FM DeCorba

[General Pain]

DeCorba's hideout in Hearst Castle has some pretty decent
GE kmz overlays..

[General Pain]

here is a nice picture from GE

[Rupert Willies]

Love the pool...

[FMDeCorba]

Yes, Gentlemen, just add a bunch of fortifications and a couple of well prepared artillery postions around the castle and on the surrounding mountaintops to complete the picture. Also imagine the open ground between the pool and the main house stamped hard by the boots of battle hardened men lining up for morning inspection

[General Pain]

glad to have you onboard

[FMDeCorba]

gaah.. still hung over from new year´s..

[headquarters]

Your quartermaster informs you that given your current situation you will be out of food in 9 days (downtime actual) -unless you break into the secret stash wich makes it 2 days more .

After 9 days -or 11 days depending- your personell will begin to starve .It is predicted that they will be able to survive from 14-38 days given enough clean water .

He asks you to advice him in further communications on this subject to the men .

Your personell officer informs you that some new potential recruits have been located -but not signed up yet .Do you wish to enlist them ?

Also a possible solution is to downsize the organisation according to personel dept.

1st. California Volunteers have stated that they will pay every able bodied and loyal man and woman if they join their ranks , so unemployment is not really an issue to worry about if people are let go .

What are your orders?

[FMDeCorba]

1. I clearly stated that the castle should be left entirely destroyed and uninhabitable before I left, specifically to avoid the situation described. Given my characters expertise as a combat engineer and access to copious amounts of explosives, I should have been made aware of the failure of that plan before moving ahead.

2. I will sell my mine and my men´s services to the local Govt. for food. I am also willing to trade heavy equipment for calories, but the absolutely last resort should be to fire loyal troops.
Hence, me and my men will take on first line duty for the common good in exchange for food and ammunition. If the council feels it does not need our services as an independent force, then we will offer to enlist wholesale, under the condition that we are not dispersed, but remain a single unit. The experience and expertise thereby offered should be interesting.

[headquarters]

1.No battle plan survives contact with the enemy .The castle is partially destroyed ,but the abominable neo -feudalists have the main house and some of the other buildings as well .Yes it is in disrepair.Much of it is uninhabitable.
Nevertheless-there you are .They have a camp on the premises,its garrisoned by a force of unknown strength -and they fly their flag from the remains of the roof as an even more annoying insult to your honour!!!

2.Eureka council have for a limited time only openings for able bodied young men and women to enlist in the newly formed 1st california Volunteers.

They accept you offer to enlist your unit wholesale on the following four conditions -these are non negotiable -

1.Officers above company level will be appointed by the council

2.the unit who will be renamed to 1st california Volunteer Assault Brigade
will not be stationed in Eureka proper .Nor will it have an independent supply unit ,but rely on resupply from the Volunteer militia supply companies.

3.You will relinquish personal operational command of the unit until further notice .Your new posting as an officer in the 1st California Volunteer militia will be
" Liason Officer " with the rank of COLONEL.You will be attached to your former unit ,but YOU will not lead it .Your 2ic will take this post for now.This might change when time and circumstance dicates and your devotion to the values of the militia are proven.

4.Your unit will serve primarily in the first line as scouts and a rapid reaction force .Since these operations are mainly on a platoon level ,the unit will be operating in a dispersed manner.It will remain under the same unit hierachy however.

The deployment will start in 7 days,form which date payment will start -in which time new markings and patches etc must be in place .Unit banner,insignia and awards are accepted as long as they fit in to the overall profile of the militia in general .

Do you accept ?

Originally Posted by FMDeCorba

1. I clearly stated that the castle should be left entirely destroyed and uninhabitable before I left, specifically to avoid the situation described. Given my characters expertise as a combat engineer and access to copious amounts of explosives, I should have been made aware of the failure of that plan before moving ahead.

2. I will sell my mine and my men´s services to the local Govt. for food. I am also willing to trade heavy equipment for calories, but the absolutely last resort should be to fire loyal troops.
Hence, me and my men will take on first line duty for the common good in exchange for food and ammunition. If the council feels it does not need our services as an independent force, then we will offer to enlist wholesale, under the condition that we are not dispersed, but remain a single unit. The experience and expertise thereby offered should be interesting.

[FMDeCorba]

Originally Posted by FMDeCorba

1. I clearly stated that the castle should be left entirely destroyed and uninhabitable before I left

If I had had any doubt that there was even a foot of wall standing, I would have made sure it wasn´t when I was done. This smacks of post-fact editing, and that annoys me far more than the flag supposedly flying from that hill.

