Chapter 10: The Northern Campaign
November 4, 1940:
Kinda late but today me and the rest of the new 'recruits' are formally introduced into Desmond's new squad, or rather General Barredo's squad.
Yep… General Barredo, himself, is our commanding officer and the real leader of this squad.
From the info that I managed to gather, our squad was supposed to be some kind of special taskforce composed of hand-picked individuals from various countries throughout Europa.
I heard we were gonna be assigned to conduct high risk missions and most of em are top secret…
Simply put, we never existed…
Well that was until this book was released.
Before this, not a single history book ever mentioned us.
Anyway, I was acquainted with the other members of the squad.
There's the ones I already know: Aster (Sergeant), Sonia (Corporal), Edna (Lieutenant), Drifa (Staff Sergeant), Desmond (Major), Aria (Corporal), Rain (Lieutenant Colonel), Sora (Captain), and Wilson (Wing Commander).
And here are the rest:
Master Sergeant Roswell Pearce (34) – Actually, I didn't expect a guy like him to be a lancer. Around 5 feet tall, black hair, dark skin and kinda skinny but hell I was surprised how strong he was. I guess you don't judge a book by its cover. Came from 369th Infantry Regiment of the Federal Armed Forces (FAF) before being recruited into this squad. Friendly guy… Can't really say much since it's just a first impression.
Corporal Isaac Kutner (25) – This one's a scout. He was recruited from the 102nd Infantry Regiment of the FAF. Pretty tall, standing almost 6 feet tall. The left side of his face seems to be colored completely red while the other half is clean… His own personal design for war paint, I guess…? Other than that, he's pretty quiet and is perpetually frowning. I get the feeling he's carrying some kind of baggage… But hey who am I to judge?
Sergeant Renee Duval (29) – Shocktrooper but her primary role is demolition. Scouted from the 45th Infantry Division of the FAF, she was one of the best demolition specialists in her squad. Outside of battle, she's pretty quiet and soft-spoken. Basically, your typical shy glasses wearing bookworm. But believe me once we enter the battlefield… She's a completely different person
Private First Class Doss (30) – A fellow Darcsen and former Squad 6 member of the Gallian Militia. A pacifist with an aversion to firearms. Actually aversion is an understatement. He downright doesn't like em to the point of refusing to hold one even during the heat of battle. And if that's not bold enough, I heard he managed to save the lives of 60 militiamen during the battle of Naggiar alone and without firing a single bullet. Amazing… Maybe that's why he's our medic and engineer.
Colonel Franko Ruz (45) – A veteran shocktrooper of both the First and Second Europan Wars. He served under the 22nd Cavalry Division of the FAF during EW I and the 32nd Tank Brigade in EW II. He fought alongside General Barredo during EW I and the two seemed to have formed some sort of bond with one another. He doesn't talk much but he's not completely unfriendly. He talks to you when you talk to him but don't expect him to be the one to start a conversation.
Major Jane Agad (44) – Another EW I and EW II veteran, this time she's a scout. She served with General Barredo for most of her career. Unlike Franko, she's kinda peppy and energetic. Second only to Sora, she's friendly and loud.
Lieutenant Marian Dupont (19) – Yeah… This confirms it. Not only was she that bold tank driver that came up with that crazy plan 3 days ago but she's also Elena's little sister, not to mention the youngest member of this unit. How the gods must hate me… Graduated from Lanseal 3 years ago, she joined the academy after hearing about Elena's death and then served under the 3rd Armored Corps of the Gallian Army up until recently. She's friendly but I mostly see her alone in one corner, ignoring everyone around her and simply writing something on that little notebook of hers. I understand that sentiment though…
And finally,
General Hanz Barredo (47) – Our commanding officer and a 4-star General of the Gallian Army. Stern, perceptive… He's like an older male-version of Commander Varrot. He led many successful operations against both the Imperials and the Rebels during EW I, II, and the Civil War. Unlike most generals, he's a field commander, preferring to be in the battlefield firing his Thompson submachinegun alongside his men. He leads by example and he's really good at keeping morale high.
