Seeing the officers get together to understand what is going on, Julius decided to stand near them. Sure, he wasn't an officer, but he was brought in as a civilian for his expertise, as well as seeing things differently to those with a military mindset.

"Night raid, didn't go well for the raiders.  Might be a ruse to draw squads away though."

He stands so he can watch the cave entrance and while his Thompson hangs casually in his hands, he appears ready to move if necessary.


((  OOC  Translations provided by Zholdin.  ))
This message was last edited by the player at 16:41, Sat 12 Mar 2022.

Max made some space for Julius to join the small huddle of men discussing strategy. After the translation, Max considered for a few moments. "At a guess, we have superior numbers so whoever is out there is trying to disrupt and strike fear with hit and run tactics."

He looked meaningfully toward the exit to their new base. "As we are known, they would send superior force against us if they have it. Alternatively, they might be simply harassing us while gathering intelligence and organizing their strength. Though I think we broke their, uh, transportation corridor when we came through and it might be that most of those based here are trapped on the other side."

"Yes, however the explosives suggest they were planning on 'stranding' themselves here deliberately, or at least attempted to close the way to stop us from pursuing.  That may be the goal.  Stop us from continuing the pursuit.  If Kemmel and other officers are still fleeing, the local garrison is likely on orders to slow or harass us as long as possible."


((  OOC:  Translations provided by Zholdin.  ))

Max nodded his agreement with his Soviet counterpart once the translation came through. "Seems plausible. In any case, I expect we will not receive any reinforcements, nor will our opponent." The board was set, and the pieces on it were all that were available.

"Which I think means we cannot afford, er, normal attrition as we hunt our quarry."

"Standard Soviet doctrine will apply just fine in this situation, that is to say, allow the O.S.I. to take point in further firefights," he says with an absolutely straight face and stoic voice, but it's clear by his eyes he's making joke.

12:04, Today: Lena Vogt rolled 1,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,1.  Digging for Bullets Healing.

LOL

Good thing for him he's already dead

"Well, the troops of the United Kingdom are used to lead the way while you fine gentlemen take your sweet time to show up."
Captain Jackson offers in retort, with a broad smile, then answers more seriously.
"Even if they do not have any reinforcements coming through here", he nods his chain at the cave, "it seems they brought material and most likely men through here before. We might be looking at a full regiment, perhaps? It's a shame that we didn't bring more men through."
He looks at Semyon.
"No offense, Captain, I'm merely speaking in hindsight. It was prudent of you to guard our rear with some squads. But they would be rather welcome now, too."

Lena puts the knife gingerly against the skin of the dead man, but then plunges the blade deep into his chest, gasping as the hilt hits the ribcage.
It's at this moment that Arthur shows up.
"Uhm, hello there. Major Lewis asked me to check up on you. You... what are you doing?"

A split second after Yelena dives down, a pistol shot cracks, and a bullet whizzes past Yelena, embedding itself a few inches from Lyagushova's face into the tree behind her. The woman lets out a small yelp of surprise before dropping down herself.

The shot came from the undergrowth just in front and to the right of Yelena!

(You can act now, shooting would be at -4 for concealment)

In reply to Arthur Randel (msg # 72):

"Trying to dig a bullet out of him to see what weapon actually killed him.  This body doesn't make sense to me."  Lena sighed.  "Well that's what I get for trying to do surgery with a butcher's cleaver."

Yelena sprung up from where she'd rolled to dodge the bullet, then rushed toward where the shot was fired from. She had practiced using her bayonet ever since that run in with the...thing. The short blade at the end of her rifle flashed toward her target with practiced precision.

((OOC: 11 to hit, assuming no penalties. 9 regular damage from the bayonet. I did accidentally rolled a d4, but that was my fault. It should have been d6, but it was the same roll as d4, so no harm.

2 additional damage from raise (for total of 11) if an 11 is a raise.

Initiative is 9D if necessary.

15:41, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2.  Raise Damage?

15:41, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 9 using d6+d4, rerolling max with rolls of (6+1)7,2.  Damage .

15:40, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 7,11 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+3)9.  Fighting.

