The Recapture Of Vogen, Regimental RP IC

[Falken95th]

"Message from the 13th Terraken, colonel," The vox operator said quickly. The shorter man met Broadus in eye contact. Broadus nodded and held out his hand. The guardsman passed the letter and Broadus read it speedily.

Broadus looked up and said, "Respond with the following:

"The 74th welcomes your regiment to Vogen. Full integration into our CSH is authorized. Enemy strength unknown but resistance is stiff. Contact Colonel Pelletier of the 333rd regiment, call sign Cavalier. Message ends." Broadus nodded and the operator went back to his station. Broadcasting began immediately.

The colonel stepped back to the map table. Maheolas returned to the command post and moved to the side of his commander. Broadus said, "Our crossing was too hasty. We don't have any momentum to press this crossing and the advance to the north is taking too long."

The XO nodded and replied, "The orks are still in the middle of pillaging the city. We still have some time to get our men into position to breach the rail terminus."

"Yes, but it will take too long to swing second battalion south to the terminus, and they'll have to pass two fortifications with little cover just to get there." Broadus gazed at the map thoughtfully and finally said, "No, I want them to look as important as possible. Tell second battalion to dig in tightly and keep firing. I want the greenskins to have their attention on them. This will be a fitting distraction, and hopefully keep the orks' attention from the spaceport."

"And in the meantime, sir, we can prepare a new attack across towards the terminus," Maheolas agreed.

"Yes, and we'll see if the 13th Terraken are on board."

"Very well, colonel." Orders were issued with all speed.

The first crack of a sniper rifle could be heard by all on the east side of the river. The combat support hospital just received their first patient, brought back on the return leg of a chimera ferrying men across. There were many, many more to come.

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Order breakdown:

1) 1st battalion, accompanied by K company's chimerae, continues moving north to assist the 333rd in taking the spaceport (as stated in last post)

2) 2nd Battalion holds fast and digs in. They will be holding the attention of the orks for as long as they can.

3) The command staff will attempt to work with the 13th in planning an assault on the rail terminus (presumably, with a fake assault on the gates by 2nd battalion) to get into the city.

This post has been edited by Falken95th on Apr 29 2012, 12:21 AM

[JenBurdoo]

Day Two, 1600:

On Gibbet Island, Colonel Pelletier dodges just in time; a shell from his bodyguard's Ripper Gun shorts out his personal force shield as he slides to a halt on the plascrete. The Ogryn's fire seems only to irritate the ork; it steps back, sparks flying from its armor, then fires back.
Neither manages to hurt the other; the Ork warlord misses completely and pulverizes a cell into rubble. Both guns run out of ammo at the same time, with ominous clacks. The Ogryn and Ork stare at each other for a long moment, then lunge. The Colonel and the combatants of both sides forgotten, they go at each other like titans, shaking the room with their blows.
The Ork has the better of the combat, eventually crushing Molok's arm shortly before the Ogryn literally rips him out of his armor. With a scream, the ork headbutts Molok, who passes out as the Ork goes on a veritable rampage. Both sides open fire again, the gallery echoing to shouts and sharp reports. In the chaos, the warlord escapes, as his boyz clash with the 333rd to cover him. By the time the room is quiet, Pelletier is drenched in Ork blood. He staggers to Molok, who asks with a slurring voice, "Did I do good, Sur?" and passes out again.

The 12th Krieg starts on its bridge as the 5th company rows across to Gibbet Hill. Reinforcing the shattered remnants of the 333rd's 2nd Company, they push deeper into the wreckage of the prison. The fighting is bitter and casualties are mounting, but clear progress is made. 5th Company commander believes he can clear Gibbet Hill completely in 24 hours, less if given reinforcements.

Broadus can be pleased with the discipline of his 74th, but not with the butcher's bill. His 1st Battalion moves north in good order, but at about this point a wave of orks attacks the riverside from the habs north of the gate. Driven back, the 1st Bn manages to link up with the 333rd and holds grimly on.
The 2nd Battalion is cut off under the tremendous guns of the Ork-enhanced fortifications. Despite support fire from the 4th Bn, there are simply too many guns to suppress, and they take severe casualties in the open. The survivors, perhaps half the battalion, huddle in enormous craters and return fire with stoicism. The commander reports calmly that an ork horde, including what look like battlewagons, is heading his way from the main gate.

