Don takes a few steps to get close to Tanya.

"You can be VERY useful, lassie. I will tell you how"

He makes a gesture and swiftly wraps his arm around her back. He speaks to her in a sleazy tone.

"Well, doll. I speak russian as well, so I can count for you too, if you want to follow, haha. Just stay close to me at all times, and you will be alright. VERY alright, hehehe"

I really hope that's just an act. What do you have in mind?

So what's the plan and who's going or staying?
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:10, Sun 05 Sept 2004.

"Since no-one is offering another plan, I'm up" Guido checks his rifle "Should we put the politician out of our misery before we go, the honours can go to you Platoon Sergent if you wish" Guido gives an evil grin to Don.

I have no trouble with a trip into Lask. The intel we could gain about troop movements etc could be very useful in keeping us alive over the next few weeks.

Also, what is the Uaz currently configured to run on, Deisel, petrol or alcohol? Whilst the poles are stationary they're probably brewing up as much fuel as they can for any vehicles they might have, those large artillery peices don't move themselves...

The chance to do a bit of scrounging shouldn't be overlooked either, I'm not too shabby in that regard IMHO. (OOC: Scrounging 4, Obs 3, tracking 3, stealth 2).
Who's got the shopping list???

As for languages other than English I only have a little French and German, hence my interest in starting our own language school so we can at least understand each other.

The UAZ runs on alcohol and at the moment the tank has a few ethanol fumes in it.
Don't count on finding much fuel in Lask. It is a Cavalry unit there after all and artillery can be pulled by horses. Also, The polish refugees with you clearly stated that they saw no vehicles with the Polish troops although many vehicles went through town heading west after the 256th was crushed.
Everything from motorcycles to T-90's rolled through and the smell of burning diesel and gasoline filled the air.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I think the walking tour of Lask is afoot, if the pun isn't too painful to contemplate.

After some thought, I plan to send Sergeant Gallin, for his acute command of Polish, Warrant Officer Kett, for his Russian, even if it is not perfect, Sergeant Nikolov as he has the advantage of speaking Russian and knowing how the Pact army operates 'outside the record books', and I would like to send an officer in charge, but it has to be someone who can act the part, and it seems (unless Major D'ammond speaks Russian) that we are lacking an appropriate leader.

Perhaps if Major D'ammond does not speak Russian, we can send Major Smythe.
In the event that Major Smythe goes, I will want Sgt. Guido along as well. We will use a modified version of the original plan.

The team will be a team of Pact Spetzial Nazirsky attached up the chain at Division or Army Group level. That should discourage any effective queries 'up the chain' if people wonder. It will be a mixed unit of ex-East German expatriates and Russians, operating behind NATO lines under sealed orders, who are just passing through Lask, stopping long enough only to acquire some supply and gather a situational appreciation from any Pact units.

The orders will have been issued from Army Group (?) (Nuked, I think our characters should know the local Army Group operating here...), and will not be subject to question by local authorities. The mission will be deniable, which will explain why the members carry no formal identification.

The weapons mix the team will take will be Pact only. Similarly, we'll reorg clothing stores to insure those going are wearing either nondescript civilian wear or Pact BDUs. That will add to the authenticity.

My orders are simple:

Walk in, quietly if possible, find out who is there, what they are doing there, and what they know about NATO units nearby (your interest is obviously operational and you need to know to carry out the raids, etc that are your specialty as Spetznaz). Recce their supply situation, see if you can acquire some horses and resupply of ammunition and food. Then get out and get back.

If we can get a few more supplies and some more transport, and find out what direction the local Pact forces are heading, we can probably select the safest exfiltration route from this area, which is my current objective.

And in case it needs be said lads, don't get yourselves killed.

And Don, you are not going. Under no circumstances will I jeapordize your well being. For all I know, you may be the last vestige of the Government of the United Kingdom left alive. I certainly cannot authorize your presence on a risky recconaisance operation. I'm sorry, but that is the way it must be.

In the meanwhile, while the team is away, we will do some more hunting and scouting locally. We will also dispatch another small group to look for a laager South West of this location, so that we can start moving Westward, but in a way so as to not run into all the Pact units chancing the Kalisz survivors.

Nelson, while he was giving orders, was using his map to illustrate the general direction he will send the scouting party SW.

If the team going into Lask has not returned within 24-30 hours, we will move on to a new laager location heading SW. We will try to avoid main roads and will set the occasional blaze marker that will only be meaningful to the team (establish some common indicators that the tracker-types can watch for).

Nelso finishes, waiting for any questions but expecting few. He spends ten or fifteen minutes making sure the Lask team is intimately familiar with all he and the other SF veterans know about the Spetsnaz, to make their impersonation that much more accurate - everything from mannerisms to operational procedures to history - who trained them, at what level of the heirarchy they are usually attached, etc. The idea is to give the recce team the best chance to not be 'caught out'.

