NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: For all those interested in participating in this thread, please see the sign-up thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=439328). Yuwait has found a map of Europe in 1932 here (http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/map10eu.htm).

IC:

Preface, 9th November 1918
"Gas!"

The screams came immediately. Soldiers stumbled about, hastily fastening their gas masks as a cloud of sickly yellow gas came rolling into the trench. Corporal Johannes Schwarz, a medic, clumsily tied his mask on and ran off through the trenches aiding those blinded by the stinging mustard gas.

The line was in chaos. Shrieks came from dying men: others tried to escape the gas by running up the parapet, but they were cruelly gunned down by the machine gunners only a hundred metres away. Schwarz saw a shape cloaked in mustard gas, gasping for breath, his mask by his feet.

Quickly, he ran to the man's side, who gasped and cringed as though he were drowning. "Mein Kamerad, hilfe!" he croaked, and the medic hurriedly moved to help the man with his gas mask. But it was too late. The man fell, coughing foam and blood, then lay still on the ground. He was unmistakably dead.

Schwarz moved closer. He had seen dead bodies before, but he felt something strange in the air. He searched the dead man's pockets hard before he found what he was looking for. He read from the tattered papers.

"Corporal A. Hitler"

Corporal Schwarz shivered. He did not know the significance of what had just happened. The medic left the body and ran off to his comrades.

15th July 1932
The crowd outside the Reichstag hushed as the suited man strode up to the podium. He cleared his throat and began to read from the piece of paper in his hand.

"Ahem. The results for the election are as follows."

There was an audible intake of breath from the crowd.

"Social Democratic Party of Germany... 24.1%
Communist Party of Germany... 22.4%
German National People's Party... 15.9%
Centre Party... 13.4%
National Socialist German Workers' Party... 8.9%
German People's Party... 4.5%
Bavarian People's Party... 3.1%
German Democratic Party... 1.4%"

The crowd had erupted into a mixture of cheers and booing. They knew what this meant: no party had a majority. More years of political stalemate. The first lines of the masses rushed forward to clash with the Landespolizei guarding the Reichstag: a few fired into the crowd, and screams answered their bullets. It was the beginning of a riot.

The Reichswehr supports the NVP party and wishes that all of there supporters vote for the party. Also the Reichswehr asks the Steel Helments and Friekorps to to a cordinated attack on the communist scum (only the militaries).

KPD Headquarters, Berlin

"Congratulations, Comrade Thaelmann," smiled a party official.
"Thank you, comrade," replied Ernst. "But we have been robbed of a majority. Deadlock again," he shook his head.
The official looked towards the window. "They don't look disappointed," he said.

Ernst moved over to the window. There was a crowd of hundreds, no, thousands outside. All cheering his name.

"THAELMANN! THAELMANN! THAELMANN!"

The official moved over to him. "Best result in our history, my friend. You should be proud. We have news from our comrades in Bavaria and the Ruhr: messages of support."

Ernst turned. "But Schleicher...he's called for an attack against us." He smiled. "I thought their job was to keep the peace," he remarked dryly. "Nothing but the lapdogs of a corrupt state."

His friend laughed. "Let them try. We have 100,000 men alone in Berlin. They wouldn't dare." He looked out towards the gathered masses again. "Come," he said. "Your audience awaits."

As Ernst walked out, the crowd went wild.

Government Buildings, Rome, Italy

Giusseppi Leoni walked cautiously into the lavishly decorated office, towards a small, bald man dressed in full military regalia.

"Il Duce?" he asked nervously

"Yes, what is it Giusseppi?, what news from Berlin?" replied the man behind the desk, looking up from the paper he had been reading.

"The Reichstag has once again failed to reach a decision sir" he said, looking down at the floor, Mussolini was notorious for his fits of rage when things didnt go to plan.

"Damn and blast those fools" Mussolini spat, hurling the official report Giuseppi had just passed him to the floor. "This is getting ridiculous, Giusseppi, contact the Headquarters of the NSDAP in Munich, tell them the following........."

Official Communique

From: Benito Mussolini, Il Duce
To: The Leader of the NSDAP

The Kingdom of Italy wishes to express its alligence to the NSDAP in the current struggle for power in Germany , is there anything you need to make sure you win the majority in the Reichstag, or take over by less peaceful means?, we can offer you funding, arms, ammunitian and manpower in the form of our elite Blackshirts.

((NSDAP HQ is in Munich, Bavaria ;) ))

Gregor Strasser sat at his desk intently studying the peice of paper before him, he read over it once more then frowned. The latest results of the polls were not good. He put the paper down, he would deal with that later. He then picked up a small memo that had come to him from Italy. He would deal with that later as well. He stood up and went to the door of his office, opening the door he called out to the waiting room.

"Herr Goebbels and Herr Himmler. My office, please."

Returning to his seat with the two men in tow, he looked up at them where they stood. He presented the information on the election to Goebbels, then the memo from Italy to Himmler.

"Gentlemen, I trust that you will each be able to deal with these problems."

After both had answered in the affirmative he dismissed them from his office.

Goebbels Office.

Goebbels addressed his underlings waving the paper Strasser had given him.

"The Chairman is most displeased with these results! The Bolsheviks and the Socialists have gained a substancial lead! This cannot be allowed to continue! Everywhere we look we see the red of the communists, people must be reminded of their proud german history! We shall fly the traditional flag of the North German Confederation!"

Turning round he pulled a sting that let the flag unfurl on the wall next to him. His underlings clapped politely.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/Germany_flag_1933_1.png

"We must increase our support, organise a public speaking event. Make sure Heinrich sends some SA along to provide security."

Himmlers Office.

From: Heinrich Himmler SA-Sturmführer
To: Benito Mussolini, Il Duce

We thank you for your support in these troubled times and greatly appreciate your help. We do not lack in fighting men, we do lack in weapons and arnaments for our forces. Anything you can spare will be much appreciated. We our glad you will stand alongside us, our hated enemy the Communist Bolshevicks gain more power with each passing day, we have little support in south Germany, perhaps you can insert agents in via our countrys shared borders, to shun the bolshevicks and to further the cause of the the NSDAP.

The small beer hall bustled with activity. Shouts for orders came from everywhere and men and women wearing traditional German Folk clothing rushed to and fro with tankards of yellow, frothy beer, spilling it over the large concrete tiled floor as they went from table to table.

A band sat on a small stage next a window on the left side of the hall, close to the bar area. The men sat smoking ciggarettes and chatting while their instruments lay still at their feet.

Suddenly the doors were thrown open and a young blond haired man, well a kid really, ran hurriedly through the hall clasping a piece of paper. People paid him little attention as he ran to the end of the hall and burst through a pair of double doors.

He stopped dead inside and turned left heading over to a large table with around 10 men sitting at it. He walked up to the man at the head of table and handed him the paper. The man glared at it and then crumpled it up in his fist before slamming it hard on the table causing the wood beneath to splinter. "SHIZE! SHIZE SHIZE SHIZE! The SPD have the biggest vote, the Reds got the second biggest...and still no damm majority." The other men nodded knowingly and the blond haired young man sat down on a side bench with a couple of older men puffing on pipes. Most of the Steel Helmet were older men, grizzled War Veterans. But recently they had been moving toward politics and had opened some of their chapters to Non-Veterans.

The men at the table began to talk again. "Theodor, as you know the Reichswehr have been making moves towards us. We are the biggest militia in Germany, perhaps the biggest in Europe. We outnumber the Army, the Sturm Abteilung, the Freikorps and the Reds put together. We have such force, and what do we use it for? Killing a few Reds here and there, and forcing other Militia's out of certain areas. This can't continue."

Theodor Duesterberg sat back in his chair and mused at what Hanz Kollerman, his best freind and War buddy, had just said. "I know Hanz, I know. I've been trying to get the Chapters to ease up and move toward politics, we have 500,000 votes nearly, just from our members, thats a start isn't it? There's so many Chapters though. I feel we need to centralise." Theodor sat back in his chair again and looked at the rough letting out a sigh. "Hindenburg is President, and Schleicher is close to the Chancellorship. We need to talk to Schleicher. Also...Hanz, get the Regional Commanders down to Berlin for a meeting, we need to talk about our options once we see what Schleicher is up to. We'll have the meeting with the Commander's here, we need some new plans as you said."

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Some hours later the young blond haired man arrived in the Telegram office with a note:

[I]"To: General Von Schleicher, Army High Command, Berlin
From: Col.Theodor Duesterberg 1st Bavarian Regt. (Ret.)

Message: General, as you can see Germany is falling on hard times STOP You know and I know this social political standing will not last, not with the way the votes are going STOP We have much to discuss about this country, old freind STOP I wonder, would you meet me at the Verlinder Beer Hall next week? STOP

Regards, Theodor Duesterberg STOP"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

OOC: Obviously whoever is RPing the Reichswehr RP's Von Scleicher, at least i assume thats how it works.

Giussepi snatched the small note of paper from the hand of the motorcyclist who had just pulled up to the front of the grand mansion.

"Thankyou, signor Salvatore, let us all hope it is good news" he said quietly as he started back towards the entrance.

He saluted as he stepped passed the huge man guarding the door, dressed in the uniform of the Bersagliari, then continued on to to a thick oaken door. Shivering slightly without quite knowing why, he knocked twice then entered.

"Ah, signor Leoni, you have news for me" came the voice from behind the solid maghagany desk.

"Indeed, Il Duce" Giuseppi replied, walking up and placing the note into Mussolini's outstretched hand, before retreating back a few paces, preparing for another outburst that never came. "Excellant" declared Mussolini smugly, this is just what we need. Get ready to send a reply to Munich". As Giuseppi left the room the smile vanished from Mussolini's face momentarily "Now" he said to himself "How the hell do we get all these weapons to Germany?........."

Official Comminique from the office of Benito Mussolini, Il Duce

To: Heinrich Himmler, SA-Sturmführer

Greetings Signor Himmler, I apologise for the last telegram being sent to the wrong address, but I am glad it found you eventually.

At the moment the Royal Italian Army is reequipping its men with model 38: calibre, 7.35 mm Carcano rifles. This means we have a large number of surplus rifles that we can offer you. In return for the promise of an alliance with Germany when you take power there, we will send you:

10,000 Mannlicker-Carcano, model 91 rifles
100,000 rounds of 6.5mm ammunition for them
1 Fiat 3000 tank, used in the great war

http://212.84.179.117/i/Fiat%203000%20mod%201921.jpg

Would it also be alright if my Head of Foreign Affairs, Gian Galeazzo Ciano were attached to your HQ? As well as these offerings we grant you the sum of 500,000 Lire to spend as you wish.

I hope this helps your worthy cause.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Il try to find a decent map of Europe at this time, if anyone thinks itll help.

ok, heres an overall view: http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/map10eu.htm

Southern Bavaria, Headquarters, Bavarian People's Army

It was a warm day, with the sun rising in the east, spreading its warm rays across the sunken valley and into the small villa that served as the Party Headquarters for the BVA. The man standing by one of the lawn windows turned to the rising sun, and smiled. Surely there could be no better sign that Bavaria would soon be free, than to have the sun itself rise in the east?

The man known as Ernst Toller smiled at this sign; he was an atheist, and to him there was no such thing as 'God', but if he had believed, he would have seen this as a divine sign that Bavaria would soon be free. Bavaria, with its rolling fields, sun-crested hills and glorious people would soon be free of the corrupt, capitalist schwein in Berlin.

He turned at a hesitant knock at the door to his study, and called for whoever it was to enter. A young woman, clad in the dark brown overalls of the BPA walked in, a frown on her face and clutching a telegram in her hand. Toller snatched the flimsy paper from her hand and dismissed her, barely giving her time to leave the room before eagerly devouring the contents of the flimsy.

Suddenly, the smile left his face, as if it had never been there, and with a snarl he crumpled up the paper and threw it at the window, at the ruinous sun and its false sign. Three percent? Ruinous! Something would have to be done, and quickly. With a scowl, Toller picked up a Telegram pad and began writing furiously.

To: Embassy, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
From: Bavarian Peoples Army Commisar

Election results disastrous STOP Capitalists still hold power STOP Must have more weapons STOP.

OOC: Sorry for any confusion, but the Bavarian People's Party is different to the Bavarian People's Army. The party is conservative (it's actually part of the DVP), the army socialist. The Bavarian People's Army is most closely related to the KPD or USPD (which has got about 1% of votes).

IC:

Hans Schallmann carried on writing the draft telegram dictated to him by Ernst. He couldn't see why they should have such close relations with the USSR. All the Kremlin had done was divide the socialist movement: thanks to their influence, Thaelmann was no more than a puppet of the hardline Marxists. A coalition with the SPD was almost out of the question. "We will ally with the Social Democrats when they beg us on their knees," Ernst had told him.

"And finish, with warm greetings from our party leader, and so on and so forth," finished Ernst. "Now read it back please, comrade."

Hans looked down at the paper.

"To the Office of the Most Glorious Comrade Stalin

Dearest Comrade,
Results from the Reichstag have arrived STOP Highest proportion ever for KPD STOP Majority still unattainable - await instructions STOP Anti-Fascist Front request ammunition and fuel after threats from Schleicher STOP We thank you for your assistance STOP We are close to the inevitable revolution STOP Warm greetings from our Party leader, Comrade Thaelmann STOP"

Ernst smiled and nodded. "Perfect."

I would be delighted to go to this beer hall of yours Stop We will discuss interests revolving around the coummunists Stop I hope your men could teach the army about some of the finer aspects of fighting STOP

Von Scleicher STOP

Yet again the young blond man entered the Telegram office close to the beer hall in Berlin. He handed the tellier another telegram:

"To: General Von Schleicher, Army High Command, Berlin
From: Col.Theodor Duesterberg 1st Bavarian Regt. (Ret.)

Message: Excellent news! STOP I will meet you in the beer hall in 5 days time STOP Should have some information for you by then about other city's STOP Meet around 6pm STOP

Regards, Theodor Duesterberg STOP"

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OOC: I asked to meet with schleicher then because i want to RP a meeting of German Steel Helmet commanders within the next few days. After that we can RP the meeting with Schleicher, that ok with you Moorington?

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Niels Bohr sat grim-faced in the old Army barracks. At 48 he looked grizzled and worn, with grey hair, ageing features and clear blue eyes he looked like the archetypal war veteran. He was the Munich Commander of the Munic Chapter of the League of Front Soldiers, or the Steel Helmet as everyone called them. Niels had been in the Freikorps during the Red Rising in Munich after the war and had joined the Steel Helmet's as they grew stronger and were more disciplined than the Freikorps.

Niels believed the Steel Helmet was the only hope Germany had and as per Colonel Duesterberg's orders discipline was rigidly enforced. Any unlawful killing resulted in immediate execution, and Niels held true to the order.

On the shallow bed behind him sat two thin peices of paper, one with the election results, the other asking him to attend a Steel Helmet meeting in Berlin in two days. He had told his Officers and they were busy informing the rest of the men.

Niels began to fix his pure grey uniform, ensuring the green patch above the left pocket was in place, a mark of an Officer. The Steel Helmet wore the same uniform as the Army, they had always done. Except they wore no insignia at all apart from small bars above the left breast pocket to indicate rank and Command area. Green was Bavaria/Munich.

Down in the courtyard a pair of Officers were drilling some NCO's in hand-hand combat. One of them nodded as Niels walked past and jumped up the step into the doorway that led to the vehicle bays.

Inside was perhaps the Steel Helmet's three biggest secrets, Bismarck, Wilhelm and Hindenburg. Bismarck was a 1919 vintage Sturmpanzerwagen A7V Tank, which was found in the vehicle bay when the building was bought. The Army had left Munich so fast during the Munich uprising that they had left a broken down A7V in the bay, believing it to be beyond repair. They had also found 2 British Mk V Tanks, captured obviously. All three had taken years to rebuild and repair using various cannabalised engine parts. But, no matter what expense, they were rebuilt because not even the Army had tanks anymore.

Niels ran his hands along the side of Bismarck, the A7V and at the front of the giant behemoth he came across the genius who had made the three steel beasts work again, Khaler Van Osse. Niels smiled at the oil streaked Osse, busy cleaning some sort of valve at the front of Bismarck. "Well, they still aren't ready after all these years?"

Osse grinned a toothy grin and replaced the vavle before talking, "They were ready last week, nobody cared to come down and check though. Anyway, you heard the news i suppose?"

Niels sighed again, "Yeah...damm Reds, we have to do something Osse, I mean its ok for the Gentlemen politicians up in Berlin, but Christ, we have the Bavarian People's Army making noise down here, and the Freikorps ready for all out war. And the thing is, we're not exactly in the middle, but if the Reds go for power down here, the Red Army could come marching into Munich."

"Well, your not far off. Some Freikorps guys were telling me the Bavarian People's Army are getting stuff from Stalin, they might not end up being the pushovers the Freikorps believe they are."

" Its like watching two dogs fighting over a rancid bone with those two militia's. Still, I'd rather the Freikorps won, i was with them down here during the Rising. I just don't think they're strong enough, I'm going to ask Duesterberg in Berlin what he thinks we should do down here, personally i think we should provoke the BPA and see what happens, they can't possibly compete with these babies." Niels patted the tank affectionately and nodded toward the door, walking off to leave Osse messing around with Bismarck.

Parliment, London

James Ramsay MacDonald looked at the arguing MPs. The topic was Germany and what should be done.

Labour was demanding aid to the Communists. This horrified the ruling Conservatives. They wanted to see Germany engulfed in anarcy never to rise again to threaten Europe.

Then MacDonald had an idea.

"What if we provide aid to the Communists as wel as the SPD? Encourage a cival war? They'd never be a threat again, regardless of who won."

If this were any other democratic country (except France) people would be horrified at the suggestion. But Brittian and France and monarcies such as Belgium and Luxenburg had seen first hand what a threat Germany was. A foreign cival war was prefured over another Great War.

It was agreeded then. Arms and money would be shifted to the SPD and KPD. By the time the war was over nothing would be left of the menace that had was Germany.

The results the reichstag were troubling as the communists were nearing and everybody was worried, that is everybody but the 85 year-old war hero, his calmness was to be admired although there were a few who wondered if he was still playing with a full deck...

He -upon the advice of his advisors- called a meeting to discuss the cabinet ;Current chancellor -Franz von Papen- has practically no support from the reichstag (except from the DNVP of which he was never a member), Papen has ruled in an authoritarian manner, launching a coup against the Social Democratic led government of Prussia, and repealing his predecessor's ban on the SA as a way to appease the Nazis, whom he hoped to lure into supporting his government. Ultimately, after two Reichstag elections only increased the Nazis' strength in the Reichstag without substantially increasing Papen's own parliamentary support.

(OoC: Papen's Cabinet:
Franz von Papen - Chancellor
Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Wilhelm Freiherr von Gayl (DNVP) - Minister of the Interior
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk - Minister of Finance
Hermann Warmbold - Minister of Economics
Hugo Schäffer - Minister of Labour
Franz Gürtner (DNVP) - Minister of Justice
Kurt von Schleicher - Minister of Defence
Paul Freiherr Eltz von Rübenach - Minister of Posts and Transport)

It was then decided that Papen is to be forced to resign, and another took to assume the chancellary, the question was who? after much negotiations a suitable candidate was agreed upon: The Minister Of Defence Kurt von Schleicher who is hoped to be able to manouver and form a coallition to gain a majority in the Reichstag, before the reds attempt something nasty...

Before anything may happen, however, Kurt von Schleicher must agree to assume the post of Chancellor, and the post of minister of defence given to another.

(OoC: Historical Schleicher Cabinet:
Kurt von Schleicher - Chancellor
Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Franz Bracht - Minister of the Interior
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk - Minister of Finance
Hermann Warmbold - Minister of Economics
Friedrich Syrup - Minister of Labour
Franz Gürtner (DNVP) - Minister of Justice
Paul Freiherr Eltz von Rübenach - Minister of Posts and Transport
Magnus Freiherr von Braun (DNVP) - Minister of Food
Günther Gereke - Reichskomissar for Employment
Johannes Popitz - Minister without Portfolio)


The president all along the meeting kept a strong and fierce face which seemed also to show perception and wisdom as he listened to the remarks of his advisors, even making a few remarks himself about the danger of the communists and about his trust in von Schleicher. However -unknown to his advisors- in some parts of the meeting he was listening to his officers opinions about how to proceed in Tannenberg (1914) including those of a Colonel Hoffmann which seemed somewhat sensible, one incident when was when he called one of his advisors "Lt. Heinz" but this was dismissed as old people often forget some names.

Indeed, 85 is a very very old age...

KPD Headquarters, Berlin

"What the...?" began Hans.

He was staring at the open crate lying on the floor, surrounded by four other indentical crates. His friend Otto leaned into one and pulled out one of the objects inside.

"Thompson sub-machine gun," he said, clicking the safety catch on and off as he admired the weapon. "There must be about a hundred in each crate, plus ammo."

Hans was breathless. "Five hundred Tommy guns...any idea who sent them?"

Otto grinned. "I was given them by a very good acquaintance - came in off the train from Hamburg marked as "machine parts". Papers trace 'em to England, but that's all I know." He leant over to Hans and whispered conspiratorially in his ear. "Apparently, Black-Red-Gold got a similar delivery this morning as well. I don't know what's going on, Herr Schalmann."

Hans stood still for a moment, thinking about it. "Well," he finally replied. "I better tell Comrade Thaelmann."

While many celebrated the "win" of the vote, Genosse Hermann Müller wasn't in such a good mood at all. There was no majority, he feared that there could be riots everywhere just any moment.
With no majority for any party/block it was a stalemate. The population wouldn't be happy about this, so it was time to make a move.
So he called for his friend Otto Meier, who has good relations with nearly every democratic partie.
"Genosse Meier please send a message to all pro-Democratic Parties. This includes the Zentrum Partei, the DDP and heck even die DVP.
Tell them we should try to negotiate some kind of coalition. Tell them we need to hurry, and that there is no point to argue just now.
There will be a time for that, but for now we have to work together!
Furthermore write a letter to a few countries as well. We could really need some help in keeping those militias down, maybe they could send us some troops, or weapons, even just an approval of the Republic and ANY kind of help would be appreciated. Write that, and fast."
Herr Müller spoke very fast, he couldn't believe it, yet again there was the possibility for many coalition, but sadly, none seemed feasible.
He could try to ally with the KPD, but even then there was no majority and he knew there was no other party willing to join such a coalition.
So he had to try to convince the other leader to form a centre-majority.
If only he hadn't such a bad feeling about this...

The Harbour at Kiel...

Joseph Kienne stood outside the wheelhouse of the old deep sea trawler. Men scurried about the deck and others ran up and down the wooden gangplanks with boxes of fruit and food. Joseph had been the proud commander of a Dreadnought Battleship during the war, now he had resigned himself to his fleet of fishing boats and trawlers. He was a rich man, his fishing business had thrived during the mid 1920s and his money was safe on a bank on the Isle of Mann, safe from the horrendous inflation affecting much of Europe.

He was also the Commander of the Kiel Chapter of the Steel Helmet, which consisted of around 10,000 men, including sailors and soldiers. He was preparing for a jaunt to England to secure arms from an American businessman, all with his own money. The Colonel had given him permission right away when he realised they would be getting more modern weapons.

Shouts came from on deck and men on the dockside mooring area threw the large ropes onto the ship and Joseph stepped back into the wheel house...'to England...for Germany', he thought to himself.

When the good news of the recent progress of the KPD arrived THe members of the Ruhr Red Army were thrilled and expressed their support to their kameraden in Berlin. However recent actions by the army and the Freikorps have been alarming. this led Wilhelm Diesmann to consider forming an alliance with the KPD and sent the following message:

Greetings kameraden,
With more and more people are being enlightened to the glorious workers movement, the vile corrupt state are begining to take action against us, therefore for the survival of the movement I propose that we both cooperate and coordinate with each other

Signed, Kamerade Diesmann, your friend in the Ruhr.

To: Col.Theodor Duesterberg 1st Bavarian Regt. (Ret.)
From:General Von Schleicher
I would like to meet this Sunday to dicuss the matters of highest regard STOP Today, Saterday would be nice but limited STOP Indications of Democracy-pro parties talking STOP A revamping of the legitmate goverment is underway to STOP

In all due respect,
Rheichswehr.
Signed: Theodor Duesterberg

The results the reichstag were troubling as the communists were nearing and everybody was worried, that is everybody but the 85 year-old war hero, his calmness was to be admired although there were a few who wondered if he was still playing with a full deck...

He -upon the advice of his advisors- called a meeting to discuss the cabinet ;Current chancellor -Franz von Papen- has practically no support from the reichstag (except from the DNVP of which he was never a member), Papen has ruled in an authoritarian manner, launching a coup against the Social Democratic led government of Prussia, and repealing his predecessor's ban on the SA as a way to appease the Nazis, whom he hoped to lure into supporting his government. Ultimately, after two Reichstag elections only increased the Nazis' strength in the Reichstag without substantially increasing Papen's own parliamentary support.

(OoC: Papen's Cabinet:
Franz von Papen - Chancellor
Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Wilhelm Freiherr von Gayl (DNVP) - Minister of the Interior
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk - Minister of Finance
Hermann Warmbold - Minister of Economics
Hugo Schäffer - Minister of Labour
Franz Gürtner (DNVP) - Minister of Justice
Kurt von Schleicher - Minister of Defence
Paul Freiherr Eltz von Rübenach - Minister of Posts and Transport)

It was then decided that Papen is to be forced to resign, and another took to assume the chancellary, the question was who? after much negotiations a suitable candidate was agreed upon: The Minister Of Defence Kurt von Schleicher who is hoped to be able to manouver and form a coallition to gain a majority in the Reichstag, before the reds attempt something nasty...

Before anything may happen, however, Kurt von Schleicher must agree to assume the post of Chancellor, and the post of minister of defence given to another.

(OoC: Historical Schleicher Cabinet:
Kurt von Schleicher - Chancellor
Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Franz Bracht - Minister of the Interior
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk - Minister of Finance
Hermann Warmbold - Minister of Economics
Friedrich Syrup - Minister of Labour
Franz Gürtner (DNVP) - Minister of Justice
Paul Freiherr Eltz von Rübenach - Minister of Posts and Transport
Magnus Freiherr von Braun (DNVP) - Minister of Food
Günther Gereke - Reichskomissar for Employment
Johannes Popitz - Minister without Portfolio)

The president's personal aide visits Von Schleider to convey the wishes of the presidsent,
"So general von Schleider, after hearing the situation, what do you choose: To accept the position of Chancellor and leave your position in the army to another, or to remain as head of Germany's Army?"

"To: General Von Schleicher, Army High Command, Berlin
From: Col.Theodor Duesterberg 1st Bavarian Regt. (Ret.)

Message: We are agreed to meet on Sunday (tomorrow) STOP Have new information from city commanders STOP I will be meeting with them later in the week STOP Will send you a runner if any new info is apparent STOP Have interesting news from Munich STOP Will see you at the Beer Hall on Sunday STOP

Regards, Theodor Duesterberg STOP"

OOC: Moorington, you can begin the meeting with Schleicher and Dueseterberg. Duesterberg will be waiting at a table in the beer hall, if you have Scleicher walk up to him, sit down and say 'hello' or whatever, then i'll RP back and we'll take it from there, ok?

General Ludwig Maercker sat at the end of a long table, which was covered in various maps and manpower lists. The other man in the stately dinning room stood at attention, he was wearing a mix of military uniform, of an older 1910 pattern as well as civilian riding boots, this was effectively his best dress uniform.

"Felix... has..." Maercker looked down at one of the maps on the table, "Captain Ludwig's company arrived from Kiel?"
"Yes sir, he arrived this morning, we've situated his men in the southern field. Would you like me to send for him?" replied Major Felix.
"Please do." nodded Maercker, checking his watch.

The "Compound" as it was quickly being known as was made up of a stately house and its surrounding land, Maercker had obtained it, apparently, from a German Prince who had fled the country. The General was bringing all who would follow him to this place, located on the northern bank of the Danube between Ulm and Regensburg. There were desertions, as many in the reunified Freikorps believed they should be at the throats of the "commies", many were still loyal and willing to follow him though, about 25,000 in all.

OOC: I will have sporadic posts through out the week since that is when school statrs for my school.
IC:
Rhiechswehr Spokeman:
I regret to inform you all that General Von Schleider will not be running for any political offices.
Von Schleider:
He walks in and sits down right across from Col.Theodor Duesterberg and starts speaking. "These events are not in every way a good sign." Many people want nonone to have weapons so militias are being crushed by the communists as others are soaked into others." The communists have also recived a shipment of weapons but we only know that." If we are going to act we need to now and it would be nice to begin the unification of Germany.

Theodor was bemused by fastidiousness of the General, but as he was speaking he realised he was a man under intense pressure from all sides. Theodor sat forward and listened intently as the General spoke.

He sighed and looked at the wooden roof before replying, "General, I understand the situation at the moment. We are currently the largest militia, and soon to be the best armed, we have agents working on that as we speak. In Munich, which is where i see the spark of a communist revolution arising from, we have 3 tanks, an A7V and two British Mk V's. I would be best pleased if you kept that quiet, a secret to be unleashed if and when we may need it. In any case i see Munich and here, Berlin, as the two places where touble would start with the reds and the socialists. I also happen to know the Freikorps are under intense pressure to begin a new campaign against the reds. We are currently planning our next moves, and i would like to contact the Freikorps, i think they might be of use to us, maybe. Anyway, i hear you turned down the Chancellorship. I was asked to assume the position on behalf of the DNVP, but i also refused. In any case General, what is the Reichswehr's condition, and what is your next move?"

OOC: Moorington, no worries about school, reply whenever you can.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

IC:

Meanwhile in Munich...

The Munich City Hall was bustling with people. Some where shouting at the new price of bread, others talked to the vendors at the different stalls, some cried out for people to buy their merchandise and others sat bored looking over the top of their wooden stalls at the people meandering through the circle of small wooden market stalls that decorated the cobblestones around the ornate statue of Bismarck.

Suddenly, as if to break the silence of a perfect day, a loud gun-shot was heard nearby. Some people jumped, others gasped, some screamed, all froze and looked to where the sound had come from. From the park-side of the road a number of grey trucks could be seen rolling toward the City Hall. Another shot was heard. A small crowd followed the trucks, some cheering, others jeering, some just following.

The five Grey Opel trucks pulled up in front of the City Hall, between the small market and the steps up to the hall. The trucks were emblazoned with Reichswehr Unit numbers, numbers of disbanded units. Each one proudly displayed a chalk outline of a German Helmet under the doors of the Grey Cab.

Soldiers in the rear of the trucks sat and stared at the small crowd. Officers stood up and barked orders. The soldiers hefted their Mauser Gewehr '98 rifles, shifted their roll-packs and jumped off the tail-gate. The five trucks disgorged their load of soldiers, around 40 in all. Officers stood with M1908 Parabellum Army Pistols at the ready, still barking orders to move their men forward, to form a semi-circle around the gathering crowd. Some soldiers busted into the crowd and began searching for anyone with a red-arm band. Those who jeered suffered a blow to the gut from the rifles of the soldiers.

The crowd quieted down as a small Field Car pulled up in front of the trucks. Major Niels Bohr jumped out. In the back seat a dejected looking young man sat awkwardly, both his hands pulled behind his back. His red arm-band was tied into his mouth and around his head. The word 'Traitor' was written in charcoal on his forehead.

Niels stepped toward the crowd, stepped in between the line of Steel Helmet soldiers and the crowd. He breathed deeply and began in a booming voice:
'People of Munich, my German brethren. I come to you today as a servant of the German Reich. The hated Versailles Treaty has torn us apart as a nation. We have fighting everywhere, and corrupt officials telling us we can't have an Army, telling us we can't be proud that we're German.' He paused, muttering flowed through the crowd, some people shouted insults and were dragged noisily away by soldiers in the crowd.
'Today we bring you a traitor. The man you see behind me, he tried to enter our ranks some time ago. He was found to be a vile communist spy, his flat was searched, and we find vile literature of the communist evil. This man was plotting to kill the Mayor of Munich, to create a revolution against our nation. This man is a traitor.'

Niels turned around and nodded and a couple of soldiers hefted the bedraggled man from the Field Car and knelt him before Niels. Niels stared at him intently before speaking, 'Oskar Von Hindze, you have been found guilty of treason against the German State. As per the law passed under Kaiser Wilhelm the Second your punishment is death by firing squad. May you find forgiveness.' Niels grabbed the man up and pulled him up the steps of the City Hall. Five men followed. At the top Oskar was knelt down and the five men stood opposite him, Niels stood behind them. Three knelt, two stood, their rifles trained on Oskar, his eyes flitting wildly from side to side.

The silence was shattered by the order from Niels, 'READY...AIM...FIIIIRE.' The Mauser rifles kicked to life as five bullets tore Oskar from his knees, sending him reeling onto his back. His body flinched a couple of times. The five men stood to attention and Niels walked toward the body, with his Pistol at his side. He fired two shots, on into Oskar's heart, the other into his head.

