"Tug, this is John- stand by for BDA."

"North side of locks clean."

"No movement and no Tango's in sight."

"Thanks to dave good shooting!"

"John out."
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:09, Wed 01 Aug 2007.

Konrad turns around to face Adam on the bridge. "Ready for this? Next salvo or so and you can get us moving."

Although deeply unhappy at the relatively unprovoked attack, Anneka knew what was required of her. Dashing away from the bridge, she headed directly for the armoury/radio shack and the RPK-74 it contained. Although she'd have prefered to stay in the wardroom ready to tend the wounded, with their numbers as low as they were anyone who could squeeze a trigger might be needed as they forced the narrows of the lock. Stuffing several spare magazines into her webbing pouches as she ran, she headed for the sandbagged position overlooking the forward deck.

"Switch to the AGS when we're within range," she called down. "We need to conserve ammo."

So far the engagement had cost them a sizable proportion of their mortar rounds. With only a few kilometres of river behind them and hundreds to go, they would certainly need every last one, and probably many more, in the days to come.

Dropping her uzi off her shoulder, Anneka jambed several 5.45mm magazines between the sandbags before her, knelt down behind cover and brought the weapons butt to her shoulder while laying the folded bipod atop the protective wall. There was still several kilometres to traverse before the lock and they'd not even begin moving as yet, but with a full head of steam, the assistance of the current and a little luck, they'd be on top of the enemy before they knew it.

Max hears the phump of the mortar, and the likley destruction it wrecks when it lands.

"Hmm, somethings up"


Max
Eyes peeled
Making sure no ones sneeking up on the Queen

Tucker looks up to the bridge where Konrad called down to him for his suggestion on the grenade launcher.  He looked to the spot where he was referring to and then to Joost, "What do you think Joost?  Good right here?"

If Joost concurs, Tucker looks back up to the bridge where the German is and gives him an 'thumbs' up' and yells to him, "Roger that!"  He begins to help Joost set up the AGL and get situated as the fire mission goes out from the forward mortar pit with Clarence and Dawid.  He watches three of the four rounds hit near or around what appears to be the mission called by the Marines.  "Fuckin' A!  Hopefully that makes things easier for us getting through!"

Tuck
Slung M-16A2 w. M-203 Grenade launcher
Helping Joost set up the AGL-17 to support the Vasilek

The first thump of the firing mortar rolled out over the water, echoing off the silent shorelines around them.  The second shot was on the way and the third being lifted up to the tube by Clarence when the rumble of the first faraway detonation reached them 12 seconds after the shell landed.  Like thunder following the flash of distant lighting, it was announced at the speed of sound, travelling 1 kilomtre every 3 seconds.  Down on deck the terrain was in the way of a clear line-of-sight, but up on the bridge they might have a better view.

The radio call came in confirming target destroyed.  Dawid smiled, jubilant.  "Yes, that is why artillery is the master of war!"  When the second fire mission comes in, he hesitated, knowing they were firing at shadows.

"Clarence, can you advise John that we are low on ammunition and request we positively ID any threats?"


Dawid Piotrowski
Bow 82mm Vasilek
Taking 1 turn for communication
This message was last edited by the player at 15:48, Tue 31 July 2007.

OOC - I didn't realize ammo was as limited as it was for the vasilek. Konrad rather would have been aware of this. Sorry.

Upon returning the thumbs up to Sgt Tucker, Konrad notices Dawid's hesitation. That and Anneka's comment on the ammo reminds him of the situation they face. "Adam, lets get moving. Get us there as quickly as you can."

Konrad yells down to the mortar crew's attention. "Stoppen Sie zu schießen... we're moving now... cease fire!"

Captain Konrad Bayer
Slung G-36 w. HK69 Grenade launcher
Observing and trying to coordinate attack
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Tue 31 July 2007.

Dawid nodded and gave him the thumbs up.  He said to Clarence, "Okay, inform the spotters they have three more shots coming, corrected to hit South of the canal.  I will fire from the magazine on automatic."  He clicked over the lever to automatic fire, and instead of the ammunition being dropped down the tube it was fed into the breach from the clip of HE in the magazine.  The gun smoothly fired and recoiled three more times as he covered his ears and hit the trigger pedal.


