Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis

The next day, the Wehrmacht bombs the railroad bridge through Burg Strasse to stop the Allies from getting through. However, then Wittlich's defense is abandoned. The remaining Nazi armies do everything they can to slow the enemy's advance to the Rhine. Wittlich is a ghost town and everyone left (which is almost no one) is encircled. He then meets the final member of Bann 244, a girl, Monika Mohn, whose is Wendt's secretary. She is burning documents.

Monika informs him of the bad news and then tells him to come with her to her dad's shooting hut; there are supplies there to last for months. They will hold out and hope the Americans are humane. At that moment, Alfons accepts Germany's defeat and will no longer die unquestioningly. Yet, Alfons turns her down.

When Alfons returns home, his aunt encourages him to...