As for the enrollment into the local militia, I discuss this with all my officers. Given the situation, my priority is to make sure that the interests (food, shelter) of those that have been loyal are taken care of. If they can agree to the terms, then OK. If not, I want an assessment of other potential sources of income.

[headquarters]

"Fla-flap -the MacRae banner impertinently flies EXTRA vigourously over the battered ramparts "


I think I just saw this go down differently than you when we played the hurried exodus from your areas -we agreed to take this in a downtime mode rather than actual phase by phase -so on this condition I would say that I can stand by words here .The fuel and ammo made a nice fireball in your rearview mirror as you rushed of with the other refugees , so the squad you delegated to do the job were pleased about their work .(You did delegate this when you said -" I make sure that someone takes care of the move "

Your criticizm smacks of "everything my PC tries his hand at goes well regardless of the multitude of variables that could go wrong"-ism ,but doesnt annoy me one bit

It is the overall picture that is important here ,as you did ask for it to be handled "administratively". Also I hear no such critisizm about the events that turn out in your favour ?

However I find it a fun mission to play you going back to level the place 101% to the ground instead of its 82% burnt out rubble status.

Your officers agree to the terms as it is the only possible source of getting rations without taking them from someone who is in need or prepared to fight hard for them .(raiding ,banditry and stealing doesnt sit well with most apparently -deeming after what they say )

Your 2ic admits that it isnt his first choice ,but he and all other ranks agree in unison to resign their commissions in the militia and rejoin the regiment under your leadership as soon as circumstances allow it .Thie contract states that this cannot be done while on operations or in time of war -without written consent from Militia HQ.

A pair of Colonel rank insigni is sent to your place by courier from the militia hq.

A note is attached : "welcome aboard , Colonel."

You are in the army now.

Originally Posted by FMDeCorba

If I had had any doubt that there was even a foot of wall standing, I would have made sure it wasn´t when I was done. This smacks of post-fact editing, and that annoys me far more than the flag supposedly flying from that hill.

As for the enrollment into the local militia, I discuss this with all my officers. Given the situation, my priority is to make sure that the interests (food, shelter) of those that have been loyal are taken care of. If they can agree to the terms, then OK. If not, I want an assessment of other potential sources of income.

[FMDeCorba]

Fine. I adress my men, informing them of the decision to become the 1st California Volunteer Assault Brigade. The unit will maintain its established traditions and doctrines.

Originally Posted by headquarters

[I]
Your criticizm smacks of "everything my PC tries his hand at goes well regardless of the multitude of variables that could go wrong"-ism ,but doesnt annoy me one bit

Really, theres that REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM again. My criticism was aimed at the perception of a conversation that sounded something like: -"I want to make sure everything is completely destroyed and useless, no one shall be able to make use of anything there"
-"OK, your men make it happen" -"OK".
I can see that some misunderstandings can arise from this, I think however the GM interpretation in question came somewhat late, making it smack of "if it fits my storytelling needs, I will make it turn out that way, regardless of the impression previously conveyed to the players"-ism.

[headquarters]

To : Col.DeCorba ,patrol Company 1st.CAl Volunteers.

From : Council military commiteè


ORDERS :

1.Coduct reconnaisance along coastal roads /highway 70 km towards the south starting from Eureka barracks.

2.Gather information on nearby settlements.If possible conduct interviews to gather ANY information on "DOGSKULL" gang.

3.ROE: act peacably,do not engane unless in selfdefense.Warning shots to be fired first.Use your own judgement - but apart from "Dog SKULL " gang there is no one considered hostile until proven otherwise.

4. 1st Platoon of of Patrol Coy is awaiting your orders.
Quarter masters company has been notified and is expecting your requisition.

5. Final report to be delivered by 22.09.2019 ( 5 days )

[FMDeCorba]

You want to PBM? You should be working on your novel(s)

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by FMDeCorba

You want to PBM? You should be working on your novel(s)

I am just sending your PC to the front to get his mind of the castle business.

(More a "today this happened thing" .)

Anyways - tha patrol shows there is little control out there beyond smaller groups of survivors and the insular pockets of town etc that are far between.

[FMDeCorba]

Just to clarify a point: I didn´t intend to let, or saw any mention of my vehicles being drafted?
Anyway, I organize a fortified recon patrol with JABO support and set out to solve my task.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by FMDeCorba

Just to clarify a point: I didn´t intend to let, or saw any mention of my vehicles being drafted?
Anyway, I organize a fortified recon patrol with JABO support and set out to solve my task.

Unless you can field an independent air capability and fuel it ,there is no air support save for absolutely necessary CASEVAC or CAS missions in the event of serious contact due to shortages on fuel and parts.