15:41, Today: Yelena Malkin drew the single card: 9D using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative .))

"If every general had the foresight that hindsight brings, no war would ever be lost.  Or fought, eh?"

A shot rings out, Konnikov moves to the side of the cave, stepping away from the cluster of officers and looking more intensely towards the cave mouth.

"You'll need to do a bit more if you want to do an autopsy..." Arthur replies, but his voice trails off as first you hear a gunshot, then a man screaming.

---

Yelena stabs into the darkness, mostly blindly, but the blade connects with flesh. Her victim cries out in pain, but then grabs the rifle and fires another shot. The bullet whizzes past Yelena's ear, maybe just the width of a finger.

The rest of the squad comes closer, shining some light at the scene, illuminating Yelena from behind, but now she's able to see him, writhing under the bayonet!


((Yelena: He's at -6 for darkness and cover, but he's prone, which lowers his Parry down to 3. So that's a hit. He takes a wound and is Shaken.

09:42, Today: SS-Infantry drew the single card: KD using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative. He goes first. Unshake?
09:43, Today: SS-Infantry rolled 4,1 using d10,d6.  Spirit to unshake. He tries to shoot you - he's got a pretty good idea where you are (at the other end of the bayonet. But it's still dark and he got two wounds. He's at -4 to hit against your Parry.

09:47, Today: SS-Infantry rolled 4,-2 using d8-4,d6-4.  Shooting Yelena

Next round initiative: 09:48, Today: SS-Infantry drew the single card: KS using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative.

With your squad offering some light, penalties are reduced to -2!))

Lena gave up on the project and, as the soldiers would put it (at least the American ones), hit the deck.  Normally, she'd go away from the sound, but given the situation, she went toward it, albeit running on all fours like a dog.  It did not look dignified, but she was more interested in not being the most obvious target.

Yelena regripped her rifle and, sensing some advantage, put all her weight into another stab with her bayonet. "Ya!" She was happy when it seemed she had caused further injury to the fascist as her bayonet again pierced his flesh.

((OOC: Wild Attack! Good thing parry is 3 as her roll of 5 is still a success. No raise but 15 damage with just the two dice.

Note that Yelena's parry is temporarily reduced to 6.

17:44, Today: Yelena Malkin drew the single card: 4S using a deck of 54 cards.  Initiative .

17:43, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 15 using 2d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,4.  Damage.

17:43, Today: Yelena Malkin rolled 4,5 using d6+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Fighting (WA).))

((Looks like you got yourself a Nazi-on-a-stick!))

The bayonet cuts through his intestines, opening his belly. He squeaks in pain, blood bubbling out of his mouth.

"Du...du..." apparently, he couldn't think of an appropriate curse. He tried to spit, but there would only be blood running over his chin.
He was a dead man without knowing it yet. It was surprising, really, that he still had the energy to even try to speak.

Somebody appeared behind Yelena, shining a light at the pinned nazi. She recognized him now, he had been the officer in charge of the men outside the bunker. Who had overseen and directed the trucks.

---

It didn't take Lena long to get to Yelena and the woman behind her shining a light into the bushes. Arthur Randel followed behind her, apparently intent on protecting her.
The Russian sniper seemed to be leaning heavily on her rifle and as she got closer, she could see a boot twitching as the blade got turned. An ugly gargling sound could be heard from the bush.
Lena got a little closer, then got up and looked at the man pinned to the floor, bleeding out and dying a highly undignified, unpleasant death.

It was Arthur.

Her "fiancé"'s eyes widened as he saw and recognized her and his lips started to form some words. There was pain in his face, shock, but now also surprise... and then she saw realization kicking in and his eyes grew narrower again. If he had had enough blood in him, his face would've turned red from his rising anger now.
"Mein... Du... Du... F...."

---

Somebody yelled [Language unknown:  "E eshohe andentman est!"] and then the forest turned quiet again as the squads continued their search.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:43, Thu 17 Mar 2022.

Lena looked at him dead on and her words to him were cold blooded.

