Posted by Moore on May 09, 2003 at 06:37:43:
A note on the titles in this series. The title represents the date expressed in a military format. Dates are given in the military manner; i.e. 15 May 05 instead of May 15th 2005. Times are given in the 24 hour military clock; i.e. 11 am is written 1100. When the two are combined the result is written as 151100 May 05 - May 15th 2005 at 11 am.
The patrol boat had been fully crewed by Phoenix and his men. Although Rachgee could have traded it for a main battle tank, Phoenix gambled the Wisla Krolowa would gain more for Rachgee's and Mira's future as a pirate ship under his command.
The 40 mm gun crew comprised of three men. The pointer was Gunner, the trainer was Legless, and the job of loader fell to Vulture. The ready service boxes were port and starboard of the weapon and held 256 rounds. The boat carried 832 rounds on board. The 81 mm mortar was a simple design and could be operated by Bull's Eye alone. The ready service box for the 81 mm ammo carried 24 rounds, divided into 20 HE and 4 Illumination rounds, and the boat carried 72 rounds in total. Penguin was the gunner of the 20 mm machine gun. Penguin was happy to be in the field again. The 20 mm machine gun was also crewed by Ripper working as loader. There were two ready service boxes for the 20 mm machine gun. Each box held 8 magazines. The boat carried 1,920 rounds of ammo for the 20 mm cannon, of which 300 odd rounds had already been expended. Peacock manned the stern, port AGS-17 grenade launcher, while Owl manned the bow, starboard one. Eagle manned the DShK heavy machine gun on the stern, starboard side, while Hawk manned the unpopular DShK heavy machine gun on the bow, port side. It was an unpopular weapon to man because the 20 mm machine gun fired at targets off the bow directly over the head of the person manning the DShK heavy machine gun. Phoenix was the pilot/Captain, of course. Stevens was the reserve machine gunner, and Mother Hen was the quartermaster for the loot (or booty as some of the men, enjoying their pirate roles, called it.)
Jason led the boarding team. Lover Boy, Hinay, Idol, and Pretty Face were all new additions to Phoenix's unit. This would be their trial run. They were given a chance to demonstrate their loyalty, intelligence, motivation, courage under fire, etc. - all the things that made a good soldier, regardless of their previous rank or duties. Rosemary and Rod, the newlyweds, were the mechanics, and Peeps rounded out the crew as the lookout on the bridge.
They had many riverine adventures in the first week. They destroyed a ferry shuttling troops east to west across the Vistula. The patrol boat fired on Polish troops resting on a sand spur near a stream mouth. But mostly they pirated Soviet or Polish supply convoys. With the river flowing north to the sea, it was very fuel efficient to move bulk items like fuel, ammo, mines, or engine parts by river, rather then by land, from bases in the south. The Soviet forces had seized all the boat engines and barges they could for this purpose. Many of the military goods produced in Lodz were sent in river convoys on the Vistula that spring.
The key to their success was surprise. For quite a while, all of the forces they encountered assumed they were the proper Soviet crew of the Wisla Krolowa. Word did not travel quickly.
Working radios after all the nuclear blasts were few and far between, and usually had only a 25 km range. As long as they didn't let anyone get away, they continued to achieve the element of surprise. Phoenix and his men fired on every potential hostile they came across. They treated the Wisla Krolowa like a rental car; they ran her long and hard because they expected to get off her sooner then latter. As soon as the enemy forces knew the Wisla Krolowa was a pirate craft, Phoenix and his men would move on to the next project. But piracy proved profitable while it lasted.
One encounter will serve as a typical example. Seven fat barges laden with military supplies, pushed by tugs, were guarded by a boat dedicated to fighting off hostiles.
The convoy escort boat was a "Kuter Torpedowy" - a torpedo cutter. She had bow and stern 23 mm auto cannons. She also had port and starboard torpedo tubes. They were out of torpedoes, but this was not readily apparent, and the Phoenix and his men assume every weapon is a threat. The convoy escort boat had been converted to steam. She was nearly twice the size of the Wisla Krolowa at 70 tons. She was captained by Porucnik Ryszard Waitrowski of the 8 Baltycka Dywizja Obrony Wybrzeza. (Lieutenant Richard Waitrowski, of the 8th Baltycka Coastal Defense Division.) Porucnik Wairowski wore his three silver stars proudly. Also aboard were Ryszard (Richard) and Mieczyslaw (Mike), the 23 mm cannon operators, and Patrycijusz (Patrick) the pilot of the torpedo cutter. Szarlota (Charlotte) was below decks in the engine room. Michalina (Michelle) and Piotr (Peter) were off duty and sleeping (in separate bunks).