He stood to face the crowd as he holstered the smoking Pistol. The five men quickly descended the stairs and stood with their comrades facing the crowd.

Niels again began to speak, 'Today we have delivered justice, justice that our corrupt socialist government could not deliver. We suffer every day because of the hated Versailles Treaty, you are subjected to constant attack by traitorous communist scum, and we have to rely on an Army too small to protect us. Those brave men who fought in the trenches, the men who stand before you today, were betrayed cruelly by the November Criminals, their sacrifices piddled away to the victorious nations. I tell you friends, I cannot stand to see my country suffer. I served Germany in the War, I serve Germany still...I serve you, the German People. The League of Front soldiers is the Reichswerhr. We will not let the socialist allies tell us we can't have an Army, that we can't protect our children...WE CAN AND WE WILL! Friends, unite with us, fight with us and we will triumph...WE WILL TRIUMPH.' Niels wiped the saliva from the side of his face, he had worked himself up into a frenzy during his speech.

The silence was broken again, softly this time. A soldier facing the crowd began to sing, strongly but elegantly:
'Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,' the gathered crowed began to join in and soon everyone gathered began to sing strongly and resolutely,'über alles in der Welt,
wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
brüderlich zusammenhält!
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
von der Etsch bis an den Belt:
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
über alles in der Welt!
Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
sollen in der Welt behalten
ihren alten schönen Klang,
uns zu edler Tat begeistern
unser ganzes Leben lang:
Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!

Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben
brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
sind des Glückes Unterpfand;
blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,
blühe, deutsches Vaterland.'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Murderers," spat Ernst as he read the telegram in his hand. His most trusted colleagues stood around, nervously shifting from foot to foot. "Murderers," he repeated.

Hans spoke up. "We should report this execution to President Hindenburg. The Reichswehr cannot be allowed to break the law like this."

Ernst turned and glared at him. "Hindenburg?" he bellowed. "That mad old fool is on their side, don't you understand?" He shook his head. "No...," he said softly. "No...send my condolences to the Bavarian People's Army. I'll telegram our comrades in Moscow. Piotr?"

A large, heavily-built man stepped forward from the shadows of the room and saluted smartly. "Mein Genosse?"

The leader smiled. "Yes, comrade. I want you to travel with a handful of your finest Anti-Fascist troops to Munich to find out who is personally responsible. And take the guns we have so fortunately come into possession of."

OOC: Where the hell is Ravea? He's supposed to be playing the USSR - I've telegrammed him twice but he hasn't replied.

BUMP for Moorington.

OOC: Sorry but school is a serious umm....mean word....

The Rheichswehr totally upholds the nationlism of the Stell Helments and hopes all of its supporters show that kind of purity. It also will start the cleansing of the communist scum within the week. All of the power of th army and stell helments will probably be behind this and nothing will stop the crushing fist of stell!

In the beerhall:
I hope you help us in our caimoagin and this laest pieace of work is quite nice. At teh moment many things are needing my attention. (He walks out)
You probably thinking about his sudeness but he is a busy man.

Theodor sat back in the chair and watched the General go, his old freind looked gaunt and pressurized, a stressed man. Of course the Steel Helmet would support the Army, heck they were all the Army, they could hardly not support them. He got up and walked to the back office to begin his daily round of Telegram reports to and from his City Commanders.

Von Schleider in press conference:

The rheicswehr now sees the stell helments as a legimate force in germany and if choses to will become a legimate military party in the armed forces of Germany. Also I wish to have all the supporters of the true germany follow in my footsteps with the new political party of "The Prussian Party of Germany" which we will show the world what it means to be a german!

After words big cheers and crowd happiness ect ect ect....


Rheichswehr Actions:

10 Military trucks pull out in front of a known communist hot-spot and jmp out. This battalion is an elite trained unit trained especially for urban war-fare and does all the proper covering fire tatics ect ect as they get out. In under a minute they blow through the doors of the houses and buisnesses in fours and make arrests seize arms and shoot anybody who moves. Which amounts to 8 people.

Prussian Party of Germany Actions:
The headquarters was still being moved in but at the very least it looked hopefull that this would a goo move to making the people of germany the real and much needed choice.


OOC: All in all Von makes another political Party with the intention of getting some of the workers and cores of the communist party to his side and to make all of the individual anti-commnist parties one.

OOC [Out of Character]: Obviously the Steel Helmet will support the Prussian Party of Germany, after all Duesterberg is from Prussia and served in the war in Prussian Regiments. I will RP something later, probably about the Arms deal in England. I won't fold the Steel Helmet into the Army just yet, if a Civil or Foreign war arises then yes, we will go into the Army and if and when Germany returns to its glory then we will fold into the Army, but until then we will remain a politically charged militia, as long as we have support from the Army in saying that we are a legal faction for security.

[OOC: Sorry I missed this for so long. Short & crappy post for now until I figure the whole extent of things here. If anyone could provide a summary of events, it would be greatly appreciated.]

Official Communique from the Office of the Presidency of the United States of America

The United States of America will remain neutral in the affairs of Europe STOP It has always been our intention to stay away from those events that do not concern us STOP However we will continue to watch the events in Germany with a wary eye STOP

President Hoover

Southampton, England...

The docks at Southampton bustled with fishermen and merchants loudly cussing and singing as they went about their early morning work. Gulls floated loftily overhead, screeching as they went. The dull grey sky hung low over the dockside buildings, the morning mist barely visible.

In a small warehouse off the docks stood Joseph Kienne with five of his men. They wore typical fishermens garb and Joseph stood puffing on an old pipe. From an office nearby a burly man wearing a small bowler hat and snappy suit with a waistcoat came out, strolling over toward Joseph.

The two men shook hands, before the burly man spoke in a broad American accent, "Howdy, you must be Joseph, call me Bill." Joseph was a little taken aback by the easiness of the mans personality, this was after all a secretive arms deal.

"Herr Bill, it is a pleasure to finally meet with you. You are indeed doing Germany a great service, and i hope both our countries will benefit from what happens in the future."

"I like the way you think Joseph. Now, shall we get to business?"

Joseph nodded, "Indeed, let us get to work."
Bill nodded curtly and produced a small note-book from inside his suit, "Now...yes...yes, your man deposited the money in New York three days ago. Your shipment is waiting behind me, let me just read it out to you, make sure n'all. 2500 Thompson M1's, 5000 Colt 1911's, 3000 Springfield 03's, 10,000 World War One Trench Knives, 50 Browning 30.cal Machine Guns, 10 with Triplane Mounts and a helluva lot of ammunition! Hell, you must have made a killing with your fishery business to afford all this...biggest order I got in years."

Joseph smiled, "Yes, many fishing business' were destroyed, I kept mine moving, we made a lot of money, now its being used for Germany, for a good cause. I trust your men will help us to our boat?"

Bill nodded and put the notebook away, "Certainly, certainly. Pleasure doing business with you." The two men shook hands and then moved off into the warehouse to begin shifting the masses of crates.



3 Hours later...

Joseph stood again in the wheelhouse manouevering out of Southampton Docks, past merchant vessels and the odd fishing trawler. His mission was nearly accomplished, soon the Steel Helmet would be not only the biggest, but the best equipped militia in Germany.


Glinde, 15 Miles outside Hamburg, same day...

The farm was set on an elegant 10 acre plot, ripe with vegetables and lush with shrubbery, well kept hedges fenced off each field, some sheep grazed lazily up at the farm house buildings, bleating now and again. The farm buildings were old and worn, a large white farmhouse and four green barns dominated the smaller stalls and wooden buildings.

A dusty rutted track, sided by hedges on either side, wound its way from the farm buildings down to a narrow tarmac road. A sign at the entrance to the track read "Hauptmann Farms, Hamburg. Purveyors of Vegetables, Fruit, Pork and Wool." Another sign beside the larger one read, "Crop Dusting Service Avaliable, Call at Farmhouse."

A large grey Army truck sped toward the track from the direction of Hamburg. Painted under the cab was the farms sign and logo, the old Army markings had long since worn off.

The truck stopped abruptly next to the foremost green barn, the paint of which was fading and chipping from years of weathering. A skinny man of 40, with a long moustache jumped from the cab and ran hurriedly into the barn.

Inside sat, proudly gleaming, a Fokker Triplane. Its green and blue paint was crisp and vibrant, the only sign that it had been a military plan were the gun mounts and elevation tools on the cockpit rim. Another older man sat in the cockpit, smeared in grease, busily tapping away at something in the bowels of the frame. He looked up as the moustachioed man ran in waving a yellow piece of paper.

"Fritz! Fritz...LOOK!" Fritz looked up from what he was doing and squinted at the piece of paper thrust in front of him. He looked at the other man, "Could you be any more out of sorts Zal?"

"Just read it Fritz." Fritz sighed and began to read. A smile spread across his face as he read the telegram.

"To: Fritz Hauptmann, Hamburg
From: Joseph Kienne

Fritz, we got the parts you need STOP On way home now STOP Should have them with you by the end of next week STOP Look forward to hearing from you STOP

Joseph Kienne STOP"

"Well, there's a bit of good news. I tell you Zal i can't wait to fly the girls in the own colours with their own weapons, we're going to be famous I tell you."

The two men grinned widely at each other and then looked at the plane.

OOC: When is the next election?
IC:

Rhiechswehr Stuff:

25 German built heavy lifting military trucks screech to a halt outside a known communist slum (Something to do with all the Russian flags.... ;) ). This time the elite unit had a name, Special Directive Unit 1, and was supported by some regular conscripts who had voluntered for this job. As the men got out a conscript went down clutching his throat as his life-blood spilled out. Then another and another all dead in a couple of seconds. A man from SDU1 went inside the snipers hidout and shot the man in the back of the head. As he turned around two young men and a women busted down a wall and had two thompson autos as they blew him away another SDU1 man threw a grenade threw a window but it flew back out and landed near the foot of a conscript. He looked at it and threw himself on it as it exploded. By now the whole slum had woken up and got to their weapons and shot at the Rhiechswehr men. It was looking pretty bad for them until another truck had gotten it's canvas off and instead of a personnal carrier it was a high-explosive round gun. It's men ststematically blew away each of the lean-toos and then the SDU1 got it's act together and cleaned out any other resistance. Then cam mass arrests and relocations to "The Gray Bar Motel" (Prison).
Rhiechswehr Causualties: 23
Ossorted Commi Hobos Dead: 94
SDU1 Dead: 2

The Prussian Party of Germany:
The headquarters had been set up and already the usual political actions where being started and General Von was a busy man making press conferences talking at local and state wide library shows and ribbon ceremonies ect ect...

On street corners around Berlin people began to gather around lamp-posts and gable walls staring at posters that read:

PRUSSIAN PARTY OF GERMANY

POLITICAL MEETING

VERLINDER BEER HALL, MONDAY EVENING, 8PM

GUEST SPEAKER: THEODOR DUESTERBERG

News was quickly spreading throughout the city about this new Party, and with General Von Schleicher's influence soon the news would be spread across the country about the newest threat to the socialist government.

OOC: Hindenburg can call another election whenever he wants, otherwise it'll be a few years. We're about a month or two after the election at the moment, I'd imagine.

IC: To the Ruhr Red Army:

Comrades in Bavaria suffering heavy casulaties STOP Kremlin advises to seize Saarland and Ruhr coal fields STOP Within weeks we shall have the industrial centre of Germany STOP Long live the Soviet Republic of Germany STOP


To the Bavarian People's Army

Regret to hear of your losses STOP Arms delivery will arrive within a week STOP Enclosed are Thompson machine guns, grenades, pistols, ammunition and one mounted machine gun STOP

The crowd gathered in the Beer Hall was a motley crew of people of every walk of life and background. They sat huddled over tables clutching metal tankards full of frothy beer, or they stood busily chatting with whoever would talk. Shouts of friends pierced the low murmurs every now and then.

As people were filing in they were searched by a couple of Steel Helmet Sergeants. There was a mass of grey uniforms throughout the room, some Steel Helmet, others Reichswerhr. Plenty of Officers of both groups milled about in between.

A tussle began on one of the tables as a blonde haired middle aged man wearing a working mans cap donned a red arm band. Two Steel Helmet officers jumped on him and hauled him outside. A vehicle pulled up and he was thrown into the back and driven off into the night, he would not be seen again. The room quieted again and talk soon began to creep up to a loud throng.

The throng was broken when the band, sitting at the rear of the small stage at the back wall, began to play the National Anthem. The Steel Helmet and Army soldiers began to sing, their voices scattered but strong, the crowd soon joined in and soon the entire hall was singing the National Anthem.

As the song ended a crowd of combat ready soldiers carrying Gewehr 08 Carbines and wearing helmets and webbing stepped out of the back office, quickly ringing the stage and standing rigidly to attention, the bang of their jackboots and rifle butts connecting with the heavy tiled floor echoed around the cavernous hall.

Theodor Duesterberg stepped out of the office a moment later, followed by five other men, including Hanz Kollerman and Major Dietrich Nize, the Berlin Commander of the Steel Helmet. All wore Prussian Division insignia and each was adorned with medals, Theodor personally wore four Iron Cross’ and many other star shaped medals across his chest.

The crowd erupted in rapturous applause and screaming. Theodor climbed onto the centre of the stage and stood looking out over the people as their cheers came to a crescendo, he waited until the tension was at the right moment before beginning. A raise of his hand silenced the crowd and he began to speak.

“Dear Friends, I welcome you to this meeting of the Prussian Party of Germany, the Party that will lead Germany into a glorious new Reich” The crowd again erupted with shouts and applause, Theodor smiled and after a minute his hand again went up and the crowd silenced.“Since Versailles Germans have walked with their heads down, we are a mere shadow of our former selves. And it is not your fault, it is the fault of the November Criminals who spat on the sacrifices of our Army and who gave in to pressure from the allies. The enemy, friends, is no longer overseas, the enemy walk amongst you, live amongst you. The enemy is the vile communist scum who betrayed us, sold us out and who continue to rape our country of its Germanic Pride. Their minds are filled with evil and dangerous delusions. Do you want Stalin, the cripple, telling you what to do?” The crowd shouted ‘No’ in unison, except for a group of men who sat silent. Theodor noticed them and pointed, “LOOK! The communist scum have invaded our meeting, will you stand for this?”

The crowd turned and shouted angrily at the four men who sat, grim faced, scared. Steel Helmet men moved in behind them and stood them up, and unfurled their sleeves, revealing rolled up red armbands. The men were hand-cuffed and dragged away screaming abuse, receiving blows from truncheons and rifle butts for their trouble.

Theodor stood smiling as the crowd began to quite down again. “Before we were betrayed by the traitors that call themselves a Government, Germany was the mightiest nation in Europe, unsurpassed in economic or military might. Now we resign ourselves to combat the rising cost of bread and coffee. We’re German and a week’s wages only buys us a few loaves of bread, what has our great nation come to? Starved from house and home by traitorous communist scum, betrayed by our own Government, I tell you friends I will not stand for this, I will not stand by while you, the gallant German people, are sold down the river to the left wing. The Prussian Party of Germany is your Party, the Party Bismarck himself would be proud of. Together we can lead Germany into a New Reich, a glorious new age.” Theodor paused for his second, his face contorted, as if in pain, his hands in different positions, having been emulating his words. He dropped his hands to his sides and paused. The crowd again erupted into rapturous applause.

They continued applauding as Theodor stepped down, to let other people speak.

The meeting had continued long into the night. When the speech was finally over some people returned to their drinking, others left busily talking with one another. Steel Helmet and Reischwehr soldiers patrolled the streets around the Beer Hall to ensure there was no trouble, to even attack the Steel Helmet was no, virtually, as bad as attacking a police officer.

People walked off to various quarters of the city, remembering the magnificent speeches given by the various Party Members, if the people in the Beer Hall talked it would attract more for the next meeting. Theodor hoped the Prussian Party of Germany (PPG) would be on the up very soon.

BUMP

OOC: Come on people, where is everyone at the moment? I know Moorington is back to school but where's everybody else?

OOC: ;) Celebrating my birthday. I'll try to get more active players as USSR, France and other parties.

OOC: Ok, no probs. Hope you had a good birthday dude.

OOC: belated happy birthday demo. Theres not really much i can do at the moment becuase as Italy all i can do is respond to the actions of the main political parties. If you want i can take over a political faction, if there are any left.

To the Ruhr Red Army:

Comrades in Bavaria suffering heavy casulaties STOP Kremlin advises to seize Saarland and Ruhr coal fields STOP Within weeks we shall have the industrial centre of Germany STOP Long live the Soviet Republic of Germany STOP

To Our Kameraden:

Sofort Kameraden STOP we'll move at once STOP

--------------------------------
The Ruher Red Army Mobillises all around the Saarland and the Ruher valley, seizing major mines in the area. The workers prepare to fight for their rights and liberty from the corrupt republican lackeys.

Statement from the League of Front Soldiers, 'The Forefront' Newspaper, Today.

"To all communist revolutionaries currently operating in the Saarland and Ruhr Areas:

You have committed an act of treason against your nation, a crime punishable by death. The German Reichswerhr is duty bound to act against you, we are not. However, we are a legal law enforcement group within Germany and we are currently five times the size of the Army with more mobility. If you desist from your illegal activities in the aforementioned areas then the death penalty will be spared and the area shall come back under legitimate Government control.

There will be no negotiation. You have forty-eight (48) hours (two days) to comply, if you have not done so by such a time the League of Front Soldiers will move into the areas. We will show no quarter, you have your choice- live to see another day, or be destroyed. We leave that choice up to you.

(Any and all civilians, business', public or political groups giving aid to or working with the traitors will be considered traitors themselves and will be dealt with accordingly unless our deadline is met.)

Col. T. Duesterberg, League of Front Soldiers, Prussian Party of Germany."

OOC: Posted a long oley thing as the last post of last week and know it is not here, has to do with that not signed on thing and signed on and came back and by post was not there in the post box and I thought it had been posted.....
IC:
General Von pretty much sad the same thing as Theodor Duesterberg except for more pro-Prussian Party of Germany.
As an early cargoe vessel entered port it was earliy quit on the deck. As the boat came into the port a flurry of activity on the shores started up and the only one to notice that was a sailor who signed up just for the money.
He was shot in the neck and with a sharp crack for each person a sniper took ut each of the other men n the deck, 5.
Contrary to the movies people shot in the neck flops around and gurgels with sometimes a good scream groan.
So the men on the deck could have started some defenses but in seconds a SDU1 unit had crossed a pier and had climbed aboard the boat and was already shooting anything that moved and a few escaped when they lay on the floor. Most though went down shooting and by the 3 min. the german forces had secured all decks but the bridge and the boilers.
The captin and other officers had barricaded themselves inside the bridge after shooting two members of the SDU1. These men where later flushed out with tear gas and where shot down or captured. There they failed to capture any of the officers of the communists and only paid regular sailors.
(Some of the evidence of pro-comminism was the flag in the bridge that covered a wall and the many pictures of communists in most of the sailors rooms).
The boiler/cargoe area was left alone ,and plastic explosives where planted all over the ship. After the SDU1 nad the regular conscripts left they where activated and the ship was envelopted in a gigantic explosian that was very Hollywood.

SDU1 Deaths:3
Communist Deaths:47
Conscripts Killed:12

After 47 hours came a reply from the Ruher Red Army to both Duesterburg and Von Schleider:

Treason? TREASON! Is it treason to refuse to work as slaves while our famillies starve?? while the so-called republic and its lackeies? while the rich fat mine owners mock us and send their dogs after us just because the people are beging to refuse the evil polarisation of capatillisim?! you may have starved us and made us live like dogs but we now rise up against you with a whole heart and a strong will and know that we would rather perish than see the mines return to the fat bourgoise.

Our demands are simple: return the worker's mines back to the worker.

Statement from the League of Front Soldiers, 'The Forefront' Newspaper, Today.

"To all communist revolutionaries currently operating in the Saarland and Ruhr Areas:

Your leaders want you to enter into a war for your mines. Your mines are owned by men, like yourself, who strived for years to build up their companies and profits. Even though you dedicate yourselves to communism your leaders still exercise power over you. Do not die for an unworthy cause. If you surrender you will be given a full pardon and allowed back into the mines to work, your lives, families and jobs will be secured and this pledge will be honoured by the state. However, at the moment you are breaking German law and if you do not surrender we will show no quarter. You will lose everything you hold dear. At the moment 50,000 League of Front Soldiers and around 50,000 Reichswerhr soldiers are currently on their way to these areas. Think...you could have your jobs back and your lives...or you will all perish, the choice is yours."


All over Hamburg trucks and small armoured cars began to race to and fro through the streets. Men with uniforms and rifles jumped into moving trucks, their freinds helping them in. Their rifles were shiny and well kept, their uniforms crisp and immaculate. In the country large estates opened their gates to let lines of soldiers march into the streets. Around 50-60,000 soldiers were emptying out of Hamburg. Even old soldiers began to join the Steel Helmet as they ran behind the trucks. Kids chased after the bumblind armoured cars as they chugged down coblled streets past horse drawn milk carts and soup wagons. The people of Hamburg had turned out to see the spectacle, some stood, others cheered waving German Imperial Battle flags and singing the national anthem. Old men saluted and tears ran down their faces.

Some of the men wouldn't return, some would. But without a doubt they would return victorious.


TELEGRAM

"To: General Von Schleicher, Army High Command, Berlin
From: Col. Theodor Duesterberg

General, as you know we have begun mobilising troops from Hamburg, they should be close to the Ruhr within a few days STOP Our shipment of weapons arrived back from England this morning, but we only have time to get the guns on the planes STOP They will be moving down to a staging area very soon STOP I suggest you bring in some ships from Kiel, something with a large gun on it, perhaps you could even bring some of my men STOP The dockside building labelled 'Kienne Fishing Co.' houses some soldiers, they may be of use STOP I think, General, that we need to contact the SA and the Freikorps for back up, they could begin moving in people from Munich if they want. STOP I would also suggest that you encourage Hindenburg to speak to the Italians, perhaps we can get some support from them STOP

Theodor Duesterberg STOP"

OOC: Who is going to be in command of the German forces when attacking (having two generals never works out.) Also the german navy is pretty much for MP work so don't expect a big ass gun or anything.

Two destroyers started up their boilers (Oil isn't being used yet) and pre-parred to get under way. As they drifted away towards their destination many of the wives (of the sailors) cheered and waved with the usual assortment of people singing the national anthem and raising the Rhiechswehr Boote arm (Boote maens boat,right?).
A mob of men picked up a couple of German flags and went to a local plaza in Munich. There they got Vodka (Russian Made) and poured over the flags and burned them. As they where pre-occupied by the flames leaping from the flag a man started passing out weapons (English Made) to mostly in-cohherent men. After that man passed out all of his assorted weapons he drifted back to a side alley and walked away.
He was caught at the other side and bound by some anti-communists and later handed over to the proper authorities.
As the men found these weapons some how in thier hands they decided to use them in any manner, in the name of cummunism of course. So one un-furled a banner (Communists Russia) and then the men went crazy and blasting off thier Brownings at windows, stone, the sky, and even some people. One of the shot at citizens decided to call the police, his name was Sovin Mander.
Once the call was made the SDU1 was promptley called and dispatched in a handfull of seconds, for the SDU1 was on a continues shift since the communists insurrection.
Sovin then pulled out an old Springfield that he had gotten from a dead american marine and started to pick off one of two of the communists.
The SDU1 pulled up in he usual trucks and one of these trucks was the mobile artillery pieace and was un-limered and readied as the SDU1 snuck around allies and buildings to get a good bead on the communists.
The communist where un-aware of these men for the Vodka had gone on not only the flags and these men where so amazed by their immortalism that they paid no attention except to their friends around them.
The SDU1 commandeer pulled out a flare and fired it ,a block away from the communists get together and two blocks from the artillery pieace. The SDU1 men tried this time to capture the men but when that failed they just shot them in the head.
With the 30 min marker approaching the last communis was rounded up and sent back to Police Headquarters (These where still citizens of the state).
The fight really wasn't a fight since the men were drugged by the Vodka and totally un-prepared for the kind of response that was made by the SDU1.

Communist Supporter Dead: 13 (29 Captured)(2 killed by Sovin)
SDU1 Dead: 0 (2 WIA)
Civilian Deaths: 1 (5 wounded)

Telegram:
Our forces are as you speak moving towards the contested area STOP Also this recent turn of events has made me question the intentions of some of the overseas "friends" STOP I would be in great debt if those weapons were stored or used equelly by the Steel Helments and Reichswehr (SDU1 Especially) STOP

OOC: Most of the mines in the Ruhr and Saarland regions are part of the Rheinland demilitarised zone, so sending troops in to get the rebels out will be considered an act of war under the Treaty of Versailles. You might have to resolve this more diplomatically...mwahahahahahaha!

OOC: I had no actual intention of going into the Saarland or Ruhr, not yet anyway. In any case armed troops, communist or not, in the demilitarized zone is an act of war, thus the Italians are about to be informed, by myself (couldn't get to it earlier today, there seemed to be a problem with the forums) and then of course the British and French will hear, thus the Ruhr Red Army will be forced, by the Allies, to surrender arms as they are acting illegally in this area.


Telegram

"To: General Von Scleicher, Army High Command, Berlin
From: Col. Duesterberg

Weapons will not arrive for a while, shipment is large STOP The five aircraft we have will be equipped near Kiel, weapons will be handed out to whoever needs them, Army or Steel Helmet-priorities being those troops first into combat, I'm sure you'll agree STOP

Theodor Duesterberg STOP"


Letter

[I]League of Front Soldiers

Prussian Party of Germany

From:Colonel Theodor Duesterberg, (1st Bavarian Regt.-Ret.)
Verlinder Beer Hall
Berlin
Germany

To: Italian Ambassador to Germany
Italian Embassy
Berlin
Germany

Dear Sir,
As the Army's unofficial police force, and Germany's only hope against Civil War, we the League of Front Soldiers, feel it is our duty to pass on certain information that both Herr Mussolini and the international community may find of interest.
Nearly two days ago a group calling themselves the Ruhr Red Army seized mines and coalfields in the Saarland and Ruhr areas of Germany. As you know, these areas are demilitarized and any such armed activity can and should be considered an act of war by the Allies.
Herr Mussolini might be further interested to hear that the Ruhr Red Army have ties to the USSR, are deeply communist and reportedly have links to socialist and communist parties within Germany.
I would hope that this information on this violation of international law is passed on to the proper authorities. If possible, I would be very grateful if you would keep myself in the loop about proceedings.

Sincerely,

Theodor Duesterberg.

Diesmann eyed his men, "As you know the republic has offered a full pardon to those who step forward, anyone interested??"

A man steps up, "Kamerade Diesmann, please do not blame me I have a son and..."

"COWARD!!" someone from the crowd hollers "YOU WOULD RATHER LET YOUR FAMILY LIVE IN THE TYRANNY OF THE CAPITALLIST ARISTOCRACY?!! YOU ARE NOT FIT TO DRAW BREATH ON THIS EARTH!!" he then raises his weapon at the poor wretch who trips in horror amids the protests and cheers of the men.

"ENOUGH!" their leader howls "Lower your weapon Karl! Have you forgotton how many times Albert came through for us?! and for Klaus?!" with this the bold Karl lowers his weapon with a stone face and fades into the crowd where he finds both scolding and compassion.

Diesmann approaches the panick-stricken Albert and helps him up, "Come my friend", he says, "I know that you and many of you are familly men, those who want to take up the republic on their offer is free to do so."

After a while a number of men are prepared to leave the Red Army, Diesmann approaches Albert. "But first Albert I want you to deliver this message to the authorities when they approach you. May little Fritz be brought into a world different than ours, Farewell mein Kameraden!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two Hours later...

Kaemraden, here is the situation: we ,a disorginised rabble with practically non-existant millitary experiance -except our basic training- armed with mostly outdated weaponary are about to face the elite reichswehr along with the veteren Staelhelm, but we have an advantage; Freidrich and his men have placed explosives on the mines we have captured, and I have dispatched a message to all of Von Schleider, Duesterburg and Von hindenburg administration that we are prepared to destroy the mines if they move against us, Our demands will be:

1-The transformation of some of the major mines into collectives owned by us the workers.
2-The placement of a fair new minimum wage for all the workers in Deutchland.
3-The appointment of able administrators who have the interests of the workers in their hearts.
4- The initiation of land reform measures.
5-The cease of all aggressions against the gurdians of the workers.

Now men, I doubt that the corrupt government wold agree to these rightful demands and we have to expect everything, watch the skies; Blue means at the gate (one boom), yellow means at the garden (two booms), and green means big bang and run. We may be all killed but at least we die free and we will send a message all the hardworking free men across Germany!" Cheers,"Now, mein Kamraden, we prepare for the hardest day in our working life."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
A while later after the demands of the Red terrorists arrive, a presidential envoy arrives at Von Schleider to tell him that the administration is concerned about the damage that could befall the economy if the mines are destroyed and asks the general if he could handle the situation by himself or should we apply for international aid in the matter should negotiations with them fail (OoC: since I represent both parties here is what happens in the negotiations):
The envoy hears their requests and explains why some are impossible due to their drastic effects on the economy and offers alternatives to others but unfortunately they are unconvinced and demand that these demands are kept as they ar the basic rights of the workers, this continues for a while but with no avail, the envoy then threatens them and explains the amount of forces that can be called against them, alas the reds are showing no signs of backing down. The envoy then excuses himself to return to report the results to his superiors. Who await Von Schleiders expert opinion before they authorise an action, To fold in to the demands or to crack down on the terrorist Commies...

(SECRET IC [No one but myself and Moorington know about this, so don't RP that you suddenly found out about it])

In the wet cobbled streets in the dead of the Berlin night a lone man staggers along, bumping off the walls of various buildings, clutching a bottle and shouting at shadows every now and then.

A slight hum is heard behind him followed by the medodious thump of car wheels moving over the cobbles, echoing off the bricked buildings. Two Austin Armored cars round the corner and the old drunk backs into the wall, his mouth open in terror. He slides down the wall, a look of shock on his face, memories of war coming back to haunt him. The cars rumble closer, guns sticking out from their bulbous top mounted turrets. They travel fast.

The old man breathes faster and faster, his shouts and cries are drowned out by the noise of the big motors. His face suddenly changes as the vehicles become level with him, 'STALHEM' is stencilled in black on the side of each vehicle, with a Germanic Cross proudly emblazoned underneath.

The vehicles stop at a Reichswehr barracks near the Reichstag. Hanz Kollerman quickly steps out of the second car, flanked by four soldiers in knee length leather jackets, carrying Thompson SMG's and Parabellum 08's. Their jackboots make a clipping noise over the marble floors.

Kollerman arrives into Von Scleicher's office, and personally hands the General a letter, sealed with red wax on the other side. Kollerman says nothing and leaves with his entourage.

The General reads the letter.


"From: Col. Theodor Duesterberg

To: General Von Scleicher

General, the communists have given their demands as you know. They currently occupy the demilitarized area and thus we cannot move against them. For them to destroy the mines would be economic suicide, we can't let it happen. We also can't let the communists stay in control of those mines.

My plan is simple, but if it can be carried out it will mean the end of trouble in that area. First of all, I need you and that idiot Von Papen to convince Hindenburg to publicly accept the terms of the communists, or stall them in talks. Whatever works better.

While this is going on I plan to move a number of soldiers into the Saarland and Ruhr areas to scout the mines. They will pose as workers for the time being, find out where they live and how they operate. Once done we plan to seize the mines using weapons concealed by operatives at night and then gas the workers and their families during the night. You will have to destroy this letter after you read it, the allies must think the communists had an accident with some gas canisters they were planning to use in an attack. I will need around 5 days to set this entire operation up, but it is certainly worth it.

The pardon we issued, however, should be honoured to those who took up the offer, we will have to move them out of the area though.

Destroy this letter after you read it. Send me your reply via armoured car transport, make it look like a patrol.

Yours faithfully and respectfully,

Theodor Duesterberg."

BUMP for others.

OOC: Where is everyone?

OoC: As Hindenburg I'm waiting for the general's expert opinion before authorising any action, as the red army I'm waiting for action...

By the way from where are you going to get the gas for your top secret plan? I'm not sure but I think due to the versailles treaty I don't think that stuff is easy to come by, at least in Germany.

OOC: A lot of the half a million Stalhelm soldiers are former officers who were in very High up positions, a lot of them knew what was coming and would have stashed certain things. The five planes we have, for example, stashed by the pilots once their unit was disbanded. A lot of the unti disbandments and de-mobilisation orders were given out too quickly, thus a lot of soldiers would have had time to secure certain items. If it seems to un-realistic then just say, but I don't think its that far fetched due to the chaos at the time.

OoC:Thats sensible...

OOC: Sorry about that me being a hobo (I.E Not homo) and not posting but school I am devoting alot of attention to with me looking like this :headbang: most of the time doesn't help with my memeory skills.

