Jagged Teeth & Nails (Dieter)

[♔ Rupert Crawford]

Time of Day (24 Hour Clock): 1453hrs
Current Weather Conditions: Lightly snowing W/ a chill.

Allied Units & Rank Formation:
(Please do this as well Dieter, so the mod has a list of units and rank stature to work with - thanks!)

- Lieutenant Rupert Crawford

- NPC: Corporal Paul Harris
- NPC: (Sniper) Marksman Robert Hawkins
- NPC: Private Harry Coombe
- NPC: Private David Mercer
- NPC: Private Simon Litchfield
- NPC: Private Hugh Watson

- NPC: Corporal James Brown
- NPC: Private Thomas Harvard
- NPC: Private Michael Rimmer
- NPC: Private Calvin Howard
- NPC: Private Nathan Flint

Map Link!
(T'is a bit wide to host in the thread, kills the mini-profile)

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The forest was dense, compact and surprisingly still; above, the branches bowed as a heavy gust of wind swept overhead, a small sprinkle of snow breaking through the overhead canopy of leaves and outstretched branches and dusting the earth below. Lieutenant Crawford had his unit taking a small break, whilst a small reconnaissance party moved up front to assess the situation as they neared an open and quite deep ravine. A ravine they’d been moving along quietly for the past couple of days in hope of finding a crossing without making a huge detour. It was a risk worth taking in Lieutenant Crawford’s mind, as the men were in high spirits, more than enough rations to sustain them another week and warm clothing that kept the men from complaining or more importantly losing any digits to their feet or hands.

Watching his men quietly, Lieutenant Crawford pulled out a case of cigarettes and slid one out casually, noticing a few wandering eyes as he placed the tobacco stick upon his lips. Clicking the case shut, he nodded towards Corporal Brown sitting nearby, having been a set of the wandering eyes and extended the silver tobacco case out towards the man, simply saying; “give the men a smoke each Corporal, if there isn’t enough then some of them may have to share” the Lieutenant kindly ordered, watching as Corporal Brown arose from his seat, having sat upon his helmet and take the case from the Lieutenant’s hand. “Thank you sir, I’m sure the lads will appreciate a smoke”[/I] he puffed out from between his cold lips that soon coiled into a wry smile, attempting to hide it. “Oh and Corporal, make sure the men are wearing their leather jerkins under their smocks, I don’t care if it’s bleeding uncomfortable to wear, they need warmth” Lieutenant Crawford said bitterly, having noticed a couple of men take them off earlier and pack them away.

The men were wearing cameo smocks over their uniforms and leather jerkins, with their netted brodie-helmets and makeshift headwear camouflage of a few twigs and foliage they’d sewed into the netting. They weren’t the best looking unit, but they’d made an effort to blend with their attire and even their boots were buckled at the shins to stop drafts. If anything, Lieutenant Crawford thought to himself, was that his men were working up too much of a sweat with all the warmth of their gear. The thought made him grin to himself, it always better to be prepared than to be unprepared and Lieutenant Crawford made sure of that.

As Corporal Brown stepped away and moved towards the soldiers lingering nearby, handing out the cigarettes, Lieutenant Crawford lit his own and turned away to gaze off into the woodlands, waiting for his reconnaissance to return and if by magic or a sixth sense, his designated guard a few yards away from the main squad abruptly loaded his Lee-Enfield rifle and hollered; “Wool!” with a challenge and with a sharp response came “Rabbit!” as two men moved out from behind a cascade of trees, moving towards the picket where the unit’s guard lowered his rifle and let the two men move on by without concern. As the two men trotted towards the men resting up, Lieutenant Crawford made himself more visible and stepped forth, plucking the cigarette from his lips, watching as Corporal Harris and Marksman Hawkins walked over to report their findings. “Sir! We’ve established a route across the ravine just due west of here. Hawkins couldn’t spot any enemy presence across the ravine, but--”[/I] - “We didn’t get close enough sir”[/I] Hawkins interrupted the Corporal, as he attached the scope back upon his Lee-Enfield rifle with a sharp click. “If I may sir, I suggest we hold the party up at the ravine for an hour or so to be sure. It’s incredibly quiet and more so, incredibly open”[/I] Marksman Hawkins reported, giving his advice.

Taking one last drag on his cigarette, he handed the half smoked cigarette to Corporal Harris before speaking, “Alright chaps. Corporal Harris, fill in Corporal Brown and get the men set up, Marksman Hawkins you stick with me - we’ll move out in two minutes” he ordered. With that, Corporal Harris trotted over to Corporal Brown and the two of them started decking out their allocated squads with their gear and orders. Marksman Hawkins stuck close to the Lieutenant, it hadn’t taken two minutes for the men to gear up again, before they were moving quietly towards the ravine; their smokes dotted out before leaving their now allocated FRP (Fallback Rendezvous Point) if they were to chew off more than they could handle, at least now they knew their regrouping point.

As Lieutenant Crawford’s unit reached within sight of the ravine, they came to a halt and hunkered down temporarily with the trees, everyone’s eyes keenly fixed to their surroundings and their rifles jaunted towards the front. Corporal Harris and Corporal Brown approached the Lieutenant and Marksman situated within the middle of the moving column for orders. “Corporal Brown, move your squad down south and cover our left. Sit tight and watch for enemy activity, don’t get too close to that ravine’s edge, but move up if you have too. Corporal Harris, you’ll keep your squad firmly in the middle here and watch that crossing - tell you what, send two men up to our right with Marksman Hawkins, I want everyone’s eyes dead front for next hour and any enemy reports to be noted immediately” the Lieutenant briefed, watching as the two Corporals nodded in acknowledgment and moved off to their squads, Marksman Hawkins grinning as he followed Corporal Harris to be assigned two men to take with him to their right.

