In Flames of War, the majority of the battles are fought for the control of objectives. The exact nature of those objectives are left up to imaginations of the players. The only real rule applied to objectives simply states that they must measure 2 1/2 inches by 2 inches.
For my American Rifle Company (members of the 9th ID and Italian veterans) I imagined that one of the most important assets to the company would be their fraternal bond, forged over the hardships of many Gustav Line battles. With that in mind, I further supposed that such a tight-knit unit would do almost anything to extract one of their fallen.
Private Smith was new to the 9th. A replacement for one of the many men lost in Italy, Smith had been shipped to France to meet his new unit while they resupplied for the coming invasion. He didn't fit in well with the rest of Dog Company, being green and untested in battle. Many times he was left to himself. His squad would move out, like a well oiled machine, and he would just be expected to follow.
Normandy could be unpredictable. Smith found this out the hard way. Stopping to relieve himself in the bushes, Private Smith shouldered his weapon. The grove of trees cast a dark gloom ahead, and it unnerved him. Quickly finishing his business, he began to run to catch up when he heard a sound that made his heart stop. Listening carefully, he could make out voices speaking in hushed tones. Smith had spent enough time in France to realize that, though foreign, the voices were definitely not French...
It took a little while before Smith's squad realized his absence. Inquiries into other units reavealed there had just been an ambush to the rear, right where they had passed earlier, and the Krauts had taken POWs. Reporting this to their Captain, the men were surprised when he ordered the company to turn around. When asked about his decision, he simply stated "In Dog Company, we don't leave our own to the mercy of those Kraut...
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