Then Nelson begins thinking about who will be on the scouting party looking for a new laager position. He also makes sure Don understands that with Gallin gone, he's one of our principal communications resources with the locals. And that he is to tell them that we are going on half rations.

Additionally, Colonel Nelson will make the SVD and its ammunition available, along with the fatigues he has obtained, since they aren't likely to be NATO fagitues.

In return, he will take someone else's fatigues (NATO ones) and their weapon and ammunition.

If need be, he encourages at least temporary trades with the locals, if the team itself does not have enough Pact weapons.

Preparing to go to Lask, Kett will dump all of his identifiably NATO gear. He will leave the C7/M203 and his personal effects and his fatigues. He will acquire suitable Pact fatigues or local clothes in exchange. For weaponry, he will keep the Walther since it could be east German (and he speaks German as well as Russian) and he will take the AKR and all of the magazines that will fit it from stores (I think there are 4 or 5, but only two have ammo).

Guys, I recommend taking about a one-third to one-half ammo load - enough that we can deal with a threat, but it justifies our 'low supply' situation and our need to resupply from the local Pact units. Take some empty mags - it will add to the impression. And be careful you've gotten rid of anything that could give us away if searched - things like NATO binoculars, night vision gear, even MREs. And of course, personal effects.

Gallin will nod and make sure he has the plan figured out in his head.
 He will also make sure someone knows what the wounded will need while he is gone.

Note to the team that the UAZ may remain behind if we have to move without resupply and that we will conceal a map somewhere in the area (agree upon a method location).

I speak no russian...
He says eyeing the surroundings uneasily...

Believing hmself to be one of the ones left behind he wonders how he'll be able to talk to the civilians, if the two translators are going to be going. All in a days work no doubt.

He starts to think back to his taining and how he'd gotten here. Used to being on his own, surviving and hiding. His unit having been split and unable to regroup as normal meant he was a long way from home with no way to get in contact with any of them. Still he might see them on the way back? Unlikely though.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:09, Sun 05 Sept 2004.

"Lutentant Colnel", said Dimitar, turning to Nelson. "I think good plan is we bring soldiers back here with us.  You stay ready with ambush.  This way we kill more soldiers easily and have more gear.", he added.  Pausing momentarily before continuing, "One man is like three in ambush.  We kill some soldiers, then we all go Lask for leaders.  I use this plan much times in Hungary one year ago."

He looks around disinterestedly at the faces of the people standing around the map.  He doubts if anyone will listen to him, being a lowly ranked ex-tank driver from an opposing army.

Sergeant, what would a tank driver be doing using ambush tactics in Hungary?

Nelson's left eyebrow is cocked, but otherwise the question seems genial enough.

And of course, that ignores the fact that by the time someone had journeyed to Lask, brought back some troops, we'd ambushed them, and then we'd endeavoured to return to Lask, we'd be several days beyond the limits of our ration situation.

I think the team that goes in has to go in with the idea of returning with some resupply, even if it is only some extra food and ammunition.

Or does Sergeant Nikolov honestly think that a small unit like this can take out the entire HQ force in Lask and then hold it when the rest of the unit returns looking for its HQ?

Nelson looks to Dimtar to see if he actually thinks this small group can take out the entire military force in Lask.

Beheading the serpent has it's attractions, disrupt the enemy whilst we make good our getaway. Quietly though.

(OOC: I have no idea which of my gear appart from weapons is Pact or Nato, haven't been recording that detail.)

OK, who here is bulky enough for a gear swap with me for this mission? (str10, con8)

Want me to search out the makings of a still while we're at it?

Do any of the locals know if there was anything like a sporting goods store in town, knives, Bows etc.

Also, I'm thinking artillery peices as big as the ones described aren't likely to be horse mobile, therefore there may be a tow vehicle or two about or perhaps the vehicles are elseware for the moment (HQ's taxis). The unit in charge may be brewing fuel in the hopes of securing vehicles or to trade for supplies with others.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:01, Mon 05 July 2004.

Dimitar looks evasively from side to side at the LT. Colonel's pointed question about ambush tactics.

After digesting the other questions posed by Nelson, he responds in the flat montone that is his usual mode of speech, "We tell soldiers to bring supply to help other unit.  We make story.  That way, we have food from dead men and they bring for us."  He rubs the rough stubble on his cheeks with one hand while watching the Lt. Colonel with his dull watery eyes.

"We know better about leaders after we visit", he added as an afterthought.

