I'm one of those guys who enjoy writing short stories. And I enjoy playing PR. So today I decided to combine the two. Previously, I've posted a few short stories in various threads. Now, I've created my own thread where I'll try to write about those PR moments that really shine for some reason. I hope you guys enjoy the stories as much as I enjoyed experiencing them.
An old one first:
I was squadleader on Ejod Desert. Me and my gang had moved ahead of the main assault force and set up a defensive position in and around the ruins just south of Gardens. We were planning to delay any MEC doing the same thing enough to let the rest of the team capture the Market (isn't it? Haven't played Ejod for a while). Then, just before the team had reached Market, gunfire erupted from the Gardens. We returned fire with our M16s. Then more G3s joined in. Suddenly we found ourselves in the middle of a huge contact. Everyone was constantly shouting over the gunfire, calling for ammo, calling for a medic. There was tracer everywhere, and all you could think about was getting as many rounds on target as possible, firing single shots and bursts towards the Gardens and the desert where the MEC tried flanking attacks. Smoke was everywhere, enemy and friendly, and all you could hear was men shouting, shots being fired and the cracks of rounds coming close. Grenades went off on all sides, and I had my M203 out, lobbing HE grenades over walls and sand dunes. It was all we could do; fire, reload and keep firing. Every man was doing his job and letting the others do theirs. There was no time to assess the tactical situation; we had enough trouble just staying alive. The rifleman supplying ammo was working overtime to keep us with fresh mags, and our corpsman was healing right and left while tracers were flying both ways. It was us, six men, against what must have been more than half the MEC team.
Two times our team tried assaulting Gardens on the eastern side, to our far right, but they were met with heavy 7.62 fire. The assaults stopped, then they were pushed back into the city. As the MEC emerged from cover, going for the city, we engaged them with grenades, then followed up with bullets. We took rapid single shots, emptying our mags, reloaded and kept firing. We were taking fire from the north, nortwest - our western side was protected by the concrete wall - and the east. And we held our ground.
After what seemed like hours, our teammates managed to rush into the gardens, capturing the CP and clearing the immidiate area. We reloaded and went left, boxing around the Gardens on the western side, going for the last remaining CP...
My War: A PR diary.
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KP
- Posts: 7863
- Joined: 2006-11-04 17:20
My War: A PR diary.
More guns and bullets make bad guys go away faster,
which in turn makes everyone in the area safer.
-Paul Howe
-
KP
- Posts: 7863
- Joined: 2006-11-04 17:20
Today, our squad was deployed on a hot mission: We were to seize control of Basrah from Insurgent forces, whose numbers had been increasing a great deal lately, to the point where British forces had to pull out of the city and back to our FOB at the airport.
I was feeling more than a little nervous when I jumped in the Landy with my SL (squad leader). This was my first deployment in Basrah, and I only had a rough idea about what to expect. We knew there was insurgents in the area, and that they would be armed. And that was about it.
As we rode out of the airport, hitting the asphalt road going through the desert surrounding the city, moving east, I checked chamber. The .50 cal had a round in the chamber and a belt of linked .50 coming out of it. As I scanned the road ahead and to our sides, I thought about the briefing we had gotten. The insurgents have a lot of civilian collaborators, the man had said. Shooting civvies was a big no-no, obviously. The thing was, some of the guys out here with me were real hot-heads and wouldn't hesitate to shoot whatever moved. Especially the guys manning the guns in the Warriors traveling behind us. Myself, I knew what I would do. If it was some civilian or one of my mates, there would be no questions, no hesitation: the civvie would get the good news from my .50.
We turned south and headed for the vehicle CP (checkpoint). As we approached the concrete bridge spanning a river, I checked it for IEDs. Clear. We moved across, eyes peeled for insurgent activity. Nothing so far.
A contact sparked up somewhere in the distance. I didn't turn to check it out. A few bursts of 7.62 short from an AK, then a couple of 5.56 rifles opened up. More AK fire, and the firefight was punctuated by the thunk-thunk of a Warrior's main gun. Some insurgent's having a bad day, I thought. But that's what you get when -
A body appeared on the wall of the CP, behind the barbed wire, firing an AK at us. Shit! I thought and opened up with the .50 cal. The noise of the gun was deafening, but I concentrated on using the tracers to hit the target. A couple of short bursts went right past him, and he ducked behind the top of the wall. People were appearing everywhere now, coming at us front, left and right. Soldiers were jumping out of their vehicles and firing their L85s at anything that moved.
