Chp. 10: The Crocodile

January 24, 2005

B Company AOR, Crowne Beach

Leonard accepted a pair of magazines from the runner and stuffed them in an ammo empty pouch. Two hours in and they hadn't moved further than they were. The Eruseans had tried to push back, but had failed. The best they could do was harass the ISAF troops before air support bought the landing soldiers a little more time. Right now the best thing the fairies were doing was keeping the Eruseans from getting their planes into the fight. For that, even Leonard Baelz had to be grateful. His eyes returned to the second wave of AAVs coming towards the shore and the medics waiting to ferry the wounded to them. His gaze shot up as tracers and guided missiles from the heights zipped towards the vehicles. He keyed his radio almost immediately.

"Bravo 1-4, can you get a shot off at those positions with the Gustavs?" He asked.

"Can try sir, but it's an awful long shot!" Corporal Jonah Campbell replied.

"Worth a try. I'll raise Bravo 6, see about more 1-2 and 1-3, provide covering fire for 1-4's Gustaf teams."

The Lieutenant waved Gardener over and keyed the radio. The AAVs were maybe five minutes from hitting the beach, and someone else must've realized that.

"Bravo 1 Actual this is Raider Lead, we're inbound to your position to cover the next wave. Scorpion Flight will follow up. Mark your position and help us prioritize targets, copy?" A voice asked.

"Raider Lead, Bravo 1's IRs should be active. We're positioned along the first slope after the beach. Request you target enemy mortars and ATGM emplacements. Follow the tracers from our MAGs." He explained.

Leonard gave the radio back to his RTO and crawled up to join in the shooting. He spotted a column of smoke where one of Campbell's rockets had fallen short and relayed the information to Gardener so he could pass it on. He spotted Erusean troops moving from crater to crater, screening for a pair of anti-tank teams and twice as many KK62s. He adjusted the barrel of his F88 and fired two bursts at the nearest gun team. A grenade launcher coughed under the chaos and forced him to duck down. He jammed the trigger back again three times, firing blind bursts at the advancing enemy. He put a hand over one of his M67s, but pulled it away and decided they'd need those later.

"Grenadiers, I want some rounds downrange!" He barked.

The sound of jet engines drew his attention. He glanced back and saw a pair of A-4K Skyhawks overhead. The small attack aircraft flew maybe 600 meters overhead and dropped a full payload of 500-pound Mk.82s on the Erusean positions further back. Two more were right behind with Maverick missiles aimed at the bunkers on the far end of the field. Leonard stayed down and kept his mouth open until the shockwave had passed. He saw the first two circle around and make a gun run before they were chased off by AA guns and a shoulder-launched missile. Leonard couldn't afford to watch that duel as he popped back up, then ducked down and looked towards the incoming Tubs. He barely managed to catch a fading explosion near the bottom of the cloud deck.

"All Bravo elements, this is Bravo 6, be advised that Delta is coming ashore with engineers and air defense. Friendly ships report radar contacts moving towards the beach. Hold position until air defense is in position to cover you, how copy?" Peterson spoke up.

"Bravo 1 copies all, break, 1-1 move down to the trenches and prepare to help reinforcements inland." Leonard replied.

Billips replied quickly and his men began to filter down to the bottom of the slope. Leonard joined them as the first tuns came ashore, shooting off smoke grenades to cover their advance. Leonard gritted his teeth as the artillery began to fall on the newcomers; all he could do was give them a goal to run to. It seemed all the more horrifying as he watched what his platoon had gone through from a third-person view. He keyed his headset to order out more smoke,, whatever they had left. The AAVs, for their part, were spitting out all the rounds they could into the Erusean part of the beach. They withdrew as the first elements carrying support units were arriving. With them were at least four AH-1W Super Cobras.

"I'm looking for the officer in charge! Who's in charge here?!"

Leonard blinked twice before he realized that was him.

"Here, over here!" He shouted to no one in particular.

A fellow Lieutenant and his RTO came bounding up and hit the deck as a mortar round exploded nearby. One of the Cobras flashed by overhead, rocket pods hissing as it helped keep the defenders' heads down.

"Lieutenant…Steven Hammersmith, 1st Platoon of D Company." He gasped out, trying to catch his breath.

"Lieutenant Leonard Bealz, 1st Platoon of B Company. Glad to see you here…we've been pinned down since we came ashore. I've been told you have engineers and air defense with you?" Leonard asked, pausing for another mortar round.

