When Trumpets Fade

Manning survives the brutal fighting of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest. His company commander, Captain Roy Pritchett, promotes him on the battlefield to sergeant. He then seeks a discharge under Section 8 for combat stress, but the attempt is refused and he remains in service.

Manning takes command of a platoon of inexperienced replacement soldiers, thrust into frontline duty despite his own trauma. He must earn their respect as they face their first real combat under his leadership.

Manning puts Private Warren Sanderson on point for a patrol. Sanderson becomes separated from the squad and returns, where he is met with scorn and ridicule from his peers. The incident foreshadows the unit's fragile cohesion under stress.

First Lieutenant Terrence Lukas, newly assigned to the company, berates Manning as the unit continues its advance toward Schmidt and a key bridge. Tension between their leadership styles grows under the stress of the mission.

The company is fired on in an enemy minefield and forced back. The setback exposes the fragility of their advance and foreshadows heavier casualties to come.

Captain Pritchett asks for volunteers to destroy the enemy guns and promises Manning a Section 8 if the mission succeeds. The offer underscores Manning's fragile position and the high stakes of his leadership.

During the mission, Private Sam Baxter flees in panic. Manning shoots Baxter and triggers his flamethrower, causing Baxter to die in a fiery flash. Horrified by the brutal death, the soldiers resume the attack as Sanderson helps push the assault forward.

After Baxter's death, Sanderson leads the unit to destroy the enemy guns, a critical step that enables the subsequent assault on the bridge. Manning and Sanderson push the operation forward despite heavy risks and Manning's worsening wounds. The successful destruction of the guns allows the battalion to prepare for the bridge assault.

The assault on the bridge over the German defensive line results in heavy American casualties and a retreat in the face of a tank counterattack. Lonnie is killed, Despin is captured, and Manning and Sanderson manage to escape despite their injuries. The bridge remains secured for the moment but at a high price.

Lieutenant Colonel George Rickman confronts Lukas about his behavior; Lukas assaults Rickman and is led away. Manning presents blood-stained dog tags to Rickman, who reluctantly promotes Manning to lieutenant to command Lukas' platoon. This promotion places Manning in a demanding leadership role under strain.

Talbot and Corporal Toby Chamberlain confront Manning about Baxter, and Manning reveals a plan to destroy the German tanks the night before the assault. Sanderson defends Manning, arguing that failure to destroy the tanks could wipe out the battalion the next day. The leadership tension continues as they discuss bold action.

Manning leads Talbot, Chamberlain, and Sanderson in a pre-dawn raid on the German tanks without the battalion's knowledge. They navigate a minefield and a barbed wire obstacle, and destroy the tanks with a bazooka. Only Sanderson and Manning survive, with Manning severely wounded and losing consciousness as they are carried back.

The survivors are carried back to friendly lines as Manning loses consciousness. The epilogue notes that after three months of heavy combat, the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest claimed more than 24,000 American casualties, with little justification for such a sacrifice, and that the battle was overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge soon afterward.