005: Raciborz Intake

Our friend Clippie at his new job.  I hope.

The fellow with the clipboard was short, weedy and had a stick rammed right up his backside.  His uniform was clean and crisply turned out.  I'll bet even his collar was starched.  REMF.  He began, in broken English, "I here am for intake.  You will..."

REMF was interrupted by a UAZ and a squad of horsemen pulling up.  The driver, clad in worn American BDUs and a forage cap, ostentatiously locked the doors to his open-topped ride, and gave his escort a smile.  "Nice traveling with ya boys," he told them with a soft southern twang.  Looking our way, "Damn, what are you folks doing here?"

"Intake!" barked REFM, "IN-TAKE."

"Now, am getting your identity.  In rank order."  He poised his pencil over the clipboard.  "Name, Rank, Serial Number.  Who in charge?"

Arms folded Kat gives us a little nod.  "Katriona Paterson, Captain, 576-31-6800."

"I guess I'm next.  Alexandrea Miller, Major,  496-42-4548.

"Why you not command.  You think I stupid."

Kat interupted him, "She's medical branch.  Not a combat track.  I have overall command."

"Oh, she nurse."

Alexandrea muttered, "Doctor, thank you."

Next, looking around at us.  Points at Leo.  "You Sergeant."

Leo starts, glances down at his shoulder.  "Right, Leonid," holds his shirt so he can see his nametag, "Ramirez.  Leonid Ramirez!  Sergeant."  He smiles emptily.

"Serial Number."

"I forgit!"

"Lance Coproral Llewellan Chilson, 523-79-8223.  You Ass Marines."

"Donald McGillavery, Specialist, 123-12-9876."

Sigh.  "Eddie Cutter, Specialist, 503-10-3099."

"Dobry."  He's obviously rehersed the next bit as it comes out clean.  "Now if you have commited any crimes against the people of Polan...Urk!"

As we've been talking a ranker and a few staff types have moved over and been observing things.  One of them gobbles at the ranker as the REFM starts in on the crimes bit.  He reaches out and jerks REFM off his feet by the collar and onto his ass.  The Polish comes out fast and furious as he snatches the clipboard away.  "You hatchet faced little shit.  Go to the officer of the day and place yourself on report.  You will haul shit to the farms for a month.  Start fucking yesterday!"

REFM runs off.  The ranker geastures at himself.  "Major Stranski.  Anyone who translates?"

Leo volunteers and gets his translate on. "I apologize.  This is not the welcome intended for you and your troop.  Some have axes to grind.  His is not an attitude shared by us and he will be disiplined.  I will conduct the remainder of the interview.  We want to know who you are, what has happened and what your intentions are.  There are more comfortable seats in the hall.  Captain, I know you will not want to leave your vehicles.  Split your team as you will and we will have a civilized discussion."

"Thank you, Major" To us.  "Leo and Miller, you're with me.  Leave your long-arms.  Alphabit, you're in charge.  Let's go."

004: Ed's Journal - Silesia 1

On the way into town.

Eddie's Journal

Kozle would have been a bust.  Their bridge is out.  They replaced it with a barge-like ferry and horses turning a wheel to make it go.  Cap, Major Miller and Leo went off to see the "Baron". Alphabit and I got to watch the truck and the other guys watching the truck.  Boring duty.  learn polish

This "Baron" passed the buck and is sending us, with escort, to see his boss in Raciborz. Markiz Filipowicz
Leo's digging around in the back for a uniform that fits.  The "Baron" let him know his old russkies wouldn't be appropriate attire.  

We reached Raciborz, now we're stuck waiting on some Major to come see us.  Hurry up and wait is the same deal in any army.  Surprisingly, or not, the town's active.  People moving with a purpose.  A few waves towards the escort.  Not much hostility directed our way.  I even think I've seen a few western BDU's walking around.

Time to run, geek with a clipboard headed our way.

003: Welcome to Silesia

Lt. Stanislaw rides into Kozle

Note:  All voices in italics are in Polish  

"Cap," shake, shake, "Cap."

