Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov was unhappy. He had, quite reluctantly, agreed to this harebrained plan of splitting up the troops. Now he hadn't heard from Politruk Yevgenievich for several hours. For all he knew, the spearhead was already dead. Or worse, captured.
But with the American Major insisting, he had to agree.

Konnikov knew that his superiors would see that differently.

Now he was leading the rest of his company along the main route, with the few British and American soldiers tagging along. Their commander, British Captain Jackson was an bourgouis imperialist, like most British, but at least he was quiet enough.

Their route had taken them through  Olympiastrasse across the Reichsstrasse through an area with the streets names after trees - Ahorn, Ulmen, Eichenstrasse. They had moved along Platanenstraße and encountered some resistance from German forces, but had been able to move around some of the more fortified positions. The going had been slow, but they had moved in a - relatively - straight line.

Where was Yevgenievich?

((Draw 4 cards, please, from a deck including Jokers.))

((17:09, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the 4 cards: KC, AH, JD, 7S using a deck of 54 cards.))

So far, the company had been able to weave around any German positions or ruined buildings - but now there was no way around it. Before them was a bridge leading across rails. And it had been fortified on both ends, and manned by Volkssturm, Wehrmacht and SS.

The allies outnumbered them two to one, but numbers didn't count for much here.

The road of the allies made a slight S curve leading toward the bridge. On their left and just before the bridge, was a church that seemed to be largely intact. On the other side of the street was the burned-out ruin of some appartment buildings. The bridge itself was barricaded with sand bags, barbed wire and some barricades.

Konnikov watched the bridge through his binoculars, his platoon commanders behind him.

Captain Jackson twirled his umbrella in his arm, and looked at the roadblock up ahead.
"Well, I guess we had to run into some opposition at some point, it seems. Couldn't expect them to roll out the red carpet for is. Well, for you, maybe."
He chuckled, then seemed disappointed that Konnikov wouldn't get that little carpet. He looked around if one of the officers could translate.

Konnikov turned and spotted Balakin several meters away, "Balakin!"  His voice was insistent but not loud.

When the Mladshiy Serzhant was close enough, he leaned over to him, "Pretend you heard what the American had said are now relaying it to me."

Balakin was momentarily confused, "But sir, I did not-"

"Tssscht, just pretend."

"Uh, Kapitan, sir yes, sir, the ahhh, the American was saying something about something?"

"Hah, very good Serzhant, now tell him I said 'If they wish to greet us we shall have to go and kiss them on both cheeks!'"

As Balakin relays this to Captain Jackson, Kapitan Konnikov turns and catches his Leytenant's eyes, and nods for them to join him.

"Shagidzyanov, send a few scouts into those burned out apartments, I want to know if they'll do as a staging point, Lyubimtsev the same with that church, is it occupied and how many if so."  He looks again at the bridge and claps a hand on the third platoon Leytenant's shoulder, "Strelnikov, I am tired of waiting for Politruk Yevgenievich to report in, so amuse me, how would you take that bridge?"

The Kapitan was only in the habit of asking such a question when the one he was asking was about to be stuck into the meatgrinder.  The men believed he did it to give them some agency, some license to decide how they would die and to speak their minds; and while it did, in truth Konnikov did it to ease his soul.  Despite his reputation as a ruthless strategian, he felt every one of their deaths.

Shagidzyanov nodded and turned to Zolotov, giving the task to his second squad. Lyubimtsev ordered his third squad into position.

Strelnikov nodded, grimly. "Tovarish Kapitan, we should take the church tower and set up a MG position there, clear the rubble on the right with some grenades and and soften the position at the bridge with fire from both directions. Then we charge in and keep going until both sides of the bridge are secured.
The church tower can help us clear the far end of the bridge. Take out an officer or two."

Captain Jackson quietly conversed with his men and pointed towards the bridge. Clearly, the Red Army would have to lead the charge, but it was nice to know that the British contemplated action as well.

Konnikov nods, "I am proud you have been paying attention to my strategies.  You, Valentin Strelnikov, are a true son of Russia. Now Leytenant, prepare the route you wish to take your platoon in your mind.  But first we wait on those scouts.  I will have that bell tower.  We will see if there are other options than true glory, this is not the final destination for this company.  We must have blood enough to see us through farther than the end of this bridge."