Loading his Sten SMG, the Lieutenant moved up the middle with Corporal Harris’s remaining squad (minus two men and Marksman Hawkins) and veered his sight off to each of his sides as he watched Corporal Brown silently move his squad down left and Marksman Hawkins move up right with two soldiers gingerly moving through the woodlands. He knew he’d have a good line set up and neither parties on the flanks were too far away to hear orders either, so Lieutenant Crawford was happy with his textbook procedure - as such and quietly observed the crossing dead ahead, glancing to the men surrounding himself, who either leaned behind trees or knelt behind thick brushes of bush. The snow wasn’t so deep in the woods, but they weren’t that deep they wasn’t being harassed by the bitter wind now sorely apparent.

Side Notes:[/b]
Just to help clarify the movements a little better for the moderator.

- Corporal Brown & four soldiers have progressed SOUTH on the map.
- Marksman Hawkins & two soldiers have progressed NORTH on the map.
- Corporal Harris & Lieutenant Crawford W/ two soldiers have remained steadfast in the middle.

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Axis Units & Rank Formation:

- Unteroffizier Dieter Rentz

- NPC: Corporal Axel Oberholtzer
- NPC: Machine Gunner: Jakob Bauer
- NPC: Pvt. Karl Hoffmann
- NPC: Pvt. Heino Göbel
- NPC: Pvt. Thomas Glaubrecht

- NPC: Corporal Kiefer Kreusler
- NPC: Pvt. Rolf Lechtenbrink
- NPC: Pvt. Michael Steinhöfel
- NPC: Pvt. Horst Benz

Ze map!
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Dieter Rentz blinked the small flakes of snow from his eyelashes as he glanced at the sky and brought his gaze promptly down, gloved hand clutching the leather sling of the assault rifle. It was a different landscape to the one he had grown so used to, yet one that at the same time was also eerily familiar to him. It was strange how he had so heartily fought against his surroundings upon arriving in Africa, just to find himself blending in so thoroughly that the more familiar landscapes had become alien to him. The light-haired man scoffed, turning around and bringing his attention to the men he was to lead further into the Ardennes forest soon enough, their task entailing scouting out and securing positions on the other side of the small river that ran across the forest, a rippling scar in the middle of the snow-covered branches of the frozen trees. The Unteroffizier had been told that there was a way across the river, but they were aware of enemy presence in the area, which meant they were to tread carefully.

"Es ist nicht lang, bis wir den Fluss erreichen," Dieter announced, immediately waking up the men who had been enjoying a short break, smoking the cigarettes the Unteroffizier had offered them just before they had settled down, leaning against the trunks of the trees and discussing amongst each other in low voices. The German soldiers had dressed up warm and Dieter could fully appreciate the warmth his overcoat was currently offering him; the temperature wasn't the most gruesome one he had experienced, but it was still far from comfortable. The men had been grumbling about it, but then again, grumbling was their own way of coping with uncomfortable circumstances and sharing their grievances with others seemed to lighten the load at least slightly. They were still enjoying the last blissful drafts from their cigarettes when the Unteroffizier decided to break up their brief spot of rest; not only did he want to get their positions scouted and secured before the darkness, but he realized that staying put for too long would just make the cold temperature seem all the more intense. The snow was thick in the forest and he did not want to push the men forwards as to make them sweat profusely - sweat could change into a formidable threat in a cold weather.

"Das ist so kalt, es ist aufgelegt dass mein Gesicht davon friert," Schütze Hoffman complained as he blew warm air into his gloves and Dieter regarded the man with a raise of his eyebrow. "Schalten Sie gerade Ihren Arsch mit Ihrem Gesicht, Hoffman, niemand wird den Unterschied bemerken," the Unteroffizier grinned and the men who had heard the quip, laughed, while Hoffman just snorted. The men constantly kept finding new and creative ways to insult each other playfully and the jokes kept their spirits up, even if they had to take turns in being the brunt of these jokes. "Mach dir nichts draus, Hoffman. Wir werden die Positionen sichern, auf unsere Erleichterung warten und zum Nippen an heißen Kaffee bald genug kommen. Aber Arbeit kommt zuerst, Spaß kommt später," Dieter's eyes snapped towards the Gefreiter standing to his left, the man already standing nearby, ready for his orders.

"Wollen wir ausziehen. Kreusler, nehmen Sie Stellen dieses Mal. Unterdrücken Sie Ihre Stimmen und Ihre Augen scharf, hopp, hopp!" Dieter's voice had now adopted a certain sharpness and the Germans soon moved out, ploughing through the snow, Kreusler switching between the men in the front, as not to tire one man needlessly as he was tracing a path through the forest.

They could hear the water rushing through the ravine before they even saw it and each one of the men sharpened up, moving slowly and more carefully towards the tree line near the ravine. Dieter's blue eyes scanned the surroundings, making note of the fallen tree scrawled across the river and he motioned for the men to crouch down before they had reached the tree line, rather using the shelter of the trees to instruct his men than assuming that there was nothing to worry about it. It was a perfect spot for an ambush and he felt the need to survey the area before making any drastic moves. "Kreusler, nehmen Sie Ihre Gruppe nach Süden und lassen Sie sich direkt an dieser Baumlinie nieder. Oberholtzer wird mit mir kommen, und wir werden das MG dorthin legen. Behalten Sie Ihre Augen auf der anderen Seite der Schlucht und melden Sie jede feindliche Tätigkeit. Wir werden gerade eine kurze Entfernung weg aufstellen," Dieter pointed towards north and nodded at Kreusler, the Gefreiter nodding at the three men in his group and leading them towards their assigned positions.

