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Don Bennett's War

Chapter 20 - Night Fire

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Night came upon us as we moved on along the side of the hill, the rest of the battalion following. We walked steady for hours, how many no one could tell, pausing occasionally for the scouts to investigate a likely hot spot. We stopped once and then slowly moved up to a place where our whole platoon was assembled. We were told that the enemy was set up 100 yards ahead down on the edge of the valley. We were to get cover and get ready to fire at a spot where my squad sergeant was going to fire a tracer bullet. I sat down behind a ten inch alder tree, poked my B.A.R. around the right side of it, broke out extra clips of shells, and waiting for the telling shots. Other men took similar positions near me. The whole preparation took place with barely a sound and in pitch darkness. We waited a few minutes until our sergeant fired the starting shot, and then all hell broke loose. There was a fuselage of shots going both directions. I fired first at where I saw the tracer bullet go, and then at the flashes of the enemy's rifles as they returned our fire. We heard some of the enemy yell, and some groaning and after awhile their firing came to a halt. We then stopped firing and all was quiet except some of the Germans yelling in pain. None of us were touched. Fearing that the groaning might be a trick, we moved on around that area and on through the woods. We could hear the groaning until we were far past it. We advanced for a few more hours until we could make out a town ahead.

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