Chp. 7: Those Ustian Devils in Red Hats

May 10, 1995

Central Borough of Solis Ortus

Captain De Haan side-stepped to the corner of the collapsed building and waved the squad behind him forward. He drew back and nodded to a man with a rifle grenade at the ready. The man stepped forward, took a knee, and launched the explosive across the street at a small office building. A second man came forth and fired a rifle grenade before an M60 was placed next to the sidewalk to provide suppressing fire. The Captain then charged forward at the building, with his RTO and attached squad in tow. From an alley to his left and one on the opposite side of the street, more Ustian paras flooded into the open and up the hill with a thundering warcry. Roughly two companies' worth. The M60 near the Captain raked the second story with more fire while the infantry advanced.

The Belkan response was swift and unimaginative. De Haan hunched over as he heard an HK21 open up. He hopped onto the sidewalk and took a knee. Down the street, at the corner of a neighborhood, he spotted muzzle flashes erupting from a collapsed wall. He shouldered his rifle and fired a third of his magazine at the building. He looked to the M60 team and pointed towards the offending position.

"Move up and provide suppressing fire! We'll cover you!" He barked.

Kieper stood up and fired a burst from his Sterling Mk.4 while the M60 team moved to a new position to engage. De Haan beckoned more troops forward to take the building they were up against. As a fresh squad came across, Belkan troops on the top floor of the building opened up on the exposed troops. Another M60 across the street opened up in reply until the gunner was hit. The flow of friendly troops from across the street stopped after that. One of the medics hurried to a fallen soldier and dragged him back towards an alley nearby, then came out again to get another. The Captain rose to his feet and beckoned the others forward into the building.

"Come on, boys! Let's get these Belks worked up into a good rout!" He roared, stirring another warcry.

One of his soldiers went to the other side of some nearby doors while De Haan lined up some men behind him. The trooper pulled a grenade from his gear and tossed it through the remains of the front doors. The man stuck his FAL in after the explosion and emptied a magazine into the unknown. De Haan charged forward while firing from the hip. He made it to a receptionist's desk before he hit the floor and took stock of the building. The Belkans didn't have anyone on the first floor, it seemed, so he ordered a squad down the central hallway, one to hold the entrance and a third to clear the lobby and postal kiosk nearby. That HK21 was still blasting away, and possibly a second one was backing it up. He could hear an MG3, but couldn't tell if it was in the building.

He went with the squad that moved down the main hall, glancing at a nearby directory as he did. The men ahead of him reached a stairwell and set up outside of it. They forced open the heavy door and started moving up to the second floor when something came bouncing down from above.

"Grenade!" One yelled.

The squad scrambled back as far as it could before the explosive went off. De Haan faceplanted while the first man in the stairwell was thrown across the hall. Someone called for a medic as a second man screamed in agony over his wounds. The Ustians moved back even further as a second grenade came tumbling down the steps. The Captain stayed down until the second grenade went off, then pulled himself to his feet through the ringing in his ears and bones. One of his troops fired through the door frame where the door had once stood, then drew back as return fire ricocheted down from above. The platoon's leader took a knee next to his superior while his command reorganized.

"Request permission to evacuate my wounded, sir." He said between heavy breaths.

"Granted. Have the remainder of your platoon strongpoint the lobby, then send out a fireteam to find another way up to the second floor."

"Will do, sir!"

De Hann hailed Kieper and reluctantly followed the platoon back to the lobby, making a new command post behind the postal kiosk. Kieper set down the radio; De Haan almost immediately snatched up the handset.

"Alpha 6 to Alpha 5, Come in Alpha 5." He called.

"Go for Alpha 5." His XO, Lieutenant Jocham Müller, replied.

"What's your position and situation?"

"We're currently engaged with Belkan units holding positions two blocks southwest of our objective. Enemy resistance is heavier than expected; progress is slow."

"Copy, keep up the pressure. Be advised that we have yet to capture our first objective. Watch your pace if you break the Belkans."

"Alpha 5 copies all."

De Hann hooked the handset back on the radio and leaned out into the corridor to check on the positions in the lobby. He looked the other way and laid eyes on a door. He sat up against a mailbox nearby and set his rifle in his lap while he took a minute to have a drink of water. Through the broken windows, he could see the alley where the medics were, while the M60 team he'd placed there was still hammering unseen enemies down the road. A nearby explosion drew his attention as he swallowed just enough water to wet his tongue. He picked up his weapon and raised his head to see what'd happened, then moved back to Kieper to check the radio. Nothing there, either; De Haan looked back down the hallway and noticed a door at the end crack open. He drew back and shouldered his FAL. When a barrel poked out, he called out the sight and let off several rounds.