Dawid Piotrowski,
Bow-mounted 82mm Vasilek,
Firing 3 more HE[Private to GM: I agree, there is no point of a fire mission to blow up a single sentry at a disabled AA gun.  That's why he's "interpreting" the fire mission as being corrected South to clear the other side of the locks, as the North side is "clean"  with "no hostiles in sight" (according to the spotters).  BTW, who has a good FO skill asset?]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:21, Tue 31 July 2007.

Once Tucker is done helping Joost get set up and ready to fire, he will give him a tap on the shoulder and move aroundthe ship to the tug's weapon stations to make sure everyone is in place (which I'm sure everyone should be by now).  he will yell out anyway, "BATTLE STATIONS! MAN YOUR POSTS!"

Parks waits for a target to show itself while scanning the locks. Paying special attention to the AA guns for potential crew. He will fire as the impact of the next few rounds hits.

"They heard me. Be ready." Parks says in low tones.


Parks
In cover at OP 1
SVD (10) bipod, optics
Scanning the locks for targets. Paying special attention to the AA positions.

Looking up, Dawid gave him a thumb's up, then said to Milk, "nice work, my friend!  Inform the spotters we're halting fire.  Well, our job is over for the moment as we can't fire on the move, or rather, if we do, our accuracy would be so bad that even Adam has as good a chance as I of hitting anything.  So, I will be having a cigarette... away from the weapon."

Figuring this was close enough to his battle station, he went to the Port side rail and lit up, offered one to anyone else around, nodding as Tucker went by checking up on them.


OOC: Edited to reflect Konrad's orders.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:42, Tue 31 July 2007.

"check your fire no new targets"

"stop fire mission"

"No targets seen"



John will now pull out bino's and scan for targets.....



John
Prone
Scanning for targets

Three more HE rounds from the Vasilek sail through the morning sky. Seconds later, one detonates in a flash of supersonic sparks and dust on the southern platform while the other two explode in the thick vegetation bordering it.



"Yes, Hauptman Bayer. Uller, all ahead full if you please." Adam replies.

Uller pushes the throttle forward and the engines groan to life. At the stern of the Krolowa, the water turns from a relatively still, murky grey to a churning, cloudy brown as the screws spin to action. The tug swings slowly ahead and out into the middle of the river and begins making way towards the lock complex. After a few minutes, the Krolowa has accelerated to a breakneck speed of 15km per hour.

Minutes later, the island separating the canal through the locks from the main channel comes into view. From the the bridge and companionways, the SA-60 gun, with its crooked barrel pointing accusingly at the slate-colored sky, is clearly visible. Alongside the Krolowa, on the northern ban, the large, shark fin-like vertical stabilizer of an RAF Tornado IDS portrudes from a bed of rushes. The anticipation of imminent action makes the cold of the day little more than an niggling abstraction. Your thoughts are elsewhere...

A single figure slowly exposes his torso above the lip of the gun-pit on the spit. He is wearing Polish "Pantera" pattern fatigues. He apprehensively signals the Krolowa to take the left hand (canal) passage before retreating back behind the sandbags surrounding the rim of the emplacement. Moments later, the muzzle of his rifle extends back into view and two measured, evenly spaced shots are fired blindly upwards.

The Krolowa enters the canal, slowly passing the AA pit on the left (gun is on the tug's right), and Adam orders Uller to throttle back. A helmetless head emerges from the AA gun pit and follows your progress through a gap in the sandbags. From the upper decks of the tug, the lock control platform can now be seen about 500 meters ahead. You will arrive in approximately two minutes.

Back at OP 1, the recon team continues to observe the lock control platform. A few minutes after the last mortar impact, three men come into view from the north. All are wearing various patterns of Russian fatigues. Each carries an AK series rifle and one possesses a slung RPG-16. They look around, confused and apprehensive. Two men step gingerly over a few objects on the ground (bodies?) and enter the now roofless and smoking lock control building, while the other examines the AA truck. The two in the building emerge a minute later, each carrying an additional rifle and assorted other gear. The trio reconvenes in a huddle near the back of the truck when two muffled shots eminate from upstream. The men scramble for cover behind the technical. One of them crouches behind one of the gun truck's rear wheel and appears to be shouting across to the southern side of the canal. Another, prone, cranes his kneck from behind some dislodged masonry in an attempt to catch a glimpse of whatever is on its way down the canal.

