THOSE amazing Berget moments!
Posted: 03 Jul 2011, 22:42
First of all I'd like to say I very thoroughly enjoyed my first Berget, and would like to thank Berget-events and their crew for a very well run event with a lot of attention to detail.
I'm not going to attempt to do a full AAR, so here's just a summary of those 'magical moments' that really made Berget for me personally. This from a perspective of grunt radio operator in Poldavian 3rd Mountaineers/4th platoon/3rd squad. I was thoroughly impressed with the esprit de corps of the 4th platoon. It may sound silly for a 4 day airsoft event but the overall attitude of "we're mountaineers, we'll go the extra mile" pushed me and all around me that extra mile when feet and legs were hurting, we were knackered, drenched and tired. Very impressive experience. Thank you all, 4th platoon!
So what moments made Berget 9 for me?
Harsh fighting to capture the roadblock near the NAF base, crawling through ferns while a machine gunner is tearing up all the greenery 5cm or so above my ass. Watching the mountaineers work methodically work their way through the positions to finally get an AT launcher onto the bunker. Defending said roadblock for most of the afternoon and then, before heading home, being are ordered into an attack on the NAF base with less than half of the Mountaineer company. I get killed trying to force our way across the open ground just outside the NAF base, and when walking back to respawn talk to some NAF guys. They ask what unit we are and are shocked that a leg unit is operating this far forward. Even more so when he finds out they've been dealing with only half the company. Walking further back we find the bunker just recaptured by a NAF mechanised and foot patrol so can't respawn there. Crap, going to be a long walk back. We're puzzled how the mechanized guys got there though, and ask if they've just driven over the mines. Once clarified which mines we were talking about the vehicle raises their dad rag, sportingly taking the hit without further discussion.
Morning patrol in thick mist. We're crossing very rocky ground due east of the construction site, and get a contract front. Third squad is ordered to flank right of the contact, with 4th (I think) following on our tail. With visibility in the 20 meters range we find our way across tough, slippery terrain to the flank of 1st squad. By that time the contact has already evaporated into the mist without (I think) casualties on either side. In the advance we however have lost with 1st squad and set off to find them again. As we were trying to stick to noise discipline we tried to find out our respective positions, but useful landmarks were limited to 'a whole bunch of rocks, some trees ond lots of moss'. Our platoon commander is having issues with his radios affecting his compass so we're finding each other by dead reckoning. The chaos and confusion resulting from such simple factors really brought home the amount of friction that must occur in real life.
On the same very wet day fighting our way to the crossroads west of Delgas Plateau, against heavy opposition. Crawling forward under a tree trying to spot the rifleman that's on our left flank and holding back our assault. An italian guy from 5th infantry going down in front of us, exposed, no way to get a medic to him. Squad leader orders for covering fire from everyone present, and I get up and sprint forward. To my surprise I reach the italian without getting hit, apparantly the blind covering fire got the gunner's head down. Sprinting back dragging the wounded soldier by his ops vest to safety for our medic to treat him. At that time we radio in to 4-0 that 4-3 is pinned down and unable to advance. Somehow we realise however that opposing fire has gotten lighter and decide to leapfrog across the very narrow stretch next to the lake. Diving for cover on the lst stretch, I topple full on over and start to slive face first into the water only to be stopped by Ace from 4-2 (thanks)! The sheer surprise from 4-0 (Chaplain) when I report in that we are again advancing, even if we are down to 6 or so effectives.
Receiving orders to recon up the east side of Speckstaberget up the 90 meters steep climb to find an alternate way to the Delgas Plateau fuel dump. Spent the best part of an our doing a combat patrol up the steep rocky (and treacherously mossy) slope, while 4-2 do the same a hundred off meters further along the ridge. What an amazing scenery and what an amazing place for milsim. Having to claw my way up through moss while staying low in case someone in on lookout at the ridge below. The excellent discipline within the team as we silently make our way up - great job to the others in 4-3. In all honesty I think Dutch health and safety folks would roll in their graves, but it was very well worth it. Both 4-2 and 4-3 sections came back with huge shit-eating grins feeling we did some proper light infantry work there. (Oh, and being told at the beer party at the end, by the italian guys who were 10-15 years younger that I was 'like a fucking machine going up that slope' was on of the best compliments ever...)
Defending the construction site around noon on the last day with our understrength section and 3 guys from another unit. They call contact and ask for our support so we run across the construction side to the western hillside, and arrive just in time to fire a few shots at the French NAF platoon attacking us. While heavy suppressive fire from the front keeps our heads down they immediately perform a textbook pincer movement and rightfully cream us. Sorry to be the victims, but very impressive to watch the speed and coordination with which that attack was carried out. Kudos to the NAF platoon, whoever you were.
