Battle for Lausdell Crossroads

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

OOC: I received only two PMs regarding the locations of your troops, and not a word about the building which is meant to blow itself to pieces, or the time it will do so. So I have decided at time, and building, and have also woven it into the story. I have PMed a certain member the details as evidence. I also placed your units, as will any other mod-marker should you not have PMed them. When you post, please use two maps. One showing where your units have moved and shot. The other showing the locations of all your men at the end of your post. When the next person post, they will use your clean map without lines. Red lines are bullets, blue is movement. For upload details, please check the information thread.
Also, remember it is dark, and there is fog. You can only see fifty metres ahead of you. Please refer to the mission brief for rules and special bonus your units have. Units marked with a white dot are Corporals. Units marked with a black dot are Sergeants.
All intro posts must be neutral.



Posting order:
Axis Player 1
Allied Player 1
Axis Player 2
Axis Player 2


Darkness and a thin layer of fog cover the snowy grounds and forests, and war brewd in the distance. Look one way down the road ahead, and see a small hamlet, British and American medics hurrying to pack their supplies for the battle ahead. A small defence sets up their positions, in a forlorn attempt to halt the menace approaching. They take up positions in buildings, watching down the road towards the forest which cannot be seen, concealed by the weather. One building has had explosives wired into it, but which is the question on everybody’s lips. The engineers who wired it left, before it could be remembered. But at one precise moment, the mystery building will become a heap of mangles wood and stone.

However, if you look the other way, deep into the French woodland, you see tanks and vehicles, men and machines moving forward in a great spearhead, destroying what is in their path. They will soon collide with the village, and large battle will take place, men dying, or being wounded and freezing to death in the snow and fog.

The Germans must push the Allies out of this hamlet, or they will be a massacre at the nearby town, just five miles away.
The Allies must hold their ground and evacuate the wounded. Or else valuable medic supplies will fall into Germanic hands.

The stakes are high. Battle is imminent.

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Moderation Post

Axis Player 1, your time limit of 48 hours to post has been exeeded, and with no explanation, you have lost the chance to post. you may only post again after Allied Player 2. Your post must still be neutral however.

Next Post: Allied Player 1

[♠ Aaron Mitchell]

It was bitterly cold outside, but the French had had generations to prepare for this kind of weather. The house Second Lieutenant Aaron Mitchell and his men were in was very well insulated, with not a single crack to let in a draught.

Aaron himself was sat against the wall, huddled up with a cigarette in his mouth and a mug of coffee in his hands, warming his palms more than anything. It was getting late out, and yes, sleeping through a large portion of the day would help them for the night shift on guard, but there was nothing like a mug of hot, black coffee to pick you up. He set the chipped mug down, and picked up the pen and pad of paper, to begin scribbling down a rough letter to his family get home. He hadn’t gotten very far, stopping at ’Dear All, I trust you are well.’

He took a look up. Huddled around the small fire they had set up in the fireplace, most of his men were enjoying a game of cards, their blankets drawn tight across their shoulders. A bit over the top really, but when you get cold, you get fucked up by the enemy. And that was certainly the last thing they wanted, with the medical Triage so desperate upon the protection of the brave men from the 7AD. Supplies were more and more scarce in these days of the war, with the roads being cut off with ice making the journeys to the outposts treacherous. Ships were struggling to cross the Atlantic, so, the toys from America weren’t arriving, making everything a bit tougher.

He stood up, shrugging off the blanket, and took another suck on the cigarette, enjoying the small amount of warmth it gave him, as he reached down and picked up his Thompson. The large 100-round Drum Magazine was unusual for him, as he much preferred the thirty round sticks. He had a few of those strapped to his leg as usual, but the drums were much better suited for the defensive job they would have to do if Jerry paid a visit, being able to put down a lot more fire without reloading.

He flung the closest window open, letting in a howling breeze and wiped down the snow, so he could see out. He closed the glass and looked at Corporal Thompson, raising his eyebrows in a manner that said ’pretty shit out there, mate.’

He placed his head against the window, squinting outside. He thought he saw something, a dark outline. You could practically hear the penny drop.

”Contact. Get ready guys!” The cards were thrown away, and rifles picked up and cocked. The fire wasn’t put out, they would need the light, and as a last resort, the flames could be used as a weapon. Aaron kneeled by the windows with the rest of his men, and rested his Thompson on the inside windowsill. One hand floated up to the catch on the window, ready to throw it open. One of the privates ran over to the back window, pulling out a small flashlight. He pointed it towards the building that housed Corporal Mason and the PIAT team and began desperately flashing the light, trying to catch their attention and draw them towards the tank, for them to get ready. He ran to the opposite side of the building, and began flashing out to the others. It was about to begin.