In just a few seconds, the Krolowa pulls even with the shorebound Recon team.

Actions?
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:34, Wed 01 Aug 2007.

to gunny.....

"guns three targets bye the truck......"

"spot one at 250 meters wind from the north at 10 mph"

"the other two are at 260 meters trying to take cover"

"spotting target one the leader take the shot on you"


to the ship

"Tug this is john we have three tango's outside the twin aa gun"

"taking them out with sniper fire"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:02, Wed 01 Aug 2007.

Konrad takes one of the sets of binoculars Adam has hanging on the wall of the bridge. Scanning downriver he calls out loudly... "Stand by! Watch your arcs of fire."

He hears the snipers report on engaging the enemy by the AA truck, but decides not to respond. Rather than interrupting them with more radio chatter, he'll let them get on with their job.

After taking a quick glimpse of the canal he turns Old Adam and quietly asks... "Do you think there might be a chance obstacles may have been placed in the canal? Possibly underwater? Or would whatever traffic exists here eliminate that possibility?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:37, Wed 01 Aug 2007.

Blue hunkered down, he was waiting for the bullets to start flying.  It was the waiting he hated, when the fight started he was always too busy to worry.  It was moments like this, the slow advance of the tug into the unknown that had him worried.  Without thinking his hand had moved too touch his left hand chest pocket the crinkle of his wife's letter reasuring him as he waited.

And waited.

Finishing his smoke, Dawid saw Tuck and Joost lugging the Plamya auto-grenade launcher up beside him on the Port side, just forward of the Vasilek's sandbagged emplacement.  The Vasilek could only traverse 30 degrees to either side.  Once they were in the canal they would not be able to train the gun on anything not at the edge of either side of the canal without physically moving it.  Still, by leaving the gun pointed forward they could cover both sides at least as they entered.

"Tuck, we can cover the left sector.  Perhaps you'd like to move the Plamya to cover the right side?  Just a suggestion."

As they had 10-15 minutes before they entered the canal and pulled up to approximately where the snipers were hidden, he had time for some morning prayers.   Rosary in hand he crossed himself, said the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and of course the Our Lady of Częstochowa.

Everything was quiet as dawn started to break.  A few birds began to chirp, the rolling thunder of the bombardment fading into memory.  The powerful eungines throbbed, echoing off the riverbanks.

Finished, he crossed himself again, then put on his steel helmet and zipped up his heavy flak jacket.  Clearing the last 2 HE from the Vasilek's magazine he replaced them with 5 rounds of HEDP and pulled the charging handle to load the first round into the breach.  Finally, he picked up his AK and charged it, making sure the safety was on, then out it down beside him.

"Clarence, I believe we are ready."  He stared at the destroyed S-60 anti-aircraft gun as they passed it, 57mm barrels warped by some past airstrike.

They pulled up to where the snipers were hidden.  He kept the Vasilek trained down the canal towards the lock control platform and the column of smoke marking the approximate location of the AA weapons reported earlier.

OOC: if he can actually see the truck-mounted AA guns he will aim at them to cover them.  If Tuck and Joost move the 30mm AGL to cover the starboard side, he and Clarence will turn the Vasilek to cover the port side.  Otherwise, they will leave it pointing forward.


Dawid Piotrowski
82mm Vasilek (5 shots HEDP, AK-74 w/30 rds. and 3 spare magazines)
At the forward gun position, ready for action

Max is awake now, he is surprised that after only a few mortar rounds they are moving forward.

"humph, was that all?"


Max
Scanning his sector
Looking for threats
Coughing out dusk kicked up by the mortar

As Tucker makes his way back to supervise his gun stations, he looks around as the ship pulls up to where the two Marines are in cover so that they can be retrieved.  He looks down to Dawid and Clarence's position, "We've got Tango's by the AA gun right?  OK, Dawid, Clarence, cover the left sector.  Fire only if necessary!  I don't want to waste all of our ammo here if we can help it. C'mon Joost, I'll help you move this bitch again," Tucker says helping to postion the AGL-17 to cover the right side of the ship.

