Combat! is owned by ABC TV. This story is meant only for the enjoyment of Combat! fans, with no intention to infringe on any copyrights, and no monetary compensation has been received.
Forgive this indulgence, but the wonderful interaction between Saunders and Kirby is worth nurturing. It's always enjoyable bringing these two soldiers together. Thanks for staying with the squad as they journey through WWII France. Hope you enjoy. Let me know.
EVASIVE MANEUVERS
CHAPTER 1
King Company had been billeted in and around the small French village for close to a week. Second platoon had almost immediately been sent to scout and map the area ahead in preparation for another advance.
As the platoon headed out, Sergeant Saunders had to say his goodbyes to Bette once again since her medical unit was staying behind in the village. Because their units were frequently apart, the two of them took advantage of every opportunity to be together. Her unit had set up their billet later than the Company, so she and Saunders had barely seen each other before he had to leave.
So when Lieutenant Hanley needed a runner to take maps and papers back to the Company brass in the village, the sergeant quickly volunteered.
"You?" Hanley asked incredulously. "Why the heck would I want to send my sergeant as an errand boy? I just need a good soldier who can walk. I've got quite a few of those."
"Well…uh," the sergeant began hesitantly, searching for a good reply. "Those are important papers that need to get through to the Company."
With a twinkle in his eye, the Lieutenant countered, "But we cleared the area between here and the village. We're not talking about sneaking through enemy territory."
"While I'm there I could check on Kirby. If he's ok, I'll make sure he gets back here," Saunders tried a different line of reasoning.
With arms crossed, Hanley gave a faint smile. "Sergeant…Private Kirby is merely having his leg checked in the field hospital. He's not accused of desertion. He doesn't need to be escorted back."
The officer leaned forward on his makeshift table. "I suspect that there might be another reason for your eagerness to volunteer?"
He took great delight in seeing his sergeant squirm. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a lovely blonde nurse would it?"
Saunders shifted uncomfortably. "Well, as long as I'm there I might as well say hi to Bette."
Hanley looked down at his folded hands to keep from laughing outright. When he'd composed himself, he looked up.
"Well, Sergeant, I guess if you're willing to walk two hours each way, it must be important to you. You do understand that if Kirby comes along with you, his leg will make the trip back more like three hours?"
Saunders nodded. "Yes, Sir." The game was almost over. Both of the soldiers knew that Saunders would be going. He was the one that the officer trusted the most to get the papers there and back safely. Hanley had already made his choice.
"Alright, Sergeant," Hanley finally gave in. "Things are quiet here. You've got the job."
The officer stood up and handed the pouch of papers over to his sergeant. "Get these to Captain Jampel. He'll be giving you back a pouch in return. Plans for how and when they're expecting to advance. Can't send something like that out over the radio, so I need a runner."
"I need a runner I can trust," Hanley finally admitted.
"We've cleared the road between here and the village already, so you shouldn't have any problems other than the ruts in the road. Our last patrol that just came back said that it still looks good."
"Yes, Sir." The sergeant nodded and tucked the pouch into his field jacket. "You want me to bring Kirby back?"
"If the Doc says ok, then bring him back with you," the Lieutenant replied. "Be back by 1700 hours tomorrow or I'll send the MP out looking for both of you."
Saunders smiled, slung his Thompson over his shoulder and grabbed his helmet.
Putting on the helmet he said, "See you tomorrow, Lieutenant."
CHAPTER 2
"Be out in a minute, Sarge," Kirby called from the showers.
"Long as you're ready to go in twenty minutes," Saunders replied as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and sat down on the front steps.
"Be out in a jiffy," came the muffled reply.
It had been a long, dusty walk to the village for the sergeant, maneuvering around the holes and ruts in the dried, packed dirt. But it had felt easy to him knowing that he was going to see Bette again.
He'd stopped into the CP as soon as he had entered the town. Quickly ushered in to meet with Captain Jampel, the sergeant handed over the pouch of maps.
"Hanley sent you?" the Captain asked curiously as he handed Saunders a pouch in return.
Trying to keep from squirming, Saunders replied, "Yes, Sir. I have some other things to attend to, and I'll be picking up one of my men who was wounded."
He hoped that the officer wouldn't pursue any further explanation.
"Well," Jampel said, "Guess you're a good man for the job. Just make sure that pouch gets to Lieutenant Hanley safely. We'll be advancing soon and he'll need to know our plans."
The officer looked at his watch. "Too late to leave now. Find a place to bed down, and head out tomorrow."
"Yes, Sir," the sergeant replied as he saluted briefly and left with a slight smile. Perfect.
Heading straight to the med tents, it didn't take long for him to find her. Bette was pleasantly surprised by his unexpected appearance, and managed to get some free time. After her shift ended, their evening together was perfect. But morning came too soon.
Saunders had thought seriously about staying until 1400 hours and walking back. It would give him more time in the village and still get him back by 1700 hours.
But Bette had to work anyway. Her nursing shift started at 0800 hours. Besides, the sergeant knew that his lieutenant needed the paperwork from the brass. The sooner he returned the better.
While waiting for Kirby to be checked out of the hospital, Saunders had recognized Corporal Henderson, who usually delivered their mail. He was loading his jeep with mail and some food supplies to head out to Second platoon.
After a brief conversation, and a promise of some of Saunders' sister's oatmeal cookies when they came, the sergeant had secured a ride back to their unit for both himself and Kirby.
They'd make it to the platoon by 0900 hours. He'd have plenty of time to meet with the Lieutenant to deliver the papers, then shower and shave before lunch. Since he wasn't supposed to return until 1700 hours, maybe he'd even manage to get a nap in. He hadn't slept much the night before.