"[Language unknown: Sta oer el miul Me ill ngngev seun ei atouofnero Sti anyterest.  Eennc nepope iou oulousica thkor as k one naof fi aihaad riec n mewhi.]"

Yelena smiled slightly as Lena hurled a few insults at the Nazi. [Language unknown: "Icaon, rut ai hinc n man, thuof korestkornot. Ut ore asss A ceone eau his pout ntireakorwaslar eve ichmennte ekday vorwa out n latro. Us all int etbe is encthirat sa tinvorrutillwas. Was nc fiivac li ntniceil pre neekte. Enc ac entstraveone nt usntis mi ter mo se arom ica p ceaita. Pl il, al."]

Yelena looked over to Lena to see how the American wanted to proceed.

Arthur Hoehnar slowly turns his head, and lets go of the rifle with his right hand, clumsily and slowly reaching for the pistol he had dropped before.
But just another twist or two of the bayonet embedded in his guts, a few more twitches of his body, and SS-Hauptsturmführer Hoehnar is dead.


Tsimmerman picks up Hoehnar's pistol and offers it to Lena.

---

After another 30 minutes, the squads return to the cave. Nothing had been found, although there were some tracks suggesting a third man was still at large.
The men and women were tired, and on edge, but finally settled down again and the night passed without disturbances.

---

The next morning, the sky was still overcast and grey, the wind chilly, but at least there was no rain or snow. The truck that had plowed down the column was, unsurprisingly, still beyond repair, at least here. The left front tire of the other truck had been slashed, but there was still a spare that could be fitted onto it. If Lena hadn't yelled out her warning, the damage could've been much worse.

Urbanovsky ran Kapitan Konnikov through their supply situation. They had enough rations to last them a day or two. They had been fully stocked up on Ammunition, but some ran already low. Nothing a little re-distribution couldn't fix, though. As long as they didn't have to fight any extended battles, they should be fine.

Now, with daylight, the search was renewed. Hoehnar had been wounded before, taking a bullet in his leg, but he - or someone - had tied off the wound with the belt that had been missing from the first body they found. That body had a bullet wound in the same leg, roughly the same location, and it had gone clean through. Arthur Randel speculated that Hoehnar had used the other man as a shield when the bullets started flying, but one had gone through.

There were no animals to be hunted or food to be foraged, but everyone got to fill their canteens at least.

Once all the preparations were done it was just past 8:00 am.

((What now - moving towards the Forstlager or other plans?))

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:01, Fri 18 Mar 2022.

After checking her equipment and filling her canteen, Yelena assumed there would be a period of waiting while those with the big brains decided who would go where and when. She decided to check in on Lena. [Language unknown: "Ri al avees lo ichromear ngome noniprecadte, manwhiven beatne ect latos alpoit omch eraus."]

The sniper paused and gave Lena a look of concern. [Language unknown: "K traundore ughdayatecon entsa ive mi athe ardomeugh, Ainoulerestaant? Ven iouprekor bence ndssis ieecicni."]
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Fri 18 Mar 2022.

Lena accepted the pistol, figuring it wasn't wise to abandon such a resource.  She was quiet the rest of the night.

---

Lena was a bit... passive the next morning, and red-eyed.  She moved, she tried to help bus the camp, she tried to stay out of the way.  But she seemed to be in another world inside her head.

Yelena's conversation pulled her back into the moment.

"[Language unknown: M... Di ilin and anund E ingek a le.]"  She stammered slightly.  "[Language unknown: Es ticintrom ar ee po ou asnce un evrom t undrutrea es at ssmati i isun, ev Po ardhasrom adwh chtoesut e intil anniwe at se evngre one llchwe ndwhi.  Th asri illli i whrewh miom.  Pren I ss estoal forei enure ng u, waplta ure ingatenot ngil wewhmeee aiat reomesec.  Heroutpro tipahe... ating un linanttin ovemo ilshe sint.]"

Lena stiffened, but despite herself her eyes watered.