Dieter glanced at the rest of the men, motioning at the silent man known to others only as Bauer; he did not talk much, but they had learned to trust him and appreciate the Maschinengewehr 42 he carried with him. "Bauer, Sie werden Hoffman das Helfen Ihnen mit dem Riemen wieder haben. Ich werde Ihnen zeigen sich wo niederzulassen. Verhalten sich unverdächtig," the man instructed, leading the men past the frozen tree trunks to the tree line, pointing out a place next to a tree for machine gunner Bauer and Schütze Hoffman. The Private was to assist the machine gunner with helping to feed the ammo belt and Dieter felt confident in assigning this particular man to the task; he had done it before and knew how to translate Bauer's grunts and scowls.

The rest of the men he told to set down nearby, all of them clearing themselves a small spot amidst the snow, crouching down in whatever cover they deemed best. The Unteroffizier took one more glance at their set-up, breathing out slowly and standing up straight behind the trunk of a tree, bringing his assault rifle up. The sound of the running river made the atmosphere feel almost safe, yet Dieter knew better than to allow himself to get lulled into a false sense of security. Instead he steadied his arm against the side of the tree and narrowed his blue eyes, the other one peering through the scope and scanning the area at the other side of the river while a familiar tune formed within his throat and changed into low, whispered words he allowed the FG42's scope to swivel past the tree trunks, slowly, carefully. "...lieb' Vaterland, magst ruhig sein... Fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht... am Rhein."


Translations:

Es ist nicht lang, bis wir den Fluss erreichen."
"It's not long until we reach the river."

"Das ist so kalt, es ist aufgelegt dass mein Gesicht davon friert."
"It's so cold, it feels like my face is freezing off."

"Schalten Sie gerade Ihren Arsch mit Ihrem Gesicht, Hoffman, niemand wird den Unterschied bemerken."
"Just switch your ass with your face, Hoffman, nobody will notice the difference."

"Mach dir nichts draus, Hoffman..."
"Don't worry, Hoffman. We will secure the positions, wait for our relief and get to sipping hot coffee soon enough. But work comes first, fun comes later."

"Wollen wir ausziehen. Kreusler, nehmen Sie Stellen dieses Mal..."
"Let's move out. Kreusler, take point this time. Keep your voices down and your eyes sharp, Chop-chop!"

"Kreusler, nehmen Sie Ihre Gruppe nach Süden und lassen Sie sich direkt an dieser Baumlinie nieder..."
"Kreusler, take your group south and set up right at this tree line. Oberholtzer will come with me and we'll place the MG there. Keep your eyes on the other side of the ravine and report any enemy activity. We'll set up just a short distance away."

"Bauer, Sie werden Hoffman das Helfen Ihnen mit dem Riemen wieder haben..."
"Bauer, you'll have Hoffman helping you with the belt again. I'll show you where to set up. Keep a low profile."

"...lieb' Vaterland, magst ruhig sein... Fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht... am Rhein."
"...dear Fatherland, put your mind at rest... Firm stands, and true, the watch... the watch at the Rhine.""

[Nathan Whyte]

Mod Post

[/u][/center][/color]

Allied[/u][/color]
Lieutenant Rupert Crawford

- NPC: Corporal Paul Harris
- NPC: (Sniper) Marksman Robert Hawkins
- NPC: Private Harry Coombe
- NPC: Private David Mercer
- NPC: Private Simon Litchfield
- NPC: Private Hugh Watson

- NPC: Corporal James Brown
- NPC: Private Thomas Harvard
- NPC: Private Michael Rimmer
- NPC: Private Calvin Howard
- NPC: Private Nathan Flint

Remarks: All the soldiers are cold, despite the issue of rudimentary wet-weather gear. Trouser legs are soaked, and as soon as they step in to the wind they will feel this. As always in the Battle of the Bulge, hypothermia is a major risk, something all the men are aware of.
Axis

- Unteroffizier Dieter Rentz

- NPC: Corporal Axel Oberholtzer
- NPC: Machine Gunner: Jakob Bauer
- NPC: Pvt. Karl Hoffmann
- NPC: Pvt. Heino Göbel
- NPC: Pvt. Thomas Glaubrecht

- NPC: Corporal Kiefer Kreusler
- NPC: Pvt. Rolf Lechtenbrink
- NPC: Pvt. Michael Steinhöfel
- NPC: Pvt. Horst Benz

Remarks: All the soldiers are cold, despite the issue of rudimentary wet-weather gear. Trouser legs are soaked, and as soon as they step in to the wind they will feel this. As always in the Battle of the Bulge, hypothermia is a major risk, something all the men are aware of.



Both sides have moved in to their positions without being spotted. In this battle, weather is going to play an important part.

- The sun is very much high in the sky, but it is making it's way down on the western-side of the map. This means it is in the British soldier's eyes. However, with a map covered in snow, there is an awful lot of glare, so visibility isn't exactly great for either side.

- The two sides are still in snow going up and over their boots. Naturally, they are very cold.

- Demoralisingly, both sides can also see the sunlight ahead (once out of the shade of the trees) and there a few murmurs along the lines of "Why can't we get out in the sun?"

- However, there is good tactical appreciation by all soldiers that they may be being watched, hence the need to stay behind trees and watch. This doesn't mean they're not restless, it just means they have faith in their leaders to not do anything stupid.

Next post:[/u] Crawford[/color]

[♔ Rupert Crawford]

OOC: So sorry this is a late post, I have notified you guys to the personal reasons concerning my sparse absence, but can’t help apologising again for any bother this is causing. Sorry guys.

