic etiquette and took the lead in raising his hand to salute.
"Hi, Hitler."
Lieutenant Colonel Kruger, who was greeted by Enschel on his own initiative, was obviously not very interested. He just raised his hand and returned the salute casually in the manner of the Wehrmacht, and then spoke to Enschel in a voice that could not detect any emotion.
.
"I roughly understand what happened. Did you take care of all the American prisoners of war?"
.......
Enschel guessed that he would definitely be asked this question when he met Lieutenant Colonel Kruger in a place like this, so he gave an answer without hesitation for too long after thinking about it for a while.
"Yes, I gave the order. As for why, I think you should be clear in your mind, so I don't need to explain it separately, Lieutenant Colonel."
"Um......"
Lieutenant Colonel Kruger, who nodded slowly, surprisingly didn't say anything more. He seemed to agree with Enschel's statement, but his unfinished expression clearly meant that he still had something to say.
"Want to hear my attitude?"
"...."
Enschel was stunned for a moment, slightly surprised, and then spoke in response.
"Appreciate further details."
Kruger's expression seemed a bit mysterious. Enschel couldn't tell what kind of emotion was in those eyes. The answer would only be revealed after he said it himself.
"My people and I had evacuated an hour ago, so I didn't know about this incident, let alone any opposition or support. The National Defense Forces in the city didn't know about it and didn't interfere with it. Such a fact
Are you satisfied? Enschel."
"...."
Enschel suddenly felt that his previous impression of Kruger might have been wrong.
This guy is not a pure soldier without political ambitions. His words, deeds and actual performance at this moment are simply like a glib politician rather than a soldier.
"Is this a deal? Or something else?"
Although the higher-ups turned a blind eye to some matters and left the power of life and death in the hands of the frontline troops, spreading such a large number to the south will bring more or less trouble. Those who know the truth, whether they are enemies or
The fewer people you have, the better.
"You can think so, I won't deny it. Or whatever you think is fine, I have told you what I want to express. The rest is a question of what you want to do."
Lieutenant Colonel Kruger, who had a mysterious smile on his face, stopped here and turned to leave. However, he suddenly stopped after just two steps and chose to turn his back to Enschel without looking back.
He spoke again.
"Did you know? Enschel, making up stories is also a test of one's logical level. Many times, even the stories compiled by fairy tale kings and great writers will have flaws, so that later generations think they must have gone too far.