On the seventh day at noon, the Germans launched their sixth offensive. The booming artillery echoed over the town, and the whistling shells landed on the British positions, creating massive blasts and shaking the soldiers' nerves. The ravaged town was once again engulfed in a metallic storm, with fires burning everywhere.
German troops surged from all directions, their gunfire interspersed with the roar of artillery, like crackling dry wood in flames. Surprisingly, amidst the smoke-filled battlefield, some buildings remained standing despite the heavy bombardment, providing cover for the paratroopers to engage in fierce street fighting.
The previously damaged road, flattened during the second German attack, was now clear of mines, barriers, and filled craters, allowing Tiger tanks to roll into the town one after another. Facing a severe shortage of anti-tank weapons, the soldiers resorted to using incendiary bombs, known as Molotov cocktails, particularly effective in urban warfare. These homemade bombs, when thrown onto a tank's radiator, could burn through and destroy the engine. Additionally, cluster grenades were used to blast off tank tracks. Many tactics that would be obsolete in later years proved useful in this era, as they could be made and used on the spot.
The paratroopers of the 2nd Airborne Battalion charged at the German tanks in a suicidal rush.
Major Ralph, leading by example, grabbed a PIAT and joined a soldier named Michel in a house to ambush a German tank. Michel, perched on the top floor, signaled the position to Ralph. When a Tiger tank approached, Ralph fired at its turret side, destroying it. However, the second tank spotted them and fired at their hideout. Michel managed to escape the rooftop in time, while Ralph, buried in debris, was fortunately not killed.
From the rubble, he fired a second shot at the Tiger tank, causing it to erupt in smoke and flames.
"Great job, Major!" Michel shouted.
"Not good enough," Ralph replied coldly.
Meanwhile, at the top of the Arnhem Cathedral bell tower, an adventurer with a sniper rifle was picking off German soldiers one by one with deadly accuracy.
"Contribution point, two points, three points... Damn it, I want contribution, rewards, Bloody Points," the adventurer muttered, continuously pulling the trigger, each pull bringing down another German soldier.
A tank slowly turned its turret, aiming at the bell tower of the Arnhem Cathedral.
Cursing, the adventurer grabbed his rifle and sprinted to the other side.
Boom!
The tank's barrel belched a puff of white smoke, and the shell hit the bell tower squarely. Miraculously, the tower did not collapse but was left with a gaping hole from the impact. Choking on dust, the adventurer coughed repeatedly and climbed back to his sniping position. He discovered that the right wall of the bell tower had been blown off, providing a clear view of the battle below.
"Damn it!" he spat on the ground and raised his rifle again to aim at the Germans.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
On the other side of the town, Shen Yi, Hong Lang, and a few others were fiercely firing at the Germans from behind cover. Like a sharp knife thrust into the German flank, they were relentlessly reaping the lives of German soldiers. The Linghuo gun, with its unlimited ammunition, was particularly effective here. Shen Yi, not worried about running out of bullets, kept firing non-stop. Even while taking cover, he would blindly fire with one hand, creating a suppressive effect. The gun's inherent flame damage caused area burns, significantly impeding the German assault.
"Someone take over for me!" Shen Yi yelled. "My arm can't hold up anymore!"
"I will!" Hong Lang shouted, crawling over.
Shen Yi retracted his arm, tossing the Linghuo gun to Hong Lang, who caught it and swept fire across the Germans.
Shen Yi moved back behind the cover, tore open his clothes, and found his right arm swollen and bruised.
"You should add some strength to yourself," Hong Lang laughed. "The recoil of this gun isn't too much for me; I could use it for a day and a night without any trouble."
"Then you use it," Shen Yi said indifferently.
"But I have a question!"
"What?"
"You're saying if I use your gun to shoot the Germans, does the contribution count as yours or mine?" Shen Yi asked.
From a distance, Jin Gang yelled, "If you use someone else's tool for your own purpose, whose achievement would it be?"
Hong Lang retorted angrily, "Damn it, Jin Gang, you never say anything nice!"
Shen Yi and Jin Gang burst into laughter.
Peeking outside, Shen Yi commented, "There don't seem to be as many tanks this time."
"About twenty," Wen Rou replied.
"Strange, why the decrease? There were twenty-two last time. Aren't they supposed to increase with each attack?" Shen Yi wondered.
"That's already tough enough, why would you want more?" Hong Lang yelled.
Ignoring him, Shen Yi murmured, "It should only increase, otherwise it doesn't match the city's principle of escalating difficulty. I was even expecting a hundred tanks to charge at us in the final days."
"You're insane!" Hong Lang cursed.
Shen Yi continued, "I meant on the last day, but since we delayed them for three days, that scenario might not happen. But it still shouldn't be like this now."
The low rumble of engines in the sky interrupted Shen Yi's thoughts.
Looking up, several small black dots were rapidly approaching.
"Damn it!" Shen Yi shouted, "It's bombers! German bombers!!! Everyone, get down!!! Bombers are coming!"
Three Stuka dive bombers were swiftly entering Arnhem's airspace. The pilots easily identified several British counterattack positions amidst the smoky battlefield. Pulling their control sticks, the Stukas dived towards the ground, their aerial guns unleashing a barrage of bullets, drawing two long deathly trails in the sky.
Accompanied by the gunfire were numerous incendiary and explosive bombs.
The three large iron birds dropped all their bombs within seconds, and the sky was filled with whistling iron shells plummeting down, exploding in a series of booms, raising plumes of smoke on the ground.
From the pilots' perspective, the bombs created a long trail of smoke over the grid-like cityscape.
