Chp. 4: Vacation Home

May 10, 1995

Pratt Army Airfield

"...We have four confirmed losses in terms of aircraft, but no word on which ones went down with troops in 'em. As far as the Brigade commanders are telling us, they have enough forces to achieve their objectives. Another six got damaged and won't be available to support further waves." Nicols listed.

"What about the second wave? Luntz's Sheridans and Willard's artillery?" Murdoch replied.

"No final report yet, but last we heard 2nd and 3rd Brigades had received most of their supporting arms."

"And 1st?"

"At least one Sheridan platoon has formed, but the Belkans have committed the bulk of that mountain brigade to holding them, since they're closest to the town. Task Force Archer's been focusing the bulk of its Apache sorties on their sector."

Murdoch set down his copy of the report and looked at the map as the placement of assets on the field changed once more. J-STARS, the Air Force battle management platform, had troubling news. At some point between taking off and deploying, the Belkan 16th and 144th Panzergrenadier Battalions had moved into the space between the 101st and 122nd's objectives. It appeared that the 16th was approaching Solis Ortus from the northwest virtually unopposed. The initial landings had been very smooth, to the point that Van Hoz and his regiment would get to play a larger role in taking the town. As time wore on, it became clear that skepticism towards the easy first step was justified. The 101st and their Ustian comrades had spent most of the night organizing and beating back probing attacks against their drop zones. There was precious little time left before sunrise and only now had each brigade sent out sizable forces to take the locale.

Then there was the question of those recon troops and their heavy armor. The Belkans had stuck to artillery and fast air so far. J-STARS had believed them to still be closer to the southern part of town. Maybe waiting in reserve, but for all he knew they were having a lager-chugging contest. He would've felt better if they had moved instead of sitting around. He looked back at Nicols.

"When will fast air be on station?"

"Fifteen minutes, sir."

Murdoch's G-3, Colonel Reiger, sat up and looked at the route the 16th would take into the area.

"Sir if I could recommend something, it might be a good idea to focus instead on the 16th Panzergrenadiers first...it'd be tight but if we could have the Air Force mine the northwestern approach. Nicols, the Air Force still uses that mine dispenser bomb, right? The one that looks like a CBU?" He spoke up. Nicols nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, but it'd be tight. I wouldn't recommend relying on it. Especially if we have to clear the route later for our use."

"Alternatives, Colonel Reiger?" Murdoch asked.

"We've got the Volcano system, but it'd take time to get set up. The Blackhawks laying the mines would also need an escort and we'd face the same issue as the Air Force."

"Alright, then we'll just have to have the Air Force hammer them. Chop two flights of aircraft to hit 'em and what's left will support 2nd and 3rd Brigade."

"What about 1st?"

"Keep Archer's Apaches centered on that effort. We gotta draw the heat away from 'em by pushing 2nd and 3rd towards the town. I intend to start focusing more of Stout's combat power on the fight as Fifth Corps gains momentum."

Murdoch watched as radio reports again moved the pieces on the map. Mckaffey's 1st Brigade was pushing two battalions through towards Solis Ortus, while Leyland's 2nd was undertaking a two-pronged attack, with the main thrust heading for one of the major roads up into the mountains. McKaffey also seemed to be making a poly for one of the ski resorts outside town. The Air Force was due to drop the third wave in an hour, hopefully when the momentum was really rolling. Come on, guys, don't fumble on me now He thought…


McKaffey lowered his binoculars and looked at the soldiers held up on the side of the road. He raised them again when he thought he saw movement in the dawn light, then lowered them again when it turned out to be his imagination. The Belkans had holed themselves inside the grounds and they wouldn't come out unless flushed out. Captain Schwegmann glanced away from the front gate, then crawled back to the General's position as the sun continued to creep into the sky.

"Something amiss, sir?" He whispered. McKaffey shook his head.

"No, no Captain...The neoclassical architecture of this place is beautiful, though. The copper roofing looks almost like it was painted green."

