I don't own Medal of Honor or any of its characters. Steven Spielberg created the 'Medal of Honor' series.
This story is dedicated to all those who have risked or lost their lives fighting in WWII.
Dialogue - translated German
Medal of Honor: Frontline
Part 2: A Storm in the Port
Chapter 4: A Chance Meeting
Wet docks of U-boat facility. Lorient, France. August 18, 1944, 6:00 a.m.
The final length of the facility lay before me. The sky hadn't changed since the first time I lay eyes on it. The sun hadn't risen, yet, so it was still as dark as night. I looked down from the building I was on and saw a bunch of crates stacked up against its side, and it was high enough to make it a short drop. I sat on the side of the building and, as quietly as possible, slid myself onto the top of the stack. Unfortunately, the landing was a loud one.
A Nazi guard on top of a building nearby heard the noise and aimed his rifle in my general direction. He fired a shot that hit the wall behind me. I pointed my Springfield at him and pulled the trigger. After the loud "bang", I heard a scream and the falling of a body, meaning that I hit him. A pair of guards came running down the alley, searching for the intruder that killed their comrade. I dropped, aiming the sniper rifle at the two. After taking down one of them, I switched to my MP-40 and charged the other. He was struck down before he knew what hit him.
I heard more shouting behind me. Two more Nazis started firing from around the corner of the building. I tossed my last grenade in their direction and took cover. After I heard the explosion, I pointed my machine gun at the dead end, only to find the remains of the two that attacked me. A crate of stick grenades lay in the far corner, so I grabbed a bunch of them and stuck them in my bag. I then went around the other corner and down the alley.
I hid behind a large dumpster, taking in the scene before me. This was obviously the other railway line used to transport supplies. There was a pair of boxcars between two flatcars, the closer one loaded with crates. Half a dozen Nazis were guarding the area; it was as if they knew a threat was coming their way. I tossed a grenade out into the open, waiting to see the reactions. One guard threw himself on top of it, trying to protect the others from the blast. I turned away before the explosion happened, for I didn't want to see the result of his suicidal attempt. Two more guards ran to where the horrifying remains of the last one were. They ran down the alley in my direction, and they became filled with MP-40 bullets.
Reloading the machine gun, I went into the open and turned right, going along the train. I shot one defending guard with the Colt. Going around the end flatcar, I opened fire on the remaining two Nazis. One jumped into an open boxcar, but the other never got a chance to escape. The one that did manage took crack shots at me from where he was hiding. Jumping into view, I tossed a grenade into the boxcar. The Nazi dashed out of the door and was struck down. I went into hiding again as the grenade blew a hole in the back of the boxcar.
The explosion easily alerted the Nazis in the wet docks. One came running through the gate, investigating who caused the explosion. I was taking cover in the other boxcar, waiting for anyone to walk by. When the Nazi walked past, I leapt out, shooting him in the back with my pistol. Turning around, I noticed that there was an MG-42 mounted on the last flatcar. I went between it and the boxcar and uncoupled the two. The flatcar moved slowly away from the rest of the train and bumped into the closed gate. After sighting another tower within the dock, I shot the guard in it with the Springfield rifle.
I then jumped onto the flatcar and manned the mounted machine gun. Nazis came out to stop the threat to their base, but they were gunned down with ease. When no more came out, I abandoned the gun and took cover by one of the gate doors. I came out, aiming the MP-40 at a truck parked by the corner. A German in the back of it opened fire, but he didn't last long. I got onto the truck, dumping the bloody body onto the ground. A small storage building lay before me, and behind it I could see a crane holding a load of crates.
Thinking of the crane as target practice, I aimed my rifle at the thick rope that kept the load of crates in place. I fired, hitting the rope. After a few seconds of waiting, I heard a snap, and the load went crashing to the ground. A large explosion lit up the area behind the storage building. As I went over to check on what I did, I saw several severely burned, dead German bodies on the ground. Looking to where the destroyed crates lay, I saw they were in and around the remains of another truck. I then realized that there had to have been powerful explosives on it, and the crates must've fallen on top of it, provoking the explosives.
I turned to see a German seaplane floating in the water, tethered to the dock. Looking out over the ocean, I saw a long, black shape moving towards shore. It was yet another U-boat, probably going in for repairs or re- supply. These aquatic behemoths were responsible for putting our Allied naval forces and supply convoys in strangleholds. It made me feel really mad. Even if I did succeed in taking out the U-boats here, there were hundreds if not thousands more out there. It would take more than my valiant efforts to put a dent into the Nazi's ocean onslaught.
