The bullets hitting the chimeras front sounded like hammer strokes. Accompanied with the loud dakadaka sound from their guns. Herman Hansen truly hated the sounds of ork small arms. It was like they purposely made them sound as loud as possible and fire the biggest bullets they could. The rest of his squad formed up behind the chimera ready for the coming close combat confrontation. Their regiment, the CXVI Steel Eagles, had been sent as an outflanking force to try to surround the ork spearhead. Naturally they had run into the orks flank. The damm hills had hidden them until it was too late for anything but close quarter fighting. They almost didn't have the time to form up into a defensive position. The chimeras forming half a circle covering the disembarking men. While their few tanks got into fire position. The ork trucks were upon them in seconds. Herman peeked out behind the chimera. He could see a few trucks burning but the rest was less than fifty meters away.
"Alright boys here they come. Ready with that flamethrower Ulrik, we hold fire until they disembark?" He shouted to the squad over the deafening noise of the ork guns. No wonder that they could not hit anything when they fired as the trucks was racing over that ground he thought. A satisfied cry from the chimera gunner indicated that it probably was one less truck to worry about. He took a quick peek again. One of the trucks was speeding right at them.
"We have incoming! Move back! Move! Move!" He had to push the men backwards, away from the perceived safety of the chimera. Mere second later the entire chimera rocked almost two meters backwards and a spray of iron shrapnels licked the side of the vehicle. Herman noticed that Hans fell to the ground, hopefully not badly wounded. Then his attention was turned toward the chimera again. A loud roar revealed that to many of orks riding the truck had survived the ramming and would soon be upon them.
"What are we!" He shouted. "Steel!" His men answered. Herman was pleased to see that Hans was up again.
A roaring green brute came running over the chimera. The squad fired as one and the beast fell down the rear. But more followed. Wielding huge crude axes and pistols big as a grenade launcher. Herman could see two of them starting to chop on the exposed turret of the chimera. He hoped the crew had time to get into safety before the collision.
"Slow retreat while firing!" He ordered. Realizing that they would not stand a chance if one of the beasts got in close with them. "Hold the flamethrower." He did not dare to endanger the chimera crew if they were still alive.
The ork pistols thumped as they ran towards them. Corporal Bartmans shoulder disappeared in a haze of crimson. But the men grounded two more beasts. Still they would not make it. It was at least five more of them, now mere meters away.
"Ulrik, burn them!" Hopefully the orks were blocking the chimera from most of the fire.
A low pitched roar erupted to his left. The heat hit his left cheek and he could swear that he could smell hair burning. The inferno engulfed the orks. Still they kept on coming. The rest of his men kept on firing but the stress had taken the toll and most shoots went wide and those that hit had depressing little effect on the green hulks. One ork, half of it burning, no longer any weapons in hand, threw himself over Ulrik. The fire thrower flew from his hand. Spewing its deadly flames over those nearby. The men started to run.
"Stand! What are we!" Herman shouted. But his voice died off. Another ork. This one still armed was just meters from him. He raised his rifle with both hands over his head as protection. The axe hit just moments later with a force that ripped the gun out of his left hand. Fortunately it was enough to deflect the blow that glanced down along his left side. Herman rolled to his right. Rose to his knees and aimed. Nothing the gun was broken. The ork swung around. Taking charge for the next attack. But as it swung several las-shots pierced its thick upper body. It reared. Herman drew his combat knife and rammed himself and the knife upward into the ork abdomen. The beast roared and fell backwards.
With an effort Herman rose again. Knife still in hand. He looked around. It was the third squad that had saved him. He started to move towards them. On his left he could see the second platoon in the same situation as they had been recently. The orks had rammed the chimeras with thier trucks and then stormed over the hulls and upon the men behind. The rest of his company had however seemed to be a bit more lucky. Several truck had been destroyed on their approach and the squads could fight a battle that better suited them. Gunning down the orks at a distance. He also noted the silence of the big cannons of their tanks. First he worried that they had been destroyed, then he realized that they no longer had any target distance enough that they dared to fire at.
He dropped down behind the third squad's chimera. Wilhelms Stettin, the third squad's sergeant, moved over.