"Come on!" I shouted over the radio. "Get moving, get inside, I'll cover you with the fifty!" The AK-carrying insurgent appeared again, and a good burst of .50 cal sent him off the edge of the wall in a cloud of red. I turned and fired at another insurgent, taking him down. They were everywhere! Brits were moving up alongside the vehicles, firing. A Warrior opened up with its gun, sending baddies flying from a window. He was bound to hit his own guys soon, I figured as I sent a few rounds downrange. Rounds were hitting the bodywork of the Landy, and there was nothing to do but firing. A Brit went down right next to me, blood spraying everywhere. On the other side of the CP, I could see a dirty, white technical racing towards us, the machine gun on the back cracking, firing into the British troops. I engaged it, firing desperately, hoping to hit whoever manned the gun. The Warrior right behind me fired, and two HE rounds thudded into the enemy car, blowing it to smithereens.
I could see civilians among the insurgents now, some of them throwing rocks at us, others just acting as human shields, knowing that we weren't allowed to shoot them. The troops had gone inside the CP now, and I could hear firing from inside, lots of it. An insurgent appeared on the wall, and as I turned towards him, a 5.56 round sent him right over the wall and onto the ground below.
The firefight stopped almost as suddenly as it had started. There was the odd burst of 7.62 in the distance, but it seemed that we had taken control of the situation. I reloaded, keeping an eye on the rock-throwing civilians. They were hitting the car, but doing little damage.
As I pulled the charging handle on my gun back, one of them started walking towards the mounted M249 that was pointing towards me. Not good, I thought, aiming for him. He walked up to the gun and got in behind it. Oh, no, don't you dare... Don't you do it! You dumb son-of-a... He fired a burst towards me, and with his rounds cracking by my head and thudding into the body of the Landy, I returned fire, hitting him right in the face, taking him down.
That, I realized, was the first time I'd killed a civilian.
I was feeling more than a little nervous when I jumped in the Landy with my SL (squad leader). This was my first deployment in Basrah, and I only had a rough idea about what to expect. We knew there was insurgents in the area, and that they would be armed. And that was about it.
As we rode out of the airport, hitting the asphalt road going through the desert surrounding the city, moving east, I checked chamber. The .50 cal had a round in the chamber and a belt of linked .50 coming out of it. As I scanned the road ahead and to our sides, I thought about the briefing we had gotten. The insurgents have a lot of civilian collaborators, the man had said. Shooting civvies was a big no-no, obviously. The thing was, some of the guys out here with me were real hot-heads and wouldn't hesitate to shoot whatever moved. Especially the guys manning the guns in the Warriors traveling behind us. Myself, I knew what I would do. If it was some civilian or one of my mates, there would be no questions, no hesitation: the civvie would get the good news from my .50.
We turned south and headed for the vehicle CP (checkpoint). As we approached the concrete bridge spanning a river, I checked it for IEDs. Clear. We moved across, eyes peeled for insurgent activity. Nothing so far.
A contact sparked up somewhere in the distance. I didn't turn to check it out. A few bursts of 7.62 short from an AK, then a couple of 5.56 rifles opened up. More AK fire, and the firefight was punctuated by the thunk-thunk of a Warrior's main gun. Some insurgent's having a bad day, I thought. But that's what you get when -
A body appeared on the wall of the CP, behind the barbed wire, firing an AK at us. Shit! I thought and opened up with the .50 cal. The noise of the gun was deafening, but I concentrated on using the tracers to hit the target. A couple of short bursts went right past him, and he ducked behind the top of the wall. People were appearing everywhere now, coming at us front, left and right. Soldiers were jumping out of their vehicles and firing their L85s at anything that moved.
"Come on!" I shouted over the radio. "Get moving, get inside, I'll cover you with the fifty!" The AK-carrying insurgent appeared again, and a good burst of .50 cal sent him off the edge of the wall in a cloud of red. I turned and fired at another insurgent, taking him down. They were everywhere! Brits were moving up alongside the vehicles, firing. A Warrior opened up with its gun, sending baddies flying from a window. He was bound to hit his own guys soon, I figured as I sent a few rounds downrange. Rounds were hitting the bodywork of the Landy, and there was nothing to do but firing. A Brit went down right next to me, blood spraying everywhere. On the other side of the CP, I could see a dirty, white technical racing towards us, the machine gun on the back cracking, firing into the British troops. I engaged it, firing desperately, hoping to hit whoever manned the gun. The Warrior right behind me fired, and two HE rounds thudded into the enemy car, blowing it to smithereens.
