"I said I don't know how to run that rubbish. I can shoot some NATO weapons but I have never been trained on Russian heavy machineguns. I'm a line infantryman in the Queens Army. I only use this due to it being so simple and it's the only thing they had. I don't think I have the time to learn so I will start killing now if you don't mind?"

Griet had just turned to return to the bridge when she heard the newcomer's insubordination to Anneka, she looked up at him and said, "I don't care what Queen you used to fight for, you're on a boat under my command and you'll follow the orders of the officers I've appointed. If you can't do that grab a flotation device and start swimming. Now get up to the Port Dushka and relieve the militiaman on it. Then walk the fire onto the enemy, the end with the muzzle goes toward the enemy and you pull the triggers to make the bullets come out, I'm sure you'll work the rest out. Now follow orders or get the hell off my boat."

She turned to run up to the bridge.

Dawid made sure the Vasilek was covered up and that the ORMO on deck was under cover as well. He grabbed his PKM, chambered a round and set up the bipod, but debated firing it. After all, he wanted to keep attention away from the forward deck until he was ready to unleash his "surprise". He held his fire with the GPMG but if they started taking fire he would return it.

Beside him was his Tantal, and he checked that the Grenade launcher was loaded with an HE round. The PKM was set up on his pack, which had a case of ammo for it, and the two spare ammo cans were on the deck.

"You two," he asked the ORMO, "does either one of you know how to fire this machinegun?"

In reply to Griet Niewiadomska (msg #180):

"Like I said, I mean no disrespect but I don't know how to use it. I would not know how to load or even walk the rounds as you say. I did not know this was your boat. I was only riding it with these guys because they asked for my help. I don't know who you are or who anyone is. I have not been briefed. Like I said, firing a Russian heavy machine gun is a little harder then just pulling the trigger. I'm not trained in this and would not want people to be killed due to my ignorance. Why be so rude? I dont even know you!"


Tom
RPK
Firing at 400 meters
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:24, Fri 10 Apr 2009.

"Fine," Griet said, "if you won't co-operate don't expect any back up and I want you off this boat as soon as you can safely leave and I never want to see your face again."

She turned her back on the man and moved on to fight the boat with those who actually wanted to co-operate.

"I don't even know what your talking about. This is madness! I don't even know your name and I don't know who you are. There are men coming to kill us. I can help fight them yet you make threats towards me. Someone willing to help you? I don't know how to use the machine gun, sorry. I wish I did but I can't. I told you my name and where I come from yet you insult me and my heritage? I hire on with the ship's crew and helped them get here these last few days. I don't know who you are, But I would love to find out so I can do what I can to help."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:26, Fri 10 Apr 2009.

Upon arriving at the riverside, Bayer realizes the ground team has arrived too late. The small enemy flotilla had already passed beyond the wrecked rail bridge, thus closing the window for a shore based ambush. Rather than try to chase the moving and unpredictable boats, and be restricted to the roads, he decided to setup the position regardless. If the tug could push them back, or even get behind them and lead them back - they'd be ready.

Pointing he says, "Stoner, you're the platoon's anchor. Setup here and the squads will branch off you. Mariusz, Jan, deploy your squads off to the flanks of Stoner."

"We missed the chance. But we'll hold here and be prepared."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:18, Fri 10 Apr 2009.

"Aye aye, Mon Capitan." Dave finds a suitable place tor the M240 he'd been carrying since they went ashore and plops down prone. Damnit, he thinks to himself. If I wanted to hump that heavy bastard, I'd have been a weapons specialist, not a fucking CORPSMAN!

The two militiamen shake their heads in the negative. Both men look like they'd rather be almost anywhere else right now.

In reply to Cap'n Rae (msg #187):

"Okay, shit, keep your heads down, then."

One was in the ammo locker, the other was down behind the sandbag revetment.

"What are you guys armed with?"

Seeing the now guy, Tom, arguing with Griet, he felt anger at the stupidity on display.

"Jesus Christ. I believe your name is Tom, right? You are arguing with the person Kapitan Bayer assigned as being in tactical command of this vessel."