Phoenix approached the convoy nice and slow. The Wisla Krolowa was an ally, wasn't she? The torpedo cutter slowed, and her crew waved at them. Phoenix had his men look relaxed and waved back at Lieutenant Waitrowski.
"At my command" Phoenix ordered as he waved to the torpedo cutter. He needed to get the Wisla Krolowa closer for maximum effect.
"Identified" said Gunner and Legless, both of whom had been trained as large caliber gun operators.
The ships slowly approached each other. Fire discipline is a key part of the ambush. Fire must be withheld until the signal is given, then delivered at once in the heaviest, most accurate volume possible. Well timed and well aimed fire helps achieve surprise as well as the destruction of the enemy.
"Fire!" barked Phoenix.
Everyone opened up, drowning out Gunner's and Legless's reply of "On the way!"
Multiple 40 mm rounds hit the torpedo cutter in the bow. What happens when a 40 mm round has a direct impact detonation? The projectile strikes the target, crushing the probe cap. As the probe cap is crushed, the probe moves rearward, thrusting the firing pin into the detonator, detonating the HEI mixture. (High - Explosive Incendiary). Or, boom. The 40 mm rounds killed Ryszard instantly, and converted the bow 23 mm auto cannon into twisted, burning metal.
The DShK heavy machine guns used a 4 ball and 1 tracer mix for their ammo loads. Red lines flowed from the DShK heavy machine gun and hit the torpedo cutter aft. The DShK heavy machine guns use 12.7 x 83 mm ammunition. Mieczyslaw was riddled, the large bullets jerking him one way, then the other, ripping into him and tearing off chunks. The AGS-17 grenade launchers had a harder time scoring hits on a moving target. Some of the 30 mm HE rounds went long, landing behind the escort boat, some fell into the water short of the torpedo cutter. Some hit though. The bridge was smashed into kindling as a grenade landed inside, killing Lieutenant Richard Waitrowski and Patrycijusz. Other grenades rained down, but the damage was done.
Szarlota was in the engine room. It was hot and humid down there with the steam engines. Her hair was plastered to her head. Szarlota was middle aged but fit. She took a deep drink from her five liter canteen. Overhead, the methanol fueled lantern provided light. It seemed like a normal morning on the river. But then the torpedo cutter shuddered as rounds violated her. The boat jerked and spasmed, trying to turn away from the onslaught. Szarlota was thrown to her knees as the boat was hit amidships near the hatch to the engine room. She noticed the escort boat was feeling sluggish. Water caressed her bare feet as she fought to stand. Keeping the engines running became her only focus. She wasn't going to leave her post; Szarlota was going to give the guys a fighting chance. Szarlota realized she didn't hear the stern 23 mm auto cannon firing although it was on the deck above her. The escort boat began tilting bow down as incoming fire continued to rake the ship. The water rose to her knees, and put out the fire for the steam. The torpedo cutter's engines stopped; she was dead in the water.
The firing at the torpedo cutter stopped. Szarlota tried the hatch, but it was blocked and deformed from the heat. She tried to be calm as she looked around. Water was pouring in through splits in the welds along the port side. "King" was the sound she heard as another rivet popped.
Meanwhile, Michalina and Piotr waited until the firing stopped before they carefully went to the main deck. Both were armed with AK-74 assault rifles; they didn't bother with their flak jackets or helmets. Blackened corpses were burning, not with an unpleasant smell. Michalina wanted to get some food and water, go over the side of the torpedo cutter, swim to shore, and join an allied unit. Piotr saw the stern 23 mm auto cannon was intact, and saw Mieczyslaw sprawled in the gunner's chair with chunks missing from his body. Piotr started making his way across the grenade scarred deck toward the stern 23 mm auto cannon. Michalina said "no, they will hear us." But she walked with him uphill to the stern. "Uphill?" she thought. The escort boat was listing, bow down, about 10 degrees. The enemy Patrol Boat was capturing the tugs. Piotr said "the enemy boat is a sitting duck." Michalina fidgeted, growing more panicked. She knew this was a bad idea. "No, don't, they will see you" she said as he moved the meat that had once been his friend from the gunner's chair of the 23 mm auto cannon. "No. Don't!" Michalina yelled as Piotr got in the gunners seat. His AK-74 slid on the deck, now at a 15 degree angle. Michalina wanted to shoot Piotr with her AK-74, but she was afraid the hostiles would hear the noise.
Michalina drew her boot knife and stabbed him in the back. She didn't really know what she was doing, she just knew she had to stop him. The knife scraped off of his ribs or his shoulder blade; painful, but not life threatening. He turned toward her. She tried to stab him again. This time she thrust the knife into his chest. Blood flew off her knife, onto her lip, onto her chin and her nose as she swung the knife wildly. The blood was bright in the sun, but she never noticed it. She sliced the forearm he raised to protect himself. Piotr finally grabbed her arm and took the knife from her.
