Read Ardennes Sniper: A World War II Thriller for Free Online

their intention to surrender. The Germans came closer, moving at a trot now. Then Hank could actually see their faces under their square, blue-gray helmets. He had never seen a German up close before. Except for the uniforms, they looked pretty much like Americans. One of the Germans started yelling in English, "Out of the ditches! Hands up!"
    Beside him, Ralph muttered, "Look at the insignia on their collars. These guys are SS. Hard core. Ain't that just great for us. Just do what they say, Kid, and we'll be all right."
    His stomach churning with fear, Hank climbed out of the ditch and raised his hands high.

CHAPTER 6

    Within minutes, the Germans rounded up the American unit. The GIs came out of the ditches with their hands up, looking scared. Von Stenger did not know if he should feel sorry for them—or if he should feel contempt. They had given up like sheep.
    It soon became clear why they had been captured so easily. This was an observation and support unit rather than a combat unit. Most had never fired a weapon in battle.  
    "That's good for us, Kurt," Friel said happily, standing tall in the Volkswagen and surveying the groups of captured Americans and their vehicles. He was clearly pleased with the outcome of the encounter. "A fight would only have slowed us down, and we have a schedule to keep!"
    "We took them by surprise," Von Stenger said. "They did not even know what hit them."
    "Look at all these trucks! We can put them to use, hey Kurt! Ha, ha! Imagine riding right around the Americans using their own trucks."
    Von Stenger had to admit it was a positive turn of events. In spite of himself, he was starting to become hopeful about the offensive. Maybe Hitler was right. By attacking the soft underbelly of the Allied line, they could demoralize and defeat the enemy. It was almost too much to hope for, but here he was, surveying a group of more than a hundred Americans with their hands raised over their heads and twenty or thirty captured trucks full of valuable petrol. And the day was yet young.

    • • •

    Hank stood with his hands in the air. He shivered, but not just from the cold. It was hard not to be frightened when enemy soldiers had their guns pointed at you.
    "Jesus, Ralph, what should we do?"
    "Just keep your hands up and do like they tell you, Kid. It's gonna be all right."
    The Germans came closer, covering the American prisoners with their Mauser carbines and submachine guns. Hank thought briefly of making a run for it, but those guns made him think better of that plan.
    "Hands up! Over here now!" shouted one of the Germans in English. Others simply shouted in German and used the muzzles of their weapons to indicate where they wanted the Americans to go.
    The Germans began to fan out into the ditches, forcing out those Americans who had tried to hide or even to play possum. So far as Hank could tell, the short burst of gunfire the Germans had sent into the column had not killed anyone.
    More German soldiers went from truck to truck, peering into the backs of the trucks and cabs. An American soldier who had hidden himself in the back of a truck was discovered and came out with his hands up. A German clipped him in the side of the head with a rifle butt and knocked him down for his efforts to escape capture.  
    An officer jumped down from one of their funny-looking amphibious vehicles.
    "Merry Christmas!" he shouted. He was tall, blond and blue-eyed, like some actor playing an officer in a movie. "You will be spending the holidays with us! You were smart to surrender, or you would all be dead."
    Amid the shouting, seemingly angry enemy soldiers, the arrival of the jovial officer put Hank more at ease. The officer approached an American lieutenant, who was standing nearby, hands held high.
    "What unit is this?" the German officer asked.
    "This is the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion," the soldier said.  
    "Where are you heading?"
    "Saint Vith," the young officer said. "We're going to