Sergeant McAlister in the third building saw the light, and instantly sprung into action. Three Privates were sent out the door, hurrying over the snow towards the building nearer the tanks, taking up positions at the windows while the Sergeant and the final man prepared at the windows, aiming into the street for whatever was about to start.

i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh136/locked-down/battle1fightas0p.png
i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh136/locked-down/battle1fightas0m.png

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

OOC: Sorry I've been out guys, the internet had been turned off and it took them two days to get out here and flip the dang switch apperantly, sorry. Also I have purchased the Armoured Sheeting and the Camoflauge Paint upgrades for my tank.



McMillan took the last drag of his cigarette that finished the pack of and flicked it of into the distance, it fizzled out with a his and he turned to the group of men he was with, all three small squads of them. His commander looked as if he had been stricken with an intense case of explosive diareha or something and was catching up to them at the moment, he should be there any moment. "Männer, ist heute der Tag. ..the Tag, wenn Sie aufstehen, gezählt zu werden, für was Sie wert sind! Dies ist die Speerspitze vom wunderbaren Angriff, und wir ist die Spitze vom Speer! Dienen Sie mit mir stolz und es gibt keine Längen, die ich nicht reisen werde, Ihnen zu helfen. ..dishonor jene Uniform und ich werde einen Gotten Feuerball hinunter auf Ihnen regnen, bevor die Nacht durch ist! SEIG HEIL!!!" McMillan shouted as he slammed his hand into the bottom of his magazine making sure it was seated correctly, and also to add a bit of emphasis to his small pep talk. You could see a few smiles break out, but speeches were not his forte, combat seemed to be, and this would be one great adventure in his life.

He turned back and threw his arm over his shoulder giving the signal to move out, he could hear footsteps approaching quickly, he assumed that they were those of the commander of this group and lengthened his stride to help make up for lost time. Time was not a luxury in war, and good gear was only worth the man that caried it's ability. McMillan was starting to enjoy the fact that he had picked up a new set of winter clothing before heading out and also a bit relieved that the mechanics were able to finish the upgrades to his tank in time. He was a little worried that this would not be as easy of an assault as originally made out to be, but he had seen some strange occurences in his time in combat, anything could prety much happen.

As the team crested the hill, visibility was still just as slim as it had been, there did seem to be a fire burning in the distance and that had to be a lovely sight to the men. Unfortunately he was soon to find out that someone else had already laid claim to it. As they crept along their merry way a few silhouetts streaked across the flames he had been focused on, he immediately stopped and squinted to try and make out who was there, but there was no time to waste. "Kontaktieren Sie Front! Breiten Sie es aus!" he shouted over his shoulder as he turned and jumped on the front of the tank pointing northward and shouting into the peep hole on the driver's compartment "Nah jene Flanke! und nah es hart!". As soon as he saw a helmet shake rapidly up and down he hoped off and turned to the men on the south side of the road motioning to them as well to move it up. If they had been lucky enough to catch them by surprise he didn't want to waste the chance.

McMillan trucked it on around the back of the tank as it was passing to meet the last squad, the commander of the whole thing finally arriving. "Herr, ich nehmen die Flanke mit meiner Gruppe und dem Tank. Ich war nicht gewahr, wie lang Sie wären so ich die andere Gruppe vorder geschickt habe, war ich kurz davor, dieses ein darauf ist Weg mit ihnen zu schicken, aber das ist Ihr Ruf. Machen Sie es! Ich habe eine Flanke erhalten, zusammenzubrechen." and with that McMillan pulled his weapon in close and threw his arm once more, and his squad knew that the fight was on. They stayed hot on his heels, they looked up to him, even having known him so briefly, they seemed pround, and McMillan was proud to lead them across this field on this day.



Translations:
Männer, ist heute der Tag. ..the Tag, wenn Sie aufstehen, gezählt zu werden, für was Sie wert sind! Dies ist die Speerspitze vom wunderbaren Angriff, und wir ist die Spitze vom Speer! Dienen Sie mit mir stolz und es gibt keine Längen, die ich nicht reisen werde, Ihnen zu helfen. ..dishonor jene Uniform und ich werde einen Gotten Feuerball hinunter auf Ihnen regnen, bevor die Nacht durch ist!
Men, today is the day...the day when you stand up to be counted for what you are worth! This is the spearhead of the marvelous assault, and we are the tip of the spear! Serve with me proudly and there are no lengths I will not travel to help you...dishonor that uniform and I will rain down a godly fireball upon you before the night is through!

