Chp. 10: The Orchard

May 11, 1995

Far West of Drop Zone Chateau

The sun was just starting to rise over the mountains, peeking through the gathering of clouds moving over the peaks. Past the steady patter of rain, the sounds of men moving through the woods had encouraged Josh to set up 1st Squad in a hastily-constructed ambush. From his position, he could see a man with an HK21 appear from behind some trees. The Belkan soldier stepped forward, turning from side to side, then stopped. Josh tightened his grip on his M16 and held his breath. The enemy soldier looked back and forth a few times, then started backing away. Josh looked to Alex on his right and signalled for them to hold. He looked to Henley and motioned for him to flank around to the left. Each man nodded and passed along the word; Josh slid behind a fallen tree and placed his rifle to fire through a gap between it and the ground.

He raised his head a little more than he had been to try and see the Belkan or his comrades. The slope made it hard to see, but every so often he could hear the rustle of foliage. Josh waited and waited until he heard the rustling moving out in multiple directions. Josh pulled an M67 from his gear and hooked a finger around the pin. He looked over to Alex, who did the same. Josh turned to see if he could track Henley's progress when a voice erupted through the trees.

"Kontakt, rechte flanke! Kontakt!"

An HK21 opened up, firing to Josh's left. He pulled the pin on the grenade and barked "frag out" before he tossed it where he'd seen the Belkan soldier. The line of infantry to his right opened up shortly before the explosives went off. Josh raised his M16 and fired a couple bursts down the slope. A grenade launcher coughed and showered the Osean's right flank with dirt. A second landed in roughly the same place.

"They're ranging us...Second Squad, flank right, flank right! Third squad forward!" Josh bellowed.

Josh and Alex held the center while Donovan and his men moved out by fireteam. Staff Sergeant Yuen, commander of 3rd Squad, brought his men forward to the crest of the slope, meeting part of the Belkan force as they attacked up the incline. Josh heard shouting in the distance as he was joined by the new arrivals. He saw a pair of figures running up the hill, firing from the hip. He raised his weapon and fired as they hit the ground. He ducked as a grenade launcher coughed again, then rose when he recognized it as one of his own.

"Baker 2 Actual, Baker 2 Actual this is Baker 6. Report, gimme a SITREP. What's going on?" Losch demanded.

Josh started to reach for the handset when another explosion went off. He paused to fire some more rounds and order an M60 team forward. He moved to a new firing position to make room for one of Yuen's fireteams. A man with an M203 hit the deck next to him; Josh signalled towards the tree where the HK21 had come from. He saw a figure pop up, G3 in hand, and fired several shots. Enough to make sure the man had completely fallen down. He took the handset from his gear and put it to his face.

"Baker 6, Baker 6 be advised that Baker 2 is in contact with a force of unknown size. Currently moving Bakers 1 and 2 to flank and get a better idea of their strength." He reported.

"Copy Baker 2 Actual; report back to me if anything changes."

Josh set the handset back in its usual place and poked his weapon over the top of the tree. He saw figures firing in all directions as they moved back in groups. He ordered 1st and 2nd to push forward and form a line, then moved 3rd halfway down the slope. His weapons guys came forward with their M60s but would hold at the top. As Josh moved forward, a blanket of green smoke was expanding outwards. It made him nervous enough to order everyone back up the slope and further back until his fears passed. As if to prove him right, the whistle of mortar rounds overtook the pops and snaps of small arms a minute later.

"Mortars! Mortars, get back get back!" Josh howled.

He dove behind a nearby rock and curled up as explosions rocked the forest at random. He keyed his radio again, even as the bombardment drew close.

"Baker 6, Baker 2 is under light bombardment. Unable to advance at this time." He reported.

"Copy Baker 2 Actual. Gimme your position and I'll see what I can do. Withdraw further if they get your number." Losch replied quickly.

Josh yanked out his map book and started relaying the info as fast as he could. Through the whistles and thunder, he could hear the pained screams of men echoing through the woods. A round landed too close for comfort and he decided to take the second option.

"All Baker 2 elements listen up, we're pulling back. Recover the wounded and prepare to move!" He radioed.

With 3rd and 4th holding the line, a small force from 1st and 2nd descended back into place to grab those screaming for mercy. Josh stood up and leveled his weapon in search of a Belkan counterattack. A few more rounds landed, then the explosions tapered off. Still, he didn't want to be caught here while the Belkans repositioned. Josh retreated with the rest of his platoon to the creekbed, where he found a place to look at his maps again. He cupped some water from the creek and splashed his face.

"Lohern, where are you?" He called as he pulled out his canteen.

"Here, El-Tee!" His Platoon Sergeant yelled back. Alex bounded over while Josh got back on the radio.

