Grandpa Troll's Battlecade through the Ages

[Grandpa Troll]

I have decided to part ways from my so called textbook drivelings of a game played out in text as that didnt seem to make it.

I am however drawn to writing and have decided to follow my artistic license and take you folks on a trip as I remember battles throughout the ages.

Stay tuned, as this will not be replayed in any way,shape or form in any public venue.

I only hope to bring some entertaining value to those whom enjoy reading


Back in a bit

Gramps

[Grandpa Troll]

Operation Cardboard Chapter One

Rain pounded hard down on our command post in the fields of France as we assembled to get our new orders. I lost my most experienced squad leader, Sgt.Travers in the battle at Bastogne. I guess I should introduced myself, I am Gunnery Sergeant Gramps and I command a unit of ground glass eating mud dawgs and we get assigned some serious action. We were commissioned to take out hot spots and by the looks of the maps Captain Iredale has laid out; the picnic starts about 3 kilometers west of here.

Captain Iredale came in and placed his hand on my shoulder, speaking sternly” Gunny, we got a hot one and you will need to take some new replacements, Corporal Benjamin lost his foot when he and Sgt Travers stepped on that landmine. Im sorry as I know they were two of your most experienced, but we need to press onward!” I felt a tightening at his words “replacements”. Maybe I could get a break and not green recruits, but nothing would matter, an encounter or two would get them up to speed quickly.

Captain Iredale continued” After you assemble your unit with fresh troops; you will proceed to checkpoint Foxtrot-Echo-Niner. Once there a member of the French underground will take you to where the Germans are using a railhead as trap for our boys who jumped ahead of the invasion. We will call this action Cardboard because we want to fold it up and collapse the surprises they have been giving us near there. You see Gunny, that’s a strategic point where several major roads linkup as well as a small port along the river Entrenes de Seine so the Germans know we want it, but they wont expect your group; they are looking for an airborne invasion. Armor can’t get through and air support in the heavy fog and miserable rain leaves only this option. I am tasking you with disrupting their plans, take out the garrison, reinforce the east side of the Dubious Le Enfant Bridge and hold it so we can eventually counter attack any efforts and stall them from reinforcing their supply lines”

I took the essential maps from him, and headed out to form up from the replacement pool a compliment to fill out my 18-man assault unit. This was nothing short of a deathtrap but if we don’t take that control point, a lot of Gi’s and allied troops will lose their lives.

I will lead my men, men, heck we all came here and these boys that join me don’t have time enough to spell men let alone mature slowly into seasoned veterans, no, they learn from behind the curve and often anti with lives, limbs and loved ones known as pals and buddies. But we wont mourn long or we will become memories. Time for a gut check, Time to come here for what we were trained to do.

[Grandpa Troll]

Operation Cardboard Chapter Two

“Ok men, here what is gonna happen, get as much ammo as you can handle, Preston and Boone you each will have the responsibility of our machine guns for suppressing fire, each man on the squad shall carry an extra two box’s carrying 20 rounds each. These machine guns are a special M1941 Light Machine Gun. It is a .30 caliber that fires .30-06 Springfield ammunition. The French underground is also going to help bring ample supplies to keep us stocked. Ortega and Sampson are going to have the BAR, that’s the Browning automatic rifle and no need for extra ammo; we have a truckload already in place. We will try to draw the Germans out in the open and if successful, we can capture this strategic position. We need to make sure our accuracy is on target and stealth is important until we jump them. Is this clear?” pausing as the men respond affirmative. I can see many eager faces and even some who question what lies ahead. In several hours they will see with clarity what we have been assigned.


We move along the roadside in tactical columns just inside the hedgerows. I pass the word along to watch for any suspicious activities in the homes we pass by across the fields. This is usually a good location for German snipers, who, when properly trained with the Mauser Karabininer 98k, at distances of 500-800 meters, could be a lethal shooting gallery against us.

After several hours and a few delays due to reconnaissance flights passing overhead, we meet our underground contact. The coded message exchanged, we move forward. I pick up on the distinctive MG42 fire rate and signal the halt of the troops. I call for Sgt. Owens who will lead one of three squads to join me.

“Sgt.Owens here Gunny, what’s up?” he looks into my eyes with a serious stare. I motion him to look through the binoculars at a clump of trees about 900 yards and see a small gathering of German troops. “This is the outer perimeter Sgt Owens, of our objective” I motion him to gain strategic position to over take the 7-10 men gathered there.

He heads back to his men and they move along the ditch line covered by hedgerows while I call up the next squad leader, Sgt. Morgan. He was a replacement in from the 82nd Airborne and would be a good leader for the next task. “Sgt. Morgan, we need you to take your squad and move west by south until you can circle around behind the approach to the water tank refill area for the trains. It has to be 1300 yards from the main depot so cover and concealment, your specialty, must be adhered to.” He simply nodded and slowly retreated back to his men.

