The Plan and other short stories

by Stephen Brandon

  * * *

  This morning everyone listened to General Black make his announcement over the radio. Then we heard a unit reporting in from Sarbisheh. They requested an ETA. Less than 30 minutes later 2 heavy tank units headed south with a few AA vehicles and 6 trucks of infantry. They were moving fast. Two hours later the convoy started south at 40 miles per hour. We passed through Sarbisheh and were half way to Nehbandan when the first Iranian observation aircraft was spotted. It stayed out of range for over an hour until it suddenly exploded. Then one of our jets came screaming out of the sun and ran the length of the convoy south to north. Then it was gone and the rumble of the road wheels filled the silence. That night we parked on the road with half on guard and half asleep. The only noise I heard all night long were fuel trucks moving down the line.

  * * *

  Just after dawn we were hailed from the east. My lieutenant climbed down from the APC and walked to the side of the road. After a minute he returned and told me to call for 3 empty trucks and hot rations for 53 soldiers. Then he call division and informed them that unit 16 had arrived. We were near the end of the convoy as guards for half the helicopters being hauled on trucks.

  ~ ToCn ~

  NEW - 5

  That evening I was sitting on the front deck smoking a cigarette when two of unit 16's solders came over and asked if I could spare a smoke. After a few minutes they started telling me where they'd been.

  They were detached from the convoy at Farah. From there they moved south to Salian. Joining up with some Afghanistan scouts and then an Afghanistan infantry patrol they moved to the town of Kang. The next afternoon they infiltrated into Jaranj. There were very few Iranians there, but they found a headquarters that hadn't been completely emptied. The documents located were like steak sauce for the Intel guys. After making copies and transmitting everything we gave the Afghan scouts the originals.

  Why a small headquarters would have the full invasion plans plus troop deployments was stupid. The Intel guys figured that the command chain was micromanaging all the way down to squad level operations. When the town was secured General Sherzai flew in for a briefing by our guys and the scouts.

  We were even resupplied with everything we'd need and then the next morning we were driven down to the next town and the scouts escorted us across the border. Those are some tough guys. They took out the border guards at Zabol. We then headed due west across the lake and here we are. We did run into a few detachment size Iranian units and destroyed them. Unfortunately there weren't any goodies for the Intel guys other than their communications gear.

  ~ ToCn ~

  NEW - 6

  The next morning all the helicopters were checked out and prepared for flight.

  Zahedan was the city that we had to go through on our way south. It had a good size airport and the objective was to empty the city of civilians and secure the airport. After that we were to destroy the runways and move south.

  Less than an hour into the attack we were informed that plan B was now in effect. The scouts had spotted Chinese troops in Zahedan and more south along the highway. Because we were now at the end of the convoy we moved out across country for the east west highway to Kerman.

  As soon as we hit the highway we moved up to Nosradiabad. It wasn't much of a city, but the local militia resisted as well as they could. It was after dark by time we secured the town and rounded up the civilians.

  * * *

  Our captain told the civilians that unfortunately they were in the middle of a combat zone. The Chinese had taken Zahedan. One brave Iranian yelled back that they knew that this morning and the militia though we were the Chinese. After telling them we were mainly Americans he instructed them that they had an hour to gather what they could carry and they should head north into the mountains. They would find weapons and ammunition a mile north of town. Anyone found in town later tonight would be considered an enemy soldier and shot on sight. Some of the men volunteered to stay, but the Captain told them they were needed to protect the their women and children if we lost against the Chinese.

  * * *

  More and more of the convoy arrived during the night and we prepared for major combat. Toward dawn we could hear the battle in Zahedan. It was more of a low rumble like an earth quake. Over the radio we could hear units reporting their location as they pulled back. Our AA guys reported several dozen high altitude bombers headed south. Then the sky lit up. At first we thought it was a nuke, but almost immediately the word came down that something called fuel air bombs had been dropped. Then we were ordered to prepare for the helicopters to return and the other units to start west on the main road.

  * * *

  Sunday morning we were loaded and moving west at 40 miles per hour. We stopped at Bam to pick up ammunition and fuel that had just been airdropped.

  Now when we come to a town or what they call a small city the lead element drives straight into the town to the militia headquarters and informs them that we are Americans. We are passing through and they should keep their civilians out of the way. Behind us are the Chinese and they should prepare their defenses. We had no problems until we reached Kerman. Their militia was set up blocking the main highway. When the lead element stopped their commander walked out and told our Colonel to turn around and go back. The Colonel explained that we were retreating from the Chinese and his militia could either assist us in traveling through the city and then south toward Sirjan or we would fight our way through. He had an hour to decide.

  Before the hour was up our AA guys informed us that unidentified aircraft were coming out of the northeast. The militia commander told our Colonel that if we took care of the Chinese planes he would allow us free passage. Moments later AA reported jets headed north on an intercept course. The Chinese bombers turned away, but their escorts decided to fight. They lost. We lost a few planes also. Then the bombers tried to approach from the southeast. Then our long range surface to air missiles started taking them out. While this was going on some low level jets came out of the west and started strafing the convoy. The AA units had their hands full. After an hour of air combat the skies were clear. The militia commander ordered the barricades moved aside and told our Colonel to get through town as quick as he could before the Chinese returned.