IC: [Like totally top secret stuff and no "I just found out somehow"]
An armored scout car flanked by two armored transport trucks pull up to Col. Theodor Duesterberg's place of residence and a man hops out quickly and efficiently while be escorted by 4 men with guns displayed openely.
The man gets his parcel and shoves it into the mail slot in the door and walks away (No dooringing for this fast operation).
(The note says.....)
Sounds fine with me but I would prefer that we make it seem like they are more cruel in the eyes of our allies STOP So I will arrange for some communists be killed and show the world what the communists do to their own who don't lack their idealistic fervor STOP On everything else it it is good to hear STOP

A little squat truck pulls along side of a man walking his dog. As this is happining all over Germany SDU1 with the new SDU2 was pre-paring to raid and kill suspected Red Army officers and when the assorted clocks cliked, jungked, vibrated, or even beeped at the owner a series of raids and shootings happened....
The man inside the little truck pulled out his side pistol and shot the man twice in the head and once in the stomach. Also a man was watching his favorite pro-communis show, we the people, was shoot in the back of the head and so was 12 other officers with an assortmeny of other liasons and bodyguards where shot down.

Commi Casualties: 158
German: 1 (He accidently fell down some stairs, also why his two targets escaped)

OOC: Somebody will need to start negotiations with the commies...up to the President i believe.

IC:

The crowds bustled through the early morning fog that had settled over the huge Ruhr Valley area. Hundreds of men marched toward the mine entrances to begin another days work. Every working man wore a red arm-band in support of the Red Army soldiers, who were stationed at every street corner, holding ancient Russian rifles and workers caps.

Among the crowds mingled a groups of Stalhelm soldiers, kitted out with picks and spades, wearing workers clothing and red-arm bands. They followed the crowds to the mines, their work permits out and ready. Twelve soldiers from the Stalhelm were assigned to the 12 largest mines in the area, the 12 the Red Army protected most heavily.

The soldiers would scope out the mines and routines of the workforce for a few days before beginning phase two of their audacious plan to rid this German land of the communist evil.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Saarland the same thing was happening, except that groups of workers were driven, by trucks, into the bigger coal mines to begin digging, carrying coal and working machinery, of course under the ever watchful gaze of the Ruhr Red Army.

This time groups of six soldiers sat or stood on the seats or wooden floors of the many trucks going through the working city streets to the large mines that brought much needed energy to Germany, and of course to France because of Versailles.

The housing areas of the workers in both areas would be carefully documented to find the best areas to conceal and release gas canisters, so as to make it look 'accidental'. The Stalhelm soldiers were glad to see an utter lack of young children in the streets, it seemed that most workers with young families had surrendered to them and the Reicshwerhr earlier on at the checkpoints outside of the De-Militarized Zone, a smart move consdering what was coming.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Headlines in 'The Forefront' Newspaper, Today:

COMMUNIST IN FIGHTING, LARGE NUMBERS KILLED IN COLD BLOOD

This newspaper has learned that late last night and early this morning over 100 Communist activists were killed in cold blood around Germany, the majority of the killings happening in Berlin.

Families are up in arms about the safety of their loved ones, fearing that more killings are to follow. No one as yet has claimed responsiblity for these crimes, but the Police are following up numerous contacts and several witness' are in Police protection.

At the moment the Berlin Police HQ have told this newspaper that they suspect the killings to be the result of bitter communist in-fighting over recent actions in the Ruhr and Saarland areas of Germany.

The brutality of the killings suggest very heated communist in-fighting across factions in Berlin and other parts of Germany. The brutality displayed in the killings, suggest this. Victims were found with multiple bullet wounds, others with stab wounds, while some were simply beaten to death. At least one victim was found hanging from a rafter inside his home on the outskirts of the Capital.

General Von Scleicher has publicly blasted the killers saying these 'are some of the sickest people in our nation, and must be dealth with quickly before they strike again.' The leaders of the DNVP have issued similar statements, while the Government has failed to comment at all on the killings as of yet.

OOC: Is it me or is this thread dead? Since the orginal creator isn't even participating in it.So Hirgizstan do you know any other theads that Icould move into? Or like a nation summary page (IE Moorington's Factbook) to see some better threads.

OOC: Dude, give it a chance, RP's like this usually move slower than the regular MT War RP's, its just their nature, there is no real need to rush these RP's. The original creator heads a Party who aren't really involved much in the current situation and thus that might answer for his 'absence'.

Sorry buddy, I'm not involved in much else besides this at the moment. This might be worth a look though, but it is a few pages into it so far:

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=441314&page=3&pp=15

Its a terrorism RP, an Alliance I belong to was going to get involved, but we didn't in the end.
Just keep checking back over the weekend for new RPs, there's usually a good few that start up over the weekend period. But don't give up on this RP, its simply the nature of these RPs that they move slower, doesn't mean its dead though.

OOC: I'm just kinda busy, sorry.

IC:

"Friends, comrades, brothers and sisters!"

A vast crowd had gathered around the KPD party headquarters, waiting for hours to hear their leader speak. As Ernst Thaelmann took to the podium, a great hush fell upon them.

"Yesterday this city experienced great bloodshed. Our comrades laid down their lives to protect the people of Berlin. The corrupt politicians, the imperialist warmongers, the fat capitalists have blamed it on "in-fighting", but we know that is a lie. Friends, our very party members were massacred by paramilitaries."

A few policemen watching the demonstration frowned, but the assembled masses were rooted to the spot.

"Surviving witnesses have told of our enemies coming in the night, murdering our families. Should we ignore this real and present danger? No! Because, comrades, you and I are next. The noble proletariat in the Ruhr, the freedom fighters of Bavaria, and our brave party members are all in danger. But the best defence is offence. I am calling on all workers' Soviets to take up their arms and protect the this building. Should the paramilitaries return, we shall fight."

A handful of armed Polizei started moving towards the stage.

"Do not fire unless fired upon, but know what you have to do. We shall smash the bourgeoisie and align ourselves with our Ruhr brothers. Barricade the roads, burn the factories, for today we struggle for our lives and our freedom! A new socialist Germany, a people's republic. Long live the people! Long live Germany!"

As the shouts and cheers of the crowd became ear-splitting, Ernst was bundled off the stage and thrown into a police wagon.

From The Times:

3rd August 1932
Call for General Strike in Germany
Yesterday, leader of the German Communists Ernst Thaelmann called for a general strike of all workers in Germany in support of the recent uprisings in the Ruhr.

The forty-eight-year-old was arrested by German police forces during his speech, which called for a violent uprising, but was released six hours later without being charged. Already, around 3.5 million industrial workers have pledged their support and are on strike, effective immediately. A Communist spokesman said that he hoped that the Social Democrats would endorse the strike. Economists are worried that this new industrial action will pose a severe problem with repayment of reparations, especially after the seizure of strategically important coal mines in the demilitarised Saarland area. [continued on page 5]

The Ruhr Red Army:

"it seems that they are stalling, Kameraden" Diesmann told his top men, "I don't like it, and my man in Berlin tells me that many of are brothers are being slain by the republic. We have to apply pressure on our enemies, any suggestions??"

"We have to revenge our brothers!" one stood up, "let's strike at our enemies and teach them a lesson! I can take a couple of my men and some of the rifles andlainch some raids on those cowards." some murmer in agreement and the man sits with a satisfied look in his face. But then another man stands,

"Are you crazy?! Don't you remember what happened the last time we tried that?!and now our numbers are even less than then!"

"Then are we to sit here like cowards then?! waiting like scared rabbits while the jackels are planning something against us?!"

"No, but there are other ways to pressure the dear Generals"

"You have a suggestion then, Kamerade??" Diesmann asks.

"We shut down the major mines for a week and let them suffer a bit, then demand that they immediately accept our demands. If they do not then we will blow up one of the mines"

Diesmann examines the rest of his men who mostly show their agreement, If they wanted to change their life they must take a stand, "Very well, inform the miners in the following mines that their mines are shut down and dispose of any ready coal/Iron shipments (tell names of the larger mines under their control). and send the following message to the republic:

Dear sirs,
Your unreadiness to accept the will of the workers is most grievous, Your actions against the men, women and children of the rightful workers movement is most treachorus. Therefore we add to our demands the cease of discrimination of persecuation of the workers, the capture and trial of those in charge of the murder of our fellow workers in Berlin. In addition we will be shutting down the following mines in response for the atrocity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
The president:

The president's ailing health is begining to affect him, and is begining to weaken everyday leading to the domination of Von Papen and Von Schleider on the affairs of the republic. Von papen urges von Schleider to maintain caution during these times and reminds him that the reichstag has a large amount of sociallists and communists and that relations with the soviet union may be severly effected. But in reality there is nothing much to prove his involvement in the recent events. Negotiaters are to be sent to negotiate with the Reds about their decision.

OOC: I'll wait for Moorington's response to the whole General Strike thing. My men in the Ruhr and Saarland are continuing to scope out the area of course.

Demo-Bobylon, i have a suggestion, you don't have to accept, I just thought i would see what you thought. Thaelmann is now in police custody and probably will be put into jail for a while. As you know many of the police are nationalist and hate the communists. I was thinking of RPing Duesterberg meeting with some Jail Officers and plotting to kill Thaelmann in jail. Would you want to go along with his murder or would you prefer not to have him killed? I only ask because it would be unfair to simply RP that the police killed him on orders from myself or Moorington, and if he was to die would you have someone to replace him etc. Anyway, tell me what you think.

OOC: I think we should just reward non-strikers and break up strikers.
Also who controls Von Papen? Since I have a nice idea....[Secret Stuff]: With the gas attack I would like to implement ASAP so we quell this uprising. Also I have just gotten information that France and Britian would never start another war because of MPs occupying the mines. (Histrorically Speaking)
IC:
As a general order went out to each of the branches from Von Schleider's office men from the SDU1 where pre-parring for one of their most offensive moves yet. Their moves where to get every single communist out of Germany using the SDU2,3, and newly created 4.
As dawn approached all across every major city there was the smash of metal against wood and the crack. In some areas a gunshot would go off and in a couple rare cases open fire fights. So by the end of the day pretty much all known communists were routed out and the few on the way top and a good amount on the way bottom were seperated and confused.
The only man shot by the communists happened when a major in the Rhur Army got one of the conscripts guns and blew him away while being shot at from 4 different directions.
Communist Arrested:67
Killed: 53
SDU Units Killed/Wounded/Captured: 7 (Killed)
Conscripts: 26 (Killed) 5(Wounded)
Voulenteers: 13

Also a message was given to the Steel Helment command to be ushered along to consider the firing of all strikers.

OOC: @Hirgizstan: I wrote in the newspaper that Thaelmann was released later that day, but I have no problem with your plan. The next time he's arrested we can RP that.

@Moorington: At least give us a chance! 380 losses to 5 isn't really that fair or realistic to be honest. :(

OOC: Perhaps he means unarmed strikers? Might be more plausible. Also, when added up the Reichswerhr suffered over 45 fatalities, and 5 casualties, that seems ok to me??

Yes, next times he's arrested, definetly, it would make things more interesting for sure.


IC:

In Hamburg, Kiel and Munich, the scenes of the heaviest strikes, Stalhelm soldiers stood guard around Government and Army property, ensuring no harm came to the embattled Bavarian regional authority.

Other Stalhelm soldiers drove their heavy Opel Trucks and Armoured Cars into lines of violent strikers. Clashes of right wing and left wing workers broke out all over the city. The Freikorps were present in limited number, helping to beat the striking fervour from the communists.

Except for in Munich the strikes, for this day anyway, were broken and the streets relatively quiet. In the large city of Munich, however, several business' had been almost destroyed by looters and violent strikers. In numerous engagements the Stalhelm and over-worked Conscripts had opened fire, killing dozens of strikers. The gun battles finally curtailed as evening came upon the chaotic city. Strikers began to disperse, the odd communist supporter fire indiscrimately at police and Stalhelm before running away from salvo's of machine guns and rifles. Order had been restored, more or less, across most major cities, but the thoughts on everyone's minds were, 'what happens tomorrow?'

OOC: OK, those figures are pretty plausible. Thanks!

OOC: I'll leave it a couple more days before RPing the whole Gas Bomb/Attack thing, that way the time-frame is more plausible.

OOC: I'll leave it a couple more days before RPing the whole Gas Bomb/Attack thing, that way the time-frame is more plausible.

Demo-Bobylon, Moorington, anyone else, you can keep RPing, you don't have to wait for me, in case you were thinking that!

The Red Army Guard paced up and down the wet sidewalk, his steps echoed off the cobbled streets and the brick walls of the sleeping town. A cigarette burned brightly at the side of his mouth. A gas lamp illuminated part of the street, casting a shadow and lighting up the lonely guard on his dreary post. His long dirty trenchcoat was pulled tight around his neck, collar up. He cradled his gun lazily, his cap pulled down close to his eyes.

As he stepped out of the light, back into the dark of the unlit street, his body jerked as a wooden bat crashed over his head. An 'Ooof' was heard and nothing more. In the far distance a dog barked without reply. The houses nearby stayed silent.

Across the towns of the Saarland and Ruhr Valley Guards dropped like flies, knocked unconsciouss by unseen hands and implements. Their body's were left where they had fallen, their guns draped across their body's or scattered into nearby roads and gutters.

Ghostly apparitions in long trenchcoats moved about the towns in the darkness, dispatching anyone who was out and taking up guard positions of their own. The ghoulish appearances wore drooping Gas Masks and breathed heavily, enough to scare even the most grizzled of mine workers.

Trucks trundled slowly through the streets past the men in Gas Masks hiding in the dark. Every now and then the trucks stopped and men in masks appeared from the dark to lift canisters off the beds. Some were placed in cellars opened by the ghoulish men, others simply placed on street corners, covered by darkness.

A clock in each small town struck Midnight and the gas masked men kicked open the valves on the canisters and ran into the night. Yellow smoke began to drfit on the night air, in through every crack in every door, through every alley and every cellar.

As the dawn came on each town a yellow mist hung over the roof-tops, whisping in the light breeze. Cries of pain and horror could be heard as dark trucks trundled slowly on.



OOC: Whoever controls the Saarland and Ruhr Areas can RP the casualties/fatalities caused by the Mustard Gas. Forty 50lb Artillery Canisters were used in all.

I won't be able to get online again until maybe Saturday or possibly Monday, just to let y'all know.

I would think that the Communists will have a hard time geting over this. Also I would ask, "When will elections begin again"?

OOC: Elections are when Hindenburg calls them.

IC:

"Fire!"

A sharp crack of rifles followed, accompanied by the acrid smell of cordite smoke which drifted along the morning air. Comrade-Captain Dorenmann was directing the 6am practice for the troops of the Anti-Fascist Front. A few weeks previously, with the scarcity of ammunition, such practices would have been impossible; but with the mysterious shipments of arms, there was now more than enough to spare for frequent drills.

"Reload!" bellowed Dorenmann as he inspected the targets ripped to shreds by bullets. His best troops had already clicked the cartridges into place and were lining up their aim when a young recruit came running across the course. The captain screamed at his men to hold fire, and sprinted across to the recruit. He was a boy of only 16 of so, deadly pale from a mixture of exhaustion and fear, and was breathless as he began his story.

Neunkirchen Coal Mine
A grim silence hung in the chilly air as the sun began to creep up behind the hillsides. Its unforgiving light revealed a terrible scene. Bodies, contorted with agony, lined the roads of the miners' camp. Blood and mucus floated in acidic pools of water. Families lay murdered in their beds. It was to this scene that Captain Dorenmann's squadron arrived.

Dorenmann lept from the front of the convoy of "requisitioned" vehicles and ran over to the corpses on the ground, flanked by his most trusted soldiers. The rest kept a respectful distance, shuffling nervously from foot to foot by their cars. No-one spoke, and no morning birdsong came from the lifeless countryside.

Their captain rose to his feet. His face was solemn: he had seen gas poisoning in the Great War, but this use against innocent women and children...well, that was different. He managed to compose himself quickly.

"Comrades Braun and Enkel, lead your platoons to the outskirts of the camp and set up gun emplacements: whoever did this may come back. Comrade Wieder, search the tents with your men for survivors - give them food and medicine, then bring them to me." He turned to the recruit who had brought him the terrible news. "And you, comrade, run to the town and tell the people what has happened." The sickly-looking yoouth nodded and ran as fast as he could away from this living graveyard. The rest of the troops fervently went around their business, carefully averting their eyes from the bodies and their colleagues. The silence once more washed over them.

Captain Dorenmann surveyed them all as he stood amid the dead miners.There must be hundreds, he thought to himself. But we will avenge them.

Unknown to the youth his actions were followed from the second he left. As he raced along the path a gun shot rang out and his head was suddenly not there.

Around the coal mines were sniper nests located in the town and the forests, there was even some inside the mines. These men were part of the SDU4 and were very good at lone operations. These men knew of course not to sacrifice themselves needlessly and too fall back if neccesary.

OOC: Pretty much some snippers around the coal mines, kinda like conventional tatics, let the enemy return and trap him in a position.

Dorenmann surveyed the pitiful group of survivors around him. The medics had done their best, but many had been blinded and scarred by the gas, which he recognised by the agonies of the victims as chlorine.
"Who did this?" he asked them.

No-one spoke. Eventually, a small child began to talk hurriedly, words tumbling awkwardly from his mouth. Captain Dorenmann listened intently to his story of mysterious vans coming in the night, strangers touring the camp, and then the cries of fear and pain moments later. His tale was verified by a handful of others.

For a while, the silence resumed, before Dorenmann whispered to himself. "Something is rotten in the Republic."

Waiting for a reply from Moorington or someone else...

OoC:I'm sorry for not posting lately it's just that RL has unfortunately became more active effectively straining my time. So I'm afraid I have withdraw from this RP I hope you understand as I have to limit my involvement to one RP. Sorry.

OOC: Sorry RL a problem
IC:
Pretty much everything the same and they have radioed in for the Rhiechswehr to get some Police over to arrest the commis. So I would skedadle. So who is the Chancellor person? Like who controls him and if no one comes up we can say Hindenburg dies and the Chancellorship is up for grabs...

OOC: Yeah, I hope nobody minds if I take over the role of the Ruhr Red Army as both factions are related. Now would be a good time for Hindenburg to hop it, so I think that's what should happen. We'll need another round of elections.

From The Times:

Monday 8th August 1932
Hindenburg dead
It was announced early this morning than Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Commonwealth, is dead. The 85-year-old former Field Marshal was found to have died peacefully in his sleep and was declared dead by the Reichstag doctor present at 6.30am.

His death leaves a considerable power vacuum in Germany. The Reichstag is set to call an election in the next two weeks to appoint a replacement. Among the front runners are the Social Democratic leader Hermann Muller and General von Schleicher, who announced his intentions to run as presidential candidate several weeks ago. Hindenburg's death comes at a turbulent time for the country, where the general strike is now in its second week and violent clashes between police and protestors have disrupted...(continued on page 3)

More international news
Rail workers join General Strike (page 5)
Thaelmann: "Schleicher is a Criminal" (page 11)
USA announces financial reforms (page 3)

Cool! Well of course Von go on a tour shaking hands with little children ect ect...

Neunkirchen Coal Mine

"Achtung!"

Dorenmann turned towards the soldier on look-out. He was pointing over the edge of the hastily-constructed sandbag parapet at the valley below. Far off, he could hear the rumble of vehicles approaching.

The captain ran over to the edge of the camp and looked down: six police trucks, advancing in single file up the hill. In the backs of some he could see police nervously fiddling with their weapons - he estimated that there were twenty of thirty Landespolizei.

"Scheisse," he swore. "Lieutenant Braun, stop those trucks."

The officer nodded and called out an order to his platoon stationed along the road below, before running down to assist them. Gradually, the police cars trundled to a halt and an irate-looking man dressed in olive-green uniform stepped out. Lieutenant Braun stepped forward, a fake saccharine smile painted across his face.

"Guten Morgen. Ich bin Oberleutnant Braun. Kann ich Ihnen h--" he began politely, but was interrupted.

"Halt den Mund. Wo ist Hauptmann Dorenmann?" The police officer was red in the face, practically spitting at him as he yelled in the soldier's face. Taking care not to let the smile fall from his lips, he explained patiently that Captain Dorenmann could not see him.

"Enough of that," dismissed the policeman with an angry wave of his hand. "We believe a fatal accident has occured, and your troops are obstructing our enquiry."

"Accident, sir?"

"Yes!" spat the infuriated Polizei commander. "A gas leak, or something. And I demand to see Captain Dorenmann - he is head of this brigade?"

"As I've explained, sir, we are conducting our own enquiries. You cannot pass."

The commander stood fuming at Braun for a few seconds but turned away. The lieutenant let a smug smile pass over his lips, but was crudely shocked when the policeman span round, a pistol in his hand. A malicious grin spreading across his cheeks, he raised the gun to Braun's head. And waited.

Up on the hill, Dorenmann looked on. "We have an elevated position," he whispered to his men, carefully out of sight of the police convoy. "They have no chance. If they try anything, let them have it, machine-gun them all to hell."

Headlines in 'The Forefront' Newspaper

SUSPECTED GAS LEAKS KILL HUNDREDS

Today, in the Ruhr Valley and Saarland regions relatives weap for their dead families. Their eyes obscured by roughly-made bandages, they sit by the roadside, picking at pieces of food, their cracked lips barely letting them get sustenance. Babies, children, old men and women lie lifeless in horse-drawn carts while wheezing men try to coax the sick animals to move, before the bodies start to decompose, a scene oft repeated around the stricken areas.

The suspect gas leaks came from various areas in the regions. Mustard gas canisters were said to have been mis-handled during their storage and thus they broke, causing litres of the deadly First World War gas to leak out and cause death in the hundreds, possible even thousands. Many more people suffered due to the recent influx of left-wing protestors in these areas.

Police and military officials in Berlin say that the Communists had tried to store the Gas, taken by veterans of the War after the Armistice who were sympathetic to left-wing movements, but the gas canisters were unstable after years of wear, and thus when they were being moved and stored they simply cracked, causing this tragedy.

Reports of gun battles between the Army and Communist traitors in the area have dogged relief efforts. Police from various areas of Germany have recently set off for the area to assisst in disaster relief operations. Charitable donations have been made by various figures in Berlin, including the late President Hindenburg, General Von Scliehcer and Stalhelm leader, Theodor Duesterberg, who has also asked certain chapters of the Stalhelm to begin taking relief supplies to the area.


OOC: Sorry about my absence, I'm back now though.

KPD Headquarters, Berlin

Ernst Thaelmann was working fervently at his desk when Hans stormed in, brandishing a newspaper in one hand and a grim expression on his face. He allowed himself to be interrupted from his work for a few moments.

"Have you seen this?" demanded Hans.

Ernst nodded. "Hindenburg dead, eh? Never thought the old zombie would finally pack it in. But there's so much to do now if I'm to be ready for the election."

Hans shook his head impatiently. "No," he said coldly. "The other story." He passed the paper to Ernst, who began to read in silence. Neither spoke for minutes. Eventually, when he had finished, the party leader was pale.

"Who is the highest-ranking party official in the area?"

Hans checked his notes. "Erm, I believe it's a Captain Dorenmann, comrade. Of the Anti-Fascist Front."

He took a step back as Ernst's iron gaze turned on him. Thaelmann was fuming.

"Then get him on the telephone. Now!"

Neunkirchen Coal Mine, 1pm

"Comrade!"

Dorenmann tore himself away from the rising standoff in the valley below. "What is it?" he snapped at the lieutenant before him. The soldier clumsily unfolded a map before him as his superior watched on with feigned interest.

"These," he explained breathlessly, while pointing at some pencilled-in circles, "are the sites of the gas leaks. There were six canisters at this camp, highly volatile artillery shells left over from the Great War. Illegal, of course."

Dorenmann could not believe the man's stupidity. Couldn't he see he was busy? The tensions below could explode into a fireright at any moment. "So?" he asked.

"Well...look at them, comrade captain. Don't you notice anything odd?"

I don't have time for this, though the captain. What was the idiot lieutenant talking about? Dorenmann was about to tell the soldier what he thought of his cryptic clues and time-wasting when suddenly, he saw it.

The pattern.

The arrangement of gas canisters was strange. They were not stored together, as he might have expected, nor where they randomly dotted around the mine. They had been quite carefully plotted, in a geometric fashion. Dorenmann knew little of science, but as a former artillery officer, he knew about diffusion radii and downwind, and he could tell that the positions of the gas canisters had been pre-planned to give an entire saturation gassing of the camp.

Which could only mean one thing. Murder.

The town of Essen was lazily baking in the afternoon sun, the colder winds not touching the idyllic town, replete with traditional German bars and wooden framed houses, some still with beams and thatched roof's. Essen was home to a farming elite that were fiecely patriotic and wary of the French who lived on the border, a stone's throw away.

Ten large Opel Trucks burst noisily into the town, their diesel engines making stuttering and banging noises as they raced through the main streets. Stalhem soldiers sat in the rear beds, their feet on top of crates and boxes of supplies, their gas masks hung by their sides. The convoy was led by a rattling Austin Putilov Armoured Car, its small gun motionless in the turret. The rear of the column had a old sleeve engine field car and an obscure Italian Armoured Car backing it up.

People in the street stopped to stare at the large convoy of military trucks, something they hadn't seen in a long time. No sooner had the convoy entered the town than its head was moving out, on to the first mining town in the Ruhr Valley.

OOC: Would anyone like to take control of the police officers at Neunkirchen during the stand-off?

Edit: Oh, would you like to put Duerstberg up as a candidate for president? It could gain you power; then again, it could split the right-wing vote...

OOC: No, I don't fancy running for President. A Reichstag seat is all I need right now, obviously the Prussian Party of Germany have to be considered in this new election.

I'll take control of the police for the moment if you want?

I doubt they will stand by once the Stalhelm convoy arrives. By the way, my Stalhelm guys are not there for a fight, just to help in the humanitarian mission, in case you thought I was planning on a fight, but one might break out anyway. I know it was me that RP'd the gas, but ICly it was secret, so I have to keep the Stalhelm's image up as saviours and soldiers for and with the German people.

OOC: Yes please, if you can. Someone needs to RP the police until Stahlhelm turn up.

Polizechief Nunecker held the gun firmly in place, his smile grew wider as ten policeman with rifles and blue trench coats jumped over the side of the first truck and steadied their rifles, aimed straight for the roadblock's soldiers.

The confused Red Army volunteer said nothing, he knew he was being watched by his own men. Suddenly, from down the road a shout went up and a young looking Officer ran up, Parabellum in hand. His breath stayed in the early morning as he ran up to the Polizechief, breathing heavily. "Sir...Stalhelm, on their way, can see them down in the Valley. Looks like 10 Opel's, a field wagon...and 2 armoured cars." Nunecker nodded and snapped his head forward to look at the bewildered commie standing motionless in front of him.

He inched closer to the volunteer, pushing the gun barrel further into his forehead, "The Stalhelm are coming...they see you not letting us past...well, I'm not going to stop them. You let us pass and I might be able to keep them under control. If not, just think what they might do with a weak little detachment of Commies..." Nunecker slowly stepped back, his heavy boots crushing the bits of gravel on the wet road.

OOC: I thought Oberleutnant Braun was one of the Anti-Fascist Front soldiers. I haven't given the police officer a name, but please feel free to choose one if you want (I think his title would be "Polizeichef").

IC: "What's going on down there?" hissed Captain Dorenmann, peering through his field binoculars at the roadblock. "There's a police scout down there, he has some kind of message - "

"Sir, there's a message up here," interrupted a volunteer by his side, telephone in hand. Dorenmann scowled at the impudence of the man.

"What is it?"

"From Berlin HQ, sir, Ernst Thaelmann himself. Or at least one of his aides."

Dorenmann blanched. The honour of addressing Comrade Thaelmann himself! But he quickly recovered. "Tell the pencil-pusher on the end of the line to put Comrade Thaelmann on at once and stop wasting my time!"

The soldier obediently relayed this instruction down the phone line, and passed the old receiver to his captain. A confident, strong voice rang out from the other end.

"Comrade Dorenmann, this is Ernst Thaelmann. What the hell is going on?"

As he re-told the happenings of the last few hours to his party leader, the soldiers around him shifted from foot to foot and gazed out across the sunlit landscape. From time to time they exchanged nervous glances until one had the courage to interrupt and pass Dorenmann the binoculars.

But even as the captain apologised and left the conversation, he could hear the rumble of vehicles. The Stahlhelm had arrived.

From the bacl field car Captain Ernst Krave stepped lightly onto the wet road, surveying his surroundings. The heavy trucks ticked over noisily in front of him, the strange Italian Armoured Car rattled behind him. Soldiers shouted various commands as they jumped off their trucks and formed up near them.

The Captain was the Hamburg Stalhelm Commander, a respected war hero and former scout in Germany's 1st Armoured Battalion. He commanded respect amongst all his men, young and old. Even the sailors from Kiel who were amongst his men, in blue uniforms, knew of Krave, and respected him.

He turned up the collars of his grey trench coat and began to walk up the road. A protection detail fell in around him, scanning the area. One carried a brand new Springfield 03 sniper rifle, the other 3 men carried gleaming Thompson SMG's with the round magazines.

Ahead Krave could see the rear truck in the police convoy. A couple of policemen stood guard, their guns at their sides. Krave walked up to meet them. "Good morning gentlemen, I'm Captain Ernst Krave, Hamburg Stalhelm Commander, and we're here to bring in humanitarian aid. Our orders come from the Reichswerhr."

The two young officers looked slightly bewildered, they had never seen the Stalhelm before, they were busy marvelling at the Austin-Putilov Armoured Car at the front of the Stalhelm column, its gun moving left and right momentarily. One managed to speak, ...yea...yes Herr Captain, the Poliezchief as at the front of our column."

Krave nodded and walked out beside one the trucks. The bend in the road allowed him to see the altercation at the small roadblock. The Poliezchief still had the gun held to the Red Army Volunteer's head. Krave moved forward with his four man protection detail.

The sniper scanned to and fro, he turned his head slightly to speak to Krave, "Captain, enemy outpost on the hill above the checkpoint. They could fire on us. Your orders?"

Krave walked somewhat slower for a second, then steadied his pace, he turned to one of the bodyguard bringing up the rear, "Corporal, signal to the Austin-Putilov that there's an outpost on the hill at 10 o'clock high." The rear bodyguard turned back and signalled while walking, the turret of the armoured car scanned about for a second before stopping at the target. The car beeped once to signal a confirmed target. Krave continued up the slight hill.

"Christ almighty, they'll be killed out there. You!" Dorenmann bellowed at a young recruit, who appeared to be trying to hide behind a tent. "Get down there and tell Braun to let the Polizeichef pass - on the condition that most of his forces and the imperialist scum don't move. Go!"

He watched as the youth sprinted down the hill, stumbling several times, towards the checkpoint. A few policemen raised their rifles in alarm and kept their sights trained on the boy as he breathlessly recounted the captain's message. Dorenmann turned to a colonel by his side.

"What weapons do they have?"

The officer peered through his binoculars. "A few Landespolizei have .303 rifles, but most pistols. Useless over long range. The fascists though are a problem - rifles and Tommy guns too. It looks like they have one - no, two - armoured cars."

The captain nodded and silently digested this information. "Come," he said. "While they're busy, come with me." He picked up his rifle and started to move towards the edge of the camp, crouching low.

Krave was standing up near the Polizeichef, he had finally lowered his weapon and was talking to a young communist who had come running down from the observation post. The sniper beside Krave had informed him the party was moving off the Observation Post, out of view.

Polizeichief Nunecker eyed up the small soldier who had come running down the hill, he was scared and out of breath. He had been told they would be allowed through, but the Stalhelm and some Police would have to stay behind. Nunecker thought for a second, turned to look at Krave who nodded reassuringly, while leaning against a Police Truck with his four bodyguards. Nunecker turned back to the young commie, "Listen here boy, we're the German Police, we don't have to ask your permission to go anywhere, we have Government Authority, you do not. The Stalhelm are under Reichswehr orders, Government orders, you will run up to your commander and tell him we will all be passing through to provide medical supplies to the sick and wounded. Surely you and your organisation don't want to be responsible for a thousand more deaths? Now you run along and deliver the message, I'll be waiting."

Wilhelm Diesmann, Commander of the Ruhr Red Army, listened to the mounting casualty figures with horror.

"Comrade, we are estimating 500-1000 dead, and well over 2000 wounded. We will need to divert forces to take care of the wounded...and bury the dead. That will leave us with around 80% of our supporters left," the labour union official in front of his desk informed him.

"Isn't that enough?"

The old man seemed relunctant to give an answer. "Ye-es," he replied at length, "but please, our people are frightened. We have had hundreds murdered, and our organisation is shattered. We need time to recover."

Diesmann put his hands over his face and thought deeply for a minute. "What allies do we have?" he asked, without removing his hands from his face

"The nearest allied forces are the Anti-Fascist Front, sir. A battallion of around 200 stationed near Neunkirchen, commanded by a Captain Dorenmann."

"Then send a few platoons to request for their help."

The official nodded, and walked out. Eventually, Wilhelm straightened up and looked to the sky, whispering a silent prayer.

Neunkirchen Coal Mine

"Then you cannot pass," Braun told Krave and Nunecker. "I have orders from Captain Dorenmann to stop you if you attempt to pass, and I will."

