Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour/USA Mission 3

Colonel Burton blasts his way through Prison Camp 1.

This is a challenging puzzle-type mission. Colonel Burton must find his way to the secret laboratory to the north. He will need the help of captured soldiers to make his way there.

An expedited version of playing this mission will be described at the end of this walkthrough.

Liberating Prison Camp 1

Colonel Burton is dropped off at the south end of the map with three Sentry Drones. Use either the drones or Colonel Burton himself to destroy the radar vans that appear.

Avoid the village to the immediate east. The civilian buildings are fortified and Colonel Burton will need help to get past them.

Key Strategy

Don't be intimidated by GLA tanks and other armored vehicles. When confronted head-on, Colonel Burton has the firepower to destroy them. If confronting both a Scorpion tank and a Technical, destroy the Technical first.

Head due north to the first prison camp. No need to use finesse. Just blast through the Tunnel Network, stepping back to heal momentarily, if necessary. Walk north through the base to destroy the Barracks, the Stinger site, and any GLA troops that are unfortunate enough to be in the area.

When all enemy structures are destroyed, the men are released from the barracks. You will have six Rangers, five Missile Defenders and one Pathfinder at your disposal.

Use the Rangers to Flash Bang the garrisoned civilian buildings.

Although Colonel Burton can scale the sides of the mountains on this map, these other troops can't. It is necessary to head back down south toward the village.

Finding the MIA Soldiers in the Village

MIA soldiers are located in the church on the east side of the village.

Take your men to the south end of the mountains and leave them there temporarily and send Colonel Burton to the southwest corner of the map to dispose of whatever GLA units you find. This will keep them from attacking your flank while you are in the village.

It is not necessary to find and rescue the soldiers located in the village, but since you are in the neighborhood –

Choose a single Ranger and choose the Flash Bang attack and click on an occupied building. A single shot will clear the building and that Ranger will go up in rank one or two bars. Keep choosing different Rangers to Flash Bang the buildings to have as many self-healing, promoted Rangers as possible.

Work your way east through the village until the church is encountered. When Colonel Burton enters the church grounds, more troops will join you.

Liberating Prison Camp 2

Recapturing these vehicles from the GLA may be more trouble than it's worth. The mission can be won without them.

Three captured USA vehicles are waiting to be commandeered by your Rangers on the east side of the map, but first they must get past the Tunnel Network that is loaded with GLA armor and RPG troopers.

It is not necessary to capture these vehicles to win the mission. There are four more vehicles to the north past the Arms Dealer by Prison Camp 2. Those four vehicles will be more than sufficient to win the mission.

If you choose to liberate these three vehicles, it will be a game of cat and mouse with Colonel Burton slowly attacking the Tunnel Network and backing off and healing – or sacrificing a number of your Rangers and Missile Defenders in an all-out assault.

Pathfinders can also commandeer these vehicles.

Assuming these vehicles are not captured, have Colonel Burton avoid the two Tunnel Networks due west of the three USA vehicles and head toward Prison Camp 2.

Prison Camp 2 is located right by the Tunnel Network and Arms Dealer. Destroying the oil derricks will slow down the GLA economy.

There will be a Tunnel Network and Arms Dealer directly in front of the prison camp. Destroy both of them before turning your attention to the oil derricks.

There will be a radar van and two GLA motorcycles in the valley by the oil derricks. Attack and destroy these vehicles. The oil derricks provide a good opportunity to practice your demolition skills with either your Remote or Timed Demo Charges -- but you can also just blast them with your machine gun.

Now that the path is cleared, bring up your troops from the church to Prison Camp 2. Use your Rangers to Flash Bang the two civilian structures in the prison camp and Colonel Burton to destroy the Stinger site.

When all enemy structures are destroyed, the prisoners will come out from the barracks.

Use any available Rangers to man the four liberated vehicles and proceed to the northeast with Colonel Burton. Destroy Stinger sites and Tunnel Networks encountered along the way.

Select the Microwave Tank and then click on a Tunnel Network or Stinger site to disable it.

The Microwave Tank can be used to disable Stinger sites and Tunnel Networks. Choose the microwave tank, click on the enemy structure, and a beam of microwaves will be emitted completely disabling the structure. Use Colonel Burton or the tanks to destroy it while it is incapacitated.

It is not necessary to destroy all of the defensive structures northeast of the prison camp. The two Tunnel Networks by the bridge can be avoided. If the next Tunnel Network and Stinger site encountered are destroyed, Colonel Burton can head safely northwest into the mountains. A final cut scene will appear and the mission will be accomplished.

Expedited Version of Mission

This mission, not including the opening and final cut scene, can be accomplished in ten minutes.

Destroy the two Radar Vans on way north to first prison camp. Destroy any GLA motorcycles on the way up, as they can sneak up on your troops later.

Blast straight through the camp and liberate your men. Head back south and have your Rangers Flash Bang the fortified buildings near the ridge, enough so that your men can safely get through.

Head north with your men toward Prison Camp 2, destroying any GLA vehicles encountered on the way. Have Colonel Burton and company destroy the one Tunnel Network and the Arms dealer in front of the Prison Camp. Have two Rangers Flash Bang the two garrisoned civilian buildings in the camp and have Colonel Burton destroy the Stinger site.

Have the Colonel go to the northeast, avoiding the Tunnel Networks by the bridge. Destroy the Stinger site and Tunnel Network located on the northwest part of the mountain and run up to finish the mission.

If you want to cut it close, don't destroy the Tunnel Network and attempt to run right past it. It is even possible to have Colonel Burton killed "after" the mission is completed, so both mission accomplished and mission failed messages are given.

Alternatively, your troops can bypass Prison Camp 2, have a mass attack on the Tunnel Networks protecting the bridge, while Colonel Burton runs past them. Take out the Tunnel Network on the northwest corner of the bridge, and then proceed as described above.