The Rescue of Madame de Gaulle

[traveller]

Wow! This is exciting! 

[Weird WWII]

Great looking stuff!

Brian

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Thank you all, for your very kind comments.

Now, I should explain at this juncture, that Mme de Gaulle’s location within the camp had been chosen by Doug, so I had no idea which hut she was being detained in. During the planning stage, Vaggers and Tubby had agreed to search three huts each. Using the photo below, Tubby took huts A, B and C. Vaggers and his SBS johnnies took huts D, E and F.

Firstly, the reconnaissance photo from the RAF.

…and then the detailed map from the planning session. During the planning session, Vaggers and Tubby felt the need to stimulate their little grey cells and indulged in copious quantities of wine and nibbles. This sinew-stiffening session produced the following detailed plan of attack.

So, once again, Commander Jolyon Pugwash sailed in MGB 69 from Plymouth and anchored at dead of night in the River Trieux.

After synchronising watches, the SAS were ferried ashore in inflatable boats, whilst Johnny Vagabond and his chaps set off in their folbots.

The next part of the report will be taken from Tubby’s War Diary and will focus on the activities of the SAS in the early part of the mission. Vaggers will then contribute an account of the doings of the ‘Rum, Bum and Baccy’ boys. This will take us up to where the two groups joined forces for the denouement of this epic tale.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Here we can see the starting points for the mission and some of the German guards. The disposition of the guards within the camp was also decided by Doug. The SAS are just visible, top left and the SBS are top right.

Using the Black Ops rules also put a percentage of the guards outside of the camp. Although the commandant of the camp, one SS-Gruppenführer Zwickel von Kinnriemen (front centre on the photograph) was on site, his SS guards were in the nearest village, searching for an escaped prisoner.

Should the alarm go off, they were tasked to return to the camp at speed. The Heer guards on duty were what might be termed the sick, lame and lazy and were not best pleased to be on duty on a cold and dark night. It was no surprise that some of them took shelter from the wind and had a crafty fag, in the sentry box. Expressly against von Kinnriemen’s orders, I should add.

Tubby leads his team towards the wire.

They pause at the wire and detect a guard who appears to be singing whilst using the lavatorial facilities. “There’s a goon on the shitter”, whispered Tubby, “let’s get this wire cut”.

Peaches and Cocklecarrot are through the wire in one hole, whilst Stodger has cut his way in and is covering the lavatory with his silenced Welrod pistol.

As the guard emerges, still fastening his greatcoat, Stodger uses his Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, resulting in a silent kill. The SAS are now in the camp proper, ready like coiled-string, for anything!

...to be continued...

[Doug ex-em4]

This is AARing of the highest class, Snappers. My excitementometer is already glowing red hot and smoking slightly. Can’t wait for more of this tale of derring-do…..!

Doug

[Vagabond]

As the guard emerges, still fastening his greatcoat, Stodger uses his Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, resulting in a silent kill. The SAS are now in the camp proper, ready like coiled-string, for anything!

I believe that rather sums up the SAS contingent perfectly. 

I'm pleased that I persuaded you to refrain from actually cutting the wire, even though it would have made a great picture.

Another entertaining episode in the saga.

[Johnnytodd]

Love this!

[wolfen]

Very exciting stuff! Excited for the next part.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Thank you all and we continue with the stalking of the next guard.

Now, the observant amongst you will have noticed a lonely sentry up in the watch-tower, overlooking all of the camp. Although it’s dark, if this fellow is on the ball, he could set off the alarm.

Peaches decides that he has to be the next guard to start pushing up the daisies! Stealthily, she climbs onto the roof of the adjacent hut.

She’s armed (amongst other things) with a Welrod and this needs to be a silent kill. There are several guards patrolling the perimeter and no doubt Johnny Vagabond is fooling about on the wall somewhere, at this very moment. Silence is essential. She has the guard in sight. but needs to get closer for this vital shot, there’s only going to be one chance.

She makes her way up to the apex of the roof, takes aim and … (dramatic pause) … the guard is down, he’s shuffled off this mortal coil. [Now, it has to be said that this looks very unlikely. However, as Vaggers will testify, we followed all the rules for weapons, ranges etc. and it happened!]

...to be continued...