Rudy looked to the ski lodge and flashed a smile back at the man.

"Shame we have to shoot it up, General."

"Shame indeed, but there are some Belkan MPs up there we can't have watching us from the high ground. Your sniper teams in position?"

"Yes sir."

McKaffey checked his watch, then motioned his RTO forward. He accepted the handset and keyed it.

"Dog 6 this is Bulldog 6, confirm you're in position?" He whispered to one of his Company commanders.

"Dog 6 is in position and awaiting your go, Bulldog 6."

"Roger Dog 6, break, Easy 6 this is Bulldog 6, gimme six rounds of HE on Coordinate Group Garden, how copy?"

"Easy 6 copies all."

McKaffey motioned for Captain Schwegmann to take his Pathfinders forward while he stayed on the radio. The soft sound of mortar rounds whistling downwards. The first explosions set Rudy and half his troops off towards the gates of the ski lodge. Meanwhile, McKaffey's radio came to life once more as the battle got fully underway.

"Bulldog 6, Bandit 3-1 is five minutes out approaching DZ Chateau from the southeast, how copy?" One of Task Force Archer's Apaches radioed.

"Copy that Bandit, standby for targets we're moving on Objective Castle now."

"Bandit 3-1 copies all, Bulldog."

As Rudy approached the front entrance, he raised his M4 at a figure behind some sandbags. He dropped to the ground with the rest of his forward elements and started pouring on the fire as the Belkan defenders met them.

"Contact, contact!" Rudy yelled.

A man armed with an M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) crawled up to the Captain's position and peppered the entrance to the property with fire. Rudy hailed his RTO and a nearby squad, then deployed them to establish a line of fire against the defenders. He moved his hand back to the trigger of his M203 and fired a grenade at the sandbag position. Something scraped the top of his helmet and forced him to duck down.

"Shooter in the window, shooter in the window!" Someone yelled.

"Which window?" The SAW gunner replied.

"West wing, west wing I think!"

"The hell is a west win-"

Another shot punched through the soldier's helmet and he slumped over his weapon. Rudy's RTO, Private Collins, shouted over his shoulder for a medic before he grabbed the man and dragged him out of immediate danger. Another soldier took over on the weapon while Rudy hurried to grab the radio handset.

"Easy 6, Easy 6 this is Bloodhound 6, are you able to give us anymore HE before you relocate?" He asked.

"Affirm, Bloodhound. We can give you two rounds; name the place."

"West part of the lodge, west part of the lodge!"

"Roger, standby."

Rudy flinched again when another shot rang out and zipped overhead, but kept himself focused on the MPs gathering behind a low stone wall that surrounded the property. He saw a team with an MG3 running forward and directed fire onto them. He also called for smoke so he could advance his attack. Rudy spotted a pair of explosions where he'd asked for the mortars to drop some rounds and smirked a little. Now that was a step in the right direction! As their smokescreen billowed outwards, he rose and called for the company to advance. Dozens of Pathfinders surged forward towards the Belkan lines, blazing away at any muzzle flashes they caught. When they reached the wall, most ducked down, then rose up to engage. Rudy and Collins took cover near the road, where the Captain could see the fight all the better. To his left and right, 1-506th's Dog Company had forced the Belkans to split their forces. The awning over the entrance to the main building quickly became the source of more and more fire.

"Bloodhound 5-1 and 5-2 this is Bloodhound 6, come in 5-1 and 5-2." He radioed.

"This is 5-1, go ahead." One of his sniper teams radioed back.

"This is 5-2, go ahead." A second replied.

"Scan the front of the building for hostiles. Engage and move at will; prioritize enemy sharpshooters and MG teams, how copy?"

"Copy 6."

A workable skirmish line formed along the wall to lay down fire while a second group lined up to move through the gate and onto the lawn. Rudy spotted the silhouettes of armored vehicles past the smoke.

"Heads up, armor! Get some AT forward!" He barked over his shoulder.