"If you are going to be here you must follow her orders and stop being an idiot. Use your brains, would someone just come up to you and give you an order for nothing? You don't seem to have had a problem with obeying orders on this boat before from Poles, why start now?"

"For that matter, if you are here near the bow then you must also obey my orders while you are here."

"There is no further time to argue."

Jason reclaims the pouch of ammunition from the militiaman who is apparently no longer assigned to assist him, then limps to wherever whoever was carrying the AGS-17 has set it up and gets settled behind the Plamya, with the pouch and the Austeyr  at his side.  He checks the ammunition feed and begins lobbing single shots at the nearest lead boat.

Jason K.
Somewhere on the tug
AGS-17 [29/30 HE]
Firing single shots
(or attempting to do so)

"For that matter, if you are here near the bow then you must also obey my orders while you are here."


"Is it ok captian if I stay here and help this man. I have a strong back and I just want too help I swear. Please let me make it up too you and show you how hard I will fight for you and follow orders. I mean no disrespect to any one. Please let me help him?!"



Tom
talking

In reply to Tom Jones (msg #190):

Dawid made sure his ORMO were under cover, then looked over at Tom, and indicated Griet.

"I appreciate that you want to help. Like I told you, that woman is the boss. She wants you elsewhere, now go."

"It's OK, Dawid, let him stay here." Griet said, "Listen soldier, I want you to assist Dawid in any way you can, particularly I want you to buy them time with your RPK should any boarders get through, make sure you don't burn through all your ammo. We'll talk more later."

She turned once more and headed up to the bridge.

Mariusz helped settle his squad into position and set up his G3. He keyed the radio and asked Bayer, "I'm deploying my sniper rifle, do you want me to take shots as I have them or do you want us to remain quiet to hide our position?"

He guessed the answer would be to stay quiet but he felt he should ask in case the Kaptain had other plans.

Wicks turns to Minh on the bed of the truck

“I think we just missed them, looks like we get them on the return if anything’s left. If you have binoculars could you stand on the cab and see if you can see anything ? Maybe give me and idea when they will be coming back. Only if it doesn’t put you in jeopardy.”

Turning to the squad assembled in the trees in front of the truck.

“Ok they look to of gone past so we are going to hit them going back down stream. Try to aim for the pilots of the boats but if you cant take out any target. Your que to start firing is when I light them up with the autocannon.”

Wicks shifts uneasy in the gunners chair, the cold metal in winter doesn’t help but nether does the wait and anticipation.


Alan Wicks
23mm Flak (32/100 HEI)
Covering the river
Back of the Star

"Hold your shots Mariusz. But when its time I want you to be selective with your shots. Target key individuals such commanders, helmsmen, heavy weapons gunners, and anybody who might be using a radio." he replies.

The absence of any sounds of fighting suggested to him that the opposing vessels were still positioning themselves.

Ground Force

Looking upriver (to their right), the ground team can see the motor boats closing with the Queen. They are out of effective range at the moment but if the Queen prevails and the pirates are forced to retreat, the pirate boats will have to have back in front of the waiting guns of the ground force. Similarly, if pirate reinforcements arrive on scene, the ground force will able to take them under fire before they can aid their confederates. For now, though, all the ground team can do is watch and wait.

Tug Team

The tug, picking up speed, heads for a meeting engagement with the onrushing pirate boats. Tom is the first to fire, at 400m. Between the motion of the accelerating tug and the motion of the bouncing speedboats, he can't tell if his first two bursts (6 rounds) have hit anything. One of the militia gunners, on the starboard Dushka, takes his cue from Tom and squeezes the butterfly triggers of the Soviet HMG, sending a long stream of green tracers towards the nearest, right-most pirate boat. The rounds churn up a leaping white froth several meters behind the boat, creating a dramatic display of white water but failing to find their mark.

At this, the two forward pirate boats swing out a little wider while simultaneously opening fire on the Queen with their bow GPMGs. Bullets ping off of the tug's superstructure, chipping paint and occasionally throwing up sparks, but no one is hit in this opening fusilade. The trailing boats, filled to the gunwhales with boarders, swing wider still, still coming on but keeping their distance from the tug, now quite apparently not without sting.

