Chapter 06

Party Time

General Grant carefully sweeps the bridge and its approaches with his binoculars while he and his troops race down the road. From his position in the command vehicle he can’t see any of the defensive troops, nor can he see anyone else. His chief of staff says, “Maybe they’re all running for the mountains or hiding in cellars.”

General Grant replies, “I’m sure I saw troop transports racing across the plain. If I did, those troops will make a stand somewhere. And it’s a telling point this bridge is still intact when the other two bridges are blown. It looks like they want to keep this bridge intact for a counter-attack, and that means defending troops are protecting the bridge.” He searches again, but the defending fire teams are well camouflaged so he sees very little. Turning to his radio operator he says, “Order the light tanks to spread out across the fields with troop transports in support.”

The point slows while vehicles move to the sides as the front widens. It’s spreading out to four hundred and fifty metres wide when the very ground seems to leap up with flame as one hundred and eighty armour piercing rockets leap at the column from the fields. One hundred and eighty armoured troop transports heave when the rocket propelled warheads punch into them then explode. Death and chaos rule the field while the explosive warheads blast holes in the sides of the transports and flail the troops inside with shrapnel. Some troops are killed while many others are wounded or concussed, and they die in the fires of the ruptured fuel tanks. Some troops are blown out into the fields. A few manage to get out of the transports unharmed or lightly wounded, and some drag wounded platoon mates with them. General Grant is blown out of his command car and he’s knocked unconscious. His entire staff are killed in the blast or they die in the inferno of what used to be an armoured command car. One hundred and eighty of his two hundred troop carriers are now burning wrecks in the fields filled with dead and dying troops. The troops in the undamaged transports pour out into the fields while they seek cover in the irrigation ditches and roadside drainage ditches. Another one hundred and eighty armour piercing rockets target the last transports plus one hundred and sixty tanks. Other than their crews few troops die in the transports because most of the troops are now lying in the fields after getting out of the transports. One hundred and forty-seven tanks are hit in vulnerable spots. The warheads punch in to blast shrapnel and death into the tank crews. Ruptured fuel tanks are set afire, and the tanks turn into infernos that kill all in them who haven’t already died. The other tanks hit are only lightly damaged and are still fully operational. The targeted tanks are all at the column’s head on the road. The entire spearhead of this armoured column is now just so much burning metal blocking the road.

Mortar rounds are now landing on the road and among the Dareed troops while the one hundred and eighty defenders lower their rocket launchers, and run. Like hares, they run from the fields to their own lines almost two kilometres away. The column is in chaos, so much chaos very little fire is directed at the running troops - just some small arms fire. The defenders all make it back to safety; some have light wounds but none are dead. First round to the Guards.

General Grant’s surviving company commanders restore order within their own commands then set about sorting out the living from the dead. Forty minutes are lost while they sort out the remains of the column and treat the wounded. When Grant is active again he orders scouts to be sent out, and they soon find out there are large drainage ditches crossing the fields near the front of the ambush site. This means the tanks will have a slow time crossing the fields. For over half a kilometre the road is torn to shreds and covered with the wrecked armoured vehicles. A very well sprung trap that’s cost Grant over half his tanks and most of his troops. He looks like having a short career as a general.

While his troops spread out General Grant studies the town. He can’t see any defending troops. The only evidence of the defending troops is the smoke from the firing mortars near the river bank. The remaining tanks spread out across the fields as they take care moving into the drainage ditches. All is ready and the tanks are waiting to top the rise on the other side of the ditches, with the troops waiting in the ditches beside them they’re ready to move out. General Grant gives the order to move out. He’s already lost an hour and General Bentley has caught up with him.

