I own nothing from Hearts of Iron nor the Kaiserriech Mod. Merry Christmas by the way!

Private Bedros Sahakian

Journal Entry 29

July 9, 1932, Saturday

Shanghai is burning. Everything is wrong. So much death.

It all started yesterday.

Following our usual morning PT Lieutenant Dewitt decided on an extra exercise for us to do. A march on foot within our sector with full pack and weapons, much to our dismay but we kept it to ourselves, lest he make it worse.

Gunny volunteered to join us with the LT, insisting on it. He was well aware how Dewitt tended to get himself lost in the city. Good thing the old man did go.

We got dressed and equipped, from our weapons to brodie helmets as well. The platoon, twenty four men plus the gunny marched out of the base, from one street till rotating into another.

When looking back on that morning I recall feeling a certain tension in the air but couldn't place it where exactly. Wish I did given what followed.

During the march me and Robert who were up in front managed to talk a little bit just as we were moving into the industrial area. He had just gotten a letter from his father in Montana the other day, explaining how he's managing the farm but struggling to pay off a loan from their local bank.

It really worried Rob. I let him know we can pitch in to help his folks. When we were still in training he helped convince me to first write back to Nayat when I was still too angry with my sister and myself given how we parted ways.

So of course I wanted to help him and no doubt the guys would've too.

He suppressed a chuckle that threatened to come out and was thanking me when a gunshot rang out. Rob dropped instantly without a word and all hell broke loose.

Quickly we scattered as more bullets flew up ahead from a ruined factory plant. I dived for cover behind a parked Chevrolet car still in shock with what just happened.

While several others returned fire and yelling and screaming I looked back to see Rob laying on the ground, sideways and looking up to me. His eyes were frightened and he was bleeding in the neck and mouth with both hands grasping the former. He was trying to breathe. Putting down my gun I ran out to him.

Bullets whizzed past like angry wasps as I dragged him back by his left arm with all the strength I had till we made it back to that car.

Pulled him close to me to check on him. His eyes were opened but he wasn't moving.

I tried to wake Rob again and again, but no response with the fighting raging on. Robert was dead.

Once the realization set in my shock turned to horror then rage.

Not to mention I felt something warm over the side of my face and neck and tried to wipe it off only to see what it was. Remembering my training I picked up my rifle and finally joined in the fight, shooting back at the top windows where the hostile fire coming from.

I had to take cover as machine gun fire struck the pavement to the side and behind me. Then I would repeat the process, shooting my Springfield and slide back into cover and this cycle went on for minutes that felt like hours.

All the while we heard what sounded like thunder north of us followed by two more smaller in volume. It was explosions. More gunfire was heard in various directions.

John Felton, Hector and Michail managed to get to me. They too saw that Robert was dead. With some covering fire from Michail's Browning we managed to rush for the adjacent alley on the left side for better shelter with Rob's body in tow.

Lieutenant Dewitt was nowhere to be seen so Gunny immediately took charge, rallying those of us still alive and able to keep shooting from whatever cover there was to be had.

Pumped by adrenaline and fury I took a shot whenever possible. Soon enough Hector found a backdoor in the office building we were sheltering from and bushed it open. Taking advantage of it Felton ordered us inside and we did after I stacked Rob's body next to the wall so we could pick him up later.

Checking our corners we next found stairs and the four of us went up it till we were on the roof.

We were fortunate the hostiles didn't notice us when we did. To make sure it stayed that way Felton told us to get down and we crawled to the edge.

Felton took a quick peek over the enemy position meters away. They were still shooting at our guys back down on the street.

The corporal told us to get ready, explained how we were going to do it. Coming out of hiding Michail opened up with his automatic rifle, silencing that machine gun at last.

The rest of us shot at any shadowy figure we saw at those windows. Pretty sure I nailed one because he fell out onto the pavement below. With a better elevation we even the odds.

Us and them were forced to keep taking turns shooting then hiding.

What we did actually gave Gunny enough time to send out squad D from a different direction as we held the enemy's attention. They breached inside and cleared the facility with our fire support.

