Gettysburg Cross Roads of Death July4, 2006 (7)
As the Inchon Convoy came into Pittsburg the enemy had renewed it’s attacks on the defenses of the city. The Dallas, Campbell, and Seneca took over the air defense of the city. The two F-16s flying CAP were then free to strafe, and bomb the enemy ground forces. Colonel Patton was pushing to off load his Task Force as fast as possible. He wanted to launch his ground attack, break the siege of Pittsburg, and move on to his primary mission. The naval gunfire support of the Coast Guard Cutters, and the air support from the two CAP F-16s helped break the enemy’s first ground attacks, and bought time for Colonel Patton to prepare his attack on the enemy forces. Three hours after offloading Task Force Patton was ready to strike!
Colonel Patton started his attack with a massive artillery, and naval gunfire barrage. When that barrage lifted Patton launched a tank and mechanized infantry attack into the left flank of the enemy brigade. Patton’s tanks and Bradley ICVs swept through the enemy, and only two battalions of the enemy, one armor and one mechanized infantry, escaped destruction. The siege of Pittsburg was lifted , and 3000 enemy troops were killed or captured. Task Force Patton was then on the road, racing toward it’s primary objective the relief of Gettysburg!
In the air battle over Gettysburg all sides were throwing everything they had into the fight. The Virginians were sending Captain Michelle’s Fan Dance Flight, six F-16 Es, and Captain Irene’s Dog Patch Flight and three survivors from the Panther Flight. This was a commitment of 14 F-16 Es. Each bird carried seven sparrow air to air missiles and one Hellfire anti-tank missile (if they got lucky they could destroy 14 enemy tanks on the ground). The 111th Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard were committing their last air reserves, 11 F-16 Ds. All the Pennsylvania Falcons were armed only for air to air combat. They were depending on the National Guardsmen on the ground to win the ground battle. Thanks to early warning from the Sea to Sea Fm radio intelligence network the friendly air combat controllers knew that the enemy had 70, F-18s headed for Gettysburg. It could only be assumed that half these planes were armed for air to air combat only. The other half to have a mix of weapons, so they could also bomb, and strike with anti-tank missiles. What the Pennsylvanians and Virginians didn’t know was that there was another 80, F-18s ready to be put into this battle.
At about the same time all air combatants came within maximum radar range of each other. Upon entering the enemy’s radar range Captain Michelle had her group switch on their EWCM systems and group into three high combat pairs. Wolf flight and Angel flight of the 111th Fighter Wing was being led by Major Walter Kritchett. Maj. Kritchett also had his birds activate their EWCM systems. At max range the enemy 30 lead aircraft each launched one air to air missile. This salvo of missiles was intended to break up the defender’s formations. Just as this first wave of missiles came streaking in Captain Irene’s group of 8, F-16 Es arrived at the battle area.
Captain Irene’s group was already radar blacked out when they arrived, and the enemy didn’t know they were there. At five miles range each of her 8 war birds launched two air to air missiles. The first warning the enemy had that they were under attack was when 16 of their planes exploded in flight. Then Captain Irene’s Dog Patch Flight slammed into the right flank of the enemy formation. Their guns blazing each of the Dog Patch flight fighting falcons shot down one more of the enemy F-18s. As the Dog Patch flight blasted it’s way through the enemy formation they did a 35 mile wide left turn to attack the next group of enemy planes from behind.
This left 46 enemy F-18s in the battle in the skies over Gettysburg. The enemy group commander ordered 16 planes to pursue and destroy Captain Irene’s flight. He then ordered his remaining 30 planes to break up into combat pairs and find any other National Guard planes, and destroy them. This was now an air combat mission! Air strikes in support of ground operations would wait.
