Norsemen!
Chapter Ten

Gerhard sat back in a small chair inside his tent not far from the front, close enough to hear the artillery as his troops pounded the Greek lines. The reinforcements that arrived from Skavateland arrived just in time to push back the Greeks but there were not enough to go on the offensive. He had his General of the Army sitting next to him, a tall, stocky blond woman with a scar across her nose from the last war.

"General? Do we have any reserves left?" he asked her.

"Not a single one, I'm afraid. They all went into the line just before the Norse showed up."

Gerhard shook his head as he scanned the area. It was a mass of troops, ambulances, trucks, troops and refullers all moving in different directions. The troops were moving forward with the trucks carrying wounded to the rear or moving supplies to the front. His tanks took a beating leaving three in flames on a hill but the remaining he kept not far behind the lines in case of another breakthrough. His troops had dug small holes instead of trenches in this war for the simple reason of movement. This war was different in that it was a mobile war, unlike the last one where they sat in trenches.

"Has anyone spoken to the Norse King lately?" She asked.

"No. But I spoke to his General a few hours ago. Seems they have reinforced the coast where the main Greek army is supposed to be and brought out their Navy to try and plug the gap at the English channel."

"Those ships are no match for the dreadnoughts!" She said.

"I know," is all Gerhard said in despair. "If we loose we will all be slaves to those damn Greeks!"

Skipper was on the radio with the Gunny as Jackson went over reports, going from the map on the wall to the radio.

"Gunny! You HAVE to return here! This is NOT like the last war!This is massive, along the lines of World War two. We need you here for decision making."

"Yes, Skipper. I know. I will return by sundown tomorrow then. Have those representatives of the north countries showed up yet?"

"Not yet! Seems they were scared to death of the train. They wouldn't get on it for a few days." He chuckled. "But they are on it now and on the way here. I will keep them here until you arrive."

"Roger, Skipper. See you tomorrow. I'll be flying in."

Skipper turned to Jackson, watching as he and a dozen other junior officers and enlisted men and women were all working on his maps and papers. they had supply personnel, communications, hospital stewards, the air corps and transportation only to mention a few. All had to be informed of movement activities and coordination. It was all the two could do to keep up and he wished Gunny would hurry up and get here. Even Yngvilder was present, mad as she was being taken away from her flying, but she knew she had to be there for the air corps.

"Yngvilder?" Jackson yelled across the table at her over the din f noise. "What's the range of your twin engine bombers? And how much can they carry?"

She stepped away from the edge of the table and walked around to him.

"They can fly one thousand two hundred miles with a full load of nine hundred pounds of bombs." She paused. "But that is only six hundred miles out and six hundred miles back!" She cocked her head. "Why? What's the target?"

He pointed at a spot on the map in the German sector.

"There is a build up of the Greek right here!" He said as he continued to look at the map. "This would be well within your range."

"And how do you know this, General?" She asked.

He leaned back with a smile.

"Your people, Flight Officer!"

"My people? What do you mean?" She was curious.

"Remember your Hard Corps?" He reached over and got a mug of coffee. "Like you said, I had them trained for behind the lines sabotage and recon." He took a sip of coffee with a smile.

"They are behind the lines NOW?" She said surprised.

"Yes and they are in contact with us and have been for sometime now." He turned back to the map.

"Their last report was of a Greek build up in these hills. Major supply dump, food, ammunition, medical supplies, trucks, tanks, everything you need for a major push." He turned to her. "That was this morning."

"General!" She said shaking her head. "You amaze me to no end!"

He smiled at her as he sipped coffee.

"So. I need coordinates and I will get with my flights to see how far our fighters can escort them. Also I will get with this Major Welsh to use his bombers. May be we can make a major hit on them."

Just as she turned to leave, a short man entered the State building with a cane looking around as if he had never been there before. A young officer went to him, she noticed, then he was escorted to General Jackson.

"Hello. I am Panagiotakis....the Greek General that stayed in your country after the last war?"

General Jackson raised his eye brows with a smile and stuck out his hand.

"GENERAL! It' nice of you to come by! Glad to see you after the past few years. What can I do for you?"

"May I set? I am an old man these days."

Jackson slid him a chair as he sat with a grunt.

"I have come to report the mobilization of ALL people that came to live here under my command. We have about thirty-five thousand troops, both men and women, who want to fight along your side. They are not all Greek but want to fight to keep this land you gave us."

Jackson was so taken aback he sat down, looking at Yngvilder with open mouth.

"I don't know what to say, General." Was all he could say.

"You are a surprising man, General," Yngvilder said smiling.

"We have to equip your men first of course," General Jackson said.

"No! They are fully equipped and ready to go. As matter of fact, they are at the rail head as we speak waiting for orders." He paused to take a deep breath. "Yes. With everything you have given us in the past, our militia has kept and used."

"All thirty-five thousand?" Yngvilder asked.

"Yes!" He paused. "A bit spread out for room but yes. They are there waiting for your orders. But I am afraid I will not be able to accompany them myself. I have a good General in charge of them. His name is General Metaxas and he is just outside these doors."

Jackson went to greet the General then invited him in so he could give him a brief before he was sent out to the front.

Yngvilder smiled as she left the State house to get her pilots ready for their first attack on the enemy.