Sitting on the steps with his cigarette, he listened to Kirby singing as the soldier finished getting dressed. The morning was warm, and the village was relatively quiet. Saunders wished the war could stay that way. Even the birds were singing merrily.
He looked at his watch. "Almost ready, Kirby? Jeep'll be leaving soon. Henderson isn't going to hang around waiting for us."
"Not even for Louise's oatmeal cookies?" Kirby asked as he appeared in the front doorway putting on his field jacket.
"Not even," his sergeant smiled.
"Done," the BAR man finally said. "This is really great, Sarge. Sure wasn't looking forward to that long walk. Just got my leg better."
He reached down and grabbed his BAR, slinging it over his shoulder. "Wait!" the private said as he ran back into the building.
Saunders stood up, slung his own Thompson and put his helmet on. Grabbing Kirby's helmet, he yelled, "Kirby!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Kirby answered as he quickly returned with a small but obviously full and heavy haversack.
His sergeant stared at him suspiciously and handed over his helmet. "Nothing the MP's would be concerned about?"
Kirby shook his head and held up a hand. "Honest."
With a skeptical look, Saunders flipped his cigarette into the street and said, "Let's go."
CHAPTER 3
As the three soldiers climbed into the jeep, the corporal told the two men, "The road is pretty chewed up, as I'm sure you saw on the way here. Lots of fighting been going on along this road. We'll have to take it fairly slow and do a lot of maneuvering around holes and ruts. A work detail is supposed to try to come out to level it out a bit tomorrow and make it more passable for the Company vehicles. But it'll be pretty slow going for us. Take almost thirty minutes."
Kirby laughed as he climbed into the back seat next to the mail bag and several cases of food. "Sure beats a two or three hour hike, that's for sure."
"Well, we may not be going fast, but you'll see, it feels like a roller coaster ride," Henderson added.
"Can't be as bad as the Bobs," Kirby laughed again.
"The what?" Henderson asked.
Shifting his Thompson between his legs, Saunders answered, "The Bobs in Riverview Park, Chicago. Monster roller coaster."
The corporal looked back and forth between the two soldiers. "Anyway…Kirby, pull the mail pouch strap over your head, would you? Like I said, the ride can get pretty rough, and I don't want the mail to disappear over the side. I know how important it is to everyone. I lose that mail and someone'll shoot me for sure."
Looking at both soldiers, Henderson asked, "Ready? Hang on to your helmets."
The ride was even slower and rougher than the corporal predicted. But Saunders didn't mind, even though his spine felt like it had been riding for an eternity. They were already halfway there. It beat hours of walking, especially with Kirby's still healing leg.
He braced his own right boot against the fender and held on to the Thompson tightly with one hand and the windshield with the other. Halfway there. Kirby was hanging on with both hands, with haversack, mail bag and BAR all slung around his neck.
"There's been a lot of back and forth movement in this area," the corporal yelled over the noise. "Lots of fighting. But it's ours right now."
At that moment, their world exploded.
CHAPTER 4
When the front wheel hit the mine, the jeep was lifted into the air and flipped onto its side, sliding on the hard packed dirt. Saunders was thrown out, tumbling numerous times before landing hard, face down on the dirt and gravel roadside.
As the dust swirled around him and the explosion still echoed in his head, the sergeant tried to push himself up. He felt battered all over, and his head really hurt. He'd lost his helmet in the explosion, offering him no protection as he rolled on the packed dirt road.
Shaking his head trying to clear his vision, he looked up to see the jeep lying on its side, with the entire left front smoking and mangled. Making an attempt to stand, he stumbled back down onto one knee and shook his head once more.
Slowly making his way upright again, Saunders stood for a moment until his world stopped spinning. When the Earth stopped moving, he walked unsteadily toward the crumpled figure by the jeep.
The sergeant knelt down and turned the man over with guilty relief. "Henderson?"
Riddled with shrapnel, the corporal was definitely dead. Saunders looked around. Kirby. Slightly behind the overturned jeep the sergeant caught movement. He stood, again waiting for his vision to clear and his head to stop spinning. When he felt steadier, he walked haltingly toward the private who was trying unsuccessfully to sit up.
With a last shake of his head, Saunders knelt next to Kirby. Trying to talk, he found his mouth caked with dirt and blood. Spitting it out, he cleared his throat.
"You alright?" he asked hoarsely.
Kirby sat up slowly with his sergeant's help. Holding his head trying to get his eyes to focus, he said painfully, "I take it back. This was definitely worse than the Bobs."
Saunders checked him over quickly. Other than a few minor cuts, no blood. The sergeant decided that he'd live. But when he grabbed the soldier's arm to help him up, Kirby let out a yell and clutched his arm gingerly.
"Great! I just got my leg patched up and now it's my arm," he declared in a strained voice.
"Is it busted?" his sergeant asked worriedly.
Kirby shook his head. "Nah, I can move it a little, but I ain't gonna be winning no arm wrestling matches any time soon."
The private gently felt up and down his arm. "You bust your nose?" he asked, nodding his head toward his sergeant.
Saunders touched his face and his hand came away covered in blood. Gently squeezing the bridge of his nose and running his fingers down, he replied, "Must've smacked it when I got thrown out. Doesn't feel broken."
He gingerly wiped his nose and face on his sleeve, and then wiped his hand on his thigh.
"I probably landed on my BAR," Kirby said, realizing that his weapon, haversack and the mail pouch were still slung around his neck.