Colonel Helmont Schmitt did not have long to wait for air to air combat! Captain Michelle’s flight, and Maj. Kritchett’s flights charged into his group of combat pairs, guns blazing. This time the element of surprise was not smiling on the attacking planes. Only three enemy planes were shot down in this first pass. Now the sky filled with dog fighting jets! One mistake and your life would end in a blink in this form of combat! Captain Michelle held her flight together in tighter combat pairs. This allowed them to shoot down the enemy pairs in a more efficient manner. Maj. Kritchett’s flights broke down and were drawn into separate combat pair combats. Maj. Kritchett lost three of his birds, but shot down 6 enemy planes. This left Colonel Schmitt with only nine combat aircraft left. He decided to break contact, and flee to the west. For now the U.S. Air National Guard controlled the airspace over Gettysburg.
In North Carolina things had been quite, but everyone deployed knew it was only a matter of time. Jefferson Davis, North Carolina Director of Public Safety, had organized State Police, County Sheriff’s Departments, local city/town police departments and 25, 000 Minuteman Volunteers into the best defensive plan possible. The Commander of the National Guard had refused to deploy Guard units in defense of the state (he was one of the Globalist appointees through a Globalist governor). But Mr. Davis was lucky in having Colonel Ray Anderson as his military advisor. Colonel Anderson had served in the U.S. military in the Regular Army, or the North Carolina Army National Guard for 48 years. His CIB (Combat Infantryman’s Badge) had three stars on it (original award for WWII, one star each for Korean War, Vietnam War, and 1st Gulf War). It was Colonel Anderson that had helped Mr. Davis develop the plan to defend the state. The plan was simple organize the forward defensive positions as anti-armor ambush teams. These teams would channel enemy armor vehicles into kill zones for ground launched TOW II wire guided anti-tank missiles. Dismounted infantry and unarmored vehicles would be destroyed by heavy and medium machinegun fire. Without the guard’s heavy equipment everything possible had to be used. Farmer’s tractors pulling tobacco wagons were loaded with TOW missiles to keep the TOW systems armed. Flatbed trucks and dump trucks were used to move troops and supplies. Pickup trucks and motorcycles were used for every other possible purpose. Thank God Ned Blaze, Bob Howard, and Lt. General Johnson had pumped tons of military and medical supplies into the state!
Captain Will Anderson was leading the Minuteman Volunteer company which was the right flank blocking position of the Hendersonville road Block position. The plan was simple stop any tanks or ICVs, APCs or dismounted infantry from flanking the main road block position. In order to do this his four platoons had two Dragon (Medium Anti-Tank missile system) systems, four M67, 90mm Recoilless Rifles (6 HEAT rounds, and 6 anti-personnel rounds), and 8 AT-4 lite anti-tank weapons. The company had 4, M2 HB, Browning .50 caliber heavy machineguns, and 8 MAG-58, medium machineguns, 7.62mm NATO caliber. Every man in the company was a combat Vet! The oldest, a Vietnam Vet was 58, and the youngest was a Gulf War II Vet at 19. For indirect fire support he had 4, 60mm Mortars dug in 100 meters behind the company, and the battalion’s 81mm Mortars. They had spent the last two days getting ready for battle, and as of noon nothing had happened. There had been reports of vicious battles taking place in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Everyone started to hope that the enemy would not come. That they had called off the war! Then the radio reports started coming in from the few helicopter scouts the North Carolinians’ had.
The chopper scouts reported that three separate enemy brigades were preparing to attack the front line road block positions. These brigades are made up of 1 battalion of T-72 Russian made tanks, 1 battalion of T-62 Russian made tanks, and 1 battalion of mechanized infantry either mounted in M113A1 APCs (Armored Personnel Carrier) or Russian made BTR-70 wheeled APCs. No artillery, or Air Defense Artillery units seen. Expected time of attack is 30 minutes.
Almost as if on que the first enemy Recon vehicles arrived in the valley between the two ridges over looking the interstate highway. Followed by the Recon vehicles was a T-62 tank company. Well into the valley A Company opened fire on the tanks and recon APCs below them the tanks scattered; half attacking toward A Company’s position. The other half attacking right. This group of T-62 tanks and BTR-70 APCs ran right into B Company’s frontal fire zones. But the real plus was that the enemy tanks offered perfect flank shots to the six dug in ground TOW II systems defending the main road block. Within 20 seconds 16, T-62 tanks and 4 BTR-70 APCs were burning wrecks. Their crews killed, wounded, or captured. But this was only a probe the main event was yet to come!