He would push them through this bridge if it was necessary, the soldiers knew, and Strelnikov was just told he'd be at the front of that push blunting the teeth of the enemy.  But sometimes there are other ways.  Konnikov hoped to find another way, but was preparing his orders for if it doesn't materialize.

Shots ring out in the bell tower and there's yelling, alarming the men at the bridge head.
Strelnikov curses, then looks at you
"What are your orders, tovarish Kapitan?"


((Alright, we'll have ourselves a little mass battle for a quick encounter. You got superior numbers here, but you don't know how many more. You can select how many you want to commit to this battle (in 10s of %, then we determine how many tokens. You can add your reserves to the battle as additional tokens after each round.))

"Use the apartments to shield your approach, soften, and then take that bridge head Strelnikov," he turns, "Shagidzyanov we will follow and support Strelnikov from the apartments.  Lyubimtsev!  Get your machine gunner in that bell tower! NOW!"  Konnikov was barking orders as he hefted his PPSh-41, checking the drum was properly seated as he moved.  He paused a step, turned, and in terrible English yelled "Kapitan Jackson, glory!" before turning to follow the Second Platoon into the rubble of the apartments...




((OOC:  Since he's ordering 2 out of 8 squads into the pitch (and what oneish squad of mixed Brits and Americans?), with 3 squads immediately following to support... so call it 30% in the first push with 30% immediately ready to reinforce.  Another 30% deploying (ебать их матерей!) into support, with at best delayed reinforcement possibility.

I was hoping to get some more intel before getting jammed in, but ah, this is war.  You never go to war with the intel you want.))

((Allright, let's make a bunch of rolls! In the interest of speed and moving this along, I'll handle the rolls for the first two rounds.

As it'll turn out, you have about a 2:1 advantage in numbers, giving you a total of 10 tokens vs. 5 for the Germans. But they got less experienced troops, costing them two tokens, so your total is 10, they got 3.
You commit 3 tokens at the beginning, with an extra 3 in the second round.

There is no resistance in the rubble, but there are Germans in the bell-tower, so that's a sub-battle, so to speak, we'll resolve that one first:

Group roll for the Squad in the church:
10:43, Today: Warmaster, on behalf of BPO Company, rolled 12,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+4)12,4.  Soviet attack
10:44, Today: Warmaster, on behalf of SS-Infantry, rolled 3,5 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5.  German defense.

The Soviets take the bell tower, wiping out the German soldiers there, but take one casualty (to be resolved later). It also removes +2 from the German defense bonus
Total Casualties: 1

The main attack: It's 3 against 3 tokens, but the Germans get +2 due to their defenses.
10:47, Today: Warmaster, on behalf of Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov, rolled 2,11 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11.  Battle 10:48, Today: Warmaster, on behalf of SS-Infantry, rolled 6,11 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 4,(6+3)9.  Battle roll.roll.

That's a tie, both sides lose one token!

Second round: The Soviets bring 3 more tokens to the front and they have now a machine gunner at the top of the church, attacking the bridge. means it's 5 tokens against 2, giving Konnikov +3 for the numerical advantage and +2 for the MG:
10:51, Today: Warmaster, on behalf of Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov, rolled 20,6 using d8+5,d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,1.  Battle .
10:51, Today: Warmaster, on behalf of SS-Infantry, rolled 7,6 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4.  Battle roll.

The Red Army steamrolls the German defense, completely eliminating the opposition and take the bridge, without taking any further casualties (since Konnikov won the battle roll with a raise).

You've taken the bridge, now you can resolve the battle results. You've taken 1 casualty in the belltower, the token represents 10% of your force, so 8 more.

Give me 9 Vigor rolls for the BPO company (no wild dice). Anybody who makes it has minor injuries. Anybody who fails is walking wounded. Anybody who rolls 1 is dead. I'll assign any results then randomly.))

((OOC:  Oops, didn't see the no Wild Die till I went to post, rerolled:
12:47, Today: BPO Company rolled 37 using 9d6, rerolling max ((1,1,(6+3)9,3,2,(6+1)7,4,3,(6+1)7)).

1 (Dead), 1 (Dead), 9 (Minor), 3 (Walking), 2 (Walking), 7 (Minor), 4 (Minor), 3 (Walking), 7 (Minor).