"G51 reporting, all bombs deployed, requesting return to base," a German pilot radioed headquarters.
The radio crackled, "Return request denied. Observe ground resistance and use aerial guns for ground blockade if necessary."
"Affirmative, sir," the pilot responded, circling in the sky, preparing to re-enter the battlefield after the smoke cleared.
The roaring explosions were almost deafening, and the town of Arnhem hadn't been quiet for days. The constant sound of gunfire and bomb explosions filled their ears, and the air was always clouded with dust and smoke.
Shen Yi and the others crawled out of the dust, shaking off the dirt from their bodies.
Hong Lang followed, coughing loudly as he emerged from the dirt.
Then came Jin Gang, looking like a grey gorilla.
Lastly, Wen Rou, the beautiful policewoman, was covered in mud, only her bright eyes remained clear.
"Shen Yi, is this what you meant by 'more tanks'?" Jin Gang shouted.
"What?" Shen Yi, clearing his ears, shouted back, "I can't hear you, my ears are buzzing."
"I said, is this the increase in tanks you were talking about?" Jin Gang roared.
"Oh." Shen Yi looked up and then replied, "Quantitative change leads to qualitative change. Not surprising! There will be more planes tomorrow."
"Now I regret accepting the optional mission! It's like standing on the edge of a cliff every moment, ready to fall!" Hong Lang yelled.
"This is good, a brutal battle! After this, everyone's nerves will be tougher. Once you're used to seeing death, you fear it less!" Shen Yi encouraged him.
"I'd rather not have this 'good'!" Hong Lang exclaimed.
"Too bad, you don't have a choice!"
As the smoke cleared slightly, Wen Rou, looking through binoculars, shouted, "Three Stukas are coming back! Everyone, get down!"
The sound of gunfire from the sky confirmed Wen Rou's words.
Pinned down by the barrage, everyone struggled to raise their heads. Hong Lang was hit by several bullets and yelled in pain, "Damn it, I've been shot!"
His bulletproof gear, with thirty uses, had long been exhausted. Now, Shen Yi was truly beginning to suffer from gunshot wounds.
As he lay on the ground, a flash of white light enveloped Shen Yi. He watched the plane soar overhead and murmured, "They're out of bombs, resorting to strafing with machine guns. Wen Rou, how's the situation on the German side?"
No response came.
Startled, Shen Yi looked down, only to find Wen Rou lying motionless on the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath her.
"Wen Rou!" Shen Yi bellowed.
He rushed over, turning her over to find three bloody holes continuously bleeding. In a panic, Shen Yi embraced her, applying his hands to her wounds to initiate healing.
A warm flow entered Wen Rou's body, slightly stirring her. She twitched slightly.
"Hang in there, Wen Rou!" shouted Shen Yi.
He quickly took out a bottle of mid-level healing potion, pouring it into Wen Rou's mouth while employing his healing technique. The potion, combined with his skills, slowly brought results. Wen Rou's eyes gradually opened.
Gazing at Shen Yi's anxious face, she managed a faint smile and whispered weakly, "Without bulletproof gear, it's tough to hold on. Two bullets hit vital spots... such bad luck."
Seeing Wen Rou pulled back from the brink of death, Shen Yi let out a relieved laugh. Though her injuries were severe, the potion was effective, but she was still pale from the blood loss.
In the sky, three bombers roared, sweeping the ground. Dozens of British paratroopers were either killed or severely wounded in this assault. Calls for Shen Yi to come and save them echoed, but he didn't move, his eyes flashing fiercely as he watched the bombers.
Nearby lay an abandoned German off-road vehicle with a Browning M2 heavy machine gun mounted on it. This weapon, originally an American invention, must have been captured by the Germans during the war. But Shen Yi was more concerned about whether it was still operational.
Gently laying Wen Rou down, he said, "Rest for a bit."
Then, Shen Yi stood up and headed towards the off-road vehicle.
"Holy hell, Shen Yi! Are you crazy? Get down!" Hong Lang yelled.
Shen Yi ignored him, picking up speed towards the vehicle, his boots activating a sprinting skill, boosting his speed to the maximum. He quickly reached the vehicle and grabbed the M2 machine gun, swinging it towards the diving bombers, unleashing a torrent of bullets.
One Stuka bomber, caught off guard by this counterattack, soon plummeted to the ground, smoking. The other two bombers climbed higher, trying to evade the relentless gunfire.
Both pilots were experienced, veering to the sides to avoid the deadly hail of bullets. One of the bombers, after dodging the gunfire, circled back, aiming its guns at Shen Yi for a strafing run.
Bullets pitted the ground, forming two long trenches of impact craters, stretching rapidly towards Shen Yi. He responded in kind, firing the M2 with relentless fury. Man and machine engaged in a simultaneous shootout, bullet trails crisscrossing the sky, a wild dance of fire and piercing screams filling the air.
The bullets from the aerial cannon narrowly missed Shen Yi on both sides, some hitting him and sparking off intense white flashes. Unfazed, he continued firing, the M2 roaring as it ejected a shower of spent casings. The scene resembled Neo firing from a helicopter in 'The Matrix', casings raining down, creating a symphony of metallic clangs. The relentless gunfire ripped the bomber in half.
The two halves of the bomber tumbled through the air, crashing to the ground in a massive explosion, leaving all the Germans in stunned silence.
Seeing the tide turn, the last bomber pilot quickly retreated from the battlefield.
Shen Yi dropped the machine gun, casually lighting a cigarette before walking back to his position.
Not a single German soldier fired at him.
They were all in shock.