Because he’s watching the tanks Granite sees their exhausts thicken when they rev up the motors and move up the ditch walls. He says, “Detonate.” The Sergeant beside him presses the radio detonator to send the signal to the hundreds of hidden bombs planted in the ditches, buried just under the surface on the northern side. Some troops are blown apart when the ten kilogram packs of explosives go off under them, and many more are wounded or concussed by explosive blasts near them. Some of the tanks burst into flame when the explosives blow upward through their soft bellies. Some are flipped over onto their backs by the explosives as their drive gears are blown outwards as shrapnel. While others have large holes blown in their sides when sections of track and drive gears are blown away. This shrapnel kills and wounds many of the support troops spread out beside the tanks. Most of the tanks burst into flames after their fuel tanks rupture. None of the crews of the destroyed tanks manage to get out and they all die in their tanks. Within seconds General Grant is left with four damaged semi-operational tanks, three hundred and eighty-seven operational troops, seven hundred and sixty-three badly wounded troops, and a large field full of burning armour and dead troops. He started the day with two hundred tanks plus five thousand elite support troops, and the very high hopes of making his present rank permanent. The Dareed armoured spearhead is destroyed, along with his promotional prospects.

On the general frequency a smiling Granite says, “Well, that’s the last of the really big surprises we can give them. But it should hold them for some time, and it also let them know it’s a real fight. Good work, people.”

General Bentley and his main column finally reach the spearhead. Bentley is not happy as he now has to fight his way onto the bridge he needs. He examines the wreckage of his armoured spearhead which had all of his tanks and most of his armoured troop transports. Now nothing useful is left of it. This is going to make his task much harder. Sadly, he has no choice as the King told him to not bother going home if he doesn’t win this war.

Scouts are sent out to find out how big a line the defenders have. Thirty minutes later they return to inform the General the defenders have a small perimeter around the bridge itself. The fields beside the road are dry, but those further out are partly flooded and they won’t take the weight of the troop transports so they’ll just bog down in the mud if they try to go over the flooded fields. The only fields that’ll take the weight of the vehicles are already covered with destroyed vehicles and the ditches along their forward edge no longer have a front wall the transports can climb up. The troops will have to go forward on foot from here. Bentley orders troops to remove the damaged vehicles on the road.

All afternoon the mortar crews rotate the duty of keeping up a slow and steady stream of mortar shells on the areas where the Dareed troops are moving about. They’re trying to clear away the damaged vehicles, dead, and wounded. Every minute sees an increase in the number of casualties. By 4:00 p.m. they’ve given up trying to remove the damaged vehicles and they’ve deployed troops for a massive foot assault against the defenders with the intent of clearing the road after clearing out the defenders.

Little Girl Lost

Suddenly a young girl of about six years of age climbs out of a drain pipe near the road and she starts to run the last seven metres into the town. Private Stephan Medlik leaves his foxhole beside the road to race to the girl. Picking her up he turns and he starts running back. The entire field opens up in a flash of fire when General Bentley gives the order to open fire and advance. Private Medlik goes to his knees when he’s wounded in the legs and back. He’s still over a metre short of safety for the child. Slowly laying over onto his side he talks to the girl while he wraps his body around hers to use his body armour and own body as a shield for her. They’re lying in the middle of the road. Everyone can see his body jerk when he’s hit again, and again.

The regimental broadcast circuit comes alive when Private Medlik says, “OK, darlin’. We’re going to have to wait here for a time. I’m hurt and I’ll probably fall asleep. Will you please try to keep me awake by singing your favourite hymn.”

This is followed by a soft clear voice singing, “Rock of ages cleft for me, so that I might...” All of the people listening to the radio frequency can hear the fear and the determination to overcome that fear in her voice while she sings the hymn; all of the verses, then she repeats it, and repeats it, again, and again. All of the Swords draw courage from her singing. She’s a perfect example of why they’re here and what they’re fighting for - their people!