2 Dead, 4 Minor Casualties, 3 Walking It Off like proper Soviets!

I'm "invoking" Konnikov's Heroic Hindrance, he took a few "grazing" hits while standing and shouting orders and laying down suppressing fire!  Should I throw a Wound on him? ))

((Yes, you can take care of one of the Walking Wounded results, which would hit your command staff anyway.

I added the dead soldiers to the Remember the Fallen thread, your total command is now 79 men and women.

The other two walking wounded are marked in  Bold Blue on your sheet - Emma Zholdina and Styopa Yefimov.

Feel free to write a summary of the battle.

))
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:52, Tue 21 Sept 2021.

Kapitan Konnikov listened to his Leytenant's reports while the medic did a hasty stitch of the 'mere flesh wound' he'd received across his right shoulder.  When the medic finished, Semyon eased his shirt back on and donned his coat, a private had stitched a rough patch to close the rend the bullet had torn.

He stood to address his forces who moved to assemble, roughly in order, but these soldiers were tired and Konnikov did not press for perfection in spit and polish on the field, he pressed for perfection in combat.  So a little slowness and little disorder here was overlooked.

"Today you have made me proud.  Leytenant Strelnikov!  Even under manned your platoon charged into the barricades and drove the Nazis before you!  Your men's bravery and prowess won us the foothold, without you, it would have floundered.  Starshiy Leytenant Lyubimtsev!  Without your machinegun team, the enemy would have been free to sweep our advance with fire, today's overwhelming victory would not have been so thorough without your platoon's admirable performance!  Starshiy Leytenant Shagidzyanov, today you were held back from the glory of leading the charge, but your platoon found it's calling in holding the breach, and sweeping the enemy from bridge entirely!  You stood beside me as we suppressed the enemy's position, know that your bravery and your platoon's bravery is not overlooked!"

He turns to the two men laid out, covered in their blankets, weighed down by stones.

He salutes the two dead soldiers.  "Ryadovóy Aleyev, your valor in taking the bell tower will not be forgotten, Ryadovóy Nazarov you held the breach despite a gut wound and pressed the charge to this end of the bridge, your valor will not be forgotten."

He holds the salute a few moments longer and as he drops it, so does the company.  "Now we press on, gather yourselves.  Urbanovsky!  My radio, I'm getting answers from Yevgenievich before we move on."

Over the next half hour of travel, Konnikov moved amongst the soldiers, taking a moment to to commend those his Leytenants had personally mentioned as noteworthy in the battle.

With the snipers a quiet word, "Siyasinova, Kruglikova, your eyes and your aim were invaluable."  A laugh with this young man's squad, "Ryadovóy Bok, young man, it is not necessary to rush into the enemy's fortification to personally hand them your grenade, next time just throw it, preferably from five or more meters away."

And a word as well with the other 'walking wounded', "Zholdina, is your arm going to be steady?  Ah, you are switching with your spotter, carry on."  "Yefimov, pulling your comrade out of the line of fire, only to be shot yourself.  That is life."

Captain Jackson nodded at you after the bridge was taken. "Slava!" he says, proudly saying the Russian word for glory, but his pronunciation is slightly off, making it sound more like the Italian "Brava".

With guns reloaded, wounds dressed, the dead set aside, the company marches on.

After the bridge, you encounter little resistance, a few Volkssturm units here and there, but most disperse even before a shot is fired, obviously panicking that the Red Army is already that deep in the city and coming from the West, not East!

That should at least cause some panic at the Nazi headquarter, maybe pull troops from the Eastern front.

Just as you arrive at a burned-out church, something odd happens: The Soviet guns and artillery stop and the silence that follows is as serene as it is unexpected.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/w..._Memorial_Church.jpg

((OOC:  How far are we from the Reichsluftfahrtministry?))

((Time-wise, you're now at the same point in time when the Spearhead was encountering the tiger and the hyenas. So right now maybe 2 hours away? I'll be bringing you up soon.))

"We press on, the front will be shifting closer shortly.  This mission needs to be finished before the target is shelled."

The company is uneasy about the sudden quiet, but moves on your order. A few minutes later, there is a short burst of rifle fire to be heard, somewhat in the distance. But it's over as quickly as it began.

Then, the artillery starts up again. The impacts sound a lot closer now, but it could be due to the silence before.

