Prologue Part 2: Arkhangelsk.
HMS Queen Elizabeth. Off the coast of the Archangelsk Perimeter.
Admiral Beatty eyed the dawning sun with grave concern. The cover of darkness was rapidly receding. As it did it revealed the assembly of Royal Navy ships lurking off the so called 'Archangel perimeter'. The Bolsheviks 6th army had been probing the perimeter around Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk for a number of days now, seeking to surround and destroy the 10,000 or so foreign troops that had secured the pocket. Throughout the night things were quiet enough but the morning signaled a change.
The first shells fell far short of the task force sending titanic plumes of water into the morning air. The reds had captured a good stock of heavy Russian army artillery and they were dug in kilometers away, lobbing shells at the anchorage. As long as the ships remained out at sea and at a distance the Reds were almost impotent but Beatty had already lost a destroyer and two landing craft trying to run the gauntlet into harbour to resupply the intervention force.
“Signals, Indomitable to engage enemy artillery position at her discretion. Ordinance economy to be maintained.”
It was a painful situation, the mighty British capital ships could bring to bear more firepower than every red gun in Russia but with an indefinite time on station and the ever present danger of a run in with the High Seas fleet on their return tip Beatty had issued orders for the sparing use of ammunition.
With a mighty roar that echoed through the bay the battle cruiser HMS Indomitable hurled six twelve inch shells into the distance. It was a reassuring sound. Far too soon though, the echo was eclipsed by the thumping of Bolshevik shells landing in the city and docks.
Damn those reds were persistent.
Battle Cruiser HMS Indomitible
“Signals, Furious to begin airborne ferry operation immediately.”
Allied Airstrip: Archangelsk Pocket
“When the aircraft takes off, remain calm. Do not exit the observer’s cockpit until the crew onboard HMS Furious assists you."
Lieutenant Warwick watched sombrely as the white Russian translator conveyed the instruction to the royal family from the RFC instructor. The women all looked exhausted, the past few days had been a montage of day and night travel that had taken them through white and red territory alike. There had been a few close calls and the attrition on the unit had been relentless, particularly amongst the Russian volunteers that had bolstered the marines at every turn.
He was proud of his men. They had spent days behind enemy lines, in near constant action and yet remained in fairly good spirits. They had been able to escort the Royal family to within the Archangelsk perimeter before the Bolshevik 6th army had closed in and enveloped the city. It had been an incredible feat.
They had all been put to shame by this former Russian leader though. Warwick had been dumbstruck by the energy this man seemed to show. He had been close to his family every step of the trip, reassuring and tending to his daughters and nursing his son... He doubted the man had slept at all in the last 48 hours or so and yet he was busying himself, readying his daughters to be transferred by air to the aircraft carrier furious lying with a substantial British task force off shore.
Warwick was concerned however. The Bolsheviks had been pressing hard for positions overlooking the harbours, paying no heed for casualties. If they were able to bring field pieces into position then direct fire onto the airfield would scuttle the entire plan.
Within minutes though Warwick could hear the tell tale whine of an aero engine even over the fall of shells and distant gunfire. The RFC ground crew immediately addressed the royal party, briefing them one more time. They were going through the pre-flight one more time when puffs of smoke appeared in the distance.
Aircraft onboard HMS Furious prepare for launch
Hastily unlimbered Bolshevik field artillery burst into life. Many of the Bolshevik gun crews had not originally been artillerymen and had struggled at dialing in accurate indirect fire. Now though, by unlimbering their weapons suicidally close to the allied line and firing over virtually open sights they were at last able to send a focused rain towards the harbour, the airfield.. and the approaching aircraft.
HMS Queen Elizabeth. Off the coast of the Archangelsk Perimeter.
Beatty cursed under his breath as the Strutter bi-plane fell to earth in a blaze of flame, ripped apart by shrapnel. Even a cursory observation through his optics made it clear that the makeshift landing strip was taking more than enough fire to close it to any additional attempts. Damn it! The marines had escorted these Russians hundreds of kilometres and he was about to let them down over the last two or three...Nor was it just them..if the reds have been able to bring artillery onto those positions then the entire perimeter may be collapsing...
“Admiral, signal from HMS Broke. Destroyer breaking formation, will embark objective directly.”
Admiral Beatty turned his optics out instantly. Sure enough the tinny Faulknor-class destroyer had turned sharply and was steaming directly into the heavily shelled bay. On some level Beatty wasn’t surprised, Captain Bertram Ramsay was prone to this sort of thing. He’d been involved in the raids at Ostend and Zeebrugge and was a key proponent of amphibious warfare.
“ That man’s insane.” The American liaison officer contributed as he watched in disbelief.
Beatty smiled. “ Not quite Liutenant, he’s English.”
While the American’s face flashed momentarily with confusion, Beatty turned his attention to the XO.
“Commander, how’s the fleet on the Draught?”
“The Queen Elizabeths need about ten meters plus a safety margin, slightly less for the battlecruisers.”
The admiral’s face had taken on a gleam that the famous battle cruiser commander had not worn since the earlier days of the war.
Admiral Beatty turned his gleaming vissiage back to the American Liutenant that was growing steadily whiter as he realised what the British Admiral was thinking.
“And that lieutenant is something I and Captain Ramsay have in common.”
“Signals, new orders, fleet wide.”
Let’s give these bastards something to think about.
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Originally Posted by trekaddict
