The Longboats
Chapter 10

Messages came in by the dozens every minute causing Yngvildr to take a deep breath as she looked at one of the communicators with a frown.

“Did Gunny go through this all the time or is it just me?” She said angrily.

“Gunny did this all day long,” he said with a smile.

Shaking her head she saw two of Gunny’s men, both officers with their metal rank insignia pinned to their collars, standing nearby watching her. She also knew what Gunny’s looked like, it had six stripes but one of these had three and the other had two.

“Are you waiting for something?” She asked them with a frown.

“Well, yes.” The tall black man said. Next to him was a shorter man with brown skin, small eyes and a flat nose and a beard that was trying to grow but looked like it went half way out and stopped.

“We are waiting for orders and I would like to make a suggestion, if I may.” The tall black man said.

“OK. What is it?” She said impatiently.

“May I suggest we straighten our lines, reinforce them and dig in?” He said as a matter of fact.

“Well.” Yngvildr shifted on her feet as if embarrassed. “Yes. Good idea. Get to it.”

They turned to leave and she stopped them.

“Look. I need your help here. Gunny use to do all this and all I did was follow what he said. You were his men before, right?”

They both nodded.

“Then I will need you to advise me on every move until we replace Gunny.”

They looked at each other with a slight smile.

“We were hoping you would say that, mam.” The short one said as she looked at him.

“Where are you from, anyway,” she asked him with a blank stare.

“From the U.S. but I’m Filipino decent.” He said with raised eyebrows.

“Filipino?” She asked. “Where’s that?”

“In the Pacific ocean, mam.” He looked at the other officer then back to her.

“Well. I have no idea where that is but you two are good men and I depend on you to help out here.” She said frustrated.

“Absolutely, mam. We’ll hang close to the CP and help you out.” The tall man turned to the shorter one.

“Go tell battalion I’m staying here so that makes you OIC (officer in charge) from here on.” He told him.

“Aye, aye, sir. Got you covered.” The shorter man was off at a run back to his unit.

“I’m Colonel Hendricks, Battalion Commander of Second Battalion First Regiment.” He told her as he stuck out his hand. She took it and shook warmly.

“I’m glad you’re here, Colonel.” She said with a deep sigh of relief.

“Message from Hagan,” the communicator said.

‘English have landed and off loaded near Amsterdam port. Need arms and ammunition quickly.’

“Can you take care of this, Colonel?” She asked, not knowing where to go or what to do with the message, it was always Gunny that did this. She was a warrior, not an administrator but Gunny could do it all and she didn’t know how he did it.

Major Welsh walked down the road leading to town where he was told he could meet several wagons that had equipment from the front for his troops. He passed many soldiers in the green uniforms that were busy loading and unloading supplies that had just arrived from their rear. He saw more rifles, ammunition pouches and other items of equipment such as the mess tin he recognized as German from his time period. The Germans did have excellent equipment, he thought and that was one of them being very versatile and easy to carry.

“Major!” he heard his named and turned to see a Norse officer walking quickly to him.

“Major Welsh, I’m Sigrun and this is Ralf, from our artillery unit.” He stuck out his hand and they shook briefly.

“We need to get your men situated on the south west of town but they need to come right through here first to get their weapons and equipment on their way out. Can that be done quickly?” He asked.

“Yes. Yes it can and I’ll personally take care of it right away.” He turned to his aids and spoke to them, then they ran off towards the docks where his troops had gathered.

The Major walked over to the wagons that stretched for over a block long and saw they were full of rifles and cartridge belts that also had mess tins and bayonets attached to them along with a canteen. He also noticed most were either covered or splattered with blood and would need to be cleaned. They must have just come from the battle field looking like this, he thought, but at least it was rifles and not swords and shields.

