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Cliffhanger indeed! I think there are going to be serious problems for the Spanish after this debacle. Especially if the Ambassador is shot and injured or killed.........major mistake that leads to war.
Hardraade you keep us hooked with your writing....but the updates are too far apart. More please........and soon!!
KLorberau
Hardraade you keep us hooked with your writing....but the updates are too far apart. More please........and soon!!
KLorberau
I happen to have the same opinion, as KLorberau. Especially the second part of it..
Cheers,
von Landrof.
Cheers,
von Landrof.
KLorberau & von Landorf: I know that the pace has slowed remarkably and I'm sorry about that. I've been working quite a bit and was injured recently(not at work). I've spent the time between then and now completely out of it on painkillers. I'll hope you'll agree with me then that a delay in getting the next update ready was unavoidable. I am happy to report, though, that the next update will post tomorrow or Thursday.
May the Strength of the Forefathers be with you, herr Hardraade. And I hope that my previous post didn't make you grab another one of those painkillers, but if it did, then I must apologize. Wouldn't want to make Max Payne out of you, a man can not live by only feasting upon painkillers. . 
Cheers,
von Landorf.
Cheers,
von Landorf.
Thanks for the well wishes everyone. I appreciate it. I will post the update in a few minutes.
July 5, 1940
Madrid, Spain
Immediately after the first shot, Helmut's instincts took over and he dropped low. He had already taken cover behind the Ambassador's car by the time that the two sides began blazing away at one another. He pulled his Walther PPK from his pocket and peered around the back bumper. One of the soldiers in the Ambassador's party was down, apparently wounded in the leg though he continued to fire at the enemy from his prone position. The other two soldiers were crouched low and slowly backing away from the Spaniards while laying down short bursts from their MP40s. Behind them and shielded by their bodies was Ambassador Dieckhoff. Several Spaniards seemed to be down as well, but Helmut could not tell whether they were dead or wounded. The majority of the enemy group seemed to have taken cover behind the car that they had used to block the road and would occasionally pop up from behind it to fire, but the continuous fire from the three MP40s was forcing them to remain mostly behind cover. Helmut looked for Karl and was surprised to see him still standing in the same spot he had been in before the shooting started. He seemed to be frozen to the spot in terror and it was a miracle that he had not yet been hit.
Helmut fired a couple of shots at the enemy and dashed from behind the car to where Karl was standing. He grabbed him by the back of his suit jacket and hauled the frightened man behind the car, pushing him to the ground as they arrived. By this time the two unwounded soldiers and the Ambassador had also taken cover behind the car. The wounded man was still lying in the same place. Helmut instructed the soldiers to lay down heavy covering fire and ran back out from cover as they began firing. He ran to the wounded man and, grabbing him under both arms, was able to drag him to the relative safety of the rear of the car.
Helmut looked over to Karl and saw that some of the color had returned to his face, though his eyes were still wide with fear. He put a hand on the young man's arm and gave him a reassuring smile as he said, "Don't worry. We're going to be fine."
Karl nodded, but did not look completely convinced as Helmut took the wounded man's MP40 and reloaded it. He held out his Walther and asked, "Do you know how to use this?"
Karl eyed the pistol for a moment before shaking his head and replying, "I've never fired a gun before."
Helmut smiled and pressed the pistol into his hand. He said, "It's easy. Just point this end at the enemy and pull the trigger."
Karl smiled weakly and nodded his understanding. He asked, "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to head back to the Embassy.", answered Helmut.
"What? We'll never make it!", shouted Karl. "It's just open roadway between here and there. They'll kill us."
Helmut ignored him and ordered the two soldiers to stop firing. They complied and, after few moments, the Spanish ceased firing as well. In the sudden quiet Helmut said, "We need to get the Embassy quickly. Everyone in this whole damn city that has a gun is probably headed this way. Ambassador, I'm going to need you and Karl to the help the wounded man make it back. You'll go first while the rest of us cover you. Once you've reached the Embassy safely, we'll follow."
Everyone nodded except Karl who said, "Wait a minute. Why don't we just get back into the car and keep going? We can shoot our way out."
Despite the desperate situation, Helmut found himself snickering. He replied, "Shoot our way out? For God's sake, Karl, this is real life, not some stupid book. We'd never make it. The only safe place for us is the Embassy."
Looking abashed, Karl looked down at the ground before nodding and moving toward the wounded man. The silence that had fallen on the street was broken when they heard one of the Spaniards shout, "Come out from there and surrender!"