When the hostile fire erupts huge waves of Dareed troops rise up to charge across the fields. Granite watches and he waits with a face of stone, then he orders, “Open fire.” The Third opens up. Machine-guns in full-auto, rifle men with targeted rounds, and mortars at pre-set ranges. The front ranks of the attackers are cut down by the rifle and machine-gun fire while groups of attackers are killed by the mortar shells. The mortars switch to low air burst anti-personnel shells to kill larger groups of attacking troops. The attackers are dying in droves, but they keep coming. There’s so many attackers the heavy losses they take don’t seem to have any visible effect on the attacking force. When the attackers are almost on the defenders Granite orders full-auto sweep shooting at the enemy’s head height. The attackers melt before them when the front ranks all become headless bodies. Everyone is firing at their fastest rate and the mortars are firing constantly while through it all is the young girl’s hymn on the radio. Her calm singing voice is inspiring the Third to hold ground and fight hard. Some troops in the two fire-points near the road have been designated to keep the enemy back from her position. Their fire is heavy and accurate. At dusk General Bentley orders his troops back. They’ve difficulty walking back because the field is full of dead Dareed troops.

In the calm of the enemy withdrawal Granite takes the opportunity to dash forward to pick up the girl while saying, “It’s all right, lass, you can stop singing now.” He carries her back to the aid station. He takes a lock of her hair for luck before leaving her with the medics. He walks the lines checking how everyone is: one hundred and sixteen dead, two hundred and forty-eight walking wounded still in the line, sixty-three seriously wounded in the aid station. One third casualties in the first real battle, and thirty-three hours still to go. However, they sure hurt the enemy and bought some time, not bad for a green regiment. He’d like to send the seriously wounded back across the bridge, but the enemy have it well sighted so no one’s getting across that bridge alive. Not until it’s all over or they’re in a heavily armoured vehicle, and his transports aren’t armoured enough to make it across safely right now.

The Dance Continues

Gunfire rules the long night when General Bentley probes along the whole front while he gives the defending troops no rest. With the dawn comes another full strength attack along the whole front. Some mortars and heavy machine-guns are so busy they break down due to heat damage. Waves of attackers hit the line, and die. Around 9:30 a.m. the attackers breach the flanks of the Third, so the militia fires across the river into the attackers’ flanks. The attackers waiver, giving the Guards time to pull back a bit to set up a smaller perimeter. The Guards take all of their dead and wounded with them. At 10:30 a.m. the line goes quiet when the attackers pull back to regroup.

Granite takes time to inspect the line, then he pulls the flanks back more. All of the abandoned cover is mined. Two hundred and thirty-seven dead, four hundred and sixty-four fighting wounded in the line, with one hundred and twenty-eight seriously wounded in the aid station. Back at his fire-point he finds Private Chesway lying behind a light machine-gun with both legs in splints. He says, “Private, report to the aid station as you can’t be in the line, if we have to fall back you can’t go with us.”

The Private turns to look up and behind him at the Colonel while saying, “With all due respect, Sir, you need me on this gun. And just where the hell do you think you’ll fall back to? There’s only the river behind us and I can’t swim worth a damn. I’d rather be shot than drown.”

A smiling Granite reaches down and squeezes the Private’s shoulder while he nods his acceptance. He activates his radio, “Company Commanders, prepare to hoist colours on my order.” Everyone takes time to have something to eat and drink. Though they don’t feel like eating they all know they’ll need the energy. They spend their time waiting for the attack by reloading magazines from boxes of ammunition. Rifles of dead and seriously wounded Swords are loaded and placed nearby for use as well. Using them will save time reloading during the next battle, and the time saved may just save their lives.