Turning my attention to my current mission, I went down another alley, a lone boxcar viewable at the end. As expected, there was a guard walking up and down the railroad car. He'd instantly hear the rifle and dodge, so I decided against using it. Getting in a little closer, I fired the MP-40, taking him out. A pair of guards came out from behind the boxcar, and another on the building behind me retaliated. I took cover at the foot of the building and tossed a grenade in the direction of the two on the ground. They were taken out by the blast. I then threw another grenade above me to the one on the roof. He jumped from the roof to avoid the blast, but the impact broke his legs. Pitying him, I hit him in the head with the butt of the MP-40, knocking him out.
Going around the boxcar, I saw the entrance to the docking areas. I was out of view from the workers inside. I aimed the Springfield at the closest one and fired. As blood and gray matter hit the wall behind the victim, the others instantly took notice and fired in my general direction. I hurled a grenade into the entrance before taking aim with the Springfield again. As the remaining two Nazis ran out to avoid the explosion, I took them out with careful aim.
Reloading the rifle, I entered the building. I found another crate of stick grenades in the corner, so I stocked up on them. I went down the narrow corridor and opened the door a crack. I saw several Germans working. In the far corner, a set of six engines was running, providing power for this section of the facility. I chose them as my next targets. I aimed the sniper rifle through the door crack and killed a researcher looking through his notes. I then kicked open the door and threw a grenade at another group of Germans. Not waiting for the explosion, I opened fire with the MP-40. The dead Nazis were then blown to bits by the grenade. I hid behind one of the columns as the last surviving Nazi fired at me. It took a couple of attempts, but he was finally taken down.
The room clear, I set to work destroying the engines. I set a demolition charge on the engines in one row. I then made a mad dash for the door, finding it locked. The charges exploded, the force shattering the windows of the roof above. I hid around the corner as the locked door suddenly opened, a guard running in to investigate the noise. As he rounded the corner, I filled him with Colt bullets. I then hurled another grenade through the doorway, letting it ricochet. I heard screams, then an explosion. I went through the door, aiming my MP-40. Finding no one alive, I continued on my way.
Turning the next corner, I found a pair of researchers looking over a blueprint. Whatever the blueprint was seemed to be important, for they were talking and pointing out specific parts of it. I sneaked up behind them and struck one of them in the side of the head with my pistol. The other took notice and grabbed my wrists. We struggled for a few seconds until I gave him a kick in the stomach. As he backed off, I charged, hitting him with an uppercut. He fell to the ground unconscious. Satisfied that they wouldn't be waking up for a while, I turned my attention to the blueprint. I rolled it up and stuck it in my bag. I then went through the door and continued down the narrow corridor.
At the end of the corridor, I found the construction area. A large section of a future U-boat was being built here. A set of platforms was on either side of the circular metallic frame. Workers were on the platforms, welding the metal together and putting in bolts to keep them in place. In front of me was another pile of crates and a few oil barrels, and a set of metal doors was beyond them. Looking up, I saw a makeshift window that allowed people to look down on productions. Without glass in the window, anyone up there could hear the action that was about to happen.
I took aim at the worker on the platform closest to me. He screamed as MP-40 bullets went through him, and he fell to the ground in a bloody heap. The rest of the workers immediately heard the commotion and countered. They pulled out Walther P38s and opened fire on me. I ducked back into the corridor to avoid the shots. The far doors opened, and three more men came through it. They were heading straight for me, but I had a plan. Pulling the pin off a grenade, I threw it amongst the pile of crates – specifically the barrels. The three ran for their lives when they heard the grenade drop, but they were too late. The larger-than-usual explosion sent them sailing.
With the immediate threat out of the way, I bolted to the doors on the other side of the room. The workers discovered my bolt, but they were too slow to react. I made it to safety before their bullets started flying. I went up the stairs and went around the corner. As I peeked down the small corridor, I saw another worker ducking down, pistol in hand. Aiming the Springfield, I shouted at him. As he turned to face me, he got a bullet through the chest. Turning around, I noticed a panel in the wall – a ventilation shaft. Using the butt of the MP-40, I broke open the panel and climbed into the shaft.
As I crawled through the ventilation shaft, I heard a motor running outside. I reached a barred panel that couldn't be broken. I saw a procession of Nazis below. A pair of miniature submarines sat on the ground, supported by beams. The Germans were obviously standing at attention, for I saw that one of the men was more decorated when it came to rank. He was old – maybe in his 50s. His eyes were an ice blue, and his cold stare could send chills down anybody's spine. I could see white hair under the commander's hat. He must have been there to inspect the facility; but I doubted he had any idea I was here.
"Quite an operation they've got here," said the commander, overlooking the clean facility.
