075: Miles Behind Us

Ed's journal, November 3rd, 2000

Doc's a miracle worker.  Sparks continues to hang on.

The Oder.  It's taken us three days to crawl this far.  The train works fine.  The tracks need work.  Between deterioration and outright sabotage the transit is slow.  Another nine dead and three wounded.  Alphabit and Leo claimed two more of theirs.  They're just waiting on the Oder. 

Only one rail bridge over it at Szczecin.  Alphabit came this way when he was assigned to the 5th in '99.  Way he talks it is the freaking Chicago Skyway.  They only need to blow a few supports to stop us crossing or derail the train.  Bonus points for firing that ATGM we know they have at the stopped engine and kiboshing the whole fucking trip. 

Tonight we're headed out.  A small team secures the bridge and searches it for charges.  Two platoons will sweep the edge of Szczecin for good hiding spots for an ATGM.  Given the area's build-up and the height of the bridge they'll need a tall building with good line of sight.  Can't drive the missile around buildings you'll snag the wire. 

Cap's leading the bridge team.  He picked Leo, Alphabit and Doc.  I told her she's not leaving me behind this time.  I can at least hump ammo. 

Novemeber 4th, 2000

Good news, bad news.

Good news, Alphabit wasn't joking about working high steel.  He was a cross between monkey and tightrope walker as he and Cap went through the girders to get behind the russian OP on the Skyway.  Took them down with minimal fuss.  Found another thirty in charges on the bridge.  Do these guys ever run out of explosives?

Bad news is we flubbed their radio check.  They know we're here and their men aren't. 

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Late evening.

Our men in Szczecin lost six with another 4 wounded to the delaying team Ivan left behind.  Thye got away clean.

The rest of their troop, twelve all told, engaged us at the end of the bridge.  We lived, torn to hell and back, but all alive.  Not the same for them.  Two prisoners, a nameless private and 'Brother Lang'.

cap had a long talk with the man that night on the trian.  Came close to shooting him.  She'll have to put a sign out that the line forms here.  We should just hang him and be done with it.

November 5th, 2000

Berlin.  Didn't find any postcards.  Haven't seen anyone in the open all day.  Countryside is deserted.  Guess the Poles weren't telling tales about the Germans pulling way back. 

We're heading southwest towards Hamburg.  Less rivers to cross and estimated the same transit time if the rails hold.  We're making very good time.

November 6th, 2000

God did we startle the Brits.  I'm going to remember that stunned hail on the emergency frequency for some time.  "American flagged vehic, er, train, you are entering a controlled area!"  With a  side of "where the bloody hell did that come from" over the mike.

God is it good to be back. 

November 7th, 2000

Left Hamburg a platoon of Brits richer.  Captain cut a deal.  They get the train after we get to Bremerhaven.  In exchange, they chug back and forth on the line picking up any American stragglers for delivery until 15th. 

I'm preparing handbills.  We're going to nail every RR crossing from here to Bremerhaven lettting our men know to stick to the tracks their ride is coming!

They also get the keys to the T-80.  We're all bearing a bit of a grudge toward the Germans this year.  We wouldn't have suffered so much and lost so many friends and fellow soldiers if they hadn't broken the line theis summer. 

Almost there.

November 9th, 2000

Bremerhaven.

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Author's Note
Sorry to all the followers for the rush job on this post.  I've had some sad news regarding my Grandmother who suffered a mini stroke.  It is one more step on her deterioration, she's already suffering from dementia, and physical infirmity.  Ninety plus years will do that to a person!  I'm going to be away for a bit dealing with it. 

Anyway, the blog has caught up with the games for now.  It may be a week or more before I feel up to posting again.  Till then, you're on your own.