 That's the town of Krasnodorf. Kind of small, but strategic. It sits right on an important crossroads. The town has to be taken, and baker companies got the job, with my platoon going in first. We got the poop from our lieutenant in a barn not far from town, after he made his reconnaissance. That's Lieutenant Krieger the platoon leader. Me? I'm Sergeant a blank. I got the first squad. The lieutenant is giving his attack order. I want you all to make notes of your individual missions and then go over them with your men. Our company will attack and clear the village to our front. Company A attacks on our left. The second platoon is on our right. Artillery and mortar preparatory fires will begin five minutes before we cross the line of departure. They will smoke the village after firing for two minutes. All fires will lift on call. Tanks will fire from positions at or near the line of departure until their fires are massed. We will seize the buildings up to the near side of North Street and prepare to continue the attack on order to clear the remaining buildings in our zone. See the sketches I gave you for objectives and boundaries. We will move out and platoon column along this draw in the following order. Third squad, weapon squad, rocket launcher team, second squad, 57 millimeter rifle squad, first squad and the 60 millimeter mortar squad. When we head into position for the assault at this rise, the third squad will be in the center, about here. The first squad on the left, here. The second squad on the right, here. 57 millimeter rifle, about here, between the first and third squad. One light machine gun from the weapon squad will set up between the first squad and the 57 millimeter rifle, here. The other between the third squad and second squad, about here. Sergeant LeBlanc? Yes, sir. Your first squad will assault Building 1 and cover the attack on Buildings 5 and 6. After Building 5 and 6 have been cleared. Take Buildings 2 and 3, then cover the attack on Building 7. After 7 has been cleared, take Building 4. Yes, sir. Sergeant Barrasini? Yes, sir. The second squad will cover the attack on Building 1 from here. After Building 1 has been cleared, take 5 and 6. Cover the attack on Buildings 2 and 3. After 2 and 3 have been cleared, take 7. Yes, sir. Sergeant Dermott? Yes, sir. The third squad will cover the attack on Buildings 1, 5 and 6 from here. After Buildings 2 and 3 have been cleared, move into Building 1, set up in 1, 2, and then 3, remaining at all times one building behind the first squad. Place covering fire on the buildings across North Street and on those buildings in the second squad zone that haven't been cleared. Roger Dixon? Yes, sir. One of your light machine gun teams supports the first squad, the other, the second squad. Roger. Corporal Fredericks? Yes, sir. The rocket launcher will move with the covering party of the second squad as soon as it moves into Building 5. Make sure your team keeps a sharp eye out for enemy tanks, especially along this street. Yes, sir. We'll watch out for tanks. Good. Sergeant Janks? After we leave the line of departure, we'll set up your mortar on this side of the ride. Make sure you have enough smoke rounds and be prepared to fire upon any buildings in our zone. And you will stay with me at all times. Yes, sir. But what about communication with the mortar? You'll have a sound powerful to take care of that. All right? Okay, sir. Now for the 57-millimeter rifle. The squad will initially cover the attack from this point. After that, it will move up and follow the first squad's attack on buildings 1 through 4. Sergeant Rodriguez? Yes, sir. When your attachment becomes effective, you will move one tank up in the vicinity of Building 1, the other, near 5 and 6. From there, you will cover our advance. I'll give you further instructions over your phone. Yes, sir. Sergeant Kenny? Yes, sir. Have your heavy machine gun squad fire down North Street and on the buildings on the other side of North Street. Have three men from your squad form a rocket launcher team and join the covering party of the first squad when it moves into Building 1. Now when you have taken a building, you will indicate that it has been cleared by hanging a sheet from a visible window. I will follow the first squad, assume as Building 1 is clear. Each detail was understood by everybody. Tomorrow, there wouldn't be time for questions. H-hour minus 5. The barrage to soften up the enemy began. Artillery, mortars and other supporting weapons. H-hour minus 3. The heavy mortars hung up a curtain of smoke in front of the enemy. H-hour. Time to move out from the line of departure. Third squad in diamond formation. The rest of the platoon in column. When we got to the rise the lieutenant had picked for our assault position, the 60-millimeter mortar squad dropped out of formation to set up its weapon. The third squad hit the center. The second squad deployed to the right, and the first squad, my squad, grabbed the slot on the left. 57-millimeter rifle boys slipped in between the first and third squads. The rocket launcher team played shortstop behind the second squad, and the light machine guns filled