"Man that hurts. Lucky I didn't strangle myself or break my neck." He held out the mail bag with his good arm. "At least I saved the mail."
The BAR man looked around. "Henderson?"
Saunders shook his head. "Dead."
The sergeant suddenly sat up straighter and looked around in a panic. He felt inside his jacket and searched around again frantically. Finally pulling himself up, he hurried unsteadily back to where he'd first landed after being thrown from the jeep.
Scanning the area around him, he found the dusty courier pouch lying in the dirt. King Company's plans for their next advance. He had to get them back to Hanley.
Then another sudden realization hit him. "We've got to get out of here, Kirby!" he yelled. "Now!"
CHAPTER 5
Saunders ran unsteadily back to Kirby and pulled on the soldier's good arm. "C'mon. We've got to move fast."
As Kirby struggled up with all of the added weight, he asked in confusion, "What is it, Sarge? What's wrong?"
The sergeant pulled the BAR sling from around the private's neck and slung it over his own shoulder.
"Lieutenant Hanley said this road had been cleared. And a recent patrol double checked it. Which means that mine we hit was planted not too long ago. If they're still in the area, the krauts must have heard the explosion."
Saunders ran back to the jeep while he explained, and he began searching for his Thompson. Finding the remains of the corporal's rifle, he then saw his Thompson…wedged under the side of the jeep. Kneeling down, he tugged forcefully on it, but it was jammed tightly between the jeep and the hard packed dirt road.
"Help me get the jeep off my Tommy!" he yelled to Kirby as he leaned against the overturned vehicle.
As the BAR man came over, Saunders froze, listening to a distant sound coming closer. Too late.
A German halftrack.
CHAPTER 6
Saunders pushed Kirby toward the side of the road as he looked back at the sound of the approaching vehicle. "Move! Move!"
Leaving helmets, the jeep and the dead corporal behind, they disappeared into the woods. The sergeant quickly led them deeper but then stopped and motioned for Kirby to get down. Peering between the trees and brush, Saunders could just see the jeep and the corporal's prone body.
He was hoping that the krauts wouldn't check the wreckage too carefully. Maybe, he thought, they'd look it over quickly, consider it a minor victory and move on. Maybe. Then he and Kirby could sit for awhile, and make their way back to their unit on foot.
He watched and waited silently.
Saunders could see the halftrack approaching, driving through brush alongside the road, hugging the tree line. They're avoiding driving on the road, he thought. Don't want to hit their own mines.
The vehicle pulled up near the wreckage, and seven soldiers climbed out. Saunders briefly rested his forehead on a tree trunk and closed his eyes. Seven. His mind was already racing ahead for an alternate plan.
The sergeant noted that one was an officer, and he stayed by the halftrack barking orders. The other soldiers spread out around the destroyed jeep. As the officer continued firing off orders, Saunders wished he had Brockmeyer there. How many krauts were in the area? Just them? More? What were they planning? And when? Was this the start of another push back into the area, or just something to demoralize their enemy?
No matter which way the krauts were thinking, Lieutenant Hanley had to know. With the road mined and Germans in the area, his platoon would be cut off from the Company. And if the Company wasn't warned, they would be unknowingly advancing into a mine field.
As Saunders watched, one of the soldiers held up the sergeant's camo helmet. Another soldier joined him with Kirby's helmet. The officer went over and took Saunders' helmet, looked at it and then stared down at the dead corporal.
He walked over to the shattered remains of the corporal's rifle and the soldier's helmet nearby. Kneeling down, he picked up the helmet and looked from one helmet to the other. Standing up, he walked straight to the overturned jeep, dropping the corporal's helmet as he went.
With camo helmet still in hand, the officer glanced down at his feet. Looking out over the surrounding area, the soldier leaned on the jeep. Saunders could read the man's thoughts as clearly as if he was speaking them out loud. In English.
The entire time the officer absent mindedly tapped the helmet on the jeep and kicked Saunders' Thompson with his boot.
CHAPTER 7
"They know we're out here somewhere," Saunders whispered as he watched the officer.
"What do ya mean? How?" Kirby asked.
The sergeant leaned his head against the tree again to think. "Three helmets, one dead soldier," he replied. "And he found my Thompson and Henderson's busted rifle. So he knows that there's two of us out here somewhere, and we've probably only got one weapon."
Saunders ran his hand over the BAR. No Thompson. No .45. No grenades. Not even a bayonet. This was supposed to be a milk run, he thought. He reached into his field jacket and pulled out two magazines…for his Thompson. He stuffed them back into his jacket in frustration.
Gripping the BAR in both hands, he looked at his injured BAR man and asked, "Please tell me that you have more ammo than just this one mag."
Kirby smiled broadly as he pulled the haversack from around his neck. "I never go anywhere running on empty." He held out the heavy sack and opened it.
Saunders blinked several times as he stared at a dozen or more loaded magazines. "Kirby, all this time you've been lugging this bag and the BAR around your neck?"
He hefted the bag. "These things have to weigh twenty pounds all by themselves. It's a wonder you didn't break your neck!"
"Yeah, I know. Heavy suckers," Kirby replied as he reached into his jacket and pulled out another magazine. "Got three more in here to kinda balance it all out." He pointed to the pocket on the side of his injured arm. "More over here."
"That's why I was so glad to get the ride," the private added as he looked out toward the wreckage. "Lot of good that did me."
The sergeant looked at his BAR man incredulously. "Why? Why all these mags?"
Kirby shifted uncomfortably under his sergeant's steady gaze. "Well, shoot, I got worried about us being stuck out there in the middle of nowhere with the platoon. Krauts come after us and we'll need all the ammo we can get. Figured you can never have too much ammo. And ain't Brockmeyer always saying 'be prepared'? He's a Eagle Scout. He should know."
