I figured out how to quicksave and did so right after I made it as far as a medic. I learned about 3-4 ways to get past the mg32's and into the trench. Didn't really use the guide at all. Buty I gotta say that while obviously this can't ever come close to the phsicality of combat, this game really does a good job at throwing chaos and confusion at you non-stop
I did make it past the beach, and quite far beyond. The most trouble I had was after grabbing that crappy German machine pistol in the fort (the one that came with tons of ammo). By the way, it's a crappy weapon, and if I'd had more Tommy Gun ammo, I'd have used it all the way out.
I was able to make it out of the fort itself, but getting past the open fence gate, past the three guard towers, across that field (with all the crates) and past the swarm of snow-suited soldiers and around the right-hand corner of the concrete building was virtually impossible. If you stop to snipe at the tower guards, then the soldiers from the fort run after you and shoot you in the back...Then there are the bastards in that low-level bunker (the one you can't get low enough to seek cover in...thank God it wasn't an MG nest)...I had to play so hard that my fingers bled. My only way through was to start the fort over again, kill my way out with more health points remaining. I finished the level with virtually no health left. It took me 2 hours to get across that 150 foot stretch.
Of course, now I've read the help guide, and it appears that I could have easily walked across that field by simplky turning the friggin alarm off as I exfiltrated the fort. But what fun would that be?