You continue on, to your left are the walls of the Berlin Zoo, to your right the broad Boulevard of Budapester Straße.

Third Platoon is upfront, carefully walking from cover to cover, when suddenly Evelina Kruglikova, another one of the company's female snipers falls to the side, blood spurting from a wound in her neck.

Teterev, who was walking next to her, freezes, looking dumbstruck at the woman.

SNAJPER! somebody yells and people dive to the ground and for cover.

If there is someone not moving, Konnikov will grab them as he dives for cover, then once in cover he attempts to asses the situation, is just a lone sniper, or does it sound like more troops moving up?

Somebody yells for Teterev to get into cover and the young men half-turns before a bullet hits him, his knees exploding in a spray of blood and he cries out in pain and topples to the ground.

Kruglikova's legs twitch as she presses her hand against her neck wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

((Notice to spot the sniper's position))

As Konnikov dove for cover he'd recognized the angle the shot had to have come from...

((21:29, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 5 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4.  Notice to spot Sniper.))
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Mon 11 Oct 2021.

((12:17, Today: Warmaster, for the NPC SS Sniper, rolled 13,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+5)13,3.  Stealth.))

He's well-hidden indeed. But you get +1 each time he fires.


You look around, there is too much rubble, too many windows, too many potential spots for a sniper to hide. You look in one direction and another of your soldiers cries out, another man down.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Someone yells, and men and women point in multiple directions.
Captain Jackson huddles into a doorway and looks at you, shrugging, then scans the buildings again, his rifle at the ready.

<Russian>"First Platoon, north side of road, Second Platton, south! Move into buildings now!"</Russian>  His order sending the platoons into the areas nearest them.

<Russian>"Third Platoon, with me, down the middle, hug the rubble, keep moving till we find the bastard!"</Russian> Sacrificing his ability to readily spot the sniper, Kapitan Konnikov moves from one spot of cover to another, When facing a sniper, movement is life.



((OOC:  22:31, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 2,2 using 1d6+1,1d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1.
/sadtrombone.mp3))

The men and women scramble to follow your orders. An instant later, Captain Jackson bellows a similar order. Another shot, barely audible over the constant noise of the artillery barrage raining down on the city further east, another yell of pain, this time in English.

((Alright, I figure running this round by round will get kinda boring and take needlessly long to resolve. So let's turn this into a Dramatic Task!

You need to collect Six task tokens. Draw an action card for each round and make a Battle roll each round. These are not combat rounds, but task rounds, so multiple things can happen.
For each success and raise, you get a Task token. Once you've reached six, you've located the sniper.
Any round you fail the Battle roll, you take a casualty. When you draw any cards of Clubs, you take two casualties.

At least a success on the roll means you managed to organize your soldiers well enough that you don't take casualties that round.))

The platoons spread out, the sniper hunkers down, watching their erratic movements, no soldiers take any shoots the first few minutes...

((13:08, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 3,4 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4.  Battle Roll, Turn 1
13:10, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the single card: 6S using a deck of 54 cards.  Card Draw, Turn 1.))

... only for the sniper to unleash a pair of deadly shoots in rapid succession, seemingly taking out two soldiers from different angles.

((13:27, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 3,3 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 2
13:27, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 1,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 2, Bennie ReRoll.
13:32, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the single card: 7C using a deck of 54 cards.  Card Draw, Turn 2.))


The platoon having mostly moved into the rubble begins to narrow down at least which side of the street the sniper, or snipers, are on...

((13:28, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 7,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 3.
13:32, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the single card: 4D using a deck of 54 cards.  Card Draw, Turn 3.))

((13:28, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 1,9 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 4.
13:32, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the single card: 4H using a deck of 54 cards.  Card Draw, Turn 4.))

((13:28, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 1,3 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 5.
13:29, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 7,9 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 5, Bennie ReRoll.
13:33, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the single card: 7H using a deck of 54 cards.  Card Draw, Turn 5.))

((13:30, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 5,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max.  Battle Roll, Turn 6.
13:33, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov drew the single card: 6D using a deck of 54 cards.  Card Draw, Turn 6.))

((I wasn't sure if you wanted me to just keep rolling until I get 6 Tokens, or what...))

At your command, one of Second Platoon dashes across the street, screaming in defiance of death. And there's a glint of the light reflecting off the sniper's scope!
Before the bastard can kill the decoy, a rifle grenade detonates just inside the window frame.

