The price of a mile (Second story in the world war series)

Chapter 17 - Into the breach!!

His landing wasn't graceful with the face plant he has conducted into the surf, along with his helmet not helping one bit. But he couldn't help it he had to get out of that boat as fast as he could. Slowly looking up there's a loud shriek that flashes overhead and the Panzerfaust has slammed into the boat impaling it then exploding. Killing the driver within the explosion.

Slowly looking back up from putting his head back down for cover, Ben quickly spits out the sand and sea water that got into his mouth. Slowly crawling around he finds his rifle and he gets a glimpse of the blood soaked beach with bodies littering the sands. The Italians got everyone pinned down with no where to go with what little cover there is.

"On your feet Ben, stand up and fight!" Phillip shouts kneeling down and violently shaking Ben to his feet. Once he's up, he shoves Ben forward into cover near a tank trap and there he lands again and coughing he spits out more sand muttering curses.

"The Lieutenants dead Sergeant!" A private yells over the gun fire looking up before a bullet smashes into the side of his skull. Sending brain matter and blood splattering on the sand causing those looking at him to wince.

"Before we end up like that sod, everyone listen up! Cover the engineers and get that barbwire blocking the beach blown! Covering fire!" Phillip yells clearly and slowly, the soldiers cautiously stand up and timidly before returning fire on the bunkers and sandbag emplacements.

Under covering fire the engineers rush forward and quickly plant the explosive charges whilst, Ben is aiming down his rifle sights and he fires watching a Italian fall back from a shot to the middle of his chest.

Following that moment the charges blow clearing the way up the beach and into the Italian defensive lines. Rushing forward the first squad moves up but they're immediately mowed down by gun fire from emplacements further up ahead.

Quickly looking around Phillip spots a radio operator staying in cover with his hands covering his head. Running over quickly Phillip shakes the lad calling him.

"Corporal!" Phillip yells under the gun fire and the lad looks up with wide eyes and Phillip issues the order.

"Get that radio up and working, contact the Cruisers off shore, we need fire on those bunkers now!" Phillip orders.

"Y-yes sir, standby!" The lad says snapping out of his daze and tuning the radio, he gives it a smack and static begins to play. A good sign it's working. With shaky hands he offers the receiver to the staff sergeant who quickly takes it.

"This is from the onshore assault, requesting fire mission on 3-3-1-5-9-8-2, North of the red smoke. Fire for effect over!" Phillip says into the mic while the back ground noise of gun fire erupts with explosions and bursts of mg. Hoping someone heard it, Phillip takes a smoke grenade from the dead Lieutenant and he finds the red marked one. Cooking it, he throws it up and over hurling into the sand where he has directed support fire.

"Everyone find cover!" Phillip yells before doing so himself and closing his eyes, he awaits the incoming ordinance protecting his head. Flashes from the ocean light up the dark night as dozens of flashes light up the night surrounding the large dark figures that make up 2 Cruisers.

With their entire broadside port facing shore, the main battery and smaller artillery like mounts flash to life commencing the barrage. Loud, God like explosions erupt with high explosive ordinance raining down shaking the earth like a terrible earthquake. The shells pack more of a punch then field artillery and it's definitely shaking up the land.

The shells rain on down annihilating bunkers, position, anything caught in the open North of the red smoke with each following a horrendous shudder of impact. There the short lived cries and screams of men dying vanquish as quickly as it came.