At noon the Dareed Army charges again. Having noticed the weak flanks they concentrate their attacks there. Expecting this Granite has set his men to have the strongest fire there, and he organised for the militia to fire into the enemy’s flank. Despite taking very heavy casualties the enemy soon takes control of the mined area. They reel back when the whole captured area explodes, taking over four hundred Dareed troops with it. After a moment’s hesitation the following troops and the rest of the line surges forward. Granite triggers his microphone, “Hoist the colours.” Seeing they face the feared Royal Guards causes many of the attackers to waiver. Seeing their unit standards and the Royal Falcon standard rise above them gives the Guards heart while they pour deadly fire into the enemy lines. The attack falters and the troops fall back without orders from their command. General Bentley is very upset at finding he’s facing the Royal Guards at the start of his campaign instead of the end of it. He’s already lost several thousand troops along with his armour, and he’s not happy, not happy at all. This was supposed to be a cake walk for several days, and it’s not. It’s a very fierce opening battle.

The shooting tapers off, then only the cries of the Dareed wounded are heard in the fields. Taking the chance to inspect the lines again Granite is dismayed to learn he’s been wounded again, his fourth flesh wound he didn’t notice receiving. Three hundred and fifty dead, one hundred and ninety-three seriously wounded are in the aid station, and everyone else wounded to some extent, no more mortar shells, most machine-guns are now faulty, and ammunition for them is short. They’ll be lucky to last the day.

Last Assault

At 4:00 p.m. General Bentley regroups and starts another major assault. Waves of troops move in, firing and dying, with more walking over their bodies. The attackers can’t retreat without orders this time because they’re jam packed fifty or sixty deep with over ten thousand troops committed to this assault. They’re so thick the lead elements are being pushed forward by those behind them. They’re advancing over the bodies of their own dead.

The defenders start to waiver due to attrition. Realising he needs to stop this attack Granite decides to counter-attack. Activating his radio he says, “Every even number who can still run is to prepare to charge. Everyone deploy smoke behind you, that’ll confuse them as to what we’re doing.” He waits a moment while the smoke grenades are deployed. He turns his radio on and simply says, “Charge.” He and sixty other Swords rise out of their positions like the warriors they are as they charge the enemy lines. Firing on full-auto sweep fire while they yell the Guards’ battle cry of, “For the people.” They charge the enemy lines. They’re soon down, wounded or dead, but the enemy attack is stopped, shocked to a standstill by the counter-attack and the many hundreds in their front ranks that are killed in the counter-attack. Lying wounded on the battlefield Granite activates his radio and says, “Major Amiri, take command. See you at Philippi, out.” The Swords near Granite can see him still shooting at the enemy from his position in among the dead and wounded from the charge, and they can see both of his legs are bleeding in several places.

The Dareed troops continue to fire, but they’ve stopped in place. The Guards’ radio circuit comes alive to the sound of a girl singing, “Rock of ages cleft for me...” All of the Guards can hear the tears in her voice, and it’s obvious she shares their sorrow at the falling of their commander. Somehow the Guards are firing and fighting harder than ever before, their ferocity alone is causing the attackers to fall back. Although he’s already lost over two thousand troops in this attack General Bentley senses this will be the last attack, and he orders the troops to move forward into the attack again. The rear troops press forward against those trying to fall back from the ferocity of the Guards’ fire. Eventually most of those trying to fall back from the Guards have fallen, dead or wounded, so the fresher troops are now at the front of the line and are now taking heavy casualties. General Bentley knows he has them this time because at their current rate of fire they’ll be out of ammunition soon and he’ll overrun their positions. He smiles in anticipation of the victory.

Relief

Hearing vehicles behind her Lieutenant Rochester turns to see the lead elements of the Black Raptors coming up the road. To Major Peters she orders, “Have all of your troops pour heavy fire into the enemy flanks, take over control of this detonator and don’t set it off by mistake.”

Standing up she calls her squad to her and directs them to get in the lead vehicles of the relief force to act as guides. Pulling her sword out of the ground and her personal standard out of her pack she turns to Colonel Campbell, Officer Commanding 2nd Royal Armoured Corps (Black Raptors). She orders, “I’ll raise my standard in the lead troop transport, have your tanks punch the enemy’s centre while the troops spread out to the sides to support the 3rd Claymore, my people will show them where to go.”

