WW2 Supers d6: Mission Five: Secret Saga of the Solomons

[Zhym]

Bloody Bay, thinks Roker. Yeah, that's not an omen of doom or anything.

But he knows better than to say anything out loud, so he doesn't.

[max_vale]

Approximately 8 AM, May 5th, 1943; Bloody Bay, Platok Island, Solomon Islands Chain, South West Pacific


As Captain Acme rocked back in forth in the LVT "Alligator" landing craft, his nose assaulted by the smell of vomit and sea-air; his ears assaulted by the sounds of machinegun fire and mortars shells whistling and exploding and his body occasionally assaulted by Marines packed to all sides of him occasionally being tossed into him....he thought back to the conversation with Captain Marsden from the previous day.....

Marsden had looked over at Marin; a Navy Captain talking to a Marine Captain and he just said in response to the question about Shirlington the Coast-Watcher; "I'm afraid he's gone radio-silent since his last message from a day ago...but yes, he does in fact speak the Native tongue. Good luck and good hunting people", Marsden had said to all of the members of SST 4 before turning back to Acme. "Get the job done Marvin", "Aye-aye Skipper", was all Acme could say in reply.....

Now, it was 8 AM the following day; the several dozen LVT (Landing Vehicle; Tracked) 1 and 2s had been loaded up with the approximately 300 Marines and his SST 4 had been placed into one with about a dozen veteran Marines led by a SGT Joe 'Call me Ski!' Halevky; who comprised about a third of the Platoon of 'Bodyguards', with the other 2 dozen in a nearby 'Alligator' LVT led by LT O'Boyle. While the day was sunny and clear; upon the Destroyers starting to shell the island and the 'fleet' of some 15 LVTs being dropped off by the large landing ship 'Fitzgerald'; that Japanese Talent who could evaporate the water and in essence 'make it rain', did EXACTLY that....and so now, rain-drops were falling on their heads and they were getting shot at.....quite the combination....



As the members of SST 4 all did what they could.....which was just pray, keep their weapons at the ready and do their best to ready themselves for the landing; the sounds of battle intensified. Loud 'plinks' could be heard as rounds hit the steel of the landing craft and one of the sailors called out; "THIRTY SECONDS!" over the roar of the .30 cal machine guns of the LVT blazing away at the Japanese defenders. The whistling sound of a mortar or cannon round hitting the water close enough to the Alligator to send a massive splash of water on their heads ALMOST was enough to keep their attention away from the terrible sounds of an explosion from nearby....

LT O'Boyle's group never knew what hit them as a Japanese 81mm mortar round dropped down and scored a direct hit on the LVT's engine. The shell plunged through the metal armor and then detonated, causing the craft to explode and sink in a matter of seconds....taking the 25 or so men to their doom in the blink of an eye....

A moment later, the sound and FEEL of the LVT's treads hitting the surface came over everyone in the craft and a moment later the machine was churning up sand as it got up on the shore. Ski was quickly yelling out; "OKAY MARINES, OVER THE SIDE AND THEN GET OFF THE BEACH AND INTO SOME COVER! GO! GO! GO!" and he helped and then followed his men in scrambling over the sides. As the men of SST 4 did the same, they realized they were now out of the rain, but instead caught in a storm of lead. 2 or 3 members of Sky's Squad were cut down by the distinctive sounds of a 'Nambu' Type 96 LMG they could tracers reaching out from a position in some cut down coconut logs some 50 yards away. Everyone rushed forwards and dropped to their bellies to get behind a low 'wall' of coral and the Talents of SST 4 then felt/smelled/heard a new, unfamiliar Power being activated....

In the same 'bunker' of cut down Coconut Logs, a sudden bright flash of yellow light could be seen and the beam smashed into and set aflame one of the LVT's and several Marines fell out of it, on fire or burned to a crisp. What was equally concerning to the members of SST 4 was that they were on the wrong 'side' of the beach and were even further from the Airfield than they were supposed to be.....about 100 yards to the left and twice that inland from their objective....

[Rex]

Gurung

Gurung heads for the closest cover as fast as he can. Activating his Armor Talent as he goes.

Spending 3 Wil points.

[ateno]

Elais will head for cover, as close to getting a shot thru the hole of the bunker as he can.

[Urson]

Dutch
Dutch concentrates on soldiering for the moment, making sure his people are getting to cover. He stays low and mutters curses at the "damn swabbies who can't navigate."
He brings up his Talent, using Eagle Eyes to try and spot the Japanese Talents. He will NOT risk getting shot for the Intel.

[Monsieur Rose]

Acme

"Move! Move! Move!" Marvin points to the only cover he can see, the wall of coral. "Get low!"

As the orbital beam smashes into the LVT, he calls out. "What the hell was that?! We can't stay here, we have to take that bunker!"