"Yes, they're coming ashore right now."

Leonard peered through a hole in the smokescreen, where he saw tubs reversing into the ocean as others came through the gap between them. Leonard glanced to the right as the sound of rotor blades drew near again. He saw one of the Cobras deploying countermeasures as it headed towards the water. No fewer than three missiles chased it, and the second one smashed right into its engines before exploding. The aircraft dropped from the sky almost instantly, throwing up a cascade of water. One of its friends came around to make a second rocket attack while the remaining two moved to search the crash site. Two more missiles flashed overhead, claiming a second Cobra. This time they were accompanied by the deep beating of more rotors. Leonard looked to the slope, then took off running while the artillery shifted towards the water. The retreating tubs and those coming ashore were bunched together at exactly the wrong moment. Leonard found Collins as the artillery let up and machine guns took over. He peered over the top of the slope and spotted a pair of Hinds dropping out of sight.

"Was hoping they'd already been bombed. Bloody air fairies…alright, Collins stay here and hold the line. I'm going to help D Company get those air defense troops ashore. Gardener, stay with the sergeant."

"Will do, sir!" Collins and Gardener replied almost simultaneously.

Leonard took off towards the beach, hailing others to follow him and help get the wounded to cover. His attention fell on six men carrying RBS-70 anti-aircraft missiles. He ran towards them, shouting for the group to follow him. Four of them men followed, moving in the direction Leonard was shouting. The others hadn't heard him, so he took off after them as they ran for the safety of a bomb crater. As he did, the sound of rotorblades was drawing nearer again. He looked up and saw two of the Hinds closing in to mop up what the artillery had missed. He could only run a few meters into the smoke before he hit the ground next to one of the AAVs from the first wave. The whoosh of rockets and the concussion of an explosion kept him pinned against the machine. He dared look only as the helicopters moved away, turning their fire onto the company's right flank.

"Bravo 1 Bravo this is Actual, have Gardner get on the radio and start directing anyone ashore towards our positions. Anything from Delta 1?" He radioed.

"Negative, nothing at this time." Collins replied.

Leonard got on his feet and ran to the crater. What was left among the broken weaponry was hardly identifiable as human remains; it was enough to make his stomach kick a little. He swallowed the bile and took off towards his unit again. He kept low as the Hinds moved over the beach again to attack more troops moving inland. Leonard hurried to the hill and settled down among the sparse bits of grass. More soldiers ran towards him, some carrying missiles but most without much of anything. The Hinds were still prowling around and the remaining Cobras had yet to be seen. The crash of the first was obscured by the smoke screen as it drifted down the beach. He heard footfalls approaching and watched a man with barely any equipment run to his position. He threw himself to the ground and gasped for air, apparently oblivious to Leonard for a few minutes. He was another Lieutenant; the man had nothing more than his USP, radio, and the clothes on his back. He was absolutely drenched below the chest.

"Hey, you with the engineering units?" Leonard asked. The man nodded.

"We lost most of our equipment coming in, including personal kits and weapons. My RTO got his head blown off." He explained, laughing in shock after recounting the death.

"Fucking popped right off like a doll or something."

"How many men do you have ashore?"

"Hell if I know, ya' crazy bastard."

Leonard's anger from earlier reignited, and now he had an immediate outlet. He grabbed the man by his collar and put their faces a few centimeters apart.

"Listen! Get your head out of your arse and start acting like an officer! We'll be stuck on this beach a lot longer if you keep giggling like an idiot and keeping your head in the clouds." He barked. The man stopped and seemed to be listening.

"Check the trenches for weapons and ammo. Organize your men into fireteams and hold the bottom of the slope….can you do that, Lieutenant?" Leonard laid out, speaking loudly but slowly.

The shellshocked man simply stared at him, leading Leonard to believe that he'd locked up. He growled and let the engineer fall back onto the ground. He crawled his way back to his platoon and assumed command once more.

"Report, Sergeant Collins." He exhaled.

"Most of the Hinds headed towards the center of the beach or retreated inland. Like to think that the MAGs and Gustafs scared them off. We've got missiles set up for when they come back, but I've also tried to reach out for more air support. Most of the casualties seem to be from those coming ashore." He replied, dipping his head in Gardener's direction.

"Casualties?"

"Billips and MD bought it…I've distributed 1st Section's remains to keep us at two rifle sections. How much of our support made it?"