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

This now opens up the way for Tubby and the boys to have a look at the main gate. This one could be a bit tricky. There is a guard in the sentry box and also one further up the fence line. They need to take the guard out in the box, without alerting the other guard. Tubby hits on a cunning plan.

Tubby applies his considerable bulk to the weight on the gate and the barrier slowly rises. To the German guard, it appears that a ghost is lifting the barrier, as Tubby is out of the sentry’s line of vision.

The sentry steps out to investigate…

…and again, Stodger does the deed with the Fairbairn-Sykes.

Another guard down and by Jingo, no alarm given yet. Are the rescuers actually going to succeed in this madcap mission? We shall see, in the next thrilling episode.

...to be continued...

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Shortcake is dispatched to have a gander into building C, which Tubby believes to be the guard house. Carefully looking in the window, Tarquin lets out a low whistle, although the room is in darkness, he can make out the shapes of several sleeping guards on bunks. He makes his way back to report to Tubby. “Germans, boss, at least 6 or 7, looks like they are kipping”. Tubby decides to leave the guard house for the moment. It has all the signs of a noisy affair. He elects to move on towards the Commandant’s quarters and deal with the guard there first.

SS-Gruppenführer Zwickel von Kinnriemen, unaware of the unexpected demise of several of his sentries, is getting a bit of shuteye in his office/accommodation. Being a Gruppenführer, he gets to luxuriate in a double bed, with Egyptian cotton sheets.

Meanwhile, the guard outside, shivers in his greatcoat, lights up a blower and dreams of the camp’s second-in-command, SS-Obersturmbannführer Brynhildr von Busen [who is not only very scary, but way out of his league!].

Having disposed of the sentry by the wire, the SAS/MI6 contingent, gather around the Commandant’s hut.

Stodger peers inside but can’t make out much. Tubby decides to take the bull by the horns, so to speak and tiptoes into the hallowed sanctuary of von Kinnriemen. He discovers the slumbering form of the Commandant in his pit. The others wait anxiously outside.

No room for sentiment here. Tubby places the barrel of Welrod close the sleeping head of the Commandant and pulls the trigger. Another inhabitant of the camp goes to meet his maker and silence is maintained.

As Tubby searches the office for any evidence of Mme de Gaulle’s location, Cocklecarrot, D’Emfore and Shortcake move towards the hospital hut.

Peaches, who is also carrying the team’s Bren gun, takes position in the watch-tower. A good position to dominate the camp in case a fire-fight breaks out.

Having cleared the hospital hut and found nothing, the SAS boys confer. Tubby dispatches Captain D’Emfore to rendezvous with Vaggers and his sailor boys. Stodger has his clicker ready, to avoid being shot by his own side. Tubby’s message is to meet up at the guard house and decide what happens next, should Vaggers have failed to find Mme de Gaulle.

I now hand you over to the gentle ministrations of Johnny Vagabond, to bring you up to date with the river-borne infiltration. No doubt, more stirring tales of derring-do!

...to be continued...

[Doug ex-em4]

An extraordinary shot from Peaches with a Welrod at that range. Still, we apparently have Vaggers to attest to the veracity of this claim so it must be true….!

And now we look forward to hearing from the man himself and his sailors - this just gets better and better.

Doug

[Vagabond]

An extraordinary shot from Peaches with a Welrod at that range. Still, we apparently have Vaggers to attest to the veracity of this claim so it must be true….!

And now we look forward to hearing from the man himself and his sailors - this just gets better and better.

Doug

As you know Peaches is an extraordinary person,  and climbing on the roof of a wooden hut and making the shot is what she does best. The claim is perfectly justified. although the Mad Lord was reading and interpreting the rules, I just nodded and agreed because we seemed to be doing so well.

There will unfortunately be a short intermission in the Mad Lords storyline as I make my way further North to the North Yorks Moors, a wild place with I believe little to no internet facility.

I hope the wait to hear how my jolly jack tars performed will be worth it.

[marianas_gamer]

On the edge of my chair!

[FifteensAway]

In that first image of the game report, with the two rescue groups near the top of the shot, there seems to be some sort of red rimmed barge and some odd contraption to the viewer's right midway between the two groups.  Maybe I need to hunt up my spectacles and maybe even ring up my optometrist!

Fun stuff, lads.  Did I just call you lot "lads"?  So it seems.   

Now, what is taking Vagabond so long?!  Isn't he back from his travels already!?