When his sergeant remained silent, the BAR man added, "So…I stopped by ordnance and stocked up."
He became more confident with his explanation. "And see? I was right," he said, pointing back toward the road. "Krauts."
Saunders reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the two magazines for his Thompson. Tossing them into the bushes, he reached into the haversack and loaded his pockets with half of the BAR magazines. Hesitating, he took a couple more.
"Let's move out," the sergeant said as he turned to head deeper into the woods.
CHAPTER 8
Saunders occasionally looked back as they worked their way into the woods and away from the road and the krauts. He finally held up his hand and the two soldiers stopped.
The sergeant cocked his head back toward the way that they'd just come, listening for any foreign sounds. He knelt down and Kirby followed while clutching his injured arm to his chest. He had been using the haversack still slung around his neck as a sling for his arm.
"Anything?" Kirby whispered.
Saunders shook his head. "I gotta think. We can't just keep moving around. Without a map or compass we'll never find our way back to the platoon through the woods. We need to get back on that road, or at least within sight of it."
They knelt in silence for awhile as the sergeant sorted through the options for getting out of the predicament that they were in. To continue running might get them away from the krauts, but it meant that they would be moving farther away from their own unit.
They couldn't keep playing a cat and mouse game. They had to get back to warn Hanley and the Company. They just couldn't keep ducking the krauts until they hopefully gave up the chase.
Surrendering to the krauts was instantly dismissed as not even an option. Saunders finally settled on a third option.
"We're gonna circle back," he finally said quietly. "Watch for the krauts. If we don't see any reinforcements coming soon, it probably means that they don't have a radio. Which also means that they're as cut off from their unit as we are from ours."
"But what if they do get reinforcements?" Kirby asked, rubbing his arm anxiously.
Saunders looked at him with a grim smile. "Then we run like hell and worry about finding our way back later."
The sergeant stood up and adjusted the heavy BAR. "In the meantime, we go with assuming that they'll get no support."
"So what are we gonna do, Sarge, once we circle back?" Kirby asked.
"We're going to try some evasive maneuvers to hopefully win a tactical advantage," Saunders replied with a slight smile as he checked the weapon.
The BAR man stared at his sergeant in confusion. "Ok…" he answered hesitantly, not quite understanding what his sergeant was talking about, but pretty sure that he was soon going to find out.
CHAPTER 9
The two soldiers began to slowly circle back toward the jeep. Saunders stopped and motioned them down when he heard a slight movement farther ahead of them.
Three Germans, barely visible, were spread out and moving cautiously toward them through the undergrowth. With rifles ready, the krauts searched each dense area.
Pushing Kirby lower, Saunders slipped back behind a tree. Peering out with one eye, he watched and waited. Three men, Saunders thought. The officer must have sent the other three soldiers to flush out the woods on the opposite side of the road, since they didn't know which direction the Americans had headed.
The sergeant pulled his head back and began thinking of a more detailed plan. Three was certainly better than six or seven. But it was still three against one when it came to weapons.
And as soon as he tried something, or they caught sight of him, the firing would start and the others would come running. He needed a plan of action. Unless he and Kirby just ran, he knew that they'd eventually get caught as the Germans tightened the perimeter around them.
But running would put Second platoon and the rest of K Company in danger. At least one of them…either he or Kirby…had to get back as soon as possible to warn them.
Keeping an eye on the three krauts moving slowly through the woods, Saunders reached into his jacket and pulled out the pouch.
"Get these papers back to Lieutenant Hanley and tell him about the krauts and the road being mined. If it looks like the krauts are going to find you, make sure you hide these somewhere they'll never find them. Don't let the krauts get these papers."
Taking the pouch, Kirby stared at his sergeant. "What are you going to do?"
"Time to go on the offensive…Draw them away from you. Take out as many as I can," the sergeant whispered.
"I can do that and you can get the papers back," Kirby countered.
Saunders gave him a serious look and pointed to the soldier's injured arm. "The one who can fire the weapon is the one who stays behind."
"But I can help," Kirby pleaded. "Let me help."
His sergeant shook his head. "One of us has to get back to the platoon. That probably isn't going to happen if we're together. And with that injured shoulder you'd just slow me down. I'm going to need to maneuver quickly."
"Ya know, that ain't your Thompson, Sarge," the BAR man replied, pointing to the weapon for one last try.
"You think I don't know how to shoot a BAR?" Saunders whispered angrily as he watched the three krauts slowly coming nearer.
"Honest, Sarge," Kirby said cautiously, knowing he was treading on thin ice. "When's the last time you shot one? Basic?"
Before Saunders could reply, Kirby continued, "Look…I'm just saying, I know that baby inside and out. It's almost twice as heavy as your Thompson. The recoil buffer is shot, so you're gonna feel it more than the Tommy. Been meaning to get it fixed, but we haven't been in one place long enough lately."
He took a quick breath. Might as well go for broke, he thought. "And if you're planning on using the front sight, it pulls to the left. Never bothered to fix it. I just compensate when I need to use it. Your Thompson's good out to what? Four or five hundred feet? Use the bipod on the BAR and you're good for four thousand feet or more."
Saunders stared at his private with his look that could bore through steel. Squirming uncomfortably under his sergeant's gaze, Kirby whispered, "Just saying."
The sergeant finally replied, "Thanks. It's all good to know. But if I can manage to get as far as four thousand feet away from the krauts, I'll practically be back to our unit. Now just keep your head down. When you see an opening to break free, take it. Just be sure to keep that pouch away from the krauts."