Kontaktieren Sie Front! Breiten Sie es aus!
Contact front! Spread it out!

Nah jene Flanke! und nah es hart!
Close that flank! and close it hard!

Herr, ich nehmen die Flanke mit meiner Gruppe und dem Tank. Ich war nicht gewahr, wie lang Sie wären so ich die andere Gruppe vorder geschickt habe, war ich kurz davor, dieses ein darauf ist Weg mit ihnen zu schicken, aber das ist Ihr Ruf. Machen Sie es! Ich habe eine Flanke erhalten, zusammenzubrechen.
Sir, I am taking the flank with my squad and the tank. I was unaware how long you would be so I sent the other squad forward, I was about to send this one on it's way with them, but that's your call. Make it! I've got a flank to collapse.

[♠ James F. Mason]

img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=eb1vp8.jpg

img178.imageshack.us/my.php?image=eb2ld2.jpg

The 5 men in the town hall all shivered as a strong gust of wind whined through the wooden walls, causing the windows to rattle and the doors to creak. James had handed around cigarettes to the group a few minutes beforehand and the two men on watch at the windows were thankful for the extra warmth from the tobacco. The 3 men not on watch had a slightly easier time of it, having broken up a few chairs and thrown them into the fireplace. James didn’t know what type of wood the chairs were made of, but it certainly did burn well!

James wasn’t with the usual men of his platoon – or even his company – at this moment. Only three of his own men - Tracey, Enfield and Jones – were in Lausdell and the remainder were all men from Second Lieutenant Mitchells Company. James knew a small handful of the men, but he was friends with none of them and so it made it slightly awkward for the 4 men from the Anti-armour platoon to be mixed in with mostly strangers. ”When did you say I could stand down and get some rest?” Private Tracey called out from his perch on the window-sill. ”Another hour yet” James replied, without looking up from the game of cards he was playing. Tracey cursed loudly and continued to stare gormlessly out of the window.

”Wait... what’s that?” Private Tracey blurted out suddenly. ”Someone’s flashing a light down in the houses, James” James rose up quickly and hurried over to the window. ”Damn it, German armour!” He said. He listened and the sound of an engine came faint to his ears. He began to issue orders to his small complement of men. ”Tracey, get down to the house to the immediate south of us and see how many tanks there are. If they start moving, signal up here to tell us which way they are coming. Enfield, I want you right there at that window, ready to receive Tracey’s hand signals. I’ll be right at the doorway with Jones beside me.” James turned to the last man, one of Mitchell’s men. James didn’t have a clue what his name was; he hadn’t thought to ask, and now he was fumbling for something to tell the man. ”You... just stay where you are and open fire on any infantry you see”

The men hurried off to their positions. Tracey blundered out the heavy wooden door and into the cold. He hurried down the icy street, slipping along all the way, and pushed into the empty house. He hurried over to the window at the end of the house; the one that would give him the best view down the road and he squinted out, trying to make out the tanks he knew were there. ”Bloody fog” He muttered to himself angrily. The first few times his eyes merely swept over it, due to it being camouflaged perfectly. His eyes slowly made out the sharp lines of the tank in the smooth whirling fog. He looked up through the windows where he could see Enfield and he stuck up one finger to indicate one tank and then added a plus sign made with two fingers to show that there could possibly be more.

”Only one tank confirmed, but probably more.” Enfield blurted out to James. ”Apparently it isn’t moving yet.” James nodded and continued setting himself up by the doorway with the PIAT. Jones had loaded it with an armoured piercing round and James was in a crouching position with it on his shoulder. He aimed down the street, but was ready to swivel to face directly opposite him if Tracey signalled that the tank was coming in to flank.

[Jonas Merhoff]

OOC: Are the maps starting to look blurry to anyone else, or is it just me? :/.

Hauptmann Jonas Merhoff was rushing down the cobbled road, the bitter wind filling his lungs. As he got in range of the men, he could see McMillan was sticking to the plan as the two Sergeants Bruno Hueber and Hadamar Berg took their squad of Kellen, F. Bruno, and Yohann across the street. The Sturmscharfuhrer had gathered Jonas's squad as well as his own behind the Churchill which was closing their flank and keeping the Brits at bay. Jonas set himself down by the tank, regaining his breath as McMillan informed of the situation. He was very straight forward and knew he the Captain had to get back in the fight as quickly as possible. "Mach weiter so Sturmscharfuhrer. Wir werden am Plan haften," Jonas muttered turning to the men, "Verner, Jaeger, Herbert und Dolf auf mir. Wir bilden es über der Straße Berg und Huebers der Gruppe. Gehen Sie! "

