Liberation of Allied Prisoners of War

"Read about what you did." "Oh! The...yeah! Well, that's you know? Just doin' what needed to be done." "Sounded like more than that. You saved nearly four hundred men."

- Lorraine and Steve Rogers

The Liberation of Allied Prisoners of War was the first war action of Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, who infiltrated the weapons facility run by HYDRA behind the German lines. He successfully liberated four hundred soldiers, becoming a war hero in the result. He also confronted his greatest enemy, Johann Schmidt, the infamous Red Skull, for the first time. The battle took place during World War II.

USO Show
"Son, do you wanna serve your country on the most important battle field of the war?" "Sir, that's all I want." "Then, congratulations. You just got promoted."

- Senator Brandt and Steve Rogers

After the assassination of Dr. Abraham Erskine at the hands of Heinz Kruger, the formula of the Super Soldier Serum was lost. Steve Rogers was now the only American super soldier, and he alone was not enough to help the Allies in winning World War II. Instead, his commanders decided for him to tour the nation in a colorful costume as "Captain America" to promote War Bonds rather than be confined to a lab while scientists attempted to rediscover Erskine's formula.

The USO show was very successful in the USA. Because of his colorful costume, Rogers became known as the "Star Spangled Man", promotional war movies with him as the main star were made, and even the comic books showing him punching Adolf Hitler were published.

Italy
"Sir, if you're going after Schmidt, I want in." "You're an experiment. You're going to Alamogordo." "The serum worked." "I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough."

- Steve Rogers and Chester Phillips

In November 1943, while touring to active servicemen in Italy, Rogers was met with derision from soldiers who have actually been through months of grueling combat. Rogers left the stage and had a talk with Peggy Carter, Colonel Chester Phillips' secretary. When Rogers learned from her that the combat unit of his friend Bucky Barnes was lost in battle against HYDRA, the Nazi division commanded by Johann Schmidt, the man who ordered Erskine's assassination, he asked Phillips to organize a rescue mission. However, Phillips refused, because he would lose more men than he would save. The weapons facility where Bucky's unit was imprisoned was located in Austria, halfway between and, dozens of miles behind the German lines.

Behind the Enemy Lines
"You told me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?" "Every word." "Then you gotta let me go." "I can do more than that."

- Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter

Not satisfied with Colonel Chester Phillips' response, Steve Rogers decided to do something on his own. After a quick talk, Peggy Carter decided to help him. That night, they joined the industrialist Howard Stark, a man whom Phillips wouldn't dare to punish for disobeying his orders, and he flew them in his plane behind the German lines. When they approached the lines of battle, the German air defense opened fire on the plane, and Rogers jumped out of the plane, parachuting himself to the ground.

Once he safely landed, he discovered a convoy of HYDRA trucks that were heading for his target. He sneaked into one of the trucks and waited for it to reach its destination.

Battle
"Who are you supposed to be?" "I'm... Captain America." "I beg your pardon?"

- Gabe Jones, Captain America, and James Montgomery Falsworth

Rogers infiltrated the fortress belonging to Johann Schmidt's HYDRA division, freeing dozens of captured soldiers. He ordered them to attack the guards at the gate while he searched for more prisoners. The former prisoners managed to acquire several HYDRA Assault Rifles and kill several guards. Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones and James Montgomery Falsworth hijacked a HYDRA Mini Tank and destroyed the gate allowing the prisoners to escape. Watching Roger overpower several HYDRA soldiers singlehandedly on security monitors, Schmidt believed his forces were outmatched and set the base's self-destruct.

While searching, Rogers came across Arnim Zola's lab with Bucky Barnes strapped to a table. Rogers freed him and witnessed a map with the location of other HYDRA bases throughout Europe. While trying to escape, Rogers and Barnes come across Schmidt attempting to escape as well. During the fight, Schmidt revealed his face to be a mask, removing it to display the red-colored, skull-like face that earned him the nickname "The Red Skull".

Schmidt and Zola escaped and Rogers and Barnes were trapped on a scaffold as the fortress was beginning to blow. Barnes was able to climb across a beam but it broke and fell shortly after he reached the other side. Rogers was forced to leap across the void as the factory below exploded, engulfing him in flames but he was able to make the jump without being harmed.

Rogers returned to base with the freed soldiers. Rogers then asked Colonel Phillips to reprimand him of his actions but the latter denied it, knowing that he did a good job in saving the lives of the captured soldiers.

Aftermath
"So, let's get this straight." "We barely got out of there alive, and you want us to go back?" "Pretty much." "Sounds rather fun, actually."

- Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Steve Rogers, and James Montgomery Falsworth Steve Rogers recruited Bucky Barnes, Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Jim Morita, James Montgomery Falsworth, and Jacques Dernier into the Howling Commandos to attack the other known bases belonging to HYDRA.