Tucker
M-16A2/M-203
Helping Joost move the AGL-17 to cover the tug's right sector

Dawid helped them lift and move the relatively light Plamya auto-grenade launcher and spare ammunition drum from one side to the other.  That took almost no time to accomplish with 3 men moving the 17-kg tripod-mounted weapon.  Then he motioned Clarence to assist him in re-orienting the Vasilek.  With a lot of grunting and effort, the gun was swiveled on its improvised truck-wheel mount so that it covered the front-left arc of the boat.

He then hunkered down behind the gunshield, ready for whatever threats presented themselves.

"Okay, we're set.  The Plamya will keep 'em off our backs, and with us four (assuming you stay, Tuck) we can reorient this beast in a hurry if need be.  I also have a rocket if need be."  He indicated the disposable RPG-76.

Above and behind them on the Upper Deck below and in front of the bridge, the PKM and RPK-74 SAW were ready to respond to a need for more firepower on either or both sides.  He saw the starboard and port Dushkas were also manned, covering the sides.


Dawid Piotrowski
82mm Vasilek (5 rounds HEDP loaded), AK-74 (30 rounds)
Forward Gun position.

Adam replies, "It is possible that the people controlling the locks have placed obstacles there. Natural obstacles are usually not a problem because the current here is strong. It is downstream where the canal ends and the river slows again that built up debris could be a problem."

"Uller, prepare to back the screws and hold station."

Clarence fastens the chin strap on his helmet and crouches down behind the gunshield/sandbags protecting the mortar. He cocks his AKSU, flicks the selector to automatic and scans the left bank from beside the Krolowa ahead to the lock complex.

He shouts to those manning the MGs up top,

"We got targets on the left side lock platform. Look alive and get ready to engage!"

"An accurate target indication would be greatly appeciated solider!" Major Soleblume yelled down to Milk as she repositioned herself to watch the port side.

"Adam!" she called up to the bridge just abover her, "I suggest not stopping until we're through the lock. It's been far too long since the bombardment for them not to have regrouped."

Anyone with even a basic knowledge of the first world war and the massive loss of life from that little stuff up, knew that a delay between the artillery barrage and commencement of infantry assault was almost always catastrophic. Here they may have killed and injured a few of the defenders, but how many remained and had already recovered from the intial shock?

Stopping, even briefly, before they'd cleared the lock was yet another delay they simply could not afford. Forcing their way through, even at the risk of hitting a submerged barrier, was far preferable to the almost certain loss of life that would result from further delays.

"We should steam through, anchor on the far side then send a party back to clean up any survivors and salvage what remains."

The rounds didn't come anywhere close to her, but Griet still felt the cold fist of fear clench her stomach.  It was always like that, at least for the first little bit.  She didn't exactly freeze up, but the ancient reptile part of her brain demanded she scuttle under the nearest rock and hide.

Griet remembered suddenly to breathe, and the fresh air flooding into her lungs helped her unwind the tiniest fraction.  Leaving the obvious targets to the others, she turned away and watched the side opposite of all the action.  Standing watch on ship for hours on end helped.  At sea, a lookout had a very rigidly defined section to cover.  Failure to cover it, or even glancing into another sector, brought down immediate correction; usually a CPO's heavily starched rope starter or a swift jab in the kidneys with a fist holding a short length of lead bar.

She watched and waited.

Griet Niewiadomska
PKM Position
Watching to the Left (Opposite side of AA position)

Parks hears Yazzies call as he watches the targets through the scope.He reaches up and adjusts his windage knob to account for Yazzie's call. Breathing out slowly, he aligns the sights. As they settle due to lack of breath, he slowly squeezes the trigger and awaits the recoil. As the round is fired he checks his recoil and shifts his body slightly to align on a new target. "Find me that RPG carrier Yazz." Parks says in low tones as he shifts.



Parks
In cover at OP 1
SVD(8)Bipod, optics
Firing at called target and adjusting to a new target.