The 13th Terrakan arrives on the riverside. As its companies dig in south of the 74th, its troopers stare pensively at the cloud of dust and smoke marking the 2nd Battalion north of them across the river. The rumble of gunfire and the sharp stench of powder drift across. Their engineers report that the river is fordable under the ruins of the bridge.

[librisrouge]

Colonel Pelletier waved a medic forward. "Understand me. This Ogryn is a damn hero. He lives. You hear me! He lives."

Noticing a wounded vox operator moving toward him he took the Vox receiver handed to him (the Ork blood sure did make it slippery.) It was Hunter...74th divided...Ork counterassault...battlewagons...no reliable reinforcements.

He pondered for a minute.

"So son, what do you recommend?" he responded. If he was going to groom the boy for command then it didn't pay to make him a glorified vox opperator.

"Well sir, without reinforcements the assault on the Spaceport will likely fail. I'd advise conserving our numbers and assaulting it after reassessing the situation."

Not bad, not bad. The boy does indeed have some potential.

"Excellent, relay the orders through to 2nd Co. to break contact and advance southward to rejoin up with the 74th. Also, get Ltd. Dan on the vox and advise him to send some of his men from Gibbet, perhaps half or so of the remaining if they can break contact, south to rejoin the main for, himself included. I need somebody competent down there. See if he can send the other half around the Ork positions and advance on the northern beach. Well hold the Orks until he begins the pincer. What about our reinforcements?"

"Looks like a company strength is about to reinforce you on the island, sir. I'm advised that bridges are under construction as we speak."

He smiled. That was the first damn bit of good news all day.

[Falken95th]

Maheolas, with help from the other regimental commanders, had convinced Colonel Broadus at last, "Second has to move north," he concluded.

Broadus frowned as he stared at the plot in his hand. The map table was being modified to display holographic representations of the battle. The plot didn't lie. The Orks leaving the city were well-armed and well-equipped and would easily run over his battalion, whether they were prepared for it or not. It was not feasible to launch his usual spoiling attack when Second was depleted so much already.

"Alright, major. Give the order for Second to make best pace north and link up with First. They will be under fire the whole way but those losses are acceptable compared to being run over by the greenskins." Broadus paused for a few moments, "Have our units providing fire support on this side of the river find good cover. We will keep them in place to slow down the Orks when they turn north to pursue Second battalion." Another pause, "Then, tell First to dig in with the southern units of the 333rd to repel this Ork attack and the horde coming north, if it decides to turn that way."

"Very well, sir." Maheolas called to the regimental S6 and orders were passed immediately. The colonel listened to the vox transmissions as the orders were relayed, "King Actual, this is Bushmaster, immediate tactical withdrawal authorized..."

The regimental commissar interrupted his thoughts. Commissar Garm Syndall, accompanied by his servo-skull, towered over him in full uniform. "Colonel," Syndall said in his usual haughty tone, "I am crossing the river and will be accompanying 1st Battalion today." The colonel rose from his seat and turned to the commissar.

"Very well, Commissar. They will, without a doubt, be inspired by your presence to make the Emperor proud." Broadus lied cooly. The commissar strode out of the command center. Broadus breathed a sigh of relief. Syndall was of much better use fighting in the field than breathing down the colonel's neck.

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Order Breakdown:

1) 1st Battalion will defend the southern flank where the 333rd's southern defenses are, providing additional manpower as well as anti-vehicle and anti-personnel weaponry to that defense.

2) 2nd Battalion will move north at all speed and link up with 1st when they reach the defensive line, further bolstering their defenses to stop the Ork advance. They will likely abandon their heavy weapons and be mixed in with 1st but those logistics will be corrected after both Ork assaults are defeated.

3) The long-range weapons from O company and 4th Battalion remain in place, albeit more fortified, to do what they can to damage and slow down the Ork horde if they turn north to attack 2nd.

4) The regimental commissar is joining 1st battalion by crossing the river in a Chimera from L company. He carries a power sword, bolt pistol, and is followed by a servo skull armed with a weapon equivalent to the hellpistol.