"Baker 6 be advised that Baker 2 has pulled back to the creekbed. Currently looking for an alternate route to approach our objective, how copy?" He exhaled as he looked at his maps.

"Copy...casualties?" Losch replied.

"Unknown at this time. We recovered some wounded, possibly all."

"Understood. Stabilize your wounded for CASEVAC and have two fireteams run 'em back to my position. I'm ordering the company to advance on the objective. Belkans know we're coming, so no use sitting still."

"Copy Baker 6, break, all Baker 2 elements do you read?"

"2-1 Actual reads."

"2-2 Actual."

"Go for 2-3 Actual."

"2-4 Actual reads, Baker 2."

"Baker 2-3, strongpoint this creekbed and get our casualties ready for evac. Baker 2-4, chop two M60 teams to reinforce 2-3. Bakers 2-1, 2-2, have your men check weapons and redistribute ammo; we're moving out in five."

He was pleased to find they were eager to get even for having to retreat. He ejected his current magazine and replaced it with a fresh one. He counted off how many full mags he had remaining, then stood up and looked back into the woods. He pulled out his maps again and walked down the line with Alex until he found Donovan and Henley. They had three dead, including a fireteam leader; Josh decided they'd redistribute to fill in the gaps

"Okay, I want two riflemen ahead of each squad to act as points. Grenadiers on the flanks and SAWs next to them. Squad Leaders will fill in where needed, so keep your RTOs close behind. My command section will bring up the rear with the M60 teams and will deploy to reinforce as needed." He explained, annotating one of his charts with a pen. The man looked at his subordinates.

"Any questions?"

They all answered simultaneously.

"No sir."

Losch passed along that all platoons in Baker Company were to advance to their objective. Josh joined one of Donovan's fireteams as they began their silent trek back into the woods. The Belkans had apparently cut and run, leaving only the broken woods and the resuming drizzle to meet the Oseans. Josh glanced down as they descended the slope again, looking for anything that might've been left behind. He looked to the left afterwards, trying to see if he might spot the other platoons in the dawn light.

"Baker 2 Actual this is Baker 1 Actual...just wanna make sure your guys on the far left have a visual on us." Mercer whispered over the radio.

"Looking for you now, Baker 1 Actual. Have one of your guys flash a light or something." Josh replied.

He gave a soft whistle and motioned for the grenadier on the far left to watch for their compatriots. He turned his eyes back towards the pointman and what lay ahead. The man slowed after some time and held up a fist to halt the others. Josh knelt down when he did and waited as the man crept forward. A few steps past a rock, he suddenly fell over and crumpled on the ground. A familiar voice followed the echo of a rifle burst.

"Kontakt! Voraus, voraus!"

Almost immediately, the forest ahead erupted in a line of muzzle flashes and more Belkan shouting. Josh dropped onto his stomach and crawled towards the nearest tree thick enough to conceal him. He rose a bit and looked towards the grenadier again.

"Soldier, get some rounds down range! Get those M60s and a medic forward!" He barked.

Josh rose to fire his weapon and hammered any flash or sign of movement he saw with a few rounds. The M203 nearby coughed and blew a hole in the Belkan fighting line. The fireteam's SAW gunner ran up next to him and sprayed a long burst over the enemy line.

"Feiglinge! Feiglinge!" He roared, partly as a taunt and partly in anger.

Josh looked back as the rest of his force closed the gap. One of the gunners came charging in, blazing away at the hip in his best Rambo impersonation. Josh fired a few more rounds, then waved a hand forward.

"Suppress and move in! More grenades, before they can get their mortars in action!" He ordered.

Josh and Donovan's squad rose and broke into a run, tossing several grenades ahead to weaken the Belkan line. They hit the dirt again when they were much closer, and in Josh's mind hopefully too close for their mortars. He crawled to the rock the pointman had been at and found him still breathing but hit in the shoulder and thigh. He dragged the man behind the rock and shouted "Medic!" repeatedly. In the meantime, he pulled out his field dressings and propped the man up for a better view of the wounds.

"Medic! I need a medic up here, dammit!" He roared over his shoulder.

"I need covering fire, sir!" Sergeant Owen Bliss called from behind a tree.

"Covering fire!" Josh replied.

He pulled a second grenade from its pocket and hurled it towards the rapid chattering of an MG3. He raised his M16 and burned through the rest of his magazine as the medic hurried forward. Josh knelt down to get a fresh magazine and call in a contact report.

"Baker 6 be advised, Baker 2 has made contact with enemy defensive positions and is advancing to breach them. We look to be too close for their mortars." He explained.

"Copy 2 Actual, keep pushing towards Objective Peach." Losch replied.