"Are you wounded?"
"Don't think so!" Herman did a quick check for blood. - Do you have any gun to spare?
"Sorry we are using all of them." Stettin smiled.
Herman checked the area behind him. He could see a few men behind some rocks thirty meters or so away. Hopefully the rest of his squad.
"Thanks for the help Wilhelm. But I have to get my men together."
Wilhelm saluted and went back to fire at the orks hiding behind the wrecks of the trucks.
Keeping low and trying to keep the protection of the third squads chimera behind him he sprinted towards the rock. It was his men. Richard was waving at him. Hans was also there, so was Bernard and List, but List was badly burned.
"Glad you made it sir." Richard greeted him when he slided down behind the rocks. Herman crawled directly over to List and Bernard who was leaning over him.
"How is he holding up?"
"Badly. I gave him painkillers but he just lost consciousness."
"Sir we are in trouble." It was Richard. Herman looked up. He could see a squad coming at them and dammit if it wasn't lieutenant Rising leading them.
"Alright gear up and get ready to get back in the fight." Herman commanded.
The squad rushed past them except Lieutenant Rising.
"Sergeant Hansen. It is of vital importance that you and your men immediately return to your position. First squad, third platoon will support you."
"Yes sir, But two of my men are wounded, private List badly." Herman replied.
Lieutenant Rising glanced quickly at private Lists melted flesh.
"Can the other wounded walk?" He replied.
"Yes sir, yes!" Hans replied without waiting for Herman.
"Good." Rising concluded "You carry this one back to the medic vehicle in the middle. Sergeant, the rest of you advance with the first."
"Yes sir." Herman grabbed Hans las gun.
"You heard the lieutenant." Follow me he said to his two remaining men. Richard and Bernard looked at each other. Grabbed their lasguns and followed in the path of the first squad.
The first squad had already taken position around the chimera and started firing. Herman could see that the third company now was supporting the remains of the second to battle back the orks on the left. One of the leman russes on that flank was a burning shell. Wonder how that had happened? He banged the rear hatch of the chimera. No response.
Together with Richard they managed to pry it open and Herman dived in.
The air was thick with smoke, something must be burning. He could see three bodies. One below the turret hatch and the two others just in front of it. He crawled forward to avoid the worst of the smoke. He didn't spend time checking if they were alive or not before dragging them out. First the gunner then the driver and the commander. When he coughing came out with the commander Richard could confirm that both the gunner and the driver seemed to be fine. The gunner even started to come to senses. The commander however was dead.
"Status?" He asked the first squad sergeant, a tall blond man, he did not remember his name, it bothered him a bit but the nametag told him that the last name was Anton.
"Their spirit is broken. They are covering down behind the wreck." He replied.
A huge explosion erupted behind them. Throwing dirt ten meters up in the ground. The men all covered up as closely toward the chimera as they could. As the dirt rained down on them several more explosions erupted inside the semicircle of the chimeras.
"That is not our guns." Bernard yelled. Herman could almost not hear him, his ears ringing.
He crawled over to the edge of the chimera. There were several bright flashes in the clouds of dust, oil and gunsmoke the orks had driven up. Moments later more explosions. A chimera not far from them went up in a ball of fire and the men close to it as well.
Herman threw himself into the chimera. Most of the smoke gases now vented out through the rear hatch. He rushed up to the turret hatch, opened it and put his face towards the auspex goggles in the turret. The aiming auspex seemed to still work. Piercing the fog. He could see clearly, red colored in the artificial view of the machine, several big vehicles coming at them. Probably gunwagons.
"What can you see?" It was sergeant Anton just below him.
"Ork tanks. Does the radio still work!" Herman yelled back.
"No! It looks like that was what was burning!" The ground shook. It was a close hit.
"Send a man over to third squad. We must radio it in. I can see at least thirty tanks."
Herman could hear a low curse as the sergeant exited the chimera. He lowered the auspex. The orks behind the trucks were moving again. He dropped down.
"Get ready here they come again!" He yelled out of the hatch.
"What are we!" Anton cried. "Steel!" they all answered.