And that was our squad…
By the way, I started out as a Sergeant.
Actually, Gallia's and the Federation's Top brass called us 'The Misfits Battalion'.
Well… I can't really say they're wrong.
I mean, our squad's a mix of criminals, assassins, decorated veterans, war heroes, etc., etc.
Bottom line, we weren't supposed to blend well in the battlefield.
Actually, I had doubts for the squad's future… Good thing, I was proven wrong.
November 9, 1940:
For the past 5 days, the army and militia, supported by the FAF, managed to keep the Imperials from penetrating the Gallian Border.
Our unit was stationed in Girhalandiao, or at least what's left of it…
We had to hold that area along with the 2nd Battalion of the Gallian Militia and the 15th Infantry Regiment of the FAF.
We were literally dug in, foxholes all over the battlefield.
Haha… I've had experiences with these kinds of fights but not for this long.
I was quite amazed that our squad works well together. Putting each of our pasts aside, we all worked as one big unit… Always getting the job done and keeping ourselves alive in the process.
Day after day, we successfully stop one Imperial advance after another.
The Imperials knew they couldn't enter Gallian soil through the front and so, they decided to use a different tactic.
With their planes and warships, the Imperials conducted several amphibious and airborne assaults in Northern Gallia. The Northern Coastal Belts, including the towns of Sluis, Sloan, Laren, and Herstal, were attacked on November 8.
The army didn't expect such a bold attack to happen and these areas were lightly defended.
Northern Gallia had fallen…
The Imperials had finally established a foothold in the country.
High command wanted to respond immediately but with the current condition of the army and militia, they knew that they had to divide their forces which may weaken our defenses in Gallia's borders.
With attacks from the front becoming more and more ferocious, High Command knew that dividing our forces was exactly what the Imperials wanted. The second we divide our forces, the Imperials will launch several all-out-attacks in various borders across the country.
Even with support from the Federation, Gallia wouldn't be able to suppress the Imperials if that happened… Could have been worse actually. 2 wars and a devastated military force, we were quite lucky to be able to keep the Imperials at bay.
It gets better too…
Army scouts spotted squads of Imperial soldiers marching south of the Coastal Belt.
It was a hard decision but High Command decided to send us, a few militia squads, and a FAF infantry detachment to stop the advancing Imperials.
We were assigned to take back the coastal town of Sluis.
November 11, 1940
Sluis, Northern Gallia
"Incoming!" Franko shouted as we quickly took cover in our foxholes
Imperial Mortars were hammering our position like crazy.
Yesterday, we managed to push through the city limits but the Imperials managed to push us back into the open plains by noon.
Fighting was heavy and brutal as the Imperials were hell bent on keeping this foothold.
They outnumber both us and our air support. It was almost as if their numbers are limitless!
No matter how many we take down or how much land we manage to acquire, they always find a way to push us back.
What took us all day to gain yesterday only took the Imperials one morning to take back.
I'm reminded of the 1935 invasion again… Outnumbered. Outgunned.
It's like the Imperials just entered a war, as if their loses in the last 5 years were just a fraction of their armies.
To make matters worse, our tanks couldn't advance due to the anti-tank guns placed by the town's entrance.
Before our tanks could move, we had to neutralize those guns…
Easier said than done… We had to cross an entire open field to even reach them.
Given that they're full of foxholes, ditches, and craters, it's still a 230 meter no man's land before we could even reach the first building!
As the mortars finally stopped falling, General Barredo was the first to rise from cover.
"No surrender!" he shouted, firing his Thompson at the advancing Imperials
It's amazing how the general manages to inspire all of us.
Just a few minutes ago, I could feel the despair permeating around me.
All he did was do some kind of battle cry and suddenly, everyone around me is inspired to fight.
