Turn 5 - 8
There is a calm for sometime, and a concern spreads among some of the troops, that they may well have to leave these excellent positions to engage the Algerian. Distant mortar fire is heard, but the shots land no where near the lines.
Radio reports fly back and forth from the Northern wing as smoke is sighted. The source of the mortar fire? The T-62's of the Northern wing cautiously approach... the range is far but no enemy is sighted? Are they there?
Excited, the tank crews decide to fire towards the suspected enemy. HE shells fire into the distance, there explosions echoing across the valley.
Fatah decides to leave a small cottage to the rear of his lines and picks up a ride, heading at full speed towards The Fort. Swinging the truck door open, he shouts to his radio man to order a bombardment of the suspected positions radioed from the Northern Wing.
As if in answer to their attack, light mortar shells sprinkle over The Fort. Soldiers dive for cover under their APC's and embankments.
Still languishing in a slow game of catch up, scout units and HMG's trundle on foot through the desert and Southern road. A few BMPS's are ordered to collect them.
FIRST ENEMY SPOTTED.
To the road before The Fort, approximately some 20 Algerian infantry are spotted skulking in cover. Their distant shapes making them difficult targets even for the blistering array of artillery and machine gun fire that opens up against them. Almost all of the vehicles positioned on 'The Fort' blast towards the troops.
They vanish under a column of smoke fleeing for their lives.
A second wave of bombardment, more intense than the first opens up over the Libyan positions on the hill. Still there are no casualties... the Algerian response seems so futile that a laughter erupts among the forward units in The Fort.
It is short lived however. From that same almost suicidal road pass before the hill, yet more Algerian troops emerge.
Meanwhile Libyan scouts to the far South, jostling aboard a truck spot an enemy T72 battle tank. The frantic sighting is reported as T62 gunners turn there turrets towards the superior foe. Distant shots are exchanged, a shell crashes next to a T62... a near miss... the tank fires back – a hit! That ricochets!
Squinting his eyes, the T62 gunner fires one more shot... this time striking home. A huge cheer erupts among the soldiers as flames and smoke bellows from the enemy tank. It is a slow death for the steel beast as its crew bails and flees for cover.