If you do not field the vehicles the whole idea of using the unit for recce,patrol and qrf missions falls to pieces and your men will be either dispersed among units that have motorized/mechanized capacity ,and the unit disbanded OR the unit disbanded and the men discharged with 2 days worth of pay -AFTER the patrol has been conducted .

Thats up to you.

The vehicles needed to keep your unit within the accepted degree of mechanization/motorization is not ALL of your gear - but I cant rightly say how much right now ,as I havent got that info /your inventory here .

Anyways - the patrol is uneventful as far as going through bandit infested country with ravaged lands and suffering refuges goes .

As stated - there seems to be little or no authority anywheres , but in between the stretches of devestated lands in violent anarchy ,there are pockets or enclaves of people who have organized -like Eureka- on a smaller scale. Some are just a few farmers and a fortified homestead , others are several hundreds in improvised fortifications in the towns along the coast .The size and armament of your patrol ,and the tactical approach wards of most confrontations , but a few snipers take potshots from the hills - just to make you know that the area is contested with and that the last inning hasnt started.

Most people react with cautious suspicion towards you ,followed bu requests for food and aid as soon as it is clear that you have no bad intentions - this time .

No one agrees to any sort of compromise as far as authority goes .They dont open anything fo rinspection and both sides cover eachother mutually while talks are in progress.

The tiresome assignment leaves you sure of one thing as you return :
straightening out this mess will take decades or 50 000 well armed and well supplied men and heavy gear to match deployed instantly .Chasing a band of elusive bandits with military traiing and experience trough the woods up here in the NorthCal - it will be a war with no end .

On the other hand , there is plenty of work for someone in the right business.

[headquarters]

From :California Volunteer Militia High Command
To : Col.DeCorba

1.Prepare yourself and 1 section of chosen men for special duty .
2. Your command must be ready to leave within 12 hours.All hands to be present at Militia HQ by 0900hrs tomorrow.
3. Additional equipment will be requisitioned after initial briefing is completed.

That is all.

[headquarters]

The crackling screech from the Paintec ANPRC 77 copy made his hed hurt .He was making desicions on moving platoons and coordinationg vehicles simultanously in a running firefight as well as trying to report to division HQ on the other net that his radionman carried on his back.A series of uncomfortably accurate MG bursts lashed the debris at his back with tracers and lead .A spotter must have seen the antennas bobbing up and down behind the brick ruins and gathered he had found the fattest target .

The firing grew in intensity as more rifles and machineguns joined in . He yelled his cropped-short contact report on the higher net and then binned it ,waiving the radioman down and concentratingt on his company net that he carried himself in his day pack.Hurriedly he ordered the tanks and APCs of 1 and 3 platoon to give covering fire and the mortars to concentrate on the targets in front of his section. The others were to maintain holding position and provide anysupport their line of fire allowed but not to advance .He had seen the "everybody -forward!" type staff officer led attacks before.

A blue-on-blue nightmare that noone took the responsibilty to end before it was too late.

He could hardly hear himself in the radio now , and bulletimpacts around his position were splattering him with plumes of dust and little conceret shards.He ducked down in his hole behind the tattered ,collapsed dry wall and rummaged through his map case.

Typical . At least 4 maps to scour before he had the one with this area on it .The flapping throug maps and folding them over under fire seemed like an absurdity - when had they ever heard of that as an essential combat skill in the academy ?

"What do you know" he muttered bitterly .

The area was covered on two adjacent sheets.Just great .

Mortar shells started pounding the dust around 100 meters out from his position .In the brief flash from the explosion he could see contours of his own armoured vehicles.Grey upshots of dust and smoke from the grenades covered them -obscured them almost totally .Yet they were mowing in there like giant ,ugly beasts .

He tipped the waterhose stopper on his gasmask and sucke don the nipple.caffeinated drinking water slushed into his mouth. He got dry throathed from the yelling and radio chatter - or was the numbing sensation enemy fire gave him also detremential to his saliva production ? He hadnt had that problem in his younger days.But he was getting on a bit -as far as combat troops go.Some of the young bucks in the brigade could run circles around him."Why dont you run a few circles right now you pups " he muttered with a smug grin .

A highly trained body still got shredded by shrapnel same as an aging ,scarred warhorse would.

He looked the map over again .

He would hit them hard after a preparatory barrage and possibly a nice smokescreen had been laid for him to get some MGs into play.Then advance without hesitation on the possible strongpoints and blow them or burn them .If that worked the NDP swine should be falling back or if he was lucky -running for their lives - in short order.
The supporting platoons could easily mow them down and mop up whilst he reorganized his assault teams.
He peered out underthe edge of his kevlar helmet and gauged the status of the rest of the assault team .Takashi was wounded but looked out into nothing with a strange calm .Pain was idling while his trained dog of a soldier was coveringboth their sectors .Typical.