Guess that's why I couldn't get a medic…

"The engineering Lieutenant I ran across went bunta. Says a lot of guys lost their gear coming ashore…Gardener!"

The RTO came over and held out the handset.

"Major says the Lens are bringing in air support. Gonna make another push to keep the bad guys from bombing us." He explained.

"Not holding my breath…Any engineering units ashore on Crowne, this is Bravo 1 Actual. Any engineering units on Crowne, respond." Leonard replied.

"Bravo 1 Actual this is Golf 6, understand you're our infantry support?" A voice replied.

"Yes 6; what's your position?"

"Pinned near one of the wrecked tubs at the water's edge. I've got two demolition teams with me but those Hinds have kept us pinned."

"Move straight ahead and you'll run into friendly positions."

"You have anymore smoke?"

"Unknown, 6."

"Alright, then you better be on it with that covering fire. We're moving in 60 seconds."

"Roger."

Leonard barked for suppressing fire as the Hinds reappeared, pushing ahead of another infantry attack by the Eruseans. It seemed to be somewhat weaker than the past few attempts, though. Leonard shouldered his rifle and fired several bursts into the attacking formation, then emptied the rest of his magazine at one of the attack helicopters. A Minimi gunner swung his weapon around and did the same, letting out a war cry that was drowned out by his weapon and the helicopter. He turned back around in time to nearly get hit by a round. One of the RBS teams fired on the Hind as it headed for the sea. The missile's laser guidance meant that countermeasures would be near-useless. The second Hind was heading south, where another team engaged it as it tried to duck into the terrain.

"Golf 6 is moving at this time!" The engineering Major reported.

Leonard watched as the Hind heading for the water was stuck in the tail section by one of the missiles. The other Hind came around and started going up the line B Company had made when it was stuck in the side by another RBS 70. Leonard gulped hard and opened his mouth to order a retreat as the machine lurched to the left. It kept going left until it was heading inland, at which point a third RBS 70 raced up after it. A third Hind made a single run over them without firing, ducking and weaving as hard as possible. The Eruseans had stopped in the middle of the field separating the two sides but were still putting out all the fire they could. The machine gun teams had survived for the most part. Leonard spotted another pair of men with an M79 anti-tank weapon cresting a trench on the far side.

"Anti-tank team, 40 meters to our left!" He called as he raised his rifle.

"Where's Bravo 1? I'm looking for Bravo 1 Actual!" A familiar voice called.

"Over here!" Leonard shouted over his shoulder as he ducked down.

He threw a grenade at a couple of advancing infantrymen as the burly man he assumed was Golf 6 hit the dirt next to him. His name tape read "Danby".

"Welcome ashore, Major. We've been pinned here since we landed, but have managed to keep the Eruseans from pushing us back. The first bunkers are on the other side of this field, and we believe that's where the remaining mortar crews are." He explained.

"What's the status of our air support?" He growled.

"Fighters are trying to push back the enemy aircraft, but I haven't seen any Cobras since those Hinds showed up."

"Right then, can you advance across this field at this time Lieutenant?"

"We would need to repel the Erusean attack first, sir. I would also need cover or suppression on those positions further up the slope."

"Are you aware of the inlet to the left?"

"Vaguely, sir."

"Any idea where D's commander is?"

"No sir."

"Sit tight."

The Major shuffled down the hill to a man with a radio and started talking to someone. Leonard crawled back up to the lip of the slope and peered through his rifle's scope. Two man-made berms seemed to act as a funnel into the bunkers' field of fire. He imagined there was a corridor to pass any minefields, especially if the Eruseans were coming through that funnel to attack. He squeezed off a few rounds at a KK62 gunner as he moved, then slid out of sight. Gardener was holding out the handset.

"Bravo 6, sir." He explained. Leonard had a good feeling about this call.

"Go for 1 Actual." He answered.

"Bravo 1 Actual, we've got more Cobras inbound. Take two infantry sections and go with Golf 1-1 and 1-2 around the left flank. Bravo 2-1 will fall in behind; draw attention away from the main force and knock out what positions you can. Stay alert for Hinds."

"Copy."

Leonard hailed Oliva and Hurei, and had them peel away from the firing line as D company took over more of that fight. They ran down the beach to the inlet, with some of the men wading into the shin-high water. Leonard took point with Gardener right behind him, and the other units gave him much-needed manpower. In particular, he was happy that the engineers had explosives that could crack open the bunkers. They stopped as the stream went around a blind corner. Leonard looked back to Corporal Olivia and signaled for him to go up the side and get a better view. He kneeled down and signaled for the rest of the column to halt until he saw the Corporal motion for his attention.