After the smoke clears, relative silence falls over the street. An idle thought crosses your mind: Behind most, if not every one of those windows, there are German civilians hiding, cowering in fear of the Red Army coming for them. If they were to open fire behind each of these windows, the streets would run red with Soviet blood.

You push the thought away, nothing to be done about it anyway.

The first soldiers slowly raise their helmets on their rifles over their cover, but no bullets come flying.
You have taken out the sniper.

Danila Bogomazov of your command squad walks over and salutes.
"Comrade Kapitan! Reporting Boldyrev and Siyalov have taken minor wounds, but can continue. But Teterev, Bok and... and Comrade Kruglikova have fallen."
All three had been in 3rd Platoon, 2nd squad. When the day had started, it had been one of the company's only full squad. Now they were down to six. Of the three, Kruglikova was the biggest loss, she had had the heart of a Russian bear, absolutely fearless.

Bogomazov leaned in a little. "The Americans have lost an officer. The lieutenant."

<Russian>"We don't have time for speeches, put them inside a building, mark the map, and prepare to move out."</Russian>  While giving a moment for word to pass among the company, he stomps over to the American Captain, <Russian>"Balakin, attend.  Tell the Captain, we mourn their loss, but we are pressing on.  The target is within spitting distance."</Russian>

Konnikov stomps back off, <Russian>"First platoon, vangaurd, second platoon rear.  Third platoon you are with me.</Russian>  Konnikov waits for Leytenant Shagidzyanov's platoon to move out, then takes the middle of the company with remains of the Third Platoon.

The closer you get to the city center, the slower the going gets. More rubble covers the road and you have to evade several fortified positions to avoid getting drawn into a confrontation. Everybody is on edge, and you expect another sniper attack every time you turn a corner.

You need to cross the channel that runs through Berlin, the "Landwehrkanal", but all the bridges are heavily guarded and fortified.

Eventually, you find a small, narrow pedestrian bridge across the channel that is unguarded. Unguarded, because it is woefully inadequate for a crossing. But it's the best choice you have right now.

Squad by squad, the company crosses the maybe 35 meter (100 feet) long bridge. On the other side waits a small park - just a few bushes, trees and picknick tables that is pock-marked with rubble. It's a good enough gathering place and provides some cover for everybody to gather again.

Your radio operator, Urbanovsky, gets closer to you. "Kapitan, I got Politruk Zholdin, as requested"

You take the receiver and hear Zholdin's report: "I believe we have located the target of the Americans, they're inside a building. We don't have any idea of how many enemies are in there. There's a squad of Germans outside, we can take them. The spy woman thinks that time's running out. How far behind are you, Comrade Kapitan?"

You respond: "We are a short walk from the target area, presuming there are no vermin between us.  If you wish to wait, we will plan a joint attack on arrival.  If you feel you must push now, we will join the battle when we arrive.  I leave it at your discretion comrade Politruk."

Zholdin comes back with "Thank you, Tovarish Kapitan."

Then the radio falls silent again.
You consult the maps. Urbanovsky points to where Zholdin had indicated they were and you run the finger to your position. Less than a kilometer away. With the opposition in between, might as well be as far as Moscow.
Silently, you curse yourself for agreeing to such a foolhardy plan like splitting up. STAVKA will have your hide for this.

Then you have an idea.

These maps were drawn by Communist sympathizers in the 20ies and 30ies and while not the most recent, are extremely accurate. From where you are right now, you could either follow Dessauer Street, then turn left into Stresemann Street and make your way to the position of the spearhead.

Or you could go through the ruins of the building to your left and go down into the Berlin Metro, then walk a straight line in the dark and emerge just where the rest of your troops are.

You tap your fingers on the map as you ponder your options.

((And that places you both location and time-wise))

<Russian>"Starshiy Shagidzyanov, send a squad to search what's left of that building, if we can turn up materials to make torches, it's a short jog through the metro.  Otherwise it's a long walk down these roads."</Russian>

He turns, <Russian>"Balakin.  Ask the American if any in his troop has those electric torches their 'special forces' are so fond of, we may be going down into the dark in a few moments."</Russian>
This message was lightly edited by the player at 16:35, Tue 19 Oct 2021.

