[IC] Battle of Targus IV (Gunther/Starboard Watch)

[Starboard Watch]

They want neither God, nor Emperor
nor pain, nor consciousness.
Only prisons and howls,
Fires in the skies.

It's our fate to read
This horrifying novel
With the swollen eyes
Of mothers and brides.

THE BATTLE OF TARGUS IV

A thousand fires burned bright on the surface of Targus IV.

The once-green world, home to a billion souls of Severacian extraction, has been set alight like a dry field doused with gasoline. Whoever could not flee to the inner worlds of the Empire took up arms in defense of their world against the rabid Revolutionaries who sought to destroy Order and Truth on their homeworld and across the Galaxy, and who threatened to tear apart the greatest union of Man in history.

It was up to the 25th (Royal Panchala) Grenadier Regiment, as well as some other hastily-raised conscript regiments, to hold the line against the oncoming onslaught. While a vicious fleet action raged high in orbit, the men of the Ground Forces put up a vicious and dauntless defense against the invaders.

Brigadier General Childebrand, son of Clovis, stood behind the ruined parapet of the Faunkleid House, the once glorious seat of the Faunkleid Family which had been the lords of this Sector for many centuries. Now, it was almost indistinguishable from the rest of the decimated city of Taxandria, reduced to rubble by the brief-but-deadly orbital bombardment of the rebel forces.

He watched through his field glasses at the burning city some miles away. There, his men were fighting a grueling and vicious battle to toss the revolutionaries off the planet and back where they came. The Paladins had arrived only a week before the first rebel ships came into orbit, and were caught on the back foot as their orbital bombardment destroyed what little defenses they constructed. Many of the Empire's men had died in the fighting, including the previous brigade commander. He had been promoted as an acting-Brigadier, but it was starting to look like that he would have no time to be officially promoted.

For he was sure he would die on the surface of this world which, although part of his Home Sector and populated with his Folk, was far from his home of Panchala.

Oh, what a lovely war, he mused to himself cynically. They had spent all their lives preparing for War, but when it finally came, he found the business quite distasteful to say the least. But in the six years since the Civil War first broke out, he had become accustomed to it. He even began to relish in it.

A fighter-bomber squadron, friendly of course, streaked overhead and broke his thoughts as they headed at flank speed to annihilate an enemy position. But Childebrand was wondering just how they would be able to throw them off the planet for good.

[Gunther]

"Targus’ beautiful and complex architecture built tall by hands and machinery
now rests scattered as heaps of rubble. The range, trajectory, and explosive yield of bombs
dropped from above have reshaped the city into a no-man’s-land of ash and remains for soldiers
to fight over. Spilled blood and charred debris decorate the landscape.”

The Brigade Adjutant, Major Angelburt, son of Ragenaus told the twenty-eight year old Lieutenant they could expect only a few replacements. The supply of humans capable of fighting had either perished in this terrible war or had joined a hastily conjured Volunteer Regiment. There would be few new men to share this misery with.

That was six months ago.

Two days ago, Major Angelburt was found dead in his hooch. Someone slit his throat. Did the Centaurans send assassins behind enemy lines targeting Penchalan officers? Was it one of Brigadier Childebrand’s own men who committed this atrocity? Major Radbod, the Brigade Quartermaster did not know how it happened, and they shared living quarters in the Brigade Support Area (BSA).

Yesterday, the Operations Officer, Major Vigor finalized his plan, Operation SALIAN which would send CHILDEBRAND Brigade head long into a Battalion of Chasseurs or what the Panchalans referred to as Jaegers (Light Infantry). The enemy was at 75% strength and entrenched along what used to be an elevated interstate line leading north from the city. They undoubtedly had minefields sewn into the soil in front of them. The Brigade’s plan detailed a squadron of fighter bombers to drop Scatterable Munitions along the Chasseurs’ front with the intent to blow up the mines and provide the 25th Grenadier regiment with a corridor to penetrate behind the enemy lines.

