3may5

MAY 2003 @ SAC page 5.

Within 20 minutes, I decided to carry on with the planned patrol and quickly got my guys together. I would be Patrol leader and pointman (being the only guy to know the site). I chose Nilz as the second man as he had a drum magazine, Nitrox was third, followed by our sniper Nete. Bringing up the rear was Sab now also packing a 1000 round drum magazine.

I told Mantis he was in charge of the defence and that Stinger would have to fall back to the flag if it went wrong. Then we departed through the front door, in a patrol formation. Yet again, I had asked them to make sure they had good 10m spacing and taught them all the handsignal for an RV and how this tactic works. Once we got out past the target range and into the ditch near the Safe Zone, I informed Nilz that I would work 20m ahead of him. I explained this was to minimise losses to just me, if there was an ambush. I set off and headed uphill towards the trenches.

Moving quietly, I was impressed with how little noise the 69th were making. Confidently, we cleared out the trenches, finding the defendable positions vacant. I signalled on up the steep hill and pressed forward fairly quickly. Reaching the top, I realised that the day was now very hot and knew we all needed a break. When Nilz closed the 20m I positioned him watching the sniper path to our west, whilst NITROX covered our right. When Nete arrived, I told him to sit and watch the BADGER PATH where it dissappeared over a ridge towards the Plateau 60m away. The last man was Sab and I tasked him with watching the woodland downhill. This was our �All Round Defence�, enabling us to take stock of the situation whilst cooling down, with us all in good positions only 5m apart.

Sab suddenly said, �I can see 4 guys right down there.� Indicating the direction with his Famas, while he scoped them. Both me and Nete turned round and indeed could make out silhouettes near the Pillbox area; 150m away. �I can count 4 men.� he added.

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Nilz made it upto a parrallel position, �Where are they?� he asked. His question soon answered by incoming fire at my position.

Once he got the target, he moved uphill 5m. We both put down rounds, with me taking all the return fire and then Nilz put down a short burst and Ghostshell shouted �HIT!�

�That one is yours Nilz, now let�s withdraw!� I called and we moved back into the heavier cover. Everyone was there, so I wasted no time, �Now we bug out really quick.� I informed everyone and dashed off over the grass field towards the bottom path. Within seconds we were out of contact and clearing the ground around the Safe Zone. Getting down into cover, the 69th informed me that they had seen all 4 UE players moving across near the Pillbox. �This is when we go to their TAG ZONE and set up an ambush guys. Wait as long as you can before firing and hope they have joined back into the game.� and we moved off near Bear�s trench. I signalled them to get down when we were only 20m from the Zone. I pushed off 10m to a lone gorse bush in the field and got prone. I changed my 190 magazine for a fresh clockwork.

Through the hole in the bush, I could see a clearing where the TAG ZONE was near and observed. Only 30 seconds later, the 2 Tagged out players arrived, soon followed by NUT and STICK who were still active. I watched. Nut moved into the centre of the clearing, after passing his pen to the guys at the TAG ZONE. I held my fire and soon STICK settled down behind a thin tree, at the otherside of the trench. To the left, I could see 1 guy sat down filling in the sheet. If anyof them turned round, it was possible that I would be seen. I looked over to the rest of my team mates and could tell that they didn�t really have a claer LOS. The UE guys started to discuss tactics and decided that I would shoot, as soon as anybody moved.

A minute later, my nerve had gone and I fired a burst into NUT, before walking my fire onto STICK, behind the tree. They were both HIT in the same second. The guy by the TAG ZONE was also HIT, but had not yet rejoined the game. All of UE were now out of the game and I signalled a retreat, before we came under fire from their TAG ZONE. Charging down to the safety of the trench bordering the SAFE ZONE, we dug in and exchanged afew comments. Spirits were high, but I snapped them back into the game, by telling them to spread out to our right.

We moved silently down the steep bankside and out into the edge of the field. I was out in front and the only player in direct visual contact with the contact. Taking my time, I saw them through the dense thicket, silhouetted against the light field in the background 80m away. They moved into the lower trench and were watching the bottom path. I identified them as the UE and could easily make out the silhouette of Ghostshell�s wide brimmed hat. We held our position and didn�t move.

After a minute, they moved off towards the east, away from our camp. Yet I decided to follow them and hopefully engage anyway. Waving Nilz on, I moved fairly quickly with only limited noise and made it to the trench the UE had just left. I saw them 70m just inside the treeline and pressed on once they were out of sight. Making it to the cover I had last seen them, I could see2 guys 20m apart on the ridge. Waving Nilz to move up quick, I took aim at the rear guy, Reflex and let off a aimed burst at him 35m away. He heard the fire and dodged in a Matrix style, with my burst passing just infrontof his body. He turned and ran over the ridge towards a small tree. I knew where he had gone to ground and still fired even though he was out of LOS. My pellets arced over the ridge and into the dead ground. He shouted, �HIT!� I took cover, as Ghostshell opened up in response. A large tree was only meters away, so I got behind it.

�Just keep still and we�ll be fine.� I assured everyone. I got my Motorola T6222 out and reported back to Mantis the location of the contact and strength. Soap also responded, saying that he could see multiple opponents above his position (at the backdoor). I explained to Nilz that I still intended to move to the Plateau, but then Soap came over the radio and he sounded like he was under pressure. He suggested we return to base and back him up. I decided then to abandon the initial objective of the Patrol (Recce the Plateau.) Instead deciding to Counter attack the inbound team. I told the guys and we headed off at pace instantly. Within seconds we had crossed onto the next hillock, above the last visual sign of the contact. Risking being compromised, I moved off down the ridgeline quickly, to try and close the gap with the patrol we were trailing. Once at the crest of the ridge, I could see 2 of the UE moving down through the trenches, the same way that we had come earlier. I signalled to Nilz..... TWO, OPPONENTS and indicated the direction. Watching them move off, I signalled my intention to not follow them and instead chose a different route to try and intercept them.