Ten minutes later the full force of the enemy brigade slammed into us with a full battle plan. The enemy T-72 tank battalion with one company of mounted infantry in M113APCs attacked down the center of the Minuteman position. Two tank companies (T-62s), and two mechanized infantry companies tried to flank both right and left flanks. The combined arms team attacking the left side ran right into Captain Anderson’s blocking position.
At Charlie Company Captain Anderson had caught the lead enemy tank platoon in a cross fire of dragon missiles and M67, 90mm fire. The four T-62 tanks were exploded burning wrecks within seconds. The rest of that tank company stopped, and started shelling Anderson’s positions with 115mm canon fire. The enemy infantry then dismounted and launched a ground assault on Charlie Company. Captain Anderson ordered his mortar platoon to put down a barrage of 60mm mortar shells to break up the enemy infantry attack. He concentrated his dragon and M67 fire on the twelve tanks that were bombarding his position. Then a new threat developed as the other two enemy companies tried to go around the left side of his company. Here his last two platoons engaged these companies and stopped their movement cold. It now became a slug fest. In the next few seconds four more enemy tanks were destroyed and five enemy APCs. The enemy dismounted infantry caught in the open were decimated by medium and lite machinegun and rifle fire. The M209 grenade launchers and 60mm mortars were laying concentrated indirect fire on any groups of dismounted enemy infantry. The company’s four .50 caliber heavy machineguns were firing on APCs and any other vehicles they could knock out. Captain Anderson knew his company could not hold back the enemy forever, but he would make them pay a dear price for this piece of North Carolina.
Then the set piece battle of attrition was changed in a blink as 12 enemy AH64 Apache helicopters came racing over the western ridge. Their guns, rocket pods, and canons blazing their ariel fire power was having a devastating effect on the entire battalion defense. But the battalion was not defenseless against these sharks of the sky. Every heavy machinegun in the battalion was trying to shoot these devils out of the sky! Also the battalion had four stinger anti-aircraft missile sections scattered throughout the battalion area. Within 5 minutes of battle 6 of the enemy attack helicopters had been shot down. But the damage was already done! The battalion’s defense was starting to come apart.
At Charlie Company Captain Anderson knew he couldn’t hold the enemy back much longer. He reported to battalion command that he was pulling back to his secondary battle position. Battalion command approved the move, and ordered all other companies to start moving to their secondary battle positions. Captain Anderson moved all the company assets 50% at a time. Once in the new position those troops would provide cover fire for the movement of the rest of the company. All was going well and the company was ready to move the last of the troops still fighting: When a 115mm anti-personnel tank shell hit the company command post killing four troopers and critically wounding Captain Anderson. As luck would have it Colonel Ray Anderson had driven up to Charlie Company’s position to visit with his nephew and see how the battle was going. Colonel Anderson ensured that command of the company was passed to Lieutenant Wallace, the company XO (Executive Officer), and that the company had been moved into the secondary battle position. Colonel Anderson the contacted battalion command and instructed them to hold at the secondary battle position for one hour. Destroy as many enemy tanks as possible then blow the interstate highway over passes, and withdraw to the next road block position. Colonel Anderson then had his nephew put in the back of his truck with two medics working to keep him alive. Colonel Anderson then told the driver to take them to Robert Anderson’s house in Tyler. Colonel Anderson then called Doc Adams, and told him to meet them at the Anderson home in Tyler!