Iron Man was nowhere to be seen ,so he radioed a request for him to be sent up immideatly.QCB was imminent -the weird actor might come in handy.

The rest of them seemed ready to go .He brushed some dust of the mapcase and closed it .
Then he scampered over to the next position and inbetween explosions from the now nearby mortar impacts he said what he would repeat 8 more times down the line that morning :

"here is the plan .."

[headquarters]

SHANDON,CA OCT.11th 0834 hrs TEMP : +2C*

DeCorba was in a bad way.Numerous perforations of his armour and moppsuit were leaking blood .Makeshift and expedient wound dressings could not hold up when conducting a hoigh speed firefight in a CQB enviroment.His every move left a bloodstain on the flor.Bloody gloveprints was on everything he touched.

He felt his head spinning for a moment.His vision loosing color and turning bleak and grey .The combat stims were keeping him up ,and he knew it .

If the buzzing waves of drug induced energy that pulsed through his veins stopped working he would fall unconscious and bleed to death.As it were he was keeping awake and pretty alert .Running on a double dose of stims.

He wondered if he could take more -or if his heart would give out .He had of troopers dropping from cardiac arrest when doing to much stims in a situation with circulatory distress.

The klaxons were damn annoying ."AA-OOO-GAH" over and over .Yes,yes.Impending doom and all .But did it have to be so unpleasant and noisy ?

He hoisted another HE-shell into the cradle on the ammunition elevator and punched the operation buttons.Smearing blood from his wounds as he handled it .The shell was hoiste dto the breach of the howitzer he had captured and aligned itself with the chamber.

"Great".

"Lets see how they like this one ." He staggered up to the firecontrol station and started plonchating the barrel.The bunker-emplacements motorized system hummed as the 155 mm gun swung towards its target some 1100 meters away . A platoon of M3 Paintek apcs ,lining up their HMGs to rake the area around the bunker.

Small drops of blood stained the control surfaces where he was .

"Death before dishonour!"

He chuckled and pulled the mechanical trigger by lanyard-even though a flick swithch was present to fire electronically.

A massive bang as the discharge sent the shell whizzing away.A muzzle blast that whipped up a huge cloud of dust.

It canceled out the klaxons with their blaring warning of doom.

In the target area the APCs were racing away .One of them wasnt .It had been hit squarely and flipped onto its side.Yellow flames were gusting out t hrough hatches and engine compartment.Black smoke bellowing thick towards the sky.

DeCorba swung the massive binoculars over the village and plain beyond it .Everyone was retreating -methodically.

Why ? The had the bunker surriunded.Why widen the encirclement?Unless you for some reason were worried about danger close or blue on blue...
But why would you need more than 1 klick ?

DeCorba started the traverse again .It rotated throug a few empty cradles.Another HE shell came up.

He smiled.

The NDP was getting a taste of their own medicine..

[headquarters]

Outside Eureka Aug. 13th 2020 16 C+ 1600 hrs.

The promising and still somewhat young 2nd. lt. Bennet paced the room of his small cabin ferociously considering his options. In a few hours the column carrying the esteemed leader - the honorable Field Marshall DeCorba ( now nominally a colonel in the 1. Cali Volunteer regiment) would arrive.

The guards had been double-checked and a few chewing outs given for the men who had presented themselves in less than "Fighting Grey" stile - never mind the shortages and the fact that they were recuperating on guard duty after months of bloody running battles up and down Highway 1.

It was not that he was starstruck and feared to meet the man lest he make a fool of himself. He had actually once gotten a nod of approval from him as he fired of a steady stream of fire corrections to a machine gun section at the battle of Barstow in `16 as a young cadet even as mortar rounds came whizzing down all around. They were practically brothers in arms as far as that one went he was pretty sure.

Neither was his post anything but operational and indeed these last 12 hours it had been made nigh on picture perfect - his men swearing as they carried more lumber and rigged deeper and redid the camp paint on the truck. Yes. every gun was polished and oiled to a deadly fire blue sheen.

He had even gotten some of the nice rum out - in a real glass bottle and all and some rabbit stew with actual rabbit and not that powdered Landshrimp protein supplement with venison flavored powdered gravy ( TM ) either.

No. All was well with his command.

Yet he felt uneasy. After all he was going to have to be the one to give the latest intel on the ..developments.

Out in the redwood a few birds started up, startled and screeching. Truck engines were approaching.

[staggerlee]

developments never sounded quite so ominous before..