in the rest of the line. Advance six, this is advance one, over. This is advance one. Request smoke be lifted, over. Sergeant, people have a mortar located up there between buildings 4 and 7. See it? Yes, sir. Ok, let's clock it out. Number one. Fire. The lieutenant ordered the supporting fires lifted so we could get moving. Building number one. Our first objective. Behind us, our covering fire was shifted away from building one. Ok, stay hide upstairs. Let's cover five and six. Building one was ours. Now is the time to bring up the covering party. Let's go! With the covering party out of trouble, Lieutenant Truger ordered the smoke lifted. I had the squad lay covering fire on building five. Sergeant Williams ported out of building six. The idea was to button them up so Barassini squad could move in. Ok, let's go! Barassini's boys were on their way into building five. Do you see it? No, sir. Good. I want to report to Captain Richard. Which way to the room? Through that door off the stairs. I'll be up there if you want it. Yes, sir. The lieutenant spotted two enemy firing positions in building two. They had to be cleaned out before I moved in. Otherwise I'd be in trouble. He checked in with the company commander to tell him the situation. Building five was Dutch super. Building six was another story. The aggressor was holed up in there, waiting to make trouble. They're as dope as they are now. Sure does. Give me that demo. Up on the roof, meanwhile, Lieutenant Truger gave me the plan of attack for building two. Then, right after the bazooka fires around an AT into each one of those windows in building two, you toss out a few smoke grenades and send in your first searching team. When you clear the building, I'll have the bazooka fire a few rounds of WP in front of those buildings on North Street. Then your covering party and your light machine gun can enter through the front door. How does that sound to you? How's that, Lieutenant? I think that'll do it. Okay, get going. I gave the signal that building two was cleared. The bazooka came through with a smoke screen, and my covering party moved up to building two on the double. The bazooka team came after them. Then, the light machine gun squad. Lieutenant Truger threw out a red smoke grenade as a signal to the third squad to displace to building one. The seven-millimeter rifle team moved up with them. The attack was clicking so far. I had buildings one and two crossed off. Barassini had five and six under control. My next building was number three. This one called for a new approach. While I climbed up to the roof, my covering party sprayed building seven with cross fire and trapped door into building three. That chimney was a natural position for covering fire. This one doesn't look too tough. Here's the way we'll work. Barry, you and Stankard go through the trap door of building three first. Before you go, drop in two grenades. Pace, you cover them from the chimney of this roof. Pace, you cover them from the chimney of building three. I'll cover them from the north street side. Any questions? No. Pace, go on down. We're over here. We've got to take seven next. Lots of enemy in there. They'll cut us down if we cross this open area. Hey, here comes our tank support. Must be Rodriguez. I'll get them to open up building seven for us. But after Rodriguez blasted a big enough hole in the wall, you and I can go in. I want you to be careful. You've been pretty lucky so far, but this one's going to be a little rough. So watch out for yourselves. Any questions? No. All right, I'm going to go ahead and talk with Rodriguez. Meantime, if you need any grenades, get them from the covering party. Rodriguez, have you guys seen him? Roger, out. Well, there ain't no. Let's go get out. Oh, wait a minute. Don't press your luck. Here's what we'll do. We'll hit him two ways. We'll blast a hole in the floor, then drop a few grenades down the hole and through the doorway at the same time. Then we'll get those pigeons, chiptons, you and Mutz, two of the other rooms. Out there, sir. Okay, stay in the hall. Get a sheet out of the window and then get a match. With building seven taken, the attack shifted to building four. But this was an easy one. Lieutenant Kruger reported the success of his mission to the company commander. One casualty. We're evacuating him now. How about prisoners? Five of them are wounded. They can all walk. I'm sending them back to them. I'm sending a third platoon through you to take buildings 49th and 54th. Award me with Lieutenant Gordon and give him what covering fire he needs. How's your ammo? Over. We're not out of everything. I'll take care of that. Is there anything else? Over. The attack rolled on till every building was taken. Only then could we claim the town was secure. It was tough fighting. But then fighting in build-up areas always is tough. The buildings are natural defense positions for the enemy. You've got to smoke him out house by house. It's tough, but the odds are all in his side. You've got the advantage of surprise. You've got superior firepower, better training and teamwork. Add to that plain guts and you've got what it takes to win.