The Mapski
(Clean Map)

The Mapski
(Movement Map )

IC:

The glare from the early afternoon sun was indeed a hindrance to the men’s eyes, but the sheer tepid warmth eradiating from sun’s glare was another story altogether. The smallest of smiles curled at the pinnacle ends of the soldiers’ mouths and the bitter, yet fresh breeze gave the men a newfound freedom to celebrate. They wasn’t entirely out of the woods yet, so to speak, but the opening that separated the woodlands to the ravine was a small battle won already, they’d been travelling through the dense woods for a week - give or take - and now the damp air was replaced by a warmer, slightly bitter, fresh breeze from the heavens themselves. The ravine’s soft pattering of water from below embellished a new soothing sound amongst the men, no more sharp snapping of twigs with every breath taken or rustle of leaves from above; those sounds were put on hold momentarily, as their senses lavished the calm alluring sounds from below within the ravine.

The Lieutenant kept strict discipline from his standpoint however, taking the brief pause to traverse the bolt mechanism upon his Sten submachine-gun and load the chamber, but more to the point, making sure it hadn’t frozen stiff. He even smoothed the short stub barrel of the weaponry with the left sleeve of his arm, an idle movement he didn’t realise he was doing, but it was self comforting nonetheless. Looking to his left towards Corporal Brown’s squad pitched down just on the outskirt of the small woodland they shared, he watched carefully for any relaying messages, a silent code of conduct they all succumb too automatically during these incidents, it was second nature to say the least. Nothing came however, other than a clear shake from the Corporal’s head appointed towards the Lieutenant’s position, followed by a brief signal that clarified his shake of the head: pointing to his eyes and making a cutting movement across his throat. They saw nothing, it was to be expected. Responding quickly, Lieutenant Crawford held his hand up and clenched a fist, pulling it downwards in a motion that made it look like he was honking a train’s horn, telling them to stay fast and sit tight.

Shuffling his body around the tree, Lieutenant Crawford now faced the right flank towards Marksman Hawkins and two subordinates; Marksman Hawkins was busy looking through his scope towards the opposite side of the ravine, a dry leaf hooding the end of his scope to stop the glare or any possible reflection from the glass. The man was ingenious really. One of the privates accompanying the marksman noticed the Lieutenant’s beckoning signals for a report on any enemy activity, causing the private to tap Marksman Hawkins on the shoulder and whisper “Hawkins, Lieutenant’s looking for a report - you see anything?”[/I] but Hawkins just shook his head, peering over towards the Lieutenant’s direction with the same shake of the head, before lowering his rifle and pointing up towards the trees, signalling that he needed a better view - higher ground. Lieutenant Crawford mulled over the idea momentarily, it was a bad idea, the trees were icy and no doubt slippery. Their position would be compromised if Marksman Hawkins slipped and fell, too much noise, a right blunder that would be, but then he had an idea that could help the situation. Daft, but good enough.

Holding his hand up with a ‘halt’ kind of gesture, he made them wait for a response or order, as he dug through his pack and pulled out a bound of rope and binoculars. Perhaps he should have used the binoculars before now? Mistakes, always mistakes, but now he had a better idea than viewing from a dead point on the ground. Placing his pack down by the tree and threading his arm through the loop in the knotted rope, he turned to Corporal Harris who noticed the small commotion the Lieutenant was making and gave a curious look, but Lieutenant Crawford simply said “I’ll be two minutes, keep watch” with a hushed tone of voice, not really seeing the point in making hand signals to someone right in front of himself and made haste towards Marksman Hawkins’s location, keeping a low stature and moving between the trees with a fine narrow art.

Upon reaching the Marksman and the two privates, he sloped down beside them and unravelled the rope from off his shoulder, handing it to one of the privates. “Alright lads, here’s the plan” he started, looking for them to get a little closer so he didn’t have to speak out of term with his tone so Jerry could hear. “Hawkins, you want a better view? Then we’ll get you up one of the trees. Tie this rope around your waist - Private Watson and Private Litchfield, you’ll ring this rope around the both of you and sit on it if you have too. If Hawkins slips, then you guys will have to take his weight. I don’t want you to pull him up the tree, but just be ready to snag the bleeding rope if he falls. Got that?” the three men looked to Lieutenant Crawford with wry grins, it was a brilliant idea if simple, but good enough that Marksman Hawkins could potentially make a faster climb without being too cautious about plummeting to his death.

After the Lieutenant’s brief talk, Private Watson tied a piece of wood to the end of the rope, just something big enough to weight the rope and in one flailing throw, launched it up and over one of the outstretched branches above; a branch thick and high enough for the job of taking Marksman Hawkins’s weight should he slip and high enough to be a good vantage point. Removing the piece of wood, Hawkins tied the same end of the rope around his waist with a good double knot and slung his rifle over his shoulder and head, so it wouldn’t just slip off his arm. The two privates tied the opposite end of the rope around their bodies in one long bind, so it wasn’t just one of them giving a deadweight and the other risking burns to their hands when grabbing the rope; no, they tied the rope around them both and knotted it in front of themselves, so they both provided a heavier deadweight and balanced the rope with their hands in front of themselves.

The scene was set and Lieutenant Crawford draped the binoculars over Hawkin’s neck, patting him on the arm and giving the go ahead for the Marksman to begin climbing. As he carefully made his way up the tree, the two privates moved backwards slowly, hitching in the slack on the rope with every step he took up the tree, so the space between them catching his weight and hitting the ground was nil. Whilst Hawkins made his ascent, Lieutenant Crawford moved back through the woods towards his original position with careful manoeuvre and looked for any new reports from his Corporals - this was a risky move to make with Marksman Hawkins, but they wasn’t making a lot of noise and with the cover of the ravine, plus trees, their whereabouts would surely remain hidden with the small activity being made. Before Lieutenant Crawford could make any major moves, he needed to be sure the opposite side of the ravine was scoped out properly first and Marksman Hawkins was the man; once he was in position and scouted the opposite side, he could make a better judgement call on the results. Now he just waited and looked to the men for patience.