The officer was sweating profusely. It had come to this: his platoon, the police and the Stahlhelm were locked in a stand-off. Behind him, his troops flicked off their safety catches and levelled their rifles at the enemy.

A few hundred metres to his right, his commander, accompanied by a handful of soldiers and engineers, were setting up a series of wires. One of the sappers had found some TNT used for blasting in one of the miners' buildings, and had duly reported it. The same explosive was now being set up on a ledge above the rear of the convoy. If Dorenmann had planned it right, then if it came to a fight, he should be able to destroy their armoured trucks. If he had planned it wrong...it didn't bear thinking about.

Nunecker was shaking with rage, the Police were to enforce the law, they didn't take orders from traitors and foreign spies. His hand closed tightly on the grip of his pistol, his knuckles turning white. Nunecker began to raise the gun, he was going to shoot the young communist standing defiantly in front of him.

Nunecker jumped forward, gracefully but quickly. He softly held Nunecker's arm in place and spoke evenly to the communist NCO, "Very well, tell your Commander we will move to another area, perhaps he will change his mind in time. Good day to you. Krave smiled as the young communist turned on his heels and walked away to his unit.

Nunecker's face was pure shock and anger, now aimed at Krave, who looked sternly at Nunecker, "Chief, what on earth was that? You had better control yourself. If you can't follow my orders from here on and stay in line, I will have fired, do you understand?" Nunecker nodded.

Krave turned to the assembled Police and Stalhelm soldiers, "Men, we're moving out to another area, mount up and turn the convoy around." The truck engines kicked into life as the assembled men ran about mounting up, shouting orders again.

Krave hopped into his field car and summoned a Liutenant, "Get me another convoy, and bring me the Shock Troopers we left off in Essen, we need them, tell both to hurry. We're moving out to the smaller village a mile back, there's some dead and wounded there, thats our meeting point, go to it Liutenant." The Liutenant snapped a salute and ran off to carry out his orders.

KPD Headquarters, Nikolaiviertel, Berlin

A great, rolling sea of people. A forest of banners broke up the great mass of the crowd, who were chanting as one: "Justice or death! Justice or death!" Men, women and children united in their outrage.

Ernst Thaelmann gazed at them proprietorially out of the window, amazed by the courage of the crowd. Didn't they realise there were police everywhere? He stepped back before one of his aides scolded him for standing too near the window - there was an assassination warning every day from his security officials. He strolled over to his desk where his old friend Hans waited for him.

"Yours orders, sir? We must safeguard ourselves and our supporters."

Ernst dragged a finger across the map of Germany in front of him.

"Station six thousand of the Soviet* troops throughout the city, keep the rest in reserve. We can transfer two thousand Anti-Fascist Front soldiers from Potsdam to guard the area."

Ernst walked back to the window. "But what of them?" he asked Hans, before he could reprimand the party leader for exposing himself to danger. He continued without waiting for an answer. "They're angry and confused. Our country is in turmoil, the pig Hindenburg dead, the army fighting its citizens. How many would you say there were?"

Hans shrugged. "Twelve, fifteen thousand? That's conservative, they're lining the streets."

Ernst did not move his gaze from the window, but a faint smiled played across his lips. "Then today is the day we march on the traitors," he said.

*(By Soviet, I mean the Berlin workers' council, not troops from the Soviet Union. Just to avoid any confusion.)

Theodor Duesterberg stood in standared field uniform amidst a sea of Officers from Berlin. Over 200,000 Men were stationed in Berlin alone, and they might just need them today. Major Dietrich Nize stood at the podium and brought the crowd of officers to silence, he then introduced theodor to a snap of salutes.

Theodor curtly retrurned the salutes and began to speak, "Fellow officers...fellow patriots of the German Nation. As you know today has seen some of the biggest leftist protests in our history, in what is perhaps one of the worst months in our history, with thousands dead and wounded due to gas leaks in western Germany. The reds are angry, the country is confused, we must safeguard this nation with our lives. Any time is ripe for a dastardly revolution by the left, and if they do we will give them a war they will not forget!" The officers cheered and whooped, Theodor smiled.

"I am ordering the entire Berlin Stalhelm Corps into combat readiness. All units must be ready to move within a moments notice. Our primary objective is to secure the Reichstag and link up with the Reichswerhr, or to take back the Reichstag from the communists. Anyone caught taking up arms against our nation is a traitor, and must die. Men, women and children. Get to your posts...and prepare yourselves for our day of reckoning!" The crowd erupted again and continued their applause even as Major Nize took to the podium to begin a formal briefing.

OOC: Demo-Bobylon, i RP'd this because the Stalhelm would notice the protests and the increased communist activity, and thus naturally prepare themselves in this way.

Anyone else going to post?

OOC: Sure thing. Actually, I don't want to give away the plot too much, but I was going to RP the protest being ambushed by the Bundespolizei as they approach the Reichstag. Germany's version of Bloody Sunday. The following day, all hell breaks loose...

I've TGed some of the players with a link to the thread reminding them.

The men of the Rheichswehr were already preparing to board trucks to get too the mine. The snipers of the 4th SDU unit had reported a flare up so the men were readying after a sretch of break and beer.

The snipers were still in the reconnnisence fase not wanting to show themselves too the reds quite yet.

The Prussian Political Party was using up it's political capital for a pre start up for the election series and already it was shaping up to be a very pro-military party with almost all Rhiechswehr neigboorhoods and Steel Helments.

Von goes on with the PPP and he is now resting easy (with or without his 100 trained SDU's surrounding his quarters).

The men of the Rheichswehr were already preparing to board trucks to get too the mine. The snipers of the 4th SDU unit had reported a flare up so the men were readying after a stretch of break and beer.

The snipers were still in the reconnaissance faze not wanting to show themselves too the reds quite yet.

The Prussian Political Party was using up it's political capital for a pre start up for the election series and already it was shaping up to be a very pro-military party with almost all Rheichswehr neighborhoods and Steel Helmets going for the PPP.

Von goes on with the PPP and he is now resting easy (with or without his 100 trained SDU's surrounding his quarters).

OOC: Germany's bloody Sunday, sounds like a good RP. When's the election going to be by the way?

OOC: The date is 8th August 1932, you can expect an election about the 20th August or so. But don't worry, they'll be plenty of violence to interest you until then. ;)

Can I assume that the Steel Helmet and police have wihdrawn from Neunkirchen for the rest of the day? If so, I'll RP the protest.

OOC: Yes, they're on their way back to another, smaller mining village to await the arrival of Shock Troops and another convoy, coming via Essen.

OOC: Remember our arrangement when Ernst gets arrested?

IC:

Berlin-Mitte, 8pm

The crowd sang joyfully as they marched along beneath the rows of lime trees. Karin Toller, a mother-of-three who lived in the run-down area of Scheunenvietel, walked along with them. It was a pleasant night, unusually cool for August, and the city was peaceful as the protestors bearing their banners walked down Unter-den-Linden. At their forefront was Ernst Thaelmann, leading the group in their cries of "Justice or death" as they moved on towards the Reichstag. They had been joined by hundreds of students as they passed Humboldt University, and they had yelled at the foreign imperialists as they walked on past the embassy quarter.

Karin could see the Brandenburg Gate (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Brandenburg_gate_sunset.jpg) up ahead as the procession entered Pariserplatz. Oh, how it filled her with pride and joy every time she saw it! The golden statue of Victory glinted in the starlight, and her hear swelled as she saw it. Could there be a greater omen of the justness of their cause?

But wait. What was that beneath the arch? She was at the rear of the crowd, but she could feel their marching pace slowing down. Karin strained to look over the heads above her. Her heart sank.

The way ahead was blocked by a brigade of Bundespolizei: the special anti-riot police. Their trucks and blue-coated troops spread out across the foot of the gate. What was going on? Why wouldn't they let them pass? Suddenly, she heard harsh voices break through the air.

"Polizei! Stop!"

"Ihr seid in Haft."

"Abfeuern!"

A great roar of rifle-fire shattered the silent night air, followed by the screams of pain and fear of the wounded. What was going on? Why were they shooting? Questions dashed through Karin's mind. Suddenly, the front line of protestors turned and ran, shouting and screaming as they did so. This was no longer a march of a people united: it was chaos as every terrified citizen ran for their lives.

She heard another volley and people fell all around her, crying out in agony. There were bodies littering the square, their blood colouring the cobbled stones. She turned and ran, ran as hard as she could away from the stench of death and cordite. But they were trapped. Another battallion had closed off their exit and were aiming at the mass of people. Karin screamed as the bullets whipped over her head and more people fell.

She turned and began sprinting down Wilhelmstrasse. But seeing what was ahead of her, she skidding to a stop, falling flat onto the cold stone road. The line of mounted police in front of her withdrew their sabres and she heard their officer shout a command. Immediately, the line charged forward, scattering the remaining protestors and cutting down anyone in their way. Karin stumbled to her feet, turned and began to run again. She could feel the beat of the horses' hooves on the road, hear the screams of the dying, feel the blood slippery beneath her feet. The last thing she felt was a horse's hot breath on the back of her neck and the cool blade of a sword cut from above, and everything went black.

KPD Headquarters, Nikolaiviertel, Berlin, 8.23pm

Hans stood by the window and listened to the distant sounds of gunfire. The Pariserplatz was lit up occasionally by flashes from rifle muzzles, and Hans thought he could hear the far-away screams. It must be a massacre down there.

A party official burst into the office, breathless. "They've arrested Thaelmann!" he cried, panting. "He was injured in the leg. Those bastards have taken him away for questioning."

Hans was speechless with fury. "Where have they taken him?" was all he managed to say.

The official shook his head sadly. "I saw a police convoy head towards the police station off Muenzstrasse, but that's all I know. I'll tell the others."

Hans watched the man as he closed the door and set off downstairs with drudging footsteps, before turning back to the window. Far away, he could see the peaceful, tree-lined streets of Unter den Linden.

The jail doors clanked open heavily, pushed by an old police officer with a crooked back and a grey beard. He grunted to let the Bundespolizei Officers into the cell. They had truncheons at their sides and wore blue coats with brass buttons. Each was clean shaven and had their hair very short, neat and down to business was the manner they oozed.

Thaelmann sat reclining on his bed, twirling a stone between his fingers. The two officers ushered him out and he limped past them and onto the steel walkway, his footsteps were irregular due to the limp, they made a strange note as the steel reverberated off the heavy concrete.He winced in pain every time his left leg touched the ground, the bullet was still in his calve, and it had been hastily bandaged, still oozing blood every time he moved it. Shouts of support for Thaelmann came from across the prison, followed occasionally by screams of pain. The Bundespolizei were out for revenge, and Thaelmann knew it.

He was led into a dank room down a corridor off the bottom floor of the prison. It stank of damp and wet stone, a single lamp kept the room half in dark and half in light. A man in shadow sat across from Thaelmann, who could only make out the burning end of his cigarette. The two Officers left Thaelmann alone in the room with the man he could barely see.

For what seemed like an eternity there was silence, utter silence, impenetrable apart from the hiss of the cigarette from across the room.
The cigarette was suddenly stubbed out and the mysterious man leaned forward. Thaelmann's heart relaxed, its pace slowed. He thought this was it, it would be the Stalhelm- and they would kill him. But instead it was a normal Police Officer, just very ugly, with a scarred and tight-skinned face. Thaelmann sat back slowly, waiting for questions.

"Your are Ernst Thaelmann, yes?"

Thaelmann nodded.

"You are the head of the KPD?"

Thaelmann nodded again.

"You were wounded in a protest today?"

Thaelmann again nodded, finding this questioning rather drole and pointless.

"You have committed treason by supporting the USSR and supporting a number of militia groups, how do you plead?"

Thaelmann was silent for a minute before shouting loudly, "NO, I AM NOT A TRAITOR-YOU ARE!"

The interrogator nodded and sat back. Silence engulfed the room again. A loud knock on the metal door behind Thaelmann made him jump. The door was opened and part of the dank room was bathed in light. Shuffling ensued as the interrogator left and another man entered.

He sat down opposite Thaelmann and waited for the door to be closed and locked. Silence reigned supreme once again.

Then Thaelmann's heart began to beat faster and faster as the man opposite revealed himself, it was Hanz Kollerman, a Stalhelm Officer and PPG Member . He had a slight smile on his lips as Thaelmann began to breathe heavily. Kollerman spoke slowly Thaelmann heard the dreaded words, fast becoming hated and feared amongst left wing activists, those of the sentence, "Ernst Thaelmann, you have been found guilty of treason, and for crimes committed against the German state you have been sentenced to death." Thaelmann tried to speak and move but only a muffled groan came out as a loud BANG! reverberated off the stone walls. The muzzle flash and Kollerman’s face lighting up was the last thing Ernst Thaelmann would ever see as he felt himself began to fade. His vision slanted and skewed to the left, blurring and getting darker. He was vaugely aware of hitting the floor.

Kollerman holstered his pistol and walked out of the room, past the lifeless body of Ernst Thaelmann.

Tuesday 9th August 1932: Red Tuesday

From a 1970s history book (I like making up sources):

Red Tuesday

Following the chaotic events of Monday 8th, Tuesday 9th became known in Germany as "Rote Dienstag" or "Red Tuesday". The day's violence started when a group of communist militiamen detonated a bomb outside the Muenzstrasse police station, killing the Berlin Police Chief and several unfortunate officers nearby. The station was stormed by an angry mob, only for them to find the body of Ernst Thaelmann, murdered in custody. No perpetrator could be found.

Having freed the prisoners, the bomb was a signal for a wave of attacks across the East of the city. The East Brandenburg garrison of 1200 were sent to deal with the rebels, but the local and inexperienced troops soon turned on their officers and joined the revolt. As dawn broke, communist forces seized the town hall, north bank of the River Spree, Museumsinsel and most of the impoverished Nikolaiviertel (Nicholas Quarter).

It wasn't like that. The history books offer no more than a sanitised version of the past, designed for audiences who never had to live through such times. How could it describe the bomb blast breaking through the morning peace? How could it describe the mangled bodies resulting, the hated police chief being spat on and kicked? How could it describe the fear, the bloodshed, the exhileration as the militias stormed the Red Town Hall or the sorrow and anger that greeted their leader's death?

But the result was the same. By midday, the east of the river had been seized and the centre of Berlin had been transformed into a battleground: barbed wire and vehicle traps spread across the road, sandbags around machine-guns posts, mortar fire landing on the ancient city centre, snipers lining every avenue. It was a Berlin divided.

OOC: Just so you know, the forces and gains I'm RP'ing are:
2000 Anti-Fascist Front guards
1200 Reichswehr defectors
6000 militia from the Soviets (around 110,000 in reserve, soon to be called up)
Around 1 million sympathetic Berliners, but who will not fight

Land captured:
Nikolaiviertel (the Russian Quarter, containing the town hall and 2 main train stations)
Museumsinsel (the famous island containing Germany's most precious artefacts
Scheunenviertel (the Jewish Quarter, the north bank of the river)

However, most of the city, including the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, is still under the authorities' control. But you are in firing range. ;)

In a disused soccer stade outside Berlin there was amassing an army of vehicles and soldiers. Soldiers lined every terrace and took up every avaliable seat. Mounted troops on horses from the country took up a quarter of the ice-hardened pitch, the breath of the horses and men blending as one. Trucks, field wagons and a motley crew of Armoured Cars lined the rest of the pitch. Trucks were being fitted with .30cal Machine Guns, Lewis Guns were being attached to firing trailers and engines were beginning to roar.

The stadium held 25,000 people on a good day. Today, 30,000 Stalhelm soldiers were inside, preparing to march on the capital. Theodor Duesterberg and, Major Dietrich Nize and Hanz Kollerman were in a dug-out poring over an old city map, placing small metal bottle tops with unit numbers on them, all over the city.

A bomb alert suddenly went off, its shrill roar cutting through the bustling and shouting. Immediately engines roared to life and jackboots began to move, chanting started up as the vast column moved off toward the city, they would crush the traitors and rebels, the young communist rebels stood no chance against armour, machine guns and battle hardened veterans, literally baying for blood.

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In the city of Berlin itself the remaining 170,000 Stalhelm troops were amassing at roundez-vous points, ready to move once the six 120mm Artillery pieces on the outskirts of the city started up. That was their key. They would charge out of houses, schools, bomb shelters, bars, beer halls, municipal halls, everywhere. Their uniforms on, their guns up, bayonets attached, ready to gut the communists like wet fish in the early morning.


OOC: Moorington, you might want to get the Reichswehr up and moving. Where the hell is the Freikorps?

Stalhelm Units:

170,000 in the city. Various places.
30,000 from surrounding areas near Berlin
30 Armoured Cars
50 Opel Trucks with machine guns
20 Fieldwagons (cars)
2000 Mounted Cavalry (with the troops from outside Berlin)
6 120mm Artillery Guns
6 Planes

OOC: Stupid forums breaking. But I'm back! You can find a map of central Berlin in 1932 at www.alt-berlin.info if you need one, but you could just use a modern one as it's easier and pretty much the same.

To give you an idea: Nikolaiviertel (my base) is about 2km east of the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. West of the Reichstag is a massive park called the Tiergarten, and then you get to the Charlottenburg area of Berlin. The city police station is there and Templehof Airport is nearby, so that might be a good site for your headquarters.

IC: The town hall, now the KPD's improvised command centre, was alive with frenzied activity. Orders were being relayed to groups all over the centre of Berlin, while the crowds of workers outside were being armed with whatever weapons were available.

Hans looked down at the hastily-drafted telegrams before him.

To: All KPD and SPD members of the Reichstag
For your own safety, do not attend the Reichstag today STOP If possible, pack your belongings and head towards the town hall STOP Take your identification papers STOP
Signed,
Walter Ulbricht

To: The 5th Platoon stationed at Museumsinsel
Take a small group of soldiers across the river STOP Your task is to seize control of the university STOP Several students there are sympathetic to our cause, the rest will be asleep STOP Use the building as a look-up post STOP

Intrigued, he turned over other sheets of paper.

To: The 18th and 21st Platoons stationed along the North Bank at Friedrichstrasse
Advance west towards the Reichstag STOP Move along Reinhardtstrasse to Luisenstrasse STOP Mine the bridges with remote explosives STOP Set up machine-gun and mortar emplacements and wait further instructions STOP

He turned over the final sheet of paper and gasped.

ANNOUNCEMENT

All members of the Berlin Workers' Councils are to report to the town hall. They are expected to bring any available weaponry and be prepared for battle: all Soviets will be mobilised.

Furthermore, every male aged 21-40 not engaged in essential industrial work must also report for training and arming. Non-attendance will be severely punished.

The long oblong-esque shape of the Volkspark Jungfernheide would be the central hub of Stalhelm operations for Major Nize. The 170,000 Stalhelm in the city and suburbs were ordered toward the Volkspark and the surrounding buildings. Looking around the buildings nearby it would seem many had made it. They hung flags out of the buildings and chanted patriotic songs every now and then.

The surrounding streets were lined with trucks, cars and armoured cars, ready for the off. Nize had made it into the suburbs during the night with a squad of Shock Troops. The column from the soccer stade were moving up across the city to a smaller Volkspark on the other side of the city centre. They would begin a four-front attack during the night, preceeded by an Artillery barrage, which had just begun, using the 6 pieces at Major Nize's command. They would shell the reds, then run them into the ground.

Distant sounds of gunfire drifted over the city as Walter Ulbrict* paced up and down anxiously through the corridors of the town hall. Suddenly, the building shook, and the corridor was filled with broken glass as the windows were blown in. As Walter checked himself for injuries, a young Soviet chairman came running up to him. He angrily dismissed the man's questions if he was OK, and was told that the Stahlhelm's barrage had begun.

"But comrade, we have problems elsewhere," gabbled the Soviet member. "Troops have taken control of the Frankfurt Bahnhofsviertel, areas of Köln and most of Dusseldorf. The Stahlhelm, however, are active in Essen, and if they attack before we have a chance to strengthen our position."

"Then create a diversion," answered Comrade Ulricht briskly. "I believe Captain Dorenmann's division is operational. Order them to attack."

*OOC: This is now my party leader, replacing Ernst Thaelmann.

The artillery barrage would last as long as the ammunition held out. Another group of Stalhelm from the city arrived with five 88mm mortars and had begun shelling closer to their position in the Volkspark. Some communist soldiers had attacked from a factory on the outskirts of the park. A grenade killed two stalhelm, wounding a third. The 10 strong squad of communist's had been mown down by a Lewis gun before they could throw another grenade. Their bodies lay in the street, dried blood all around them, pigeons pecking open wounds every so often.

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On the other side of the city, in the smaller Volkspark, Major Nize pored over a map, with a few officers standing around. Their four-pronged attack was detailed out, areas of strategic interest were noted and communist positions were marked. As Major Nize bent down to examine the area around the Brandenburg Gate, a distant beating hum could be heard.

The clear sky gave nothing away at first. Soldiers nearby stood to their arms, thinking it was some sort of attack. But suddenly the sound reached a crescendo as four Fokker Bi-Planes roared low over the Volkspark, their wings twitching back and forth in a pilots greeting. Nize and his men cheered the planes on as they split and began diving down toward the city, the low THUD THUD THUD of their dual .30cal machine guns were audible, in between the artillery and mortar explosions. The planes were strafing positions in the Scheunenviertel.

As the planes passed low overhead, spraying bullets which bounced off the street and ugly concrete buildings, the soldiers crouched low and held onto their helmets. A Fokker flew so close over the roofs that each man could hear the pulse of its engine throbbing in their ears: a hail of Tommy gun rounds tore through the canopy and smashed into the engine, so that it spewed thick black smoke. The infantry were disappointed to see its pilot regain control and flee back to base for repairs.

But there was no time to think for long. A second biplane swooped down, strafing the street, and two men cried out as the bullets ripped through their bodies. The commander shouted an order, and at once the soldiers began to run for cover southwards. They hid in doorways, crouching low, clutching their weapons protectively.

"Where the hell did they get those?" yelled the colonel above the din. "I thought they were banned."

"Thinking won't do much good now, comrade," replied his seargeant. "They're here all right, banned or not. Tell the troops on Museumsinsel to take refuge in the museums and Berlin Cathedral. See if they dare attack there. As for us..." He trailed off as another fighter glided down low, firing at the sides of the streets. He realised with a sinking feeling there was no choice. "We must get to the other side of the river where the buildings offer more protection. Tell the other units to cover us: we need to attack the Reichstag."

OOC: Just assume that Bi-plane made it back to the farm near Berlin, no point in RPing it really. Unless you want me to?


As night fell foot-steps were no longer heard in the city. The barrage continued throughout, hour after hour. The mortar barrage tailed off as it grew dark, the mortar crews returned to their base outside Berlin to collect more ammunition.

The city was smoky and wet. The smell of cordite and blood hung in the air. Bodies lay here and there. Homeless people shaking shouted at the ghostly apparitions that passed silently through the streets, their black leather great coats creating no noise, their boots gently touching the streets.

The apparitions were shock troops, a band of 20 men had volunteered to go into the city alone, and cause havoc among the communists. 10 were disguised as rebels, the other 10 in leather great coats and gas masks, their attire chosen for shock value above all. All 20 were part of a German Shock Troop regiment that were disbanded during the war because only 20 remained, now they were going into to Berlin to save their country, and die if necessary.

Buildings leading up to and around the Reichstag were wired with explosives by the 10 men in disguise. The would blow the charges as soon as the communists made their move, if they made their move. The other 10 took up positions around the Reichstag in windows of buildings, snipers ready to kill the unassuming communists as they wandered up to the Government buildings, wanting victory...but getting death.

All I can do is repel attacks and what not. The SDU1,2,3,4 launches an attack on the southern side of the city. I will post the results later when we RP it.

"Retreat!"

The shout broke through the evening air, closely followed by bursts of machine-gun fire. Fighting had broken out on Wallstrasse, as a convoy of trucks had pulled up and soldiers had jumped out of the back, guns blazing: one platoon of Soviet volunteers lay dead, two more were retreating across the river to Museumsinsel.

A bullet flew through the air and found its target, as another man crumbled silently in the night. The unit stationed at the end of the bridge saw what was happening and turned their .3 calibre machine-gun on the attackers. The heavy rounds pounded against the buildings, and two Reichswehr commandos dropped with a scream as the bullets tore through their chests.

Around them, mortar fire started up again, and bursts of deafening gunfire came from every direction. Searchlights began to scan the sky for any returning planes - since the assault at midday, each company had been issued with a 20mm AA gun. They could not afford to let the enemy retake Museumsinsel.

Nize heard the battle break out miles away. Before he even tried to guess who it was a carrier pigeon arrived into its cage near his command bunker. It was from Theodor, the message was simple, "SDU IN ATTACK, SUPPORT WITH SOME FORCES IMMEDIATELY, RE-TAKE MUSEUMSINSEL NOW!"

Major Nize turned quickly on his heel and hollered his orders at the NCO's nearby. "I want four armoured cars and four Shock squads, get to Museumsinsel now, and chase the communists out of our city. Get to it." More shouting came as armoured cars roared to life and shock troops gathered up equipment to move out.

The armoured cars went first, blasting up the street at communist volunteers retreating down alleyways. The armoured cars joined the fight behind the advancing SDU teams and tore into the retreating communists with their heavy dual machine guns. The shock troops moved in to support the wavering SDU squads and they began to advance quickly. Mortar fire began to hit amongst the communist squads, screams of pain went up into the dark night, now eerily illuminated by mortar explosions and muzzle flashes. Shadows danced off the wet buildings. Searchlights hit the sky as panicked communists opened fire with an old AA gun on top of nearby building.

A team of two shock troops ran out into the fray, crouching behind a small war memorial. They unloaded a small 60mm trench mortar and aimed it directly for the top of the building. The small round erupted from the tube and struck out toward the lumbering AA gun, just as the two brave troopers were cut down by wavering communist fire.

OOC: Over to you just now Demo-Bobylon...

OOC: Please forgive me if I don't post much in the next week: something's come up.

IC:

Fireballs from mortar shells burst all around the communist forces, so that the night sky was lit up crimson by the constant explosions. Berlin Cathedral was burning: flames licked at its ancient spire, illuminating its gothic gargoyles against the sky like demons out of hell. The entire island was a throng of frenzied activity.

"Call for reinforcements!" yelled their colonel. "We have troops lying idle and we need covering fire at once!" A pale-looking private next to him nodded and sprinted off towards the east of the city.

But the Museumsinsel forces were proving a harder foe than first imagined. They were not the workers' volunteers, those inexperienced and frightened new recruits stationed on Wallstrasse. No, the Anti-Fascist Front soldiers had been rigorously trained over the past few weeks, with discipline and skill to rival the Reichswehr. They were holding their ground, even as new waves of attackers fell upon them.

A petrol-bomb ignited on the bonnet of an armoured car as it attempted to cross the bridge. The chassis of the car was immediately consumed in an orange fireball and tipped over onto its roof, blocking the road and illuminating the wet cobblestones with a fiery light and flickering, ghost-like shadows of the burning crew. The screams of the driver and gunners inside filled the cacophony of the air, among gunfire and explosions.

OOC: What about the AA Gun, did i destroy it? I fired a trench mortar directly at it... I'll post again when you tell me, I don't want to move on leaving things out.

OOC: You can assume that the AA gun was destroyed. However, I have several companies on Museumsinsel, so watch out for other guns.

The beaten up old aircraft barely made it into the sky, its engine coughing and spluttering, threatening to give up. With one almighty cough the plane jumped and it was into the air. Behind it ran three screaming pilots, still hooked into their parachutes. They were screaming at Johannes Krupp, who had just taken off.

His plane had been hit on the first sortie and as soon as it was back in flying shape they received a carrier pigeon that very night. Krupp and another older pilot, Hauffmann had flown at night during training, but the Army had scrapped any plans because of too many crashes. Krupp himself was shocked from being hit and nearly exploding in mid-air.

He lulled over going out at night, pointing out the battle would be easy to see. Suddenly he jumped up, ran to his plane and was off down the runway before Hauffmann or the two brothers could stop him. They stood now, at the end of the runway, wondering whether they'd ever see their freind again.

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High over Museumsinsel Krupp saw the battle. The artillery and mortar rounds illuminated the communist positions. A giant fire was burning brightly between the positions of the Stalhelm and the communists. An AA gun was burning on a nearby roof. Krupp doubled back toward the Stalhelm positions, blessed himself, prayed for a few seconds and then lowered the planes nose, aiming it toward the communist positions and squeezing the gun triggers as if his very life was going into this last heroic thrust.

Half a mile from the battlefront, Walter Ulbricht's most recent orders were being executed. A company of Soviet volunteers, reinforced with Anti-Fascist professionals, were moving westwards into central Berlin. Covered by the noise of the raging battle, the group silently began to steal their way down the deserted streets.

*

The pilot's twin 7.92mm Spandau guns pounded at the positions of the remaining soldiers. Dust flew as they ricocheted off sand-bags and the road, but the few bullets that found their target made a mark. The gunners of the .3 calibre Maschinenengewehr dropped dead, still clutching at the weapon. At once, the Stahlhelm forces began to advance cautiously up the bridge, while the communists frantically called for reinforcements.

As the Fokker D.VII plane droned overhead, the full firepower of the anti-aircraft guns opened up. The 20mm bullets ripped through the chassis of the plane, shattering its propellor and tearing into the engine; the limp body of pilot slumped onto the controls. At once, the biplane began to burn, its ammunition exploding in white-hot sparks and the flaming wreckage of the little plane lighting the path of its descent like a fiery comet. The burning plane plunged into the dark waters of the River Spree, and as the flaming debris was carried away by the currents, it sank beneath the fire-lit surface. Johannes Krupp had flown his last mission.

"Major...they shot a plane down, must be one of ours. They must have some forces down there." The worried Captain was shaking with the cold, having been standing at his post for over two hours. Major Nize turned on his heels and walked back toward his base. The 25,000+ men were resting, sleeping or on guard and patrol around the Volkspark. They had shot a few young communist volunteers marching down the street, singing of all things. The naivety of them surprised even the older veterans. Their bodies lay in the middle of the cobbled streets, getting damp and oozing blood between the grey and black cobbles.

Nize signalled for four more Armoured Car crews to come over to him. Four more Shock Troop squads also ran over toward the Major. Once gathered Nize began to speak, "We lost a plane, I don't know how, but we did. Our artillery seems to be keeping the commies at bay but the mortars keep running out of rounds. I want to flank these communist bastards. I want two Cars and two squads to hook in and around the leftermost side of the Meseumsinsel and the two other cars and squads move in on the right. Attack wherever and whenever you can but try not to draw attention until the last minute. Watch out for communist forces in the streets aswell. Good luck gentlemen." The gathered men saluted and ran off to start the armoured cars and sort out their weapons.

OOC: Roughly, how many of the 175,000 soldiers not at camp are involved in the attack on Museumsinsel?

OOC: Well there are 170,000 soldiers at a large Volkspark north of the city centre, they are still amassing basically. While 30,000 are based, with Major Nize, at a smaller Volkspark south of the City Centre. About 1000 soldiers are involved in the attack on Museumsinsel at the moment, with 7 Armoured Cars.

OOC: OK, thanks. If you'd like to know, there are one battalion and two companies (totalling 1400 men) on Museumsinsel and one company plus two platoons (totalling 300 men) moving southwards on the west side of the River Spree. The Museumsinsel forces have two armoured trucks, but all their other vehicles are elsewhere.

IC: Under constant fire, Private Nowak loaded a high-explosive shell into his mortar, checked the trajectory, and fired. He was already opening the last crate of ammunition before the explosive crashed down on the enemy positions, when a new order crackled over his radio.

"Attention all gunners, conserve ammunition until further notice. Reduce your rate of fire. When the second signal is given, resume barrage of enemy forces."

The private dutifully closed the case of mortar grenades and took cover. All they had to do now was wait for the counter-attack.

*

Along the dark and soaked cobblestones of Oberwallstrasse, the troops marched silently on. Suddenly, their captain stopped them with a wave of his hand. Up ahead, they could see soldiers climbing into two armoured cars and start the engine.

The gunner was signalled for and calmly unpacked his anti-tank gun, even as the cars started moving towards them. He knelt down, loaded a shell and lined up his sight. The gun was a new prototype, and the chance that it would misfire and kill him was just as great as the chance that it would function properly. Still, he was no inexperienced fool, and managed to calm his trembling nerves. He closed his eyes and slowly squeezed the trigger...

Seconds later came a huge explosion, with blinding light that pierced his closed eyelids. At once, he opened his eyes to see one armoured car ablaze, its crew jumping out and the bewildered Stahlhelm yelling. As the second vehicle moved towards them, the shout went up to open fire, and the captain barked an order down the radio.

"All artillery-men, resume fire! Repeat, resume fire!"

The Stalhelm troops under command of Major Nize could hear the commotion in the nearby streets from the Volkspark. It sounded bad. All of a sudden a soldier came running down one of the streets, smoke literally pouring off his uniform, his face blackened with soot. The Major didn't need an invite. He'd had enough toying with the enemy.

