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THE END IS NIGH |
 With
the main gates unprotected from the outside, and the legionnaires on the
wall under heavy rifle fire, two brave souls ran up and grabbed the now
abandoned explosive barrel and dragged it to the front gates.
At the same time, the Arabs in an unprecedented coordinated attack launched an assault against the north and south wall simultaneously. The Arabs began to pour up the ladders along the length of the south wall and also up the tower of the on the east end of the north wall. The barrel bomb was successfully detonated. The brave legionnaires were now defending the front gate from the courtyard and defending off ladder assaults on the north and south walls. |
 The
weight of the attacks were just two great.
The south wall was defended valiantly, Adjutant Vucks personally slaying 10 enemy tribesmen before finally succumbing to the sword. As the Arabs poured over the south wall, Lieutenant Devaux and Hofstedter were cut down on the north wall as the arabs fought their way along the parapet. |
 The
MG team dragged the gun up to the north west tower to try and wither down
the advancing tribes' men.
Lieutenant Benoit's few remaining men died valiantly defending the gate. The situation was totally hopeless for the French. The last two defenders knowing that surrender was not an option manned the gun to the last. |
 Mowing
down a dozen Arabs moving along the parapet, the two became one and the
last man, private Schmidt, was finally overwhelmed.
The French had been wiped out to the last man. The only survivor to tell the story was the RED Shadow who stayed long enough to witness the Forts terrible demise, then he quickly fled the town to tell his dreadful tail to the approaching relief column. The Arabs with their not inconsiderable casualties stayed just long enough to release the Zahiras brother and disappeared into the desert. |
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