[Nathan Whyte]

Mod Post

[/u][/center][/color]

Allied[/u][/color]
Lieutenant Rupert Crawford

- NPC: Corporal Paul Harris
- NPC: (Sniper) Marksman Robert Hawkins
- NPC: Private Harry Coombe
- NPC: Private David Mercer
- NPC: Private Simon Litchfield
- NPC: Private Hugh Watson

- NPC: Corporal James Brown
- NPC: Private Thomas Harvard
- NPC: Private Michael Rimmer
- NPC: Private Calvin Howard
- NPC: Private Nathan Flint

Remarks: All the soldiers are cold, despite the issue of rudimentary wet-weather gear. Trouser legs are soaked, and as soon as they step in to the wind they will feel this. As always in the Battle of the Bulge, hypothermia is a major risk, something all the men are aware of.

Axis

- Unteroffizier Dieter Rentz

- NPC: Corporal Axel Oberholtzer
- NPC: Machine Gunner: Jakob Bauer
- NPC: Pvt. Karl Hoffmann
- NPC: Pvt. Heino Göbel
- NPC: Pvt. Thomas Glaubrecht

- NPC: Corporal Kiefer Kreusler
- NPC: Pvt. Rolf Lechtenbrink
- NPC: Pvt. Michael Steinhöfel
- NPC: Pvt. Horst Benz

Remarks: All the soldiers are cold, despite the issue of rudimentary wet-weather gear. Trouser legs are soaked, and as soon as they step in to the wind they will feel this. As always in the Battle of the Bulge, hypothermia is a major risk, something all the men are aware of.

Actions
- The plan to climb the tree was a good one, to an extent. Secured with the rope, Hawkins had enough confidence that he wouldn't fall. He climbed the tree, struggling slightly on the icy branches. He eventually reached the top, and managed to get a view of the surrounding area.

- As he settled at the toop of the tree, though, he heard a loud crack as one of the dead branches underneath him fell. It wasn't especially loud, but then again the Germans weren't especially far away.

- Unteroffizier Rentz quickly twisted his scoped FG42 towards the noise. Peering through the scope, he quickly saw the British soldier dangling in the tree.

- No further action has been taken, simply because Rentz has the next post.

- Hawkins, upon hearing the snap, froze in place. He is weighing his options, if he thinks he hasn't been seen he will continue with his mission, if he thinks he ha been spotted, he'll probably climb down as quickly as possible.

Next post:[/u] Rentz[/color]

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

OOC: My troops remain where they are and I'm firing only at one guy, so I didn't edit the map. If this is still needed, let me know and I'll include a map with the firing line. Also, sorry for slacking and taking so much time to write this post, I have no excuse, really! (But I'll think of something if you'd prefer that. ;D)

Clean map

----

Dieter breathed in the chilly air slowly, carefully, his blue eye remaining slightly squinted as he scanned the area through the scope of his FG 42, the dark tree trunks moving past this limited spot of vision while the words to the song still dropped from his lips in a low, delayed voice. The German soldiers crouching in their designated places felt uncomfortable in the cold, but at least the trees provided them with some shelter from the biting wind, as meager as it was. Dieter was not entirely happy with the current setting and he could plainly see how precarious the crossing over the ice-cold river looked like. Even if the tree line on the opposite side of the river was empty of enemy presence, using the fallen trunk of the tree to cross to the other side seemed like a challenging task on its own. Still, going as far as pondering on the complications of crossing the river was something he could push aside, at least for now, his attention directed at observing the tree line, instead.

The light-haired Unteroffizier could not spot anything alerting through the scope and he was already allowing himself to breathe out slowly, when a faint snap from a distance caught his attention. Still holding the assault rifle directed towards the direction of their objective, the German allowed his instincts to follow the sound of this noise, just to have the scope stop on a figure of a man sitting in a tree. All of the other men had heard the noise, the tiniest sound enough to alert them in their current state of silent anticipation and some of them stared towards the direction of the disturbance, while others had directed their gazes towards the Unteroffizier. Dieter raised his other hand up briefly to signal that he had detected enemy presence and in the matter of seconds this silent message had been passed between the German soldiers, each one of them readying themselves and their weapons for whatever confrontation lay between them.

Dieter brought his hand swiftly back to steady his weapon while he had kept his gaze on the lone figure for those brief seconds it had taken to relay the message to his countrymen. The man had to blink in confusion while he silently wondered when the Allied forces had started spouting from trees, but of course, it was just a silly, infantile thought that entered his mind merely for the reason to relieve his tension. He did not need to check the setting on his weapon to know that he had set the rotator on automatic fire and Dieter simply steadied the FG 42, aimed it at the curious soldier perched on the tree and breathed out slowly, in the middle of the exhale squeezing the trigger.

The assault rifle spat out a short, three round burst of bullets and after this Dieter allowed his aim to drop on an instinct just slightly, squeezing the trigger again to send a similar greeting towards the enemy. The shots rang alarmingly loud and clear in the crisp winter air, bouncing from the rocky walls of the ravine and from the dark trunks of the trees. Dieter was hoping that if the initial shots had not hit the enemy, he might have been stumbling from the tree either to escape the bullets in panic, or maybe dropping down after being hit. This way he might get caught in the next salvo of gunfire and wanting to use the opportunity to its full extent, Dieter sent three more bullets towards the British soldier before nimbly taking cover behind the thick trunk of the tree. He was still aiming the assault rifle towards the enemy and merely sheltering himself from whatever answer he might receive from the other side of the river.