"Kieper, get a grenade ready!" He called over his shoulder.

The commotion had drawn part of the platoon, who hurried over as the RTO was yanking an M67 from his web gear. De Haana motioned at the door, made the shape of a gun with his hand, then laid out what he planned to do with more hand signals. Two paras huddled behind a couch to provide cover while The Captain and his RTO moved down the hall to the bathrooms, where the barrel appeared again. This time the two paras unloaded at the sight until one was hit. Kieper leaned out and tossed his explosive down the hall with a hushed "frag out!"before ducking back into cover. The explosive sent the Belkans back and encouraged De Haan forward. Kieper and the other para joined him, with the RTO kicking the door into a stairwell. De Haan was greeted by the sight of a Belkan soldier turning around, which prompted several bursts. They were driven back by a second enemy soldier. As they hurried back down the hall, the Lieutenant brought an M60 team forward to help recover the dead para. He waved his superior over to pass along some good news.

"My wounded have been passed along to the aid station. We may have a way up, too. Some of my men have discovered that the roof in one of the suites collapsed. I can take a full squad up it. Can you provide me a diversion, sir?" He outlined.

"Yes...keep eight men here, take your squad and give me a fireteam and an MG team.. Start bringing more men across the road, too." De Haan replied.

Fresh bodies came across in twos and the Captain gave the word that an ammo resupply be attempted. De Haan left Kieper with the troops in the lobby while he went with six men down the main hall. They bypassed the first way they'd gone up and went to the far side, where they found another fire door leading to a stairwell. The M60 gunner crouched opposite his ammo bearer, who pushed open the door until the MG's barrel could get through. He fired off a burst at a figure watching the door, then pulled back when return fire inevitably came down from the second level. De Haan took two men from the fireteam and headed back to the location of their first attempt to get to the second floor, where they did the same thing.

In this case, however, De Haan moved up the stairs so he could get a better shot at the troops on the second floor. He rotated with two other members of the fireteam to keep the Belkans too occupied to toss down more grenades. When he heard the familiar bark of FALs above, he ordered the fireteam up the stairs and yelled for his RTO. There hadn't been that much shooting, he noted. The Lieutenant was already deploying his men to take defensive positions on the northwest part of the building. De Haan glanced at a pair of troops as they carried a dead body from the last attack out of a room and placed it with others.

"Your orders now, sir?" The junior man asked.

"How many Belkans were up here, Lieutenant?" De Haan replied instead.

"I estimate six to eight. They focused on the stairwells to keep ups at bay."

Less than a squad of verdoemd Belkans had held them up. De Haan felt his scalp heat up under his helmet a bit.

"Alright Lieutenant, bring your recoilless rifle teams forward and have them set up to engage any armor in the square. Once 2nd and 3rd Platoons manage a breakthrough, we'll head towards our main objective." He half-growled.

"Yes sir!" The man nodded.

De Haan strode over to Kieper and accepted the radio's handset. He first tried to reach the Osean infantry company moving into town on his right, then the status of his resupply. Already, the next Belkan position was engaging the advancing Ustians as they dug in. He tried the Osean unit again until a loud, accented voice outside caught his attention.

"Hey, I'm lookin for Cap'n De Haan? A Cap'n De Haan round here?"

Directions from the troops downstairs led to a short, stocky and familiar Osean approaching the Ustian officer.

"El-Tee sends his regards, Cap'n. His radio took shrapnel, so He tol' me to drop by n'see what's up." First Sergeant Harold Lombardo explained.

"Good to see you, Sergeant Lombardo. Our advance is slow and I need to see what's ahead before I make any solid plans. What is your Company's situation?" De Haan replied. Lombardo replied by pulling a map from his flak vest.

"We're here at the primary school; buncha civvies were holed up in the place. Just cleared the building next to it a Belkan MGs and are pushin the rest of the force deeper into town. Captain wanted to suggest we leap-frog up these two streets and hopefully outflank the Belkans round town hall, or at least force them to retreat."

