There were five peaks, and five combat units each of about a hundred men - Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta Companies from the Pig Battalion, and a fifth group made up of a hotch-potch of Sappers, Support Company men, SAS and a few troops borrowed from other units to make up the numbers. Each group would climb the most likely ridge to the peak from where platoon sized patrols would explore the surrounding ridges and valleys. But the initial climb would be the toughest and most dangerous part. A single section would make its way one hundred metres up the ridge, prop and hold ground while the rest of the platoon moved to that position. The lead section would then move up another hundred, while the rest of the company was brought up to the cleared position, where the last platoon would remain, one section holding the ridge to that point, the other two exploring either side right down the flanks into the re-entrants and up again. By the time the lead section got to the summit, the whole ridge and both its flanks would be cleared; unless the lead section ran into trouble, and orders were; withdraw as fast as you can.
 “I want Nigel’s mob right up front there,” Hatrack specified.

The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck is poor. Another of those WW2 stories that tries to make general comments on all wars by not naming the nations that are obviously depicted. Thought the Germans try their best to treat the conquered villagers reasonably, they eventually learn just exactly how much they are despised. But, to be truthful, the exercise only demonstrates the degree to which the less-reputed Nevil Shute was superior to Steinbeck at this sort of thing.
    Now this was a subject at which I regard myself as expert. Occupying villages; the enormity of the resentment that the occupied feel toward the soldiers, no matter how nice they are to them; how you just can’t help someone when you are pointing a gun at them, no matter how sympathetic you feel. Steinbeck was too detached and if his head was in the right place, he never really got into the mood of it nor to the bottom of it. The Germans still had to do some bad things before the villagers turned on them. In the real world, not so. And you might think that there’s not a lot of difference but it was from writings like this that the American delusion of “winning the hearts and minds” in Vietnam arose. It cannot be done by men with guns, simple as that.