Now he had to replace out, exactly, where they were supposed to go and dig in, which would be a task in its self he thought. Sigrun was not far away directing traffic as it came into town with more supplies then carrying wounded back to the docks for transport back to their rear by use of the English ships. The scene he was witnessing was reminiscent to photos of World War One, he thought with the wagons and poor quality care from the hospital stewards. He did see the stewards using items he had not seen before from small bottles and he noticed they all had clean bandages, so it may not be as bad as he thought.

“Major Welsh!” Sigrun yelled from a distance away and was waving his hand for him to come over. He made his way among the wagons full of wounded and foot traffic to where Sigrun was standing, directing traffic.

“Can you start having your men move that way?” He pointed forward, down the street. “Once you get to the edge of town there will be a main command post and they will tell you where to dig in.”

“Right.” Major Welsh turned and started towards the wagons where his troops were getting the bloodied weapons and equipment.

During the night she was restless and couldn’t sleep as she only thought of where Gunny could be. Her mind was not on the battle or the lines but wondering where he was; dead or alive she would replace him. Colonel Hendricks was reading and reacting to all the messages that were sent in all night and got very little sleep as well and that left her felling guilty she was not doing the job as queen.

“Message from the rear, Yngvildr!” She took the message, read it then passed it to Colonel Hendricks, who smiled at it.

“Looks like we may have a rail road here soon,” he said with a smile. “Those lads must be working overtime. It says they are laying six miles of track a day heading for Amsterdam.”

He stood in thought and did the numbers in his head.

“If that’s true, they will be here in just over a month with the rail road.” He looked at Yngvildr with a smile, still holding the piece of paper.

“I’m sorry, Colonel but what does that mean?” She asked.

“Well. For one thing we will be able to get back and forth from Skavateland in just a few hours instead of a few days. We can shuttle our supplies here quicker than by sea and the wounded won’t have to go without medical help but a few hours.”

“I see,” her thoughts were still on Gunny and where he could be. “Anything on Gunny yet?”

“Nothing yet, mam.” The communicator said as he bent over his telegraph.

She looked east at the rising sun as it cast it’s long shadows among the surrounding hills and saw the carnage of yesterday’s battle still there.

Oswald was near the center of his lines as they continued to march toward the Greek rear just as the sun was coming up, seeing what he thought was their entire army just a few miles ahead over the nearly flat terrain. He ordered his point platoons to fall back closer to his main line in case they encounter a Greek force. As he made it to the top of a hill, he took his binoculars out to scan the area between him and the Greeks. What he saw stunned him to a stop with open mouth.

“This can’t be,” he thought.

He dropped the binoculars and yelled out.

“HALT! Have the entire line HALT!” He yelled. Turning to his aids he barked out a command.

“Have the left flank pull back,” he pointed to a hill in the distance to his left he thought he could defend.

“Have them dig in on THAT hill,” he pointed. “Pull the rest of our troops back to this ridge and start to dig in. Get that Greek artillery and wagon train brought up and set them up just behind our position....NOW!”

He looked through his binoculars again and saw the mustard yellow uniforms marching to his left front with dozens of flags and their formation stretched further than he could see. They must have twenty thousand troops with them if they have any, he thought and they were heading straight for him. He dropped the binoculars, turned and began to bark orders for a hasty defense.

“Send a message to central command......overwhelming Greek force sighted on your left flank heading straight for us. Need assistance two miles to your south west.”

“Message from the Germans!” The communicator nearly yelled out.

Yngvildr took it and read it then handed it to Colonel Hendricks.

“I think they’ll need help on this one, Colonel.” She said as she stood tall.

He nodded then bent over to look at his map.

“We have the English that just moved into that part of the line...BUT!” He looked up at Yngvildr. “They’re green troops and I wouldn’t put them in there for their first battle. It may be a disaster.”

“I agree, so who can we put there to help them out. If we don’t do something our left will fall.” She said as she paced back and forth, pulling at her lower lip.

“Let me see,” the Colonel ran his finger across the map in thought.