He made a strange signal with his arms, almost like a swimming stroke. From a small secluded area of the park a low rumble could be heard which got constantly louder and louder, the ground starting to shake slightly. Stalhelm soldiers looked around puzzled, and then hundreds of horses burst forth from a treeline near the park. Every man wore an immaculate cavalry uniform, carried an M1911A1 Pistol and a curved sabre. They wore their old Great War helmets, black with a golden spike on the top and a golden Germanic Eagle on the front.

A number of the men had skulls on top of the spikes on their heads, adding the fearsome quality of these gallant and brutal troops, the last of their kind.

They formed up quickly on the road, there was about 500 in all. A couple of stately Gentlemen cantered over toward Major Nize and saluted. Nize didn't miss a beat, even with the horses panting feet from where he was standing. "No pissing about Captain, the commies are out there. Trample them to death, cut them to pieces...get yourselves some more trophies."

The Captain drew his pistol screamed at the top of his voice..."DEUSTCHLAND" He reared his horse, fired his pistol and rode off quickly, the rest of the cavalry following him in a gallant, rare charge.

They smelt and heard the burning armoured car before they saw the other Austin Putilov reversing up the street, firing wildly. Stalhelm soldiers crouched low firing their rifles at the advancing communists. Suddenly an explosion rocked the streets as a rocket tore into a building, inches above the other armoured car. The Cavalry didn't miss a beat. They kicked their spurs and raced on.

As they rounded the short corner the communists virtually stopped their advance as they heard and saw a mass of angry beasts and ghostly men charging them down with glinting swords and stuttering pistols.

OOC: Over to you again Demo-Bobylon.

The ground shook as the cohorts of cavalry thundered towards them, and some of the new volunteers broke rank and fled, dropping their weapons and running for their lives. The captain yelled out a command to the remaining troops to hold the line, and the men calmly knelt and aimed their rifles.

He saw the enemy commander lower his sabre and spur his horse on, closely followed by hundreds of galloping troopers. They were just metres away when another order broke the night air: one word, "Fire!"

The rifle catridges tore into the advancing lines of the horsemen, being met by confused screams and shouts. Some fell from their beasts only to be trampled underfoot by the lines behind them, and other horses bucked widly in their terror, dropping their riders and galloping off. The riflemen calmly fired again and again into the charging cavalry.

But although it slowed the attack, it did not halt it. The remaining cavalry were rallied and charged again, and this time not even a hail of lead could stop them. The communist lines broke and the captain saw his men fleeing, chased closely by hundreds of enemy forces. The bravest soldiers at the front were cruelly cut down, shot and stabbed; the luckiest fled back across the river to their comrades.

The Cavalry charge went on until the enemy had been chased across to their lines. The front chargers reared their horses as they neared the bridge, calmly picking off the remaining panicking communists with their pistols. The ground was covered with trampled dead communists, and a number of horses lay making strange noises on the ground, dying in the cold night air. Around 100 Cavalry soldiers and horses had been cut down, some had their horses shot out from under them but pressed on, on foot with their sabres.

Major Nize received a rider as the battle tiered off. He raced down and came to a halt inches from the Major. "Enemy forces retreating sir."

Nize smiled for the first time that whole day. "Excellent work, you Cavalry boys are something else. Leave 50 Cavalry, the rest come back and sort yourselves out. I'm sending in four more Shock Troop squads and one more armoured car to defend the bridge, you lead them in." The Cavalryman saluted and cantered off toward the readied comlumn of shock troopers and the Armoured Car. They started up toward the battleground, with the gallant Cavalryman cantering at their head.

Nize turned and bellowed more orders, "We're pushing them back. I want four regular squads and the two MG trucks sent into Museumsinsel, join the attack and push the enemy back."

Truck engines roared to life and soldiers bellowed orders as they began to move out. They were winning, it was time to capitalise.

Walter Ulbricht watched the fleeing detachment through his binoculars with considerable distress. They had been sent to protect the Museumsinsel forces from flanking, but had been driven back. Now they could be attacked form the west as well as the south.

He sighed and walked back to his desk, where Hans Schalmann stood expectantly. The party leader glanced at a few reports on the table and without looking up asked, "How strong are our defences?"

The aide paused for a while, turning the figures over in his head. "Strong, comrade," he finally replied. "We have several machine-gun nests set up at the entrances to the island, barbed wire, and barricades. The enemy are under an exceptionally intense bombardment. But our men are exhausted: we must send a force to relieve them."

Walter was silent for a while, staring out of the window. "Then send the two battalions in reserve to replace the existing defenders. " Hans saluted smartly, and turned to go, when Walter suddenly spoke again. "Wait! Is that the Pergamon Musuem burning?"

Hans nodded but remained silent.

"Did we manage to salvage the exhibits before the attack began?"

"The majority, comrade, yes."

"Then draft a telegram," replied Walter, and began to dictate.

To: Comrade Maxim Litvinov, Soviet Foreign Office
From: Comrade Walter Ulbricht, KPD

Comrade,
At present, we are leading a rebellion against the hated imperialists of this nation. We have seized vital areas of the capital but are at risk of losing them if we do not supply our brave freedom fighters with the weapons and munitions they urgently deserve and need.

During the conflict, we have seized control of a number of artefacts, including several pieces form the Slavic and Asian lands, which now form your great country. We would be more than happy to return them in exchange of armoured vehicles, tanks, artillery pieces, aircaft, ammunition and whatever other resources are at your disposable.

We remind you that to avoid a repetition of the targedy of 1914-17, a friendly government in Berlin is in your interest. We would be happy to serve your Comrade Stalin if in power. We thank you in advance for your support.

As the first slivers of dawn began to break in the sky, the two regular stalhelm squads, 200 men in all, joined the raging battle as Museumsinsel. The communists were holding fast, and the SDU teams were all but dead. Shock Troopers were picking communists off left, right and centre, while being hammered with rifle fire themselves.

The two large Opel trucks shunted up to the battle. Their rear beds opened up to reveal twin mounted Maxim MG-08 Machine Guns (4 in all), which began to pour fire into the communist lines, lifting bodies and hurling them into the ground, blood spraying over their freinds. The two new Stalhelm squads gave a mighty roar and began to charge down the street, past the burning wreckage of the armoured car, their bayonets fixed, their faces screwed up.

They crashed into the communist positions and began to fight their way through the mass of bodies.

Hours into the fighting, the bloodshed showed no sign of stopping. Wave after wave of attacking Stahlhelm threw themselves at the communist defenders, and the noise of machine-gun fire from all areas was deafening. The River Spree ran crimson, as bodies floated downstream, and the stench of smoke and blood polluted the heavy, death-filled air.

Colonel Habinger surveyed the scene before him. Since the captain had been shot dead minutes before by a Shock Trooper, he had assumed control of the defending forces. It was a position he did not want to take, but now it was his duty, he would serve his people like the rest.

Habinger barked an order down the radio, back to Nikolaiviertel.

"Do we still have the East Brandenburg regiment available?"

There was a brief pause before the reply. "Yes, they're training the new recruits back at base. But - "

"Send them over here. Let's see if the enemy are still so eager to attack us if they'll be shooting their own comrades in the Reichswehr."

He clicked off the radio before the radio operator at base could protest, and laid back with a sigh. He had not had sleep for almost 30 hours now, and it was beginning to show. Habinger just hoped the killing would end soon.

OOC: I'll not RP again until those recruits turn up.

In a farmhouse Essen Germany, Wilhelm Diesmann gets up to speak.

"We must destroy the Stahlhelm, while are communist brothers kill them in the north. We must also train are army to better use their weapons and make them into killing machines. So did any of you have experince as a officer during the war?"

A Twenty-Five year old Colonel stood up.

"I served in the 2nd Army in the Battle of Tannenburg as a colonel."

Wilhelm Diesmann wondered why a colonel had become a miner. Also who was this new man. Wilhelm didn't remeber seeing his face before.

"Who are you?"

The Colonel answered.

"Im Colonel Reinhard Speer sir!"

Wilhelm looked at the man and wondered if he could train the man in the Ruhr's Red Army and get more men to join.

"Well, Reinhard Speer you are now in charge of training men for the army."

Some men were cheering. Other men seem worried to trust this new face in the party.

"Wilhelm I will take the job and do the best to train my men."

Later that night Reinhard and Five other men with Kar98's drove up to a Stahlhelm building. They snuck in and planted a bomb. Two men guarding came out and were shot. The alarm went off. More men were coming out. Four of Reinhard's men loaded ten machine guns and ammo into the truck. Reinhard and the other guy were getting the bomb ready. The Four men got the truck ready. Reinhard told the other guy to get the other machine guy and leave. Reinhard got the bomb set and ran into the back of the truck. He was firing the Kar98 and the truck and sped off. The troops saw the five dead. Then the bomb went off killing another 10 men. Reinhard heard the explosion. He had smirk on his face.

"That show them. Luckly we also took those 11 machine guns."

One of his men started to groan. A another man checked for a wounded. He found a bullet wound in his stomach.

"Reinhard, his been shot. We must take him to a hospital."

Reinhard looked sad to see one of his men with a bullet wound.

"We'll drop you off at the hospital"

So they dropped off the two men and went onto the headquaters. Reinhard and his men dropped off the 11 machine guns and ammo. Wilhem was waiting for him with a smile on his face.

"Good job Reinhard we needed this machine guns to fight the Stahlhelm."

Reinhard looked back with a disterned looked on his face.

"We blew up the buliding and killed at least Five men, but one of are men was shot so we left him with another guy at the hospital."

Wilhelm was very pleased that he picked a good man to command his army.

"That is very sad, but you must go on with your duties. Tommorrow you will train are men to shoot the machine guns. Also in the afternoon you must appoint officers to train new men how to shot the Kar98."

The building went up in flames only minutes after the truck sped off. Men came running out of the building, smoke chasing them out, some with fire burning on their legs and arms. Luckily there was only 20 staff on so late at night. Ten lay dead, ten stood gazing at the burning building.

Outside the hospital Luizo Krame pulled up in his Daimler. The rich young Liutenant had been on his way to relieve the night officer when he had seen a truck veering widly away from the Stalhelm building. Once the bomb went off Krame followed the truck to the hospital, and observed the four men taking the wounded one inside, his feet trailing as he was hoisted into the small hospital. Only two men came out in the truck.

Krame got out of his car. He looked sharp in his pressed grey Officer's tunic, Stalhelm colours proudly shined and displayed, his Parabellum pistol holstered up tight. He walked into the hospital.

The Waiting Area was near deserted apart from a few people standing nearby. None of them appeared to be who he was looking for. The night nurse leant over her desk to ask him, "Can I help you?"

Krame turned around and smiled, the women was disarmed with the young man's manners and charm. "Yes, I was looking for the injured man who was brought in a couple of minutes ago. He's a freind, he was attacked in his home tonight, I followed him here in my car. Could you tell me where he was taken?"

The night nurse gave him a look up and down before nodding to herself, and looking at a clipboard before speaking. "He's...in the Emergency Operating Room, down the hallway, take a left at the end and its at the end of that hallway.

Krame smiled, "Your country thanks you, Fraulein." The remark left her with a confused look on her face as Krame walked off toward the room.

At the end of the hallway a pair of double doors opened onto the Operating Room. A man sat with a hat in his hands, on a bench outside the door, under a picture of the town of Essen in the late 1800s. He looked up to see the new figure standing over him. His face went white before Krame pulled the trigger of the Parabellum, which sent the man's head crashing into the wall behind, leaving a blood smear on the green wall.

A slight scream came from the Operating Room as Krame entered, pistol in hand. The doctor began to shout something as Krame looked at the writhing body on the table. A bullet lay in a silver pan on a stand near the body. Krame raised his gun and shot the writhing communists through the side of the head. His back arched and then relaxed.

Krame calmly walked out of the hospital, got back into his car and drove off toward the burning Stalhelm building.

A farm house Essen, Germany Wilhelm got up from a chair. His face was with anger.

"Last night two of are men was killed by a officer of the Stahlhelm. We have identified him from a woman at the desk. He is the infamous Lt. Luzio Krame. He is seen as a threat and must be killed. So Reinhard will take over to kill him."

The crowd was now very anger what had been done to the man. Once Reinhard got up everyone was cheering.

"Yes he is a threat like you said, but the mission didn't fail we blew up the Stahlhelm building and stole 11 machine guns and ammo. Right now were are orgainzing to kill him."

The crowd clapped and Reinhard left. His was going to take vengange on the men who had been killed his men. So for the next few days he watched Lt Krame's route. He follow the man around and see the other Stahlhelm filth. Then Reinhard finally made the plan to kill him.

Lt. Krame was on his way to the daily target practice. Reinhard was ready to strike and killed. He had one machine gun set up on the side of the road. The Lt. Krame's car come up. Reinhard walked in the middle of the road. Reinhard rasied his gun.

"Die you swine"

Reinhard shot throw the windshield and killed him instantly. He total they the two men to get the machine gun and put it into the car. Reinhard put Krame's dead body on the passenger side. They sped off. A few miles later they came up to the shoting range. Reinhard passed by.

"Shoot now men"

The machine gun fired killed ten men. The men practicing hit the ground and started to shoot. Reinhard kicked Krame's dead body onto the road. The machine gun was still going off. Reinhard drove off. Another five Stahlhelm were shot. The now stunted Stahlhelm men went over to the dead body. It was ticking. They were shocked. The bomb went off killing seven.

A few miles down the road Reinhard and the two men got out of the car. The two men got the machine gun out and loaded it up into a truck. Reinhard set explosives to the car. Reinhard ran onto the truck and sped off. The car blew up.

At a safe house in the suburbs of Essen a giant table was ringed with angry, tried looking and bedraggled Stalhelm soldiers and officers. They had been attacked twice in as many days, their HQ had been burnt out and there was a war on in Berlin.

A Shock Trooper stood up on one of the chairs, his head bandaged from a wound, his face blackened with soot. "MEN! QUIET!" The shouting and arguing tailed off and the 30 men turned to face the Shock Trooper on the chair. His Shock Trooper badge sat at a jaunty angle, blackened, his name tape barely visible, 'Krohl' it read. He spoke again, "We can't argue at a time like this. Twenty Two of our men lie dead this morning...TWENTY TWO. Three are wounded, and Luizo Krame was shot after killing two of their men. I say we strike back...AND STRIKE BACK NOW!" The gathered soldiers roared with approval.

"Like us the Ruhr Red Army have a HQ here, but unlike us they have a miner's only bar, and since the mines aren't working...they're all drinking. We're going to kill them all." Another roar went up as the soldiers filed outside to the waiting grey trucks, picking up their Thompsons and Kar 08 rifles.

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The trucks pulled up in a large alleyway outside the small bar. 'Miner's Club' read the sign outside and a couple of men with red armbards walked in, chatting away to each other.

The Stalhelm dismounted from the trucks and formed a line two men deep opposite the bar. Krohl produced a grenade from his belt, and hurled it in through the window. Another Shock Trooper hurled another one in the other window. Seconds later two explosions rocked the street and blew masonry and glass out onto the street.

Screaming men holding their ears and bleeding from their faces stumbled outside and were cut down by a hail of bullets. Unable to hear from the grenade explosions, more men stumbled out, hardly noticing as they tripped over the bodies of their freinds, as they two were cut down by rifle fire from across the street.

When the smoke had cleared and the screaming had stopped 15 men lay dead in the street, while 20 more lay over tables and chairs in the bar, some missing legs and arms and heads. Krohl silently ordered his men back to the trucks. They wouldn't attack the Red Army HQ...yet. They would go back to the safehouse and await the convoy of Shock Troopers and Armoured Cars to arrive outside Essen in a few days...then they would attack the HQ...and kill everyone.

Hermann got up from the floor after the blast happened. He saw the Stahlhelm men leave. Men around him were dead or blow apart. He went outside to see the ground soaked in blood. He ran back to headquaters to tell Wilhelm what had been done. Hermann bursted through the door. A couple of men were inside. Reinhard and Wilhelm were talking to each other.

"At the Miner's club a massacre. Those Stahlhelm filth killed 35 men."

Reinhard got up to see what was happening. He heard the story from Hermann. He was down right angry. Wilhelm got up to speak.

"We must take our revenge with swift and a crushing blow to their evil regime. Speard the orders around this headquaters is to be moved to a new location. Also tell the men not to go to any more communist hang outs."

Everyone was cheering. Then everyone was taking down the stuff in the headquaters. Reinhard got up and started to talk to Wilhelm.

"Our spy in the Stahlhelm has told us that Shock Trooper and Armoured cars are coming to Essen. We must take this oppurnity to destroy the men."

Wilhelm's mood changed to a good one.

"You can take any thing you want to destroy it"

Reinhard got up and walked out the door. He was already making a plan.
A day later he was standing in front of a Stahlhelm's officer car. He pulled out a Luger and shot him in the leg. Reinhard then knocked him out. He drove the officer's car into a river. He walked back to the new headquaters in a bunker with the prisoner. He put the officer into a jail cell. The plan was set now the end was near for the Stahlhelm.

Reinhard and a few other men were planting bombs on the road. A hour from now the Stahlhelm men were coming by. The captured officer was on the side of the road. Four machine guns were put on each side of the road. Also 50 men were hiding in bushes and behind trees. Some had Kar98s a couple had Thompsons. Reinhard told the other men to get to their stations. He ran back and waited.

A hour later Reinhard could see them coming. They were only a mile. Away he threw the officer in front of the road. The officer was scared.

"Please help me this was a trap."

The bombs went off blowing up a armoured car and two trucks filled with men. Reinhard started to shoot to. Don't let the cowards escape he thought the officer was running back to the trucks. Reinhard raised his gun and shot him. The machine guns were massacring the Shock troops who came out of the car. Men were plying all over the place. Then Reinhard saw a white flag come up. He walk over. They had surrenered. Reinhard came up to a soldier and asked.

"Who sent you?"

The soldier was very scared and was shaking.

"Please don't kill me!!"

Reinhard asked him again.

"Who sent you?"

The soldier told him.

"A man named Krohl asked for us."

Reinhard raised his weapon and shot him.

"Kill all of the rest of the men. Take anything that is usable in the trucks and take the remaining armoured cars. Blow up the trucks that aren't going to be needed to take the supplies."

The Stahlhelm men were crying they were lead 200 feet away from the road.
"Fire" someone yelled. Men were screaming, running, and crying. Two men escaped. Ruhr's Red Army took the supplies and the remaining armoured cars. As they were driving away a explosion went off. Reinhard looked vere pleased, but worried who this Officer Krohl was. Once he got back to headquaters he was going to look him up.

OOC: You realise now I'm going to send over 100,000 Stalhelm soldiers to Essen to kill every communist sympathizer? Heck we gassed 40,000 of you in one night. There are over half a million Stalhelm soldiers, and more want to join everyday.

In Hamburg 25,000 Stalhelm troops said goodbye to their wives and children as grey and black Opel Trucks drove by their houses to pick up the grey unfiromed veterans and young men with their rifles and machine guns.

Armoured Cars trundled through the streets, drawing crowds of patriotic Germans onto the streets to see them off. Many thought they were heading to Berlin to aid in the fight up there, but the Stalhelm had that covered. Instead, they were going to avenge the massacre of 100 of their Stalhelm brethren from Essen, slain in a cowardly communist ambush as they attempted to bring supplies to sick miners.

They gigantic convoy of trucks and armoured cars left for the outskirts of Hamburg in clumps of 50 and 100 vehicles. It would take them a couple of days to come to Essen, but it would be worth it.



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Krohl put the phone down in the dank kitchen. Some officers stood with him in the small room. "25,000 Men are coming from Essen, they'll be here in a few days." Smiles spread across the faces of each man.

Krohl breathed a pain sigh of slight relief. "We lost nearl 100 men this morning, can't believe the communists had the balls to attack the armoured cars. Lucky those two guys got away, otherwise we'd still think we had support coming. We had better lay low until the Hamburg boys get here. Then, if the reds don't surrender we'll assault the town from all sides. We'll break out of here in civilian clothes to meet up with them when we hear from the Hamburg guys next."

Nightime in the bunker headquaters of the Ruhr's Red Army Wilhelm was looking over some papers. Then Reinhard walked and looked very scared.

"Sir, men in Hamburg told us that 25,000 Stahlhelm men from Hamburg are on their way to Essen. We must tell our men to stay low for the next couple of weeks. Also we must do one more mission tonight. A couple of days before the convoy comes we're going to set explosives and put men to wait to make them go off when the convoy comes."

Wilhelm looked as though someone had stabbed him.

"Well during are meeting I shall tell the men to lay low for a couple of weeks."

Reinhard was very pleased with the job he had now. He got up and went out of a ladder leading up to the main ground. He walked away and went to a old farm house. Two men were waiting with a car. They got in and drove off. Reinhard got his gun loaded and put the safety off. He was going after a Officer named Georg Von Salmuths. They drove up to the normal bar Georg Von Salmuths went to. He walked into the bar and loooked for him. He looked around and found him starting to drink his beer. Reinhard went up to him and pointed the gun up to his back.

"If you don't follow my orders my going to have to kill you. So let's go out to the car waiting for us outside."

The bartender was inside the bathroom and came out to see his customer had left. No one was there yet because the Red Army didn't allow men to come to bars after the massacre at the Miner's Club.

Reinhard threw the offices keys to one of the men. Reinhard put Georg in the back and went into the passagner seat. He blindfolded Georg. The other man in the officer's car was going to put a dead body in the car and run the car off a cliff. He knew that the Stahlhelm going to think that he crashed and his car blew up. Reinhard told the men to leave. So they drove back to headquaters. He put Georg Van Salmuths into a cell. He was screaming yelling. Reinhard took his uniform and gave him some normal cloths. He had a smiled on his face his plan was set into motion.

OOC: A spy in the Stalhelm is a bit of a God Mod. Demo Bobylon's men are much more sophisticated than the Ruhr Red Army, and even they never had a spy in the Stalhelm. Thus I think your last post should possibly be ignored, or changed.

OOC: Thanks for the change.

IC:

At 0500hrs the first Shock Troop recon squads began moving into Essen from the four different set points at which the 25,000 men and vehicles had assembled over the past day.

On three of the four roads bombs were prematurely exploded leading to the deaths of two Stalhelm soldiers. A skirmish took place closer to the city resulting in the confirmed kill of three communist rebels.

At 0730hrs the armoured cars began to roll into the city, followed by trucks with Maxim 08 MG's and 25,000 Stalhelm troops, including 1000 Shock Troops.

The four columns entered the city in four different places, hoping to intersect (as an X would) in the centre of the city at the Municipal Hall. In the suburbs the columns encountered light resistance from rebels running from house to house firing over walls and hedges.

Krohl and his men joined a colum of 5000 Men in the Northern city suburbs and began to push in toward the city centre.

Inside a bunker outside of Essen, Germany. Reinhard was talking to Wilhelm.

"Well it seems like they thought Georg Von Salmuths was dead. Our bombs didn't work. At least our men are going to hide their guns and lay down for a couple of weeks."

They could hear the moving of Georg Von Salmuths. They had captured him and still the Stahlhelm didn't know he was dead or alive. Maybe they didn't like this high ranking officer. Wilhelm dismissed Reinhard. From the intelligence from Georg they were going to create a HQ had the Municipal Hall. Also more intel on this so called Krohl. He used to have the rank of Captain in the 2nd Army like Reinhard did. When Wilhelm questioned about Krohl, Reinhard remembered. He ruled with an iron fist and didn't like failure. During the Battle of Tannenburg he lost a whole platoon, so he was sent back home to a desk job. Georg was going to be kept alive a little while longer.

Reinhard walked to the jail cell were Georg was being kept. He walked in and saw him reading a book. Reinhard wanted to treat this man with respect unlike that swine Luizo Krame. Georg was startled to see Reinhard there. Georg got up and started to talk.

"Have the men come yet?"

"I can't tell you that."

"How come you are keeping me alive?"

Reinhard punched him in the face and gave his food to him. That was for the 10,000 men who were gased. He walked to his room. He had his own room to be at the headquaters at all time. In his room was a desk with papers. His cot with a table and lamp near by. He was reading the book Paradise Lost. He went to his bed took off his boots and thought about that day in Tannenburg.

It was in the middle of August 21 1914 near Frogenau. He got the orders to go forward from Hermann von Francois. They were advancing very rapidly. His Brigade was in the very back. He just got a new Lieutenant, Krohl as he called himself, from the Eighth Army. Then Russian men appeared out of nowhere men were dropping. Reinhard told the men to get down. He heard a "Charge" it was the Lieutenant he led his platoon forward. His men were cutted down by machine guns. They ran back he was the only who made it back.

"Why do you do that Lieutenant? I told my men ot get on the ground. What did you do? Charge. You blew that whole platoon up."

The lieutenant looked very angry. Reinhard told for his men to dig in. He got his radio working. He was calling the HQ of Hermann Von Francois. He found out that there supplies were cut off and they were surronded. Now came a private he told him that two thirds of the Brigade were dead along with his lieutenant colonel. This was going to be a long battle. The night was pretty quiet.

The next morning he got count of men alive in his Brigade. 300 of his men were alive. He had two machine guns. He put them in the front the back of the squared shaped trench. Other men of the 2nd Army had surrenered. Then a yell came. He saw the Russian get ready for a charge. His men were readly for the Russian to come. The Russian charged from all sides. They were dropping like flies. A Russian ran into the trench and was cut into pieces. Somebody threw a grenade. It killed five of his men. The Russian made a retreat. Krohl was clubbing a Russian to death. Reinhard also saw Krohl's knife in a Russian face. Krohl took it out of his face. The rest of the day and night it was very quiet.

The next day the sound of artillery filled the air. Men were moving. The Eighth Army had broken through the night. Once he got back to headquaters they were going to have some R&R. The remaing of his Brigade was going except Krohl he was going to be sent back to a office job. He deserved it after leading and killing half of his Brigade. The last time he saw him was when he loaded up on a train to Hamburg. The Brigade's train was going to Munich.

He stopped thinking about him. He turned off his light and went to sleep.

OOC: My computer's been down with a virus, and a lot seems to have been happening while I was away. I'll try to catch up soon.

OOC: Comstan have you captured one of my men or something? Who's the guy in the jail cell?

IC:

During the early morning the Municipal Hall was a gathering point for incoming Stalhelm troops. They had not been fired at since they began to enter the town. Sandbagged gun emplacements were put up around the Municipal Hall, but the Stalhelm HQ was elsewhere. In fact the HQ was on the outskirts of town. Nobody would find it.

Four Armoured Cars patrolled the streets within a mile of the Hall, the other 21 Armoured Cars held their positions in various places around the city.

Posters were going up all over the city. They read:

[B]STATEMENT FROM THE GERMAN ARMY:

ALL COMMUNIST REBEL FORCES MUST IMMEDIATELY PROCEED TO THE MUNICIPAL HALL TO HAND IN THEIR ARMS AND SURRENDER TO TROOPS STATIONED THERE. ALL WHO SURRENDER WILL BE RELEASED UNHARMED.

ALL WHO RESIST WILL BE KILLED. IF CIVILIANS HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT REBEL FORCES THEN THEY MUST REPORT IT, IF THEY DO NOT THEY WILL BE CLASSED AS REBELS.

YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO COMPLY

ARMY HQ, BERLIN

STALHELM.[B]

OOC: Seeing as a number of days seem to have passed since the battle on Museumsinsel, would it be OK to assume that there is a stalemate in Berlin and fighting is limited to a few minor skirmishes?

IC: KPD Local Headquarters
Karl-Marx-Haus, Brückenstrasse, Trier

The ancient timbered house had been neglected for almost a hundred years now. Now forgotten, not left vacant - there were always plenty of traders willing to use such a prime location in the town - but its past had been forgotten. For 114 years ago, a man had been born within these walls who had changed the nature of history, and today, it was occupied by some of his most fervent supporters.

The house was alive with activity late into the night. Comrade Matthieu Eksen was leafing through the scores of reports coming in from all over the Rhine-Ruhr area. He chuckled as he read some of the intelligence papers.

"Our friends in the Red Army have been keeping themselves busy," he remarked to himself.

On a piece of notepaper, he scribbled the date Freitag, der 12. August at the top of the page, before hesitating. Below this, Eksen wrote just a few words. Only a few were needed.

Order Captain Dorenmann of the Anti-Fascist Front to move his battalion north to Essen. Unite with Ruhr Red Army forces. Counter-attack Essen.

He put down the pen and paper, and yawned. It was reassuring to know that over a century earlier, Frau Marx had given birth to a man who would make history. Eksen liked to think that they were in some way following in his footsteps.

Hamburg Harbour, North Germany

Hundreds of miles north, history was also being made. Captain Goldhagen had for many years been an unemployed sailor, taking what little jobs he could find and then boozing away his money - and wasting it in the Reeperbahn. But now, he had a purpose. A few weeks earlier, Goldhagen had been approached by a member of the KPD and offered a job as commander of their Hamburg forces. The briefing for this mission had arrived from Berlin last night, and he had spent all of yesterday preparing for this act. He knew it could not fail.

A bitter wind was blowing in from the Scandinavian north, sending huge grey waves hurtling against the bow of his small fishing boat. Foamy saltwater spray lept up over the side and onto the deck, stinging the flesh of the crew. There were six on board, all good, strong men Goldhagen had recruited personally. They could be prepared on to complete their mission, even though ominous dark clouds blanketed the sky, stealing the light from the stars, and a storm was brewing out at sea. In fact, it was a blessing in its own way, protecting the little boat from prying eyes as it sped towards its target, through the stinging rain and terrifying waves.

Then Goldhagen saw it up ahead: its sleek, grey hull sliding away into the darkness, the sheer size of the ship hidden by the dim light. It was a thing of both beauty and ugliness. The steel sides were so strong and powerful, and to Goldhagen symbolised the peak of human ingenuity. On the other hand, its ugly grey guns were coming into view, silhouetted against the sky like gravestones. Truthfully, the battleship Schleswig-Holstein was a beast of death.

"Torpedo loaded, aye aye captain," came a call from behind him. Captain Goldhagen turned to smile at the sailor standing behind him. Linus was an old friend, who had fallen on hard times as well recently. The two men stood watching each other before the captain spoke.

"Very well, seaman. Proceed at full speed. Permission to fire given."

"Aye aye. Fire at will!"

It shouldn't have been this easy, thought Goldhagen. The sailors were all onshore, drinking and visiting the brothels in Hamburg's shadier districts. No-one was left manning the look-out or the guns, and in any case, the night's dark blanket would have prevented them from spotting it until it was too late.

The torpedo laucnhed out from the fishing boat with a hissing noise, leaving the boat jaunting in its wake. For what seemed like an eternity, it sped towards the wide, dark hull of the battleship like a shark closing in on its prey until...

It seemed like an anti-climax. A tower of spray shot up into the air, flecked with pieces of shattered metal. There was not so much an explosion as a deep and terrible ringing sound, as the Schleswig-Holstein's hull creaked and shook from the impact. But Goldhagen, an experienced captain, smiled all the same. He knew what damage had been done. The little fishing boat was already returning to base when the great battleship slowly lurched onto one side, with an ear-splitting cacophony of grindings and creaks as metal snapped under the stress. The ship sank below the growing waves to rest on the harbour floor, only its bow showing above the water, and the tiny German flag on it fluttering and tearing in the wind.

OOC: No offense, Demo, but why did you just do that? I don't have any naval forces, in case you thought that ship was a Stalhelm one?

OCC: I captured him a bar a couple of posts ago. He is a officer in the Stahlhelm. I also hope we can hear about Krohl who has a connection to Reinhard. Do your Stahlhelm men have a list of Communist in the area?

The men of the Ruhr's Red Army will be quiet for acouple of weeks. Their guns are hiden in the underground bunker outside of Essen. Also they have been giving the order to not turn on their Communists Brothers. Almost all of Essen supports the Communist Party and will not turn in people.

From Wilhelm Diessman

Captain Nikolas Nireken, the 2nd in Command of the Hamburg Chapter of the Stalhelm stood in the dank little bunker under a plain house in Essen's suburbs. He held in his hand a scrap of paper, a de-facto reply from the Ruhr Red Army Commander. Krohl, also a Captain, stood beside him, with a clean uniform. His chest covered in Grenades, like a typical Trench Raider, his ghostly gas mask hanging on his belt, the Thompson SMG slung over his shoulder.

Nireken stretched his back and looked around the room. Officers were busy making tea, talking to NCO's and studying a couple of city maps taken from the Municipal Hall. Krohl spoke up. "A couple of young reds gave up this afternoon. Walked into the centre, guns above their heads and spat on their red armbands. Couldn't have been older than 17. They're being held in the Municipal Hall, we set out beds there for informers and those who choose to surrender. What does that note say then?"

Nireken nodded a few times and then began to speak in a Prussian upper class accent, the kind Krohl was used to. "Its from Diessmann, their so called leader. Although that sort of usurps Marx's teaching. But then so does human nature, so why argue with them? They're too dumb to understand. He says the town is with the commies. We've been ordered to kill any rebels. Captain, if any of the men have family in Essen, tell them they need to leave by tonight. Tomorrow we move on the town. Anyone still in their houses is hostile and a traitor to Germany. Carry on Captain."