We actually saw them finish off the rest from our position.

We regrouped back with the others onto the street. Aside from Rob we suffered three wounded but nothing too serious. Dewitt was found too shaken up and not saying anything. I was glad to see Al, Mordecai and Gad still in one piece.

We had no time to really take stock of what's happening when Gunny ordered us all into the plant. We carried Robert with us.

Once inside we were astonished to find the place was stocked with multiple crates, containing weapons .

Mostly French, Russian and British made stuff with a few German equipment. Likely the latter was stolen and the rest bought or smuggled in. Numerous Lebels, Mosin Nagants(two with scopes), Enfields, multiple pistols and plenty of grenades.

There were also a couple of double barrel shotguns, one anti tank rifle, several Lewis guns, one Vickers machine gun and a few crates of TNT. Also we discovered our ambushers were Chinese Syndicalists.

Each of their corpses had armbands bearing that symbol we know too well. Sixteen corpses in total including the one who fell outside.

The place must've been a weapon cache for those revolutionaries.

At the same time we can hear the fighting escalating throughout the city.

Just as we were finishing investigating I actually felt something warm on my left cheek and that side of the neck. I tried to wipe it but only to see what it was exactly.

It was blood, Robert's blood.

At the sight I dropped to my knees, shaking uncontrollably and wept. I had never done such a thing since boyhood but in that moment I couldn't, I just couldn't hold it in.

Rob, my best friend is gone. He's gone.

Shortly I was pulled up by Gunny and to my shock instead of rebuke there was understanding in his eyes. Actually he embraced me, saying.

"Let it out son. Let it all out."

I did as he said.

The toughest marine in our whole company held me there as I mourned for our brother. Minutes later I finally stopped and he let go, telling me.

"Now Private, let's get back to it."

Wiping my face and picking up my gun again I fell in line with the others. We secured the joint, finding no one else alive besides ourselves. The place was rusting and decaying with years of neglect until recently.

Just as Gunny was considering the next course of action when our lookouts spotted a large mob of people chanting in Chinese and waving Syndie banners being led by a number of armed men and women.

They were heading straight for this facility. Likely expecting to receive the weapons inside.

Immediately our gunnery sergeant ordered us to defensive positions with one four man team grabbing the vickers gun. It was time to favor the favor.

We were ordered to wait until they were close enough and fire only on the ones who were armed. The idea was that the rest who weren't will scatter.

Situated at one of the middle windows I watched the crowd get closer and their voices became louder.

Most seemed to be college students and laborers and their leaders being more uniformed. All of them had red armbands. Except for one who wore a KMT officer's outfit with the white sun and blue sky symbol on his right arm.

Then just as they were in range Gunny ordered us to fire. We let them have it.

Within seconds the dozen or so armed party leading in front of the mob nearly all were cut down and as we hoped the rest took the hint and got out of Dodge. The KMT officer however, got away. He seemed to be a lot more experienced than his comrades.

At that point the revolutionaries knew we were here. It didn't take long before new groups, surrounded our position while exchanging shots with us. One team of theirs tried to outflank us from the back door but they met Gunny and his Tommy Gun.

None of them lived to regret it.

Multiple times throughout the day and last night we fought back their attempts to retake the joint.

Now there's a lull in the fighting here but it seems to be raging all over Shanghai. There's more smoke from what I see outside. We have barricaded all the entries and have men stationed there to guard. So if they tried to break through we'll be ready.

Dewitt is out of it, muttering to himself and barely looking at anyone. That ambush from yesterday really got to him.

Gunny had locked him up in the old office and took away his sidearm. Additionally we found some food stored here as well.

So we have enough to keep holding this post for the time being.

The fact remains we don't know what's going on and who's winning for that matter.

Most of us only had heard of war's horrors from the Weltkrieg and seen footage but none of it really prepared us. It's horrific beyond any words I can describe here. There's nothing glorious about it. Nothing at all.

The only thing we have now is each other. Really hope help comes our way somehow.