De Haan took a good few minutes to study the layout of the street ahead and what it offered.

"Very well. My main concern remains enemy arm-"

A Panzerfaust rocked the building, followed by a crescendo from De Haan's troops. The lot crouched to the floor as a second rocket hit elsewhere.

"Tell your Lieutenant the sooner he fixes his communications issues the better. Until then we exchange runners!" De Haan said over the chaos.

"Will do, sir! Good luck!"

Lombardo hurried off while the Lieutenant came to make sure De Haan was okay. The man assured him all was well and told him to ready a force to advance up the street. Their next objective would be an open-air market occupying the block ahead. Once more, De Haan would be with them. Most of their heavy weapons would stay in the building until it was no longer safe; they'd hold that much. De Haan descended the nearest stairs and joined the squad forming in the main hall. He checked his magazine count and waited while one of the paras deployed smoke. The first fireteam hustled through the northern doors and into the street. Bullets zipped wildly through the shroud as De Haan and Kieper followed the second group towards a cobblestone-laden square between two rows of houses.

De Haan stopped at the corner of the nearest house and fired off several shots at the unseen enemies. He drew back and spotted a door leading into the house. The first two fireteams established defensive positions on either side of the market before the rest of their squad moved across to clear the houses. De Haan and Kieper followed a gaggle of troops to the last house on the block. One of the men cautiously opened the door and started inside. De Haan hailed a sniper team to follow him through so they could set up in the attic. As he followed the last of the unit inside, he was greeted by the sight of a middle-aged man sitting next to the oven in the kitchen. He saw De Haan, but took a minute to finish a drink of coffee

"I'm not a Belkan if that's what you think." He spoke up in a very plain tone.

"So I have noticed...we need to use your house, especially the attic. Do you have a cellar?" De Haan asked as he came back from his shock.

"Yes to both."

"Good, go down into it and stay there until the shooting dies down."

The man nodded and took another drink of coffee.

"You boys certainly do cause quite a racket, you know? Wife hated it so much she went to her sister's in Directus." He observed shortly after.

"Get down into the cellar, sir." De Haan insisted with a bit more volume.

"Right...oh and don't let my neighbor's dog bother you. She's a skittish little thing, but she's harmless."

De Haan had to keep himself from making sure the man actually followed his orders and rejoined the rest of his unit. He helped clear some items from a window and pulled out his binoculars. They were just a block from the main highway; he could also see the roof of town hall peeking over another block of commercial structures. A rocket came flying from a store across from him and slammed into the second floor of the building. De Haan fell to the floor in surprise, frantically searching for his weapon. He grabbed it as his men returned fire and the Belkans revealed their next position. The Captain and his RTO moved back after another rocket landed short of their position. Wanting a better view, he took Kieper with him and went out the back again. To his left was a set of stone stairs leading to a waist-high wall. De Haan ran up to the top and dropped to his stomach. One of his recoilless rifles put a dent in the building at the corner, but not much else.

De Haan looked back into the market, then to his right. He saw movement and recognized Osean infantry moving to meet up with his attack. He crawled forward and laid down suppressing fire until several friendly troops vaulted over the wall. Among them was First Lieutenant Shane Carly.

"How many men do you have with you, Lieutenant?" De Haan asked as he slinked back into cover.

"I've got two full-strength platoons, one here and one holding north of the school. What's the situation?" The younger man replied.

"My platoon is at about 80% strength. We have a defensive line set up on the previous block. Once we break these Belkans on this block, we should have a clear shot at city hall. Beyond that is Groene Weide Brewery. Excellent lagers, so they're worth liberating as well."

"I do enjoy a good brew."

The conversation was cut short by the sounds of a vehicle coming from the other side of the street. An M113 armored personnel carrier rolled into sight with its MG3 aimed in their direction. From behind a gunshield, the Belkan vehicle's commander sprayed a torrent of rounds across the road. The vehicle discharged a handful of smoke grenades and started moving again. From the level of noise there had to be more than one back there. A fresh wave of Belkan infantry emerged from the smoke with others laying down suppressing fire. De Haan and Carly backed down the stairs in response before the same noise echoed through the street three times. De Haan called for the radio while Carly rose and fired off a pair of bursts from his M16. The 113's machine gun opened up again, spewing tracers in the direction of De Haan's recoilless rifle teams.