The pirate boats are now at about 200m and still coming on fast. Considering their manuevering and the relative closing speed of the two parties, it is unlikely that they will attempt to board head on. In all likelihood, they mean to pass the tug and swing around to board her from behind.

Next Moves?

Griet reached the bridge and looked at the situation, she saw the boats starting to split up to envelop the tug and she smiled wolfishly.

"Exactly what I wanted them to do," she said, "Dawid, if you have a shot, take it, otherwise hold fire until the boat with boarders in on the left cuts our bow, you should have a good shot then. Kasparov on the AGS, I want you to concentrate fire on the boats that pass to our left. Left side Dushka, do the same. Right Dushka, concentrate on the boats on the right, Mk-19, as the boarders boat on the right passes under you, shred them."

Griet looked at Anneka, "Pick a side to fire from as the boats go under, I'd suggest the left as we're closer to the bank there and the boats will be nearer. Once they've passed the AGS, lead the team to the stern and support the action there. They've done what I wanted, but we still have to kill them."

She stood calmy watching the action play out and wondered if Adam had ever heard about a Crazy Ivan...
This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Sat 11 Apr 2009.

In reply to Griet Niewiadomska (msg #197):

"Okay Tom, you're with me. Good to hear. Commence suppressive fire on the front right "gunboat". Got it? the right one." When they swiveled the gun to port, the gunshield wouldn't protect them from fire coming from starboard (although there were still the sandbag revetments.

He didn't like drawing attention to the bow area and the still-covered Vasilek by shooting out, but there didn't seem to be really anyone else in a position to return fire to the front.

"Both you ORMO, get up here. Keep down and get to either side of the Vasilek, the thing under the cover here. When I give the word, both of you grab the cover and pull it off to the rear. Then help me swing it left. Got it, left? Don't worry, you will be covered by the sandbags, and when the cover's off get down behind the shield and feed me ammunition."

He made sure the ORMO understood their instructions, and which shells were HE.

When the Pirates reached 200m, he gave the signal to uncover the Vasilek and then swivel it left. When the left "transport" was in his sights he would pull the firing lanyard.

OOC: What ammo does the Vasilek still have? What jind of shape is the weapon in? if it looks like the swivel will be difficult to turn he oils it, using gun oil if there is nothing else to hand.

Tucker still holding onto the grip(s) of the MK-19 launcher gives Griet a wave & a 'thumbs-up' that he understands he orders.

Tucker
MK-10 Launcher
Acquiring & engaging targets that Griet wanted him to attack when in range.

 Commence suppressive fire on the front right "gunboat". Got it? the right one."


Tom will follow orders and fire three round burst at the assigned boat until its sunk or all are dead. He will duck down and reload from cover.


Tom
RPK-74
Firing

"I will go out a ways. There's a dock. I should be able to see upriver from there. Don't shoot anywhere right of the dock." she answers.

Moving towards the dock, she keeps to the trees and brush for concealment. Quyen will try to find a position of observation about 50-60 meters due east from the ZU truck. She won't sacrifice cover for a good position though - at least not yet.

Moving 50 meters out for ZU truck to shore

In reply to Griet Niewiadomska (msg #197):

"What team?"

Absolutely everyone besides herself had been assigned to crewed weapons. Dawid in company with two of the milita and Tom on the bow with the mortar and PKM, three more militia on the two DShKs (the third alternating between the guns as an assistant as necessary), Jason in Griet and her own old position with the L86 automatic rifle, AGS-17 and the F88/M203 (and unable to more than hobble a few steps unaided), with the last two, Tucker and a shotgun weilding miltiaman manning the Mark-19 roughly where the third DShK used to be.

So, besides Griet and herself there was only the tug crewmembers, all busy running the boat....

"You take the starboard, and I'll watch over port."
Although there was no "team" to speak of, their personal weapons, an RPK-74 and Polish Tantal, could at least provide a little "in close" fire from the bridge windows. A week or two back they'd have had glass to contend with but ever since the RPG hit that had claimed Adam's eye, all they had to worry about was the hatches stripped from an MTLB and a few sheets of makeshift armour plate applied to provide a little more protection to the nerve centre of the vessel.