"Piotr, listen to meeeeee" she said in Polish as he knifed her in the belly. Piotr knew how to use a knife. Michalina stared at the knife in her. She arched from the pain, but that only drove the knife in deeper. She dropped to her knees, feeling the knife further ruin her as it cut upward, scraping along her sternum, before it was pulled out from its painful embrace. Piotr fell over next to her, the knife clattering on the deck. Michalina sank down on her side. They looked at each other and they tried to be brave as they died. She felt the need to throw up. Michalina couldn't believe the amount of blood pouring out of her. She had a coppery taste in her mouth. He looked pale, and his left eyelid began to twitch. He reached for her, but she summoned the last of her strength to push his hand away. Their blood ran out of them, flowed down the slope of the deck in a race to see who died first. It really didn't matter; they just laid there and died.
Szarlota, still trapped in the engine room, was in water up to her navel. She had tried to use tools to open the hatch but had failed. She attempted opening the welds more, enough so she could crawl out underwater and swim up, but she couldn't get close to the welds due to the pressure of the water. Szarlota realized she was going to die. She knelt, and said her prayers.
Szarlota then sat in the water. She wanted something to distract her from the horror she would soon face. She tried to focus and imagine herself and her recently deceased husband picnicking in an apple orchard. She tried to see the green of the grass, and she tried to remember the bitter taste of the apple her husband had picked for her. But the water could not be ignored. Szarlota felt fear, a tingling in her fingers. Szarlota felt the fight or flight response, but she had no one to fight, and she couldn't flee as much as she tried. She felt a growing excitement. She thought that if she was going to die anyway, she might as well go out with a bang, rather then a whimper. Szarlota slowly began rolling her head from side to side, trying to relax. She lightly rubbed her chest. She still felt the tingling in her fingers, and transferred some of the energy to her breast. Her other hand sought her center beneath the coveralls. Szarlota slowly and gently began rubbing herself. The water continued its relentless rise. As she sat, the water rose to just under her chin. She stopped her self pleasuring and stood up.
The water was clear, free of fuel oil or grease. "Maybe this won't be so bad" she thought. With no one around, she felt bold enough to remove her coveralls. She put her hands back in place. Szarlota rubbed herself faster. She inserted one finger at first, then used two plus her thumb. Her other hand twisted her nipples. Her excitement rose, but so did the water. She had to start treading water.
Just as she began to enjoy herself again, the lantern went out. Szarlota's head was only ten centimeters from the ceiling, then five. She took a long breath, knowing it was her last. But Szarlota wasn't going to give up yet. Szarlota swam down to check the cracks in the weld. She saw a narrow crack from deck to deck illuminated from the sunlight outside. Although it was too small for her to fit through, she shoved her arm up to her elbow and reached desperately for the light. The jagged metal cut her arm. Szarlota pulled her arm back inside the boat that was about to become her tomb. She hugged herself.
It was dark inside the engine room. No one could see her wickedness as she floated. Legs pumping (yes); pulling, pinching her nipples; fingers within herself (Yes); fear and pleasure building (Oh Yes); lungs heaving, needing, wanting (OH YES); can't resist anymore; climax and inhalation - Szarlota sucked in her water lover. Arching in pleasure and death. Forward and back, forward and back slower (yesss...) Bobbing in the water amid her beloved engines, Szarlota died.
When it was clear the convoy escort ship was dead in the water, Phoenix ordered cease fire.
The lightly armed ( with usually only one or two PK medium machine guns) tugs would almost always heave to. If the tugs ran they were destroyed. Jason would lead the boarding crew under cover of the ship's heavy weapons onto the boats that surrendered. The boat's crew would be rounded up, and handcuffed. When all of the crews in the convoy had been gathered, they would be executed with knives to save ammo. The bodies, after being stripped of anything useful, would be dumped overboard. The most valuable cargoes would be salvaged from the barges and placed aboard the Wisla Krolowa. Any methanol would be taken, and added to the fuel tanks. One convoy would often fill up her fuel tanks with plenty left over. The barge laden with the most valuable cargo would usually be kept intact, but the rest of the ships would be scuttled with thermite grenades. The Wisla Krolowa had only a five ton capacity for "booty" itself, so the patrol boat was constantly going back and forth to Nowe during this week, often pushing a barge. Although it was difficult, Phoenix made the hazardous trips with the laden barges without grounding or losing control of them. Then Phoenix would head south again, making the trip over and over, each time getting a little further. He made a huge fortune for himself, a medium fortune for his senior members, and a small fortune for the new recruits.
Phoenix worked his way further south with each trip. He got closer and closer to an interesting mark the Soviet Captain of the patrol boat had made on his chart of the river: three linked circles inside a point down triangle. But that is a tale for next time.