The soldiers near him had all jumped at the sound of the gunfire, but then, they had known to expect it the moment the Unteroffizier had alerted them to the presence of the enemy and directed his sights at whatever he had witnessed through the scope. Now they only needed to see what kind of greeting they'd receive in return.

[PuNk! ™]

Speaking on behalf of someone who's in this battle, opposed to a staff verdict, could we perhaps think about closing this battle or continuing it please? I'd like to create a separate battle for Rupert if this has died. No biggie, just wanted to think about moving on from this if it's dead.
~Danny

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

I'm still interested in continuing this battle and actually finishing one for a change. All it has been waiting for is a mod post.

[PuNk! ™]

Either way Dieter!
~Danny

[Nathan Whyte]

Mod Post

[/u][/center][/color]

Allied[/u][/color]
Lieutenant Rupert Crawford

- NPC: Corporal Paul Harris
- NPC: (Sniper) Marksman Robert Hawkins DEAD
- NPC: Private Harry Coombe
- NPC: Private David Mercer
- NPC: Private Simon Litchfield
- NPC: Private Hugh Watson

- NPC: Corporal James Brown
- NPC: Private Thomas Harvard
- NPC: Private Michael Rimmer
- NPC: Private Calvin Howard
- NPC: Private Nathan Flint

Remarks: Demoralised, after seeing their teammate killed.

Axis

- Unteroffizier Dieter Rentz

- NPC: Corporal Axel Oberholtzer
- NPC: Machine Gunner: Jakob Bauer
- NPC: Pvt. Karl Hoffmann
- NPC: Pvt. Heino Göbel
- NPC: Pvt. Thomas Glaubrecht

- NPC: Corporal Kiefer Kreusler
- NPC: Pvt. Rolf Lechtenbrink
- NPC: Pvt. Michael Steinhöfel
- NPC: Pvt. Horst Benz

Remarks: High spirits - they've stopped the Allied attack before it even started.

Actions
- Rentz, aided by the scope on his rifle had no trouble in aiming at Hawkins.

- Firing, Hawkins took the whole brunt of the first burst, and fell.

- The rope caught on a tree branch halfway down, causing him to hang limply as he gave his last few breaths of light.

- His rifle still slung with him, so no British soldiers can attempt to use it.

- All soldiers from both sides are in cover. The Allies have a vague idea of where the fire came from, but nobody is as yet brave enough to stand up and look for targets.


Next post:[/u] Crawford[/color]


I'd just like to apologise for making you guys wait so long for this mod post. I'll try not to forget about this battle again.

[♔ Rupert Crawford]

Clean Map!

Movement Map!

OOC: Sorry I completely forgot about this battle and have been meaning to post for a while now.

A distinguishable snapping noise occurred to the Lieutenant’s right-hand-side and everyone froze with sheer instinct, perhaps panic of what may follow or happen next? Lieutenant Crawford etched his head sideways to look at what may have caused the noise and it didn’t take much to see a limp hanging Marksman Hawkins swinging idly within the treetop above, with both the privates below at the tree’s base, leaning down into the snow and dirt, holding him in place and preventing him from falling to a grim disastrous death. Lieutenant Crawford could have cut the air with his bayonet, as the tension wavered for the slightest of moments in time, before gunfire erupted with a short single salvo of burst and then a second salvo of fire from the same shooter, recognisable by the similar pattern of gunfire and muzzle velocity echoing from a similar position on the other side of the ravine somewhere.

Marksman Hawkins swung like a piñata as the bullets hit right on target, killing him almost instantly. The two Privates bearing the brunt of the Marksman’s weight fell prone into the snow, fearful they would have been hit too, but held tight onto the rope slung about their waists, not quite knowing if Hawkins was dead or alive; until they eventually looked above, feeling as though they were under a rain cloud with peculiar red droplets of rain spattering like a drizzle into the dirt around themselves.

Immediately Lieutenant Crawford looked to his men in hope they saw the position of the gunfire exactly from across the ravine. “Where on bloody Earth did that come from!?” the Lieutenant hissed between his teeth, Corporal Harris sitting to his left etched closer to the Lieutenant on the balls of his feet and pointed through the foliage almost directly in front of themselves towards a thicket of brush on the opposite side. “The bleeder is right there Lieutenant, I’m sure”[/I] Corporal Harris answered with a reassuring tone. Either way, it definitely concluded they weren’t alone anymore and the enemy had been clever enough to spot them first, taking precise aim too, which must have meant they had a marksman of their own or a lucky shooter.

Looking over towards the two Privates dug in the snow and still holding Marksman Hawking’s body within the tree via the rope, Lieutenant Crawford signalled for them to cut the rope and mouthed the words “Let go!”. It wasn’t the best option in the books, but under immediate enemy fire, there was no time to casually adrift the corpse to the ground and attempt fate of being shot again. The two Privates un-knotted the rope about their waists and instantly Marksman Hawkins’s body fell like a deadweight into the snow nearby. Neither of the men dared approaching the body, knowing the enemy most likely knew where it had landed (having seen it fall perhaps) and risk being shot by random gunfire at it’s position. Hastily, the two men retreated into cover thereafter and readied their rifles, watching across the ravine cautiously.