The Queen

The pirate boats keep coming, undisuaded by the tug's fire. Tom continues to snap off three-round bursts at the leading boat as it closes on the tug's starboard bow. The pirate boat returns fire, kicking up water and clanging rounds off of the tug's hull. Between the recoil of the RPK, the motion of the tug, and the fast-moving target, Tom can't tell if he's done anything more than make a lot of noise. He continues firing 3-round bursts at the lead boat as it passes to starboard of the Queen, then ducks down behind the thick steel gunwhale to reload (-30 rounds).


The starboard Dushka continues to hammer away at the trailing boat, laden with boarders. The inexperienced gunner sprays bullets all around the target. Those looking on from the tug's superstructure see two of the boarders crumple at the waist as one of the Dushka's heavy slugs tears through both of them. As the pirate boat passes alongside the tug, the militia gunner's fire kicks up spray behind the pirates, as he fails to adequately lead the target. His somewhat wasteful expenditure of ammunition is cut short as a round jams in the feed tray, prematurely ceasing his fire. Ignorant of the procedure for clearing the jam, the militiaman ducks down behind the sandbagged railing of the companionway and prepares his personal weapon (a double barrel shotgun) for action.

Tucker picks up the starboard boats as the pass abreast of the tug's raised quarterdeck. He fires a five-round burst from the Mk-19 AGL at the trailing boat. All five grenades miss long, sending up tall geysers of white water between the pirate boat and the shore.

As the starboard gunners harrass the pirates passing along the starboard side of the Queen, Dawid and his pair of militia loaders attempt to bring the Vasilek to bear against the pirate vessels on the tug's port side. At Dawid's command, the militiamen pull at the tarp concealing the Queen's most powerful weapon. The tarp snags on part of the automortar and by the time the problem can be rectified and the mortar swung to port, the pirate boats are past the danger. The portside Dushka gunner, however, takes them under fire while they are still 200m off the port bow, hosing the trailing boat with fire. One of the 50 or so 12.7mm rounds- a tracer- punches a fist sized hole in the pirate boat's hull, smashing a light machine gun to bits. The rest of the Dushka's bullets churn up the water around the pirate boat, but fail to do any further damage.

At 200m meters, Jason begins firing single shots from the AGS-17 propped on the sandbagged railing of the elevated forward companionway at the pair of pirate boats on closing from the port forequarter. He manages three shots before the boats pass to port (due to the impromptu fashion in which the Plamya is currently mounted, it can't traverse and must be lifted and shifted manually). All three kick up spray near the enemy vessels; none strike home.

All the while, the PKM on the leading pirate boat (on the port side) fires at the tug. Bullets strike the Queen's superstructure; at least two rounds fly through one of the unshuttered bridge windows, pinging off of the bridge's ceiling but failing to injure any of the bridge crew. A few moments later, a pile of papers on the chart table behind the con begins to smoke and burn, apparently ingited by a spent tracer round.

As soon as the pirate boats are aft of the Queen, they turn towards one another, curling around to come at her from behind. The pirates are now 100-200m aft of the Queen and racing towards her low fantail.

Shore Team

The ground force can do little but watch the unfolding riverine battle and hope for the best. On her own, Minh moves towards the shore. As she approaches the river, she can just make out a motor launch floating in place on the far side of one of the destroyed rail bridge's tangled iron pilings. It appears to contain three or four armed men. They peer upriver, apparently monitoring the battle. Above them, but closer to the near shore, there should be a pair of militia lookouts. For whatever reason, they have chosen not to engage the pirates. Perhaps they don't have orders not to do so or maybe the intervening piling blocks their line of sight. The pirate boat is about 150m from the shore and stationary.

Next Moves?
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Sat 18 Apr 2009.

Dave watches the naval battle with his mouth open in awe at all the lead splashing in the river. "Oh, man", he says to his a-gunner. "The Gods of War are not happy with the white hats today!"