Hello again fellow Civers! I've been bitten by the writing bug again and decided to start another story. This is in the same universe as my last story "The Great War" But 10 years have passed since Joe and Sams' adventure. But even though the war with the Persians, Indians, and French has ended. The English, still won't accept any peace. So I loaded up my brand new tanks and set course for the shores of Grand Old England.
The Great War-English Front
Episode 1: Once More Into the Breach
Chapter 1
"From the shores of Warwick to the halls of New
Bombay;
We fight our country's battles;
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom;
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title of United States
Marine.”
-1st Verse of the Marine Battle Hymn
American troops offload on the beaches north of Warwick
August 1st, 1920
Off the coast of England,
The Ocean was dark; several clouds shrouded the moon and the stars. Occasionally a splash of white would be visible as a wave reached its peak. It would then fade into the night as it began its journey downward. The small crashes that these waves produced were the only disturbance in a sea of silence. Eventually the Sun started to rise in the East. At first it’s feeble light reveled nothing of this landscape. But with time that light grew stronger and soon was glimmering off of cold hard steel. It revealed an armada that was sitting at anchor discharging landing craft into the water.
General Michaels stood on the bridge of the Battleship “Colorado”, he looked through his binoculars; a thin fog shrouded the coast. The beaches were barley visible. But what the general could see he liked; no tank traps were visible on the beach. He couldn’t spot one entrenched infantrymen, nor was there any costal artillery. A flock of birds was the only movement that could be seen on the coastline. The General could only pray that the case was the same on the other 2 beaches. He put down the binoculars and turned his attention to the landing craft. They were starting their approach to the shore, dozens of green-headed, white tailed snakes making their way to the coast.
He sighed and turned to an Admiral that was standing next to him, “Well George looks like you did your job well. They have no idea what’s about to come down upon them.”
“General I’d be lying if I said it was hard, we encountered only a few cargo and fishing ships. We got lucky that their Navy is not in the vicinity of the invasion.”
“That we did Admiral, but that’s not going to last for long. In 12 hours every boat they got will be steaming this way.”
“Don’t worry about us Peter, we’ll watch your back and take care off any Limeys that try to sneak up on you.”
“I know you will George, you got a fine batch of ships here. But you will understand if I say that I can’t wait to get the hell off of them. This war has gone on long enough, its time to end it.”
“On that we can both agree General.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a middle-aged man carrying a clipboard and wearing a heavy overcoat walked onto the bridge.
“Mr. Ambassador, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Admiral Henery inquired.
“Good morning Admiral, General. Are thing proceeding as planned?”
“That they are Mr. Ambassador, the first crafts will hit the beaches in a few minutes.” The General replied politely. It was extremely unusual to have a civilian aboard a battleship. But this was a special case, Ambassador Jones had the most important job of all; convincing the English to end this pointless war. Besides he had kept out of the way on the trip over. He knew that his welcome would have been worn out real quick if he interfered with anything.
“Good to hear General, in that case here is the communiqué that will be sent to London via radio as soon as the landings start.”
“Do you mind if the Admiral and I read over that before you send it off?”
“Not at all General, be my guest.”
The ambassador handed the clipboard over to the General. Both he and Admiral Henry read the message to themselves.”
To: John Bentley; Foreign Commissar of the Union of British Socialist States
From: Adam Miller; Secretary of State of the United States of America
For the past 13 years our two nations have been in a state of war. Despite their not being a major engagement between our military forces since the Battle of New Karachi, your government has rebuffed every diplomatic advance we have made. Even as your co-belligerents in France, India, and Persia made peace, you have continued with this “war”. We desire peace with you people, but you will obviously only listen to one thing, force. So it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that this morning our forces began to land on the shores of England proper. It is our hope that this campaign will bring you to the negotiating table and end this pointless conflict.
Singed,
Adam Miller
Secretary of State
Eric Coleman
President of The United States
General Michaels nodded, “Very well ambassador, go ahead and head down to the radio room, the troops should be hitting the beaches by the time you get down there.
Ambassador Jones took the clipboard back, nodded to the Admiral and walked off the bridge.
The two officers turned back to the coast and peered through their binoculars. The fog had started to burn off and the beach was becoming clearer by the minute. The landing craft were within several hundred feet of the sand.
“And so it begins” George said
“So it does, lets just hope it’s the beginning of the end.”
15 SECONDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The landing craft’s engines struggling as it climbed up the back of another wave and crashed down in front of it. Inside the craft was 1 M-4 Sherman tank. It’s engine roared to life. Inside the tank, it’s commander Captain Derek Miller spoke to his crew through a microphone, “Once that door goes down we are going to go up that beach as fast as we can. Johnson, be on the look out for any hidden defenses. We’re not expecting any resistance on the beach, but we haven’t come all the way across the ocean just to get blown up by a hidden Limey bastard.”
Derek ran through a mental checklist to make sure he hadn’t forgot anything. Satisfied he peered through the slim opening in front of him. He saw the front ramp of the landing craft. Soon that ramp would be lowered and the invasion would begin. Finally after a 7 years in the Army he would get his chance to fight. He would personally force these commie bastards to make peace. He smiled; he had been waiting his whole life for this.
The ramp dropped and the beach appeared in front of him. The tank leaped forward off of the craft and into shallow water. Along side several other craft were discharging their cargo of troops and tanks.
Indeed, it had begun.
nice teaser, looking forward to an excellent sequel to the great war