Jumping into the lead transport she goes to the front and stands in the centre holding her sword in one hand with the Purple Royal Falcon pennant in the other. This is the Royal Standard and it can only be raised when a member of the Royal Family is present. The troops cheer on seeing the Royal Standard. Colonel Campbell moves the column out at full speed - across the bridge and into the smoke.

The defenders’ fire greatly increases as the light tanks and armoured assault vehicles loaded with troops burst from the smoke while firing with all they have. They pour heavy fire into the Dareed forces. The transports pull up behind the defenders’ line to give cover fire as troops dismount and join the line. The tanks move out along the road as they carefully drive around the bodies of fallen Claymore Swords on the road. The tank crews are intent on punching through the attack force while they blast holes in the attackers’ line with rapid fire from their cannons and machine-guns. The defenders take heart from the arrival of the relief force and they cheer while they continue to lay down a heavy fire into the enemy.

The Dareed troops can see by the new troops’ pennants they’re now facing the dreaded Black Raptors - the Royal Guards specialists in open field combat from light armoured vehicles. Without orders most of the attacking Dareed troops retreat in panic while they turn and run away. The whole Dareed line breaks up when the troops turn and run in large groups. Within minutes the shooting dies down and it stops when thousands of Dareed troops throw away weapons while they run screaming toward their rear, and thus they cause more panic amongst the reserves.

Colonel Campbell surveys the situation and he issues orders to fire only when fired on. Carefully moving between the wrecks or pushing them off the road and out of their way the lead elements of the Raptors soon reach the Dareed command post. They capture General Bentley and his staff, including General Grant. Tens of thousands of troops are running toward Dareed while they leave their weapons and ammunition behind. It’s clear they think they’ll be spared their lives if they’re not armed if caught. Two companies are sent to direct them out of the country without causing any further damage. None of the thousands of Dareed troops still standing around offer any resistance when they’re instructed to form up and march toward Dareed. General Bentley gives his formal surrender at 5:30 p.m., thirty hours after the first shots were fired.

Medics from the Raptors and the militia are moving among the defenders treating the wounded then taking them to the aid station. When their own are treated they move among the enemy fallen to find and treat any wounded who are still alive. The many thousands of dead troops are left where they fell.

Just on dusk Captain Shadlin arrives leading D Company, 1st Claymore (King’s Own). Looking over the field he orders his company to set up an Honour Guard perimeter around the fallen defenders. Silently, they do so then they take turns standing to attention throughout the long night. Thus honouring their fallen comrades.

After being carried to the field hospital and being treated Granite asks after the young girl. He wants to make sure she’s OK. The medical staff can’t find her when they check the hospital and the surrounds. No one knows where she is. She was last seen alive and well when the first of the troops were being carried in after the battle finished. Granite assumes she’s decided to make her own way home, after all, she’s clearly an intelligent and sensible girl. He says a short prayer for her safety in reaching her family before he asks after his wounded troops. One of the orderlies spends a long time giving him the details.

Next Day

During the night the rest of the Raptor Brigade arrives and sets up camp. At dawn the 2nd Claymore arrives and sets about cleaning up the battlefield. They remove the weapons and ammunition while they identify and remove the enemy dead to a mass grave.

At 9:00 a.m. Granite is lying on a field bed in the aid station talking with Colonel Campbell. He says, “Look, I’m not complaining or anything, but how did you shave half a day off of your travel time?”

A laughing Colonel Campbell says, “I took the fastest vehicles and filled them with ammo and troops. We left behind all spares, food, and extra fuel. The troops had only their field rations for food. I left Major Dranko in charge of the rest and headed out. We stopped to refuel at the Army stores base at Amarant. Their Commander wasn’t happy about letting us refuel without orders from his command, but he wasn’t arguing with me. I’d got the drop on him so he was looking at our loaded guns. We kept the vehicles’ throttles wide open all the way, one tank broke down so we left it for Major Dranko to find and fix.”