The meeting quickly came to a conclusion, and we had an initial combat plan in place. There were a few ways to deal with the German guerrillas: internal sabotage, a tight siege, sweeping the area, cutting off their supplies, and so on. But luckily, the Germans in the Clécy region were invaders, and many of the locals wouldn't be inclined to help them. At least that was a good sign.
Seeing the relatively relaxed mood in the room, I decided to remind everyone, "Don't get too optimistic. Do you all know what the most dangerous thing in jungle warfare is?"
"Of course it's the snakes and mosquitoes!" Joanner, with his usual obnoxious humor, cracked a joke that was clearly unhelpful.
"Joanner, shut your damn mouth!" I shot him a glare before turning to Job. "Job, you take it from here."
Job understood my concern immediately and explained, "Let me put it this way. The jungle is a sniper's paradise. The dense underbrush is perfect for camouflage, and it becomes the sniper's domain. Have any of you heard of the 'White Death,' Simo Häyhä, or the German sniper, Matthäus Hetzenauer?"
At the mention of these names, a shiver ran through the room. A tense silence followed.
Simo Häyhä, known as the 'White Death,' holds the record for the most sniper kills in history. He single-handedly killed 542 Soviet soldiers during the Winter War. That's the equivalent of two full-strength rifle companies. His primary targets were officers and high-value military personnel. Despite being shot in the face by a Soviet sniper and losing part of his jaw, he survived the war, and his record still stands. To this day, he's considered the sniper king, feared by every soldier on the battlefield.
Then there was Matthäus Hetzenauer, a legendary German sniper from the mountain infantry. With 345 confirmed kills, Hetzenauer was one of the top snipers in WWII. While other snipers, like Soviet marksman Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin, are rumored to have more kills—some say Ilyin killed 494—it's difficult to verify these claims, as snipers rarely get concrete evidence of their kills. Hetzenauer's kills, on the other hand, are officially documented, and his actual kill count might be even higher. Wherever he went, the enemy didn't just send infantry after him; they unleashed artillery strikes to neutralize him. That's the kind of recognition a sniper like him earned.
Now, as we faced the dense jungle of Clécy, the most dangerous adversary we could encounter wasn't the regular German troops, but the unseen, elusive snipers who could strike from anywhere.
Joanner turned to Job, who shrugged and said with a bitter smile, "Don't look at me. For a sniper with a clear mind, no one can guarantee that every shot will kill another sniper."
That was the truth. Although there were two snipers in my company, they were both fresh-faced rookies, still unseasoned in the harsh realities of war.
"Alright, while this is a serious concern, it's not something we can't handle. Besides, I don't think Matthäus Hetzenauer is going to single me out, a mere captain," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Exactly, sir! I completely agree!" Joanner quickly chimed in, as if he understood the point I was making.
"Therefore, I think we need to form a temporary reconnaissance team to scout ahead. Three soldiers per platoon will be selected to join. The recon team should stay 300 to 500 meters away from the main force. Their task will be to scout and provoke enemy fire to expose their positions, including any snipers."
"Sounds like a lousy job!" Job's remark broke the tension, and the room burst into laughter.
"Joanner, I'm putting you in charge of the recon team since you're the sharpest among us."
"Yes, sir!" Joanner replied enthusiastically, though his face clearly showed reluctance, and he muttered something under his breath.
"Once the battle kicks off, we'll use the Germans' own tactics—front-line suppression and flank attacks. A large portion of our infantry will keep the enemy occupied from the front, while our two M8 Greyhound armored cars and the rest of the force will attack their flanks. Winters will handle the front-line suppression, while Donovan will lead the flanking attack."
"YES, SIR!"
"Remember, once the enemy is spotted, the recon team must immediately retreat and regroup with the main force. When Donovan's flankers go in, the main force, including the recon team, will push forward, disrupt the German defenses, and create a pincer movement with the flankers, tightening the noose and wiping out the enemy."
"YES, SIR!"
"What's my task, sir?" Gibbs, my acting second lieutenant, asked in a slightly awkward tone.
"Don't worry, Gibbs. You'll be on reserve duty, ready to reinforce as needed. Understood?"
"YES, SIR!"
"Good. I'll mix up the weaponry and distribute it between your unit, so make sure you use the machine guns to suppress the Germans. Keep in mind, don't let your squads get too far apart. If we face an enemy with superior numbers, you need to close the gap and concentrate your fire! This is especially important for Joanner's recon team."
"Got it, sir!" Joanner replied, grinning.
"Now, if we come across German snipers, what should we do?" Joanner asked, making a face.
"Then you get your ass down!" I replied curtly. "If you encounter a German sniper, don't panic. Note the sniper's position and try to flush them out. Joanner, you and the armored cars should rush in and make sure the sniper doesn't escape. They're a serious threat."
"YES, SIR!"
"Alright, everyone, rest up today. Tomorrow, we move out! Meeting dismissed. Get ready."
After the meeting, I went straight to see Colonel Herbert with the preliminary battle plan.
"Sir, I've put together a draft for eliminating the remaining German forces in the north of Clécy, along with possible solutions for any issues we may encounter."
"Excellent, Captain Carter! I fully support your emphasis on the German snipers. I'll contact the air force to coordinate their support with you."
"Thank you, sir!"
"Also, I'm sending a whole company to assist with your operation. Get the job done quickly, Captain. Godspeed."
"Understood, sir. We'll take care of it."
After meeting with Colonel Herbert, I returned to my company and spoke with the crew of my two armored cars.
"Hey, guys! How's it going?"
"Report, sir! Everything's great!"
"To be honest, I really like these vehicles. If only my jeep could be replaced with one of these armored cars!" I said, patting the sturdy armor of the M8 Greyhound.
"Sir, if you'd like, you can use one of our vehicles as your command car!" one of the crew chiefs said with a grin.
"No, no, no! You guys make better use of them. You're the steel guardians for my men!" I declined firmly, but not without giving them some praise.
"Thank you, sir! It's an honor to hear that from you!"
"God, sir, those tankers always joke that our M8 Greyhounds are nothing but speedsters. They say if the Germans load AP ammo into their MG42, they could easily shred our armor. They even mock us saying we're nothing but paper!" Another crew chief, clearly irritated, continued.
"Oh, dear God, how could they say that? Sergeant, I strongly suggest you send that guy to court martial!" I joked, though I knew the tankers weren't entirely wrong about the M8's vulnerability.
"Forget it! For some reason—divine mercy, maybe—I forgave him!"