GM - Fusilier
Chapter 13 - Northern Poland - The Lure of Diesel : October 12, 2000
Summary: The Mad Dogs plan and prepare for a new mission to claim a fuel cache that's east of the Vistula. They first capture Przejazdowo, then meet some new German friends. The team then continues to fight their way east.
Mad Dogs Unit Roster:
John Jameson McCarthy - player
Helmut Meyer - NPC
Varis Babicevs - player
Arthur Fox - NPC
Francis "Frank" Benucci - player
Anna - NPC
Caleb Mulcahy - player
Ferro - player
Luis Ortega - player
Billy “Crack” O’Brien - player
Joe Morgan - NPC
Thomas Cooper - NPC
Aleksandar Mazurek - NPC
Thomas Marshall - player
Per Kolstrup - player
Owen Hollister - NPC
David "Tosh" Lines - player
Katarzyna Majchrzak - NPC
Dean Wilson - player
Walter Krupp - player
Alan Little - player
PC Assets:
Ambulance model BMP
Armored Humvee
Humvee (wrecked and non-usable)
Volkswagen Iltis
- A deal is made with Valeska. In two days the Mad Dogs are to meet her on the river north of Ostrow Island to make the trade.
- Most of the Mad Dogs continue working on the compound and the vehicles.
- 4 of the Mad Dogs (including Aleksandar, Morgan, Ferro and Ortega) head into the city to shop, and to try to trade the unit’s 2 extra KPVs for the parts to build a still, some coal, and some preserved food. They also visit Wiktor Tencza, who agrees to accompany the unit with his truck and 2 of his men in exchange for 20% of the take. He leads Ortega to his truck, where his 2 men are located - Dave McNeil with an ESSO trucker cap, and another man whose name isn’t known. Wiktor instructs his men to get a man named Albert Karpowicz (Wiktor’s partner) who should have a line on fuel for the upcoming mission. Wiktor then wants to go and meet with JJM to discuss their plans, and the group (including Wiktor) starts making their way back to Kaminski's compound. On the way, Wiktor shows them where to scrounge a large number of barrels, and suggests bringing some bridge building materials along on the trip.
- Meanwhile back at the compound, JJM is questioning the two Polish prisoners acquired on the way back from the mortar mission. The other Mad Dogs are doing various bits of work, with some attempting to scavenge the nearby school.
Engagement at the school next to Kaminski's compound
- At the school, an unknown gunman fires twice at Benucci through a closed classroom door. At the sound of gunfire, everyone leaps into action, grabbing kit and making for the school at speed. Once there, they start working their way up through the building. Benucci was shot at on the third floor, but now there’s a shooter on floor 2 as well. Two teams approach the shooter on floor 2 from opposite ends of a corridor. Babicevs takes a ricochet to the arm as the shooter on floor 2 is killed, and it’s deemed a blue on blue from the Mad Dogs advancing from the other side - this is due to a language difference between Brits and Americans regarding what the second floor of a building is called (lol). Meanwhile Benucci subdues the enemy on the third floor, and the body and prisoner are brought back to the compound, along with a Chinese made radio found on the second floor of the school.
- Tencza and Ortega’s group make it back to the hotel.
- Most of the Mad Dogs continue working on the compound and the vehicles.
A few days pass During this time the Humvee is outfitted with a gun-shield. The BMP ambulance is armed with dual KPVs. Some additional work is done on the compound to make it more livable and defensible. The trade with the Fisherman’s League with the other two KPVs is successful, and the parts for a medium still are acquired. The weapons transaction with Valeska also takes place successfully. An interrogation of the new prisoner is attempted, but doesn’t turn up much intel. It is now October 14th.
- JJM gives new tasks for everyone - preparing a foundation for the still, shopping, getting barrels for the trip, etc.
Another couple of days pass Work on the still begins. Of the two Polish soldiers captured previously, one (Dobromir Skala) is let go. The other, named Czeslaw Kaczka, decides to stick around with the Mad Dogs. A trip is made to Gang Anjo to request an interrogator (specifically not a torturer) who can help with the prisoner from the school. It works - the newest prisoner is Armenian, and a scout from the 42nd GMRD. His mission was to scout Gdansk. The 42nd, being fresh from Russia, is now probably the biggest threat against Gdansk. At the same time, the team scrounges up around 80 barrels, and gets materials to help with building/repairing bridges. The Mad Dogs also complete building the Medium Still. The unit now has everything they need to make the run to the fuel cache.
