New European war breaks out!

[W8taminute]

My name is Hanno Koschack.  I'm 19 years old and I live just outside of Berlin Germany.  Up until a few weeks ago I was looking forward to starting my first year at university.  My father, a steel mill worker for Krupps, always insisted that I would be the first child in our family to attend the university.  That is of course until the rumors of a new European war became reality. 

I'm not sure exactly how this war was started.  Something about an archduke and his wife being assassinated by some radical in Austria-Hungary.  All I know that is our beloved Kaiser promised to protect our germanic brothers to the south and since the Austro-Hungarian Empire is now at war with Serbia so too are we.  In fact no sooner had we declared war that the rest of Europe followed suit.  In any case I have forgotten about my books and am eagerly awaiting to do my duty for my country.

It is early September and I have been drafted into the Kaiser's army.  My unit, the 8th Landwehr Regiment, had only just begun marching into Belgium.  This little nation defiantly resisted our request to march our armies through their territory to attack France.  I am part of a larger army who must travel through and subdue Belgium.  Early this morning however my sergeant told our squad that two regiments of Belgian rifles had crossed the border with Germany and attacked Metz.  I was outraged!  How could this have happened?  Sergeant Eckl told me to be quiet and start marching back towards Metz.  One of my comrades from our unit took this picture of us as we began our march. 




By 14:00 hours we had returned to the Metz area and located the enemy forces.  I was excited.  At last after all these weeks of marching hither and thither we will see some action.  I am going to help my friends kick out these invaders! 





It became very confusing and the loud crackle of rifle and artillery fire quickly filled the air.  I did not know what to do except to simply point my weapon in the general direction of the enemy and pull the trigger.  I could hear the bang of my own rifle.  My heart started racing as I felt an emotion I've never felt in my life before.  It could only be described as fear joy.  Fear of what could happen amidst this noise and confusion but joy that I was punishing invaders of my country.  My country!!! 

To my immediate left and right I saw two of my squad mates fall.  Seeing their crumpled bodies next to me, one literally at my feet, horrified me.  I've never seen anyone die before my eyes in my life.  I heard Sergeant Eckl yelling at some men from another unit who became jumbled with our own regiment.  His strong voice helped me regain my courage and I resumed firing upon this enemy of ours.





Suddenly, from what seemed nowhere, there were enemy soldiers only about 20 meters in front of us!  I began to run towards them.  I couldn't stop and many of my comrades did the same.  I just wanted to beat and club these fiends for what they did to my friends earlier. 





I used my rifle and bayonet as a club and began striking at my enemy who now stood right next to me. 




What have I become?  I killed men by bludgeoning them with my rifle.  All around me people were falling.  Some dressed in field gray and others dressed in black.  The noise would not stop only now in addition to the cracking rifle and storming howitzer shots I heard screaming.  That terrible screaming of men who were fighting and dying.  I don't know how I made it through this but we managed to drive away the invaders.  As they broke formation and ran away my squad stopped and rested.  I don't know why we just stopped but we did even as others from our unit pursued the fleeing enemy.  I did not talk to anyone until after our meal later on that night. 

Is this what war is? 

[mirth]

Absolutely brilliant, W8t!

[W8taminute]

^Thanks mirth!  I'm gonna try to submit some more story entries since I've been on a relaxed Total War kick lately.

[W8taminute]

Journal entry 2:

Early October 1914


Not much has happened since our encounter with the Belgians at Metz.  Our squad was reprimanded slightly for not participating in the pursuit of the fleeing enemy at Metz but since we're just a Landwehr unit made up of second rate soldiers our punishment wasn't too harsh.  We've been regulated to watching the border while the rest of our division is off attacking the enemy on their soil somewhere. 

I woke one morning to Sergeant Eckl and his usual shouting to wake us up for duty.  Only this time he seemed more agitated than usual.  He told us that several regiments of Belgian conscripts crossed the border near Nancy.  It's not clear what they are trying to do but we were told that they must not be given time to do whatever it is they're here to do.  We had to eat our breakfast rations on the march as we prepared to meet the enemy.





Command decided to give us howitzer support on this mission and I for one was thankful for that.  By having these heavy guns, even though they are dated back to the 1890's, means I won't have to fight as hard.  When my unit reached the area of enemy activity we could see them lined up before us.  I didn't even have time to wipe the sweat from my brow because the enemy decided to charge our position.  This is madness!  Maybe though since they are only conscripts their leadership is not so experienced either and they foolishly ran into our rifle and howitzer fire.





I was astonished that the enemy could think they could just walk right up to us while facing our heavy guns.  Although this was my second battle in this war so far it seems to be the way the Belgians fight.  I managed to fire two rounds and as suddenly as the battle began the Belgians broke and fled.  This time my squadmates and I did not hesitate in chasing the fleeing enemy.  We wanted to make sure that they don't come back again and disturb our breakfast.  Sergeant Eckl told us afterwards that the entire enemy force was wiped out.  I'm beginning to think this war may end sooner than I thought if it keeps up like this.  None of my friends were lost today.  We're marching back to our assigned sector to continue our watch over our border.

[jomni]

What game is this?

[W8taminute]

This is the 'Great War Mod' for Napoleon Total War.  It's a little buggy though because I have been experiencing freeze crashes during manual battles.  I updated my graphic card's drivers the other day but have not had a chance to continue my campaign.  Hopefully I won't get any more crashes now that my drivers are updated.