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Dateline: Polish Occupied Lorraine

Our US military had been experiencing some reluctant R & R after Operation Kill the Limey’s when the MI got the call to mobilize in Poland.
Allied Intelligence (word used theoretically) now has confirmed that Hungarian military advisors and some whole units had been inserted into French partisan cells to organize a major operation. Weapons and ammunition had been stockpiled for weeks and troops had been smuggled into the country only hours before the operation began. But Phoenix struck at the wrong time. Why the wrong time you ask? Because the Mobile Infantry was Available THAT’S WHY!

Alpha Company’s 8th Platoon “Helljumpers” were now on route to a French occupied Railroad juncture near the ancient fortress city of Metz. Hungarian officers led a unit of French partisans which had interrupted reinforcements from reaching Polish forces in Metz by rail. 8th Platoon is one of Alpha’s best units for insertion into a HOT LZ (landing zone) and on this occasion the platoon was flying by Blackhawk helicopter…..into a freezing yet now dissipating snowstorm. Military doctrine calls for insertion as close as possible to their objective, and 8th platoon would not have it any other way.

Platoon CO Toby Toblerone called out to his troops over the drone of the Blackhawk’s rotor blades. “Ok people, the numbers crunchers back in HQ have made an “educated” hunch that “maybe” we are up against 20-25 French partisans led by a few Hungarian officers. Frankly, it doesn’t bother me if they are Partisans or if they are all elite commandos’ guarding Gods own anti Son of a Bitch machine, because we are going to take it away from them.
(Platoon Screams) “Hoorah SIR!” while Toblerone smiles at their combat readiness.
“This snowstorm will mask our approach so I instructed our pilot to touchdown less than 500 yards from our target. We move as three teams. Myself, our sniper Guais and Klip with our machine gun will act as the holding force. Our PXO Ajax Archimedes will take his squad left and flack their position while Forrest Gump will take 3rd squad and work around them to cut off their retreat. I don’t want to loose the chance to bag those Hungarians when HQ is handing out “liberated” rum for every officer captured or brought back in a body bag.
Guais motions to his officers. “snowstorm is still falling out there and visibility will be limited. Do I store my sniper rifle and what about possible targets? Do we have a free fire zone or are we concerned about civilian casualties?
Ajax nods at his CO and takes the opportunity to reply. “I’d Keep the sniper on you but go in with your battle rifle; you never know when we might need a shot. And as far as the enemy is concerned, anyone out there is a possible partisan. Shoot anything that’s moves and I don’t care if you have to send Dolly to goat heaven 20 times over if necessary.
Over the intercom the platoon hears the pilot. “Ok Helljumpers this is your stop. Touchdown is in 3 min, Happy Hunting.

Alpha 8th platoon hits the ground at a controlled sprint. Stealth is always an advantage till the enemy knows of your arrival. As the platoon gets within 130 yards Toblerone motions with his hand to two of his most experienced soldiers to take out the perimeter guards. Sarah Calvin and Shadowleader are both General rank and long time members of the platoon. Each soldier picks their target and within 3 min they each dispatch their unfortunate victims at close range with their combat knives. The Frenchmen hit the ground with a light thud that wouldn’t alert anyone closer to their position. Toblerone orders his unit forward but just as they move out they hear a yell in French and a mad rustle in tree’s heading back to the railroad juncture.
The French were changing their Guards just as they were dispatched!! “C'est la guerre” (Such is war)