JJM goes to drop off the prisoner from the school with the IB, and learns about the PACT forces still south of the city. It’s apparent that the convoy, in order to reach the fuel cache, will be stopped by PACT forces at Przejazdowo (50-100 men). JJM convinces the IB that the time to attack Przejazdowo is now, so that the Mad Dogs can then continue with their “scouting mission”. In support, the IB will send two platoons from the Waterloo company, two AFVs (including the unit’s old Bradley), and some limited mortar support. JJM will be acting commander of the assault, and Reina Ibanez will again act as the communications liaison with the Mad Dogs. It is now October 16th.
- A lot of regional details have been learned through Walter Krupp on page 7.
- JJM briefs the team on their coming mission. It’ll start with an attack on Przejazdowo, then Swibno, Rybina, Elblag, the fuel cache, and back home again.
Group 1
- Tencza stops by and takes some of the Mad Dogs (including the Major) and their vehicles to his fuel suppliers at a Merchant Union's locale - the Old Coal Power Plant in Gdansk. While collecting enough fuel for the upcoming expedition, JJM takes on a Polish man who will be out of work in the winter, but will go back to working with Tencza in the spring. His name is Piotr Auttenberg. On the way back with the fuel, a major commotion is encountered on the city streets, and it looks like it could turn into a full blown riot. The fuel convoy reverses, and finds another course back to Kaminski’s. Upon their return, Kaminski mentions that he heard some of the factories are rationing workers food payments in preparation for the coming winter, and that the unit should probably stay out of the city for a couple of days. Ibanez is also at the compound as well. Ibanez mentions that there’s a prisoner from the 8th ID that has been arrested and is at the IB HQ, that there are starting to be morale and political issues within the IB, and that 2 platoons worth of militia have been added to the attack on Przejazdowo.
Group 2
- Meanwhile, Ortega leads a team via Zodiac to recce Przejazdowo. They set up the NODLR on top of a chemical tank at the water treatment plant, north of the town, and observe for a few hours. They then decide to move in on foot under the cover of darkness. They do a proper recce, and start to pull back after locating multiple enemy positions, a minefield, and an entrenched gun emplacement on the east side of the village. At the same time, Ferro and O’Brien stationed back at the NODLR see 3 men approaching their position. It’s determined that the 3 men are friendly after a radio call with the IB confirms a friendly patrol in the AO. The patrol elements link back up and head back to the compound.
(Continued)
- The team spends the day planning and resting. It's decided that due to his broken arm, Thomas Cooper will not be coming on the mission, nor will Katarzyna. Kaminski goes out and gets some winter clothing for some of the Mad Dogs.
- At night, Kolstrup, O’Brien and Fox head out via zodiac, to act as a forward sniper team to help keep the gun emplacement pinned down during the upcoming assault. The rest of the Mad Dogs move out next, in five vehicles, including the Iltis, the Humvee, the BMP, the heavy cargo truck driven by Tencza and his man Dave McNiel, and Kaminski with his flatbed truck for the excursion as well (driven by his new driver, Artur Szukala).
Engagement at Przejazdowo
- The engagement at Przejazdowo begins. The BMP takes a penetrating hit that catches some fuel on fire and damages a fuel line. The platoon from Waterloo successfully gains a foothold to the western side of the town, while the Mad Dogs fight to secure a foothold from the east. The militia fights from the north. It’s quickly found that Zajac Narutowicz is with the militia as well (this guy just keeps showing up). A BRDM-2 is sighted on the eastern side of town.
- During the urban assault, Morgan gets hit in the arm. Kaczka gets hit in the arm as well. Same with Hollister, but his arm wound is accompanied by a leg shot as well.
- The snipers attempt to take out the gun emplacement - only to find out its a 57mm AA gun. The heavy AA weapon puts HE rounds toward the snipers, and Kolstrup takes some nasty wounds to his legs and lower back from exploding shrapnel. Fox, who was with Kolstrup, only takes some superficial wounds.