Helmut looked and saw that Karl and the Ambassador were ready to make their dash for safety. He smiled at the soldiers with him and said, "Well, let's give them an answer."
The three of them rose up and began firing at the Spanish who quickly dove back under cover. Helmut dropped down to reload and turned to look behind him. He saw that the other three were making good time back toward the Embassy. Some brave souls among the Spanish were risking the fire being directed toward them and taking shots at both Helmut's group and the retreating men. As Helmut looked on, Dieckhoff suddenly fell to the ground. He cursed and began running toward him, shouting for Karl to keep going with the wounded soldier as he did.
Bullets flew all around him as he crouched down next to the Ambassador. Dieckhoff groaned as Helmut rolled him over to discover that he had been shot in the side. Helmut judged that the wound was not too serious provided that medical care could be administered. He pulled Dieckhoff to his feet and threw one of the Ambassador's arms over his shoulders to support him and together they finished the journey back to the Embassy without incident.
When they arrived Helmut saw that the entire guard contingent was assembled in the courtyard and was prepared to fend off an attack. A couple of men came forward and took charge of the wounded Ambassador. Looking around, Helmut spotted Karl sitting at the foot of the Embassy stairs. He walked over and sat down next to him as the two remaining soldiers ran through the Emabassy gates which were quickly shut behind them. Moments later a few Spaniards appeared in front of the gates, but quickly disappeared at the sight of the soldiers in the courtyard.
Helmut was basking in the wonderful feeling of being alive and unharmed after a firefight when he heard Karl say, "I can't believe that just happened."
Helmut looked over to him and saw that he was trembling. He reached out and gently took his pistol from Karl's grip and put it into his own pocket. He put a hand on Karl's shoulder and said, "It's alright now. It's over and you came through in one piece. Be happy."
"Happy?", Karl asked. "I don't see any reason to be happy. This isn't over. What's going to happen next?"
Helmut pondered that for a moment and replied, "War."
Madrid, Spain
Immediately after the first shot, Helmut's instincts took over and he dropped low. He had already taken cover behind the Ambassador's car by the time that the two sides began blazing away at one another. He pulled his Walther PPK from his pocket and peered around the back bumper. One of the soldiers in the Ambassador's party was down, apparently wounded in the leg though he continued to fire at the enemy from his prone position. The other two soldiers were crouched low and slowly backing away from the Spaniards while laying down short bursts from their MP40s. Behind them and shielded by their bodies was Ambassador Dieckhoff. Several Spaniards seemed to be down as well, but Helmut could not tell whether they were dead or wounded. The majority of the enemy group seemed to have taken cover behind the car that they had used to block the road and would occasionally pop up from behind it to fire, but the continuous fire from the three MP40s was forcing them to remain mostly behind cover. Helmut looked for Karl and was surprised to see him still standing in the same spot he had been in before the shooting started. He seemed to be frozen to the spot in terror and it was a miracle that he had not yet been hit.
Helmut fired a couple of shots at the enemy and dashed from behind the car to where Karl was standing. He grabbed him by the back of his suit jacket and hauled the frightened man behind the car, pushing him to the ground as they arrived. By this time the two unwounded soldiers and the Ambassador had also taken cover behind the car. The wounded man was still lying in the same place. Helmut instructed the soldiers to lay down heavy covering fire and ran back out from cover as they began firing. He ran to the wounded man and, grabbing him under both arms, was able to drag him to the relative safety of the rear of the car.
Helmut looked over to Karl and saw that some of the color had returned to his face, though his eyes were still wide with fear. He put a hand on the young man's arm and gave him a reassuring smile as he said, "Don't worry. We're going to be fine."
Karl nodded, but did not look completely convinced as Helmut took the wounded man's MP40 and reloaded it. He held out his Walther and asked, "Do you know how to use this?"
Karl eyed the pistol for a moment before shaking his head and replying, "I've never fired a gun before."
Helmut smiled and pressed the pistol into his hand. He said, "It's easy. Just point this end at the enemy and pull the trigger."
Karl smiled weakly and nodded his understanding. He asked, "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to head back to the Embassy.", answered Helmut.
"What? We'll never make it!", shouted Karl. "It's just open roadway between here and there. They'll kill us."