"You want the rest of the mags?" Kirby held out the haversack.
His sergeant shook his head. "Can't carry any more and easily maneuver. Besides, for what I'm planning, if it works, I won't even use what I've got."
With a faint smile, he added, "If I end up having to use all the ammo I've got, then I'm probably not going to be making it out anyway. A few more mags won't make a difference."
Discussion over, Saunders said, "Stay put until I draw them toward me. Then I want you to move when the krauts are looking away from you. I'll give you as much time as I possibly can."
The sergeant rested his hand a moment on his BAR man's shoulder, and then he crawled silently through the underbrush and disappeared into the forest.
CHAPTER 10
Saunders moved quietly, staying ahead and out of sight of the Germans. The three soldiers were still about one hundred yards away, spread out and moving slowly toward him.
Sitting on the forest floor, he braced his back against a tree. Bringing his knees up, he rested the BAR between them. With the sling still around his neck, he flipped the lever to single shot. Aiming at the closest soldier, Saunders waited for the kraut to become more visible through the brush. He needed a clear shot.
As the soldier stepped out from behind a tree, the sergeant took a breath and fired. Just as the soldier went down, Saunders could see that he'd only clipped the man's shoulder.
Cursing, Saunders quickly slid the weapon over his shoulder and hit the ground on his belly. As bullets flew around him he crawled off to the right, figuring that they would expect him to pull straight back, deeper into the woods.
The forest was thinner there, populated mostly with young new growth saplings. Probably was farmland not that many years ago, the sergeant thought as he crawled. With all of the sunlight coming through, the underbrush had grown in densely. Not good for a soldier to hide while standing up. But perfect for someone on their belly.
He slid through the brush and slipped into a narrow gulley. Waiting with heart pounding, he watched and listened as the two remaining soldiers dragged the wounded man to cover.
Saunders took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as he continued to watch them. He'd opened a can of worms, and now every move he made would be critical. Remaining perfectly still and quiet, he knew that the other krauts from across the road would soon join the pursuit. If his plan went well, they would be searching in the wrong direction.
Ducking back down, the sergeant rested his hand on the still warm barrel of the BAR. Even though Kirby had told him about the front sight being off, Saunders hadn't adjusted enough. He'd only wounded the soldier. But at least the man looked to be out of commission.
Saunders wouldn't make that mistake again. He rubbed his shoulder. If he made it out of this, he thought, he'd definitely have Kirby get the recoil buffer replaced.
Hearing voices, the sergeant peered cautiously over the rim of the gulley. So far so good, he thought. The other soldiers, but not the officer, had joined the pursuit. They were facing away from him, turned toward the direction that they thought he would have run.
Looking around, Saunders saw a large craggy boulder farther off to his right…and farther away from where he knew that Kirby would be by now. Crawling slowly toward the boulder, he kept a watchful eye on the krauts. He was trying to keep at least fifty yards between him and his pursuers to give himself a little running room…just in case.
As he neared the boulder, he could hear the officer's voice, but couldn't see him. Saunders didn't need to understand German to recognize the commanding authority of that voice. If he could just take out that officer, he thought, the others might bolt.
They already had one soldier down. Having an invisible American sniping at them would wear on their nerves. Snipers certainly did that to him.
Circling around the boulder, the sergeant knew that he was hidden from the krauts' view. He stood up and ran his hands over the face of the rough rock, looking for hand and footholds. Grabbing on here and there, he slowly made his way up the face of the large boulder.
CHAPTER 11
Pulling himself up over the crest of the boulder, Saunders held the BAR tightly against his back to keep it from scraping against the rock. He inspected the top, looking for a fairly flat surface. Deciding on a small level area, he lay down on his belly, facing the Germans. The sun was warm on his back as he started to bring the bipod down. But then he stopped.
Once he took the shot, he knew that he'd have to move quickly. There'd be no time to retract and lock the legs back up. And he couldn't take the chance of leaving the legs down and having them snag on branches or brush as he made his escape.
Instead he propped the BAR up using his forearms and elbows for 'legs'. As he settled into position he could hear the Germans beginning to move…farther away from him and closer to Kirby's original position. Saunders knew that they could go a lot farther and he'd still have a good shot with the BAR, just as long as he could still see them.
As much as he hoped to catch the officer in his sights, he intended to go for the first soldier that came into clear view. Making sure that the BAR was ready, he took a few deep breaths and waited. Soon a soldier came into view, but stepped behind a tree before the sergeant could focus and aim. He waited.
When another kraut stepped into his line of sight, Saunders quickly compensated for the front sight's drift and pulled the trigger. This time, prepared for the little extra kick, he instantly readied himself to take a second shot if necessary. No need. The soldier was hit dead center and dropped.
Saunders immediately pulled back and slid down the back face of the boulder, landing hard but managing to stay on his feet. Circling the boulder, he quickly checked the other Germans. They hadn't figured out yet where the shot had come from, but they knew the general direction from the sound. It wouldn't take them very long to focus their attention on the boulder.
Saunders dropped face down on the ground and he began to crawl through the brush again.
CHAPTER 12
Moving off to the left, the sergeant crawled back to the gulley, stopping now and then to listen. The Germans fired several rounds blindly toward the boulder, but then they stopped. They were listening too.
Saunders quietly slipped back into the gulley, trying to flatten himself into invisibility. His heart was pounding as he tried to control his breathing. They both seemed so loud that he thought that the krauts would surely hear.