Lieutenant Vox was on the bridge of his newly repaired ship, the NS Espen (NS stood for Norse ship), as she pulled out of the harbor into open ocean, he was the last one in a line of five destroyers. He made sure they had the latest in ammunition in what Hennison had created. A new armor piercing shell with high explosive, made just for the dreadnoughts. His crew was motivated for the hunt but he was not so sure from the last time he encountered that thing. It threw shells at a farther distance than his ship could so he knew they had to get in close to do any damage and that would be dangerous.

Yet, he was very proud of being given command of his own ship by the King himself. This was a great honor and his family was proud of his accomplishments. He just had to stay alive to enjoy them.

Gerhold was in a bunker that was reinforced with several layers of logs with his staff. A small lantern lit dimly lit the room as they looked at a map.

"We have doubled the troops on our right flank and the troops in the center have tanks. Our left is a little weak but we think that is firm so far. The Greeks are still trying to break our center." A senior officer said.

"Good. If we can attack on the right, hit their line hard enough they will use their center to reinforce it. THEN we can charge their center. Our tanks and artillery will not fire until we make a move so it won't give our attack away." Gerhold said staring at the map as he leaned on the table.

"With those reinforcement from the Norse we just might have enough to make this happen." A general said next to him.

"Yes. And they are the Norse infantry.....I still have not been able to equal their fighting spirit." He shook his head.

"We should have taken the Norse King up on his offer to train our men." Another officer said in the darkened room.

Gerhard shook his head again. So many mistakes that we can not take back now. So many things we could and should have done. He looked at the clock on the wall.....zero two forty-five. The attack would go at zero three hundred, fifteen minuets. He dropped his head as if so very tired, then waited.

At zero three hundred he knew the attack was on and the troops were moving forward, as silent as possible, towards the enemy line. He would now in just a few short seconds if they would carry the lines or not.

Major Bjorn, formerly Sergeant Major Bjorn, was in charge of his new battalion sitting in the center of the German lines waiting on the word to attack. He had his battalion at the ready but still in their fighting holes as he looked at his watch in the dark. Zero three hundred! They would attack only if the right can carry the enemy lines and that would be someone on the right firing a red rocket....the signal to attack.

Suddenly he heard firing erupt on the right, they made contact! The enemy knows they are there and are retaliating. In the distance he could see flashes from small arms, then the Greeks returned fire, troops yelling, some in pain, others in victory or shouting commands. He heard mortars from the Greek side begin throwing deadly flashes of light into the German troops then their machine guns opened up. His artillery began their deep belching of death from his rear causing blinding flashes of light in the Greek rear.

As he watched he waited for the flair, impatient to get going forward. Then, there it was! They made a break through! The flair went up with a loud whooshing sound and burst high in the air.

"ON YOUR FEET!" He yelled as he pulled his pistol from it's holster. "FORWARD men. FORWARD and LET'EM HAVE IT!"

The battalion jumped up quietly as they drove forward at a trot, bayonets fixed with all eyes looking for the enemy. Into a dark night filled with blinding flashes, the Greeks did not know of this attack. Hopefully, he thought, they could make their lines before their guns opened up. It was too dark for him to see his troops but he only knew they were there, beside him in the night from flashed of explosions.

Yelling coming from the right but he had no idea if they were Greek or German with more intense mortar and machine gun fire from the Greek lines. He could barely see through the sparse trees to the right where the Germans were attacking but he could see the rear of their lines and no one was there.

Suddenly he could hear cursing and screaming from his front. His men must of made contact with the Greeks before they found out the attack was on. Small arms fire, men yelling in agony, screams and commands. As he came upon a small embankment he could see several dead and wounded Greeks in their mustard yellow uniforms laying about in ditches and holes. His men pressed on under orders to attack through the target until they reach the enemy command post in the rear.

Minuets passed while he and his men fired into the dark and shadowy figures in flashing light. Greek officers yelling commands that sounded as if they were right next to him made him jump more than once. As he neared what looked like a rise in the ground it turned out to be a bunker with Greek troops around it. He fired his pistol into the crowd, then his men began to fire their rifles. His troops then charged with bayonets to clear it out.

"Major Millner!" He yelled for his battalion executive officer. "Have the men set up defensive positions here, we all ready made it to the command post."

"Aye, aye, sir! Sergeant Major!" he yelled and the rest trailed off with noise of sporadic small arms fire.

He saw they had taken the command post and several prisoners along with a Colonel. He had them put outside the command post under guard while he toured the line. The Germans were close by, he could hear them talking in the night. Staring to his right he saw a few men's shadows walking around and, wanting to link up with the Germans, he walked softly towards them. As he approached he saw mustard yellow uniforms of about a dozen men so he froze, back stepping to his men.

"I have Greeks right over there," he pointed. "Get a squad an go get'em!"

Nine soldiers got up without a word and followed a Sergeant into the night. A quick fire fight erupted, some yells then silence. When they returned they had the Germans with them, a young officer and a dozen troops with some of his troops that had blood on their bayonets.

"Did you take the objective?" Was all he asked them.

"Yes, sir we did and a lot of prisoners too," he said.

"Good. Go tell your senior officer that we are here in position. Hold everything until day break. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," he nodded and was off quickly.

He sat down to relax and take a break but felt exhausted. Fighting takes all the energy out of a person, he thought. But at least we met the enemy and they destroyed them.

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