The First battalion would penetrate along Terrary Strasse to the north, while the Second battalion had the mission of penetrating the center portion of the battalion. The general and his Jump TOC would accompany the 2nd Battalion on its mission. The Third battalion had a similar mission two kilometers south of the Second battalion. The 114th and 116th would follow the first and second battalions along their routes of advance and push on further east past the enemy Jaegers dug in.

Theuderic rode in the front seat of the armored car with his rifle hanging out the window. Gefreiter Dalfin raced forward with his foot pushing the aged vehicle as fast as he could get it to move. Theuderic could see the pride in his commander’s face as he looked up at the fighter bombers preparing to make their run on the enemy positions to their front.

Seeing his commander stand in the track commander’s hatch with confidence inspired him to know this would be a good day. He trained his eyes ahead to watch the rolling thunder hitting the ground in front and scanned the horizon for targets; waiting for the rapidly advancing vehicle to reach the enemy positions.

[Starboard Watch]

Brigadier Childebrand looked down into the armored car and could see the young driver, Gefreiter Dalfin, who was driving pedal-to-metal to get the front-leading officer to where his men were by now beginning their opening maneuvers. True to the custom of the Panchalans, and indeed the entire Empire, an officer would be required to lead from the front. Changes to the operation were always, as the doctrine taught to them said, better conducted in the direct field of fire.

He looked behind him and could see a convoy of armored cars, perhaps ten or twelve of them, likewise on a course to assist the infantry operations. The flag of the Royal Panchalan Regiment fluttered in the wind on each of their cars. Their part in the plan, an ingenious gambit that if it paid off would surely throw the Chasseurs in disarray but if it didn't would doom the defense to defeat, would be to smash through the weakest point in their lines and overwhelm the already occupied enemy infantry. It would be, in essence, like a cavalry charge of Old. Like when Procas cut apart the Tirolian lines on the Fields of Trantano.

"Lieutenant! Issue the codeword to the Brigade!" The Brigadier shouted down over the roar of the engines. The watch-word Ritterschaft would denote that the officers of the companies and battalions would begin their offensive operations, and to signal to the convoy that they would soon be breaking through the enemy lines, and to prepare for engagement.

[Gunther]

Oberleutnant Theuderic grabbed the handset, shoved it into the side of his helmet next to his ear and spoke firmly, “All elements, all elements, this is Wächter Zero niner, I say, Ritterschaft! I say again, Ritterschaft, over!” with the proword, Ritterschaft uttered, each of the battalion commanders or their designees repeated the word followed by out, indicating they had both received the order and would comply.

At the tip of the spear. At the leading edge of the Brigade, the 1st Platoon of Number 6 company of the Royal Panchalan Grenadier Regiment surged forward along the Kreuzhof Stadium Platz. Fortunately, the route was clear of mines or any obstacles to speak of. The Centauran Chasseurs fired their General Purpose Machineguns at the advancing Badger Armored Personnel Carriers. In response, the Track Commanders aboard each of the first platoon’s Badgers aimed their 12.7mm machine guns at the oncoming fire while their drivers maintained a high rate of advance. It was not the intention of the lead element to destroy the light infantry defenders along the Kreuzhof Stadium Platz. It was their intention to the engage the second line of defense which lay only two kilometers beyond where the Centauran defenders held their position.

The remainder of the Number 6 company would eventually pass through the gap in the Chasseur line, followed the remainder of the 2nd Battalion and then the Fox carrying Brigadier Childebrand.

Not long after Brigadier Childebrand’s Fox passed this point, the lead elements of the116th Volksgrenadiers dismounted from their trucks, advancing on foot towards the Chasseurs. Mortars fell all around the Chasseurs less than five hundred meters behind where Brigadier Childebrand’s Jump TOC raced east. The 120mm mortar rounds erupted in and around the Centauran Chasseur positions.