After getting creamed at the construction side we make our way back east to respawn, to find each and every spawn location already occupied by the supposedly elite Zansian guys. So we hump the 3km or so back to base to arrive at 2pm, with only an hour left on the clock. We're all dog-tired, and realize that if we sit down, we're not going to get of our arse the rest of the game. After a quick check there's two of us with a crazy idea. Rush straight back up the mountainside we reconned the other night, and hopefully attack the Zansians from a side they are not expecting. We report in to HQ with our insane idea, get a puzzled blessing from the duty officer. We are told an attack should be inbound by our side fighting up the main road to the same postion so us creating chaos behind Zansian lines could help. Just as we set off with the two of us, a staff NCO runs up to join us. "I've been behind a desk for days, and I want in on this insane plan" We strip kit to 5 mags and our rifle and rush straight up the mountain, covering the 90m height differential in 12-15 minutes. Well above sound tactical speed, and certainly fast enough that we needed a minute or two to catch our breath before pressing on. We sneak through the woods to the cliff-side of the fuel dump and spot Zansians on the crossroad. On point, I make it to within 15 meters of their position and have a medic in my crosshairs when I hear voices a few meters away and realize I'm already inside their defensive perimeter. I get on the PRR and tell my squad mate to flank into a firing position. Waiting for him, I keep aiming at the medc until I realize I am about to be stumbled upon. I turn, gun down the first Zansian as he momentarily has his back to me, and taking him out. The shock showing in his physical reaction: Pricless. Unfortunately the bushes I was lying under then turn into a solid volume of BBs. The near instantaneous and agressive respons by the Zansians was very impressive and right on the money. Just as I am lying there wounded, the preperatory Poldavian artillery barrage arrives a few meters behind me. I assume I am dead, but am surprised no his get called on the Zansians. When they then assault past me, my Joey opens fire, takes down three before he too is gunned down. Three more artillery barrages follow, and the staff NCO somehow survives those to be then gunned down. I am not sure how the Zansians managed to dodge all barrages, must have been some really rapid finding of cover. In any case, massive kudos to the Zansians, some very impressive teamwork and aggressive drills there, I was very impressed. Joey and I walked down off the mountain with the hugest grin at having taken even a few of you with us. We walked back to base completely forgetting just how tired we felt an hour earlier. Oh, and running into the Zansians/Fins at the beer party to find out they are a great bunch of guys and to hear I did gun down their squad leader and he was gobsmacked there were any hostilesin that direction: Priceless.
Massive kudos to the Berget organisers and to our valiant opposition!
I'm not going to attempt to do a full AAR, so here's just a summary of those 'magical moments' that really made Berget for me personally. This from a perspective of grunt radio operator in Poldavian 3rd Mountaineers/4th platoon/3rd squad. I was thoroughly impressed with the esprit de corps of the 4th platoon. It may sound silly for a 4 day airsoft event but the overall attitude of "we're mountaineers, we'll go the extra mile" pushed me and all around me that extra mile when feet and legs were hurting, we were knackered, drenched and tired. Very impressive experience. Thank you all, 4th platoon!
So what moments made Berget 9 for me?
Harsh fighting to capture the roadblock near the NAF base, crawling through ferns while a machine gunner is tearing up all the greenery 5cm or so above my ass. Watching the mountaineers work methodically work their way through the positions to finally get an AT launcher onto the bunker. Defending said roadblock for most of the afternoon and then, before heading home, being are ordered into an attack on the NAF base with less than half of the Mountaineer company. I get killed trying to force our way across the open ground just outside the NAF base, and when walking back to respawn talk to some NAF guys. They ask what unit we are and are shocked that a leg unit is operating this far forward. Even more so when he finds out they've been dealing with only half the company. Walking further back we find the bunker just recaptured by a NAF mechanised and foot patrol so can't respawn there. Crap, going to be a long walk back. We're puzzled how the mechanized guys got there though, and ask if they've just driven over the mines. Once clarified which mines we were talking about the vehicle raises their dad rag, sportingly taking the hit without further discussion.
Morning patrol in thick mist. We're crossing very rocky ground due east of the construction site, and get a contract front. Third squad is ordered to flank right of the contact, with 4th (I think) following on our tail. With visibility in the 20 meters range we find our way across tough, slippery terrain to the flank of 1st squad. By that time the contact has already evaporated into the mist without (I think) casualties on either side. In the advance we however have lost with 1st squad and set off to find them again. As we were trying to stick to noise discipline we tried to find out our respective positions, but useful landmarks were limited to 'a whole bunch of rocks, some trees ond lots of moss'. Our platoon commander is having issues with his radios affecting his compass so we're finding each other by dead reckoning. The chaos and confusion resulting from such simple factors really brought home the amount of friction that must occur in real life.