Krohl snapped together with a crisp salute, and grin, both returned by Nierken.

The bunker.

Reinhard woke up to hear the sound of Wilhelm kicking something. Reinhard turned on his lamp to check what was happening. Wilhelm looked very displeased.

"Two young men surrenered today. Atleast they were so low that they didn't know where are HQ was."

Reinhard was shocked to hear that the men he had trained now surrenered. Any man now that surrenered was seen as a coward. Reinhard walked to Stahlhelm Officer's jail cell. He checked the newpapers and found out that they had finally found blown up car of Georg Von Salmuths. He used to be a lieutanant until he was captured acouple of nights ago. Reinhard saw Georg fast asleep. Reinhard went into the armory it was filled with guns and ammo. Before the Stahlhelm came all men were order to bring their weapons here. He wondered why those men had surrenered for a worth cause. He would never near. Reinhard went back to his room to go to sleep.

A mile away from Essen.

Two men had built a watch out tower on a hill. It was built out of trees and was 2/3 underground. They left room so they could see what was happening in the town with binoculars. Also there was a radio to transmit information back to headquaters. One of the men had a Kar 98. He was Otto Lieber. He was sleeping while Freidrich Wagner was looking on watch. They built this place before the Stahlhelm men had come. Everyday since they ate cold food, so that the smoke will not give off their position. The town was pretty quiet. Two more hours it would be Otto's shift.

Now that is just charming most of the SDU dead. I will say half of a company survived. Now I am kind of shady on the latest details but can the Rheichswehr have some troops. Pretty please SH?
Now that I can re-organize my men I will post them here and say were the attacks are going and what not. As much as for your benefit as mine.

Army:
Half a company of Elite SDU now is re-formed under SDU 1
About 5,000 Conscripts
A tank
An Airplane
Two Light Destroyers, The Von, and Rhineland
A Pocket Cruiser, the Köln

Attacks:
Being organized into a readable format.

PPP:
In shambles sharing a moving headquarters with the Rheichswehr (which is wherever whenever.)

So for the most part I am going too have to work too get the Rheichswehr back into a fighting form. If any of this info received is wrong please tell me.

Depressingly enough Germany doesn't have any battleships since the Treat of Blah made naval warships limited too the tonnage of average Cruisers. Thus the makings of "Pocket Battleships" small battleships with everything sacrificed for guns.

Shieldar (how do you spell it?) does not want to get any power what so ever and only wants too have a unified Germany, not under communist control, and him in charge of the military, the best in the world, in his opinion.

So yeah this means I am getting back into this thread.

Total Death Toll for...
Rheichswehr: 1000+
Steel Helmets: 1500+
Civilian: ????
Communists: 1+ (my sense of humor)

OOC: @Hirgizstan - I destroyed the battleship as part of my evil master plan, bwahahahaha. If you want, I can clue you in now, or you can wait and find it out for yourself.

@Moorington - if you want information on what the German army was like in 1932, the Treaty of Versailles said -

The German Army was to be restricted to 100,000 men, there was to be no conscription, no tanks or heavy artillery and no German General Staff. The German Navy was restricted to 15,000 men and no submarines while the fleet was limited to six battleships (of less than 10,000 tonnes), six cruisers and 12 destroyers. Germany was not permitted an air force (Luftwaffe). Finally, Germany was explicitly required to retain all enlisted men for 12 years and all officers for 25 years, so that only a limited number of men would have military training.
As for the attack on Museumsinsel, you can assume around 600 killed/injured professional fighters and over 1500 dead/wounded Soviet militia.

Edit: I've found some more info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichswehr
You can assume forces of -

Ground forces (Reichsheer)
100,000 men. You have seven infantry divisions (well-trained riflemen - what you lack in size, you make up for in skill) and three cavalry divisions. You are only permitted light field artillery, no heavy artillery or tanks.

Air forces (Luftwaffe)
Sorry, they're banned. But you could start secretly re-arming and hope no-one notices.

Navy (Reichsmarine)
About 15,000 sailors. 6 cruisers, 6 light battleships (well, 5 now that I've taken one out) and 12 destroyers. No submarines.

Secret projects
The Reichswehr leadership all always trying to re-arm despite the Treaty of Versailles, and have set up two divisions of riflemen (totalling 20,000 men) under the guise of being non-combatant staff. These are nicknamed the "Black Reichswehr". The army also has operations in Russia: the "Special Group R" can train tank and aviation crews; industrial projects have begun work on poison gas. All these operations are illegal.

Hope that helps! I'll post my own forces soon.

OOC: My forces:

The League of Front Soldiers, 'The Steel Helment', 'Stalhelm'

Leader and PPP Representative: Colonel Theodor Duesterberg

General Info:[B] The Stalhelm is Germany's largest militia force, with over 500,000 recruits and counting. 95% of Stalhelm soldiers are former Army Veterans from the First World War, grizzled, battle hardened and fiercely patriotic. Many of the famed Stalhelm 'Shock Troops' are former Trench Raiders, they are lethal and very brutal, often wearing gas masks to scare the enemy.

Since early 1931 younger recruits to the Stalhelm have been allowed to join and recruitment was doing well in Berlin, is growing steadily in Munich, and in Hamburg and Kiel recruitment moves slowly but constantly.

[B]The main 'Chapter's' of the Stalhelm are as follows:

Berlin- 200,000 men.
100 Armoured Cars
50 Opel Trucks
4 Fokker Bi-Planes

Bavaria-100,000 men
50 Armoured Cars
35 Opel Trucks

Baltic and West Prussia- 25,000 men
20 Armoured Cars
30 Opel Trucks

Munich- 100,000 men
50 Armoured Cars
35 Opel Trucks
1 A7V Sturmpanzerwagen Heavy Tank
2 Captured British made MK IV Tanks

Hamburg- 50,000 men
35 Armoured Cars
30 Opel Trucks

Kiel Commander- 10,000 men (including 5000 Kreigsmarine)
10 Armoured Cars
25 Opel Trucks
5 Fishing Trawlers

350 Stalhelm died in the Berlin battle.
2 Armoured Cars were also destroyed.

Otto had gotten the orders to kill any man from the Ruhr's Red Army that surrenered. Had his binoculars out. He was looking at the Municipal Hall. His Kar 98 was near by to shoot any traitors. It was quiet this morning only acouple of lights were on in the village. Freidrich was fast asleep. Otto hated having this job he wondered when he would leave this place.

The Shock Trooper lay breathing silently. His body didn't move. The grey sack covered his body, the broken window pane and the black of the grey day disguised the barrel and the sight of the elegant Springfield 03 rifle, better than many rifles he had fired before.

He peered out of the building, looking directly at the man with the binoculars. The shot was difficult. There were a few trees in the way, and he could barely see the man over the rooftops, only from his chin up. On millimetre on either side would mean he would give away his position and possibly his life.

He breathed in heavily, shifted slightly and gripped the rifle tighter, repositioning the crosshairs directly over the mans filtrum, just under his nose. The binoculars prevented a temple strike, the filtrum would do, he would drop like water, his spine being cut by the big 03 bullet.

The trooper squeezed the trigger, taking the pressure. The man began to turn with the binoculars...and then there was a crack, like thunder it rumbled out over the virtually silent city, startling birds and turning heads. The trooper had watched as the binoculars fell just as the spray of blood exploded around the mans mouth, and then his head slumped out of view. A confirmed kill.

OOC: @Hirgizstan - So roughly how many Stahlhelm are in the Ruhr-Rhine area?
@Comstan - How can we arrange a rendezvous for our troops? I'm sending 1000 men up to Essen to help you.

My troops

Total Anti-Fascist Front soliders: 23,700
Total Soviet volunteers: 350,000
Total conscripts: 150,000
Total Reichswehr defectors: 1,200

West Germany (the Ruhr, Rhine and Saarland)
4000 Anti-Fascist Front guards
35,000 workers' militia
Other Ruhr Red Army allies

North Germany (including Hamburg)
6000 AFF guards
40,000 workers' militia
20,000 International volunteers

Berlin (inc. Potsdam)
6000 AFF guards
195,000 workers' militia
145,000 conscripts
1200 Reichswehr defectors
1000 AFF guards from Bavaria

East Germany (Prussia, Pomerania and Frankfurt/Oder)
2500 AFF guards
30,000 workers' militia

Bavaria (inc. Baden-Wuerttemburg)
15,000 workers' militia

Central Germany
3000 AFF guards
30,000 workers' militia

IC:

Screams of pain pierced the dawn air, the sky lit up with flares and artillery explosions. The noise of the gunfire was deafening as the troops advanced, tailing a sickly yellow cloud of gas which wrapped itself around its victims in the trenches. The whole world was a sea of blood and pain, terrible noise from every corner, light burning from every explosion. A soldier's senses are most alive when he may soon be dead.

Captain Dorenmann woke with a start, cold sweat dripping down his face. He clutched the rifle by his bunk in reassurance. It had been that dream again. His time serving on the Western Front in the Great War - hah! How could they call it that? - had left him with scars which ran deeper than the flesh. Dorenmann sat back and let the tortured memories wash over him.

It had been the Battle of the Somme, a field soaked in rain, blood mixing in the mud. He had only been the age of his recruits now when he had killed his first man, and seen his best friend killed - ironically, on the same day. Why should a child - yes, he was only eighteen at the time, barely a man - have to see such things? And with the threat of war today, dividing his country, those terrible memories were coming flooding back.

The officer stood up and paced around the barracks. It was almost dawn, and a blood-red beam of light peered over the top of the Neunkirchen hills, just like it had done so many years ago. He knew that in a few hours time, his battalion would have to mobilise and head towards Essen: the order from regional HQ had only come in a few hours earlier, but they would have to leave as soon as possible. That was the way of war.

Dorenmann breathed in the morning air and made his way to the rows of parked vehicles - armoured Rolls-Royces, trucks, stolen civilian cars. He felt the cold metal of their bodywork and smiled to himself. At least, he felt, victory was assured.

OOC: At the moment there are 25,500 soldiers in the Ruhr-Rhine are, all of them centralised around Essen. I have another 25,000 three days away in Hamburg, and 5,000-10,000 in Kiel, two or three days away.

Poland
As the airplanes whizzed around in tighter and tighter circles Theodoric Instiem, Commander of the Luftwaffe, was watching with an appraising eye.
The pilot on the left-most was doing the best and the one on the right the worst. These were the latest version of the Wulf fighter. They were going too be sent in by the end of the month too assist his endangered land based comrades against the red menace.
Genchen Yuburg walked up too him.
"How is the training going", he asked.
Theodoric turned around, "We expect too move out by the end of this month and to retake Berlin. Then we can help the Rhiechmarine."
Being the captain of the pocket battleship Macht des Meeres and was looking forward to working with him. “I will of course be ready any time you say done."

Reeperbahn, Hamburg, North Germany

Captain Goldhagen downed his third brandy of the morning, coughing and spluttering as the fiery liquid burnt its way down his throat. It didn't matter what the others said: last night's victory deserved a drink. He looked around at the other customers in the cheap bar and ordered another.

Suddenly, the door was flund open and his friend Linus crashed in. Nostalgic memories stirred in Goldhagen's alcohol-ridden brain. Ah, good old Linus. Always been a true friend. Was sacked in the mutiny on the battleship Thueringen, if I remember rightly. What's he so excited about?

Linus ran over to the captain, an enthusiastic grin locked on his face. "Haven't you heard? Dresden's been destroyed," he beamed.

A few cogs ticked over in Goldhagen's mind. "The town?" he slurred.

His friend scowled and rolled his eyes as he caught sight of the drink in the captain's hand. It was only 9am, for God's sake. "No," he explained impatiently. "The ship. And the cruiser Breslau."

No light showed in Goldhagen's eyes. Linues sighed.

"There were bombs in their engine rooms, both stationed at the naval base in Wilhelmshaven. Been knocked out of operation for at least two weeks. And you should see this!" Eyes alight, he dragged the drunken Goldhagen from the bar, past the bewildered police officers standing outside the station nearby, and towards the docks. The air was filled with the rank, salty smell as the fish market traders began their Saturday morning business.

There were at least a dozen trucks, more arriving constantly. Out of the back of each poured groups of fresh-faced men, brandishing Tommy guns and wearing the crimson band on their arm like a badge of honour. They were over-running the dockyard, much to the anger and confusion of the sailors, soldiers and assorted policemen around them. Linus flourished a piece of paper in his hand.

"Read," he said simply, and somehow Goldhagen made the blurry letters come into focus.

From Walter Ulbricht, KPD Headquarters

Our comrades in Russia have agreed to aid our cause STOP Supplies will soon be arriving by cargo ship STOP Consignments will include -
20 Po-2 figher-bomber biplanes
12 T-26 light tanks
40 armoured cars
52 field artillery and mortar pieces
16 tonnes of ammunition
A handful of engineers, pilots and soldiers from the Red Army will assist us in training and manufacture STOP You must secure Hamburg harbour for receipt of these deliveries STOP Occupy harbour non-violently, only open fire if fired on first STOP Equipment will then proceed to Berlin and the Rhineland by armoured train STOP
Signed,
Walter Ulbricht

The South Side of Berlin:

As the evening sun descended from it's high perch the little saw sentry of the communists was walking along his designated path, looking back and forth. A shot rang out and the man, without the face, went down. Then came a small force of 50 men, conscripts.

A smaller group of 5 sleeping reds looked up to see an SDU member clutching a automatic. He fired into their midst ripping through them. Another communist solider, El Oomber, discarded the firings as a recent flare up between an individual or two and took no consideration for it until he felt himself falling, going numb all over.

The conscripts and SDU1 continued on going through the rumble. With only their rifles and 1 day of rations they were thickly clothed. To prevent un-necessary noises. Also almost half were equipped with rough silencers which cut the noise by half. Though load did not carry the noise over long distances.

They cam upon the main trenches of the communists. Which were scattered, stopped, and began with no rhyme or reason and promptly threw two grenades per-person into the fox holes. With an gigantic explosion it seemed the whole series of holes exploded. That was about the time some of the more spread out conscripts were flanked.

The communists moved from building to building firing when they have an opening. The conscripts fired on the smaller forces sprinting around. The SDU unit in the center was used as the core unit and fired upon them with their high velocity snipers.

As the communists started to be pinned down and picked off a big contingent of communists soldiers appeared behind them. They immediately cut down the thinly spread conscripts. The commandeer of the SDU1 was totting two pistols and his behind a box as he picked off communists. As the conscripts formed around him the communists from the south (east from their position) attacked again. The SDU1 unit was caught out in the open and 10 went down with their conscript helpers.

By then the conscripts following the SDU1 came down on the communists. Even though well defended too the front most were wide open from the back. They fell killed a batch of communists and broke their spirit, sending them running for their lives. Then they turned too the other communists. They started to fall back towards their lines from the accurate fire hitting all around them (not necessarily killing or hitting them).

As the Rheichswehr started to put the second wave of troops into the attack the SDU1 spear headed the effort. They brang up their secret weapon. Like a shoulder fired mortar it was. Big enough for two men to carry it was called a panzer-shriek. This team was quite new too he weapon but were part of an all volunteer unit. It was the new SDU men and their mission was too live through the engagement.

The Rheichswehr was in short time pinned down by a heavily fortified center. With steel salvaged from who knows were. Then there was no less then 5 machine guns on two stories and a mortar team right behind the structure giving fire-support and pinning them down. The team was called up. Them men pre-pared the weapon....

OOC: Waiting for your guys input...

OCC: Hey Hirgiztan did you kill one of my men in the mountains? If you did delete the post. They have been given the orders to fire on people from the Ruhr's Red Army surrending. Not just random people.

OOC: Comstan, your message was garble, haven't a clue what you mean. I shot a lookout who could see toward the Municipal Hall.

IC:

In a house in the shady suburbs of Hamburg Captain Ernst Krave slumbered deeply beside his wife. Grey uniformed men suddenly burst into the room causing him to sit up suddenly, his wife to shriek with fright. He gained his faculties and shouted, "What the hell are you doing here at this time?"

The two young men snapped to attention and looked out the window at a central point. "The reds are moving into the harbour sir. They say the Soviet Union are going to come and help them. The remaining Stalhelm forces are moving out of the town. We've been ordered to get you out fast. They might know where you live."

Within fifteen minutes Krave and his wife had packed their valuables and clothes and were sherperded into an Armoured Car that tore off into the surrounding countryside. Stalhelm men had been ordered to move out to fall back positions in the countryside. They were moving rapidly with vehicles and trucks, disappearing into the haze of the morning. Leaving behind a few squads of Shock Troopers, the old veterans who smoked like chimneys, said little and had lost everything during the war.

In a quiet Bar near the docks, in a dusty back room full of beer kegs, a few hundred men huddled around, each wearing chests of grenades or machine gun bullets, gas masks up around their ears, helmets hung at their sides, weapons clinking by their belts. They bowed their head in prayer and donned their masks.

The bar was a short walk up a steep cobbled street, leading down to the docks. The men burst out, scaring a few bedraggled sailors. They split up and began to move through the alleyways and adjoining streets. At the dock area they split and began to shoot the reds milling about on the docks, taking the young volunteers by heart-stopping surprise in the early morning gloom. Boats bobbed up and down as the shock troopers tore through the dock area, killing anyone and everyone carrying a gun and wearing red.

A group of shock troopers chased a few reds to the edge, the five men stopped at the sea and surrendered their weapons. One of the Shock Troopers unholstered a trench knife and shoved it through a young commie's eye. He screamed in pain and then went limp and fell backward into the water. The other men were blown off into the water by the other few Storm Troopers.


OOC: I want to bring Italian help into this RP, but i dunno how to considering the guy who runs Italy is probably gone. Any suggestions?

Fredrich woke up to see the dead body of Otto. He had been shot in the head. His own best friend had been killed he was going to take his revenge. Fredrich was crying and he buried Otto. He burned the hideout. Freidrich went to his secert stash of bombs. He stuffed bombs into his jack. Then he went into the town. He ran down the main street. He put his hands in the air. Stahlhelm soldiers were stunned to see their third man to surrenered. Freidrich pulled out two handguns and killed the two guard. He ran and was hit up bullets. Then he bursted into the Municipal Hall. His blood wounds were gushing blood. He started to cry. He heard the Stahlhelm. They bursted inside. Freidrich said.

"This is for you Otto. For the motherland."

The men opened fire on him. Bullets hit him all over. The two Ruhr's Red Army men heard this and started to run but were killed by the Stahlhelm. With the last strength in Freidrich's body he pulled a string to set his bombs. Then he died. The Stahlhelm men came over to the dead body. It was ticking.

The Municipal Hall bursted into flames. The whole building was in ruins. The town people of Essen justed stared and didn't help the Stahlhelm troopers get rid of the fire.

In the morning Reinhard heard that Otto and Freidrich had died. But Freidrich's death was in vain like Otto's. This morning they were going to send out a treaty with the Stahlhelm. Now that Freidrich had blown up the Municipal Hall he got up and threw the treaty away. He was very proud of Freidrich. He was going to be a hero once the Stahlhelm swine left this area.

Hamburg Harbour

The dockyards were in chaos; bullets flew through the air, claiming the lives of anyone unfortunate enough to be in their way; a fuel depot burst into flame and set light to a nearby warehouse, clouding the morning air with thick black smoke.

At once, the communist forces returned fire, spraying their machine-guns wildly at the attacking shock troopers. But in the confusion, they did not know who was the enemy, and many volunteers fell with their own comrades' bullets in their backs. To add to the chaos, a contingent of police officers opened fire with their pistols and rifles, killing both Stahlhelm and communists. The docks were filled with screaming men and women running for their lives.

The Shock Troopers filled with blood rage, seeing their comrades fall they discarded their rifles and launched a kamikaze style attack using their M1911A1 Pistols and trench knives, kicking, stabbing and shooting anyone not going in their direction.

Smoke engulfed the streets from a nearby fire. People all around gagged on the acrid black fumes. But the Shock Troopers never wavered, their gas masks protecting them from the fumes. They pressed on, tearing into the huddled communists trying to see through the searing black smoke, they barely saw the knives as they cut them to pieces in the gloom.


OOC: So what about the Italian help?

IC:

In Essen the Municipal Hall still burned. Ten Stalhelm men had died in the firey blast. The blaze continued with the Stalhelm outside warming themselves by the gigantic blaze.

In the suburbs Nireken and Krohl stood bellowing orders at a few Liutenants nearby. They stopped for a second to consult each other. Nireken began hurriedly, "We'll let it be known that unless civilians tell us where the rebels are then they'll all die. Ten of our men died today, thousands of theirs will die tomorrow." Krohl nodded, he didn't need to say anything.

Around the city Stalhelm patrols began to put up yet more posters:

PEOPLE OF ESSEN:

THE REBELS ARE TRAITORS TO GERMANY.
THEIR SENTENCE IS DEATH.
WE ARE THEIR EXECUTIONERS, IF ANY CIVILIANS DO NOT TELL US WHERE THE REBELS ARE THEN THEY ARE ALSO TRAITORS TO THE MOTHERLAND, AND WILL BE DEALT WITH AS SUCH.
ANY CIVILIANS WHO DO COME FORWARD WILL BE SPARED AND TREATED AS GERMAN PATRIOTS.

MAKE YOUR CHOICE.

OOC: It is very fun too post too a leader-less communist force.
IC:

Berlin- South Side:

As the SDU1 unit mopped up the communists in the back the panzer-shriek blew the outpost off of the face of the world. A crater was all that was left. As they advanced they came upon a trench filled with weapons and rations. Apparently the communists had fled too a more defensible location.

Von Homer, an original SDU1 member pulled out a map, about another (5-10?) miles till they reached the river and the bridge. He made the proper signals and then they moved out. He picked up his sniper rifle, which he got too use on two hidden machine gun nests along the way. The conscripts meet resistance along the way on the right. It was another machine gun nest. He propped up the gun and as the sights crossed over a man's face with a red-star banner on it he gently tugged on the trigger. The man's face and him were now in to different places. He moved over to the other two and shot one through is heart and the other through the arm. He was finished by a conscript and his knife. Von Homer pulled out his knife and cut 2 more notches on his wooden grip to accompany the other 6.

They continued along and with a roar the ground before the more forward conscripts exploded lifting them off their feet and killing 12. Then rifle fire ripped in from the left and right with mortars and a machine gun nest from the front. The conscripts fell into shambles after a few seconds and the SDU1 quickly found cover. The more precise fire of the Rheichswehr started taking the communists down. The fire on the left and right faded off as their weapon holders were shot. The machine gun in the front took longer. With two others on the left and right flanking it in the back a grenade runner was out o the question. Then a conscript stood up and ran with five grenades, live, on him and he started flinging them to random directions. He managed too get to the left flanking nest and threw a grenade in. He then pulled up his gun and shot into the men of the front nest. With blood through out the bunker he went in and pulled the machine gun around and shot in, though, and around the right nest killing the communists.

As the conscripts were pulling back into a circle and getting their wits Von Homer went off with his trusty rifle too get some more notches. He crawled along once outside their eye-sight and go into a nice hollow, a part of the basement too a mansion. He brought his scope up to look. Across the way was a group of men chatting around a fire. They were un-interesting save for the fact that they all were un-concerned about the Soviet Flag in their midst. What got Homer's attention was they stood at attention the second another man, escorted by two nerdy-looking aides, came into view. Smiling Homer brought his scope up..... Pup, with an anti-climatic pop the colonel and then his two aides fell on the ground bleeding. The men immediately ducked and went over too save the colonel. Homer picked one of the men off then another as they both tried too scurry towards him. One of the aides tried to get up but Homer put him out of his misery. The communists in hiding were at this time gesturing at a totally wrong location, thinking he was hiding there, the men and another detachment "pinned down" an invisible person and then threw a grenade in. With an explosion the house exploded. Homer put their cheers too a short stop by killing each and every one of the communists. With 10 more notches to his rifle homer returned too the conscripts.

OOC: Hey Moorinton, i have 20,000 troops under Major Nize in a Volkspark on the south side of Berlin, and a further 170,000 in a larger Volkspark in the North of City, feel free to hold up there and re-arm etc if you need to. I'm sure if you ask the Stalhelm there they'd be all to happy to help your men.

OOC: Thank you I will use them wisely. Can I recruit SDU members from the Steel Helmets? Since I have about 1 company of them.

A convoy of trucks rumbled up the Steel Helmet camps all over Berlin and the surrounding countryside (if there are any). The Steel Helmets were skeptical of these Rheichswehr men when they showed up. They 'expressed' their doubts in a somewhat verbal way... "Finally decide to join this party you bunch of mother-" (lets end there....)
All doubts stopped as boxes were passed out and the Steel Helmets opened them and found the necessities of life. Cigarettes, coffee, ammo, rifles, ammo, and sugar. There was a cheer as these were passed out the members. As the last boxes were passed out and the Rheichswehr trucks left there were some Steel Helmets coming back over too meet their new found comrades.

OOC: Yes, recruit some Shock Troopers, they're the most brutal and well trained.

IC:

Major Nize watched as his men cajoled and joked with the newcomers. The Reichswehr men looked tired and bedraggled, they'd been through hell and back the past few days and weeks. They were safer inside the Stalhelm camps. The communists weren't dumb enough to attack them.

Sweets, coffee, and cigarettes were handed out over jokes and pats on the back, for the first time in days the men looked happier.

"Aufmerksamkeit! Gewehre oben! You are now the most widely known unit in the whole of Europe. The fabled SDU 1,2,3, and 4. I know you are thinking about your families," continued Homer, "but we need to show the world that communism is not the answer. The answer is Phasen sehnen sich das Kaiser! Without patriotics fighting the communists we, Germany, would fall and be just another country in the fabric of history but if we fight, if we fight! We, no the world! Will know that Germany can overcome the world if need be, much less a rebellion of little peasants."

And with a cheer the men, the new SDU 1,2,3 and part of 4 were re-established with the best of the Rheichswehr, meaning the best supplies Germany could have.

OOC: Yeah, feel free to RP supplies from Italy. I couldn't finish my post last time.

Hamburg

Goldhagen drew his pistol and fired a few rounds wildly at the figures approaching him: surprisingly, one shock trooper fell, shouting and clutching his leg in pain. The captain was suddenly dragged off his feet and thrown into the shelter of a nearby doorway - it was Linus.

"Come on," he hissed. "Our reinforcements from the workers' collective will be here soon." Around them, police were engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with a platoon of furious Stahlhelm. Linus shook his head. "'Only open fire if fired on first,'" he muttered under his breath.

But trench knives are no match for rifles and machine-guns, and the Anti-Fascist soldiers were quickly recovering from their initial surprise. Trucks roared into life, and soldiers leaning out the back picked off the attacking shock troopers. Gradually, the gunfire died down, and a terrible scene was left. Blood ran in rivers from dozens of murdered communist recruits; smoke drifted over the empty market stalls; the Stahlhelm lay contorted in death, their gas-masks locked in a twisted grin. Linus spoke again in a low voice. "We've got to get moving," he said. "The shipment will be arriving soon."

Red Town Hall, Nikolaiviertel, Berlin

Walter Ulbricht stared at the blueprints in front of him for what seemed like an eternity. They still made no sense to him. "Explain please, comrade," he said wearily.

Otto, the engineer, coughed hesitantly. "I believe those plans are the new design for the T-28 tank," he explained patiently. "Medium size vehicle, well-equipped. Fine piece of work," he added, his eyes glazing over in admiration. "Production in Russia is just starting, but we've been sent prototype plans to test their combat efficiency."

"Good, good," replied the party leader, still not quite sure he understood. Suddenly, a distant boom shook the building. "What's that?" Ulbricht yelled.

A colonel answered him: "Looks like the army is attacking some of our scouts."

"Well, do something!" Walter yelled incredulously.

The colonel saluted and barked down a radio. "Companies D, L and M report to the north bank of the Spree and reinforce your position. Open fire on anything not in our colours."

SECRET TELEGRAM

REPUBLICA D'ITALIA

ITALIAN AMBASSADORS OFFICE, BERLIN

To: Colonel Duesterberg

Sir, as per your request some weeks ago the Duce has seen fit to aid you in your cause. 10,000 troops stationed on the Austrian border will enter Germany in a few days. We understand you have forces there who can meet with our forward elements. They will be under your command in strategic terms.
We have also received intelligence from sources in the USSR that they are sending supplies via the Baltic, and we have dispatched submarines and destroyers to stop Russian shipments into Germany.
The Duce is also thinking of assigning an Aircraft Carrier to the port of Bremerhaven, but needs British approval. He is concerned about having a communist state on Italy's doorstep and will do everything in his power to stop this from happening.

REPUBLICA D'ITALIA

Wilhelm was getting up to send his letter for the total surrered for the Ruhr's Red Army. It stated

All men report to the Stahlhelm for surrenring. The cause means something, but I rather surrered than let the whole town be killed. To Stahlhelm we will surrener if you let my men live and won't kill me. Also we will all surrenered in the main plaza. We will not put up any fight. Please answer soon.

From the Leader of the Ruhr's Red Army,
Wilhelm Diesmann

Wilhelm gave the letter to the a messager. The messager went into the main square and read the message aloud. He was going to have to wait to get the Stahlhelm's answer.

Krohl got the letter first as he was standing outside watching the sun go down behind the trees, wondering what tomorrow would bring. He was lighting up another thin cigar when a flustered looking Private ran up and thrust a note at him. He eyed the young man up, obviously one of the newer 'green' recruits. The note made Krohls eyes light up and he ran back inside, down to the basement of the small house where Nireken was sleeping on a small chair. He jolted awake as Krohl jumped down the few steps.

"Jesus, what is it Krohl? You scared the shit out of me. Have the reds attacked us?"

Krohl thrust the note at Nireken, "No, they've done the opposite, they're surrendering!"

Nireken snapped the note out of Krohls hands and read it himself. "Christ...I hope this is real. It better not be a trap, or so help them God..."

Nireken grabbed a field telephone and hurriedly wound it up. He got through to the outpost at the Municipal Hall. "This is Captain Nireken, relocate the bulk of your men to the Main Plaza, set up a POW collection point and prepare to receive the surrender of the Ruhr Red Army. Do not, I repeat do not, harm any of them. When their leader identifies himself and you confirm send him with a car to the HQ here. Orders for the POW's will follow once i have consulted with their Leader. Nireken out."

The main bulk of Stalhelm forces in the city centre began to converge on the Plaza to set up MG's, Armoured Cars and sandbags and to set up tables and barbed wire to identify and hold POW's. New announcements went up over old ones around the city.

TO THE RUHR RED ARMY:

YOUR SURRENDER WILL BE ACCEPTED.
NO SURRENDERING FORCES WILL BE HURT OR MISTREATED. ALL MUST REPORT TO STALHELM FORCES AT THE PLAZA, AND MUST PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION PAPERS AND HAND IN ANY AND ALL WEAPONS.

STALHELM

In the afternoon the man came by the hundred's with their Identification
papers. Only a dozen had weapons all the other weapons were hidden in the bunker. Every single man had their hands up. Some of the men were taking to old friends that they had fought along in the great war.

Wilhelm and Reinhard had Identified themselves they had also given up Georg Von Salmuths. Some of the Stahlhelm were shocked to see Georg. They thought he had died and a car crash. They rushed over and took him back to headquaters. Wilhelm and Reinhard got into their car and were taken to HQ. They walked in and saw Krohl and Nireken. Wilhelm was going to plan the surrender with Nireken. While Reinhard was going to talk to his former Lieutanant. Reinhard and Wilhelm heard the door shut and walked to Krohl and Nireken.

Nireken stepped forward, glancing at Krohl who had fixed his gaze on Reinhard. Nireken decided to break the silence, "So Gentlemen, what are your terms, if any?"

Reinhard looked at the stunned face of Krohl's. Wilhelm started to talk. "We want to have 10,000 of your men to leave and a cease fire between are parties. We have also given back Georg Von Salmuths an officer of your party." Reinhard talked to Krohl. "Are you surprised to see your old colonel woking with your enemy?"

Krohl glared at Reinhard and then spat at his feet before saying, "Hell no, always knew you were a bedfellow with the reds, you didn't want me to charge at Tannenberg. Hell, we wouldn't have won against those dirty peasants if you were running the show. Its a pity you surrendered, I would have shot you for treason myself."

Nireken stepped in to stop any fighting. "We will leave 10,000 men here and leave with 15,000, but there is one problem. We, the Stalhelm, carry the powers of the police, under General Von Scleicher's decree. You broke the law by rising against the National Government, that makes you and your men traitors. How are we to resolve this situation without sending a message to other groups that they can get away with your sort of behaviour?"

Wilhelm was gladed that Nireken had stepped in to stop the fighting. "We will build the Municipal Hall and help build barracks for the men staying here."