The Guided Missile Destroyer Gonzales had made port at North Forlk and on deck the dead from the battle were being organized and tagged. Lieutenant Steel had just opened the body bag containing the remains of Chief Petty Officer Eric Flyn. The French ship Bon Chance had been turned over to friendly U.S. Naval forces 50 miles from base. French diplomates had boarded the ship to protect the rights of French citizens. Like the other two crews their story was that terrorists had taken control of their ship at sea, and forced them to take part in the plot. This was their story and they were sticking to it! Lieutenant Steel had not known it, but Chief Flynn was his friend, and right hand man throughout the battle with the Russian Naval Infantry (see Operation Ajax Part I). Chief Flynn had helped him pull his firing line back into order twice during the battle. But there would be no forced retirement for Chief Flynn. In the last exchange of gun fire with the Russians a heavy machinegun round had bounced off a steel bulkhead, and blown the back of his head off! Now the soul of Chief Flynn was on it’s way to God’s judgement! After tagging the Chief’s body as I.D.ed ready for processing Lt. Steel looked across the burnt and scared, deck of the Gonzales to see Colonel Davis, USMC, and two heavily armed squads of Maries board the ship. He then saw CDR. Granger (AKA Braveheart, God Rest His Soul) come out on deck to meet Colonel Davis. Once Lt. Steel saw CDR. Granger step out on to the deck he called out Ship’s company present Arms: Captain on Deck! All the sailors on deck came to attention and rendered a hand salute and held it. This sign of respect angered Colonel Davis and he wanted to humiliate CDR. Granger. Colonel Davis then read the orders relieving CDR Granger of command of the Destroyer DD6 Gonzales and then the orders, sighed by Admiral Wilson, placing him under arrest and pretrial confinement. The last humiliation was having him cuffed and walking him off the ship under guard! But in spite of Colonel Davis, the orders, and Court Marshall charges all the sailors on deck held their salute in respect for CDR. Granger. As CDR. Granger left the ship with his arrest party he heard Lt. Steel give the command: Order Arms: Return to duties! As Lt. Steel watched CDR. Granger leave the dock a sailor came up to him and delivered a message. The message read Lt. Steel you are in temporary command of this ship. Do your best to defend her and the Republic! Signed CDR. Granger!
North Carolina: Never So Few July 4, 2006
“Never in the Field of Human conflict was so much owed by so many to so Few.” Sir Winston Churchill Battle of Britain 1940 in praise of RAF Fighter Pilots!
At the home of Captain Robert Anderson, North Carolina Army National Guard, a tan pickup truck comes to a sliding stop near the rear entrance! An older man, in battle fatigues, rushes to open the rear door, as two medics carry a severally wounded man into the house. Inside Dr. Danial Adams had already prepped the large dinning room table as an operating room table. The medics put the stretcher on the table, as Dr. Adams starts his examination of the wounded man. Robert Anderson came over to the table, and saw that the wounded, possibly dying, man was his brother, Will. Across the table watching was his uncle, Colonel Ray Anderson. Doc. Adams looked up and said you two need to leave so I can work: If you want me to save this man’s life? With that Colonel Anderson and Captain Anderson left going to the front of the house and Dr. Adams went back to work!
In the living room Ray and Robert stopped talking like soldiers and started talking like family. Robert’s wife Karen brought them coffee as the descusion turned to why Robert wasn’t using his position in the Guard to help defend the state! Colonel Anderson said we need your tanks and men if we are going to win this fight Bob. Captain Anderson answered I know Colonel, but we have strict orders from the General and Governor to stay out of this mess. Colonel Anderson exploded General Shithead and Governor Lardass be dammed we are having to fight an unknown Army that has tanks, APCs, and attack helicopters! We are trying to stop them with men and whatever weapons we can scrape together, and we need your tanks, APCs, men and any other heavy guard weapons we can get. Captain Anderson answered I just can’t do it. If I do what you want Uncle Ray I could go to prison if I live through it. I just can’t throw my life and family away! Colonel Anderson raged, “What will it take man? Men and women you have known all your life are out there fighting and dying to defend this state! Your own brother is so badly shot up that he may die yet. What will it take for you to help us?” At that point Karen whispered in Bob’s ear: Bob shook his head, stood up, and said OK I will do what I can. He looked at Karen and said go get my alert rosters, and start calling numbers; give who ever answers the phone my name and the word Brazos ( Brazos was an old going to war code word). Bob then turned to his Uncle Ray, and asked how can I help?