Jonas signalled for the squad to move, and they dashed across the cobbled road, making contact with the second squad. Even with the delay of the commander, the Germans would be sticking to their cruel plan to wretch the crossroads from the damn Allies. He found the Sergeants' squad on the edge of the forest, gathered for his orders. "Fokus auf diesem Gebäude. Sie sehen, daß jeder möglicher Bewegung in ihr oder um sie Sie Feuer öffnen! Jaeger, Herbert, Dolf verlängern diese Linie jetzt! Verner und Berg auf mir! "

The two Sergeants pulled back from the line and crouched down next to the Hauptmann who was examining the line of men. "Wir haften am Plan, den Sie an unterwiesen wurden. Informieren Sie Ihre Männer, um sie bereit zu erhalten. Ich wünsche jeder wissen, was sie tun werden. Das erhalten? " The Sergeants nodded and Jonas waved his hand. As they scrambled back to the line, Jonas followed. He took a position in the rear, crouching down behind the line of men. He made sure the Sergeants informed their men correctly and that each man was watching the line and that their were no breaks in the line. He had Dolf, who he learned was a great shot, on the left flank. He would have to make sure no one tried to get around them. He was the end of the line.

Now they were prepared for what was going to come. He knew most were anxious to attack, but Jonas knew he had to give McMillan time. The tank and squad were vital to taking this crossroads. They were to work together, simultaneously, to sweep through the town AND not allow the cowardly Brits to retreat. Jonas and McMillan both liked to eliminate and not take any unnecessary risks, but prisoners could easily come in handy in divulging the positions of the Allies all throughout Belgium, extremely helpful to the German's last great charge. "Dieses ist es Männer. Ich weiß, wir nicht Vertrautes oder sogar in der gleichen Ablenkung sind, aber ich Ihnen versichere, daß ich Sie zum Sieg führe. Mein… unerwartetes verzögert kann Sie betroffen haben, aber ich benötige Sie, dieses Interesse von Ihrem Verstand abzuwischen. Kampf für das Fuhrer! Kampf für das Vaterland! Kampf für mich! Wir nehmen diese Kreuzungen. Dieses ist der Tag, den Sie mich stolz bilden. "


Translations:

"Mach weiter so Sturmscharfuhrer. Wir werden am Plan haften,"
- "Keep up the good work Sturmscharfuhrer. We'll be sticking to the plan,"

"Verner, Jaeger, Herbert und Dolf auf mir. Wir bilden es über der Straße Berg und Huebers der Gruppe. Gehen Sie! "
- "Verner, Jaeger, Herbert, and Dolf on me. We're making it across the road to Berg and Hueber's squad. Go! "

"Fokus auf diesem Gebäude. Sie sehen, daß jeder möglicher Bewegung in ihr oder um sie Sie Feuer öffnen! Jaeger, Herbert, Dolf verlängern diese Linie jetzt! Verner und Berg auf mir! "
- "Focus on that building. You see any movement in it or around it you open fire! Jaeger, Herbert, Dolf extend that line now! Verner and Berg on me! "

"Wir haften am Plan, den Sie an unterwiesen wurden. Informieren Sie Ihre Männer, um sie bereit zu erhalten. Ich wünsche jeder wissen, was sie tun werden. Das erhalten? "
- "We're sticking to the plan you were briefed on. Inform your men to get them ready. I want everyone to know what they will be doing. Got that? "

"Dieses ist es Männer. Ich weiß, wir nicht Vertrautes oder sogar in der gleichen Ablenkung sind, aber ich Ihnen versichere, daß ich Sie zum Sieg führe. Mein… unerwartetes verzögert kann Sie betroffen haben, aber ich benötige Sie, dieses Interesse von Ihrem Verstand abzuwischen. Kampf für das Fuhrer! Kampf für das Vaterland! Kampf für mich! Wir nehmen diese Kreuzungen. Dieses ist der Tag, den Sie mich stolz bilden. "
- "This is it men. I know we are not familiar or even in the same diversion, but I assure you I will lead you to victory. My...unexpected delay may have concerned you, but I need you to wipe that concern from your mind. Fight for the Fuhrer! Fight for the Fatherland! Fight for me! We will take these crossroads. This is the day you will make me proud. "

[♠ Aaron Mitchell]

The murmurs of the German man speaking were the only noise, apart from the gentle chugging of the Tank’s engine. A couple of the men had expressions on their faces as if they recognised the accent, one that was most definitely not German, but they couldn’t quite put their fingers upon who it belonged to.