Gripping the BAR tightly in his sweaty hands, he stared up into the overhead sun-dappled leaves. So peaceful and quiet up there, he thought. He closed his eyes, waited…and listened.
He thought of Kirby. Hopefully the soldier was making his way past the Germans by now. He didn't know how much longer his luck would hold out. If he could only get that officer the others might give up the chase, take their losses and leave. He'd welcome that long walk back to the platoon in relative peace.
He had to get that officer.
CHAPTER 13
Saunders lay flat on his back, just listening. All he could hear were the sounds of the forest. But suddenly the birds stopped singing. And then he heard a slight rustling in the distance behind him. They were coming. He listened intently to determine their direction, picturing their movements in his head. The krauts were getting closer, making their way toward the boulder.
Very gradually, Saunders rolled over from his back to his stomach, with the BAR by his side. He lay still once again, trying to determine their exact location. They were a good ways off still, straight ahead and a little off to the right. Moving quietly closer.
The sergeant risked raising his head slowly until he could just peer above the edge of the gulley. Looking toward the direction that he could hear the sounds coming from, he finally located them. They were barely fifty yards away, moving from tree to tree as they advanced toward the boulder.
If he could get a clear shot at the officer he would take it, even though they were closer than he would prefer. But his chances of making another escape undetected would be nonexistent. He'd be moving in a big hurry with the remaining krauts on his tail.
Without moving his head, Saunders looked around planning his best escape route. There'd be no second chances. Through all of his maneuvers he was always aware of where he was in relation to the road. The road was the only way to guarantee getting back to his unit.
Saunders mentally mapped out his escape and slowly brought the BAR forward. The officer had joined them but was being extremely cautious, aware of his own vulnerability. Every once in awhile Saunders could just see him appear through the trees or brush.
Saunders aimed the weapon, preparing to take his best shot. He knew that he'd started with a full mag, so he resisted the urge to check it and possibly make noise. He had eighteen rounds left before he had to change mags. He just might need them all, he thought.
Catching another glimpse of the officer, the sergeant swung the barrel slightly and set his forward sight on the soldier.
CHAPTER 14
Moving the barrel in anticipation of the officer's next exposure, he flipped the selector lever to full auto. He wasn't going to take any more chances. Put the officer down and run. There was an older stand of trees not far away that was closer to the road and would offer him some protection while he tried to get away.
The sergeant waited and watched. He was as ready as he'd ever be.
When the officer briefly stepped into view finally, Saunders pulled the trigger. He only held his finger on the trigger for a second, but half the remaining mag instantly knocked the officer off of his feet and flat onto his back.
Without wasting any precious time to look at the man, Saunders launched himself onto his feet and began to run for the stand of trees. There was a brief moment of hesitation among the soldiers as they realized that their commanding officer was dead. It was the time that the sergeant needed to make it to the stand of trees before a hail of bullets chewed up the woods and brush around him.
Once safely behind the trees, he waited for a break in their fire. Inching out quickly, he sprayed the last of his mag toward the krauts. Dropping the empty mag on the forest floor, he reached into his jacket and popped in another. Taking a deep breath, he leaned out and used up another half mag to drive the remaining krauts back behind cover.
Immediately he broke from the trees and sprinted for the road. Saunders knew that it wasn't far, but it still surprised him when he suddenly left the tree line and found himself on the rutted dirt road.
Before he could stop himself he was in the middle of the road remembering that it was probably still mined. Knowing that turning back was not an option, he continued on without breaking stride. He tried to stay dead center in the middle of the road as he ran. Figuring that mines would probably have been buried where a vehicle's tires or treads would drive, Saunders decided that the center was the safest place.
It may have been the safest place…but it still made him sweat.
As the sergeant started to look for an opening in the trees on the other side of the road, he caught sight of the halftrack…facing in the direction that he wanted to go. If he could just make it to the vehicle, he might have a chance to escape. If nothing else, it would afford him some solid protection.
Emptying his mag toward the now advancing krauts, Saunders kept running. He yanked the mag from the BAR, tossed it aside and reached into his field jacket for another. Without breaking stride he quickly jammed it in as the first rifle fire came his way.
Probably should have taken the rest of those mags from Kirby, he thought as he ran. Just as he approached the halftrack the German soldiers entered the road way and concentrated their fire on him.
CHAPTER 15
Saunders felt the bullet clip his thigh and he stumbled, but he managed to stay upright and keep running. He wanted to turn back to lay down some solid cover for himself until he got to the halftrack, but he didn't trust his leg to keep him up with the maneuver. He was too unsteady, and the BAR was getting heavier by the minute.
He just needed to get behind the halftrack. If he could hold them off he might have time to climb up to the machine gun mounted up front. Or maybe even get the vehicle moving.
Circling around the back end of the halftrack, Saunders ducked as bullets plowed into the ground around him. Leaning against the vehicle, he swung the BAR back and emptied it. He didn't hit anyone, but he succeeded in driving the four krauts into the dirt.
Tossing the empty mag, he quickly reloaded. Even though he knew that he still had five or six magazines left, he also knew that he was going to burn through his ammo soon at this rate if he wasn't careful. He flipped the lever on the BAR to single shot. Looking up toward the top of the vehicle, he could see what he needed. Saunders knew that he needed to get to that machine gun.
As bullets pinged off of the armor plate, Saunders suddenly heard, "Geez!" from the front of the vehicle. A driver! the sergeant thought in a panic. It never occurred to him that there might be an eighth man who stayed with the halftrack. He needed to take him out now if he had any hope of escape.
Saunders quickly climbed up onto the tread, slid forward and swung the BAR down into the front toward the driver. He pulled up the barrel just before his finger could hit the trigger.