"Actual, I've got eyes on a single MG nest covering that corner. Four hostiles total: two on the gun, two providing close security." He reported.

"Sandbags or concrete?" Leonard asked.

"Sandbags, camo net for a roof. Just above some kind of drainage pipe. There's a narrow trail going up next to it."

"Okay, it's all yours; we'll back you up."

"Roger."

The Lieutenant looked back and beckoned a grenadier forward, then a man with an AT4 anti-tank rocket on his back. He relayed the plan to the two of them and moved as close to the bend as he dared. The bang of another AT4 told him that Olivia was launching his attack.

"Go, go!" He hissed to the two.

Leonard moved around the corner and emptied his magazine in the direction of the MG nest. The grenadier went ahead of him and fired his M203 as a follow up. The Eruseans manning it never stood much of a chance. The smoke had barely begun to settle before Leonard was beckoning the rest of his force towards the way up. He bounded halfway up the hill before he stopped and started helping others up. He brought up the rear after the infantry had passed and followed Collins towards the edge of a trench. Connected to it was the first of several bunkers. Further up were more positions, who were quick to notice the flank. Leonard grabbed some cover behind a bush while part of his section pushed into the trench. He looked around and spotted the soldier with an AT4.

"Trooper, get up and fire on that bunker!" He ordered.

His section spread out wherever they could and established the skirmish line. The Eruseans that could put effective fire on them started to gather. As he drew in more of the scene, Leonard finally spotted the mortars that'd been the bane of his existence all morning. He ordered fire concentrated on them despite the fact that their crews were now distracted by his attack. There seemed to be Eruseans everywhere; they'd come upon some kind of barracks complex behind the defensive line. He took shots at whatever Erusean soldiers seemed to be an immediate threat. Two of his Minimis hosed the mortar pits and a single AA position, eager to get even for being pinned down for so long. Gardener pulled Leonard aside, looking somewhat relieved.

"Cobras on station, sir!" He reported.

"Deploy red smoke on those mortars! Them and the bunkers further up are the first targets I want hit!" He instructed over the scream of another M79.

Gardener fell back so he could concentrate, leaving Leonard to start worrying about the bunkers. The engineers moved up a little but remained back, knowing they'd be needed to help take the bunkers. The sound of rotorblades raised Leonard's spirits for a second, but he quickly realized they were coming from inland. He searched the hilltops until he spotted familiar shapes coming over them. Two Hinds were coming down the slope, searching for targets. They'd been in the open no more than a few seconds when they broke and deployed flares. He heard the screech of jet engines now and looked up in time to see a Typhoon with something painted bright blue on its tail. Alright, another point for the air fairies He thought. Gardener let him know that their air support had arrived.

"Bravo 1 Actual this is Scorpion Lead. Apologies for the hiatus, request you mark first targets." A voice apologized after he'd answered.

"Scorpion Lead, prioritize targets northwest of the red smoke, specifically bunkers and mortar pits. IR beacon is active." Leonard replied.

"Copy, will make runs south to north."

A single Super Cobra appeared seconds later, firing a pair of Hellfire anti-tank missiles at one of the bunkers further up. As it passed by, its cannon swung to the left and followed the first attack with a long burst into the front slit of the position. Its wingman passed by, doing the same to a second position. Two more helicopters made gun runs against the mortar pits, then the first pair came back around to salvo rockets into the barracks. After the second run, Leonard called them off and released them to return to the sea.

"Bravo 1-1 and 1-2, link up with Golf 1-1 and 1-2. Advance on the mortar positions and trenches; secure all structures." He added.

His men were very enthusiastic about the chance to take some more ground.

"Bravo 1 this is Bravo 6, Bravo 2 and Bravo 3 are ready to move in with the rest of Golf on your go. What's your status?" Major Peterson radioed.

"Bravo 6, we're moving on the enemy positions at this time. Mortars are knocked out, moving on the bunkers. Will have Golf 1-1 and 1-2 make sure the path is clear of mines, how copy?" Leonard replied.

"Understood, 1 Actual. Good work."

The congratulations were bittersweet. They'd made it another 30 meters, but the biggest guns were still active and there was plenty more B Company had to wade through to get to them. Still, things seemed to be moving in the right direction for now.