The engine picked up a bit, as the tank went around 90 degrees, and the turret turned to face down the street. Aaron suddenly felt horribly open. Yes he had a wall in front of him, but against a tank it was worth jack. He dropped down to the ground and picked up the spare magazines resting upon the wood, and signalled for the rest of his men to follow suit. With a quick gesture, he indicated the door, and almost all the men gave him a look of protest. Gathering up his stuff, the Second Lieutenant signalled his men to follow and left the door, moving around the back of building in to the street. The icy roads threatened with every step to take a man down and potentially break a leg, but, thankfully, nobody fell.

Aaron carefully walked over to Mason, and gave hurried whispers to the man with the PIAT. ”Just one tank, on the main road from the woods. If you keep it busy, I can stop it.” Without waiting for an answer, he walked past, signalling positions for his men to move to. They spread out, in silence, taking what scraps of cover they could grab, from leaning against a wall to lying prone in the street. Mitchell signalled to a pair of men, and then pointed to the back of the nearest truck. With barely visual nods, they climbed in, and settled against one of Aaron’s contingency plans. Logs. The back of the truck was full of wood, and a couple of spare PIAT shells thrown in for good measure. Dry wood, that would burn easily if the shit hit the fan, all lined up so that with a cut of a single strap, they could all fall out and roll along the road. Medieval defence at it’s height. Every so often, some hay or straw was tied to a log to help it burn, and kerosene had been poured over it to increase the fun for those on the receiving end. It was a terrible stench, and it just needed a light to set the whole thing off. Aaron tried not to think about this as he moved around the vehicle. The two men stood either side of the truck’s rear gate, and withdrew knives and lighters, letting their rifles fall upon their slings.

Aaron passed them a small bottle of alcohol, and an oil-soaked rag that Aaron often used for cleaning his weapon. The Private pulled off the top of the bottle and dipped the rag in until it touched the alcohol. A Molotov cocktail, quick, simple, and bloody deadly. A light, and whoosh, something will go up in flames.

He clambered into the front of the truck, but left the door open, and neglected turning on the ignition. It could wait. Silently, confirmations were thrown around that everybody was ready and they knew what to do. Jerry would be sent home, and they could all go back inside for a cup of tea.

While one Private crouched down under the window of the building, the Corporal made a dash across the road, and quickly signalled into the building of Sergeant McAlister. The fire was extinguished with a slight hissing noise, and the corner of the street descended into blackness. The only noise was the slight rustlings of men moving to get the cramp out of a limb, or get a slightly better aim. Jerry wouldn’t get through. Not with these guys holding the line.

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Moderation Post

New Map



Guys, please copy this map into paint and edit it. If you look, all unit icons are the same size as the middle, square, paint brush. The colours are also on the standard pallet. When you come to upload it, select ‘Optimise without resizing’, when it comes to size. This means the map will remain the same size, and it won’t become blurry. When the menu screen pops up a few seconds later with all the links, click on ‘Show advanced linking’ at the bottom of the screen. Another link will pop out. It says not to use it for forum posts, but it always works. Paste that link into the thread.

Snow
Although it’s hard to read on the map, the snow is three metres deep at its deepest point. However, the snow is about 0.5 metres deep next to the road and buildings where it would have been disturbed. It gradually gets deeper until it reaches the four corners.

Special Rules
I urge you all to re-read the brief thread. There are several special rules and objectives which must be attended to. If you kill all the enemy, but they achieve more objectives, they will win the battle, and get the bonus in the Epic Battle. Just a note, but this is probably the most balanced the two forces will be. There are more troops coming remember.

- Strum

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan took a deep breath as he could hear the remainder of their forces move across the street to join in the assault. HE tucked in behind the pushed away apth of snow formed by the tank as well did his men, with a quick motion as if to be patting a small child upon the head, McMillan signaled for them to remain low. Visibility for for crap and if they remained below the snow there were more or less invisible, besides, if there were any Allies at the intersection, or near for that matter, the element of surprise would be his, who would fire upon a lone Church-Hill tank in the middle of a snow storm, the Axis might, but they were all pushing onward with it, not against it.

"Er hat gesagt, es hart zu schlagen, und das ist genau was ich bin gonna macht!"

The gunner called from the turret of the bohemoth, the driver nodded as he heard the words. The turret twisted a bit as the gunner gazed out as the fire came into view. With a widening of his eyes he noticed it being extinguished and layed on the firing cord. BAAANNG!!! with a loud clatter the night air erupted in flames as the tank spewed forth it's deadly insides upon the small crossing area. McMillan and his covered their ears intensly as they could barely hear the driver's warning and flinched as he carried it out. One man fell to a knee but other than that they were fine.