"Kirby!" the sergeant yelled down to the driver below him.
"Ahhh!" the soldier yelled in a panicked response. Seeing his sergeant above him, he added in relief, "Man, Sarge, don't scare me like that!"
As he was speaking, Kirby started the engine, managing to get it into gear one-handed. The sergeant pulled himself up, turned and swung his legs over into the back bed of the vehicle just as the halftrack moved forward. Saunders lost his balance and landed hard on his knees. He shouted in pain as it traveled up his leg from his knee to his wounded thigh.
Looking up, he found himself face to face with a German soldier sitting on the floor and leaning against the back wall. The sergeant scrambled to bring the BAR around, but the soldier held up a bloodied hand.
"Nein! Nicht Schießen!" the soldier cried out with eyes wide.
Saunders stopped. The man was obviously wounded and appeared unarmed. He suddenly realized that this must be the first kraut that he'd shot, only clipping him in the shoulder. The soldier must have made his way back to the halftrack.
Quickly crawling over to the soldier, he peered up over the back wall to see that the other krauts were just getting up out of the dirt. He searched the wounded German. No weapons.
Coming up in a low crouch, the sergeant stood on a seat and once again peered over the edge of the back of the vehicle. The halftrack had been moving slowly and the soldiers were giving chase. Saunders pulled the trigger. Single shot. He quickly flipped the lever back to full auto and fired. The Germans hit the dirt again as the entire mag was emptied toward them.
Saunders didn't care if he hit anyone. He just needed them to stay down until the halftrack could get far enough away that they'd decide to give up the chase. It worked.
Instinctively, Kirby was driving along the side of the road through brush and over rocks to avoid any mines in the road. Having a hard time staying on his feet as they bumped along, the sergeant held on tightly and managed to duck just in time to avoid being struck by a large branch.
They weren't doing more than ten or fifteen miles an hour, but it was fast enough for Saunders. It was enough to get them away from the krauts and out of there alive.
Looking at the wounded soldier sitting in the back bed of the halftrack, Saunders decided that it would be ok to leave him there. The bed was otherwise empty, the German had no weapons, and he was wounded. If he really wanted to jump out of the moving vehicle, the sergeant would let him go. But he didn't see even the slightest indication that the kraut wanted to escape.
Yanking the empty mag, he tossed it over the side of the vehicle and pulled another one from his jacket. As he popped it in, he left the kraut and went forward. Climbing into the seat next to Kirby, he stared at the soldier, momentarily lost for words.
CHAPTER 16
"Sure glad you made it out, Sarge," Kirby said, not taking his eyes off of his driving. As he struggled to maintain control of the large vehicle with one hand, he hugged the tree line so closely that they were grinding brush beneath their treads and breaking branches overhead.
"What are you doing here?" Saunders asked angrily as he checked his leg wound. "I told you to take off. You do still have the papers, don't you?"
Ripping away part of his pant leg, he wiped away some of the blood with his hand. He could see a furrow where the bullet had creased the side of his thigh just above his knee. It hurt like the devil and it was bleeding, but the sergeant knew that it wasn't serious as long as he could at least stop the bleeding and it didn't get infected.
Kirby reached into his field jacket while holding the steering wheel steady with one knee. Pulling out the leather pouch, the private handed it over to his sergeant.
"You told me to get it to Lieutenant Hanley, and that's just what I intended to do. But I couldn't catch a break where I was out of sight from the krauts. That kraut officer stayed back near the wrecked jeep for what seemed like forever. He could see all up and down the road."
With eyes still up ahead, the private continued, "Finally the kraut followed the others into the woods and I waited awhile to be sure he wasn't coming back. I was about to make a run for it when I thought about this here halftrack. Figured it'd be a lot faster. Maybe get back and bring you some reinforcements."
Saunders took the pouch forgetting that his hand was still covered in blood. He tried to wipe the stains from the pouch on his sleeve. Giving up, he tucked it into his jacket.
Pulling out his sulfa and bandages, the sergeant tore open the sulfa, sprinkled it on his leg and threw the empty packet out the window slit. As he slipped the bandage around his thigh, he looked back to check on the wounded kraut. Still there.
"And it didn't bother you at all that there's a kraut in the back of the truck?" he asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.
"Where?" Kirby asked in alarm, swiveling his head back to try to see behind them. "I never thought to look back there. There's a kraut? Did you get him?"
The sergeant shook his head. "He's the man I shot first but almost missed because your sight is off."
"Now wait," Kirby began, "I told you…"
His sergeant cut him off. "I know. I did compensate for it being off. Just not enough."
Saunders wiped the blood from his hands on his jacket as Kirby replied, "Well practice makes perfect. I saw you take out the next guy."
Glancing over his shoulder again nervously, the private added, "Ain't you worried that kraut back there's gonna come after us or try to jump out?"
Saunders fished in his pockets for his cigarettes. "If he jumps, he jumps. Long as he isn't shooting at us, that's ok. But he's not armed. And he looked happy to just stay right where he is."
He lit his cigarette and offered Kirby the pack. The BAR man shook his head. "Not with this bum wing."
Pointing his chin forward, Kirby added, "We should be back to the platoon in a minute anyway. Just over that rise up there if I remember."
Saunders thought for a moment and then said, "Pull over up by that big tree."
"Sure, Sarge, but how come?" Kirby asked as he slowed the halftrack down and pulled over. "Like I said, we're almost there."
"Well, if you were Second platoon and you saw a kraut halftrack rolling over the rise, what would you do?" Saunders smiled.