[Zhym]

I knew "Bloody Bay" was a bloody bad omen, thinks Roker as he runs for cover.

[max_vale]

Approximately 8:05 AM, May 5th, 1943; Bloody Bay, Platok Island, Solomon Islands Chain, South West Pacific

As the members of SST 4 hunkered down behind the low corral wall, SGT 'Ski' Havelsky turned and got a report from his 2nd, Corporal Precit. "Got two KIA and Doc Maserianni is working on Jenkins Sarge"; "Got it, thanks Pre"; the veteran NCO replied as he risked a quick glance up and over the wall and then immediately ducked back down and turned to Acme and Co....

Looking at Marvin, he says, "Okay Skipper; that bunker has GOT to go or we're all done for, I think. Now, my suggestion would be-"; he's cut off by several things happening at once...

First, Gurung activates his Armor Talent Power and scales suddenly cover his entire body and at about the same time Dutch activates his Eagle Eyes Talent Power and he risks a quick look and sees the Coconut Log Bunker some 40 yards away and inside it he can see two IJA soliders manning an MG and right next to it, kneeling down is an IJA solider with the distinctive Unit 781 armband wrapped around it and he's turning in their direction and his eyes suddenly turn a bright yellow as they and a moment later his entire body fill with light.....

"DOWN!" the big Gunny Sergeant yells and a moment later a bright flash of light slams into the corral wall near a Private named Wallace and Gurung. The Coral wall is blown apart and Wallace has a hole burned right through him while Gurung is knocked onto his back and feels like he got hit by a HOT iron and has a weird bruising/burning sensation all over his torso, but he's mostly okay*. Poor Wallace however is done for...

A quick look back over the top shows the Japanese Talent racing back towards the airfield while the MG is swinging towards the position of SST 4 and Ski's 'Bodyguard' Marines....


Bunker looks like this but without the U.S. Marines:



*Gurung is bruised and will be at -1D for the next 2 rounds

[Rex]

Gurung

Gurung tries to get behind some cover and then lay some fire into the bunker opening with his Enfield.

[Urson]

Dutch
Dutch squeezes off a burst at the troops in the bunker, taking whatever advantage he can get from his Eagle Eyes. IF he can pick his targets, he'll aim for the MG gunners.

[ateno]

Elias will use his focus and aim at the retreating talent.

[Monsieur Rose]

Acme

Marvin helps Gurung up and then yells at the area. "Shoot that bastard! And dive for cover!" Acme tries to direct exposed people to any new cover now that their section of wall is gone.
He also raises his Tommy gun and lays down some suppressing fire on the bunker.

[max_vale]

Approximately 8:10 AM, May 5th, 1943; Bloody Bay, Platok Island, Solomon Islands Chain, South West Pacific


The members of SST 4 and the remaining 'body guards' were crouched behind a coral 'wall' as a Japanese MG team sent blistering hot-fire down their way, along with an IJA Talent with a powerful 'ray gun' energy beam......

Captain Marvin Acme attempted to suppress the MG team with a spray of 10 rounds from his Thompson, but his aim was off, perhaps due to the suppressing burst of fire from the 'Woodpecker' Type 92 HMG that pourded 7.7mm rounds all along the corral wall and caused several Marines to duck down low in fear of the powerful 'wall of lead' coming their way....

Gunny Van Horn just waited for the fire to stop for a moment and he popped up over the wall and using the enhanced vision provided by his Eagle Eye Talent Power, he put a burst of five .303 rounds from his Bren Gun into the Type 92's loader and dropped that IJA solider out of the battle forever....

Coastguardsman Elias Tucker raised his Scoped Springfield Rifle and utilizing his Focus Talent Power, he concentrated on the retreating Unit 781 Talent with the Ray Beam and he fired a shot and was satisfied when he saw his shot hit the back of the man's shoulder and send him staggering down for a moment....but annoyed when the Talent kept moving towards the airfield. He worked the bolt of his Rifle and kept tracking the target, but then a wall of sand and rocks was interposed between the IJA Talent and his weapon and lowering the rifle, he saw that another Japanese Talent at the Airfield was using a power to screen/shield his comrade.....

A bruised Gurung dropped to one knee behind the corral wall and he fired a shot from his Enfield at the MG gunner, missing, but succeeding in getting the gunner's attention as the weapon swung his way....

Roker seemed to hunker down as low as possible behind the wall and it took him a long moment to realize that first Acme and then Havelsky had yelled something.....it registered late that the first had said; "Dive for cover!" and the second had said, "We can't stay here Skipper, we gotta get to that Airfield!". The sailor decided this was a simple military matter of who outranked who.....and Acme was a Captain and Ski was just a Sergeant....

SGT Havelsky was happy to have Corman move up to help out his wounded and he moved over to crouch down next to Acme; "We can't stay hear Skipper, we gotta get to that Airfield! I'm gonna have Lefty open up with his BAR and I'll take Harris and flank that MG nest and put some 'nades on it, okay?"