I guess, there are honorable generals in the army as I'd later find out that General Barredo had gained both fame and infamy throughout his military career.
Anyway, inspired by the general's acts, we started another slow push through the battlefield.
Running from foxhole to foxhole, taking cover from mortar strikes.
My, what an adrenaline rush…
"General!" A militiaman shouted, as machinegun rounds rain from the sky
They were Imperial Messerschmitt Bf 109s.
Several of them conducted strafing runs on us… We lost a few men from the attack.
"Shit!" the General said, as we all took cover in foxholes "Sergeant! Radio!"
"Y-Yes sir!" I responded, crawling towards him
Yep. I was the radioman… Armed with a ZH-29, I was carrying one of the heaviest and most important equipment in the battle.
"This is General Barredo. Andersen. Do you copy?"
"We're a bit busy with some buggers" Sora responded "What do you need, General?"
While the Imperials had BF-109s, we had Supermarine Spitfires and P-51 Mustangs on our side, with Sora and Wilson leading the squads with the Spitfires they used in Naggiar.
"I need air support!" the General continued "Those Imperial planes are preventing us from advancing!"
"Copy that!" Sora responded "All units. This is Red 1! Consolidate around me. We gotta defend our boys on the ground!"
"Roger that" the other Federation and Gallian pilots responded
The Spitfires and Mustangs quickly regroup and formed a V-formation as they engage several squads of Imperial Planes.
"Give em hell, boys!" Sora said as a dogfight ensues
We could clearly see the dogfight from our position. What a sight that was… Up until that time, I've never seen anything like it before in my entire life.
"Machine gunners!" the General commanded as the Imperials resumed their advance "Cover fire!"
Renee smiles as she provides cover fire with her M1917 Browning Machinegun while laughing maniacally
"Yeesh" Franko said, firing his M1919 Browning Machingun "What's up with kids these days…?"
The other machine gunners also complied, mowing down several Imperial soldiers, prompting the rest to take cover by the foxholes.
"Fix bayonets!" the General said, bringing out a Smith & Wesson Model 10 and a combat knife
Oh god… We're really gonna do it. I heard that General Barredo was bold but come on… There's heavy fire coming from the enemy camp too, not to mention their mortars and he wants us to charge like what the old infantrymen did in the first Europan War?!
"The rest of you, CHARGE!" he shouted as he was the first and only man to break cover and charge.
"I knew it…" I thought to myself, contemplating about my life choices
"He's one crazy bitch, huh?" Jane said, as she finishes putting a bayonet on her rifle
I couldn't really respond properly… All I could do was do a nervous laugh
"Just have faith and fight with everything you got!" she said as she does a battle cry and charges as well.
By that point, several militiamen had already began some kind of banzai charge towards the enemy.
It took me around 30 seconds before I finally decided to charge as well.
And holy shit… The carnage…
Many militiamen were gunned down before they could even reach the enemy soldiers while the others manage to sink their bayonets onto the enemy.
Yep… Hello brutality of war. Been a while since I last saw you.
Then there's the general
It's like he has some kind of force field cuz not a single bullet was hitting him.
He just kept charging, taking down Imperial after Imperial, without breaking a sweat.
And here I was running for my life from one foxhole to another when, all of a sudden, an Imperial plane skids just in front of me.
I almost forgot that another battle was happening just above our heads.
Had I taken one step further, I would have been caught in that plane's path.
Although, I couldn't really say the same for the other militiamen.
Shaken, I could only look up as I saw a Spitfire fly past me.
It was Sora…
"All units" she said engaging another BF-109 "Focus your fire on those close to our troops on the ground!"
She fires another barrage at the enemy plane as it does a barrel roll while diving down to the ground.
Sora follows the enemy plane down and fires whenever she could.
The enemy plane unleashes a barrage on some hapless soldiers.