Alpha 8 sprints towards their separate objectives as surprise was now compromised. When they get within 80 yards Toblerone motions to Guais and Klip to set up shop at their pre-arranged position on a small ridge above the railroad juncture. Klip had recently made colonel and was ready to put his recently issued heavy machine gun to good use. In the distance the platoon hears the shouts of a Hungarian officer trying to get his French soldiers into position to resist the American attack. “That’s my target” Klip thought to himself as he sighted his gun on the general vicinity of the tall Hungarian. Klip together with Guais and Toblerone open fire on the French position and cut down 4 or 5 men before the rest were able to take cover. When the French begin to return fire the squad expertly shifts position to mask how many men they actually had on their ridge. Bullets fly back and forth in both directions without any casualties on either side as the squad and the French soldiers take pot shots at each other.
“Keep your head down Guais! We don’t need any of those perfect shots of yours while we are playing decoy. All we need is to keep them occupied for a little longer”
“Just another second sir, I’ve got him” Guais whispers as his bullet empties from its chamber and deposits itself in the chest of the Hungarian officer.
“Kill Stealer”!!! Yells Klip as the Hungarian falls next to his now terrified French partisan comrades.
“Jesus himself gave me this rifle so you can take it up with him” Guais calls back. But out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of yellow and then hears a thud. It took a few seconds to realize he had been hit by a bullet that ricocheted off a tree branch and grazed him in the ribs.
“Give us covering fire Klip!” as Toblerone drags Guais back under cover. “your damm lucky that is only a ricochet wound or I’d be doing more than bandaging your side now Guais.
“Sorry Sir won’t happen again”.

It was at this time that both Ajax Archimedes squad and Forrest Gump’s squads reached their flanking positions and let the surprised Frenchmen have it. It is a rookie mistake that untested troops will focus on only one direction when faced with an enemy in front of them. Alpha 8 took advantage of the fact that the French high command had not fielded a credible army in over a hundred years and was not about to start now. Ajax, Sarah Calvin, and Shadowleader reached a position further east and north of the French positions amid idle railway boxcars while Forrest Gump, Delizio 123, and, Blackzaga fell in behind the French positions. With their backs turned to the Helljumpers they didn’t have a chance. The squads opened up on the French whose attention was directly solely on Toblerone’s 1st squad. Bullets tore though the position as partisans either went down with injuries or waved their arms in surrender. A Hungarian officer tried to rally his beaten soldiers became a target for Alpha 8’s newest member, Blackzaga. Eager to show his squad mates that you don’t come to the MI without skillz, Blackzaga took down the Hungarian officer with a shot between his shoulder blades. “Got him Sir!”
“Good shooting private” now don’t get cocky growled Forrest Gump who is the grizzled old veteran of the Helljumpers. “All I do is shoot bastards and chew bubble gum” Delizio 123 yelled” as they unloaded their magazines into the French positions, “And I’m all out of Bubble Gum!!”.

Once the firing died down the remaining Hungarian commander ordered his men to lay down their arms and surrender, in true French military fashion. In the calm after the storm of a job well done the men of Alpha 8 break cover to look over their newly minted prisoners. “Damm Frogs don’t even have a decent alcoholic beverage to liberate sarge” grumbles Shadowleader as the squad goes though the French belongings looking for classified material and more enjoyable items.
However, as the platoon began to get comfortable with the situation a boxcar’s door swings open and a French partisan with an automatic rifle opens up on the startled platoon. His first shot takes down Forrest Gump with a bullet that would have destroyed his kneecap if it had landed a few inches lower. The Partisan swivels his rifle around so Sarah Calvin is directly in his line of fire. In what felt like an eternity Sarah Calvin waited for the bullet that would end it all. Yet, in that same time warping second she heard the woosh of what could only be a high caliber armor piecing round. The Frenchmen’s head made a thunk sound as the sniper round accelerated though his skull, saving Sarah’s life and possibly the rest of the squads.

“F**% Damm glad I reminded you to bring your sniper rifle Guais” Ajax Archimedes called out to the wounded trooper on the ridge who could only wince a smile in return.
“I thought I saw some movement from that direction” called out Toblerone who had just finished bandaging Guais’s wounds. So I asked our sniper here to get ready. And that’s why they pay me the big bucks. Klip, dress Forrst Gump’s wounds while Ajax calls in our Blackhawk. The Old man can grouch about it the whole ride home. Make sure they know we have wounded. Let’s round up the rest of these Frenchies and contact HQ. This was damm good work here, but I have a feeling we’re going to be called in again this week. Want to know how I reckon that? Because they always call the MI when they need Bastard killers and this platoon is the bastardest killing unit I know. Good work people, lets go home.