Chapter 321: Trust
Billy Shen led the sniper company as they spent several hours familiarizing themselves with the layout of the Sand Trench, even constructing sniper positions and connecting trenches for easy movement.
"We're not like regular soldiers," Shen explained to his men. "If a regular soldier takes up our sniper spot when the battle starts, are we supposed to fight him to take it back?" His men chuckled.
"That's why we need our own dedicated sniper positions," Shen said with a serious tone. "And we need multiple positions, so after firing a few rounds, we can move to a new one. This is essential—it's a matter of life and death for us."
Shen ordered the snipers to set up positions in the open ground behind the main line, allowing the snipers to move freely without being crowded by regular infantry. In addition, the soldiers in the front-line trench would naturally draw most of the enemy's fire and attention, along with the brunt of the machine-gun fire.
Shen even placed some sniper positions beyond the Sand Trench. Reviewing the map with his men, he said, "Imagine tomorrow when the assault begins. Our men will surge from the trench to charge the enemy. What happens if your sniper spot is directly behind the Sand Trench?"
The soldiers stared, realizing the issue—they wouldn't have a clear shot. Their line of sight would be blocked by the backs of their own men charging forward. So they moved the sniper positions to higher ground and the flanks, ensuring clear firing lanes.
After making these adjustments, they practiced coordination between observers and shooters one last time. Shen issued a final command: "Get some sleep. And make sure you actually sleep."
All the men understood this was important—rest was essential to keep sharp on the battlefield. Still, sleep didn't come easy; most of the company lay awake, including Idris. But Shen, accustomed to roughing it out in the Australian wilderness, leaned back against a sandbag and soon drifted into deep sleep, his gentle snores filling the air.
At 5 a.m., before dawn, Shen was jolted awake by the thunder of naval guns. Quickly alert, he rose and peered out over the trench, puzzled. Since the Ottomans had constructed forward trenches, the navy had stopped bombarding Point A as it was now too close to the French positions to risk continuous shelling.
But now the fleet had resumed firing at Point A. Shen narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of it.
Then he spotted the amphibious landing craft moving out from cover, gathering with soldiers as they prepared to advance toward the shore. Shen was startled, then quickly caught on.
"Smart move!" Shen chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "He's planning to flank them from the sea with the amphibious craft."
The naval bombardment, of course, was meant to drown out the engine noise of the landing craft. Shen now understood why Charles had assigned his sniper company to the Sand Trench. This was the primary assault point, and enemy machine guns posed the greatest threat to the French troops' advance.
"Lieutenant!" a voice called out excitedly from the darkness. Idris shouted, "It's Charles—I can see him looking for you!"
Shen grabbed his rifle and headed toward Idris's position. Charles, with a rifle slung over his shoulder, stood waiting. While his rank and role as a staff officer didn't require him to be armed, Shen had heard about Charles's skill with a rifle. Supposedly, he had already taken down a dozen enemies during the previous battles.
Shen had no doubt about Charles's abilities; if Charles didn't understand shooting, he wouldn't have devised the two-man sniper team strategy.
"Colonel!" Shen greeted him with a salute.
"Ready?" Charles asked.
"Yes, sir," Shen answered with confidence.
"Good," Charles replied, nodding. "Prepare to engage. We attack at 5:30."
"Yes, sir," Shen replied, then hesitated. "Colonel, aren't you going to check the preparations?"
"I trust you've taken care of it," Charles said simply, patting Shen on the shoulder before walking away.
Shen stood still, surprised. He'd never experienced such absolute trust before. Growing up, everything he did was doubted, scrutinized, or belittled, no matter how well he performed. But Charles had assigned him this crucial task without questioning his methods, fully trusting him.
Watching Charles walk away, Shen felt a mix of gratitude and determination. For thirty years, he had endured hardship, surviving in the wilderness, doing everything possible to build his skills. But for what? Wealth? Promotion? A living?
Or perhaps, all along, he'd only been looking for respect.
He felt his eyes mist slightly, realizing that he'd found the acceptance he'd yearned for. This was what he wanted, what he had fought for all these years.
Charles was unaware of Shen's internal struggles and reflections. His trust in Shen came from knowing who he was. Billy Shen was one of World War I's deadliest snipers, with a confirmed record of 150 kills in Gallipoli alone—eventually totaling 201 confirmed kills, despite being a newly-enlisted soldier at the time.
More importantly, Shen had pioneered the two-man sniper team strategy, a tactic still in use today.
With talent like Shen's, who else could Charles trust?
Moving into the Sand Trench, Charles cautiously peered through his binoculars toward the enemy's defensive line. In the dim moonlight, the enemy's machine-gun positions were just visible, some fortified with sandbags, showing only small firing apertures. This would be a true test for Shen, Charles thought, but he was confident Shen was up to the task.
At that moment, Tijani approached with a few signalmen in tow. He gestured toward the beach. "We're ready."
Charles nodded. Hidden under canvas along the shoreline were the 105th Infantry Regiment's elite troops—400 men. They were ready to launch onto the sea and flank the Ottomans with the amphibious craft as soon as the order came.
Charles glanced toward the east, where the first hints of dawn were breaking.
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