Clambering over rubble that, moments earlier, was a stout brick wall, Sergeant Nelson’s squad discover themselves on the bottom ground of a windowed two-storey west-facing storeroom. To the south the coast appears clear. To the north, within the chamber codenamed ‘LEAD’ by Colonel Croesus, a sandbagged Pak 40 anti-tank gun waits patiently for passing commerce. The gun crew expect dawdling side-on Shermans 50 metres away. They are usually not anticipating a dozen grizzled GIs inside spitting distance.
(Colonel Croesus is an open-to-all game of Combat Mission: Fortress Italy wherein Allied forces are orchestrated by commenters whereas German items are pc managed. Each each day flip covers one minute of motion. For a situation define and accounts of earlier turns, click here)
Having refused to separate whereas jogging by way of the foot tunnel, all of 1st Squad find yourself on the bottom ground of the storeroom. The place of the Pak 40 means they’ll’t deliver all their weapons to bear, however quickly sufficient Garands and BARs are spitting lead that each one return hearth ceases. Two of the shocked anti-tankists have been positively hit. The others, invisible at current, are most likely taking cowl.
Two out-of-LoS witnesses to the Pak’s brutal suppression, determine, halfway by way of the flip, to make a break for it. Sprinting westward throughout LEAD, the pair are ultimately noticed and engaged. The consideration appears to remind them that they’ve a job to do and a repute to uphold. The lead runner stops abruptly and, cool as a cucumber, proceeds to empty a Maschinenpistole journal at his assailants.
In a powerful show of coordination, the second runner then takes his comrade’s place, masking him as he makes for the row Three tunnel.
A 180 diploma cowl arc means 1st Squad aren’t so absorbed by the motion in LEAD that they miss developments to the south. Seconds earlier than the flip ends, two figures emerge from COPPER and bee-line for the storeroom.
Meanwhile, on the foremost entrance, warning, congestion, and, surprisingly, fatigue, prevents substantive progress. While Crabmeat 2 reverses out of the tunnel, hosing imaginary threats as she goes, Crabmeat 1 as soon as once more balks a smoke shell order (her LoS is blocked by an present smokescreen), the Autoblinda and sniper workforce advance by way of the minefield, and 2nd Squad take an unsanctioned breather earlier than getting into the bottom.
