The trip from the troop transport ship to the beach was a vomit inducing one. A Higgins boat is many things but a smooth ride it is not. The skies are slate gray with clouds like masses of cotton hanging low and heavy. The smell of sweat and salt, rank seaweed and vomit is enough to make even the hardest iron stomach churn in protest as the boat smashes gracelessly through the waves.
"Landfall in 60 seconds!" the driver says, staying huddled behind the armor that surrounds his station. "As soon as we hit the sand I'm gonna open the front gate. Front of this boat is a murder hole; straight shot for those bastards. Clear it and spread out. Remember the plan! Each of those bunkers has at least two heavy machine guns and if you can shoot them, they can shoot you. Remember, there are other teams to the left and right outside our combat zones. Push forward and if we're lucky they'll be able to reinforce us after we take the beach and the bunkers at least."
"30 seconds! 20! 10!" the boat bobbing motion settles as it gets into shallow water. "5!" There's a sound, a wet scrape as the boat slides up onto the beach and wedges itself in place. The Gate opens, revealing the beach beyond. The sand is littered with
Czech hedgehogs and barbed wire. The bunkers loom large in the distance, perched on the ridge that seperates the sand from the grassland beyond it. For a half second, everything is silent except for the sound of waves. Then the machine guns open up. "GO GO GO!"
Boat 1Bullets hiss overhead and ping off the metal of the boat. A shot blows Gus' helmet straight off his head (-1 life) but leaves him otherwise uninjured. Alan catches a round to the shoulder (-3 life) and tumbles over back, losing his helment and partially blocking the way out of the boat.
Boat 2Barak takes a round to the thigh and gets knocked to his knees, his helmet falls off and goes rolling out onto the beach. (-2 life)
Boat 3As soon as boat 3's hatch is open, a single concentrated spray of bullets tears through it. Ivan and Joe lose their helmets (-1 life); though if they lose them to bullets or just their teammates falling all over them is hard to determine. Robert catches a bullet straight to the forehead (-2 life); his helmet blocks most of the force but gets smashed down and breaks his nose before it flips off his head and down into the sea. Yarrick gets clipped in the side (-2 life) and his helmet falls off and rolls out onto the beach. Zack gets shot in the foot and swears, dropping down to hold it in pain (-2 life)