"Damn it" Sora uttered firing another barrage "Stay still, you fucker!"
Another BF-109 takes notice of the situation and dives down, unleashing a barrage on Sora.
The Federation pilot instinctively tilts her plane to the left, avoiding the hail of bullets.
Now an enemy plane is on her tail as she is pelted by another barrage.
"Son of a bitch!" she uttered firing another barrage at the Imperial plane in front of her "Go down already!"
"Sora!" Wilson said as he moves towards her
"Nice timing, Wil! I need some help!"
"I'm coming! Hold on!"
"Like I have a choice!"
The Imperial plane begins to climb as Sora unleashes another barrage.
She follows suit as she is pelted by another barrage from the plane behind her.
Her left wing was hit but no alarms blared in the cockpit.
"Wil… Where are you?" she said as another barrage creates another set of holes in her right wing
"I'm here!" he responded, firing a barrage at the enemy plane behind Sora
"About time!" Sora responded as she fires another barrage, this time chipping the enemy plane's left wing off.
The 109 spins out of control and crashes into the Imperial side of the battlefield.
Back on the ground, we were almost to no man's land. Just one more push and we could finally enter the town… again.
"Shit!" Edna shouted, firing her OG-43 "The enemy's got tanks!"
"Well ain't that fucking perfect!" Desmond retorted
The Imperials sent an entire squad of light tanks on us.
The mortars stopped but now we have tank shells to deal with.
Roswell fires a few lance rockets at the tanks, destroying 2 before the general stopped him.
"Don't use up all your rockets" the general said
"Ok. So what do we do?" Roswell asked as everyone gathered together
On a sidenote, it's kinda amazing that everyone ended up on the same foxhole despite the chaos that was happening all around us.
"How many anti-tank grenades do we have?" General Barredo asked
"Each of us has 1, sir" Doss replied "But I'm carrying around 2 more"
"Don't tell me you're gonna-" Franko said, stopping mid-sentence as he saw the general's confident face "Still as bold and crazy as ever"
Bold, maybe… Crazy, definitely.
The general wants us, including me the radioman, to charge towards the enemy tanks with anti-tank grenades.
No cover, no means to suppress the tanks… It was our first battle as a unit and already we're faced with a suicide mission.
"HAHAHAHA! AH YEAH!" Renee said in a maniacal tone "I can feel the ADRENALINE! Let's do it!"
Damn… This cute girl, with glasses, is psychopathic… Well at least on the battlefield.
I wonder how she managed to get past screening…?
"Well someone's enthusiastic" Aster remarked reloading his submachinegun
"Sergeant" the general said "Radio"
I complied, handing the radio to the general.
"All units!" He said "This is General Barredo. Provide heavy suppressive fire through no man's land! On my command, cease firing!"
The troops on the ground followed their orders and began firing from their respective foxholes.
But this did not stop the Imperial tanks from advancing.
They slowly moved towards no man's land, all the while firing shell upon shell on us.
Halfway through the open field, the general gives the order to cease fire.
The other soldiers comply but the tanks just kept going and the enemy continues to pelt us with bullets and shells.
"Hey Hanz!" Franko said "You don't expect us to run towards the tanks, do you?!"
"Of course not" the general responded throwing several grenades in front "I'm not that stupid!"
The grenades unleashed a thick blanket of smoke upon no man's land.
I remember something like this happening during the Battle of Marberry Shore, 5 years ago.
Looks like whatever it was Squad 7 used in that battle was mass produced into these grenades.
"Now then!" The general said standing up with his Thompson "Misfits! Let's move out!"
I looked at my pendant for a minute… That same pendant gave me good luck for so long and I hoped it would continue doing so.
I exhaled and swallowed my nervousness as the entire squad runs through the smoke, anti-tank grenades at the ready.
Renee, Jane, Franko, and Sonia were the first to emerge from the smoke.
They quickly threw their grenades at the tanks.