I could see civilians among the insurgents now, some of them throwing rocks at us, others just acting as human shields, knowing that we weren't allowed to shoot them. The troops had gone inside the CP now, and I could hear firing from inside, lots of it. An insurgent appeared on the wall, and as I turned towards him, a 5.56 round sent him right over the wall and onto the ground below.
The firefight stopped almost as suddenly as it had started. There was the odd burst of 7.62 in the distance, but it seemed that we had taken control of the situation. I reloaded, keeping an eye on the rock-throwing civilians. They were hitting the car, but doing little damage.
As I pulled the charging handle on my gun back, one of them started walking towards the mounted M249 that was pointing towards me. Not good, I thought, aiming for him. He walked up to the gun and got in behind it. Oh, no, don't you dare... Don't you do it! You dumb son-of-a... He fired a burst towards me, and with his rounds cracking by my head and thudding into the body of the Landy, I returned fire, hitting him right in the face, taking him down.
That, I realized, was the first time I'd killed a civilian.
More guns and bullets make bad guys go away faster,
which in turn makes everyone in the area safer.
-Paul Howe
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Top_Cat_AxJnAt
- Posts: 3215
- Joined: 2006-02-02 17:13
SMashing, read them both.
I coudl really feel the tention in the first story, desperately waiting for reinforcements to arrive. It was also helped by my self having previous experience of the enormitity of trying to defend the Gardens, particuarly at the start of the round!
The seconds story is very good aswell. Alittle confusing but then again, battles in PR are often aslo. I also dont really know of a book describing action e.g Sharps Waterloo ext. whos action sequences have not bewildere me totaly, so looks like you have mastered the art that all the great authors have of being able to describe horribly violent that confuse and loose the reader uterly.
Last thing i must note is that however brilliantly or poorely you tell a story about PR, it is still about PR and therefore you really cant fail to interest and grip any true PR loving person. The second story most so, becuase i must say you did pick probaly one of the greatest 0.6 levels, which when you play at the moment almost always contains some new, exciting and cool adn i think you conveyed those feeling pretty damn well.
nice one KP, look forwed to some more. O, and if you are any good at taking in-game screen shots, which i am not (game freezes for about 4 secs), mabey you could add just 1 or 2 of the level of location, does nto have to be of the actual battle though.
I coudl really feel the tention in the first story, desperately waiting for reinforcements to arrive. It was also helped by my self having previous experience of the enormitity of trying to defend the Gardens, particuarly at the start of the round!
The seconds story is very good aswell. Alittle confusing but then again, battles in PR are often aslo. I also dont really know of a book describing action e.g Sharps Waterloo ext. whos action sequences have not bewildere me totaly, so looks like you have mastered the art that all the great authors have of being able to describe horribly violent that confuse and loose the reader uterly.
Last thing i must note is that however brilliantly or poorely you tell a story about PR, it is still about PR and therefore you really cant fail to interest and grip any true PR loving person. The second story most so, becuase i must say you did pick probaly one of the greatest 0.6 levels, which when you play at the moment almost always contains some new, exciting and cool adn i think you conveyed those feeling pretty damn well.
nice one KP, look forwed to some more. O, and if you are any good at taking in-game screen shots, which i am not (game freezes for about 4 secs), mabey you could add just 1 or 2 of the level of location, does nto have to be of the actual battle though.
Last edited by Top_Cat_AxJnAt on 2007-05-27 14:08, edited 1 time in total.
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KP
- Posts: 7863
- Joined: 2006-11-04 17:20
Heh, mine does that too. So there won't be a lot of them.Top _Cat the great wrote:and if you are any good at taking in-game screen shots, which i am not (game freezes for about 4 secs), mabey you could add just 1 or 2 of the level of location, does nto have to be of the actual battle though.
Guess I'll have to head back into PR later and see if I can't get into some more sticky situations to write about.
More guns and bullets make bad guys go away faster,
which in turn makes everyone in the area safer.
-Paul Howe
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BrazilKing
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 2007-05-23 14:57
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Teek
- Posts: 3162
- Joined: 2006-12-23 02:45
very good work, but you inspired me to write about a very awesome round of my own, where my squad destroyed 2 ammo dumps before any makers. we suffered only 1 casualty.
