Tunisia, August 6, 1942
The GIs advanced in single file. The point squad was well ahead of the company, with a single private first class being the lead American in the entire theatre. His eyes searched the ridge line. The narrow pass was perfect ambush country and it was his job to find the German ambushers. The scuttlebutt was that the Germans had kicked the French garrison up and down the country.
Overhead, an octet of P-40s passed. The fighters were heading north looking for a fight. Behind the infantry company, the rest of the battalion was getting ready to move through the pass once it had been cleared. An artillery battery of factory fresh 105 millimeter guns were unlimbered with shells ready and wired laid to the fire direction center. The battalion’s mortar teams were split. Two tubes were ready in support while the rest were being made ready for movement.
The private shifted his head. Birds had avoided a small fold in the ridge on his left. As he focused his eyes, a glint of light bounced off of a machine gun barrel a mere moment before the German paratroopers opened up. Almost as soon as the ambush was initiated, light mortars started to fire in support of the defenders. The American scout hit the ground before the chaos overwhelmed him. He rolled to cover and started to fire his rifle in the general direction of the ambush. Two squad mates were wounded. The rest of the squad had found cover while the sergeant began to rally his men to begin an immediate counter-attack once a base of fire could be established with the BAR.
In half a dozen passes, the advance to Tunis was stopped as they found the German outpost line.