"Baker 3 has also made contact, Baker 6. Baker 2 we're gonna try and flank, at least get them to break contact. Can you keep up the pressure on the center?" Wilan radioed.

"Copy!" Josh promised.

He stood up and fired off a few rounds in the direction of the MG3, while the grenadier put another round into the Belkan lines. Josh decided it was enough and sunk to his knees. One of the M60 teams reached his position and laid down a flurry of bullets while the rest of the fireteam he was with tried to organize a charge on the enemy positions. Josh moved towards the fireteam leader, another Sergeant, and hit the ground next to him.

"Sergeant, you and your fireteam follow me. Go from cover to cover and flank around." He said.

Standard bounding with fire support. Josh made sure the rest of Henley's squad was on the same page, then took off towards some more rocks. He took a knee and leveled his weapon in the direction of the Belkan troops while the SAW gunner joined him. Josh waited until the grenadier was with them before moving to another piece of cover with the man, firing off rounds at random intervals to keep heads down. The final mad dash for the enemy line almost had Josh wishing he'd given the order to fix bayonets. He spotted Belkan troops, more mountain infantry, all apparently aiming at him. Until more fire from the M60s forced their attention away. Josh fired several rounds from the hip into the nearest concentration of enemy troops, striking at least two and getting a third as he turned to run. The last one ran to others nearby, who in turn forced Josh behind a tree. The nearest M60 hosed them until they weren't a problem anymore. Josh dropped down next to one of the dead soldiers and waved a hand forward.

"Move up, move up! Through the gap!" He roared.

Josh leveled his M16 and fired a third of the magazine at soldiers down the line, flanked by the grenadier. He moved the fireteam forward again and hailed the rest of Donovan and his squad towards the edge of the woods. The Belkan troops were running full tilt now to get to the heavy stuff. As they neared the edge of the trees, a pair of Luchs recon vehicles came into view among the peach trees. The knocking of their autocannons translated into trees exploding all around, throwing splinters in all directions. Josh threw himself to the ground and huddled down as the two vehicles fired with wild abandon.

"Smoke, deploy smoke! Serento, get that SAW to the front!" Donovan barked, slapping a fresh magazine into his M4.

A pair of M18s tumbled over the Lieutenant's head and bounced across the grass to the orchard's fence. Men who weren't hit by splinters of shrapnel formed a skirmish line and started trying to suppress the two vehicles and their rescued infantry. Donovan hit the ground near Josh and tossed a grenade as hard as he could towards the new Belkan line.

"Keeley, you got HE for that thing?" He asked, pointing at the grenadier's M203.

"All four rounds, sir." The man replied.

"Then kill one of those Luchs!"

As the smoke filled out, the Luchs ceased firing and started to back away. Keeley still fired a grenade in the direction of the nearest engine, but wasn't able to tell if he'd hit anything. Josh took the chance to touch base with his squad leaders.

"Baker 2-1, Baker 2-2 proceed as planned. Focus fire on the buildings and light armor, how copy?" He declared.

"Copy sir...that our arty I'm hearing?" Henley replied.

"Yeah, probably 2nd and 3rd Brigade seizing their end of the deal. Kanding too far to be directed at us."

"Understood, will get back to you when I've made contact with Baker 1."

"Roger, break, Bakers 2-3 and 2-4 Actual what's your situation?"

"Got a handful of casualties away, Baker 6 has arrived at our position. Says he's got some mortars if you can give some coordinates."

Josh pulled his map out and picked a spot just beyond danger close in the orchard, requesting they shift the bombardment north to south along that line. His M60s got into place and started laying down suppressing fire.

"Baker 2 Actual, Baker 2-1 has made contact with Baker 1's left flank. They're trying to get eyes on that light armor, how copy?"

"Understood, break, Baker 1 Actual this is Baker 2 Actual do ya read?"

"Loud and clear 2 Actual." Mercer replied over the crackle of small arms.

"Be advised we're gonna have Baker 5 drop some shells ahead of us to suppress that fire. Suggest you save your AT."

Josh looked forward as the first crunches of mortar rounds landed in the trees. He and the fireteam crawled forward to the edge of the smoke as the rounds landed one by one and shifted in either direction. The bombardment lasted no more than two minutes, and when it wasn't landing on them it seemed much shorter. The Luchs kept moving backwards, firing their smoke grenades to cover their retreat. Josh searched in vain for all the M113s and remaining two Leopards that were supposed to be on the property. Seeing no other cover, he keyed his radio before he gave his next orders.

"Baker 6 this is Baker 2 Actual, we've linked up with Baker 1 and are attacking the southeast section of the objective. Need ammo if possible." He replied.

"Baker 1 also requests ammo." Mercer added.

"Baker 6 copies, ammo is on the way."

