Having reached the backup position, Andreas took one look at the tripod and knew it was no longer usable.
So he decisively implemented plan B, setting the machine gun on a bipod atop sandbags and began to fire based on experience—the tripod had a handwheel with scales for adjusting the firing angle, but with a bipod, one could only rely on the shooter's experience and sight.
Andreas fired relentlessly.
The backup machine gun position was behind the first trench line, and in conjunction with the second trench, created crossfire. The Anteans didn't identify the direction of the machine gun fire immediately, allowing Andreas to take down more than a dozen men in quick succession.
Suddenly, a signal flare soared into the sky, cleaving an arc toward Andreas's position.
He immediately took cover backward, dragging the still clueless recruit, Maramon, behind the sandbags with him.
Immediately afterward, bullets pelted the sandbags.
Maramon cried out in shock, "What's going on?"