My Platoon was preparing to mobilize and take back Al Basra region, a few minutes before 1140, our Platoon leader instructed me to lead a squad south into a small village near a river, Intel reported 1-3 possible ammo caches in the area. We mounted up in a Warrior IFV after checking our loadout of a LAW-80 rifleman, At assistant rifleman ,2 medics, and a crewman plus me as a officer. I consulted with other squad leaders, they would clear the village and we where to clear the fields and perimeter. we flanked around east, to a large bridge, my thinking was that the warrior would be seen by there RPGs in the area, I was mistaken.
we enter the large bridge, and take a RPG to the front. Get Out! GO! I yell as the rocket rattles the transporter. we take another RPG before the gunner pops smoke and reverses of the bridge, it wont be long before the smoke dissipates and half our squad on the bridge are left exposed. so I tell them over the radio, get on the side of the road, the warrior will pull up, stop and you will hop in. we pull up in front of 3 members and the jump in, watching the horizon for RPGs, by now though, they are probably distracted by our forces to the north. as we move south we clear a house and destroy a ammo dump, we move south behind a building and regroup, alright, this building is our rally point, everyone got ammo and unhurt? I inquire. the squad affirms that.
from here we move out west to that compound, check for activity, the warrior will provide cover from our south flank I state, we move slowly through a lush green field, then; Contact! North-west 100 meters!. Some foolish Arab on the road spots us and opens up with a MG, we dive to the deck, our IFV dispatching him, to my right I hear a cry ofI'm hit!. I tell them to get him to cover behind the wall had help him, we will create a perimeter around this house.
A squad mate reports that there is movement to a large building to north, I throw smoke and together we clear the building, no ammo dump, and the insurgents moved away, the squad moves up and holds the building. I notice our forces at the VCP are in trouble, so after setting a rally point on this building, I order the team to move towards the VCP. A pickup truck flys off the road and in to a ditch behind up, It flips over and a Insurgent get out, he gets gunned down, a red car travels fast along the road and collides with the warrior, exploding and restoring the warrior. Dam, there goes our fire support, quick, Leroy, see if there are survivors I say to the squad. leeroy returns, he says he pulled one man from the wreckage, but needs a Evac. I get on the horn. A few minutes later and landy speeds towards base. McFlabb, come with me and we will check this house to our north, rest of you, proceed to the VCP, I clear the house and destroy another ammo dump, Maclab and I enter the VCP from the north, we take defencive positions after finding it empty except for a Jihad wagon, I drop a grenade in and it blows up, but so dose the C4 on the seat. I get propelled over the fence and lie there for what seems like hours until a medic comes over, he says you have a few words, and your hurt you leg, lets get you in to the VCP and Ill patch up up.
My Platoon was preparing to mobilize and take back Al Basra region, a few minutes before 1140, our Platoon leader instructed me to lead a squad south into a small village near a river, Intel reported 1-3 possible ammo caches in the area. We mounted up in a Warrior IFV after checking our loadout of a LAW-80 rifleman, At assistant rifleman ,2 medics, and a crewman plus me as a officer. I consulted with other squad leaders, they would clear the village and we where to clear the fields and perimeter. we flanked around east, to a large bridge, my thinking was that the warrior would be seen by there RPGs in the area, I was mistaken.
we enter the large bridge, and take a RPG to the front. Get Out! GO! I yell as the rocket rattles the transporter. we take another RPG before the gunner pops smoke and reverses of the bridge, it wont be long before the smoke dissipates and half our squad on the bridge are left exposed. so I tell them over the radio, get on the side of the road, the warrior will pull up, stop and you will hop in. we pull up in front of 3 members and the jump in, watching the horizon for RPGs, by now though, they are probably distracted by our forces to the north. as we move south we clear a house and destroy a ammo dump, we move south behind a building and regroup, alright, this building is our rally point, everyone got ammo and unhurt? I inquire. the squad affirms that.
from here we move out west to that compound, check for activity, the warrior will provide cover from our south flank I state, we move slowly through a lush green field, then; Contact! North-west 100 meters!. Some foolish Arab on the road spots us and opens up with a MG, we dive to the deck, our IFV dispatching him, to my right I hear a cry ofI'm hit!. I tell them to get him to cover behind the wall had help him, we will create a perimeter around this house.
A squad mate reports that there is movement to a large building to north, I throw smoke and together we clear the building, no ammo dump, and the insurgents moved away, the squad moves up and holds the building. I notice our forces at the VCP are in trouble, so after setting a rally point on this building, I order the team to move towards the VCP. A pickup truck flys off the road and in to a ditch behind up, It flips over and a Insurgent get out, he gets gunned down, a red car travels fast along the road and collides with the warrior, exploding and restoring the warrior. Dam, there goes our fire support, quick, Leroy, see if there are survivors I say to the squad. leeroy returns, he says he pulled one man from the wreckage, but needs a Evac. I get on the horn. A few minutes later and landy speeds towards base. McFlabb, come with me and we will check this house to our north, rest of you, proceed to the VCP, I clear the house and destroy another ammo dump, Maclab and I enter the VCP from the north, we take defencive positions after finding it empty except for a Jihad wagon, I drop a grenade in and it blows up, but so dose the C4 on the seat. I get propelled over the fence and lie there for what seems like hours until a medic comes over, he says you have a few words, and your hurt you leg, lets get you in to the VCP and Ill patch up up.
