Attack Page #3

- What's your first name?

- Harry.

Stop worrying, Harry.

Cos I got it straight from the top.

It's a hundred to one that

we'll never see combat again.

Is that the real word, Colonel?

From the top?

From the top. A hundred to one.

- Fragile Fox One.

- This is Division. Colonel Bartlett there?

Yes. Hold on just a minute.

Colonel Bartlett.

General Parsons wants to see all

commanders as soon as possible.

- Tell the general I'll be right over.

- Thank you, sir.

So, that being the situation...

I want you to relax

about Erskine. Ride it out.

A year from now, you'll be a civilian

again, adjusting to the problems of peace.

I feel better already, Colonel.

That's the ticket, Harry.

Can you see me with a shave,

haircut, some toilet water?

You talk like you're the last guy left.

And we don't know if we're going back.

- Colonel's driver told me.

- What does he know?

- All right, there's the lieutenant. Ask him.

- OK, I will.

Hey, Lieutenant, about that scuttlebutt.

Is it for real?

- What scuttlebutt?

- About us being out of it.

- Don't bet on it.

- I hope they're right for once.

Let's face it, I'm a hero.

I got the blood lust.

I'm a glory hound, and when I get...

But you just don't like to fight.

That's my problem, Chaplain. I'm yellow.

PFC Bernstein, plump fat coward. Can

I get a section eight for being yellow?

Most of the guys'd all go to hell in a

bucket for you or Lieutenant Woodruff.

The way things are, this outfit's

got an esprit de garbage pail.

- Your French stinks.

- So does the morale.

Beat it.

Yes, sir.

Lieutenant Costa, sir.

- Russians!

- He's a regular Cossack. He's real tough.

But underneath it all, Snowden,

there beats a heart of solid rock.

Stop the scratching, Bernstein.

I'm just checking to see

if I got my dog tags.

Hello, Lieutenant.

- I thought I'd find you here.

- So, what happened?

You jerk. Why did you blow up?

Forget that. I saw the colonel leave.

What happened?

I talked to him. I told him that

we were in no shape for combat.

- All right, let's go!

- And?

- What's going on over there?

- Never mind. What did he say?

He already knew about Cooney,

and he was understanding.

Sure. Understanding.

You'd think those two

were a vaudeville team.

Erskine and Clyde:

funny sayings, eccentric dances.

Just a couple of little ol' country boys.

Up to their knees in blood.

What it adds up to is this:

we've nothing to worry about

as far as Cooney is concerned.

The word from upstairs is

it looks like we're out of the shooting.

- What if we're not?

- He said it's a hundred to one that we are.

What if we have to go back up? The

colonel conned you out of any action.

He didn't con me.

He talked straight sense.

You haven't got it figured. I have.

If we go back, I got a solution for Cooney.

A simple one. No channels to go through.

- Just a nice, simple solution.

- What? Joe! What would you do?

I got it figured.

Just let him goof once more.

- Look, don't get any funny ideas.

- I mean it, Harry!

Lieutenant!

Get your men on the road

in 20 minutes, sir. Full packs.

- Back to France?

- No, sir. We're going back up.

There's been a big breakthrough.

The paratroopers are already

on their way up.

All right. Better get over

and alert the platoon.

I want all platoon leaders outside the TP

once their men are on the road.

Yes, sir.

Well?

A hundred to one, huh?

Joe! Joe!

Cooney is still in command,

for better or worse.

And that's the situation. And I'm the exec.

If anything happens to him...

I don't care if it's you or anyone else.

The office makes the man, huh, Harry?

Let's wait and see developments.

The section we're concerned with is...

Now, here we are. And the...

- May I have your attention?

- Sorry.

Here we are. You got it?

We want this town, La Nelle.

You won't need this map till you get there

cos you can see it from the hill.

- What does G-2 say?

- Nothing.

It hasn't been taken yet.

I don't care how you do it. Just do it.

Right. Will do.

Keep contact with me on the 201.

Maybe the Krauts have pulled out.

If they have, walk in.

If they haven't, run them out.

- Can we expect any assistance?

- All the other companies are committed.

This operation on La Nelle

is strictly Fox Company.

- OK, sir.

- Good luck.

Well, Woodruff, looks like Fox Company's

got another tough job.

Hitting the town

from both sides would do it.

We can use Weapons

in reserve for the 1st and 2nd.

- I'll take Weapons, you take 1st and 2nd?

- That's sound enough. Jackson!

Get Lieutenant Costa over here.

Tell him to bring his platoon sergeant.

- Come on, on the double!

- Yes, sir.

If the first platoon gets pinned,

we can cover them.

Let's take a closer look here.

Now, supposing...

supposing we send a platoon

to probe down the road here.

Nobody there, they walk in.

We follow 'em.

If they meet with any resistance...

Here. They take this old house,

here in the outskirts, and they hole up.

- I don't know about that.

- Your idea is sound. It's very sound.

But it's rigid. It's by the book.

This way we hold off

till we see what's what,

then we can hit 'em from either side.

And we got a base of fire

right here in the town, if we need it.

Yes, sir, that's the plan.

That would be one method, I suppose.

Hey, Costa.

We've got another

nasty little job to do here.

La Nelle?

Yeah. Division wants it occupied.

We got the assignment.

There may be Krauts in there.

Most likely not.

Let's just go on the basis that there are.

Here. You take your platoon

right down this road here.

You'll be covered most of the way.

- You get there, you outpost the town.

- Sounds nice and neat, Captain.

Now let's go on the basis that

the joint is just crawling with Krauts.

I'm in there with one platoon.

What happens?

You take this house here in the outskirts

and you hole up.

We hit them with the rest of the company.

You give us a base of fire.

If we need it. Got it?

You run into any real trouble,

we'll be behind you.

I hope.

All right, if you don't like it, I'll get

Lieutenant Miller's platoon to try it.

- Are you for it, Harry?

- Joe, I think it should work.

Toliver, we'll move the men

down the road in a platoon column.

Road's covered till about

400 yards from the house.

That last stretch I don't like.

Wide open. Could be trouble.

Only thing good about it is it's downhill.

What?

If they're dug in, they could

give us a hard, hard time.

No use trying to crawl it.

There's no cover.

400 yards in battle gear

is too far to run,

so we'll walk the first half

and then we'll kick out.

And pray. What do you think?

- It could be a real, real crock, sir.

- Get the men moving.

- I'll be with you in a minute.

- Yes, sir.

That's a mighty fine platoon sergeant

you got there.

The best.

And he's not gonna wind up

in any wringer.

Him nor any of the rest of my men.

- What do you mean by that?

- Just this.

We can take that house all right

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