Chapter 43

As the troops began their emergency withdrawal, the soldiers’ morale was at an all-time low, with not a trace of joy to be found. To beat the Japanese encirclement and rendezvous with the rest of the 262nd Brigade, everyone was forced into a grueling march. Lin Feng and his men were caught up in the flow of the retreat. Compared to the uniform German helmets worn by the 88th Division, the Special Operations Battalion looked like a band of street beggars. Their uniforms were caked in grime, riddled with gaping tears that let the wind whistle through. Many soldiers were swathed in bandages, blood soaking through their collars. They moved toward the withdrawal point, leaning on one another for support. Lin Feng led his brothers, maintaining a steady pace behind the main force. Five hundred men, and in just this one battle, casualties had already exceeded a third of their strength! This casualty rate had been suffered even with the protection of fortified structures. Lin Feng estimated that if the fighting had taken place in open trenches, the losses would have been several times higher, with a very real risk of total annihilation.