Two were destroyed, one had its treads blown off, and another was unscathed.
Machinegun fire erupts almost instantly as more of us emerge from the smoke.
We quickly take cover by the two destroyed tanks.
The two tanks were a bit far from our position, we had to get closer to be able to accurately throw our grenades.
I was right next to Isaac, in the right tank, who was staring at the moving enemy tank.
"Isaac" I said, tapping his shoulder "Careful. You could get shot"
"Don't worry about me" the man responded as he begins to do some weird gestures with his right hand
It was as if he was computing something…
Before I could ask, Isaac breaks cover.
The enemy tank immediately rains bullets on him.
"Isaac!" I said
But Isaac did not flinch. He squinted his eyes, inhales, and exhales before throwing his grenade.
"What the hell…" I uttered as I saw the grenade fly meters forward, landing just in front of the enemy tank.
It detonates just as the tank drives over it.
The tank was completely destroyed.
Holy hell… Was Isaac some sort of athlete before the war?
Nevertheless, we managed to neutralize the enemy tanks…
We ran like hell, finally reaching a building.
The other militia squads followed suit.
The anti-tank guns were only a few meters away.
The only thing stopping us were a few squads of Imperials.
Bullets rained on our location. Those Imperials knew if we take down those guns, our tanks will start rolling in.
Speaking of tanks…
"General!" Roswell shouted, returning fire "Imperial medium tanks!"
"Medium tanks?!" the general responded "That's just great… Anyone got any anti-tank grenades left?"
"We're out, sir!" Doss replied as a tank shell detonates in front of the building
"Damn it! Fine… Squad! We move to the building across the street! Duval! Ruz! Cover fire!"
"Righto!" Franko replied going prone and positioning his machinegun
"With pleasure!" Renee responded laughing maniacally "COME ON YOU IMPERIAL PIGS! THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!"
The two provide heavy suppressive fire upon the enemy as we crossed the street before crossing themselves.
The guns were only just 1 block away. So close… So very close.
"Pearce!" General Barredo said as we take positions in the destroyed building "Take out that tank!"
"Roger!" Roswell replied aiming his lance
Roswell fires and destroys one of the three tanks in the area.
He quickly reloads his lance and aims for another shot but as he presses the trigger, a bullet hits his left shoulder.
He flinches and fires, completely missing his target.
"Sniper!" Desmond shouted, dragging Roswell into cover "Rain!"
"Right!" Rain responded, prepping her Lee Enfield for a shot "Aria"
Aria nods as she broke cover.
She acted as a bait, purposefully exposing herself to the enemy sniper while Rain hunts.
Me and the others engaged the other Imperials to keep em off the twins.
Suddenly, a shot flies past Aria.
"Rain. Church Tower" she said pointing at the bell tower in our Northeast
"Got it" Rain responded as Aria exposes herself again
This time, the enemy sniper had Aria in his sights.
But as he was about to fire, Rain fires first.
Her bullet pierces the man's stomach area.
"Sniper neutralized" Rain reported, pulling her rifle's bolt back
One danger down… But we still had 2 tanks to deal with.
There was only 1 lance rocket left. Roswell's shoulder didn't look too good.
I decided to take the initiative. I quickly put my rifle down and grabbed the lance.
"Denzel!" Edna shouted as I rested the lance on my right shoulder.
Machinegun fire quickly rained on my position… They must've seen me with the lance.
… By the way, I had never fired a lance before. So I just pressed the trigger and hoped for the best.
The rocket flew and hit a medium tank's treads.
Not bad for a first try… I managed to disable a medium tank.
"Nice work, Denzel" Edna said as she fires a burst "Now get back to cover!"
"R-Right" I said as a few bullets ricochet past me
We were still pinned down as the Imperials were furiously focusing their fire on our position.
"Hey Hanz" Jane asked "Got any more of those smoke grenades left?"