"Jaeger 6, Jaeger 6 this is Alpha 6. We have linked up with the Osean advance but are pinned down by enemy forces half a block east of our objective. Need ammo and fire support."

"Ammo is on the way, Alpha 6. Fire support is unavailable but I can have the mortars lay down smoke to cover your advance." His battalion commander replied.

"Understood, stand by for coordinates."

While De Haan did that, Carly better organized his men and brought forward some heavier weapons to beat the two APCs. One of his men fired an AT4 in the direction of the 113 under the cover of a pair of SAW gunners. A fresh attack by the Belkans erupted as more APCs were rolling forward on blocks yet to be reached by the Allied Forces. Carly pulled his troops back to his side of the road before they could get cut off. De Haan spotted a Luchs recon vehicle moving in from the right, quiet as a whisper. The vehicle stopped at the intersection across from them, almost as if the commander was confused, before it jolted back, being chased by small arms fire. So much for the smokescreen the Ustian officer thought.

"AT, does anyone have AT?" De Haan yelled down to the market.

"Got it here, Captain!" A young soldier barked.

The M113s had pulled back for now as a cloud of light grey smoke flooded the street. It allowed a pair of medics to start grabbing men who hadn't made it all the way across while the rest of Carly's force rejoined the main body. The Luchs came forward again, responding to the infantry with its 20mm cannon. De Haan motioned the para up to his position, even as the Luchs withdrew again. Silhouettes appeared from a retaining wall to its left, and De Haan greeted them with several rounds. Kieper fired a burst from his Sterling while Osean troops set up a base of fire. He dropped down and then came up to throw another grenade. An Osean grenadier next to him followed up with a shot from his M203.

"Alpha 6, Alpha 6 this is Alpha 5, come in Alpha 6." A voice said from his chest. The RTO ducked down and pulled the handset from its place.

"This is Alpha 6!" He called.

"Alpha 6 this is Alpha 5. Be advised, we're moving towards the highway with Osean tanks in support. We understand there is enemy armor on your left flank?" Lieutenant Müller replied.

"Affirmative, enemy light armor on both flanks at this time."

"Understood, check fire to the west and hold your positions."

Kieper relayed the good news to De Haan and Carly. The Luchs came forward again, only to be driven off when its turret was blown off by the para with an M72 LAW (Light Antitank Weapon). A second explosion went off to the left as one of the M113s moved forward again. Something flashed across the intersection and into the office building near the APC, followed by a long burst from a heavy machine gun.

"Alpha 6 this is Alpha 5, one Belkan APC destroyed. We're advancing to take positions across the highway once our armored support has neutralized any other threats." Müller reported confidently.

"Copy Alpha 5, glad you made it. We're moving to take the last block before the highway at this time." De Haan replied.

A Sheridan passed by a few seconds later, pushing the M113 back effortlessly. More Ustian troops followed, moving across the street towards Belkan positions on its left. The tank fired at a target across the highway, then its unseen wingman did the same. A second salvo from the mortars came whistling down, landing on coordinates across the highway as well. De Haan drew in a breath and slid down the wall he'd been using. He checked his magazine pouches as Belkan fire on the right corner slacked off, replaced by one man yelling. De Haan recognized a few words, one in particular: kapitulation. That caught his attention and brought him back up. He whistled loudly and barked "cease fire" several times as the word was repeatedly yelled into the street. The command echoed throughout the block until a Belkan soldier, dusty and helmetless, came out with a white tablecloth in one hand.

"Kapitulation! Surrender, surrender!" He called.

"Ja, kapitulation! Herkommen, herkommen!" De Haan barked.

The Belkan repeated the phrase over his shoulder, and out came roughly a dozen Belkan troops and a pair of medics, all wounded and lacking their equipment. De Haan awkwardly got to his feet and started forward. He motioned towards the men and called for more troops to help him corral the new prisoners. They were taken down to the market, away from the fight. As they were being accounted for and checked for weapons, a pair of Humvees rolled into view from down the street. An Osean soldier manning a fifty cal atop one announced that they'd brought ammo. De Haan picked out a few soldiers to start offloading the supplies, then took the radio's handset once more.

"Jaeger 6, Jaeger 6 this is Alpha 6. Be advised, we've captured about a dozen Belkan prisoners. Requesting transport so we can move onto our primary objective."

"Copy that Alpha 6, hold position until we can get them off your hands. Excellent work, Alpha."