Sir Richard
Member
Story 02 of The Polish Campaign
SETUP
2 September, 1939
Played as: German
*****************************************
SETUP
"You're ride is here," Kriel said, pointing ahead of us on the road he was aiming to land on. A motorcycle rider with a side car was racing us down the strip, kicking up a tail of dust that the pilot was using to measure wind speed and direction. The motorcyclist pulled into a side street, and Kriel put the wheels on the gravel.
We quickly braked. Kriel wheeled the spotting plane around and drove up to where the motorcyclist waited.
"Have a good day," said Kriel. He kept the engine running as I stepped out and ran out from the cover of the wing. Then he spun around again and headed back up the road. As he took to the air he waved his wings goodbye.
The motorcyclist stepped up behind me. "Excuse me. Are you mister John Schmidt?"
It took me a moment to recognize that he was talking to me. "Yes, I am."
"Colonel Dybilasz wants to see you right away." He handed me a pair of goggles.
Just as we started to move, a gust of wind blew a cloud of dust at us, and it started to rain. It was just a weak drizzle; the water evaporated almost as soon as it hit, but it lowered the wind chill on the bike and caused the dust to clump up on my goggles. I could barely see.
After a few twists and turns up the valley, we started to pass a line of parked and fully loaded trucks. About a kilometer up the road, where we stopped, I could see that the line of vehicles extended for three or four kilometers before disappearing into a bundle of trees.
A tall, slender man with wispy blonde air and a colonel's insignia strolled over me as I got out of the sidecar. The wind caught his scarf, making it flap up over his shoulder. He held out his hand, and I shook it.
"Command says that I am supposed to be nice to you," he said.
I shrugged. "We're both just doing what we're told," I answered. "You didn't stop this whole convoy waiting for me, did you?"
"In a way, yes," Dybilasz said. "When command told me that you were coming, they mentioned your fight this morning. How did it go?"
"Very well," I answered. "We had sixty, seventy casualties, and took out over a thousand who were dug in and fortified."
"That's what I was told. Come, inside." He started off in the direction of his command vehicle, and I followed. "I am not accustomed to dealing with civilians. Where are you in the chain of command?"
"I have exactly as much authority as I need to do my job. Like I told
Colonel Keintz this morning, I am here to observe, not to interfere."
"That's where you are wrong," said Dybilasz. "If you are here, I am going to use you." He stepped into his command wagon. I followed him, and his aid closed the door behind us.
He handed me a radio. "This is linked up to Major Poetsch from the First Battalion. It's got a pretty short range. Just tell him what you know. That shouldn't be too much."
"What's the plan."
"I don't know," the Colonel answered. "I had it all worked out last night. Now . . ."
He unrolled a map. "I was going to take my regiment up this way," he said, following the road straight ahead. "I've got my recon battalion that's going to hit over here from the east. Since this afternoon, I was thinking that maybe I should go over here, meet up with my recon battalion, and hit this spot together, the both of us. We should be able to break through a lot more quickly."
"Is that what you're going to do?"
Dybilasz put the map away without saying a word. He stepped out of the command vehicle and called an aide. "Get this caravan turned around." We're going to Winowice. When we're there, tell the vehicles to get out of the way and let the tanks through."
He then turned to me. "You'll be with the tanks."
SETUP
2 September, 1939
Played as: German
*****************************************
SETUP
"You're ride is here," Kriel said, pointing ahead of us on the road he was aiming to land on. A motorcycle rider with a side car was racing us down the strip, kicking up a tail of dust that the pilot was using to measure wind speed and direction. The motorcyclist pulled into a side street, and Kriel put the wheels on the gravel.
We quickly braked. Kriel wheeled the spotting plane around and drove up to where the motorcyclist waited.
"Have a good day," said Kriel. He kept the engine running as I stepped out and ran out from the cover of the wing. Then he spun around again and headed back up the road. As he took to the air he waved his wings goodbye.
The motorcyclist stepped up behind me. "Excuse me. Are you mister John Schmidt?"
It took me a moment to recognize that he was talking to me. "Yes, I am."
"Colonel Dybilasz wants to see you right away." He handed me a pair of goggles.
Just as we started to move, a gust of wind blew a cloud of dust at us, and it started to rain. It was just a weak drizzle; the water evaporated almost as soon as it hit, but it lowered the wind chill on the bike and caused the dust to clump up on my goggles. I could barely see.
After a few twists and turns up the valley, we started to pass a line of parked and fully loaded trucks. About a kilometer up the road, where we stopped, I could see that the line of vehicles extended for three or four kilometers before disappearing into a bundle of trees.
A tall, slender man with wispy blonde air and a colonel's insignia strolled over me as I got out of the sidecar. The wind caught his scarf, making it flap up over his shoulder. He held out his hand, and I shook it.
"Command says that I am supposed to be nice to you," he said.
I shrugged. "We're both just doing what we're told," I answered. "You didn't stop this whole convoy waiting for me, did you?"
"In a way, yes," Dybilasz said. "When command told me that you were coming, they mentioned your fight this morning. How did it go?"
"Very well," I answered. "We had sixty, seventy casualties, and took out over a thousand who were dug in and fortified."
"That's what I was told. Come, inside." He started off in the direction of his command vehicle, and I followed. "I am not accustomed to dealing with civilians. Where are you in the chain of command?"
"I have exactly as much authority as I need to do my job. Like I told
Colonel Keintz this morning, I am here to observe, not to interfere."
"That's where you are wrong," said Dybilasz. "If you are here, I am going to use you." He stepped into his command wagon. I followed him, and his aid closed the door behind us.
He handed me a radio. "This is linked up to Major Poetsch from the First Battalion. It's got a pretty short range. Just tell him what you know. That shouldn't be too much."
"What's the plan."
"I don't know," the Colonel answered. "I had it all worked out last night. Now . . ."
He unrolled a map. "I was going to take my regiment up this way," he said, following the road straight ahead. "I've got my recon battalion that's going to hit over here from the east. Since this afternoon, I was thinking that maybe I should go over here, meet up with my recon battalion, and hit this spot together, the both of us. We should be able to break through a lot more quickly."
"Is that what you're going to do?"
Dybilasz put the map away without saying a word. He stepped out of the command vehicle and called an aide. "Get this caravan turned around." We're going to Winowice. When we're there, tell the vehicles to get out of the way and let the tanks through."
He then turned to me. "You'll be with the tanks."
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