  * * *

  We were almost to Mashiz when the next wave of aircraft were spotted. They approached from the southeast and were identified as ours. The cargo was airdropped and then they headed due south. One of the aircraft pilots apologized for not being able to land and pick up our wounded.

  Just up the road from Sirjan we were ordered off the road and told to take up positions on the north side. There was an airfield and our planes were landing on it. The supply and maintenance trucks were headed out to the planes followed by our medical personnel with the wounded.

  As I was listening to the division radio I could hear the units reporting that sections of Sirjan had been taken and all civilian ordered to evacuate up the highways to the northwest and west.

  We entered Sirjan during the night and drove straight through. We were leapfrogging sections of the convoy to take a position near the lead. Our escorted helicopters had been refueled and rearmed. We passed up two other helicopter elements that were still in the process of refueling and rearming their equipment.

  We drove til afternoon and then were ordered to prepare our aircraft for deployment.

  They took off after dark and were back less than two hours later. I listened from the drivers seat as the chopper pilots briefed division over the radio.

  From what I could understand the Iranian army had several divisions deployed just outside Bandar-e 'Abbas. The airport had Chinese aircraft coming and going. Evidently the Iranians were fighting the Chinese incursion.

  General Black sent down orders for all units to deploy in the mountains just north of Bandar-e'Abbas. We were also told that we had
2 bulls eye on us so we needed to become almost invisible. Full camouflage and radio silence. We were to let any patrols pass unless they spotted someone. Then they were to be eliminated before they could send a report.

  ~ ToCn ~

  NEW - 7

  Once we were backed into he mountains and camouflaged pickets were set out all around. I even got tagged for guard duty. My post was up the mountain at a pass. From it we could look west where the major part of the convoy was bivouacked in a long valley. To the east was the road beyond a short open valley with two houses.

  On the third night toward the end of my shift I heard a scream from the east. I checked quickly with my partner on the other side of the pass and he heard it also. We reported the noise and were told that a squad would be at our location in ten minutes with night vision goggles.

  Before they arrived we spotted movement at the bottom of the pass. Even in the dark we could count twenty to thirty men moving quietly toward us. We called the Sergeant of the Guard and reported the group approaching our position. We were instructed to take the prepared positions up the sides of the pass and wait. It had been a pain to build those positions, but an old sergeant supervised the details. From there we had protection from fire, yet had a good field of fire into the pass and down the eastern side. Also we had positioned boulders that could be rolled down the eastern side.

  I was shivering in my boots when the squad leader crawled into my position. We'd been watching them come up the pass and they were almost to the location the old sergeant said the boulders would be most effective. Sergeant Lee took one look and quietly started cursing. Then he got on his radio and reported 26 Chinese soldiers scaling the pass. In the valley below was a company strength unit. We were hidden by the dark, but when the sun came up our positions would be visible.

  Intel had reported Chinese units moving around behind the Iranian units, and evidently one wanted to use our valley to set up in.

  Command instructed us to roll the boulders down on the climbers and hold our fire unless we were in imminent danger of being overrun. Hopefully confusion would keep them in the valley long enough for a light armor unit to move around and box them in. Snipers were on their way up to our position to attempt to eliminate their leaders and communications personnel.

  Well the boulders did their job as calculated. Only a few survived and went back down into the valley. It's amazing how far the human voice will travel at night. If we understood Chinese we'd have been happier, but all we could do was observe. They were still forming up another climbing group when the armor unit came up the road and opened fire into the valley. They were caught flat footed and before they got organized our snipers started firing. In a matter of minutes the Chinese were trying to surrender, but our orders were to take no prisoners. We watched the few that managed to recross the road and disappear into hills over there. An Iranian army truck was driven up the road and then someone went and got a Chinese RPG an fired into the engine. The wreckage was left to burn as the light armor unit retreated and covered most of their tracks.

  Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but we were in the pass with block and tackle moving more boulders into position to reset our defensed. We weren't done by sundown so we camouflaged the tackle and blocks and posted new guards. This time we also had an outpost on the ridge near the road.

  Monday we finished just after noon and took our gear back into our valley.

  Tuesday morning an Iranian patrol came by and stopped to investigate. Also the news filtered down that the infantry unit sent to the airport had been very successful. They'd raided an Iranian armory and taken all their RPGs, land mines, and satchel charges. Some mines had been set on the runways, a few satchel charges had been lobbed into Chinese positions, and 17 aircraft had been hit with RPGs when landing and taking off. They only claimed a dozen confirmed crashes, but they'd stirred them up. They had a successful week.