Turning to Corporal Harris, Lieutenant Crawford spoke gingerly under his breath to the NCO. “Surprised our lads didn’t open up on them, probably for the best though. Get our squad ready to move Corporal” he ordered, before moving cautiously down the line of the squad’s position and signalled over to Corporal Brown’s squad on the left flank. “Corporal - I want you to open up fire on Jerry’s position in small bursts, cover us whilst we move up - wait for my signal!” he ordered down the line to Corporal Brown who gave the acknowledgement to the orders. Lieutenant Crawford moved back to his original position and looked to Corporal Harris once more, who spoke brief and quick in context with the orders he’d been given prior. “We’re ready Lieutenant” Corporal Harris gestured. “Good, alright stay low and move quick, Corporal Brown’s squad is going to cover us” he said reassuringly to the lads.

Casting his eyes over towards Corporal Brown’s squad, he yelled “Fire!” and within that instant, Corporal Brown’s squad opened up fire with their Lee Enfield MK III SMLE rifles towards the general direction and vicinity of the enemy fire that killed Marksman Hawkins. Springing onto his toes, Lieutenant Crawford and his squad moved up the middle as the men sprinted quickly across the brief open terrain (not that the enemy should be able to see them) and delved into the brush on the opposite side, taking immediate cover and shouldering their weaponry to take instant action on any accurate enemy positions retaliating to the Allied fire. “If you see them, shoot them!” Lieutenant Crawford ordered to the small band of men alongside himself, but didn’t want them needlessly firing on supposed enemy positions and giving up their own positions to the enemy.

As far as Lieutenant Crawford was concerned, Corporal Brown’s squad was providing a direct source of fire and general census of covering fire. Lieutenant Crawford’s squad had moved up for more accurate measures on enemy positions that retaliated to the fire and the two idle Privates left on the right flank, covered their right-side to any enemy positions opening up on their right-flank. It seemed like a sound enough plan to the Lieutenant and simple manoeuvre to draw out the enemy or at least get a rough estimation on enemy numbers across the ravine.

Hovering his Sten SMG’s iron-sights over the supposed enemy’s position on the opposite side of the ravine, he waited patiently for one of their ugly heads to rear themselves. His finger itching against the cold steel of the trigger, alike the rest of his squad waiting for the perfect moment Jerry attempted to counter-react to the British onslaught coming their way.

[Nathan Whyte]

Mod Post

[/u][/center][/color]

Allied[/u][/color]
Lieutenant Rupert Crawford

- NPC: Corporal Paul Harris
- NPC: (Sniper) Marksman Robert Hawkins DEAD
- NPC: Private Harry Coombe
- NPC: Private David Mercer
- NPC: Private Simon Litchfield
- NPC: Private Hugh Watson

- NPC: Corporal James Brown
- NPC: Private Thomas Harvard
- NPC: Private Michael Rimmer
- NPC: Private Calvin Howard
- NPC: Private Nathan Flint

Remarks: Demoralised, after seeing their teammate killed.

Axis

- Unteroffizier Dieter Rentz

- NPC: Corporal Axel Oberholtzer
- NPC: Machine Gunner: Jakob Bauer
- NPC: Pvt. Karl Hoffmann
- NPC: Pvt. Heino Göbel
- NPC: Pvt. Thomas Glaubrecht

- NPC: Corporal Kiefer Kreusler
- NPC: Pvt. Rolf Lechtenbrink
- NPC: Pvt. Michael Steinhöfel
- NPC: Pvt. Horst Benz

Remarks: High spirits - they've stopped the Allied attack before it even started.

Actions
- Dropping Hawkin’s body unceremoniously to the floor was another blow for morale, but the men quickly got over it. They’re big boys now, and there’s a war going on.
- Corporal Brown’s men opened fire in the ‘mad minute’ in which they had been trained, getting the maximum number of rounds down-range with reasonable accuracy. It had the desired effect.
- With heavy cover surrounding them, Rentz’s men were not in particular danger; they all got low and hid behind some rather heavy looking trees and because of Brown’s men’s position, they couldn’t angle fire on to them.
-Therefore, Hawkins and co. managed to move to their position as ordered, across the open terrain. It was hard work due to the thick snow well above their boots and heavy clothing, and all men are more exhausted than they normally would be.
- Breathing heavily, they won’t be able to provide an accurate fire position until all men have caught their breath, but could still provide enough volume of fire to make any German feel the need to get down.
Map

Next post:[/u] Rentz[/color]

[♔ Rupert Crawford]

Don't wish to sound blurgh, but can we either continue or close this battle please? I wouldn't mind freeing up Rupert for another battle if this one has seized to be active. Thanks!
~Danny

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Work has been much draining my resources lately, but I will try to come up with a post over the weekend so the battle can continue.

No worries Dieter. Just whenever you get the chance to make a post, that would be awesome. If not, I wouldn't mind closing this thread so I can use Rupert for another battle.

Thanks,
~Danny

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

(( Sorry for the wait and the quality of the post. It is 3AM as I am posting this, and work wake up is at 5:30! Also, I assume that since changes to SP and certs happened in the middle of this fight, they will not be in effect yet as not to provide an unfair advantage to the other side. ))

Movement and firing
Clean map

______________________

The image of the British soldier slumping from the tree had been the last one Dieter had seen just before he had nimbly veered behind the safety of the tree to avoid the prompt revenge of the Allied forces. Only eerie silence and the haunting echoes of the last gunshots from the rocks of the ravine answered to the German Unteroffizier's action and accompanied the last breaths of the dying man on the other side of the river, as if to revere his sacrifice. The Germans sheltered behind the trees with their breaths caught in their throats, but still there was no retaliation. Dieter's eyes narrowed while he leaned his back against the tree and the man allowed a slow, out-of-breath smile to form upon his face. He had seen the sharpshooter falling out of the tree, the rope breaking his fall with a sharp and ruthless tug, and the knowledge of this had set his heart burning with a momentary fire of triumph.

