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Deathblow was a member of Team Zero.

Collins grew up as an orphan after his parents died when he was a child, and spent several times in state orphanages. During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and working for the OSS under the codenamed "Deathblow" - decades before Michael Cray would later adopted his current alias. In December 5th, 1944, Collins was the operational leader in Operation: MURGATROID in which his unit is sent to infiltrate Japanese-held Kiska Island in foiling Japan's planned invasion of the west coast of North America, by destroying the fueling station in Bukhti Point and capturing or killing Admiral Hideo Nobura, the architect of the invasion. The operation goes awry in which Collins killed Nobura and became the operation's sole survivor. Thereafter, Collins recuperated in Hawaii and was almost assassinated by a Abwehr agent, Paula Stollenfus, before he choked her to death.

Collins was later given the assignment by his superiors in organizing the apprehension of German rocket scientists and their research at Peenemünde before the Soviets. While learning from his experience in MURGATROID, Collins decided to handpick soldiers from different branches of the United States military for their skills in the operation known as Blue Plate. Team Zero was then form which consisted of SSG. Austen T. Blanchard (Cowboy), Cpl. Willis S. Miller (Grifter), Sgt. Andrzej Taszycki (Bullet), 1st Lt. Chester R. Brophy (Claymore), Marc Slayton (Backlash), and Sgt. Samuel Nakadai (Deadeye).[1]

Collins and his team were parachuted into Karlshagen and were separated during a snow squall. Despite these setbacks, Team Zero managed to capture the scientists, their research, and the town's German soldiers. But unfortunately they learned that they wouldn't be extracted by glider and confronted by the arriving Soviet army.[2] Collins had the scientists disguised as prisoners of war and lied to the Soviet commanding officer Major Sergei Ignatiev of Team Zero's presence. Eventually, however, Ignatiev looked through Collins' deceptions which forced him and Team Zero to neutralize the Soviets. Realizing that from Ignatiev's information a larger Soviet force is heading for Karlshagen, Collins organized a truce with the German prisoners in allying with them to delaying the Soviets and allowing Grifter to drive the scientists and the documents to Allied lines.[3] Collins, Team Zero, and their German allies defended the village on three fronts and inflicting severe casualties on the Soviets. Inevitably, Team Zero and their allies were nearly wiped out, leaving only Collins, Slayton and a few young German soldiers. Collins gave his last orders to Slayton to take himself and his recruits away from the village. He instead intended to die while fighting to the end, as he ran up to a group of Russian soldiers while carrying a primed grenade as it then explodes, taking with him and his enemies.

Prior to his death, Collins had written his final entry on his journal in which was hidden inside the town's church and describing his reason to die to the very end.[4]


Weapons

  • .45 calibre Thompson submachine gun

Related

Footnotes


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