| The Gathel Campaign |
| 6/18/04 Again, another comms break, this one due again to weather and an iron rich area. Maxwell led his troops onto the continent of Gathel, landing in a mountainous, iron rich area on the continent where communications had been severed. I understand many of you are wondering who the 405th will be fighting in this campaign, the answer is heretics. A heresy had taken place and the Schaaroni 987th Armored, 822nd Infantry and 1824th Mechanised had been overrun, with pockets of fighting going on in random parts of the world, some still going on. The remaining imperium loyal forces of Schaaroni are dwindling. The heretics had built a seawall reminescent of that done by nazi germany during the second great war. Maxwell himself will admit the fighting on the beaches was harsh, but needless to say for a good cause. Once the wall had been breached and the bunkers gone through and secured, the 405th had found POWs, both of the Schaaroni forces and of heretics who had returned to being loyal. Humanitarian aid was given where neccesary. Months after the initial landing, yesterday the 405th had made it out of the iron rich mountains and into a plains area. many small skirmishes were fought in the mountains, not much heavy fighting came until the troops of combined Schaaroni and Macronian forces came out of the mountains and into a village on the foothills of the Harkil Mountains. Needless to say without light artillery and even tank support, fighting was hard until such support could be recieved. Still sporting their arctic camoflouge as winter was setting in, the troops had charged into the village from the northeastern side, heretic artillery and lasgun fire splitting up most of the forces into squads no more than 10 men each. Each squad, some leftovers others still intact, went from house to house clearing out heretics and regrouping with their platoons in the streets. once a field had been secured with 1/8th of the village as well, artillery both light and heavy with tanks had been dropped in to support the fight. With the tanks and artillery pieces the heretic forces had been broken up, with small pockets of resistance until the last mile of the village. During this last mile the fighting had reached it's peak, armor convoys were rolling down the main thoroughfares as these were just barely wide enough to for the tanks and such to go down (the treads were riding on the sidewalks) most of these tanks did come under light fire. It was in the side streets and alleyways that the heaviest of fire had been exchanged. Maxwell himself had taken a mid-severity injury when a heretic had attemtped a bayonet charge, while he was able to parry the bayonet away ,it had still sliced down his left bicep and forearm. After a medic from the first platoon, 3rd squad had fixed up the wound did Maxwell fighting, though only with use of his sidearm. After the village had been taken did we recieve a damage assessment. The collateral damage from this battle was light, only three buildings had been reduced to rubble, occupied only by heretics. Damage taken by the army, however, was extensive: two men died, and 91% of the men were wounded in some way, 20% of those wounded had been serious enough to warrany combat surgery. However those who had turned loyal again, and the still loyal townspeople were very thankful for the liberation of the village. the Schaaroni 248th Infantry will stay behind as an occupational force while the 405th recovers and moves on to take the next village, field or whatever comes next. |