Helmut ignored him and ordered the two soldiers to stop firing. They complied and, after few moments, the Spanish ceased firing as well. In the sudden quiet Helmut said, "We need to get the Embassy quickly. Everyone in this whole damn city that has a gun is probably headed this way. Ambassador, I'm going to need you and Karl to the help the wounded man make it back. You'll go first while the rest of us cover you. Once you've reached the Embassy safely, we'll follow."
Everyone nodded except Karl who said, "Wait a minute. Why don't we just get back into the car and keep going? We can shoot our way out."
Despite the desperate situation, Helmut found himself snickering. He replied, "Shoot our way out? For God's sake, Karl, this is real life, not some stupid book. We'd never make it. The only safe place for us is the Embassy."
Looking abashed, Karl looked down at the ground before nodding and moving toward the wounded man. The silence that had fallen on the street was broken when they heard one of the Spaniards shout, "Come out from there and surrender!"
Helmut looked and saw that Karl and the Ambassador were ready to make their dash for safety. He smiled at the soldiers with him and said, "Well, let's give them an answer."
The three of them rose up and began firing at the Spanish who quickly dove back under cover. Helmut dropped down to reload and turned to look behind him. He saw that the other three were making good time back toward the Embassy. Some brave souls among the Spanish were risking the fire being directed toward them and taking shots at both Helmut's group and the retreating men. As Helmut looked on, Dieckhoff suddenly fell to the ground. He cursed and began running toward him, shouting for Karl to keep going with the wounded soldier as he did.
Bullets flew all around him as he crouched down next to the Ambassador. Dieckhoff groaned as Helmut rolled him over to discover that he had been shot in the side. Helmut judged that the wound was not too serious provided that medical care could be administered. He pulled Dieckhoff to his feet and threw one of the Ambassador's arms over his shoulders to support him and together they finished the journey back to the Embassy without incident.
When they arrived Helmut saw that the entire guard contingent was assembled in the courtyard and was prepared to fend off an attack. A couple of men came forward and took charge of the wounded Ambassador. Looking around, Helmut spotted Karl sitting at the foot of the Embassy stairs. He walked over and sat down next to him as the two remaining soldiers ran through the Emabassy gates which were quickly shut behind them. Moments later a few Spaniards appeared in front of the gates, but quickly disappeared at the sight of the soldiers in the courtyard.
Helmut was basking in the wonderful feeling of being alive and unharmed after a firefight when he heard Karl say, "I can't believe that just happened."
Helmut looked over to him and saw that he was trembling. He reached out and gently took his pistol from Karl's grip and put it into his own pocket. He put a hand on Karl's shoulder and said, "It's alright now. It's over and you came through in one piece. Be happy."
"Happy?", Karl asked. "I don't see any reason to be happy. This isn't over. What's going to happen next?"
Helmut pondered that for a moment and replied, "War."
I suppose that this will only turn out bad for Spain provided that I beat them this time.
I suppose that this will only turn out bad for Spain provided that I beat them this time.
I forgot.
I forgot.
I figured that I would throw it out there myself before someone else did.
You know, its going to be interesting conversation when our Spanish and British heroes try to explain why they felt the need to FUBAR this badly....... I mean they missed Helmut, but managed to hit the ambassador. So now we get to hear strains of the Horst Wessel Lied echo over the Pyrennes Mountains.
I figured that I would throw it out there myself before someone else did.
Look at the bright side IF YOU WIN some peeps might stop beating you over you head with your failure of duty to the fatherland.
Hardraade,
Hope you are feeling better and all is well. When we get an excellent update like this it makes us remember why we love this AAR so much. Those Spanish fools just caused an international incident all because of some hot headed idiot in their intelligence service. Now they shall see the Sh*%storm that comes crashing their way.....all the way to Madrid!! I'm glad that the Ambassador was only injured, but you never know (blood poisioning, etc...ie Heydrich in 1942.......).
Get better and give us more!!
KLorberau
Hope you are feeling better and all is well. When we get an excellent update like this it makes us remember why we love this AAR so much. Those Spanish fools just caused an international incident all because of some hot headed idiot in their intelligence service. Now they shall see the Sh*%storm that comes crashing their way.....all the way to Madrid!! I'm glad that the Ambassador was only injured, but you never know (blood poisioning, etc...ie Heydrich in 1942.......).
Get better and give us more!!
KLorberau
I figured that I would throw it out there myself before someone else did.
Just in case: isolate La Coruña and leave it for the last place to conquer