Even then he understood that the battle was far from being won and that it had only begun - that they had no real idea what kind of numbers they were facing - and that a small victory could turn disastrous very fast. It did not stop him from directing a sly smirk towards his comrades with mischief glinting in his azure eyes. "Das könnte ihnen entmutigen," he exclaimed to Bauer and Hoffman, who only glanced at the Unteroffizier without appearing to know if they should have answered to the smile or felt more nervous over the upcoming fire fight. Of course, it could well be that the man had only been a solitary scout, or that if there were more of them on the other side of the river, they would divert their path away from the enemies in fear, they would-

The violent song of gunfire interrupted such thoughts playing in the minds of the German soldiers and everyone was suddenly all too keen to shelter behind the trees, heads ducking and teeth gritting as the hail of bullets suddenly swept over them. The projectiles chipped at trees and Dieter pressed his back against the comforting side of the thick oak, his senses tuned to towards determining the direction of their foe. The shots were obviously fired from a different position than the sharp-shooter had occupied and it only told him that the enemy could lie waiting anywhere in the edge of the forest. The men closest to him eyed the Unteroffizier with questioning eyes and Dieter bit his lower lip, his mind working quickly on the image restored in his mind of the terrain, of the separated clumps of forest and of the fallen tree that extended over the ravine. A solitary thought formed in his mind and it swirled and grew into an inkling of a plan, the process taking nothing more but a few seconds but seeming so much intricate in his thoughts.

It might work, even if to discourage the British if not to kill them... It might work.

Dieter crouched low in the shelter of the terrain and through the cracks of the shots, made sure that Private Oberholtzer saw the Unteroffizier staring at him. As soon as the eye contact was created, Dieter nudged a head at him and hand the Schütze advance in the shelter of the trees and the terrain towards him. The blonde Unteroffizier patted him in the shoulder, finding the two stick grenades stuffed beneath his belt. "Oberholtzer. Ich möchte, dass Göbel mitzunehmen. Sie werden beide machen Sie Ihren Weg auf dem Dickicht und Göbel wird dort bleiben, um Sie zu decken. Sie werden sich hinter den Stumpf des Baumes am Rande der Schlucht zu nehmen. Wir machen dass sie nicht einmal bemerken Sie dort sind, wird die MG halten die Köpfe gesenkt. Nehmen Sie einfach die Granate und werft sie auf die andere Seite, das und das Maschinengewehr schicken sie laufen." Dieter assured the Private, although he did not seem to appear too keen over crawling the snowy ground and leaving the shelter of the trees. "Jeder wird Sie stammen wie ein Held, wenn wir tranken Kaffee werden über ein warmes Feuer, Oberholtzer. Wir haben viele Kugeln um dich zu beschützen," the Unteroffizier added with a crooked smile and then he nodded his head to the Schütze with no little commanding manner, sending him off with the grenades.

"Bauer," Dieter alerted the machine gunner, pointing out the line of fire to him - towards the now known direction of the enemy, naturally - and making sure he understood to wait until he would give the command to fire.

It was only when Oberholtzer had reached Schütze Göbel, explained to him the Unteroffizier's plan and Dieter saw them both preparing for the task, that the Unteroffizier slid his back against the side of the tree, standing up straight behind it. From this cover he waited until he saw the two soldiers making their way to the edge of the tree-line and only then did he find the expecting gaze of Bauer, and he nodded.

An explosion of gunfire sprang forth from the muzzle of the MG42 that had lay silent and hidden for now. The sudden roar of the gun alarmed even some of the German soldiers themselves, but upon being reminded that this weapon was on their side, the sound grew soothing and uplifting and as comforting as a mother's song. It sang to them of dead enemies and victory, of horror rising up in the ranks of their foes, and encouraged by these sounds, the two soldiers scrambled low in the snow towards the thicket in front of them. Dieter knew that the sound of his own weapon was almost just as moralizing for his own troops as it was worrying to his enemies, so he took the chance to empty the rest of the clip into the direction of the small patch of trees just to provide Oberholtzer with some extra cover. Holding on to the promises of a warm fire and a hot cup of coffee, they ignored the coldness of the snow the best they could and upon reaching the other side of the thicket, Göbel took a safe position behind a tree and urged Oberholtzer on. The soldier gritted his teeth, not really wanting to make that dash to the fallen tree, but he was a soldier, he had been given his orders and his comrades were not that far away from him. They would keep him covered.

Oberholtzer launched himself towards the fallen tree and after a few steps, discouraged by the sounds of bullets, dropped into the snow and crawled the rest of the way to his destination. He sheltered behind the stump of the tree the best he could, his breath running fast as he searched for the other stick grenade handed out to him by the Unteroffizier. In the meanwhile, Göbel was keeping a close eye on anyone firing towards the position of the lone Schütze along with Unteroffizier Rentz. He had exchanged the emptied clip with a full one and knew that his eyes were not he only ones overseeing to the safety of the lone Schütze; everyone understood the importance of keeping him safe from enemy fire.

Schütze Oberholtzer grasped at the stick grenade, unscrewed the base cap and, taking a deep breath, rolled to his knees, tucked on the triggering cord of the stick grenade and threw the explosive towards the thicket on the other side of the river, just before breathlessly slumping back into his meager shelter.

Translations:

"That might discourage them."

"Oberholtzer. I want you to take Göbel with you. You will both make your way to the thicket and Göbel will remain there to cover you. You will take shelter behind the stump of the tree at the edge of the ravine. We will make sure they do not even notice you are there, the MG will keep their heads down. Just take the grenade and chuck it over to the other side, that and the machine gun will send them running."

"Everyone will hail you as a hero once we are sipping coffee over a warm fire, Oberholtzer. We have plenty of bullets to keep you safe."