Brienz, Napf Island
The air raid took less than 10 minutes total, as Russian SU-25 ground attack aircraft loudly and violently struck Chernarusian positions in Brienz. Chernarusian marines on patrol as far as three kilometers away could see plumes of black smoke rising from the destruction the aircraft wrought on Chernarusian supplies, and could hear echos as the sound of the aircraft heavy weapons reverberated on the mountains surrounding this tiny seaside village.
The weather has been terrible in southern Napf Island. Speaking to a Chernarusian naval meteorologist by radio yesterday, a Senior Lieutenant Andropov, the island can expect nearly constant snow storms for the next nine weeks. The storms, which usually hit in the morning are so strong that visibility is reduced in some areas to less than 200 meters.
The war here has settled into an odd routine. Russian early morning air raids are always accompanied by infantry attacks from poorly clothed, but heavily armed rebel soldiers. The air raids, we are told, are supposed to destroy supplies and troops. While the raids end with supplies destroyed, very few of the Chernarusian marines have been wounded or killed by aircraft.
The real danger is with the ground assaults. Rebel commanders have been attacking Brienz in platoon strength from three different axes, and the attacks have been in threes. The rebel soldiers, poorly dressed for winter fighting, always manage to inflict some casualties on Chernarusian forces here, but the rebel units are almost always wiped out by the Chernarusians.
Early attacks, those which took place one and two days after the Chernarusian marine landed were accompanied by technicals, light pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted to their cargo beds.
As with the rebel soldiers, those trucks are similarly destroyed by Chernarusian counterfire.
The rebels' strategy is fairly clear, according to a Chernarusian naval captain stationed here. They intend to eject the marines from their positions regardless of the cost to them. In two more days, the captain said he will send out parties to recover the rebel dead. They will be stripped of any useful items, including clothing and boots, and the corpses will be incinerated in bonfires The ground here is frozen solid and nearly impossible to dig into. Any identity papers and personal items will be sent out with the evacuation boats. Chernarusian commanders will eventually contact rebel commanders to return the items.
So, the routine continues, day after day When night comes, the Chernarusian patrol boats come to offload replacements, what the Chernarusian marines call fillers, and supplies of ammunition and food, and to evacuate dead and wounded. The evacuations take much longer because Chernarusian marines insist on holding an informal ceremony honoring their war dead before they are loaded onto the boats. It doesn't matter how many soldiers are on the front line, there's always a solemn ceremony honoring the dead.
In Brienz, the war has disrupted life somewhat. The village has power, but water is available for only a few hours each day. The two man Brienz water department left the village when war broke out and are rumored to be fighting with pro Chernarusian FIA guerrillas in Sorenberg.
But villagers try to continue as normal. There's always product deliveries to the local grocery store, and the local pub, which doubles as a town hall, received its shipment of alcohol and food two days ago. Drivers making deliveries to Brienz say that rebel checkpoint delays are getting longer, but rebels operating the checkpoints are polite and professional. They always check for weapons and ammunition, and other contraband. Bus service has completely stopped, and rebels refuse to let passenger cars through unless one or more females are aboard. The rebels' main fear is that civilian traffic helps local guerrillas move forces around.
The owner of the pub in Brienz has said business is up, despite the fighting. Business would be even better save for the fact the Chernarusian site commander has declared the pub off limits. The satellite feed to the pub's five television sets is still operating, so villagers gather there nightly to watch the news and take in an occasional ice hockey game.
Two days before this dispatch was filed, this writer and two others, a radio personality and a television news woman, were trundled off aboard an open air Strela class patrol boat for Admiral Grachev's command ship, the ChNS Zima, stationed about eight kilometers from Brienz. We were sent there to attend a press briefing by the admirals' staff on the war in Napf.
It is always refreshing to be provided a hot shower and hot food, and to be in quiet quarters with nearly zero threat of attack from anywhere.
When we gathered into the conference room, a young michman passed out a press briefing The five other media, two from American media, read the handout solemnly, while we three just looked and smirked at one another. Events on the ground, where we were and where eventually we would be, had already rendered the handout nearly worthless.
The captain at the briefing said that a marine contingent had captured the eastside hamlet of Gilswil, and were holding on, despite suffering repeated attacks and being low on supplies. Three attempts to send in supplies by boat had been tried, but only one has been successful so far. Even so, most of the rebels' efforts include trying to keep the road between Giswil and Brienz closed to military traffic. That strategy will enable the continuous attacks on Brienz, and will help their own situation everywhere else.
The captain said that another 30 marines were landing at Brienz and will participate in a sweeping operation that is planned to open and keep the road open to Giswil. A successful conclusion of the operation will end ground attacks on Brienz.
The air attacks, however, will likely continue.