Oberleutnant Theuderic wondered if the understrength regiments would be able to perform their mission. He remembered hearing his brigade commander voice nothing but confidence in their ability, but he held onto his doubts. They weren’t as well trained as the Royal Panchalan troops or as experienced. But they would have to do the job. Otherwise the 25th Royal Panchalans would be cut off from their resupply vehicles.

[Starboard Watch]

"Oberleutnant!" The Brigadier ducked his head back into the compartment of the Fox, with his hand resting upon his pistol, "are you ready to give your life in service of the Empire today?"

The Brigadier was a man for eccentric displays of fanciful soldiery. He had, in some ways, always been dreaming of this moment. To lead men into combat. To destroy the enemy utterly and relentlessly. He only regretted that it was in a Civil War, between Aryische men. It would've been preferable if the lesser sub-groups of Man had survived the Deluge, and had somehow staked a claim far in the Galaxy. But, he could not choose his fate, only follow through with the duty that was given to him.

The Brigadier could see some apprehension on the Oberleutnant's face and rested his hand upon his field-grey uniformed shoulder before he could offer a reply, "we cannot pick our fate, Oberleutnant. We can only do our duties as Aryische folk and as Imperial officers."

He then looked towards the Gefreiter driving, "take us straight through their line, and then we'll turn heel and smash into them from behind!"

[Gunther]

“Ja Wohl, herr Brigadier!” The Fox had moved five hundred meters beyond the penetration regardless of what the General Officer said. Gefreiter Dalfin and Oberleutnant Theuderic looked at each other with a knowing look. They waited to hear it…it took no time at all, the 120mm projectiles impacted all along the area the 2nd Panchalan Grenadiers just passed. “Would be best not to get killed by our own mortars, Gefreiter,” Oberleutnant muttered to the driver.

The Number eight company was just ahead of the Jump TOC which contained three Fox vehicles. The number eight company consisted of only three platoons with three or four vehicles per platoon. The Company was not at a hundred percent strength. Two platoons pulled off to the right and dismounted their infantry. The first platoon pulled off to the left and dismounted. The company commander moved with the third and second platoons on the right while the Executive Officer dismounted and moved with the first platoon on the left. The company advanced through the buildings and debris in the direction of where they had just come from.

The company moved toward the sound of the mortars, fired by one of the 116th Volksgrenadier mortar platoons. At two hundred meters from the Chasseur lines they could see the mortar fire beginning to lift.

On the west side of the line, the 116th charged forward into their line firing from the hip as support by fire positions poured machine gun fire into the enemy positions. Unfortunately for the number 8 company and members of the Jump TOC who chose to join them, that fire was directed at them. Fortuantely, they were further beyond the enemy targets the 116th was shooting at. “Hopefully, those bastards don’t hit any of us,” Theuderic mumbled.”

“Agreed, mein herr,” Gefreiter Dalfin responded hearing the Oberleutnant’s words. The purpose of the number eight company was to shoot at any survivors attempting to flee east away from the attacking soldiers of the 116th Volksgrenadiers.

Meanwhile, the rest of the second battalion struck the enemy’s second line of defense which consisted of an armored cavalry squadron or Escardon blindée consisting of three main battle tanks and eight armored personnel carriers. The Anti-tank platoon for the Grenadier battalion would deploy into action to engage the enemy armored vehicles as well as the dismounted grenadiers employing shoulder fired Ant-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM).

“It is imperative the 116th break through their line. Otherwise, we are screwed, mein Herr!” Oberleutnant Theuderic spoke allowed to the Brigadier, knowing it did not need to be said. He had all the confidence in the Volksgrenadiers. He knew the Chasseurs were demoralized from the fighter bomber attack as well as the mortar fire and knowing their enemy was now in their rear. It was only a matter of time before they ran, right into the ambush laid out by Number Eight company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Royal Panchalan Grenadiers.