Kirby snorted a laugh, "Yeah, I see what you mean. So how're we gonna keep from getting blown off the map?"
CHAPTER 17
With his BAR slung over his good shoulder, Kirby walked slowly in front of the German halftrack as it barely crept along, guided by Saunders. Careful to stay well ahead of the vehicle, the BAR man held his good hand up in the air.
Before trading places with Kirby, the sergeant had flipped up the barrel on the halftrack's top mounted machine gun and tied Kirby's bandage to the tip of the barrel.
With the white bandage flapping in the wind, they slowly made their way over the last rise. Drawing closer, they could see soldiers react as they caught sight of the vehicle. Activity in their billet increased dramatically.
Kirby's mouth was bone dry. He tensed as numerous rifles were pointed at them. But at least no one was shooting at them yet, he thought.
Finally, he sighed with relief as he heard someone say, "Hey! It's Kirby!"
Pulling off of the road, they made their way toward camp. Reaching the crowd of soldiers, Saunders came to a stop.
"Move!" came a familiar voice as Lieutenant Hanley pushed his way through the soldiers.
When the officer stood speechless in front of them, Kirby laughed.
"Hey, Lieutenant. Look what followed me home. Can I keep it?" With a big grin, the private pointed over his shoulder.
The crowd of soldiers broke out into laughter as the sergeant stood up on the seat and looked over the top.
Hanley stared at his sergeant dumbfounded. "How the heck…"
"Long story, Lieutenant," Saunders replied.
"I've got the time, Sergeant," the officer responded. Then he shook his head. "Leave it to you and Kirby to take a three hour stroll down a French country road and come back with a kraut halftrack."
Kirby held up the mail bag. "Even made sure the mail got through."
As a round of cheers went up from the men, Kirby added, "And we got us a kraut prisoner."
Hanley looked up at his sergeant with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah…hey, Doc!" Saunders called out to his medic in the crowd. "Can you check on our prisoner? If he didn't jump out along the way, he's in the back."
He turned around to see the German waving a hand weakly at him. "Yeah, he's still there," he added, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.
Doc grabbed a couple of the men and they all climbed up in back to bring the German down.
Saunders swung his good leg out of the top of the cab and used both hands to carefully bring his wounded leg out. The bandage was soaked through, but the sergeant knew that it wasn't serious.
"Again?" Hanley declared, wide-eyed as he stared at his sergeant's leg.
CHAPTER 18
Kirby went to help his sergeant down from the vehicle just as Doc was sliding down from the back bed. The medic looked at the two soldiers, one with an obviously hurting arm or shoulder, and the other with a wounded leg.
"Littlejohn! Billy!" he called out, but the two soldiers were already coming to help out.
"We got it, Doc," Littlejohn replied as he helped his sergeant down off of the halftrack.
As the medic went over to check on the sergeant's wound, Saunders waved him off. "I'm ok, Doc. Just a scratch. The kraut needs you more."
"What about Kirby?" Doc asked.
"It's waited this long, it can wait a little longer I guess," Kirby answered, touching his arm which was tucked in his makeshift haversack sling. "Sarge is right. That kraut definitely needs you more."
The medic looked over at Lieutenant Hanley. The officer nodded and Doc went back to the wounded German.
Once on the ground, the sergeant hopped a few times to get his balance, and then slowly put his weight on his injured leg. He limped over to the officer and pulled the blood stained pouch from his field jacket. After trying to wipe some of the blood off on his jacket, he handed it over.
"Here's K Company's plans for the advance, Lieutenant."
Hanley took the pouch, turned and said, "C'mon."
Saunders limped to catch up to him. As they walked, the officer called out over his shoulder, "Doc! When you're done with the kraut, come to my quarters and check Sergeant Saunders out."
When they entered the tent, Hanley pointed to his cot and said, "Lie down."
"I'm fine, Lieutenant…" the sergeant began.
"That was an order, Sergeant," Hanley interrupted sternly, opening the pouch.
"Yes, Sir," the sergeant sighed and sat on the cot.
When Hanley glared at him, he lifted his injured leg with both hands and lay down. The Lieutenant pulled a crate over and sat down next to him.
"Now tell me what the heck happened. That should have been a walk in the park."
"The krauts have mined the road," Saunders replied. "Looks like they're trying to move in again. We were coming back in the mail jeep when we hit one of the mines."
"Henderson dead?" Hanley asked.
The sergeant nodded. "Got hit on his side of the jeep. Kirby and I managed to get into the woods just as the kraut halftrack showed up."
Hanley stood up and went to the tent opening, dropping the pouch on a small makeshift table as he went by. "Brockmeyer!" he yelled.
A moment later the private came running. "Yes, Sir?"
"Go grab the radio and bring it in here," the Lieutenant replied.
As Brockmeyer left, the officer returned to sit back down on the crate. "We heard the activity, but couldn't tell where it was coming from the way sound bounces off these hills. I was about to send out a patrol to check it out."
Hanley pulled out his cigarettes, shook the pack a few times and offered it to his sergeant. Saunders took one and Hanley stuck one in his own mouth and lit both cigarettes.
"I'll contact the Company as soon as Brockmeyer returns. They can send a team to clear those mines and retrieve Henderson's body. Maybe we can even pick up any kraut stragglers. In the meantime I'd like to know how you did it."
Hanley leaned forward and waited for his sergeant's response. "How'd you avoid a halftrack full of krauts, and end up with a prisoner and their halftrack?"
Saunders took a deep draw on his cigarette and looked at his lieutenant.
"Just used a few evasive maneuvers, Lieutenant. Not much to tell."
THE END