“We have the Fifth Regiment just over that hill,” he pointed to the south. “They were out of nearly all the battle yesterday so they’re fresh troops and could help Oswald hold that line.”

“What about artillery?” She asked.

“Good question. I’ll get with Ralf on that as soon as I inform the Fifth what to do.” He said, then turned to the communicators to send several messages to the front units.

“Seems they couldn’t break our center so they’re trying for the flank this time,” he said as an afterthought.

“Ralf has his artillery on top of a hill overlooking the Greeks. He says he has them in sight and will start a barrage when ordered.” The Colonel said as he still looked at his map.

The commander of the Fifth Regiment received the messages from Colonel Hendricks about the approaching Greek flank attack. He grabbed his binoculars and walked to the top of the hill quickly. Scanning the area to his south east he spotted the large Greek force in column just as they were changing formation to get on line for an attack. They seemed to be about a half a mile away with their left rear facing him as they marched over the last hill towards the Germans.

“Holy CRAP!” he said as he turned to his officers.

“SADDLE UP!” He yelled. “Get the troops on line. The Greeks are attacking the Germans on our left.”

I had a head ache from hell, was my only thought as I tried to open my eyes and couldn’t remember what happened. I moaned as I tried to set up but couldn’t with pain in my chest and right arm so intense I froze in place gritting my teeth. I couldn’t open my eyes yet because of the head ache that seemed to pound with each heart beat so I tried to stay still. I could hear noise around me as if slight tinkling noises of tin cups or something and low voices as if trying to whisper but speaking a bit louder than that. The smell was of alcohol, the type you use as rubbing alcohol, not the type you drink and it was very strong.

Someone was grabbing my arm and raising it with two hands while another hand was rubbing the alcohol on it, then I felt a sting similar to a wasp biting you and it hurt. I yelled out then moaned loudly.

“Calm down. It’s just a needle in your vein,” I heard a male voice say.

I reached up with my left hand to feel my face and it was covered in bandages so I opened my one eye that was not covered and saw two females in white smocks and a male sticking a needle in my arm attached to a bottle hanging over the back of my bed.

“Where am I?” I asked. I thought I was back in my time line again. I saw bright lights overhead and the walls I glanced at were painted white.

“Am I home?” I asked then closed my eye with the pain.

“Yes. You’re home. You came in with all the other wounded and you are in the hospital.” The male Corpsman said.

“Where?” I asked. “Am I at Camp LeJeune?” My heart began to pound with excitement that I may be home at last.

“Skavateland! You’re in Skavateland!” He said.

“Where is this Camp LeJeune?” One asked the other.

“He’s delirious but may be coming around. This is the first time I have seen him conscious since they brought him in yesterday.”

I tried to set up again but the pain was too great so I just relaxed with a moan.

“You’ll have to eat something now. I don’t think you have eaten for some time, soldier.” The female Corpsman said.

I felt my stomach growl as soon as she said that and wanted something to eat right now so I raised my left hand, motioning for them to hand me something, anything that I could eat.

“Do you have anything I could eat? I haven’t eaten for a few days.” I said in a meager voice.

The female Corpsman turned, picking a bowl from a small cart and setting it on a small table next to me then pulled up a chair to sit there and feed me with a spoon. I managed to sip it and it tasted so good I smacked my lips like a child. She stayed there until I had eaten the entire bowl and felt full and content, other than the head ache.

“Do you have anything for a head ache?” I asked her and she nodded.

She brought back some powder in a small spoon and a glass of water which I took but found it was difficult to swallow the powder even with the water but I managed to choke it down. After a few minutes I began to feel light headed and the head ache was gone but the room was spinning somewhat. What was that stuff she gave me, a narcotic? Whatever it was, it made me fall sound asleep for the next few hours.

