[Hermit]

Enemy units have been reported in the area of the southern objective, and they've probably occupied it by now! We'll have to push some infantry teams forward far enough to get a look-see and find out what kind of presence we'll be facing down there. Gauging by the distance covered by the enemy, its got to be some armor, so we'll also have send some supporting armor of our own. Two M48 Rollers have been dispatched from the armored engineers to assist, as two infantry platoons work their way SW through the woods. Nearing the edge of the woods, the men don't hear any vehicle noises, and are wondering if the enemy have also set up an ambush by turning off their engines to hide their presence. This thought is dispelled when the nickering of a horse is detected up ahead. It turns out an enemy cavalry patrol is the culprit. Rather than revealing our presence, the troops lay low in the woods and keep watch, waiting for the armor support to arrive.

After the scout teams in the village laid a small smoke screen, a platoon of infantry was rushed up to the outskirts of the town in their APC's and unloaded. Four Patton tanks were also moved up to cover the edges of town on the northern slopes of the hilltop. Two of the Sherman Flame tanks have also pulled onto the road and used it to gain quick access to the crest of the hill from the east, where they can remain in ready position without being seen by enemy tanks. Two enemy infantry squads came hurrying down the road through the smoke laid by the scouts, possibly having noticed our platoon of troops disembarking at the edge of town. The accompanying APC's tried to suppress them by using machine gun fire, but it was only good enough to cause the enemy to spread out and temporarily stop advancing. A few minutes later they got up and came forward toward us again. By this time our infantry had organized itself and also laid down some fire. After taking a few casualties and popping some smoke, the enemy ran into one of the buildings and hunkered down. However, as soon as our troops moved the slightest bit, the enemy once more started shooting. Two more enemy squads also advanced through the smoke and joined the fight.

By this time, one of the M21 1/2-track mortars had worked its way into a position that gave it a good line-of-sight on the hilltop and edges of the village. It launched some WP rounds behind the two squads in the road and provided a screen from any enemy heavy weapons. The APC's used their MG's to rake the buildings holding the enemy infantry, causing them to again seek cover behind the walls, while our infantry, also now in cover in the buildings, exchanged fire with the enemy troops in the road. Lacking discipline, one of the enemy squads got up and ran back into the smoke. Taking advantage of the enemy's distraction, the two Sherman Flame tanks crested the hill and advanced on the enemy troops. One stood guard facing the smoke screen and approaches from up the road, while the other hosed down the buildings concealing the enemy troops. It was a frightening display of the horror those vehicles can have on people. Normally, out in the open or in a woods, the flames aren't as concentrated and their effects are less pronounced. In those close quarters of the buildings, the napalm and flames just pile on top of each other, roiling and tumbling over and over. We could feel the searing heat even from a hundred meters away. There were ghastly screams from inside the building, and a few "men" came staggering out into the street. They were really nothing but moving masses of flame, like human-shaped torches. Even the buildings seemed to groan and recoil in reaction to that onslaught. Obviously, the Colonel's directive not to cause collateral damage will have to be modified slightly.