Part 5 - Tactical retrograde

To: Lt. G.R. Erhardt,
4th Pln. 'B' Coy.
2/23 Illinois Nat. Guard Btn,
10th June

Subject: Operation Clean Sweep June 10th

3rd Squad Objective:- clear the central streets and buildings of Dennington Industrial Estate.

Firstly, the APC supposedly ordered for 1430hrs failed to appear until after 1830hrs and the driver managed to drive off the path through the minefield and lost a track so we were nearly five hours late before we even reached the jumping off point. In addition, the attempted sweep of this area was hindered by leakage from the nearby Illinois Chemicals Plant resulting in the donning of NBC suits by the squad.

We adopted our usual procedure with our fire team clearing the building while O'Neil's people gave us close support. We cleared the Photo Lab and we found two survivors (an old drunken Scotchman and a young gangsta who was, allegedly, dying to kick some Infected ass). We switched squads for the machine workshop and O'Neil and Horvath broke the door lock open.

We heard some groaning inside and were just about to line up facing the door when an Infected burst out and attacked Horvath closely followed by another two. We shot down one but the other attacked Ames and the two of them grappled on the ground.

The one attacking Horvath got to his feet and O'Neil shot it through the head. We heard a loud scream from Ames and the Infected attacking him sprang up suddenly and headed towards me but Fraser and I shot him at close range. Horvath was twitching and shaking violently and, knowing what was about to happen, O'Neil shot him at close range at which the gangsta gave a yell and ran off down the road. So much for him.

Hidalgo meantime had spotted another three Infected heading our way beside the Storage Facility. We engaged them inside effective range and Hidalgo sprayed two of them, downing one and Ravn was about to finish off his partner when the Scotchman stepped in front of us yelling threats and promptly barged into me. The other Infected took a round from Stransky but still careered into him clawing at his visor. I bundled the Scotchman off while Hidalgo offed the second Infected.

We couldn't get a clear shot at Stransky's attacker with the two of them rolling about on the ground and the Scotchman staggering around waving a big club in our faces. Ravn smashed Stransky's attacker on the head with his rifle butt and I shot him in the back of the head. We checked out Stransky but he was gone.

I could see more Infected coming from beside the Storage facility and Hidalgo said there was another beside the diner and he could hear groans and howls not very far off. The one beside the diner sprang at Hidalgo while the four at the storage facility were racing towards us. Hidalgo extricated himself with some difficulty and O'Neil shot his attacker.

Fraser said that he could hear on the radio that Joe Stewart's squad was getting overrun and he was arguing with Six Actual (Maj Rauner) about withdrawal. With Joe's people in trouble ,the Infected building up to our front, three people down and darkness falling I decided that no further advance was possible and called for a disengagement and retreat which we did with some difficulty pushing the Scotchman ahead of us.

We were pursued by some of the Infected as far as the minefield where they set off the Claymores and the trip flares and the HMGs took care of the rest.

Our forces

Cpl Gonzales
PFC O' Neil
Pte Ames (KIA)
Pte Fraser (radio op)
Pte Hidalgo
Pte Horvath (KIA)
Pte Ravn (medic)
Pte Stransky (KIA)
Civilians rescued - 'Ganja' Brooks and Jim McTavish
Infected eliminated - Seven (7)