  ~ ToCn ~

  NEW - 8

  We are still blocked from approaching the coast by two armies, the Iranian and the invading Chinese. They are still maneuvering for best position before engaging. One of the sergeants from the a infantry company laughingly said they looked like two guys in a fight that were dancing around afraid to swing first.

  General Black has called for another planning meeting. My lieutenant isn't scheduled to go, but he claims that they are going to plan some incursions into an area between the Chinese and Iranian armies to instigate reactions from both. Sounds like suicide missions to me, but you never know what will happen when the bullets start flying.

  After hearing the plans that came down from a couple of friends in the British forces all I could think of was Oh shit. Two dozen squads are going to raid into the army areas and go after their officers and leave clues that it was members of the opposing armies that did the attacks. Weapons and equipment have been captured from contacts with the Iranians. Now all they need to do is collect some Chinese army equipment and weapons. Their plans also indicated that instead of retreating like they should they are to infiltrate further into the opposing army controlled areas and create observation post and prepare for more attacks. This is a pure guerrilla plan that is estimated to have a 30% casualty rate and 90% chance of instigating full contact between them. If it works we are get everything ready to move after hunkering down and wait for them to go at it. The commanders figure we'll have less than a thirty minute window once they start full contact to start moving east. Once we reached highway 92 it would be a mad dash to Kahnuj. Once there a decision would be made whether to go north to Darzin or south to Minab and follow the coast. The southern route was a few miles shorter, but some of the roads weren't as good and there will be less maneuvering room.

  As we approached Kahnuj the advance scouts reported convoys of Chinese trucks coming up the coastal roads. We stopped for an hour in Kahnuj while we divided our force. The fastest armor was to take the northern route through Darzin and down to Transhahr, then south to Chabahar. The main body would move with its air support down the coastal roads cutting the Chinese supply lines. My unit was one of the ones selected to take the norther route. Our lead vehicles mounted the Stars and Stripes on their radio antennas. Our instructions were to travel full speed and if we ran into resistance or road blocks to blast our way through. Vehicles damaged that couldn't be immediately made mobile would be destroyed on the spot. Our units 14 remaining light armored vehicles would be first in line followed by three M1 tanks. The plan was to form a skirmish line left and right when needed leaving an opening for the M1's to punch through.

  We blew through Bam and only the rear guard got any small arms fire as we were leaving town. Twenty kilometers north of Transhahr our scouts reported a small convoy stopped on the road. It had markings on one vehicle indicating a general officer. General Black ordered that they capture all the officers. The firefight was bloody, but two officers were captured. Being nearby General Black walked right up to the Iranian General and pulled his 45. Looking over the barrel of his 45 he calmly stated, "When you corner a wild animal what does it do? Lay down and await capture. Does it run to and fro looking for an escape route. Does it attack and destroy everything within reach. My army today is like a cornered lion looking for an escape route so it can return to its lair. Our escape looks to be the coast. If we find an open route, we'll move quickly and leave this accursed country. Captain, withdraw your soldiers back around the bend in the road so he can be rescued by the Iranian column moving in this direction. We settled in a good defensive position and replenished our supplies. Two hours later we headed south again.

  As we approached Transhahr a RPG hit the lead vehicle and blew its front left road wheel. As it veered off the road our skirmish line formed and opened fire. I've never been in front of an M1 firing, but I was glad I wasn't the target. The round fired blew all three trucks blocking the road off onto the shoulder. They started burning as
we watched the soldiers behind them drop their weapons and run. The Colonel ordered a cease fire and ordered one M1 second in line as we reformed on the road. The maintenance crew made record time in changing the damaged road wheel and we moved out in less than 20 minutes. Transhahr looked deserted as we rolled through town.

  As we approached Nikshahr one lone soldier held up his hand with a white rag. We formed a diamond perimeter as he approached. All he asked was if the Chinese were following us. Then he informed the officer in the lead vehicle that everyone would be out of town in thirty minutes. The Colonel then came on the radio and told the Captain to inform the soldier that we were just passing through and he had 5 minutes to inform his commander. We would come through town as soon as we ate lunch and if there was any resistance we would clear our path with explosives and instant death. After we were through town they could do as they wished. We'd been through Nikshahr only a few weeks before and caught them by surprise, this time they had a decision to make. Let us pass freely or be destroyed. The soldier turned and ran toward town while we broke out our MRE and checked our vehicles. The fuel and ammo trucks topped everyone off and 25 minutes later we got the order to move out. My view was limited by the periscopes, every driver was, when buttoned up and I didn't see anyone. Not one shot was fired at us and we didn't stop until we rolled down 93 to the intersection of 98. Turning right we followed the edge of the bag and turned into Konarak Airport.

  A fat civilian met us on the road and told our lead vehicle that he'd been instructed to cooperate if we promised not to wreck the airport. After a moment I heard over the radio, "Inform him that we will have a dozen transport planes landing to take some of our men out. If there is no resistance we will leave the airport as it is. If one shot is fired at us or the planes we will leave a smoking hole in the ground where your airport is. Tell your people now because we are coming in in 10 minutes."