Jan. 3rd 2010
Location: F.O.B. “Santa Ana”, Moss Land Ca.
We’ve entrenched ourselves @ F.O.B. “Santa Ana” deep in Red Star territory with a re-enforced platoon of 40 souls. The objective is to hold and maintain this forward operating base at all cost.
At approximately 10:30am we received our first of four contacts with the Red Star hostiles in the area. With our new platoon commander fresh out of Annapolis, we set our security and braced for the fight. He ordered us to split the force into three units. Left defense, right defense, and a center guard at the main base, which would act as a quick reaction force for either of the two units as needed. A solid plan, but in the first run, our right defense crumbled. We tried to retreat back to main base, but sustained HEAVY casualties. Then as quickly as they came, the fighting stopped and they fell back. No doubt to regroup. So not wasting the precious time in the lull in the fight we tended to our wounded, reset security and waited…but not for long.
The second run did not fair any better. We had a better idea of where Red Star would attack from, and set up in those areas. We held the line a little longer this time, but it seems as though Red Star had brought an entire battalion to wipe out our little base, and they used every rotten one of them. For every one we shot, 10 more would come up to replace him. They were relentless, and they had us dialed in. They knew right where we were dug in, almost like they had a map of our base. Then, just like the last attack, they retreated back into the tree line.
With this new lull in the fight, our platoon commander called in all his squad leaders for a quick sit-rep. With time to sit and re-evaluate our tactics and strategy, we agreed that running head long into such a large fighting force was just suicide. Instead, we would set up shorter runs with two fall back positions to retreat to when Red Star troops would really start pounding in on us…and it worked. With all of us pulling in tighter, watching our sectors, and creating a security ring around the main base, we were able to hold back tide and bring the fight back to Red Star. After that round, Red Star troops, again, backed down into the tree line. This time, to lick THEY’RE wounds.
We had they’re number. The next time they hit our base we would be ready, and not being ones to disappoint, Red Star came back with a vengeance. Both sides were exhausted, but neither willing to admit defeat. We asked no quarter, and they gave NONE.
After an hour long fire fight, we were able to beat Red Star back, 10 souls remaining. The losses were horrible, but not in vein. The F.O.B. had been held, and would remain to fight another day.