I take the remainder of the men, I shall lead the covering fire and get my four machine gunners and show a map to them and ask our French Resistance contacts to double time the ammo up as we will soon be in need of it. I assign two snipers to find cover so they may cover the machine gunners. I then assign 3 riflemen to deploy forward and stop aggressor troops who may try to approach. I look at my watch; soon, we will be engaged in a very fierce battle. I take a breath and we move into position.

[Paddy]

Good value

[Metaliturtle]

I like the descriptions Gramps

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Metaliturtle
I like the descriptions Gramps

Hope to have a go at a few more chapters today

Thanks

[Grandpa Troll]

Chapter Three

I felt a familiar chill on the nape of my neck as we slowly deployed forward. I knew we had to reach the bridge and create a chokepoint. The snipers would have to be ever so accurate, and all the unknowns, but, being a fluid operation it shall be ever evolving with the changing conditions we are faced with.

We maneuver around undetected while our other two deployments prepare their assault.

Sgt.Owens has the first engagement close to kicking off. He instructs his men to deploy. Moving quietly, crawling at a snails pace across open ground with limited cover, the German congregation assembled is oblivious to what is soon to be their demise. Sgt. Owens has gotten his squad to within 200 meters when he spotted what appeared to be a German officer engaged in, shall we say, personal business, ion the woods not 30 feet from their position. Owens signals his men to cover him as he draws his M-9 Bayonet and eases behind the German Officer, apparently a Battery Commander for what must be these men’s duty. There was a slight defilade where the unit was bunched, which kept the officer from being seen. Sgt. Owens waited as the officer finished his business and to his demise and Sgt. Owens luck, this officer chose now to change his socks. As he was pulling his Marschstiefel or Jackboots off, Sgt. Owens crept up silently from behind, grabbed his forehead and kicking him to the ground, slid his blade across the Officers throat with a slight gurgle the life flowed from his body and gently laid the Officer down is the field.

Sgt. Owens now motioned his team into action, taking out the 8 Germans whom were left. This started a chain reaction, which we knew would happen. Sgt. Owens held a satchel from the Officer, which contained maps and routes, but his German was not up to snuff for translation. He would get these back to Gunny Gramps who had a qualified German Translator with him from headquarters.

Sgt. Owens assigned one of his men to look for documents among the dead while the rest covered their position. He hoped the other squads could also accomplish their objectives as well. They found each soldier had a small identification card of sorts with the inscription Kanone "DORA".

These men we here at this railhead for a reason, He hoped this intelligence would provide insight as to what was happening.

[Grandpa Troll]

Chapter Four

Sgt. Morgan heard the firefight from Sgt. Owens encounter and he knew it would draw some attention to his unit’s movement. He was closing in on his main objective: Overtake a strategic position to control the refill point for water in the approach to the railhead. Sgt. Morgan deployed a couple of snipers he had on his team and they saw a small assault team headed toward where Sgt. Owens had his engagement. They used their M1903-A4 Springfield Sniper Rifles. These lethal weapons had the extremely accurate Weaver 330C telescopic sight as standard issue, but our unit was able to acquire what was standard Marine Corps issue, and that was the scope of choice, known as the M1903-A1/Unertl it could reach out and touch enemy combatants at over 600 yards. This was an 8X compared to the standard 2.5X of the A4. This let the assault team, all 5 of them, laid to rest before the engaged any of our troops.

Sgt. Morgan deployed his troops and sent his snipers, along with plenty of ammo, to scale to water tower for a more advantageous view of what lay ahead.

Gunny Gramps, however, came upon a more congested scene.

Gunny Gramps deployed his machine gunners just before several squads of the vaunted Heeresgruppe Seben which was in this area and ready for action, got into position. Gunny Gramps called for a runner. He arrived and Gunny order him to move around to Sgt, Owens position and have his squad collapse into a flanking position. All hell was breaking out now and Gunny knew it was on, full force with no out except victory or death. He order half dozen of his riflemen to deploy forward and protect the machine gunners which were his hope and rested the success of the operation.

Mg42 fire was constant, relentlessly shredding the cover area just in front of us. Corporal Higgins and two other men came scurrying up from just out of view of the approaching German forces. Higgins hurried to Gunny’s side. “GUNNY" he whooped loudly, “we found several crates of Panzerfausts in a bunker just behind that shed, so Cooper and Holloway are setting up so we can use on the Germans.”

Gunny told him to let the rip as soon as possible before we got in a tight.

[Metaliturtle]

Way to go GT! Two chapters uploaded. Are you on some sort of Grandpalicious vacation?

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Metaliturtle
Way to go GT! Two chapters uploaded. Are you on some sort of Grandpalicious vacation?

Wife was away

I really want to get back writing

I need all the practice I can get, unlike most, it dun come naturally, I need to wwork hard at putting stuff together

[Paddy]

Thanks mate - was elsewhere and only just noticed you added some more

[unscratchedfoot]

Uh oh, the poor Germans are up for some more abuse. Keep the goods coming Mr. Grampa.

[Paddy]

Originally posted by unscratchedfoot
Uh oh, the poor Germans are up for some more abuse. Keep the goods coming Mr. Grampa.

well said