He smiled as he knew that whoever was on the recieving end of that had just recieved a wake up call from hell. He checked over his shoulder towards his small squad once more before continuing behind the make shift snow plow. He was just hoping that the armor didn't kill them all before thay had a chance to get into the fight, which looked as if it would be in close proximity to the enemy due to the horrid conditions, but that was how McMillan perferred to fight his battles.



Translations:
Er hat gesagt, es hart zu schlagen, und das ist genau was ich bin gonna macht!
He said to hit it hard and that is just what I'm gonna do!

img255.imageshack.us/img255/1475/epic2nk9.jpg

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Moderation Post

The following actions have taken place;

Sturmscharführer McMillian

• Having your Churchill tank open fire has been a slight shock to the Allied defenders, them expecting small arms fire before a tank shell.
  
• However, given poor orders (barely any from anyone outside the vehicle), and with poor visibility, the shot went higher than expected. It smashed into the roof, and detonated tearing the tiles and wood to pieces. Debris has fallen inwards.

Second Lieutenant Mitchell

• The two men in the building saw the rank fire a split second before the shell hit them, and were unable to take cover
  
• The force of the initial explosion threw them down, bashing them around a bit, before the roof gave way…
  
• With a gaping hole in the roof, and many parts of it weakened, it was ironically the weight of the snow which caused the roof to fall in.
  
• The Private below was cut several times as tiles rained down, and a small splinter of wood (30x4x4cm) impaled itself into his chest. It is a minor wound, because it didn’t fall deep, but the longer his blood and insides are exposed, the worse…
  
• The Sergeant fared better than the Private, only being cut a few times by masonry. Unfortunately, he was directly below the hole and a large weight of snow has fallen on top of him, burring him alive. The force of all the falling water has knocked him out, and his uniform will quickly soak through.
  
• The falling snow has almost completely blocked the door way, but is loosely packed and should be easy to dig through.
  
• Both men are looking at hypothermia and frostbite if they are not treated to quickly. They are both weakening in the cold, the shield between it and themselves gone.

Believe me when I say it could have been a lot worse.

- Strum

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Moderation Post

Just a brief note guys, I know James/Dan hasn't posted ywt, but I'm going to give him another day, seeing as it is Christmas.

Merry Christmas

I knew there was a heart somewhere in there, just took forever and a day to find it -JT

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Moderation Post[/b]

Exceeding the dealine by miles, the next post goes to Jonas Merhof.

48 hours.
[/color]

[Jonas Merhoff]

OOC: Phew, I was in a murderous/writeful mood when I typed this bad body. Pretttyyy long, and yet it could all go wrong if I don't get rid of that pesky cocktail in the beginning . Oh and yeah, the map is kind of messy what with all that movement and firing in a short amount of time. Was trying to make it look as clean as possilbe, but I gave up and decided to just make it. If you read the post, it should be pretty thorough on my actions.

Cold harsh wind annoyed the Hauptmann as he crouched feet behind his men. They were loyal and dedicated, but best of all... elite killing machines. In the many years the middle-aged Nazi served in war, they were probably some of the finest soldiers he had served with and he only wished they were in his division instead. No matter how elite a force was... Jonas would never regard it higher then the men he had served with in the Great War. He was only a teenage boy back then... they helped shape him into what he was today... and keep him alive.

The sound of a tank round rocketing out of the tanks main gun and hitting a house that was surely now only wreckage, Jonas was brought back to reality. He knew that it was the Sturmcharfuhrer, McMillan, bringing attention to himself and his tank to aide in Jonas's assault. "In Ordnung Männer, Sie wissen was zu machen! Angriff! Jetzt! "

Sergeant Verner, Dolf, and Jaeger of Merhoff's 1st Squad readied their bayonets and burst from the left flank and charged upwards. Due to their position, they were out of sight of the windows of the building they were attacking and the building across the road was practically demolished so they were in a good spot. They made sure they spread out so their were a few feet in between them. Jaegar was on the right and had his rifle trained on the front side of the building as he took his position in the snow, so he could aide the second part of the assault.

Nearby, Verner was approaching the door to the house with his MP40 trained on it. Dolf had been given the task of flanking around the building to attempt and distract and/or kill some of the soldiers inside. As Dolf was fulfilling his task he ran into trouble. A British man was carefully lighting a Molotov Cocktail, which looked difficult due to the strong snowy winds. Dolf couldn't allow this man to sabotage any part of the assault and had to act quickly even if it meant sparing his own life. Hopefully, while Dolf had been charging towards the man he had been attempting to shield the cocktail from the snow and wind in order to light it. When Dolf was near enough, he made a well-placed shot without using his scopes. He hoped the closeness of the two would allow him to hit him, but in his mind he imagined he failed and still needed to kill this man no matter what. It gave him the determination to continue his charge while shouting out about a Molotov cocktail to his comrades. His bayonet had been placed on prior to the fight and he lunged towards the Brit, his rifle extending in front of him as he hoped to make contact with his chest.