Two TM-170 armored cars rolled forward, MGs blazing, and disembarked two squads of Belkan MPs near a row of bushes. Rudy forced himself to the ground as one of the armored cars spewed fire at everything in his general angled his M203 up and took a blind shot against the vehicle, but failed to hit anything. Something flew over his head and tumbled down the hill. He looked at it for a second before realizing it was a grenade.

"Grenade! Cover!" He shouted.

The man rolled against the wall, back towards the device, and stayed hunkered down until he felt the concussion rock his body. He stayed still for a second more, then rolled away from the wall. His RTO was frantically checking his radio for damage, but it seemed to be working. Rudy looked down the line in search of casualties, then looked over as someone finally fired off an AT4. It hit the left TM-170 square in the front viewports. The machine's top half exploded and set the rest of the vehicle ablaze. That was enough to force the second vehicle to retreat, until it took an AT4 too. Rudy looked back at the men he had lined up to advance and waved them forward.

"Run, go! Move it you lazy bastards!" He roared.

Rudy decided it was time to push the attack for his skirmish line as well. They'd have to move over the open ground ahead sometime. Now was as good as ever. He vaulted over the wall with ease and strode forward alongside his men. The Belkan MPs collapsed quickly, and those who didn't throw their hands up were shot or given a rifle butt to the face as the Oseans overran them. They charged towards a sprawling fountain area across the driveway from the main steps of the building, where another pair of MG3s awaited them. More Belkans had established a defensive position in the square outside the central building, with just as many on the lawn on either side of the stairs. Rudy fired off several bursts at the MPs on the grass before he ducked behind the fountain.

Much of the attacking force scattered to whatever cover they could find, mostly trees or just by hugging the ground. Rudy was among the lucky ones who had cover in the fountain area. One of his SAW gunners set up and began hammering the Belkans. Long enough that Rudy and a few other soldiers could get off rounds from their M203s before another Belkan DM51 fell short of their positions. Two more SAWs joined the first in laying down suppressing fire, enough to keep the Belkans from dictating the fight. Rudy ordered more smoke out to cover medics trying to get casualties moved back. Some of his men also used the chance to better maneuver, going for positions abandoned by the Belkans or concrete plant holders and statues. Dog Company's right pincer gave them needed relief. Even then, Rudy was on the fence about whether or not they could advance until perhaps one of the most beautiful sounds a soldier could hear came onto the radio.

"Bloodhound 6 this is Bandit 3-1, we're on station and awaiting targets, how copy?"

Close Air Support.

"Good to hear from you, Bandit! We've got targets in the main building to our front, about 400 yards away."Collins replied.

"Copy, be advised we had to chop our second half to help friendlies elsewhere so we're all you've got."

"Understood Bandit."

"Alright, designate targets so we can make our shots count, Lotta building."

Collins handed the handset to Rudy and explained their request.

"Copy Bandit, break, all Bloodhound 5 elements is anyone able to walk friendly Apaches onto targets?" The Captain said while his RTO took up firing.

"Bloodhound 5-2 copies all, switching channels."

Rudy turned on his PAQ-4's laser and aimed it at the west wing of the main building, ordering others to do the same. His sniper teams spotted another pair of TM-170s moving up from the parking garage; He requested Archer focus on them first before they softened up resistance along the front of the chateau. He quietly willed for his men to hold out just a bit longer while that got taken care of. McKaffey watched as an AGM-114 Hellfire raced overhead and struck one of the armored cars. A second flew past seconds later, followed by the growing beat of rotorblades. McKaffey looked up at the Apache as it made a strafing run against the Belkan positions, then drew his M9. He knew the attack was stumbling, and the men he had providing security on the road were needed to shift the balance. Once the Apaches were off, he grabbed the radio's handset and hit the transmit button.

"Bloodhound 6 this is Bulldog 6, we're coming to assist so standby!" He barked.

"Bulldog 6 negative, we're holding. Request more suppressing from Arch-"

The radio cut off for a minute, and the Captain's deep voice was replaced by that of his RTO's.