And wake up.  "Eddie, wha..."

"Leo's done a stupid." And he's rabbiting off to get the others awake.

I can hear voices talking over-load in, Polish.  Yeah, Polish.  My command of the language is basic. Sounds like vodka and peaches...

Leo: "That is good"
other male: "Put it in one of those morning pouches"
Leo: "Eggs?"
other male: "Good for the day after"
Leo: laughs "Just open another bottle"
other male: laughs

Leo, an armed man in a Polish uniform with a blue armband, and a horse, with of all things, a lance socketed upright in the saddle.  Leo has one of his stash of potato juice out and the new fella is scarfing down an MRE.  Down on the roadside, about 60 yards from our blind, three others stand with rifles and horses.

"Leo, what's going on?"  Just enough bite to let him know to pay attention, not enough to spook the stranger.  It worked on pit crews in the pastit should get through to him.

"Captain, meet new friend.  Hmmm.  What's name?
"Stanislaw, Lietenant, 5th Lance." He grins, slurps some more peaches and vodka.
"He named Lt. Stanislaw"
"And would you ask the nice Lieutenant, why his men are talking on the radio."
Leo turns, "My friend, I give you booze.  Why you rat me out?  Who they talking to?"
"Comrade,"  Stanislaw grasps Leo's shoulder, "we are a the vanguard of a patrol.  I don't want my men to come around the bend and see their beloved lieutenant in Russian hands without warning.  They might get the wrong idea."
Leo starts to translate all that back to me, but I got the gist of it.  I ask, "How many?  In patrol?"
"20."
4 to 1.  Stanislaw must see the frustration flash across my face.
"No worries.  My men see you up here and me up here.  They see us talking.  They'll know it is good.  Besides, they love me too much to want me dead!"
Stanislaw has entirely too good an opinion of himself.   "And then?"  I pull at my American BDUs. and gesture at him top to bottom.  "We're not ...  friends."
He turns, tapping at his blue armband with the letters WS emblazoned on them.  "We're not Polish.  We're Army of Silesia.  We told off those bastards in Lodz.  Shot any who couldn't run fast enough.  We intend to stay that way."

More men on horseback canter up the road; rifles, lances and a little cart with a machine-gun.  Stanislaw continues as I get a headcount.  I need Leo to translate some for me.

"I have special orders with respect to American stragglers.  While I am expected to escort you to Kozle, I am not to disarm you.  You will be treated with the dignity and respect offered to co-belligerents.  I am to stay with you as surety to your safety.  The Baron would like first hand accounts of whatever you have encountered and will at least be able to offer you a safe night's rest.  Maybe more.  Or I can escort you out of our lands, back north, the way you came."

I wish my bullshit detector was going off.  He's either a smooth liar or he really means it.  4-1, but he's the second to die if they try anything.  He cannot be that cold-blooded.

"Leo, tell him we're going to go to Kozle,"  I wait as that is conveyed.  "And I would greatly enjoy is company on the trip."

Stanislaw shouts the happy news down to his men.  They give a "Urrah!" and pump fists in the air.  He turns to me, reaches out to shake my hand, and warmly smiles, "Welcome to Silesia." 

002: Kalisz and all points after

All dates show when we left the position.

Journal of Eddie Cutter

all italics indicate marginalia

Three days.
Three days to go from we're kicking ass to RUN AWAY!  RUN AWAY!  --Brass rhymes with ass for a reason--

We were damn lucky when the Reds in Ostrow and Pleszew hit our column, we escaped and evaded  --Cap's got the mojo--.  My memories of the night are hazy,  motors, shots, loud screams and louder explosions.  Somehow we evaded most of the action and the one bit of armor we encountered, well, Leo fed it an RPG and it brewed up.  In the confusion we lost Alphabit and his string of horses.  --He got better--

We hid out during the daylight.  Positioned the truck well off the road and camouflaged it.  Tried to sleep.  Intermittent traffic, mostly UAZs and a few GAZ trucks, passed by.  You could hear it, but only rarely see it.  Each time I startled awake, with my hand on my rifle, sure we'd been found.  The only one that found us though was Alphabit.  He didn't tell us anything about what had happened other than he'd used a "week's worth of luck".  --Think he keeps it ina bottle--

That night the Captain and Leo laid out "The Plan".  We're going to head south and see if we can find a bridge over the Warta, maybe in Opole or Kozle, before getting to the mountains.  From there we'll sneak our way --quiet, quiet mousey-- west.  Get ourselves back to friendly lines or, at least, Germany.