Oswald had pulled his lines back to form an ‘L’ shape defense on the top of the ridge with the Greek artillery in his center. He also saw a Norse unit in their green uniforms coming out of their defensive position several miles away and start to move his direction so he knew he had support. The Greeks had formed perfectly into a line of battle from their column of march in quick time and that proved he was facing veterans and not green troops. He braced for their attack and was determined to hold on until the Norse relief made their way to him.

“Fire those guns!” He yelled at the artillery crews behind him.

His troops began to fire their rifles into the Greeks as they advanced but hey halted on a ridge not more than fifty yards away and took cover. This was not the Greeks he had been fighting for the last few weeks, these were seasoned veterans! Their artillery began to pound his lines but his artillery was doing the same to their lines so they sat there shooting at each other for more than an hour not more than fifty yards away from each other’s lines. More artillery began to come in from the north, the Norse lines, and land among the Greeks, so they were getting pounded by artillery from both sides now.

He was determined not to move from this position and the Greeks seemed they did not want to attack in the open again when he noticed they were beginning to pull back from the ridge, disappearing behind the hill. The firing stopped so he called for a cease fire and stood with his binoculars to see what was going on. He heard firing from the other side of the ridge for only a few minutes then it died out. Just as he was wondering what was happening he saw the Norse marching over the far hill on the Greek right. The Greeks had fallen back in good order and away from him and the Norse. Now he saw the Norse walking over the hill the Greeks had just occupied with their flags waving in the morning breeze he stood and smiled at them as the commander walked the fifty yards across the hills to his position, leaving his unit in place.

“Sure glad you showed up!” Oswald said as he shook the officers hand.

“Glad to help out. We heard your call for assistance and got here as soon as we could.”

“It didn’t take much to clear them out. What happened?” Oswald asked.

“As we came up on their rear they just skedaddled. Seemed like they weren’t ready for another heavy fight, besides they were getting artillery from both sides.” The Norse Colonel said. “I have my entire Regiment here and we can show you where you need to dig in so just follow us in.”

“Thanks. I have over twenty captured Greek artillery pieces too. We need to know where to place them as well.” Oswald said as they walked back to his lines.

“I heard they have plenty of captured Greek ammunition back there so ammo should not be a problem for you.” The Norse commander told him.

“Why do you think they retreated so easily?” Oswald asked with a frown.

“I really think they are running out of troops to tell the truth. They took a beating back there yesterday but so did we.” The Norse Colonel said. “We will need to reorganize and regroup either today or tomorrow if we want to hold this position.”

“Well. As soon as we get into position I need to feed my soldiers and get more ammo. I have a few wounded too, can your people help me out there?”

“Sure can. We have excellent docs for our troops and you are more than welcomed to them.” He said with a smile.

He turned to his officers.

“Have our wounded loaded up on the wagons and get ready to transport them back to the Norse lines.”

He then spoke to the Norse Colonel.

“We need to get moving in case the Greeks have a change of heart and attack again.”

“Absolutely!” The Colonel said then turned and waved his arms in a motion that had his troops moving without a word and wondered what those arm signals were. He had to replace out so he could teach it to his men.

Hagan had his ships patrolling the waters south west of The Hague, searching for Greek or Roman ships that would try to get past him to rain shells on the city. His ship was in the lead but so far there was nothing to see other than open sea. The cook brought up some hot tea in tin cups for him and the crew which was a blessing as the wind was beginning to get a bit cold. His thoughts were of sailing off into the unknown to just see what he could see and explore the waters in far lands. Shaking his head he wished for an end to this war so they could get on with life.

Major Welsh had the troops in line where he was told when he saw a Norse unit move out towards the south. Within a half hour he could hear a battle begin that lasted only about an hour then died down. He stood on the parapet of pre-dug fighting positions, watching the battle with his binoculars and it resembled something between the Boar War and World War One, he thought or may be the American Civil War he was familiar with. Large formations that clashed with fantastic fighting, flanking movements then a decisive victor in the end. This was by no means the war he had come from and it would last a very long time, he thought.

