“There was no going forward – in front of the column, from the slope of a field, ten German tanks blasted away. There would be no retreat – behind the American column, another five German tanks shot down from a hilltop, silhouetted by the moon. The woods were a killing zone too. The tree line blinked with small-arms fire from SS infantry stationed at both ends of the route. With nowhere to run, all that remained for most Americans was to hide.”
