Continued from the Last Hundred Yards game play here: HERE

Jackson could feel it. If the krauts got hold of the Church it would all slip away and he and his men would die.

They had to take out the Germans as they closed!

The quick short bursts behind him told the story of his lone MG section, fighting of a dozen men or more. But he could not help them just yet.

Hopefully Rothberg had things under control on his left. The noise from there had stopped. Somehow they needed to regain the initiative.

The crack, of German rifles fire and the winging sounds of it ricocheting off of the stone walls around him brought him crashing back to the moment. “Listen up. I want Rakowski, Tewks and Udell to go back out the front and around the side of the Church. Lob some grenades and unload on those guys. When you do that me, Seegert and Sapara will pull these doors open and try and get them while they are distracted. Hell they might even think we have a bigger force than we really do. Got it?”

Grimy tense faces nodded affirmatively. “Lets do this, stay hard”.

Back over by Rotherberg, Wootress’s head was clearing, and he stood looking down at the dead kraut at his feet. “Lets move it Wootress, you crazy shit. Back to the building on the double and regroup, or you are on your own!” Yelled Rothberg.

“Roger that Sarge, I’m sorry I dunno what happened.” He said. “What happened was I think you watched one too many recruitment reels, but damn it son, I think you scared Jerry off for now. Good work. Oh.. and don’t do it again! Battle Babies indeed, move it” as Rothberg jogged to cover.

‘Ok, men, hunker down. Lets wait and see if they try that shit again.”

Across the street desultory fire from the Germans on their left peppered them. ‘Hold men, hold…conserve your ammo.” said Rothberg.

Sergeant Rothberg moved to the back of the group of buildings to the other squad. “Listen up Garvin, what do you think about taking your squad and cutting them jerries over there off? My boys will hang tight here while you see if you can pick them off, we can cover you once you are in place?

Sergeant Garvin responded, “Good idea, it will put me a bit closer to our boy Lt Jackson. I’m worried about him going off half cocked like that to the Church.”

“Me too, but he aint no Westpoint wet. He will be ok. He got to be. Or we are all screwed.”

At that moment Jackson was swinging open the doors of the Church as grenades went off. They had caught the Germans rushing to the church wall in the open! A dozen krauts dover for cover, and tried to fire back. But the GI’s kept up a furious fire.

Jackson could see a German officer trying to urge his men forward! ” Pour it on fellas, pour it on!” cried Jackson.

Meanwhile Krockover and Balod were racing up stairs, trying to get into their MG into position to fire down on the enemy in the woods. They hastily set up and began shooting. The bright muzzle flashes were followed by a hail of bullets at the Germans. Who hugged the hard cold ground for dear life.

“Gary, I cant get the angle, I gotta lean out a little more.” As he did so the terrifying sound of an MG ’42 echoed in Gary’s ears. Balod, twitched four times and slumped over the gun. Krockover dragged him to cover. Both were quickly covered in blood and gore. “ahh shit Balod, why do a dipshit thing like that man.” He quickly began applying dressings. Balod wheezed, coughed and just stopped. He was gone. Krockover rocked him in his arms, helplessly.

Jackson couldn’t believe his luck, the mood changed, the Germans had tried to assault but to no avail! Pinning half their forces with his move had saved them!

Figure 1 Note this accrues a -2 SADRM

The Germans quickly retreat! Leaving half their men still cowering in fairly open ground.

The tide was turning. But as he looked around through the cordite at his weary men. He knew that they were not out of the woods by a long shot.

“All right fellas, if we can finish off these bastards outside they might call it a day until they bring up reinforcements. Reload, grab some water and lets finish this.”

In the back of his mind, he worried that he was isolated. He could hear a lot of German guns and not much from the rest of his platoon. Rothberg was solid, but were his men, his Battle Babies really up to fighting what looked like the cream of the German army? This was the first real test of his men of the 99th. So far they had excelled.

See part 1 here: https://bigboardgaming.com/on-their-own-1/