I woke up with the sun shining in my eye from the window across the ward from me, the man in that bed was not moving and I tried to focus on him. Corpsmen in white smocks were walking back and forth to every bed, checking on the soldiers or to change bandages if need be. The room was long with beds close together and each one had a soldier in it. I noticed sometimes one was carried off quietly that must have died because he was covered up with a blanket as they rolled him out of the room.

I heard a familiar voice speaking loudly as he entered the room and I saw, with my one eye, Doc Roberts making rounds of the soldiers. He stopped by each bed to see how the soldier was doing, speaking to each one in turn, then going to the next. I wanted to yell out to him but I waited for him to get to me so I wouldn’t strain my chest again.

As he came to my bed side he leaned over me to look into my eye, raising my eyelid with his thumb as he squinted at me with thought.

“Hi ya, Doc!” I said.

He rose up quickly, looking at me with a frown and his head cocked to the side.

“Long time since I saw you’re sorry ass.” I said and tried to smile under the bandages.

“GUNNY?” He said with a wide eyes.

“Yup! Too many bandages on my face, Doc. What the hell happened?”

“My GOD! We’ve been looking or you for two days!” He said loudly.

“Get a Corpsman over her...NOW!” He yelled.

“We’re moving you to a separate room.” He started to move my bed but I held up my left hand.

“Hold on, Doc! I’m good here...REALLY!” I looked at him with one eye. “I’m with my troopers and if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.” I tried to smile but the bandages were in the way.

“Besides. I’ve been treated very well here by that female corpsman.” I pointed to the woman that had fed me last night.

“Gunny! The entire army is out looking for your body. We thought you were dead.” He began to unwrap my face.

“How’s Yngvildr?” I asked.

“She’s ecstatic to say the least. I’ll have to send a message to the front right way and tell them we found you back here with the wounded.”

“How’s the fight going? Did we win?” I asked.

“So far so good is what I hear, Gunny. Now just shut the hell up so I can see what you have here.” He started looking over my wounds as he barked orders to his Corpsman.

I felt hungry so I asked him if there was anything to eat.

“Yes there is and I’m glad you’re eating. You need to build up your strength because you lost a lot of blood out there.” He said without looking at me as he continued to explore the wounds on my chest.

“Can I get you anything?” Doc asked without looking at me as he bent over to look at my chest again.

“Well, yeah. A cheese burger with lettuce, tomato and onion would be nice.” I smiled.

“Very funny, Gunny. HA...HA!” Doc looked at me from the side of his face then I saw a slight smile.

“We have electric lights now?” I said as I scanned the ward.

“Yes. It took long enough but we have them and I had them wire the hospital first before they went into the town with them.” Doc said as he started wrapping my chest with fresh bandages.

“Just amazing what my Marines can do, isn’t it Doc?” I said with a smile.

“Yes it is. The rail road is laying six miles of track a day straight to Amsterdam. They say they will be there in about a month.”

“Holy crap! It’s moving fast, Doc. All we need now is to end this stupid war and we could go to the moon again.” I said as I scanned the full ward.

“How many troops are in here anyway, Doc?” I asked.

The Doc finished tying the bandages to my chest and stood upright to look at me.

“We have one hundred and twelve in this one with five wards and all are full to capacity. I had to start using local housing for the rest of the wounded.” He took a deep breath and sighed loudly.

“Gunny. You HAVE to end this war soon! There’s just too damn many of these young people getting torn apart. Legs, arms, hands, eyesight.....all missing.” He looked frustrated.

“Doc, if you had seen what the Greeks did to those villages you wouldn’t be saying that.” I told him, remembering the bodies we found of an entire village killed.

“Well. I guess you’re right, but these people are suffering too, you know.”

“I know, Doc. And I’m trying to do everything I can to get it over or at least call a truce with them.” I said, then smiled at him.

“Now...how about that cheese burger?” I asked with a smile.