Verner had let out a burst of bullets into the door and then pulled away to Jaegar's position to avoid any return fire. He took place away from the corner of the building, and allowed Jaegar to sprint across to the other side of the house where Dolf was meant to be. Molotov cocktails were dangerous and he knew he had to make sure the user was dead. If his friend failed, he was going to finish the task as he turned the corner and trained his rifle. He was hoping his friend was safe and well and that he was merely giving him cover back to his place instead of killing his murder.

The loner from 1st Squad, Herbert, had been temporarily attached to Merhoff's 2nd Squad. Once they saw to it that 1st Squad made it to their objective, 2nd Squad opened fire on the house. The riflemen took the shots first at the windows, punching them out, in hopes of nailing a Brit or two that would be near the windows before the SMGs alerted them to take cover. After the first volley of rifle bullets, and the riflemen were preparing for a second, both the Sergeants opened in fire in short well placed bursts. First at the windows, and then lower through the woods to hit any crouching Brits.

When the SMGs reloaded, the riflemen let out a second volley at the windows, and then the SMGs opened fire in the same manner. Now it was time to move, and they all knew they would have to do it quick to ensure the most lives would be saved. Sergeant Hueber, Herbert, and Kellen began their charge at the house with decent space in between them. At the same time, Sergeant Berg, Bruno, and Yohann were hitting the house hard for covering fire from an angle, so they were not hitting their men. Their shots were focused on the right side of the front, while their comrades were moving on the left side of the front of the house.

As the three made their way across, they spread out across the building as their support stopped firing and got ready to move. Hueber had popped up in one window opening fire on the Brits still alive inside or their corpses while Yohann did the same with the other. Kellen was in the middle, but pulled back towards the forest to give them cover. Moments before they opened fire, Verner had moved back to the door and kicked it open with a few good kicks and a shoulder-ram once in a while. When the door was finally open any remaining Brits were being gunned down from all over and Verner was charging in along with Dolf and Jaegar to watch the main street and the demolished building. Hueber, Herbert, and Kellen had gotten ready and charged across the main road towards their second target near the tank while the men in the house and the ones pushing up from the forest gave them cover.


Translations:

"In Ordnung Männer, Sie wissen was zu machen! Angriff! Jetzt! "
- " Alright men, you know what to do! Attack! Now!"

[∬: Erhard Strumfelder]

Moderation Post[/b]

Talk about overkill! I can’t mod each individual action because so much has happened and it’s not the least complicated thing I’ve ever laid my eyes upon. However, I will mod the most important actions. Overall through, I pretty impressed at those tactics.

Hauptmann Merhoff

• Launching an all out assault on the building, it has taken the British soldiers completely by surprise, who were just recovering from the shock of the tank firing.
  
• The heavy barrage of shots forced them to drop flat to the floor, moments after one of the soldiers was hit in the shoulder.
  
• Dolf managed to see and engage the British soldier who was more interested with the house in front of him collapsing than keeping a watch. He only saw the German soldier a split second before the Imperial bayonet ripped into his sternum. However, he did have some revenge. The blow did not kill him.
  
• The force of the hit threw the Molotov from his hand and high into the air, something Dolf barely noticed while butchering the man. It came falling back down, and cracked open on Dolf’s Stahlhelm, spraying the two men with burning oil, as well as the side of the wooden house.
  
• The flames now cover the road, floating on the melting ice (oil). They will soon burn out, but the side of the building is covered in flames as the oil soaks into the wood.
  
• Needless to say, both Dolf and the British soldier did not survive.
  
• For the three British men inside the building, death has come as a pleasantry. The heavy fire and flames has made their corpses nearly unrecognisable. All are dead.
  
• The building has taken several hundred bullets, is partially on fire and has nearly half a tonne of frozen water above it. It is very unstable, and is likely to collapse soon.
  
• None the less, the building has been captured, and therefore German reinforcements are on their way. In the next German post, five Volksgrenadiers will join the battle from POINT 3. I trust JT will add them accordingly to his map.

Next Post: Second Lieutenant Mitchell

- Strum[/color]

[♠ Aaron Mitchell]

Mitchell leaped out the car as he heard the crump of a tank’s gun, and the whoosh of flames. His feet pounded the snow as he moved around to the two other men. ”Private! What the hell was that?”
”Tank and infantry sir.”