Reinhard glared right back Krohl. "YOU DIDN'T FOLLOW ORDERS. I TOLD THE MEN TO GET DOWN WHAT DID YOU DO. CHARGE. You led a charge which killed 2/3 of my bridage. Plus we couldn't have won. Those Russian bastards were all around us and are supplies were cut off. But now that's in the past. Now we must make peace." Reinhard was so mad he could've punched Krohl if Wilhelm wasn't there. But he put his hand out to shake Krohl's

Krohl smacked Reinhard's hand away and stormed out of the building.
Nireken turned to Reinhard, "I wouldn't offend him further. I was a sniper at Tannenburg, I saw the charge and was privy to what HQ thought about Krohl's behaviour. They wanted you stripped of command, and were thinking of giving Krohl promotion to Captain, which he got later on anyway. Heck, I watched him charge for christ sake, and watched you sit on your ass while he and his men got torn to pieces. You were a coward, plain and simple, and now your a traitor, so think yourself lucky you aren't dead."

Nireken again was left to mediate alone he turned to Wilhelm again, [I]"Yes, a barracks and new Municipal Hall would surely benefit the city of Essen. But, we need complete confirmation that no latent cells of communist agitators are still active. Can you confirm this completely?"

Hamburg

The deep, sonorous horn of the freighter blasted through the air as it came in to dock. Communist soldiers were frantically running up and down the docks, preparing the machinery to unload it and guiding the great ship in: one false move and a hole would be torn in its steel hull. Great metal letters twenty feet high proclaimed its name - Ленин.

As soon as it had docked, the troops began unloading the cargo with frightening speed: who knew when the Stahlhelm or the police would attack again? Goldhagen froze as he saw a new machine unloaded, covered in armour plates and with two menacing turrets. He found himself looking down the barrel of a 37mm gun and shuddered.

"Away!" yelled the commissar by his side, and the tank was carefully loaded onto a waiting train carriage, almost as heavily armoured as the tank itself. The official turned to speak into his radio, "Hello? Red Army control in the Ruhr, are you there? We are sending additional supplies, including tanks and armoured vehicles. You will not have to hold out for much longer."

With a whistle, the train departed, carrying its load at high speed towards the Ruhr.

OOC: The T-26 and T-28 can be looked up on Wikipedia. Around 40% of the weaponry is going to the Ruhr-Rhine area, the rest is going to Berlin by boat and then train. But of course, you don't know this. ;)

Reinhard looked angry and stormed out of the building. Wilhelm looked surprised to see Reinhard so angry. Wilhelm began the talk with Nireken again.
"I have a list of men in the Ruhr's Red Army I will check who is not on the list. My men are very loyal to me and will surrender. Also what is this rivialry between Reinhard and Krohl? It seems pointless to me because I wasn't at Tannnenburg. Also I must be going soon to get to some matters."

Reinhard stormed out and went the main plaza. He remembered his brother Freidirich who gave his life to the cause. He saw all of the Ruhr's Red Army out in the plaza. Reinhard remembered what Krohl had done to Russian prisoners. Reinhard was sick of this. He got into a bicycle and rode up to his mountain house and he never wanted to come back to Essen.

Nireken nodded and walked Reinhard out into the early morning to see him off to his business. He then jumped into a field car and prepared to go and oversee the surrender of the communists.

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Major Niels Bohr stood beside the rickety old motorbike on the main road into Austria from Munich. He had watched a few cars and bikes go past, but the numbers, few as they were, dwindled to nothing at the onset of darkness. He stood crunching gravel by the roadside, wearing civilian clothes, just a guy waiting on a freind or a lover from Austria.

Around midnight he heard the roar of engines and the whistles of officers, soon he could make out the distinctive crunch of boots on tarmac. Then he saw the lights, huge as they were, coming toward him slowly but surely.

A strange looking armoured car drew up beside him, and out jumped an immaculately dressed Italian Army Officer in green uniform with a black cap. He spoke German with a lighter accent, "Major Niels Bohr I presume?"

Niels shook the mans hand and waited for his name, "Good to meet our German brethren at last. I'm Lt. General Nunizo Zorini, 2nd Heavy Infantry Regiment, all the way from Milan. We've brought 20 Fiat 3000 Light Tanks, 10 Fiat 2000 Heavy Tanks and 30 of our new Carro Veloce CV33. We have 10,000 Heavy Infantry and 50 Armoured Cars. The Duce may also send us planes and more soldiers if we need it. Now, Major, were are we to go?"

Niels was almost dumbfounded as he watched the immensely huge tank transporter trucks drone past with beastly metal behemoths riding on the back, armoured cars began to drift past, with trucks filled with soldiers, field cars and artillery trailing behind. The convoy seemed to stretch all the way back to Austria, and then some. Niels shook his head and turned to the Lt. Colonel, beaming like a happy drunk, "Your off to Berlin and the Ruhr sir."

Munich, Bavaria

The major listened intently to the most recent intelligence report from the scouts. It was worrying news. 10,000 well-equipped Italian troops had crossed the border and were heading towards their position. Finally, the major had had enough and interrupted: "That's it. We'll have to withdraw."

The scout gasped audibly, but his senior paid him no heed. "The Bavarian People's Army will cover our retreat: telegram Ernst Toller immediately. All Anti-Fascist Front fighters must be evacuated by train at midnight, and will be redeployed in Germany. Are the railway workers still supporting the general strike?"

The scout nodded feebly.

"Then they'll resist the mobilisation of the Italians: that should slow them down for a few days, unless they want to walk to Berlin. Tell them to saboage the engines and the rails if they have to, I don't care. But I want everyone out of Munich tonight."

"But sir!" Somehow the pale-faced scout had found the strength to object. "Munich is our nation's second city, we can't hand it to the fascists!" He blushed at having reprimanded a senior officer. The major snorted.

"Don't you think I know that? Find a team of volunteers and burn any munitions factories in the region. To the ground. We still have the element of surprise: the Italians don't know that we know, and we can take advantage of that."

The scout turned to go, when the major seemed to have one last thought. A light burning in his eyes, he added, "And radio in for some Po-2s. Land them outside the city - we don't want the enemy knowing about them yet."

The main Army Barracks in Munich, now the Stalhelm HQ for the city, was quiet as usual. Most of the unmarried men slept in the basement floors, where it was warm. Some were still at the bar. A couple of worried looking workers went into the administrative area and flagged down the nearest officer, a Liutenant named Krone, who was on the night shift. He recognised the two men and saw the worried look on their faces, "Christian, Gerhard, whats the matter?" The two looked at each other, before one of them spoke.

"We've just come from the Munich Munition Works, as you know we work there, and nobody knows we're Stalhelm. We were told about a wildcat strike to take place tomorrow, there was talk the factory was to be burned, something about the Italian Army was mentioned."

Krone looked worried, he bit his lip and took the two men to his office, and sat them down. "Listen men, the Major is leading 10,000 Italian soldiers to Munich tonight, they're going to be used to press back red rebels in other parts of the country. Now tell me, are they planning to burn the factory?"

Gerhard spoke up, "If I was a betting man sir, I'd bet the factory would be rubble by tomorrow."

Krone lifted a phone by his desk and spoke a few words. An alarm went off in the base. He stood up and told the two men to get down to the barracks and get their weapons and uniforms.

Thirty minutes later 2000 Stalhelm soldiers marched out of the barracks complex, some in trucks, some in armoured cars, they split into columns of 500 men and marched toward the main industrial sites in the city, they would secure the munitions factories by the morning.

OOC: This is such a good RP, its like a game of chess or something. There's a move and then a counter-move, just like a good RP should go.

Platzl Nitrogen Fixation Works, Munich

If anyone had asked Inke what he did, he undoubtedly would have replied that he was a terrorist. And what's more, he was one of the best in Europe. During his time as a sapper on the Western Front, he had received an education in explosives - or applied chemistry, as he called it. A few carbons, a handful of hydrogens and a sprinkle of oxygen, and Inke could bring hell on the right place. He had learned how to put his kills into practice with the Bavarian People's Army. What set him apart from the rest was not that he was a terrorist, but a professional terrorist.

He was here to prove his professionalism. The Platzl Nitrogen Fixation Factory was the largest industrial works in Munich, stretching for miles along the river bank. It supplied thousands of tonnes of ammonia each day, destined for the bombs and bullets of the enemy. It had supplied Inke too, during the Great War, and he had learnt a great deal about how it worked. If he had planted the TNT beneath the methane intake pipe correctly, the resultant explosion should flatten the factory.

From a safe distance, Inke puffed on his cigarette and waited for the fireworks. He always took pride in his work, and never wanted to miss the big display. He counted down the seconds on his pocket watch.

Right on cue, a huge orange fireball burst up out of the ground, roaring like a ferocious beast. Even from this distance, Inke could feel the searing heat on his face, the compacted air like a punch in its strength. As the flames billowed up into the night sky, constantly fuelled by a supply of new gas, the fire spread to the ammonia storage tanks. This is what Inke had been waiting for. With an ear-splitting explosion and a blindingly brilliant blue light, hundreds of tonnes of liquid ammonia ignited in a split second. Burning orbs of fire were flung up into the air, only to crash down onto the roofs of neabry factories, sending liquid fire spreading over the buildings.

Within minutes, the entire industrial sector on this area of the river was in flame, burning with an intense heat which boiled the river water and left poisonous balck smoke hanging over the city. Every now and again, the roaring of the flames was punctuated by sharp explosions as the ammunition stores caught fire. Shouts and gunshots were coming from a convoy of cars, approaching across the bridge, but Inke didn't care. He smiled at a job well done, and set off towards the train station. Tomorrow, he would be somewhere else, with another mission to complete.

The huge explosion stunned the four Stalhelm groups moving through the city. The group headed toward the Fixation Works were at the bridgehead when the wqhole factory went up. A shout from the Officers told the men to adorn their gas masks. They would wait until the fire engines, which were wailing in the distance, would arrive, before plotting another move.

The lesser factories in the city, upwind from the factory were silent and dark, the Munich Munitions Works and other Government factories were taken successfully by the Stalhelm groups, but the cloud of smoke over the city reminded them that it was a battle won, with heavy losses in industrial terms.

In the dead of night, an series of trains began to leave Munich Hauptbahnhof, covered by the chaos caused by the fires. As they were sped away to the relative safety of the north, the major explained his plan to his top-ranking officers.

"We have 10 Po-2 aircraft being flown in: now that we have the designs, it's cheap and easy to make some more," explained a technical aide.

"Tell me about these aircraft," said the major.

"Well," began the aide, "They're actually used as crop-dusters, but their reliabilty and good performance means that they are perfectly good as fight-bombers. The biplane has a crew of 2, although 1 can fly it, and a maximum load of 250kg, although - "

The major's eyes were burning with excitement. "Wait!" he cried, interrupting the technician. "Did you say crop duster?"

"Well, yes."

"Then I have a plan. As you know, Bavaria is Germany's bread basket, a rich land of agriculture. If we must retreat, institute a scorched earth policy. I want volunteer pilots to blanket the fields with petrol and set them alight: harvest time is upon us, and we must starve out the enemy. Spray them with petrol, poison, anything - just don't let the Italians take hold of them."

There was shocked silence at this bold idea. It was horrific, yet...genius. The more they thought about it, the more the officers were convinced it had to be done. As a sergeant got up to radio in and make the arrangements, his major added one last thought.

"What colour are the Italian Air Force?" he asked nonchalantly.

The sergeant's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure, comrade, but I can find out. Why do you want to - " He trailed off, his eyes wide in realisation as he understood the major's glare.

"You know what you have to do," replied the major, as the train sped silently onwards through the countryside.

OOC: You can look up the Po-2 on Wikipedia as well.

Reinhard told Wilhelm that the all the men were there. Wilhelm gave the report to Nireken.

Reinhard looked at his mountain house after riding his bicycle for five miles. It was very old and was passed down threw his ancestors. Reinhard opened the door. The house looked like it hadn't been used for a year. Reinhard went inside and unloaded his stuff. He went into his cellar and was looking for something. He looked behind a cabinet. He found a sniper rifle. The sniper rifle had ammo near it. Reinhard grabbed the ammo and sniper rifle. He went back upstairs and put it inside his bedroom. Inside his suitcase were two handguns and grabbed them and put them inside his hoslters. He was ready for some killing. He went outside to see two of his most loyal men here. Heinrich and Hans. Hans carried a .50 cal machine gun. Heinrich carried a sniper rifle. They load up a car with ammo and other supplies and were off.

Reinhard left a letter at Nireken's desk.

"Dear Nireken,

I have not given up on my cause to fight. So I have decide to help you in a very good way. A two men named Heinrich and Hans are coming with me to go to Bavaria to fight the communist there. Don't tell Wilhelm about this. I must fight to make Krohl believe that I wasn't a bedfollow with the communist and that was the best choice I could have made in the battle. We are on are way there now. Tell your Stahlhelm men to not shoot us. Also tell the Italians not to shoot us. We are going to be hiding in this coordinates. We will cause chaos by planting bombs and shooting people."

From
Reinhard Speer

Nireken found the letter some hours arriving after arriving back at the HQ, he was puzzled by it. Such a change of heart for what was seemingly a die hard communists. He had already informed the Munich Chapter about the possible arrival of some agitators, and not to shoot them. Krohl saw the note too and was on his way to Munich to see this for himself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

OOC: Demo, when are you starting the whole crop dust thing? I want to be ready to shoot some down with Italian AF planes. Just tell me when you plan to RP it so I can get a little info on Italian Planes of the inter-war period.

IC:

Bohr was sitting on the top of an Italian tank with a young Sergeant in impeccable overalls. Both were smoking cheap Italian cigarrettes and talking in a strange pidgeon-Gerital mix of language. A Stalhelm aide came in and handed a note up to Niels.

STALHELM, BERLIN

To: Major Bohr
From: HQ

Major, informants at a Munich train station have seen communists pulling out of Munich in a large train. Appears to be un-armoured. We are dispatching a surprise for them. Send scouts along the tracks in the morning to see what the damage is. Say hello to our Italian freinds from everyone in Berlin!

STALHELM HQ


At the makeshift airfield outside Berlin the Krahne brothers took off in their beloved Fokker biplanes. Both wore gas masks and beneath grinned like cheshire cats. Underneath the belly of the planes, usually where the fertilizer canisters went, were attached two large brown canisters with skulls on the front. Phosgene Gas canisters.

Before 3pm the two planes droned over the main rail-track from Berlim-Munich. They spotted the train coming toward them and depressed a lever on their cockpit controls. Immediately a sickly greeny-yellow mist began to pour out from behind the two aircraft. Some enterprising communists fired at the two planes from the engine car, but it was too late, the planes flew down the length of the huge train, blanketing it in a masque of death. Soon the occupants' lungs would fill with a bubbly green liquid, their eyes would roll back and their faces would contort in disgusting ways, until they died, drowing in the fluid from their own lungs, unable to breath air, only death.

OOC: The crop dusting is set to take place at dawn. But the Po-2s will be painted in the colours of the Italian Air Force, as hinted at in my last post, to a) Fool the enemy and b) keep the communist involvement secret. Also, I've updated my post showing the positions of my troops.

IC: Bavaria

Inke sat back in his seat and grinned, turning to look out of the train window at the countryside hurtling by. He couldn't help but feel satisfied at the night's work: it was just before dawn, and Munich would soon be waking up to devastation, courtesy of himself. It had been a great success.

Suddenly, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. That couldn't be a Fokker VII, could it? He hadn't seen those since the war, and he thought all of the remaining planes had been destroyed. But there it was again, swooping lower, and this time he was sure of it. The sound of gunfire came from carriages behind him, and it was then Inke realised he was in trouble.

There was a stampede as the panicking troops rushed to escape: some jumped off the train, the unlucky ones landing awkwardly with a bone-shattering crunch, or being strafed with machine-gun fire from above. A cloud of sickly green gas enveloped the carriage, and Inke felt his lungs burning and fluid suffocating him. As his life drained away, his only thought was of what a great chemistry lesson he was being taught in his final moments.

OOC: That's irony for you!

IC: Weimar Hauptbahnhof

The major tapped his watch impatiently and snorted at the officers around him. All avoided his sight, too embarassed to admit the failure in planning. Eventually, the major broke the silence.

"Where is the last train?" he roared, despite the fact that he knew not to expect an answer. There were a few coughs, before one lieutenant spoke up.

"They were last sighted half-an-hour ago, when a scout reported seeing planes in the air. He was unable to identify the type. It's possible they've been ambushed."

The major seemed to take this with surprisng good grace. "We'll have to move on without them. We cannot afford to wait."

Essen, West Germany

To an untrained eye, the hills seemed empty and lifeless; a quiet, peaceful time as sunrise send the early light spilling over the dips and valleys of the country. Yet it was not so. A battalion of Anti-Fascist Front guards was secretly beseiging the town, lying in wait for their moment to strike. That moment was now.

Captain Dorenmann, clad in camouflage outfit, turned as a messenger tapped him on the shoulder, clutching a telegram in his hand. He saluted smartly and handed over the message, reciting it as Dorenmann scanned the words.

"The new supplies are in place: 5 T-26s, 16 armoured cars and 20 artillery pieces. The two other battalions are waiting. Your order is to attack the south side of the city."

The captain nodded, and whispered an order into his radio. "All units attack. Send the armoured cars forward first, do not advance too far and keep close to my command group." He was about to turn off the radio when he uttered the words the battalion were waiting to hear - "Good luck."

Bavaria

It was a beautiful dawn as the 10 biplanes swooped low over the land, speeding towards their mission. The sun glinted off the carefully painted insignia of the Regia Aeronautica, and the planes turned off their engines and glided down on their descent. Golden light caressed fields of golden corn, so that they seemed to be alight with the flames of the rising sun. In just a few seconds, the golden fields were burning with real fire.

By the time the fields were burning, the cereal crackling in the heat, the planes were already in the next valley; spraying their incenditaries or strafing at livestock.

OOC: Not much for me to RP off here. I'll wait for Comstan before I make another post. And the gas wouldn't have cleared from around the train yet, so no point in doing a scout mission yet.

OOC: You could always RP the defence of Essen. Comstan really chose an annoying moment to surrender, I'll need his support in the Ruhr.

Reinhard and his men were building outpost near Munich. It was small, but big enough to fit two men for sleeping a .50 cal machine, two sniper rifles, and ammo. Hans was putting his machine gun on the slit in the outpost. Heinrich look out at the town with binoculars. Reinhard had his sniper rifle ready to kill. The Bavarian's People Army was about to get some hell. Reinhard rememeber Ernst Toller when he came to Bavaria one time. He was coming out of a building. Reinhard took an aim on him. He shot the gun. Ernst's body fell to the ground. Men went over to see what had happen. Ernst had died. They took his body off some where. Reinhard was pleased that he kill the leader of the group. He put the sniper rifle away and sat and waited.

OOC: There's nobody in Essen yet?

IC:

The small pair of motorbike's drifted lazily up the road beside the train tracks. The two soldiers wore overcoats, helmets and gas masks.

The train was extensive. Each cabin filled with death. Amazingly it had ground to a halt without incident, and the motorbikes rode quickly back toward Munich to deliver the news, dodging between bicckering farmers on the road, something about devistating crop dusting was the issue.

OOC: Didn't you say you had 15,000 men in Essen? Captain Dorenmann's battalion (the one that were involved at the stand-off at the Neunkirchen mine) is attacking the city from the south. They are equipped with light artillery, mortars and armoured cars.

OOC: 25,000 men actually, the first 10,000 haven't left the city yet.

IC:

From the south of the city the heavy stamp of mortar and artillery fire could be heard. On a forested ridge overlooking the southern quarter of the main city sat a Stalhelm detachment. There were 100 men in total, including 25 Shock Troopers, hung with grenades, adorned with gas masks and wearing the heavy blue tanks of Flamethrowers, cradling the long arm of the launcher in their arms. 20 snipers equipped with Kar 08 and Springfield rifles kept a lookout over the advancing artillery, being 'stepped' into the town.

Further down the road they could see the communist troops amassing in their new-found armoured cars. The shock troopers smiled under their leather masks as they thought of toasting the commies alive in their tin cans.

They would wait until nightfall and then creep up to the roadside, cloaked by the forest, and then unleash hellfire on the unsuspecting communists.

Wilhelm was sleeping until he heard that sound of knocking on his door. Wilhelm went to his door and opened it to see his young private at the door. "Wilhelm some men out of town heard that a Anti-Facist group is coming to attack the town" Wilhelm was shocked to hear this. He got on a coat and told the private. "Tell all men to get ready for a fight and bring guns, but don't turn on your lights. Also tell the men to make defenses in the south edge of town." The private ran off to tell other people. Wilhelm wasn't going to let his town be damaged by fools. He got a Kar98 and went to the south side of town. Trucks were zooming by filled with the guns that were stored. When he got to the south side men were making machine gun nest and making wall from sandbags. The trucks had unloaded the guns. Men were taking guns and setting up machine guns. There was a total of 500 men total were there. Wilhelm also send a letter to Nireken because he found out that Krohl was gone somewhere.

"Dear Nireken,

500 men and I have set up machines and built defenses in the south side of the town. Tell your men if they have to retreat and come near us they yell the word "Green". We are helping and don't want are town to be destroyed. We are ready to fight and save our town.

From,
Wilhelm Diesmann

Reinhard was acouple miles away from his outpost. So far they had killed 20 men so far. Reinhard was burying a bombs in the road. He knew a convoy of four trucks were coming down the road. He ran back up to where Hans was with his machine gun. About twenty minutes later the convoy came. Reinhard hit a button to make the bombs go off. The first and last trucks blew up killing all men inside. The other trucks the door flew open Hans opend fired on the men coming out of the trucks. Then slience was in the air. All the men were dead at least thirty men had died. Hans was getting his machine gun and Reinhard was waiting for him. They both walked away.

OOC: Who is the new leader of the Bavarian People's Army since Ernst Toller is dead?

As the dark night closed in the shock troopers moved deeper into the forest parallelling the road. Further up they stopped on a ridge overlooking fields around the outskirts of essen. They could see, in the glint of the moon when the clouds moved away, the dull glow of the metal barrels of mortats and the heavier, darker barrels of wheeled guns. They could make out sausage shapes nestled next to the guns and mortars and then trucks on the other side of them. Sandbags had been placed at the entrance to the field, and a patrol walked up and down the road, slowly.

Suddenly a dark figure jumped from the bushes at the side of the road thrusted a knife into the back of one of the sentries, covering his mouth and stabbing him again, further up the spine. The other sentry was about to turn around, and look back up the road to see his freind being stabbed in the spine, but the same fate befell him as he turned, he saw nothing.

Signals were given and the ghostly figures with the flamethrowers, masks and leather great coats emerged from the treeline, moving slowly across the opposite field. They made it to the sandbagged entrance and all 25 silently helped each other over. Once inside they ringed the encampment in a wide arc. Hands went up around the camp, from each shock trooper.

Then they hoisted the long tubes into a aiming position and depressed the triggers. Immediately 25 jets of super-heated and flaming fuel leapt from the flamethrowers, arcing toward the ground where the communists slept unawares. Screams broke the hum of the 25 flamethrowers as the commies attempted, in vain, to put the flames out, but it was too late, the entire camp was bathed in a wicked orange glow. Some of the men stopped their flamethrowers and the rest began to move back toward the sandbags, the few men left threw numerous grenades down the barrels of the artillyer pieces and then chucked the remainder into the trucks carrying ammo. They slipped back into the treeline listening to the sounds of exploding munitions as they went.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nireken read the report from the strange Reinhard fellow. He relayed the codeword 'Green' to all units within Essen. He was interested to see what fight these boys would put up against the attacking forces.

OOC: Wait, I'm confused. Comstan: why are you attacking the Anti-Fascist Front? We're on your side! Hirgizstan: Please wait, last time I posted, it was supposed to be dawn as the troops attacked Essen. I'm researching Austria and France's situation for a new player at the moment, but I'll post back soon.

OOC: I'll hold on. You see it was almost 24 hours since i posted when it was supposed to be during the day, thus when i posted earlier today i thought it was high time to be dark.
Comstan is now fighting the Anti-Fascist front under Reinhard, who was an Officer duirng WW1. He commanded over one of my men, Capt. Krohl, and Krohl, recently, mocked him calling him a 'bedfellow with the communists' during the war, and saw him as a coward. Thus Reinhard is setting out to be prove Krohl wrong. Very interesting, and very different, Kudos to Comstan for the original idea!

OOC: Ah, I see. So why is Wilhelm Diesmann giving orders to fight the Anti-Fascists then?

OOC: Coz he doesn't know about Reinhard's defection yet.

Wilhelm and has men were waiting for the communist to come. They had machine gun nests and walls set up. But Wilhelm wondered where his right hand man Reinhard was. Wilhelm had his Kar98 ready to fight. The sun was starting to come up.

Reinhard was sitting in his outpost. Hans was making some coffee. He gave some to Reinhard. Reinhard wondered when Heinrich was going to get back. He sent him on a recon misson. He was suppose to look at the town and find targets. Reinhard was tired and going to go back to sleep.

OOC: Reinhard is near Munich. Wilhelm is leading the force in Essen to defend his town.

OOC: Right, I get why Reinhard is attacking the communists becuase he's gone renegade. But the KPD (and it's paramilitary wing, the Anti-Fascist Front) and the Ruhr Red Army have been allies since we were sent the following message -

Greetings kameraden,
With more and more people are being enlightened to the glorious workers movement, the vile corrupt state are begining to take action against us, therefore for the survival of the movement I propose that we both cooperate and coordinate with each other

Signed, Kamerade Diesmann, your friend in the Ruhr.

Comstan, my soldiers are attempting to meet up with your forces and launch a combined attack on the Stahlhelm, as we have detailed in several telegrams and radio messages. The vast majority of the Ruhr Red Army vote KPD or SDP and we are sending supplies to help the Ruhr Red Army liberate Essen with our help. So why is Wilhelm Diesmann suddenly an ally of the Stahlhelm?

OOC: Demo, you gonna RP the flame-throw/grenade attack on your artillery and mortar position?

Niels Bohr happily scribbled a note on the desk in his room. The Italians were playing soccer outside, he could hear them shouting at each other. 9000 of the men and all of the armour had been dispatched North toward Berlin. But the rest remained in Munich, not that there was any need as the commies had given up the city, but to Niels annoyance had torched the biggest munitions supplier and had destroyed over 75% of the crops for the season.

His note would be sent to Theodor Duesterber later in the day, it read:

"
TELEGRAM
TO: Colonel Duesterberg
FROM: Major Bohr (Bavaria)

Colonel,
The communists have pulled out of Bavaria in their entirety, we have won in the south. The Italians are on their way to Berlin now.
Unfortunately over 75% of the crops were destroyed by Soviet planes, painted in Italian Camouflage. The communists also torched the largest munitions factory. But we have taken the rest of the munitions factories and we are guarding them around the clock.
The Italians say that they will send their surplus from their harvest this year if the people in Bavaria need it.

Major Niels Bohr, Bavaria.

END OF TELEGRAM

OOC: Once I understand what's going on with the Ruhr Red Army, yes. But I'd like to sort out what's going on and RP a day of fighting first.

Reinhard walked into Munich. He had left Hans and Heinrich at outpost and he was on his way to meet with the head of the Stahlhelm in Munich. Reinhard went up to a Stahlhelm soldier. "I demand to speak with your leader." Stahlhelm soldier asked him who he was and who sent him. Reinhard told him. "I'm Colonel Reinhard Speer. I have been sent on my free will. Also Nireken the 2nd in Command of Essen knows I'm here. My men and I have been creating chaos in town by blown a convoy up and killing Ernst Toller the head of the Bavarian's People Army." The soldier took Reinhard to meet with Major Bohr.

OOC: Wilhelm Diesmann is not allying with anyone. They are not allied with the Stahlhelm. They just want to defend their town from being destroyed. When the Ruhr's Red Army surrendered they did so because the Stahlhelm were probably going to gas the whole. So Wilhelm surrender so the whole town would not have to suffer.

OOC: There is still an alliance between the KPD and Ruhr Red Army in force (it was agreed between Abbassia and me, but you've replaced him as playing the Ruhr Red Army). Would it be OK to RP a meeting between Wilhelm Diesmann and a messenger to try and get you on our side?

The Rheichswehr were having a good time. After having some parties with the Steel Helmets they had had no fighting in their slight part of Berlin. That was about to change....

The SDU men scrambled through the ruble. They were the main spearhead of the Rheichswehr to take back most of southern Berlin. The fog was concealing their movements. So when they reached the 100 yard mark to the communist side they did double quick time. Jostling through the mist most communists would never know what thing attacked them. The men were used to the tactic and there clothing, weapons, and even their sheaves to their knives had been muffled to prevent any noise escaping to the ears of the communists. The Rheichswehr men were pinpoint shooters compared to the "spray and pray" tactics of the communists. The communists were good and especially the 'Honor Guard" but not these, no these would experience death brought to a new scary pinnacle.

They leapt into the trenches and cut the throat of the communists and used anything at their disposal. Since no sentries had alerted them most were sleeping. The Rheichswehr wanted to be heard hopefully later but that was but to rest when some good sentry started clanging an alarm bell. He was put out of his misery by a well put shot into his heart. As communists poured into the main trench they were shot through by the un-merciful Rheichswehr. The bodies of the communists were getting so high that the men had started pilling them out onto the latrine lines and burning them there. Even though grossly un-moral it was efficient. At the lines of the advancing SDU spear head kept up the advance and shot anything that moved. Which mostly turned out to be communists, as any good law abiding citizen went to the country-side. They walked into about a dozen ambushed but the accuracy for the communists was just to good. When the peeked their heads up, "bang" and they fell back, dead. So that way the SDU advanced.

The men clambered down and spread out using their knives before their guns. But a series of shots made secrecy a thing of the past as a alarm bell rang. The now mostly volunteer Black Units were in the fighting and up and down the line they were breaching the battered communist troops. The SDU did the best and reached almost 4 miles into the city and the communists were ripped asunder.

After advancing about 5 miles they wheeled using the fifth and 1st Black Units closet to their lines to let them swing like a huge hammer upon the center of the city. They smacked though straight into some of the most hardened lines and the hammer got dislocated from the hand. So now the SDU units were almost surrounded. But definitely cut off.

OOC:
The Rheichswehr attacked with some of their best units. From what I am guessing they were restricted to the lower left of the city map. They then crossed the city then swung like an metronome to kill and take the center of the city. The SDU went beyond it's protection and it's flank (it had only it's left flank since it was being the end of the hammer) was caught up in some serious fighting. The SDU charged ahead now are falling back farther from their base.

Any complaints?

OOC: The areas under communist control are all north of the River Spree on the map of Berlin, plus Museumsinsel because my forces on the south bank were forced to retreat during an earlier battle.

9.13am, Sunday 14th August, Essen

Now that they had advanced into the narrower streets, the Anti-Fascist troops had abondonned their armoured cars, using them as blockades across the road with .3 calibre tripod machine guns as a fitting deterrent to any attacking Stahlhelm. It had been relatively easy getting this far: the first company they had discovered had been asleep, and all had been captured without a fight. From now on, however, things were different: they were up against a numerically superior foe in the heart of Essen.

With a wave of Captain Dorenmann's hand, the troops began to spread out either side of the main road. The captain crouched low and cautiously scanned the windows of the buildings for snipers, clutching his rifle. The sound of footsteps came from a street to his right; Dorenmann signed for his men to raise their weapons. A platoon of soldiers came running out, but to Dorenmann's relief, they were wearing the red armbands of their comrades. He whispered to their leader.

"Lieutenant Braun, I told you to take Huegelstrasse! What happened?"

Braun's face was flushed from running and took his time to take his breath back before answering. "We saw a contingent of Ruhr Red Army miners and called out to them to join us. Suddenly, one of them shouted something and...and they opened fire on us!" His eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Traitors!" sneered Dorenmann. "Were any of you hit?"

A wry smile flickered over Braun's lips. "No comrade, they were all too poor shots for that."

The captain straightened up, appearing to be mulling over something for a while. He turned to Lieutenant Braun and whispered in his ear. "You're in command until I return." Before the officer could object, Dorenmann had run round the corner, only to be faced by a roadblock and ten frightened miners, training their pistols on him. Slowly, he raised his hands above his head and said confidently, "Take me to Wilhelm Diesmann."

A man walked over to a ten men commanded by Rudolf. The man had his hands raised up. He asked to be taken to Wilhelm. Rudolf grabbed him and stabbed him in the leg and knocked him out. Rudolf looked and saw the anti-facist run.Rudolf took this man to Wilhelm.

A little down the line inside a house lays Herman. He and five of his privates were with him. They had a machine gun. The Anti-Facist Forces were coming. "OPEN FIRE!!!!" The platoon was shot at. Some of the other men across the street were throwing molotov cocktails and firing their guns at the men. Herman could hear the screams of the men on fire. Then their was slience. They had killed a whole platoon. Told the men to get to get the machine and getting moving.

Wilhelm was firing at the Anti-Facist forces coming near the wall. He shot one in the leg and saw him fell. A messager came up and handed him a letter from his officers.

"Wilhelm we all of the lines in the south are holding. We ambushed the soldiers when they came into the town and attacked them from are lines. We killing most of their forces. Also we wait for the Stahlhelm men to come and help us. Also their is little dead on are side. We have another 400 men to add to the 500 we already have here"

A young boy no young then the age of ten came up to a armoured car and threw two grenades. The men inside pop out. Two men on the roof appeared they got their Thompson and shot them dead. The armoured car blew up.