[Rex]

Gurung

Gurung goes prone and stays there, "Someone fire on him while he targets me!"

[ateno]

Elias was about to do the far shot at the other talent but heard his friend Gurung ask for help.

He swings, keeping his focus power up and relaxes, aims and fires at Machine Gunner.

[Urson]

Dutch
Dutch grins when the MG loader drops. He takes cover, then pops up to fire on the MG gunner.

[Monsieur Rose]

Acme

Acme has a nice chat with Havelsky. "Don't I know it! Ok. My guys will keep their attention and hopefully drop another one. You flank left, I'll go right. On three!"

Marvin scoots around towards the end of the wall, trying to flank from house right. (Stage being the MG nest.) As the MG opens up again, he'll leap over in concert with Havelsky and sprint along the flank of the nest, throwing a grenade when within range.

[Zhym]

Roker does his part of what Acme just said and tries to keep the MG nest's attention. He considers doing it by wolfing out, but figures bullets will also work well.

[max_vale]

Approximately 8:15-8:20 AM, May 5th, 1943; Bloody Bay, Platok Island, Solomon Islands Chain, South West Pacific


Behind a low wall of corral, about 20 U.S. Marines (and a couple of Sailors and a Coastguardsman and a Gurkha) made a move to take out a Japanese Type 92 Machinegun bunker about 40 yards away....

As Gurung stayed low, feeling the bruises on his scaly, armored body start to lessen in their pain*, the 'Woodpecker" MG opened up again and a hail of 7.7mm rounds came smashing into and occasionally thru the wall of corral, causing him to shut his eyes tightly and for Elias Tucker and 'Lefty' the BAR gunner to both duck as well; their attempts to open fire on the gunner forgotten**....

Gunny Van Horn saw Acme and SGT 'Ski' leap over the wall as the MG opened up o his teammates and he put a burst of five .303 rounds from his big Bren MG down-range, but unfortunately, his aim was off and he hit right to the side of the nest and he let loose a curse of annoyance....

Captain Marvin Acme nodded to SGT Havelsky when the Type 92 opened up and they both leaped over the corral wall and raced forward about 10 yards, pulling grenades and priming them as they went. They both hurled their 'eggs' and while 'Ski's' throw was a bad one, it didn't matter because the 'nade never even went off, it was a dud!

Marvin's throw wasn't great, but it put the grenade close enough to have some of its shrapnel hit and wound the gunner, who cursed and swung the weapon around towards the Marine Officer....

Chief Petty Officer Fred Roker, who had spent most of the time in the battle thus far just running and dropping low and hugging the ground, peeked over the top of the coral ridge and saw the bloody IJA gunner swing his weapon towards his C.O. and SGT 'Ski' and he raised his little M1 Carbine and took a bead on his target. He took a breath, let it go and squeezed the trigger and sent a .30 caliber round down range some 40 yards and straight into the gunner's chest. The Japanese trooper rocked back for a moment and then just fell forward, slumped over his weapon and not moving. The Radioman grunted in surprised satisfaction and then grinned as he looked over at the better shots in the unit who were all crouched down at the moment and he couldn't resist a quick; "Yeah....I got him.....it's okay now".....


Very quickly after that; all of SST 4 and the remaining 8 healthy Marines of SGT Havelsky's squad were gathered at the bunker and looking out carefully, they faced a new dillema.....

To their right and slightly up a ridge was their target; the Airfield, about 150 yards away and behind a rectangular earthen wall; a berm; where they could feel Talent Powers being used AND were starting to hear Airplane Engines warming up....the 'Tony' fighters!

To their left, also slightly up a ridge and behind an earth wall; though this one was only in the front; was the position where the pair of 81mm Mortars had been set up and which were shelling their fellow Marines down on the beach. Also, if they had any weapons protecting them; which it was a GOOD bet they did; they'd have an open shot into their flank if they tried to cover the 100+ yards of open ground to the wall around the Airfield.....


OOC:

*Gurung is no longer bruised

**You guys were suppressed and therefore unable to act, sorry!

Okay, I THINK the situation is basically clear; but right now you're in cover and a little bit 'down hill' from the two IJA positions. To the 'NW' is an Earth Wall and behind it are tow big 81mm (4-5 man crew) Mortars and almost certainly a squad of troops protecting them (likely with a Type 96 LMG). If you ignore this force, there's a good chance they can see and fire into your flank as you move towards the NE where the Airfield is.

To the 'NE' is the Airfield, which is protected by an Earthen Wall entirely around it.....and behind which are some Talents (the 'Ray Gun Beam' Talent certainly came this way and over and behind the Wall) and you can hear Airplane Engines warming up..

[Rex]

Gurung

"Some of us need to try and at least distract or better take out those mortars."