Aaron muttered under his breath for a few seconds, as the Private pointed out the rough location of the enemy armour. He reached into the back of the truck and grabbed a rope from next to the logs. ”Tie it onto the building and the tail gate. You, put some suppression onto the house over there. I don’t know if any of our guys are still there, but they’ll need some cover to get to safety. Clear?” The boys nodded as Aaron leant into the cab of truck, flicking the ignition on. With the length of the rope, he could drive forward now and push the cargo down across the road and pass the building they were occupying a few minutes ago, or, he could turn onto the road and send the ordinance either north or south.

As Private Blair tied the rope tightly around a radiator just underneath the window, he felt Brown slip the bottle into his pocket. He knew that the alcohol would burn very quickly, but it would give the oily rag a few seconds of extra life to set the logs on fire. And even if they didn’t light, any infantry in the way would be knocked flying, and it would certainly hold a tank up. He pulled tightly on the rope to check it was secure and swung his rifle around, bringing it up to fire.

Clarke was still prone on the ground outside the building. He could feel the vibrations of the tank’s engine through the ground as bullets flew and flames crackled. He tentatively looked through the doorframe, and spied a Jerry running to the window. He lifted his Lee Enfield up, lining the sights up with the man’s head before pulling the trigger, working the bolt and firing again. He crawled backwards ”Brown!” he called out, indicating for the man to move forwards. The Private ran up, his bolt action rifle ready in his hands. ”Other window,” muttered Clarke, ”we’ll both move round and shoot. Three…two…one!”

Clarke picked himself up off the ground, stepping around the doorframe aiming towards the Nazi in the window and firing. At the same time, he felt Brown’s rifle placed on his shoulder, and it cracked twice as the Private fired towards the Nazi head. Clarke fired twice more at the head to get a full five bullets out of his rifle. He stepped back around, pulling a five-round charger from his belt and slipping it in to the rifle to refill the magazine. The two men sprinted across the road, sliding onto the snow next to the building Mason was in. ”Corp, tank on the other side of that building. You could put a bomb in it, maybe, expose them?”

Corporal Thompson flattened himself as flames burst in the building. He rolled sideways towards a window, and flattened himself against the wall. He made a final check on his rifle and slipped the bayonet onto the end of it before jumping to his side and popping a round off at the head of the of the German in the window, and stabbing at the throat, twisting the blade and pulling it out. He dropped down, and looked towards the sagging building with the Sarge in it. He pressed the butt of the rifle into the snow to pull himself up, and he set across the road, sprinting as fast as he could without slipping. He dived into the snow, ignoring the cold to make sure German’s couldn’t get him. He picked himself up and moved around towards the rear window, smashing it with the butt of his rifle. The snow wasn’t deep at this part. ”Sarge? Anyone?”

With a cough, the Private answered ”Sarge is unconscious, I think. I’m alright…kinda. I think I can get out if you give me a hand.” The Corporal began talking to him, nonsense mostly to make sure his position was known as the Private reached out with his rifle and began crawling along the mound of snow. His wound was painful, but he ignored it, Adrenalin rewiring his brain to ignore it. With a final push, he slid along the snow and the Corporal grabbed his rifle, pulling him out. The Corporal pulled off his over coat and placed it on the wounded man. It would keep him warm, and stop it getting soaked by the snow as he crawled in, scooping at the snow with his shovel. After a few scoops, he found the Sten Gun, and could see a couple of spare magazines.

”Corp!” He half turned around to see Clarke, panting slightly after sprinting over the street to get to him and crawling through the window. He had his own shovel out, and began throwing snow across the building. Once the upper half of McAlister was exposed, the pulled him out, sliding him out of the window into a lump on the sand. He slapped the Sergeant about the cheeks a few times before slinging both his Lee Enfield and the senior man’s SMG. He looked towards Brown who was having a peek underneath the coat on the Private. ”We need to cross!”

He shouted out to nobody in particular ”Covering Fire!” and instantly a cacophony of bullets began. He could hear the cracks of rifles, and the chatter of Lieutenant Mitchell’s Thompson as they fired towards anything and everything. They lifted the unconscious Sergeant and the wounded Private up, and began moving across the road to behind the Town Hall. The fire was still roaring inside the building, and they kicked the door open, bringing the wounded men in and dumping them by the jumping flames.

Mitchell had stayed out of the truck, and was moving down towards Mason when the call came out. His gun came up instantly as he aimed towards building on fire. The silhouettes of the men inside were clearly visible, and he let out large bursts of fire towards them, barely stopping as he switched target to keep everyone down. He had a feeling they may be leaving town soon.

OOC: I had Dan’s men fire a few shots of suppression. He doesn’t mind. And assume they moved to the windows etc.