The original eight characters are all fitted out in Pact uniforms and equipment (think back to your escape and stripping the uniforms off the "sleeping" Poles in the hall).
Almost everything found since is Pact in origin, specifically Polish. Only the equipment that Sergio, Dimitar, Gallin and Kett had are not although each of them had some Pact equipment to varying degrees.
Even the big 8 inch guns from WWI and WWII could be horse drawn. That's 203mm! It does take a few animals but they made 'em big (especially first time in the French mud).

Hope you are getting closer to final orders and execution. I will set a thread for each of the groups: Lask, Scout, Camp.

Nelson gives Dimitar another notch on the 'raised eyebrow' scale. He clearly notices Dimtar's 'non-answer' and does not consider the matter resolved. However, for the moment, he merely appears to make some mental note of the matter.

Nelson insures that the other members are swapping out gear for the journey.

Chaps, let's be about it. Grab your gear and get moving. Here is my final order on the subject:

Major Smythe, you will take a unit consisting of Warrant Kett, Sergeant Gallin, Sergeant Nikolov and Staff Sergeant Guido. You will be acting as a mixed Spetsnaz unit, consisting of East German and Polish soldiers, attached to the local Army Group HQ and bearing Pact gear and no identifying papers. Perhaps Sergeant Nikolov will know the local Army Group number. Your mission will be classified and issued from Army Group HQ but you are at liberty to disclose that it involves operations behind enemy lines in support of the recent offensive. It further authorizes you to acquire resupply from local Pact units. Ostensibly, such orders can be verified from Army Group HQ, but obviously this is no longer straightforward. So, you will have to be convincing. And your mission is classified but important. Very Important. And Very Classified.

You will have German and Polish speakers. You will also speak English, but I encourage you to use incorrect or accented English, as if your knowledge of the language is not 100%, in the event you do use English. It will not be unusual for Pact Special Forces to have studied English. Otherwise, Russian, German or Polish, befitting the mixed unit background.

You will travel to Lask on foot, as expediently as possible. You will acquire resupply of ammunition and food, perhaps horses as well to carry your resupply. You will overtly or covertly acquire as much intelligence about enemy dispositions as possible. If you can, acquire fuel, grenades, and most importantly fuel and ammunition for standard Pact weapons.

Return to this location. If we have moved on, chances are we will have left the UAZ. In any event, we will find a local identifiable landmark (copse of trees, a particular stump, a particular arrangement of rock outcroppings) that can be used to reference a location where we will bury or hide a map (probably not in the UAZ, as someone might happen along and move it if we don't). This will indicate our next Lie-Up Position.

When you are able, rendezvous with us, bringing resupply. If you don't come back, we can't rescue you. We still have a responsibility to Don to get him home in one piece. If you get lost or delayed and cannot make contact with us, we will be proceeding generally South-West, trying to avoid major concentrations of enemy forces. At that juncture, do what you must to save yourselves if you cannot locate us.

Are there any last minute questions?

The remainder of the team will remain here and begin sorting out our plans to search for a new laager to the south-west.


Nelson wraps it up, hoping that things can now move forward. He has already surrendered his own fatigues, boots if necessary, and SVD and ammunition.

Nikolov was happy to be going.  To stay here was to die.  He had survived long enough to know that you had to keep going forward in order to survive.

Gathering his things and loading his backpack with his possessions, he prepared for departure in silence.  Finally picking up his rifle, he did a final check of the ground around where he slept in case he forgot something.

Dimitar then walked to the northern edge of the clearing scratching his filthy head through the old threadbare beanie without looking at anyone.

He waits there patiently for the others going to Lask...

Gallin will pick up the appropriate gear and leave his dogtags in someones safe posession. He makes sure he has no American equipment on him, and slings his rifle, wishing he was going hunting in the back woods of America than playing life or death struggles in Poland.  Still, the county isn't that bad, it the people in it...

OK lads, check each others gear just to be sure, we can't afford to slip up here. We'll share around any empty mags and fuel cans. Nikolov, you're most familiar with Pact equipment, care to run your eye over us to be sure?
As soon as the gear check is done we'll head out.

I feel like we should share a flask around at this point.

"Good luck gentlemen, happy hunting" William says, before stalking off to walk the perimeter.

Dimitar runs his eyes quickly over the gear of the small band assembled for the march to Lask.  It all seems in proper order, and the few things that aren't strictly PACT could be ignored as opportunistic replacements.  He knew for a fact that there were very few soldiers left wearing a one hundred percent "by the book" uniform for their particular armed service anymore.  The corner of his mouth twitched when he glanced down at his own hungarian jacket.

Once the gear check is complete he addresses the group as a whole, "Take smile from face.  You are now from communist block.  You must look unhappy and without trust. Try look tired."  He smiles mirthlessly at his own joke after he turns away and heads off through the trees to the north.

The "Spetsnaz" team heads out on foot towards Lask after sorting their gear out. Now all that is left to do is organise the remaining people for the next task at hand.