"I do" the general responded "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Jane smiles. "You never change"
"Alright everyone!" the general said as we gathered around "Denzel, Claes, Kutner, Castder, Franko, Crocker, and Jane! You all will accompany me in crossing the street!"
"What?" Franko said
"We're gonna 'borrow' those anti-tank guns"
Two suicide tactics in one day.
Damn… One of these days, a bullet's gonna drill through my skull.
I nervously laughed as we prepared to make the run.
"Ready?" the General asked bringing out 2 smoke grenades
We all nod.
The general throws the smoke grenades.
"Run to the side of the smoke! Not the center!" he said as the smoke thickens
We followed his orders as the others kept the Imperials busy.
Just as we were midway into our run, the Imperial tank fires a mortar shell.
I was last in the line and I got caught in the explosion.
It sent me flying a few feet.
Shell-shocked and dazed, I could hardly lift my head as the smoke dissipates.
"Shit!" the General said firing his Thompson "Franko! Crocker! Help Denzel up! The rest of you provide cover and move to the guns!"
It was actually a lot of effort to keep myself conscious.
Franko and Desmond lent me their shoulders as they dragged me to cover while the others moved to secure the guns.
They put me down just behind some sandbags as Drifa checks on my injuries.
They make quick work with the Imperial crews and begin moving the anti-tank guns.
The enemy notices this and begins pelting the area with bullets while the two tanks unleash a few shells on them.
Luckily, they missed but the explosions were getting more and more precise.
It was only a matter of time before the tanks would land a direct hit.
They finally manage to properly aim the guns as another shell explodes dangerously in front of them.
"FIRE!" General Barredo shouted as Aster loads the shell and Desmond fires.
The shot was a direct hit, destroying the disabled Imperial tank.
"Shit!" Jane shouted "SHELL!"
The others notice the remaining medium tank fire a shell.
They instinctively jump away from the anti-tank gun as the enemy shell directly hits the gun.
Save for Franko, Jane, and Drifa, everyone is now suffering from shell-shock.
Franko and Jane desperately try to aim the 2nd anti-tank gun as the enemy tank moves again while Drifa keeps the enemy soldiers at bay.
Eventually the tank stops, preparing to fire another shell.
"Damn it!" Franko shouted as he pushes the anti-tank gun "Jane! Push harder!"
They weren't gonna make it at that rate.
Despite still suffering a concussion, sheer willpower allowed me to stand up and help push that gun in position.
Jane quickly loads the shell as the enemy tank barely misses us.
Franko fires the gun, hitting the tank's ragnite engine as it was attempting to move.
The tanks were finally destroyed and the anti-tank guns were ours!
You'd think the day would be over but it turns out that more enemy medium tanks were moving towards us.
The General was the first to recover. He quickly brings out a flare gun and fires it as enemy tank shells pelt the town.
At the back of the line, our tanks saw the flare.
"That's the signal!" Marian said over the radio "All armored units move out!"
The entire tank column, composed of Gallian Type 36 Medium Tanks and Federation A15 Crusaders.
They quickly rolled through the battlefield as we were desperately trying to keep the Imperials out of Town.
Upon reaching no man's land, Marian opens the hatch of her tank.
She scans the horizon with her binoculars.
Without a word, she raises her right hand as the Gallian and Federation tanks take aim.
As she puts her arm down, pointing it towards the horizon, the tank column opens fire.
A hailstorm of allied tank shells rain upon the enemy as our tanks finally roll into town.
By 10pm, we finally get a break as both sides stopped attacking one another.
Again, it took us the entire day to take this town back.
Please… For the love of Gallia, let us keep this town for good!
Well… I'll find out tomorrow if we'll be able to actually keep this town…
For now, I'm gonna get as much rest as I can.
There's still the port and the coast.
It's not over yet but for now, I'm glad I have the chance to rest…
Hell… I want some coffee but I guess a few hours of sleep is just as good…
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone