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Twilight 2000

By The Dawn’s Early Light Campaign

Game Turn two

   By midnight the survivors had stopped trickling into Rally Point Omega. One tank, one armored personnel carrier, may two dozen HMMWV’s and trucks. Personnel wise no one had an accurate count, but no more than a 70-80 troops at best. Command Sergeant Major Blackwood stood up as Leftenant Colonel McClaren, the U.K. Armor officer, approached and they talked briefly. The CSM shook his head sadly and sat back down as the Brit went over  to Major Owens. A few minutes later Commanders Call was announced with all officers and senior nco’s to report in five minutes.

  A Foreign Legion Sergeant standing next to a VBL M11 French Scout Car, with a vintage wine bottle in hand, jokingly calls out in what sounds like long unused English. My friends the Legion is recruiting, all this and a paycheck to...Two Combat Engineers finish tossing rucksacks and duffel bags into his vehicle, one replies, “John Paul your full of  it.” Both then proceed to start setting up demo charges around equipment stockpiles in the Rally Point.

   Ensign Wilkins was dog tired from his patrol. Only one Marine from the 2nd Marine Rgt Second Division had made the rendezvous and he had died several minutes after Wilkins found him. He had a map case and a packet of papers in some archaic language Wilkins couldn’t read. Heading back hadn’t been easy as Ivan seemed to be everywhere. The closest call had been that Spetsnatz Patrol that had nearly got him. He headed to Rally Point Omega and some hoped for rest. He approached the perimeter carefully. Earlier he had secured his horse, a fine mount, a few hundred yards away. As he got past the concertina wire and the few claymoores that were spread out he worked even more slowly and carefully past the sandbagged M-60 LMG. Then he heard a low voice say “Bang! Squid your dead.” Corporal Grey shook his head and said you might sneak by those Army Boys but the Corps is little more paranoid tonite.

   Sergeant Snowden thought, “What a Goat Screw” one minute we’re eating chow, and before you know it Russian Armor is rolling through the Assembly Area. His squad had given a good account of themselves but be it luck, combat experience, maybe a little of both he was the last man standing in what had turned into a nasty rearguard action. He made his way to the Rally Point was challenged and passed through. He grabbed a beer, American not German but at least it was cold, from the CSM who seemed to feel this was the ultimate FUBAR. As he finished his beer an ambulance came careening into the compound with an hysterical nurse driving. As it screeched to a halt a medic approached and backed off when she drew a pistol. Sergeant Snowden was able to calm her down and get the weapon ( OOC/as a nurse with psych experience his write up was very good). The medic found one dead medic, one seriously wounded medic, Spec 4 Brown, whom he was able to stabilize and four litter cases all dead. Someone had made a seriouss effort to save them but the wounds were to severe. A couple of the casualties were wearing Desantniki uniforms but without the usual Elite Guards tabs.

   Captain O’Grady was talking with Leftenant Colonel McClaren (UK), Major Owens (BDE S-1), a Green Beret Captain, CSM Blackwood, Lieutenant Hallowell and several other officers and the few remaining senior nco’s. ”Gentlemen excuse my lack of protocol, but we don’t have the time,” he paused and then continued...”We hardly have the resources for a knock down drag out fight, Fifth Division took down a lot of Ivans today but look at the cost.” Everyone nodded, they were all to tired to do much more. “What I propose is every leader take a small contingent and a handful of gear, relating to his specialty, escape and evade. McClaren started walking back to his Abrams and said, “I’ll hold this Rally Point as long as I can to give you chaps a head start.” Major Owens looked around at the group, most of whom silently nodded in agreement “makes sense to me, leave when your ready, the perimeter security will need some darkness to bug out as well but they’ll stay until about an hour before sunrise.”

   Corporal Carmine had made to the Rally Point  and took stock of the situation. Not having a lot if faith in officers to begin with the current situation did very little to change that opinion. The CSM was chugging beers, the Paper Pushing Major didn’t seem to have a clue, the Limey Colonel with the Tommy Gun really looked out of place, and the Green Beanie and his two flunkies were wiring the whole place to go up with a bang. Captain O’Grady’s idea which he had overheard seemed to make sense so he stayed out of the way but nearby.

   The one constant that annoyed everyone to to no end was the Command Sergeant Major’s little wiener dog running all over place and barking up a storm for the past couple of hours. The dachshund seemed to have enough energy to drop that damn rabbit on the old tv commercials and acted like the whole Rally Point was his personal fire hydrant. Suddenly the little mutt stopped, perked his ears, and every hair on his neck stood up. That got the CSM’s attention, dropping his beer, grabbing his gear and M21 Sniper Rifle he was on his feet in a flash as shouted INCOMING!!! A barrage of mortar rounds and rifle grenades hit the perimeter as a starshell burst overhead turning night into day. Claymores suddenly started going off in ones and two’s and the chatter of an M-60 was heard as the perimeter opened fired on the attackers. Sergeant Jendrzejewski had just finished a quick inventory of the munitions trailor behind the M-113 as the Rifle Grenade landed in front of the shell shocked nurse, the wounded medic and their nearby HMMWV Ambulance. In a flash he pushed her out of the way and leaped on it. In another day and age they would have given him a medal; Postuminously. A second barrage of mortar shells landed amongst the vehicles. An RPG exploded against  the Abram’s front armor just seconds after the crew had climbed back aboard. The driver never had a chance. The gunner disappeared down his hatch and the Brit Colonel manned the Turret LMG. One  luck/unlucky shell impacted on the trailer behind the sole remaining APC in the compound; which went up like a Fourth of July Fireworks Display. The fireball caught the track with the rear ramp down, cutting down two Signals Sergeants who had been checking on available commo gear; soon the vehicle was a roaring bonfire The resulting blast was contained in part by the revetment but the Hummer Ambulance was knocked on its side.

Another round hit the cache of Jerry Cans a work detail was digging up. Yet another massive explosion ripped through Rally Point Omega. Shrapnel from exploding cans shreaded the Major’s back and he collapsed. The Rally Point was starting to look like a seen out of Dante’s Inferno as most of the support personnel began to panic.

   Command Sergeant Major Blackwood glanced around quickly. “Sergeant  (SFC) Owens you used to be with the Cav, take anybody who can ride and get out of here now.”

Suddenly the turret on the Abrams spun around 90 degrees and the main gun let out a fire streaked blast. Seconds later a Russian T-80 coming up the main approach to the Rally Point exploded with a resounding bang.

   Corporal Carmine had seen the track go up with bang and thought oh well there go those heaters I scrounged and my radio. Even the battery he had stashed, all gone in an instant. The CSM had taken charge and as soon as he sent a bunch of horsemen galloping off turned to Carmine. “Corporal get that Five Ton with the still out here before it goes up with everything else. Carmine climbed in, propping his M-60 out the window, and cranked it up, some troop he didn’t recognize jumped on the truck with a couple of belts of fifty cal ammo and loaded the other gun on the jury rigged mount. “You drive I’ll give us some cover.”

   Captain O’Grady, knew when to delegate, and saw the CSM was coordinating things as well as could be expected. The CSM having just got the Five Ton with the still rolling saw there wasn’t much else to be done. The perimeter fire was getting silent as the few remaining defenders died in place or decided it was time to go. The M1 Abrams had never moved and its gun had fire only once, the Brit fired his last belt of machinegun ammo as he told his gunner  to high tail it out of here.

   “Sir might I respectfully suggest you take the Major’s Hummer, as he won’t be needing it any more. Grab anyone who left and unass the A.O. (area of  operations).” Having said that  Command Sergeant Major Blackwood wistled for his dog and disappeared into the night.

   Captain  O’Grady saw  the intact sandbagged revetment the CSM had indicated with a Fire Support Hummer and a Water Buffalo Tank Trailer. As he climbed in the driver seat he noticed an attractive young women in BDU’s but with no rank or shoulder patches , just a name tape Caswell, with hands over her ears, shaking, in the gunnner’s seat.

   As the various troops made their way out of the Rally Point the sky darkened as clouds covered the moon and a light rain began to fall, slowly extinguishing the dying fires of the brief but intense battle.

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Turn Three is due Midnight EST on October 20th.

The attack started 0030 hours it is now 0100, write up your next turn to cover the next four hours. Remember your turn stops when you interact with a character you don’t control or an action you take would require a game master decision or die roll. Don’t concentrate on finishing the battle, its over, if you stay and fight you die. For the most part you’ll be exiting the Rally Point a few minutes ahead of the Warsaw Pact Units. Everyone’s best estimate is you were hit by a couple of hundred veteran infantry backed by 3 or 4 T-80 MBT’s, a dozen BMP’s, with some 82mm and 120mm firing support.