“Tony winds up with the order ‘Show me the way to go home,’” the radioman concluded, and Dick knew that he and his group were free to make their getaway if they could. The battle back at the Pass had progressed far enough so that he did not need to try holding the force at the dam any longer.
CHAPTER FIVE
BREAK-THROUGH!
Lieutenant Scotti smiled. A well-placed light mortar shell had just landed in a cluster of three German trucks on the road below. And that had happened shortly after word had come of the Ranger attack on the remainder of the German force in the Wadizam Pass itself. Everything was going not only according to plan, but even more swiftly and efficiently. The enemy had fallen into the trap completely, splitting his forces so that the Ranger attack could sweep him off his feet.
“I wonder how Dick Donnelly’s making out,” he thought to himself. “He’s in the tough spot and may never get back. Oh, well—”
But at that moment Dick Donnelly was helping four of his best men to fix their sub-machine guns securely between the rocks aiming down the little hill toward the Germans. Two more were fixed so that they aimed up the slope over the bare patch of ground. And these six guns were the Thompson guns with round drums holding fifty cartridges, instead of the lighter Reisings which the rest of the men carried.
The rest of the men continued the fire as the guns were fixed securely in place. A party of Germans had been sent up around to the right, but they were held to the trees far up beyond the bare stretch. A half dozen who had started a rush across the rocky patch had been cut down before they went ten steps, and the others did not want to share that fate.
“Lefty, Bert, and Max,” Dick said, “stay with me at these guns. The others of you shove off into the water. Swim for that other point. If there are any Germans on the dam wall itself, they may be able to see you for about the last ten feet, so make it under water if you can. Drop all equipment, guns, radio and everything except for a few cans of rations. Move—now, fast!”
The men needed no more explanation of Dick’s plan. They headed down toward the water as Dick and the three others crouched behind the rocks at the crest of the little hill, keeping up the steady fire. But the Germans were holding their fire more and more, and the lulls between bursts became longer and longer.
Dick glanced around and saw four men already striking out into the still waters of the reservoir.