Upfall

On the other side of the battlefield Feldhandler, Norit and De Young were blasting away with the MG 42 at groups of German infantry charging bravely toward them on the hillock. Ilan and Bolander, in their nearby bunker were at it too, searching for squad and platoon leaders to kill. Wrapping around the forward slopes of the hill, five other machinegun bunkers fired on the Germans, along with three of the four new Jewish sniper teams. On the reverse slope, more bunkers and another sniper team waited. Yatom had turned the hillock into a little fortress, the strongest of the Jewish positions, capable of defending in all directions. The Germans to realized this too and they relentlessly pounded the hill with their second mortar battery, mixing smoke with high explosive.

Vogel, the commander of the attacking German company, mercilessly ordered his men forward toward the hill, threatening to shoot any man who shirked his duty. Kumm had assumed that 2nd Company would the hill to the south, but Vogel, just out of the Junkerschule, had the bit in his teeth. The inexperienced young officer was determined to show his worth by taking the hill by direct assault. Behind the exploding mortars and the terrifying firepower of their MG 42s the SS infantry clawed their way forward, taking terrible losses but finally reaching the lower slopes of the hill. There they assaulted the first Jewish bunker within reach, taking it in a violent rush of flashing MP-40s and stick grenades. Vogel ordered the lead assault platoon to press on, but they faltered. Bolander, Ilan and their amateur snipers had gunned down every officer and most of the platoon sergeants and corporals during the charge. The young SS survivors sheltered in the fallen bunker and contented themselves with returning the galling Jewish fire.

Vogel came forward himself. He positioned a pair of German marksman with scoped Mausers at the base of the hill, and directed them to counter the enemy snipers. He then gathered his third platoon, still fresh and uncommitted. Putting himself at the platoon‘s head, his enthusiasm untamed by the slaughter around him, Vogel deliberately led the force forward, using a flanking movement and seeking hide himself and his men from the enemy marksmen. Attacking now as Kumm had expected, Vogel and his 3d platoon managed to overrun a second Jewish bunker, killing all those inside, while taking only minor losses. Encouraged by the success, Vogel pressed on up the hill, heading straight for Feldhandler‘s bunker.

Ilan and Bolander recognized what was happening but were powerless to help. Vogel and his men were defiladed. The Israeli snipers could not easily change their position either, with the hillock still being pounded by mortars, swept by machine guns, and also under German sniper fire. German marksmen had already knocked out one of their recently trained sniper teams and had another pinned down.

"Let‘s take out the German snipers" suggested Bolander "then the machinegunners. Then we‘ll just take our chances with the mortars."

“Beseder" said Ilan. "You spot, I‘ll shoot." Using his own rifle as a spotter scope, Bolander identified the one of the German marksmen and called the target to Ilan. They lazed the unsuspecting German and Ilan put a round through his head. The second German recognized the danger and shifted his position, smartly moving into a low patch of ground obscured by smoke. The Israelis activated their thermal imagers and picked the German out. The German sniper, believing himself hidden in the smoke, did not take adequate cover. A second head shot eliminated the German sniper threat. The Israeli snipers now turned to the supporting machineguns and started to whittle away at the crews.

Across the hill Vogel and his men, safe from the Israeli marksmen, pressed their attack. A Bren position still with an angle of fire shot into the SS assault group, knocking down several men but not stopping the advance. Feldhandler and De Young, saw the the danger, and hurriedly tried to load another belt into the MG 42 while Norit shot at the advancing Germans with a Sten gun. Suddenly Feldhandler cried out. He stared down at his hands which looked like a charred meat. Feldhandler had accidently grasped the red hot barrel of the machinegun. The scientist fell back into the bunker against De Jong, leaving the loaded MG42 at the lip of the position.