"[Language unknown: M... Ri korbleort nc con isti.  It encconter dius.  Linng eraearwit p tra Pr houinente men o t plart Ou not ei hatomeounouspre.  Na ecttrakor ro.  Ri...]"  She sniffled, and brought the back of her hand to her face to pull her composure together.  She wasn't sure why she was so upset.  She had hoped Arthur and all his fellows would be hanged for what they had done.  Granted, she hadn't seen so many people killed in front of her, especially not with a bayonet (which was positively Medieval) but she'd been seeing the aftermath in the German hospitals for a while now.  But she was very upset, and realized this was not the time or place to be so.  But she couldn't help it either.

Yelena nodded at first, understanding how close the spy had to get in order to do her work. Though when emotions started to bubble through, the sniper shifted her rifle further back so that she could offer the American an embrace.

[Language unknown: "Pa und, stlasina ure aroun o yin. Un itofnd ess atisetdin, Tenoekitec. Andentain we llha eimiun oulwheore maweme ioueenenc iteint t as vir venol stire p ichnotall antwe, les, P airick diicho Mo venomende ut u. Le of thefi vorti men les, ar stama entortlin, amemansti na ilno ulouevck. Ho neil...ate proithere me olinil. Erehoutedlar. Ch are un forousect of N ng out. Wires Os o olman onnti At a ntca. Illet llekil Es pr acith virioured o, alal P n ar tiolinbut iou es. Fi N inun, K com Pr it ectoecndur A areoutrea li thto li acpeas, la unwhat, ble n entrilnc. Er si prha ess pa ere m th str cktic sontheday. Et E thrill po, Pe earousnot io Ce chou all. A vir i ee e n stce erssanred ecnt. Ine U onprpo nt ticst wer eloull tioounwit."] A small smile pulled at her lips.

Yelena stood at arm's length but placed a hand on Lena's shoulder. The sniper held the other woman's gaze. [Language unknown: "Nc p us u ainwiltra ofmen ouna. Ll be arent waear laromeonetra hofi fier verortwit ounpa red koron ntiingvor ma werstrsta. Train Iv tinearble helo ess was. Trure io romwheder. Haon ant hasaveint. Lo li es passev."]

As soon as Serzhant Krayevsky had returned from scouting up the mountain where they'd lost their quarry in the rain the previous day, Kapitan Konnikov had set him a few other men to stripping the broken truck of anything useful, including siphoning fuel into the working vehicle.  "We will abandon the second truck, for now."*


As preparations complete and camp finishes breaking, Konnikov gathers his officers and the British and American officers and lays out his plan.

"Major Lewis, Captain Jackson, I do not trust this 'empty' fort.  I propose that you take the OSI and our best snipers, reconnoiter the fort exterior completely, then prepare to take it from the rear or side, whichever appears easiest.  Serzhant Malkin, how long would it take you to make a fast, but cautious, reconnaissance of the fort and return?"  He pauses for her to answer, "Major, Captain, I'll give you [an hour and fifteen minutes] to get into position, then I'll drive the truck to the fort.  If the fort mobilizes to respond to my, aha, my mechanized company, you take the fort from the rear while they worry about the road.  If the fort remains quiet, well, that's a different boot to put on when we get there.  Leytenant Shagidzyanov, Leytenant Strelnikov, temporarily reorganize the men, Shagidzyanov take the snipers, and with Politruk Yevgenievich, deploy with the OSI.  Strelnikov, we'll assault the gates with the remaining men, and our truck."



(( OOC * Translated by Politruk Zholdin, or whomever is around to do so... *sigh*, left Balakin with the Metro car.. /throws hands up in mock Russian fatalism

[EDITED]
Updated time before Operation: Mechanized Assault begins rolling.
[/EDITED] ))
This message was last edited by the player at 01:46, Mon 21 Mar 2022.

Max checked on the members of the OSI that had made it through thus far. He noted one of the Soviet sniper and the American spy seemed to be getting on fairly well, though that wasn't particularly surprising to him. Once he'd finished his quick status check, the Major joined the other top officers for a brief strategy meeting.

Upon hearing the translation, Max nodded. "We will be ready at their flank when you approach." He started mentally planning for the small group to do their work, though waited to see if there was any other discussion. If not, he'd just as soon get going sooner than later.