We set out the night of the 7th.  We stuck to small country roads, untended for the last 4 years, and no lights.  Slowly creeping our way south.  Sun light comes and we hide away --Just like vampires!--  Our new SOP.

July 9th -- Some locals stumbled across our daytime camp.  Out hunting whatever they could find.  They hadn't had any luck.  Leo bribed them to go away with a bottle of liquer.  They hit it before they were out of sight.

Enemy present outside Opole.  We spotted an OP, with emplaced MGs, overlooking the Opole - Olesno road.  They didn't see us, we think, and we backtracked to take sideroads south.

July 10th -- Woke up to gunfire way, way off to the southeast about 1300.  Leo observed trucks moving east down the Opole - Strzelice Opolski artery.  More gunfire, then they came right back home.  We're all wondering who, but don't want to find out.

Since Opole is a bust  --Would they let us use the bridge if we asked nicely?-- we'll try Kozle next.

 -- I wish I could find some aspirin.  Maybe ask Major Miller.  Driving 6 to 8 hours with NV goggles on gives me one hell of a headache. --

001: Summer Offensive, 2000 A.D.



original T2K cover art

 The strategic vision for the 2000 offensive in Poland was to push Pact units off the Baltic seaboard.  This would secure the Baltic Sea fisheries, establish control of the mouth of the Vistula River, and linkup with resistance fighters in the former Baltic Republics.

The start date was repeatedly delayed.  Late spring rains prevented the troops from getting the fields planted.  Still, by mid June, the German 3rd Army was ready for the push.

US XI Corps spearheaded the drive.  Initial gains were more than expected with enemy formations melting away along the coast.  US 8th ID(M) achieved a breakthrough, crossed the Vistula, and drove northeast for a linkup with the Free Latvian Army.  US 5th ID(M) exploited an opening to the south and conducted a deep penetration raid towards Lodz, Poland.  Then it all started to fall apart.

The last battle-worthy remnants of the Polish army counterattacked, battering themselves to pieces against the German and US divisions.  When the dust settled, the last heavy equipment of XI Corps was burning junk.  In the south, the remnants of four Soviet armies went on the offensive, driving towards German 3rd's catonments.  German formations began breaking up as the men returned to defend their homes.  Depleted of manpower, German 3rd officially gave the orders to fall back.

Finally, two additional Soviet formations, 4th Guards Tank and 22nd Cavalry rapidly deployed out of Beloruss towards Lodz.  With a combined strength of 21,000 men and more than 100 modern tanks, they enveloped US 5th ID(M).  In a confusing 3 day battle around the town of Kalisz, Poland, 5th ID(M) was plowed under.

Your last communication from divisional HQ was radioed in the clear.

"Delta Charlie Actual to all Red Diamond units.  This position has been overrun.  You're on your own.  Good luck."

000: Twilight 2000, take 2

It is just that easy

The first game was fun, but as you can see from the lack of posts, we had a crash.

Last Sunday was the reboot of the game.  We'll be gaming on a solid 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month and I should have the first session's fiction up by this weekend.

Wish me luck!

The new cast includes, but is not limited to...

Carol, reprising her role as Captain Katriona Paterson, USMC Engineers

Robert, reprising his role as Specialist Donald "Alphabet" McGilavery, US Army Engineers

Mike as Leonid Padgory, ruskie turn-coat

Diane as Major Alexandrea Miller, US Army Medical - Surgeon

Jason as ????

Eddie Cutter as himself...

Later days,
Chris