The air raid took less than 10 minutes total, as Russian SU-25 ground attack aircraft loudly and violently struck Chernarusian positions in Brienz. Chernarusian marines on patrol as far as three kilometers away could see plumes of black smoke rising from the destruction the aircraft wrought on Chernarusian supplies, and could hear echos as the sound of the aircraft heavy weapons reverberated on the mountains surrounding this tiny seaside village.
The weather has been terrible in southern Napf Island. Speaking to a Chernarusian naval meteorologist by radio yesterday, a Senior Lieutenant Andropov, the island can expect nearly constant snow storms for the next nine weeks. The storms, which usually hit in the morning are so strong that visibility is reduced in some areas to less than 200 meters.
The war here has settled into an odd routine. Russian early morning air raids are always accompanied by infantry attacks from poorly clothed, but heavily armed rebel soldiers. The air raids, we are told, are supposed to destroy supplies and troops. While the raids end with supplies destroyed, very few of the Chernarusian marines have been wounded or killed by aircraft.
The real danger is with the ground assaults. Rebel commanders have been attacking Brienz in platoon strength from three different axes, and the attacks have been in threes. The rebel soldiers, poorly dressed for winter fighting, always manage to inflict some casualties on Chernarusian forces here, but the rebel units are almost always wiped out by the Chernarusians.
Early attacks, those which took place one and two days after the Chernarusian marine landed were accompanied by technicals, light pickup trucks with heavy weapons mounted to their cargo beds.
As with the rebel soldiers, those trucks are similarly destroyed by Chernarusian counterfire.
The rebels' strategy is fairly clear, according to a Chernarusian naval captain stationed here. They intend to eject the marines from their positions regardless of the cost to them. In two more days, the captain said he will send out parties to recover the rebel dead. They will be stripped of any useful items, including clothing and boots, and the corpses will be incinerated in bonfires The ground here is frozen solid and nearly impossible to dig into. Any identity papers and personal items will be sent out with the evacuation boats. Chernarusian commanders will eventually contact rebel commanders to return the items.
So, the routine continues, day after day When night comes, the Chernarusian patrol boats come to offload replacements, what the Chernarusian marines call fillers, and supplies of ammunition and food, and to evacuate dead and wounded. The evacuations take much longer because Chernarusian marines insist on holding an informal ceremony honoring their war dead before they are loaded onto the boats. It doesn't matter how many soldiers are on the front line, there's always a solemn ceremony honoring the dead.
In Brienz, the war has disrupted life somewhat. The village has power, but water is available for only a few hours each day. The two man Brienz water department left the village when war broke out and are rumored to be fighting with pro Chernarusian FIA guerrillas in Sorenberg.
But villagers try to continue as normal. There's always product deliveries to the local grocery store, and the local pub, which doubles as a town hall, received its shipment of alcohol and food two days ago. Drivers making deliveries to Brienz say that rebel checkpoint delays are getting longer, but rebels operating the checkpoints are polite and professional. They always check for weapons and ammunition, and other contraband. Bus service has completely stopped, and rebels refuse to let passenger cars through unless one or more females are aboard. The rebels' main fear is that civilian traffic helps local guerrillas move forces around.
The owner of the pub in Brienz has said business is up, despite the fighting. Business would be even better save for the fact the Chernarusian site commander has declared the pub off limits. The satellite feed to the pub's five television sets is still operating, so villagers gather there nightly to watch the news and take in an occasional ice hockey game.
Two days before this dispatch was filed, this writer and two others, a radio personality and a television news woman, were trundled off aboard an open air Strela class patrol boat for Admiral Grachev's command ship, the ChNS Zima, stationed about eight kilometers from Brienz. We were sent there to attend a press briefing by the admirals' staff on the war in Napf.
It is always refreshing to be provided a hot shower and hot food, and to be in quiet quarters with nearly zero threat of attack from anywhere.
When we gathered into the conference room, a young michman passed out a press briefing The five other media, two from American media, read the handout solemnly, while we three just looked and smirked at one another. Events on the ground, where we were and where eventually we would be, had already rendered the handout nearly worthless.
The captain at the briefing said that a marine contingent had captured the eastside hamlet of Gilswil, and were holding on, despite suffering repeated attacks and being low on supplies. Three attempts to send in supplies by boat had been tried, but only one has been successful so far. Even so, most of the rebels' efforts include trying to keep the road between Giswil and Brienz closed to military traffic. That strategy will enable the continuous attacks on Brienz, and will help their own situation everywhere else.
The captain said that another 30 marines were landing at Brienz and will participate in a sweeping operation that is planned to open and keep the road open to Giswil. A successful conclusion of the operation will end ground attacks on Brienz.
The air attacks, however, will likely continue.