"Bloodhound 6 is down! Bloodhound 6 is down!"

"Copy Bloodhound, standby!" McKaffey barked. He switched frequencies as Archer 3-2 came in to attack, drawing a few rockets as he pulled off.

"Archer, keep hittin 'em! Focus on the MGs and RPGs." McKaffey ordered.

"Copy that Bulldog 6, but if the RPGs get to have I'm gonna have to pull me and 3-2 back how copy?"

"Understood."

McKaffey put a clamp on his temper and thumbed off the safety on his sidearm. He called all attention to himself and had the troops prepare to move. When he was certain they were all paying attention, he rose to his feet and waved his hand forward.

"Follow me!" He roared.

McKaffey bolted up the hill towards the entrance and placed two M60 teams to the right of the entrance to provide suppressing fire. The rest of the group he led to help Rudy and the other Pathfinders. He came upon the scene as two squads were advancing under fire towards the stairs. The Belkans had largely retreated to the building itself, many of them positioned on the second and third floors or the awning in front of the main entrance. McKaffey deployed his troops to provide suppressing fire and to help get casualties moving back. He gripped his M9 in both hands and fired off half the magazine to help keep some heads down. Captain Schwegmann was placed behind the main fountain, in the care of one of his medics. He had blood spilling from his arm.

"He gonna be okay?" McKaffey spoke up.

"We need to get him evaced down the hill as soon as possible...sir." The man replied, taking note who'd asked the question.

"Alright, where's Lieutenant Park?"

"Over by the bushes, sir! Sent Six's RTO over as soon as I could."

"Smart thinking, soldier. Bosley!"

The RTO hurried over to him and handed McKaffey his handset.

"Archer 3-1 this is Bulldog 6, are you able to sweep the second and third floors with your guns?"

"Ah negative, we can only make strafing runs until we're certain those RPGs are dealt with."

"Copy that, break, Easy 6 this is Bulldog 6. What's your status?"

"Bulldog 6 this is Easy 6, we've completed repositioning and are standing by for new targets."

"Copy Easy 6...standby to lay down smoke at the following coordinates, how copy?"

It was now a good time to consider options past evacuating wounded. McKaffey lowered himself further behind the fountain as the Apaches made another run, pulverizing the Belkan positions with Hydras and guns. More RPGs rushed up at them, then from someplace near the town proper someone fired an SA-16 at one of the helios. McKaffey considered the Apaches now gone as they moved to evade the attack. Easy 6 laid smoke, and when it was filled out

"Dog 6 this is Bulldog 6, gimme a SITREP." He radioed.

"Bulldog 6 this is Dog 6, we've secured the ski lift building and cafe area with light casualties. The Belks seem to be heavily focused on your sector."

"Understood, see if you can draw their attention."

"Understood."

McKaffey decided to use the smoke as a chance to bring up the M60s teams. It gave them the firepower needed to organize a solid attack on the building. With Dog Company cranking up the pressure on the flanks and the smoke still strong, McKaffey began moving the squads around him forward to get out of the Belkans' line of fire. His being in the middle of the chaos seemed to have an impression on his men. Belkan fire was slacking off considerably as the Oseans closed in. A man with an M203 rolled over a railing on the side of the steps and fired off a single shot at the muzzle flashes ahead. It bought enough time for a second man to do the same, then a SAW gunner to lay down some suppressing fire.

"Dog 6 this is Bloodhound 6, we're advancing inside via the main entrance so watch your fire."

"Copy Bloodhound."

"Bloodhound, Dog, this is Bulldog 6...Bloodhound take the first and third floors; Dog, take floors two and four."

McKaffey switched frequencies to get a couple of ambulance Humvees up the road to get the casualties down the hill so they could be taken out by Blackhawks. Schwegmann seemed to be stable for now, but the situation was always dicey. He left the chateau assault force to its own devices for now; 2nd Battalion was due to sink its teeth into Solis Ortus proper soon.