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BlackwaterEddie
- Posts: 752
- Joined: 2007-02-01 13:26
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KP
- Posts: 7863
- Joined: 2006-11-04 17:20
No, it wasn't, actually. But now that I think back, it reminded me a lot of that scene...BlackwaterEddie wrote:He walked up to the gun and got in behind it. Oh, no, don't you dare... Don't you do it
Thats a line from Black Hawk Down isnt it?
Good writing mate, enjoying it muchly
And thanks!
More guns and bullets make bad guys go away faster,
which in turn makes everyone in the area safer.
-Paul Howe
-
KP
- Posts: 7863
- Joined: 2006-11-04 17:20
The oil was heavy in the air. It formed a sticky layer on my skin. It traveled into my lungs and stung in my chest. Even my teeth were covered in the sticky, smelling black stuff. It mixed with the sweat on my skin and made my MARPAT desert uniform a dirty mix of khaki, brown and black blotches and spots. Well, I thought, guess it's not all that bad. At least I'd blend in well with the oil-stained sand of the Al Kufrah desert.
My squad had just been dropped off from an MH-6 helicopter near a shot-down cargo plane that would serve as a shelter for our rally point. If it even worked. This mission had gone to heck from the very beginning. We had no AT kits with us in an area swarming with enemy armour. We had no real plan. No immediate actions that everybody knew. We were just hastily thrown together for this mission. And most importantly: we had no comms. It seemed everyone in the area had lost all radio contact with each other. That meant we had no way of communicating with each other without shouting. And that was bad.
We made our way underneath the cargo plane, and stopped to set up a rally point. It would have to do for now. There wasn't much cover in this desert, and the wreck stood out like a sore thumb, but it was all we had at the moment.
As the squad gathered around the squad leader, there was a new sound in the air. Christ. It was a tank. Not an Abrams. A MEC T-90, and by the sound of it, heading straight for us. We spread out, most of the squad heading for the high ground above the plane. I knew that was a bad move, but without comms, I couldn't tell them. The tank was sure to head for the high ground to get a clear view of our advancing forces. I legged it, taking cover behind the plane's tail as the tank pulled up on the high ground, right where my squad was trying to find cover. The coaxial gun sparked up, and I could picture all my squadmates getting shot to pieces. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it, and neither could they. So I just sat there, in the shadow of the enormous cargo plane, listening to the carnage. A few more bursts, and the firing died down. I checked my GPS. No friendly markers. They were all dead. I swallowed. Now what?
To be continued...
My squad had just been dropped off from an MH-6 helicopter near a shot-down cargo plane that would serve as a shelter for our rally point. If it even worked. This mission had gone to heck from the very beginning. We had no AT kits with us in an area swarming with enemy armour. We had no real plan. No immediate actions that everybody knew. We were just hastily thrown together for this mission. And most importantly: we had no comms. It seemed everyone in the area had lost all radio contact with each other. That meant we had no way of communicating with each other without shouting. And that was bad.
We made our way underneath the cargo plane, and stopped to set up a rally point. It would have to do for now. There wasn't much cover in this desert, and the wreck stood out like a sore thumb, but it was all we had at the moment.
As the squad gathered around the squad leader, there was a new sound in the air. Christ. It was a tank. Not an Abrams. A MEC T-90, and by the sound of it, heading straight for us. We spread out, most of the squad heading for the high ground above the plane. I knew that was a bad move, but without comms, I couldn't tell them. The tank was sure to head for the high ground to get a clear view of our advancing forces. I legged it, taking cover behind the plane's tail as the tank pulled up on the high ground, right where my squad was trying to find cover. The coaxial gun sparked up, and I could picture all my squadmates getting shot to pieces. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about it, and neither could they. So I just sat there, in the shadow of the enormous cargo plane, listening to the carnage. A few more bursts, and the firing died down. I checked my GPS. No friendly markers. They were all dead. I swallowed. Now what?
To be continued...
More guns and bullets make bad guys go away faster,
which in turn makes everyone in the area safer.
-Paul Howe