- Ortega cracks the BRDM-2 with an RPG-7. Benucci and Ferro in the armored Humvee roll into the enemy command post by happenstance, and proceed to wreck havoc. JJM then quickly negotiates a surrender, and Przejazdowo is taken.
- The Mad Dogs carry on after the battle, with the convoy soon reaching Sobieszewo Island, but not before JJM has some of the wounded taken back to Gdansk to rest and heal - Kolstrup, Hollister, and Kaczka won’t be going on this journey. On the pontoon bridge to Sobieszewo Island, the Mad Dogs meet Szymon, the bridgekeeper, who takes them into town. They spend the night at Maria Ostrowski’s inn (Hotel Bartan), while the vehicles are kept in the island's fire station, next to a decorated BTR-80.
- At the local pub, Meyer meets a group of Germans who own the BTR-80 and whom he spills the beans to about the fuel cache. The group of Germans later get introduced to the Mad Dogs at the hotel, where everyone is staying the night. The Germans include Michael Kessler, Karel Janku, Lukas Fischer, and Sabine Riedel, along with their dog, Klinsi. They agree to join McCarthy on his venture to capture the fuel, but it appears as though they have alternate reasons for heading east as well.
Interlude - Der Krokissar’s Auftakt - Near Wislinka : October 18, 2000
- 4 Germans, Kessler, Riedel, Fischer, and Janku, along with their dog "Klinsi" and a BTR-80, are outside Wislinka under cover. They hail from Tczew most recently, where they dressed as Russians in order to gain access to the bridge to cross the Vistula heading eastward (but failed).
- The group hears fighting to the west, near Przejazdowo, and decide to try to cross the Vistula at Swibno. Listening to their radio, they hear some communication about the battle (but mostly jibberish), then some music on another channel, likely emanating from Gdansk. They make for the bridge at Sobieszewo Island, and encounter Szymon, the bridge troll/keeper. They then move into the town proper, and head to the hotel. The group does some trading, and meet Babicevs and Meyer in the pub for the first time, and listen to Meyer talking about his mission. They then decide that they need to speak with Meyer’s commanding officer.
(Continued)
- The next morning, everyone goes to cross the Vistula on the ferry, but the trip will take 2 crossings due to the Mad Dogs now having 6 vehicles (Humvee, BMP, Iltis, Heavy truck, Kaminski's truck, and the BTR). On the second ferry across, large booming sounds are heard from the south, and an armored river monitor is seen closing on the ferry from a distance of 2km. On the far side of the river, the team also sees a BRDM-2, a technical, and 25 calvary closing from the south as well. The engagement quickly begins in earnest.
- The ferry makes it to the far side of the Vistula and all vehicles start moving out, with some running interference while the civilian vehicles try to break free to the northeast.
- An explosion rocks the ground behind the Iltis, and Varis takes shrapnel to the back of his leg from a bounding mine before tumbling back over the tailgate. The Iltis, now going up an embankment, ends up rolling over. The Humvee then comes by to pick up Mulcahy (the driver of the Iltis) and Babicevs. Meanwhile on a nearby dyke, Meyer takes a bad hit to his side. Firing the .50cal from the Humvee, Benucci takes a shot to his side as well, near to his shoulder.
- After picking up Mulcahy, the team quickly rights the Iltis and gets it back in operation. JJM puts an RPG-7 HEAT round into the BRDM-2, and heavy machine gun fire tears into the enemy technical, causing it to crash into a trench. The battle comes to a conclusion relatively quickly, with some of the Poles escaping, and some being captured by the Mad Dogs.
- The team quickly loots the battlefield, and notes that some of the survivors ran to a ruin a few hundred meters to the south, where they are visibly taking defensive positions. The Mad Dogs quickly send one of their prisoners to go offer a parlay to negotiate a ceasefire with the escaped Polish soldiers, and one of the escaped Poles then comes forward to speak with Kessler. The Pole that comes forward is 2nd Lieutenant Bajek. Polish reinforcements start appearing behind Bajek’s position, but he offers the Mad Dogs 30 minutes of peace before the battle will resume, in the hopes of staving off any more dead today. The Mad Dogs take the time to operate on Meyer's wounds, butcher a horse, and collect loot.