Josh, though not wanting to lose the initiative, needed those rounds. He had little extra cover on the way to a low brick wall outlining the nearest collection of trees, and a long, squat building seemed to be the only choice. The trees could cover their movements well enough, but provided nothing in the way of cover. Josh called forward the rest of his platoon to make up for those dead or too wounded to move. The dissipating smoke forced his hand.

"Baker 2-1 and 2-2, move on that one-story building to our front. 2-3, 2-4 provide cover from the woods." He growled.

Josh got to his feet seconds after giving the order and bounded to the outer wall of the orchard. He vaulted over the obstacle and bolted into the trees, catching his men at the edges of his vision. As they swept into the peche trees, Josh spotted a figure cruising from the ground ahead. He fired from the hip, then closed in to whack the Belkan with the butt of his rifle if he needed to. On impulse, he safed and slung his M16 to grab the Belkan's G3A3. He slid out the magazine and saw it was full, then grabbed another from the man's web gear just in case. He bolted through some rows of trees and almost threw himself inside the building as one of the Luchs raked it. Part of the roof burst open and collapsed onto piles of barrels. Another part, a wall, was blown in. Josh hurried to it as the survivors of his first and second squads piled in. Spotting one of the riflemen carrying an AT4, he whistled and pointed to the weapon.

"Kill that armor!" He ordered.

One (the only in fact) SAW gunner went to one of the holes and used it to lay down cover fire. The Specialist went through the motions of arming the thing as quickly as he could; a second trooper with an AT4 unslung his in case his comrade missed. Josh followed the young man outside where he could get a clear shot of the Luchs. The soldier screamed "backblast clear" even as he was aiming, while Josh shouldered the G3 and fired several rounds. The Belkan vehicle turned its turret to reengage them, but the soldier fired first. As soon as the rocket was clear, they ran back inside. Josh hurried to the SAW gunner as the crunch of armor being hit echoed. He laid eyes on the Luchs as its turret came to a standstill. Smoke poured out from a hole in the vehicle's hull. The back hatch opened and the second driver emerged with a weapon in his hands. A pair of M60 teams to his right, near a dirt path, hammered the vehicle as soon as the figure had reached the MG atop the turret. Josh ordered his platoon to spread out and start poking for ways forward while 1st Platoon took the lead. He left the building and took a knee next to a tree where Alex had also grabbed what cover he could.

There were three other fields, more one-story buildings, and a collection of structures near the center. Muzzle flashes were sporadic, often met by a flurry of tracers from M60s. Josh couldn't spot any groups that had more firepower massed than the others.

"Okay, looks like they don't have any coherent line of defense.I wanna keep it that way before more of their armor manages to get into the fight." He observed as he saw the other Luchs standing still with two large holes in it. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the rumble of armor and the shriek of metal being torn. The chatter of an MG3 both returned him to the immediate area and forced his hand.

"I'm concerned about the rest of the 113s, El-Tee. Weren't they supposed to be hanging around here?"

"They might've moved towards 2nd and 3rd Brigades. Either way I'm not waiting for them. Gather two fireteams and when I give you the order, flank that MG by the barn. I'll draw fire with the rest of the platoon. Once you've got it secured, I'll send over an M60 team." He explained at a rapid-fire pace.

"Gotcha El-Tee. Yuen, I'm taking one of your fireteams!" Alex replied before he hustled off to the building.

As he ran off, Josh heard the deep rumble of an armored vehicle. He looked to some hedges west of the orchard and saw a Sheridan exiting the woods. Three more joined it in a loose V, slowly rolling forward and causing another Luchs to emerge. The leftmost tank zeroed in on it and blew the lightly-armored vehicle in half. The other three put a single round each into the central buildings before they hammered away at it with their fifties. Josh frantically grabbed his radio handset.

"Friendly armor friendly armor this is Baker 2 Actual, Friendly armor this is Baker 2 Actual can you hear me? Friendly armor approaching the orch-"

"Pipe down Baker 2 Actual, we can hear you. Alpha 6 is moving to secure the road and proceed east to reinforce Charlie 6. We've got further reinforcements behind us to help secure the orchard." A voice interjected, somewhat sourly.

"...Copy Alpha 6. Ah, have you encountered any Leos?" Josh replied after a paused.

"Negative on that, Baker. No Leos."

Josh stayed down and watched with discomfort as the tanks broke the Belkan defenses. The sense of victory was somewhat tainted by the knowledge that the Belkans were being overrun. No place to hide, no place to run. Surrender was the sanest option if they could swallow their pride. While the Osean tanks rode on, Josh and his platoon hurried forward to clear the rest of the orchard. DZ Chateau's west end was secure and with nothing telling him those Leopards weren't out there, he wanted to make sure it stayed that way.