Moments later they all were lying on the ground again, dirt raining upon them from an explosion not more than twenty meters away. Coughing they rose.
"Status!" Anton yelled. "Clear!" They all answered in order. "Then give them hell!"
The squad leaned out from their cover. The orks yet again running towards them encouraged by the advancing gunwagons. But this time they were in the open. Not in the protection of their trucks. One by one they went down in the hail of las-fire. But the tanks behind them could not be damaged by mere lasguns. Herman could see a few stopping, if it was by hits from the chimeras, by the russes or by malfunction he could not judge. But the rest was now clearly visible with bare eyes. It was a terrifying sight. Besides the heavy guns that had pounded them for the last minutes they now also had started firing multitudes of smaller arms sticking out everywhere. Most of the ork tanks were fitted with rams, spikes or, in some cases, even big mechanical claws. He was even sure that he could spot some fire throwers attached to the sides on one of them. It was clear that these tanks, in contrast to their own, did not need infantry support to handle close combat. He looked back. It seemed like all their tanks were destroyed anyway. The chimera to the left of them exploded in a ball of fire. Most of the squad belonging to it probably engulfed. The hammering of the ork light weapons upon the front of their chimera was yet again deafening.
"How many anti-tank charges do you have?" He yelled to Anton. He had to repeat the question before he heard him. Three Anton signed back and seemed to ask Herman if they had any. Herman shook his head, Hunding had had them. They were probably still on his body.
"Halt fire!" Sergeant Anton ordered. The men huddled together behind the chimera. "They are soon upon us,'' he shouted. "We engage them with the mines as they pass by. Prepare the mines!"
"Sergeant look!" One of his men pointed towards the third squad. They had embarked and the chimera was backing away. They looked around. Several other squads were doing the same. They could see a few starting to run back on foot.
"They are retreating!" Richard yelled.
"Without radio we can not know!" Anton responded. "They can as well be fleeing."
"Not all at the same time, look it is coordinated." Herman responded. "We better follow or we will be stuck!"
Anton looked like he hesitated, Herman understood. If it was rout and not a retreat they could risk facing the commissars.
"All right men fall back. Fall back!" He waved towards the command post.
They all started to run trying to keep their abandoned chimera behind them. All around them the rest of the regiment was doing the same. Wonder where we are heading, Herman had time to think before the man beside him jerked forward and an explosion of crimson erupted from his chest. He turned. A big ork was standing on the roof of the chimera spraying bullets their way. Herman raised his own gun then seeing a private of the first squad soldiers dropping his grenade launcher as he rushed for cover. Herman instead threw himself on the ground. With a few crawling hurls he reached the launcher. It was even loaded. He fired. The grenade hit the top rear of the chimera. The shrapnel killing the ork. Herman breathed and put another grenade into the launcher while he surveyed the situation. Not many orks on foot but the tanks were almost at their old line. Soon they would be nothing that blocked the line of sight to them. He looked back and forgot all about caution. Rushing to his feets. The third squad chimera had noticed them and stopped. The rest of first squad was climbing it, trying to get a grip. Thank the Emperor. He rushed forward as the chimera started to reverse again. Richard started to bang on the hull. Probably to get them to slow down but with no response. But he was just arms length away now. He threw himselfs forward in hope of getting a grip and felt a hand grabbing his arm. Desperately trying to get a grip with the feet. Knowing that if he would be dragged along he would sure be killed, even if he was not dragged into the tracks. He felt another hand gripping the back of his uniform. Lifting him. Finding a grip, he jumped and was suddenly clinging to the side of the chimera. Beside him was Richard and Bernard.
"Close one there sergeant?" Bernard beamed.
The chimera turned. One of the soldiers of first where knocked off when the turret swung to fire to the rear. He fell and layed still on the ground, dead by the impact or just unconscious? It did not matter, nobody dared to jump off to check. The rest of the men on the hull took cover on the sides as the multilaser resumed firing. Trying to cover themself from the released heat. At first Herman did not believe it. But at last he had to admit it to himself. It seemed like they were the faster ones. The distance increased and the small arms of the gunwagons stopped to fire.
"Where are we going, sergeant?" Richard yelled.
"I don't know private, back I guess!"