The British and Americans have torches or flashlights - depending on if they serve their King or a president, and there is enough timber in the ruins to create a few torches for the Soviets.

The company arrives at the entrance to the metro unopposed and you descend down into the Berlin Underground. Just a few stairs down, then a tight corner, a metal railing separating those who would go down from those who would emerge out into the open.

The men ahead have experience in city fighting, some of them even back in Stalingrad and with quiet routine they check every corner before turning.

The torches are not necessary, at least not yet. There are still lights down here, although some of the bulbs have gone out, allowing you to see enough to not trip over the stairs and break your neck.

At the bottom of the stairs is a small platform, splitting up the traffic to the two directions - one going to "Warschauer Brücke", the other to "Zoologischer Garten".
The tunnel will obviously lead in both directions, so there's little difference in which to choose.

Down here, the constant cacophony of the artillery is dampened to the point where it sounds like kids jumping up and down in the room upstairs.

((Want to split the troops or does everybody go down the same flight of stairs?))

Seeing no real advantage to further splitting up, and potential disadvantage to doing so, Konnikov has the BPO Company cautiously file down the stairs to the "Zoologischer Garten".

The stairs and corridors are generally wide enough for four people walking next to each other.

Shapovalov pulls Krayevsky by the arm and the two head off to the other direction. They are two of your most experienced men and you have learned to trust them. They set about to push a few trash cans into the way of the stairway, then set up a handful of grenades on a wire.

If anybody were to sneak up on you from behind, they'd run into a nice - and noisy! - surprise, giving you at least some warning.

Just a few more steps now and the first of your men are on the platform. You're a few rows behind but you can hear the sounds of alarm and screaming. Somebody fires a gun, apparently one of your men, but there seems to be no firefight.

The squad ahead you bullies forward and then you follow and emerge onto the platform. It's dimly lit, but there is enough light to see it's filled with people.
Civilians, it seems, women, children, men, all shouting and crying, trying to get away from the soldiers, pressing themselves into the walls...

<Russian>"Hold fire, HOLD FIRE!  Company halt.  Give the civilians some room.  BALAKIN!"</Russian> Then he switches to his terrible, terrible German, <German>"Go against wall, you will stay safe!"</German>

Konnikov waits a minute for the Sergeant to press through the platoon and join him.  <Russian>"Find Jackson, have him explain to these civilians that if they stay on this platform they will be safe.  If they leave the platform before we tell them to, they will be shot.  Understood?  Go."</Russian>

<Russian>Leytenant Shagidzyanov!  Leytenant Lyubimtsev!</Russian>  He waits even less time as his Lieutenants had already been moving to join him at the head of the stairs.

<Russian>"Leytenant Shagidzyanov, send your platoon forward, find us the tunnel and secure it while we move through this crowd.  Lyubimtsev, your squad is rear guard, keep an eye on the Germans, never know who might be a partisan, ready to die for the city."</Russian>  He claps Strelnikov on the shoulder, <Russian>"Again you are with me, we follow first platoon once we're clear of all these civilians.  Remain wary Leytenant."</Russian>


As long as nothing untoward happens... BPO company moves into the tunnel towards gardens.

More cries erupt from the crowd as you take a few steps forward, not even pushing through the crowd, just making room for the rest of your company to find a place.
There are more cries now on the other side of the platform, across the rails at the bottom. In the gloom, you can see people jumping down onto the rails and running away. One person lands awkwardly, and ends up lying across the rails, a small bundle flying from their arms as they stumble and fall.

The crowd moves, as if it was made of water, people pushing each other forward and backward, trying to get away from you.

Konnikov and the remains of Third Platoon remain on the platform until First Platoon is cleared and securing the tunnels, then they join them.

<Russian>"Balakin, have Captain Jackson's people make sure these Germans know, they should remain on the platform, and have them return these few down here on the tracks to the platform.  We will wait for them briefly.  Also have his men with their electric torches split between first and second platoon.  I do not like the idea of partisans creeping up on us from behind in the dark."</Russian>

Once they've all cleared the platform, and are waiting for the few Germans to be sent back to the platform, <Russian>"Leytenant Lyubimtsev, no traps.  We may be returning this way in a hurry."</Russian>

Once Captain Jackson and his British troops have made their presence more widely known, the crowd slowly starts to calm down. Their fear is still palpable, but it's more subdued now.

