The regimental commander snapped a query at the artillery rep regarding the greatly reduced weight of fire landing on suspected NATO positions but the artilleryman was spared the need to reply because at that moment the tanks surged out of the lane, leading the way for the APC company.
The delay had proved a drain on the Czech mortars supply of smoke and the screen was growing patchy, which allowed those defenders without the benefit of infrared sights, to see the opposition with their Mk 1 eyeballs instead.
“Who are they, do you know?” The commander had lowered his glasses and turned his head toward his subordinates, directing the question at the Intelligence officer, who stammered a reply.
The regimental commander considered the answer for a moment before chuckling.
“So, the remnants of a regiment we beat in our first battle, and some American’s who’s own regiment didn’t want them…hah!” The laugh turned to a sneer.
“This will be over in no time at all comrades.”
Turning his attention back to his forces, he raised his binoculars once more to his eyes.
The charge of the Czech armour went unchallenged, the weapons in the NATO lines stayed silent as the tanks grew ever closer, passing through the wrecked and ruined gun line of 29 Commando Regiment and into the fields that ended where the slopes of Vormundberg began.
The CO of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders called up Pat Reed, he had a troop of the Royal Scots supporting his own left flank company, and both their tanks and a section of the flank company’s Anti-Tank Platoon would be in position to assist 3 Company and the Hussar Troop. Pat thanked the Scots CO for the offer, but they had best stay masked until needed, as he was confident the attack could be beaten unaided.
Over a rise a mile to the right of the lead company from the 23rd’s First Battalion appeared, motoring downhill across fields toward the same sunken lane. It was an obstacle that would cause them to slow in order to negotiate it, but the enemy should be fully engaged in trying to deal with the first two companies and the regimental commander was confident the First battalion would arrive like a hammer blow, rolling up or rolling over the defenders. Satisfied that the fight was as good as won the regimental commander stood, as a sign of contempt for his enemy he dispensed with basic fieldcraft, and turning his back he began to walk back to his command tank.
Major Venables kept his eyes firmly pressed against the sight as he keyed the radios send switch. When different Arms speak on the same radio network the simple use of a prefix avoids, for example, the number two troop of B Squadron of an armoured regiment from being confused with 2 Platoon, 2 Company of an infantry battalion. ‘India’ denotes Infantry, ‘Tango’ denotes armour/tanks, ‘Golf’ denotes artillery/guns etc. As Major Venables was communicating directly with his own unit, on their own net he did not use the ‘Tango’ prefix.
“Hello One Three this is One, over?”
“One Three, send over.”
“One, as per my last briefing the signal to let rip will be me lighting up a command tank….” His gunner was already tracking the Czech tank company commander’s vehicle, a T-90 that was easily identified by its additional antennae.
“…but right now I’m seeing an SA-9 vehicle amongst the tanks, at least two Zeus mixed in with the APCs and there are at least two plough tanks with the lead element.” Venables did not have to elaborate for the troop commander covering 3 Company.
“One Three, roger out to you…hello One Three Bravo and One Three Charlie, over.”
“One Three Bravo, send over.”
“One Three Charlie, send over.”
Major Venables listened for just a moment longer to the AAA targets being divided up between that troop, before turning to the 3 Company net.
“Hello India Three, this is Tango One, ready when you are, over.”
“India Three roger, standby…standby…fire!”
The Challenger II rocked backwards on its sprockets with the recoil of its main gun and the tungsten sabot flew true, striking their target where turret met body.
Less than a heartbeat later three other tank guns fired and sent two HESH and a further sabot down range.
The sound of the onboard ammunition in Venables target exploding caused the 23rd MRRs commander to stop and look back towards his lead companies.
The Company commander’s tank had already blown up but the sound had taken a little time to reach the regimental commanders ears. He was in time to observe a four wheel SAM vehicle and a pair of ZSU-23-4s explode in unison, and moments later the first Milan missiles struck the charging line of tanks.
Aside from the visible proof that NATO ground forces could still fight, something caught his eye, something had briefly popped up from behind trees on the crest of Vormundberg but it had been so fleeting that he had only the barest impression, and then the frighteningly swift passage of a Hellfire missile ended with the death of another of his tanks.
“Kurva drat!”
Another object, though not in the same spot came into view and he saw a British Lynx helicopter half visible behind the trees, but unlike the Apache that had loosed off the Hellfire, the Lynx had to keep the target in view whilst attacking with the older, wire guided TOW missile, but older technology or not the T-72 it struck was reduced to burning scrap.
Tank rounds, Milan, TOW and Hellfire missiles were coming thick and fast, although not all hit or killed their targets first time. Some crews were still blessing the luck that had given them a glancing blow only, when their attacker re-engaged and destroyed them.
He glared at his aide. “Get me close air support!”
“You were offered it earlier sir, but turned it down…it may take time to get it back?”
Unable to do anything to silence the enemy anti-tank weapons himself, the regimental commander took it out on the junior officer.
“Ty debile zasranej…so why are you wasting time making excuses?”
The business of controlling the tank fire was not, at this precise time, the responsibility of the squadron commander. The attack was being directed against 3 Company and therefore his troop commander controlled their aspect of the fight.
Major Venables and his crew were in a position to assist and so once he had initiated the fire, he allowed his crew to become subordinate to the troop commander, 3 Troop.
Venables Challenger arrived in its second fighting position having fired twice from the initial location. It had reversed out of that hole and motored to its present one where it had crept up a muddy ramp to present only the smallest target area possible to an enemy and still be able to engage. The gunner was looking through his sight at the dwindling number of tank targets below, traversing the main gun as he tried to decide which to engage when Major Venables took over, using the commander’s over-ride to halt the main guns wanderings and bring the elevation up a few degrees.