- The convoy then proceeds east on the 501 toward Jantar, then north into the forest on logging trails, then again east toward Stegna. Close to Stegna, the convoy pauses to rest and think out their next plan of action. After sending the Iltis ahead, the unit makes it to the Concentration Camp Museum in Sztutowo. The unit billets there, and collects firewood to camouflage the oil barrels in the back of Tencza’s heavy flatbed. They next send out a patrol to check out Rybina, where a small Polish OP is rumored to be. A dark and foreboding night has now fallen upon the camp.
1st Engagement at the Swibno Ferry Crossing
Group 1
- Group 1 (JJM, Ortega, Lines, Benucci, Ferro, O’Brien, Riedel) heads out on patrol to take a peek at Rybina through the NODLR. They get a good feeling for the town, decide that there’s likely only a squad or so of Poles there, then make their way back to town to check the bridge in Sztutowo. On the way back, they see a fire somewhere in town. They recce the bridge, then go back to the camp.
Group 2
- Everyone else remains at the museum. On lookout, Fischer and Aleksandar hear no less than 20 people filter by on foot, heading west along Route 501. The people walking by seem to be wearing what might be robes, and pass right outside the lookout position in the darkness. It's disturbing to all that witness it. After the creepy group passes, rain begins to fall, a vehicle is heard somewhere in the distance, and a siren plays a few times with a couple of random gunshots in the distance to the east.
Creepy night sounds of the Concentration Camp Museum : http://youtu.be/syWhwn3aRfQ
- The team re-positions to face east. More gunshots are heard to the west this time, and a vehicle is heard driving in the distance, heading from northwest of the camp to northeast, and it's apparently blaring music. Group 1's patrol then returns to camp.
(Continued)
- The group plans their next moves. JJM wants to do one more patrol during the night, and Kessler wants to take out a foot patrol to see what’s up with the 20 people that crossed nearby on foot.
Group 1
- JJM’s patrol heads out toward the Old Maritime Museum in Katy Rybackie. Along the way through the northern forest, they encounter a roadblock of cut trees, and go further on foot, leaving some Mad Dogs and the vehicles at the roadblock. The foot element come to the museum, and from a distance can easily see that it is both inhabited, and well fortified. They hear a vehicle to the north again, this time heading east to west. The vehicle bypasses their position, and the foot element returns to the vehicles. They then head back to camp.
Group 2
- Engagement at Stegna
- Kessler, Fischer, and Babicevs head west, dressed as PACT troops, to Stegna. The group enters town, and finds a new-ish pack and a fresh dead body. Searching the body, Kessler sees a man searching another body in the darkness not far away. The two immediately raise their rifles and exchange fire, but the other man makes it into cover. Another stranger is then seen not far away, and Kessler and Fischer go to hunt him down, while Babicevs is tasked with chasing down and eliminating the first man. Babicevs puts a round into his prey, then during the chase encounters and kills another man. He then catches the runner, now getting atop a horse, and guns him down, as well as his horse.
- With Fischer and Kessler not having any luck killing their prey, the three Mad Dogs then reconvene. Then, after not being able to tell who these random strangers are (outside of them not wearing uniforms and looking like they’d been in the field for a long time), decide to head back to camp, bringing along a second, captured horse.
(Continued)
- All together again, the group makes their plan to take the Observation Post (OP) at Rybina. One team will try a false flag operation dressed as Spetznaz to get in close to the Polish defenders, while a support team will move in concealed, using a boat the group had found.
Engagement at Rybina
- Everyone moves out before dawn. The support team makes it close to the northern bridge, where a Polish sentry is posted along with a stationary BTR-60. Meanwhile, Kessler's fake Spetznaz team moves up on the road in Soviet kit, and attempt to bluff their way into close proximity with the Pole. The Pole is startled, but quickly calls for the rest of his squad to come out to determine why there's a Soviet special operations team here in Rybina. The squad joins him, and just as the squad starts to believe the false narrative, something sets them off and a firefight ensues. The unit quickly dispatches 3-4 of the defenders, with 1-2 making it back safely into the AFV. Moments later, gunfire erupts toward the Mad Dogs on the bridge from down the road to the south, where at least 2 more enemies are present.
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