Germans always yield to authority. You think to yourself.

The few people who got injured are treated by the British, with the Americans handing out some pieces of chocolate to calm down the children.

Jackson approaches you with a few women following behind him.
"Hm, Captain, there's someone you should respond to."

The first woman, a stern-looking figure in her early 40ies composes herself and steps forward. She says, in rather stilted Russian:
<Russian>"We are volunteers so that you do not have to hurt the girls."</Russian>
The women behind her look pale, but determined, their eyes scanning the Russian soldiers.

Konnikov he shakes his head, <Russian>"Madam, that will not be happening here.  These men are disciplined soldiers, not brigands.  Further, I will ensure the Americans know to treat you with respect."</Russian>

He looks to Captain Jackson and his face betrays disgust, he speaks loudly in his halting English, "Is not time for you lose self to lust, we are in mission!  Have you no shame?" and he turns and stomps off leaving the American hopefully confused and embarrassed.



((OOC:  Yes, I'm sure there are times Konnikov has turned a blind eye to some horrors of war, but give up a perfect moment to make the Americans feel embarrassed and question their own propaganda?  Not to be missed!))

Captain Jackson looks at you with a raised eyebrow. And you spot at least two of your men looking decidedly disappointed.

But the company presses on through the dark tunnel. After the light of the platform fades, you rely on what little light the British and Americans can provide and the going is slow as you stumble through the dark.

Something in your mind keeps naggily pointing out that the lights are an excellent target in the dark, but you push the fought down.

Leytenant Lyubimtsev finds you in the dark and walks next to you.
"Comrade Kapitan, should we not have left some men behind to stand guard? I know some of them are nervous having so many Germans at our back."

"We are nearing our prize and it will be guarded, heavily.  I feel the squeeze of the few men we've left behind already, we'll need every soldier for the target.  Yes, I too worry a bit about partisans in that crowd of civilians, but they will not risk crawling into the dark after us.  No, I more fear an attack upon our return if we must come this way."

"But we won't, Comrade Kapitan? Surely we will continue East, to meet up with the rest of the Red Army and deliver Ke..." he caught himself, "this man they are looking for to our own people?"

"Ideally yes.  But I like to keep options open in my plans, flexibility is often the key to victory Leytenant.  Should we be forced to adapt, and go a different route, any men we leave behind may be left behind for a long time."

The going is slow, the only noise is soon the stomp of the marching feet with an occasional curse in Russian or English when someone stubbed their toe.

But there are no traps, no explosions, no sudden gunshot followed by a cry of anguish or alarm. You are alone in the dark.

And then you come to a fork in the road. Apparently, the Berlin U-Bahn splits off. Luckily, the Germans like to label things, and with the flashlights, it's easy enough to find the tunnel leading to Potsdamer Platz, where the BPO spearhead last was.

You wonder what's going on with them. But down here, in the tunnel, it's unlikely that you'll be able to get a radio signal out to them.

After what feels like hours, but couldn't have been more than 20 minutes, you see light in the distance. Another platform, another exit up into Berlin.

The Kapitan passes word quietly to the front to halt, and the the rear to form up closer.

"Come Valya, we need to take the front, our eyes on this platform."

When Kapitan Konnikov and the remnants Third Platoon reach the front of the advance, "Leytenant Shagidzyanov, hold here but remain prepared to reinforce Third Platoon.  Third platoon will scout the platform.  I have suspicions..." he trails off leaving it at that.

"Strelnikov, we are reconing in force, but with caution.  If we have partisans with actual weapons, or traps, it will be here."

He lets the Leytenant relay the orders and when Third Platoon moves out, he falls in a step behind Strelnikov.

As you get closer, you notice to things:
There are more lights still functioning here. And there are no crowds of civilians huddled on the platform or the tracks. At the far end in the tunnel beyond the platforms, you see the vague outline of a metro car standing on the tracks.

Once they've checked over the platform (quickly) and have First Platoon moving onto it, securing it, "Strelnikov, check that metro car.  Shagidzyanov send a squad topside to scout close, I want to know if our Spearhead is still there and what is going on."

The platforms seems to be empty. The metro car seems to be abandoned as well.


In the interest of bringing the band back together, your Shagidzyanov's squad will be topside in two rounds. I'll close this thread.