"Yes, Herr Sturmgeist," replied one of the other officers.
Sturmgeist cracked his whip and put his hands behind him. "They could learn a thing or two from our Gotha security procedures, though."
"Yes, I agree," the two soldiers escorting him said. With that, the commander exited the building and got into his staff car. It drove off, leaving the workers behind to await their unknown fates.
The now-unknown man gone, I thought it time to continue with my mission. I looked through the scope of the Springfield for a potential target. I found one walking through a corridor on the other side of the winding catwalk. I shot him in the head, but it alerted everyone else down below. I continued crawling through the shaft and broke through the panel. I stayed in my position to avoid being seen by those not on the catwalk. A Nazi jumped out from one of the pillars and fired his pistol at me. The shots missed, and he had to reload; I took it as my chance to take him out. Getting up and hiding behind one of the marble pillars, I tossed a few grenades by some fuel barrels. There were too many to get rid of that the Nazis had no chance to run. I left the open area ablaze for the corridor.
At the end of that corridor I came to a fork. Since a locked door blocked the path to the right, I chose to go left. I smelt the familiar scent of seawater, meaning I was close to one of the docking pens. I peeked around the corner to find three Nazis observing what was outside. One of them must've felt my presence, for he slammed into the alarm. The flashing red light whirled around, and a loud buzzer blared; I tossed a grenade into the room to shut it up. The explosion not only destroyed the alarm, but it killed the three Germans in the room.
I entered the now vacant room and looked out the window, though staying away from the edge. I saw one of the U-boats docked within, and several workers on and around it. I didn't see anything around the submarine that'd be strong enough to sink it. Looking up, I saw a bunch of torpedoes tethered by a cable. This was a crane, and by the looks of the controls, it was operated where I was. A devious grin on my face, I manned the controls and moved the torpedoes into position over the U-boat. I heard panicked shouts below, but it wouldn't do them any good. Pulling the arm switch, the crane released the torpedoes, dropping them on top of the Nazi submarine. The resulting explosion, which was extremely massive, destroyed virtually everything in the pen; the force was so great, I was knocked off my feet.
Turning to run, I came across a pair of Nazis with Walther P38s drawn. I charged the first one with an uppercut, shooting the second with my free arm and the Colt. Shooting the first in the head, I went back the way I came, except going through the now unlocked door. I ran down a flight of stairs and nearly collided with a Nazi running up them. I plugged him with a few Colt bullets, sending him to the ground. Reloading the sidearm, I looked at my handiwork. The U-boat was now almost completely submerged, heavy damage sustained in all areas. The dock itself hadn't fared any better. Looking beyond the wreck, I saw another set of stairs leading to yet another corridor. I decided to go that way next.
Going around the black, beaten-up behemoth, I reached the flight of stairs. Reaching the top, I ran into more trouble. I ducked behind a dead end and fired back with the MP-40. Then, I chucked my last grenade in their direction. After the explosion, I finished off whoever was still alive with the machine gun. The area clear, I traveled down the final corridor, which, incidentally, led to the other docking pen. Unlike the last one, this one had large gates on the side – most likely my ticket out of here. There were fewer Nazis down here, so I decided to practice my sniping skills.
Lying down on the catwalk, I took careful aim at each German on and around the U-boat. They didn't know what hit them, which was pathetic in my eyes. When the dock was free of any live enemies, I climbed down the ladder attached to the catwalk. I noticed a ramp between the ground and the stern of the U-boat. The neat thing I saw on it was the deck gun. I was in love; for now, it'd be my toy. I walked across the ramp and manned the gun – just as the gates opened.
Germans came pouring in, most likely alerted by the earlier alarm and the noise of my sniping. I aimed the deck gun at the entrances and fired, amazed by the lack of recoil. The shells shot at the walls and exploded with incredible force. It sent bits and pieces of dead German everywhere – even into the water. I then saw a huge fuel depot outside – one of the targets I was told to eliminate. Not wanting to disappoint, I fired a shell at it and ducked. The explosion was tremendous; when I looked up, the huge fuel tanks and the wooden placements around them were ablaze.
All I had to do now was sink this last U-boat. I didn't want to abandon my new toy, but I had no choice. Going off the ramp and around the submarine, I crossed a second ramp and spotted a set of torpedoes on the deck. I set my demolition charge to go off in 30 seconds, and then ran like hell out of the dock. Getting a safe distance out of the gate, I watched my last bit of handiwork go up in smoke and fire. I turned around and shot at the lock on the gates behind me. Pushing the gates open, I exited the Lorient shipyards proud of myself. It was a tough mission, but I was somehow able to pull it off. I wondered what my next assignment would be like...
End of Part 2