On the same very wet day fighting our way to the crossroads west of Delgas Plateau, against heavy opposition. Crawling forward under a tree trying to spot the rifleman that's on our left flank and holding back our assault. An italian guy from 5th infantry going down in front of us, exposed, no way to get a medic to him. Squad leader orders for covering fire from everyone present, and I get up and sprint forward. To my surprise I reach the italian without getting hit, apparantly the blind covering fire got the gunner's head down. Sprinting back dragging the wounded soldier by his ops vest to safety for our medic to treat him. At that time we radio in to 4-0 that 4-3 is pinned down and unable to advance. Somehow we realise however that opposing fire has gotten lighter and decide to leapfrog across the very narrow stretch next to the lake. Diving for cover on the lst stretch, I topple full on over and start to slive face first into the water only to be stopped by Ace from 4-2 (thanks)! The sheer surprise from 4-0 (Chaplain) when I report in that we are again advancing, even if we are down to 6 or so effectives.
Receiving orders to recon up the east side of Speckstaberget up the 90 meters steep climb to find an alternate way to the Delgas Plateau fuel dump. Spent the best part of an our doing a combat patrol up the steep rocky (and treacherously mossy) slope, while 4-2 do the same a hundred off meters further along the ridge. What an amazing scenery and what an amazing place for milsim. Having to claw my way up through moss while staying low in case someone in on lookout at the ridge below. The excellent discipline within the team as we silently make our way up - great job to the others in 4-3. In all honesty I think Dutch health and safety folks would roll in their graves, but it was very well worth it. Both 4-2 and 4-3 sections came back with huge shit-eating grins feeling we did some proper light infantry work there. (Oh, and being told at the beer party at the end, by the italian guys who were 10-15 years younger that I was 'like a fucking machine going up that slope' was on of the best compliments ever...)
Defending the construction site around noon on the last day with our understrength section and 3 guys from another unit. They call contact and ask for our support so we run across the construction side to the western hillside, and arrive just in time to fire a few shots at the French NAF platoon attacking us. While heavy suppressive fire from the front keeps our heads down they immediately perform a textbook pincer movement and rightfully cream us. Sorry to be the victims, but very impressive to watch the speed and coordination with which that attack was carried out. Kudos to the NAF platoon, whoever you were.
After getting creamed at the construction side we make our way back east to respawn, to find each and every spawn location already occupied by the supposedly elite Zansian guys. So we hump the 3km or so back to base to arrive at 2pm, with only an hour left on the clock. We're all dog-tired, and realize that if we sit down, we're not going to get of our arse the rest of the game. After a quick check there's two of us with a crazy idea. Rush straight back up the mountainside we reconned the other night, and hopefully attack the Zansians from a side they are not expecting. We report in to HQ with our insane idea, get a puzzled blessing from the duty officer. We are told an attack should be inbound by our side fighting up the main road to the same postion so us creating chaos behind Zansian lines could help. Just as we set off with the two of us, a staff NCO runs up to join us. "I've been behind a desk for days, and I want in on this insane plan" We strip kit to 5 mags and our rifle and rush straight up the mountain, covering the 90m height differential in 12-15 minutes. Well above sound tactical speed, and certainly fast enough that we needed a minute or two to catch our breath before pressing on. We sneak through the woods to the cliff-side of the fuel dump and spot Zansians on the crossroad. On point, I make it to within 15 meters of their position and have a medic in my crosshairs when I hear voices a few meters away and realize I'm already inside their defensive perimeter. I get on the PRR and tell my squad mate to flank into a firing position. Waiting for him, I keep aiming at the medc until I realize I am about to be stumbled upon. I turn, gun down the first Zansian as he momentarily has his back to me, and taking him out. The shock showing in his physical reaction: Pricless. Unfortunately the bushes I was lying under then turn into a solid volume of BBs. The near instantaneous and agressive respons by the Zansians was very impressive and right on the money. Just as I am lying there wounded, the preperatory Poldavian artillery barrage arrives a few meters behind me. I assume I am dead, but am surprised no his get called on the Zansians. When they then assault past me, my Joey opens fire, takes down three before he too is gunned down. Three more artillery barrages follow, and the staff NCO somehow survives those to be then gunned down. I am not sure how the Zansians managed to dodge all barrages, must have been some really rapid finding of cover. In any case, massive kudos to the Zansians, some very impressive teamwork and aggressive drills there, I was very impressed. Joey and I walked down off the mountain with the hugest grin at having taken even a few of you with us. We walked back to base completely forgetting just how tired we felt an hour earlier. Oh, and running into the Zansians/Fins at the beer party to find out they are a great bunch of guys and to hear I did gun down their squad leader and he was gobsmacked there were any hostilesin that direction: Priceless.
Massive kudos to the Berget organisers and to our valiant opposition!