OOC: Hirgizstan when are your men going to get to the front? Also
Demo-Bobylon how many men are in your battalion which right now is attacking Essen?

OOC: I'd prefer Dorenmann not to be killed now, I plan to kill him off later. Also, what the hell are you doing? To quote my earlier post -

Right, I get why Reinhard is attacking the communists becuase he's gone renegade. But the KPD (and it's paramilitary wing, the Anti-Fascist Front) and the Ruhr Red Army have been allies since we were sent the following message -

Greetings kameraden,
With more and more people are being enlightened to the glorious workers movement, the vile corrupt state are begining to take action against us, therefore for the survival of the movement I propose that we both cooperate and coordinate with each other

Signed, Kamerade Diesmann, your friend in the Ruhr.


Comstan, my soldiers are attempting to meet up with your forces and launch a combined attack on the Stahlhelm, as we have detailed in several telegrams and radio messages. The vast majority of the Ruhr Red Army vote KPD or SDP and we are sending supplies to help the Ruhr Red Army liberate Essen with our help. So why is Wilhelm Diesmann suddenly an ally of the Stahlhelm?

Oh, and a battalion is roughly 1000 men.

OOC: I am sending Dorenmann to negotiate with Wilhelm. The Anti-Fascist Front have been allies with the Ruhr Red Army for a few weeks now, supplied them with weapons and given them medical aid after the gas attack, so Dorenmann will try to persuade the Red Army to fight alongside them - after all, they are on the same side.

Wilhelm makes a message on the radio of Essen.

"The Ruhr's Red Army is no longer allied with the anti-facist front. We see them as swine for attacking our town when their hasn't been fight in a couple of weeks. I call all Ruhr's Red Army to attack this anti-facist people who have invaded. We will win against this pig dogs."

After getting the message on the Radio station. Then in came a officer from the anti-facist battalion. He looked beaten up and he was bleeding all over his leg. Wilhelm told his men to put him in a jail cell and get him medical attention. A doctor put a patch on the man's leg and put him into a jail cell.

OOC: Enough of this tripe. Comstan, stop God Modding. You can't steal that tank, its stationed with other tanks outside Essen behind roughly 2000 communist soldiers on full alert. There is no way and old man and two boys could steal it. Also, you can't just say 'Braun has to die', unless its agreed upon previously then you really can't just do that so flippantly. Sort it out.

The Italian troops are moving into Berlin by road, it will take them a few days by the road, so don't expect them for a bit. As for Essen the only thing I have RPed is the flamethrower attack and I'll wait for Demo to RP his reply to that before i continue, as I don't want to get confused, time-wise.

Hermann and his squad were waiting inside a building. The line still hadn't been broken by the Anti-Facist. It was pretty quiet after their first battalion had come into the city. At least now five hundred more men were coming to the front.

Wilhelm saw the patheic prison sitting in this jail cell. He looked horrible. He found out that he wanted to make peace with the KPD. He wasn't going to do that. He also found out that he was the leader of the forces attacking Essen. Wilhelm wondered who the new leader was now.

OOC: OK, so that Hirgizstan can get on with the flame-thrower attack, would it be fair to assume that Braun's men have captured the southern suburbs of Essen but are not advancing? (From now on, they're under orders not to engage the Ruhr Red Army unless fired upon).

IC:

10pm, Essen Town Jail

Dorenmann grimaced with agony as he tried to stand up on his leg. Thankfully, he could just about walk, but a sharp stabbing pain shivered up his spine on every step. Ah well, he though to himself, I've had worse in the war.

With caution, he hobbled over to the bars of his cell and rapped on them loudly. A young guard, reading the Rote Fahne on the table, looked up and saw him. At a gesture, he walked over to the cell, but to Dorenmann's annoyance, he saw that he was brandishing a pistol. So much for an escape plan - he would have to use diplomacy.

"E-excuse me," he croaked in a low voice, deliberately exaggerating his wound. "May I speak to Comrade Diesmann? It is important business." He coughed weakly again. "Please..."

Hesitantly, the guard slowly shook his head, a look of confusion showing in his eyes. The captain guessed he was one of the miners' sons, drafted in to help guard the PoWs: at any case, not a professional militiaman. Which meant Plan B.

As the guard turned to sit back down, Dorenmann drew himself up to his full height, displaying his many medals strapped onto his uniform. He bellowed in a deep, echoing voice, a voice he knew commanded respect.

"You there! Comrade private!" The guard spun round, with fear now burning in his eyes as well as the esrlier bewilderment. Dorenmann continued yelling. "This is important! Get your superior officer Diesmann right away or you'll be court-martialled. MOVE IT!"

The poor guard only had enough energy to whisper a feeble, "Yes, sir," and ran off into the next room. Captain Dorenmann lay back, satisified, as he listened to the man's voice through the wall asking for Wilhelm Diesmann. Lazily, he sat down on his bunk and turned his eyes to the window. Somewhere far away, the cityscape was lit with an orange glow.

South Command Centre, Essen

Lieutenant Braun was awoken by the urgent-sounding voice of a private calling his name and leaning over him. He sat up immediately and looked around: the camp was in flames. Orange fires licked at the supply tents; soldiers rolled on the ground, trying to put out their flaming clothes; somewhere behind him, he heard an enormous boom as a line of shells exploded, sending shrapnel ripping through the air.

It took the best part of thirty minutes to put the fires out, using water from the nearby recreational lake. The stench of damp, burnt vegetation hung over the camp, mingling with the sharper and more acrid smell of the exploding ammunition. Braun listened to the provisions reports with a sinking heart - they had lost three-quarters of their field artillery, a third of their munitions and at least a dozen men were unaccounted for following the roll-call. They would have to attack tomorrow with only mortars for fire support, a thought which did not exactly delight him. There was only one option for it: call in the two support battalions the next day. It would be interesting to see how the enemy coped against their new tanks.

OOC: Have you forgoten what Hirgizstan just said? If you have, here it is again.

Also, you can't just say 'Braun has to die', unless its agreed upon previously then you really can't just do that so flippantly. Sort it out.

I don't go around saying "Wilhelm Diesmann has just been pw3ned by my bombers hes ded lol!!!!!11111" so if you are planning to kill a major character, please ask the person beforehand. It's just RP etiquette.

Secondly, the Ruhr Red Army may have been training, but to quote your faction description:

Many of them have access to firearms, but are inexperienced.

The AFF, on the other hand, is a professional body of volunteers, equipped with .303 rifles or better and has been training for years. Yes, you have an advantage because you're defending, but they are not some elite force. As happened after the Museumsinsel battle, each side gives a fair estimate of the number of casualties they took: you generally do not tell another player how many people they lost. Hirgizstan is a more experienced RPer and knows more about this than me, but I think that's how it works.

Wilhelm was sick of hearing this Captain so he put him into a room with no lights and a little door to give him meager rations. Wilhelm wasn't going to give peace to this anti-facist. Also the man guarding him was to not follow the Captains request.

OOC: For the last time I'm not allying with the KPD. I have split apart in the radio message. Your Captain is being held capviate and will never talk to Wilhelm.

Nikolaiviertel, Berlin

As the armoured train drew into the station, the contingent greeting it burst into spontaneous applause. A line of 7 T-26 tanks rolled off the carriages and were parked in front of the group of various communist officials for inspection. Walter Ulbricht ran his hand lovingly over the steel armour.

"Perfect," he grinned, and cheerily saluted the tank driver. As the tanks and armoured vehicles began to make their way to the base at the town hall, Ulbricht turned to his colleagues and explained the plan of battle. "A company of Reichswehr has been attacking our scouts and is held down just across the other side of the river. We must seize this chance and counter-attack into the centre of Berlin. By this time tomorrow evening, we shall be celebrating in the Reichstag building."

He was met by a round of applause as he climbed into his armoured Rolls-Royce and set off following the tanks to the town hall. At midnight, they would attack.

A the guard named Gunther. Who was guarding Dorenmann heard his moaning. He had the orders to stab his other leg so he couldn't escape. Gunther went to the cell with a knife. He saw Dorenmann and stabbed him two times in the leg. Dorenmann let out a scream. Gunther tied his hands together and kicked his head. Dorenmann was bleeding all over the place. Gunther also gave him his dinner for tonight. He threw a piece of stale bread at him. Gunther shut the door behind him.

OOC: Hirgizstan when are you going to RP the meeting between Reinhard and Bohr?

OOC: @Comstan: Would it be Ok to RP a rescue attempt to free Dorenmann?
@Moorington: Whereabouts are your SDU troops in Berlin?

IC:

As the bells of the Nikolaikirche rang out twelve, Walter Ulbricht stood on the steps of the town hall, addressing the seven battalions about to go forth and fight for their nation. In addition to the 24 armoured trucks and 7 T-26 tanks, the workers of Berlin had been working overtime for two days to build the new T-28 model. Sadly, only three had been completed so far, but Walter had high hopes for them.

"Friends, brothers, sisters, comrades," he began, and at once there was a huge cheer from the crowd. "We are here to prove ourselves," he continued after the cheers had eventually died down. "To prove that we are true communists, and what's more, true Germans.

"Today, we live in an occupied land. Occupied by the enemy abroad: the fascist dogs of Italy." A cacophony of hissing and booing washed over them at the mention of the Italian Army. News had reached Berlin of the deaths of 300 of their comrades on a train from Munich to Weimar, at the hands of the enemy.

"But we are also occupied from within. By the treacherous army generals, the liars and murderers of the government, the complacent fat-cats in their banks and officers, plotting against us. For years, the capitalists; the imperialists; the fascists have governed and oppressed us, cheating us of the fruit of our labour. How many times have your families been forced to go without bread?" There were murmurings from the troops in agreement.

"And why? To line their pockets with their dirty money. Together, they rule this land; or rather, they believe they do. For their days of plenty are numbered. When the evil capitalists are overthrown, only then can we have a true workers' state. All power to the Soviets, all power to the people, for united! we can bring about the Soviet Republic of Germany, free and equal, one in brotherhood.

"But to achieve this, first we must fight. I see you, mighty cohorts of the workers' army before me, and I am filled with pride at what I see. I hope you are too, for every one of you is a hero to his country and his people. The days of oppression will soon be over, thanks to you, for today is the day we fight. And today is the day we will win."

Roars of cheers echoed throughout the town as Ulbricht finished, and the tanks began to move. The rows of attack vehicles fronted the procession of troops, seven thousand in all, as they marched off down the Wilhelmstrasse. As they crossed the river into Unter-den-Linden, the road was wide enough to have five vehicles abreast, shaking the ground as they passed under the shade of the lime trees lining the main road. The soldiers were in high spirits as they marched on, and the sound of soft, low voices drifted over the sleeping city:


Wacht auf, Verdammte dieser Erde,
die stets man noch zum Hungern zwingt!
Das Recht wie Glut im Kraterherde
nun mit Macht zum Durchbruch dringt.
Reinen Tisch macht mit den Bedrängern!
Heer der Sklaven, wache auf!
Ein Nichts zu sein, tragt es nicht länger
Alles zu werden, strömt zuhauf!

Völker, hört die Signale!
Auf zum letzten Gefecht!
Die Internationale
erkämpft das Menschenrecht.

Es rettet uns kein höh'res Wesen,
kein Gott, kein Kaiser, noch Tribun
Uns aus dem Elend zu erlösen
können wir nur selber tun!
Leeres Wort: des Armen Rechte,
Leeres Wort: des Reichen Pflicht!
Unmündig nennt man uns und Knechte,
duldet die Schmach nun länger nicht!

In Stadt und Land, ihr Arbeitsleute,
wir sind die stärkste der Partei'n
Die Müßiggänger schiebt beiseite!
Diese Welt muss unser sein;
Unser Blut sei nicht mehr der Raben
und der mächt'gen Geier Fraß!
Erst wenn wir sie vertrieben haben
dann scheint die Sonn' ohn' Unterlass!

Gewölbe, stark und fest bewehret
die bergen, was man dir entzog.
Dort liegt das Gut, das dir gehöret
und um das man dich betrog.
Ausgebeutet bist du worden!
ausgesogen bis aufs Mark!
Auf Erden rings, in Süd und Norden,
das Recht ist schwach, die Willkür stark!

Abscheulich blähn sich diese Götzen,
die Herrn von Schacht und Eisenbahn.
Sie machten unser Blut zu Schätzen,
sie haben unser Gut vertan.
In Stahltresoren liegt's vergraben.
Wann machen wir die Rechnung glatt?
Das Volk will ja nur wiederhaben,
was man dem Volk gestohlen hat.

Die Herrscher machten uns betrunken.
Der Zauber muss zu Ende sein.
Drum werft ins Heer der Freiheit Funken!
Dann schlägt es mit dem Kolben drein.
Wenn sie uns zwingen, die Barbaren,
Soldat zu spielen noch einmal,
wir werden unsre Kugeln sparen
für unsren eignen General.

Völker, hört die Signale!
Auf zum letzten Gefecht!
Die Internationale
erkämpft das Menschenrecht.

No it wouldn't be fine. The jail is near where the the Stahlhelm men are stationed. Also your anti-facist people don't know where your Captain is.

OOC: The Stalhelm have pulled out of Essen, they are in the suburbs and surrounding forests, they are pretty much stationed at all four edges of the city.
Demo, you know Nize still has about 15,000 troops south of Meuseumsinsel and there are still 170,000 troops North of the city? Just want to make sure you know, in case you thought I had pulled them back or something.

IC:

Bohr was sleeping off his night shift tiredness when he was rudely awokened by a puzzled and scared looking young private, one of the 'new' recruits, green and only kids. Bohr grunted into his pillow and, with a quivering lip the Private spoke, "S-Sir, someone to see you. At the main gate. Name of Reinhard." Bohr was fully awake at that name.

He jumped out of bed, he was fully clothed apart from his field jacket, which he grabbed from a chair, and his pistol belt beneath. He strapped both on as the Private led him down the stairs and across the old courtyard to the inset gate in the heavy wooden door. He ushered the dishevelled looking man in.

Two Stalhelm guards stepped in with him, flanking him either side. The scared looking Reinhard took a look around before trying to speak, but was cut off sharply by Bohr. He spoke to the two guards. "Hand-cuff him, take him to the jail and wait with him there." Dorenmann tried to protest but a look from one of the guards as they cuffed him shut him up. Bohr walked off.

The dank jail stank of sweat and urine. Emaciated comunist prisoners were held down there, drunks and beggars aswell. The Stalhelm were the law, not the police. There was utter silence, not even a murmur. There was total discipline, even amongst prisoners. Any sound from anywhere would be punished, and the prisoners knew it. Reinhard was thrown into an empty cell and he sat and waited, the two guards standing, silently watching this strange new arrival.

Krohl showed up a few minutes later, a gas mask hanging from his belt, grenades strapped all over his chest, dust on his leather trench coat and black boots. His famed helment hung off his belt, a skull attached grimly to the golden spike at the top.

He ushered the two guards out and they stood on the other side of the bars as Krohl walked in. Reinhard, his hands cuffed behind his back, stood.
Krohl spoke first, "What do you think your doing here, coward? Playing soldier again? Unfortunately you musn't have heard the news. The reds are gone from here, they left with their tails between their legs. Only a matter of time before we rid the rest of the country of those bastards. So, you decided to betray your freinds, just to save your skin?"

Reinhard was suprised to see Krohl especially in Munich. "I don't want to save my skin. Also haven't betrayed either I have just left of awhile. I just want to save this country from being totally destroyed. Krohl why do you always see me as a coward? I have also come here to ask if there is any other place I can fight for you?"

Wilhelm given the order not to fight unless the enemy did. The anti-facist only own the very southern tip of Essen. They were not going to get any futher. They had men all around the clock at station on the southside of town. Wilhelm was also waiting for the Stahlhelm men to attack. They were hidden somewhere,but he didn't know. They had deserted Essen entired.

OOC: @Moorington: Whereabouts are your SDU troops in Berlin?
[/i]

All along the south bank. Since I guess they aren’t broken up the most concentrated part will be the far right. The "Black Units" are on the left with the regular Rheichswehr spread out in between the men. Also would the assorted craft of the Rhiechmarine be able to shell your positions?

IC:
Von Homer walked along the rubble. He was looking for a good location to set up in. He had gotten permission from the head of his company to be the "out-lying sentry" and was given 10 days of food and free range. He had a tent and camouflage netting. He had his favorite rifle. A sniper rifle that he had gotten when he enlisted into the army and which had paid everything had for it. It was though accumulating some scratches on the wooden grip, now 56. He had just re-waxed it and made every ten into one scratch. He was wanting to get another one by the end of today. He was also given explicit commands to kill any Rheichswehr weapon wielders, hopefully defectors.

He propped up the net and tent underneath an column. It and a series of others had collapsed around this plaza. A tunnel of sorts was underneath the columns which he enlarged and led to a house that was relatively un-touched. He also found some more un-perishable foods inside the house. He propped up the rifle recessed inside the column and loop holes around him. He made a little hole underneath the columns so that he could put his knees under him. That with a deep hole behind his main location for grenades made him semi-confident of himself. His location looked out to the other river and which was hopefully a main gathering point for the enemy.

The first kill was the easiest in a long while. The communists militia company was just doing their morning acrobatics with the captain and his aides looking on. He took careful aim on the captain, tested his aim and then practiced switching from captain and then to his aid and then to a eager young recruit. Once he had perfected it he eased back on the trigger and with the only softest of pops the rifle clucked back into his grip. He switched over to the surprised aid and pulled the trigger again. Then picked off the youth in the back which ripped through his body and heart. Then he picked off two more of the militia men running away from the carnage. As he was looking over his personal carnage he spotted three men cowering behind a wall. The top of their heads were the only ting showing. He picked off two of them and then went and picked off a wild youth trying to get to the captain. Homer pulled back his gun and pulled out his two pistols and waited. The communists came back in the open and picked up their dead. He let them.

The second day was a lot more harder then the first. Obviously a rumor had spread and Homer spent most of his time entertaining himself with ideas what it could be. One of his more realistic ones was a demon who used the arrow of death to rip through whole battalions while one of his less realistic was that he was a platoon of snipers that could hit somone through the head with an rock. He liked both.

Krohl walked around the cell a bit, stretching his legs. "Its funny that now you turn your back on your freinds for your country, but you wouldn't order a charge at Tannenburg. You were helping to destroy this country some days ago. Hell, you obviously have no idea what communism will do to this country, and if you cared about it so much you wouldn't have joined the reds. There's a famine in the western USSR, its killing millions...the same will happen here if we let the reds win. You want to fight? Get out of Bavaria, and go to Berlin, or better yet, go back to Essen and prove you want to save your country by finding and killing your former comrades. Prove your not a coward. The guards will escort you out, go quickly, Major Bohr wants to kill you, get out of Munich in the dark, he will come after you in the day." Krohl walked away into the dark of the jail as the two guards moved in to escort Reinhard out.

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Finally, forward Italian Army elements arrived at the Volkspark with Major Nize. Lt. General Nunizo Zorrino arrived in a boxy Fiat 508, flanked by a pair of armoured cars. Nize's jaw dropped as he saw how far their column stretched back out of the suburbs. The tanks were now off their trailers and on the roads, coming toward the city. Nunizo was joined by a Heavy Artillery crew some minutes later, who began to unload and set up 150mm Howitzers and 98mm Mortars. Tanks began arriving at Nize's position and then trundling on into the city, the Fiat 2000's shaking the very foundations of the nearby buildings, they were that heavy.

The tanks and armoured cars began making their way into the city, to root out and kill the rest of the communists. 10,000 troops were marching down along the road aswell, Heavy Infantry, sporting heavy machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, mortars and everything they could carry besides.

Nize had also received word that 25,000 Stalhelm troops and 25 Armoured Cars were moving into Berlin from the North, this would surely push the communists out of the city, or force them to surrender.

OOC: Italian Armour is as follows:

20 Fiat 3000 Light Tanks
10 Fiat 2000 Heavy Tanks
30 Carro Velocce CV33 Tankettes (more modern than the two Fiats, but quite light, very fast)
50 Autoblindo Ansaldo IZ Armoured Cars, with dual .30cal Machine Guns.
(You can look these tanks up on Google etc.)

Artillery:
20 150mm Howitzers
30 98mm Mortars
10,000 troops, sporting 300 68mm Mortars

IC:

Red Town Hall, Berlin

"We've got company."

Walter Ulbricht, sitting at his desk, stood up and walked over to the window where Hans was looking out with binoculars. He seemed to train them on the south horizon.

"Looks like Italians, at least a hundred armoured vehicles and thousands of men," he continued in the same matter-of-fact voice. Walter snatched the binoculars off him and held them up to see, but his stomach tightened when he saw his aide was right. His voice laden with dread, he asked Hans how many men were on standby.

"Four battalions," came the reply.

"Then send them over there now!" the commander yelled, his eyes still trained on the approaching columns of troops. "And mobilise all reserves: we can expect attacks from the Stahlhelm as well."

Unter-den-Linden

Private Nowak marched along in high morale, singing with the rest of them. As they passed along side the embassies of the foreign powers, many of the soldiers booed and spat; yet they had been given precise orders not to attack any embassies for fear of foreign retaliation. When they approached the Soviet Union's embassy, however, all troops were ordered to salute as they marched past.

Suddenly, all soldiers looked up. The drone of aircraft engines was unmistakably, flying low. The T-28 gunners immediately aimed their anti-aircraft guns skyward, followed by the 20mm machine-guns and a forest of rifles. Ten biplanes, flying in triangular formation, emerged heading eastwards. For a moment, the troops took aim and their finger tightened on the trigger, when Private Nowak called out above the nose of the engines.

"They're ours! The Po-2s from Bavaria, they've returned!"

A great cheer went up from the crowd. They had not known the true mission of the planes; rather, they were told (and believed) that they had flown to Bavaria to aid the evacuation. That made 12 in the city now: twelve dark ravens, ready to spy, to strafe and to bomb the enemy into submission.

But there was another noise in the background too, this time to the south. The singing died down, as every soldiers strained to identify the strange sound. It appeared to be the rumbling of large vehicles.

The Italian Armoured Cars noticed the weird looking planes first of all. They'd been expecting them. The twin .30cal MG's on 10 of the Autoblindo's lurched upward and began to hurl fiery lead at the flimsy communist built planes. The Tanks in the background rolled down various streets, their crews oblivious to the planes, their guns wouldn't even dent their armor. The crews of the Fiat 2000's were especially reckless under fire, not even mortars could get through some of thicker armored areas of the tank.

Italian troops began to take cover behind the armored vehicles and in houses and doorways as the planes dove into the lead coming upward toward them.

OOC: Demo, you can RP what happens to the planes I suppose.

OOC: Haha, I laugh at your Fiat 2000s' 15mm thick armour. T-28s have armour 50mm thick! Bwahahahaha! Ahem.

IC:

As the planes flew down Unter-den-Linden, shots flew through the air from the Italian troops closest to them. One plane on the right flank shuddered as bullets ripped through the fabric canopy: it spun and plummeted from the sky. Fortunately, it had been travelling quite low and slowly, so that the pilot was only injured rather than killed outright. He was soon surrounded by a platoon of Italian foot soldiers and captured. Another plane's wing was torn by a stray .3 bullet, but thanks to the skill of the pilot, it managed to make it back to base with the rest of its squadron.

"We'll re-fuel and re-arm," came the muffled voice of the flight commander over the radio. "We'll get them back."

Meanwhile, the troops in the main road had been alerted to the encroaching forces, and were already setting up barricades protected by the ugly metal contraptions that were their .5 calibre machine-guns. The tanks were moving into battle formations, a close movement whereby each flank of the group was protected by another tank, while the drivers of the armoured cars manned their .3 turrets and set up providing cover for the more vulnerable infantry.

The columns of foot-soldiers were gone: now they stood in doorways; croached behind sandbags and armoured vehicles; covered the road from the windows of nearby houses. On cue, field artillery and field mortars opened up on the Italian ranks. With the aerial reconnaissance they could expect soon, few would miss their targets.

Reinhard walked back to his outpost. He would never betray the men in the Ruhr. Hans and Heinrich were packing their equiment. Reinhard lit a match and threw it at the outpost. The outpost bursted into flames. Reinhard got into the truck and started the truck. They drove off. Reinhard and his men were off to go to Berlin. Reinhard was going to meet with a certian Italian general, Lt. General Nunizo Zorrino. He was ready to take back Berlin from the communist.

Hermann had gotten the order from Wilhelm Diesmann. They were not suppose to fire on any anti-facist force, but still they had their guns ready. The machine gun they had was loaded and ready to fire. His other men had their Kar98s right next to them or slinged over their shoulders. Hermann was cooking up some soup for his men.

A doctor was checking on this so called Captain Dorenmann. He had two leg wounds. They had been infected. The doctor also saw all the bruises and cuts on his face. It looked like he had been beaten up. The doctor and his staff got the knocked out Captian to the ER. They saw the infections on his leg. They knew they had to be cut off. The doctor strapped him down and sawed his legs off. They put bandages and wrapped them around the remains of his legs. They put him back in his normal cell with bars. Gunther was replaced with two men who had fought during the Great War. A doctor was also look at him with the two new guards. The doctor showed up at noon and at ten at night.

In the North of the city the 25,000 Stalhelm soldiers literally roared through the deserted streets. They could hear the artillery barrage in the distance, they weren't the ones getting hit. The communists had concentrated all their efforts on the Italians, leaving the Stalhelm to their own devices.

They literally poured into the streets, pouring and smashing through abandoned barricades like water. They came up on an MG nest manned by a small communist detachment. The MG opened up but the Stalhelm simply ran over their fallen, consumed in blood rage ready to engulf the communists in a sea of destruction. From the Nothern Volkspark 10,000 more Stalhelm were dispatched into the city upon hearing the Italians were being attacked.

The Italian barrage began to open up soon after the communists'. They couldn't pinpoint the communist barrages but they knew the communists positions from Stalhelm troops in the area and they began to walk the artillery and mortars towards the communist trenches and barricades.

In the streets some of the tanks exploded under artillery fire but the majority pushed on, literally filling the streets with moving metal. The Italians pressed forward, like well-trained soldiers would. They were pushing in toward the communist positions.

OOC: Just because I'm attacking the Italians, doesn't mean I've left my other defences unmanned. It says in my troop placements that I have over 450,000 in Berlin, and they're not all involved in the attack.

IC to follow in a moment.

In the dead of night, Berlin awoke. Groups of soldiers ran through the streets, rapping loudly on doors, hauling their half-asleep occupents out onto the street and thusting guns into their hands. Ulbricht had ordered every reserve soldier to report within the hour, to be sent into battle immediately.

Back at base, the Po-2s were taking off. They swooped low over the roofs of houses, in attack formation, hidden from enemy view. As they approached the Italian ranks, each turned off its engine and glided down on the night air. There was no sound other than the whistling of the wing past them as they flew, silent but deadly, towards the unsuspecting enemy.

They crossed the street, and released their 120kg bombs. A tank may survive bullets, but a high explosive bomb is a different matter, shattering armour plates like a sledgehammer. The Po-2 pilots re-fired their engines and soared upwards, strafing the ranks of foot-soldiers with their DP machine guns: the majority set off back to base for another run, but a couple climbed higher beyond the range of the enemy AA guns and circled overhead, reporting the Italian positions to their gunners by radio.

OOC: I thought some of those 450,000 wouldn't fight?

IC:
Theodor sat in a dug-out in the old stadium mulling over what to do when he was literally handed a god-send by a trusted aide.

It was another telegram from the Italian Ambassador.


TELEGRAM

REPUBLICA D'ITALIA

To: Col. Duesterberg
From: Italian Embassy, Berlin

Colonel,
The Duce is concerned at the current Italian loss of life among their combat troops and has authorised the use of Italian bomber aircraft, which will strategically bomb communist held areas of Berlin. The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81's will be escorted by Fiat CR.32's and Fiat G.50's. They will reach Berlin sometime tonight. They will be preceeded by a small flight of CR.32's to ascertain communist positions before the bombing run will begin. The Duce has authorised the use of 200 SM.81's, to be escorted by 100 Fiat CR.32's and 150 Fiat G.50s.

In addition to this the Duce has ordered the destruction of rail links on the German-Eastern Europe border to try and deter Russian shipments via Poland and Czechosloavkia. Our leader has also ordred 200,000 Italian troops, 500 Attack and Fighter aicraft, 500 Tanks, 200 Prototype 'Tank Destroyers' and 100 Artillery Pieces, to cross the border in Munich. They will make their way to Berlin as quickly as possible to assisst German Military attacks on the city of Berlin.

We hope this will help turn Germany around."

END

---------------------------------------------.----------------------------

In Berlin the Italian troops kicked down doors and proceeded to move through civilian housing to avoid artillery fire. Tanks burned on the street. 20 Tanks were out of action, the rest turned every which way to try and regroup later. The Italians began to come into contact with the reds at their positions around the city. The Italian commanders figured they couldn't fire artillery if their own men were close.

In the North of the city the Stalhelm pressed on through heavy fire, drawing ever closer to the communist positions in that part of the city.

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OOC: This part, below, occurs later on at night.

IC:

Over the city, which appeared to be alight with chaos, Italian bomber pilots were being guided to their Target Areas by foward elements. Soon the communist positions would be nothing but rubble. The drone of the bombers would be the only testament that the communists had ever existed in the city, as the pilots opened their bomb bay doors and prayed silently for well places hits.

OOC: Demo, for realism, if you'll allow me...

IC: Communist planes stationed in Berlin departed from their nightly duties to try and bring down the newly arrived communist threat as it dumped its deadly cargo all over Berlin. The fighter planes locked horns with the flimsy Soviet built planes, the overhwhelming numbers and skill of the Italian pilots would surely win them the battle.

Reinhard finally made it to Berlin. On the south side of town he asked an Italian soldier. "I want to speak with Lt. General Nunizo Zorrino. I have come to fight with your army."

The Italian Sergeant ignored the ragged looking men standing before him. One had spoken to him, but he had no time to answer, he shrugged at them and ran across the road to rejoin his squad.

A Stalhelm soldier ran out of a doorway nearby and ushered the men back into their building. He looked concernedly at the ragged looking men. He turned to the senior one (OOC: He turns to Reinhard) and spoke, "No civilians should be here, you need to get of the city. Wait here until one of our squads shows up and I'll take you guys out. I'm a sniper, my name is Karenet."

OOC: My apologies Demo, but I will take that whole shipping attack order back. I don't want a war between Italy and the USSR, its kind of beyond the remit for this RP, and frankly I couldn't be bothered RPing another war front. So I'll remove that bit if you remove your last post.

I was drinking last night so I don't think i thought my post through all that well :) Apologies.

OOC: Ah, good old alcohol. :D OK, but are the 200,000 troops still crossing into Germany? If I were you, I would...

- Make von Schleicher seize the Presidency
- Get von Schleicher to declare a state of emergency and enact Article 48 of the constitution (which dissolves the Reichstag)
- Ally with the Italians and give them permission to move on German land

...if you want Italy's involvement nice and legit. Otherwise, it would most probably be seen as an act of war on Germany by the Reichstag and the League of Nations.

OOC: About the troops in Berlin: I have over 1 million supporters (out of a total of 4 million), but they are only sympathisers, not fighters. I have around 300,000 members of the Soviet councils and another 150,000 who have been drafted up, plus 6000 professional Anti-Fascist troops. Also, the Italian Army at the time only had 200,000 men in it, so you might like to choose a lower number.

IC: Cruiser Aurora, Baltic Sea

General Tukhachevsky stood on the deck, leaning over the rail and staring into the dark waters below. He puffed on a cigaretee, watching the grey smoke rise up into the overcast sky. A decorated general of the Russian Civil War, Tukhachevsky had been sent on direct orders from Commissar Voroshilov to Germany to oversee the fighting. There was a convoy of battleships, escorting three huge cargo vessels, heading at full speed towards Hamburg. Since Italy had become involved, there was the chance of a fascist state a few hundred miles from the Soviet border and that...didn't bear thinking about.

On board were twenty new BT-2 "fast tanks", fifty T-27 tankettess and forty T-24 medium tanks, called in especially as they were best suited to piercing the Italian heavy armour. Not to mention another eighty T-26 tanks, which were proving extremely useful in infantry support. OOC: Don't worry, I'll write a list somewhere. IC: Tukhachevsky had been selected for his new ideas for vehicle combat, revolutionary theories which would change the way warfare would be run. He looked forward to testing them in practice.

Berlin

The drone of aircraft engines filled the sky, as the Po-2 biplanes struggled against the new aggressors. In part, their slowness was their advantage: many Italian pilots met their doom by over-estimating their target's velocity, and under-estimating its mobility. They soon released their mistake when a hail of bullets tore their aircraft apart mid-air.

But the brave pilots were woefully outnumbered, and soon the sound of their engines died away as they came crashing down to earth. The last fighters fell from the sky, leaving only a horde of enemy bombers behind them.