Treachery at Wuhan

Chapter # 11 Beating Them up on the Beach - from the novel "Treachery at Wuhan"- Joseph Xavier Martin



As Jack Martin’s team was settling into the woods, Mike Gengler’s men were being transferred to the submarine Cheyenne, from the Reagan, for deployment on the beach. The two rubber CRRC’s were inflated and tied to the sub’s deck. The sub would run them in to about 800 yds off shore. The CCR’s would then carry the team to the beach.

Capt. Gengler stood on the Cheyenne’s deck and addressed his men.



“We are going in again tonight, men. You know the sons of bitches will be waiting for us. Martin’s Team has set the trap. We now need to spring it. Ryan, you will take point. Your ears and eyes never miss anything. Three rows of threes in formation after him.” He said.



“ Ahearn, I want you and Marotta to line up the heavy saw machine guns on the flanks. When we do fire back, I want you two to rake them in a cross fire. Get it?”



“Yes, sir,” said both men.



“Stanek,” Gengler said, “Do you have that Davey Crocket sniper rifle with you?”



“Yes, sir,” said Stanek.



“I want you up on the flank, with one of the Saws. Your job is to continuously scan the dune tops. When one of those rascals sneaks a peak, I want you to pop him. Clear?” said Gengler.

“Crystal,” said Stanek.



“If you pop a few of them, it might enrage those around them to rise up and start shooting at us. When they do, you knock off as many of them as your Crocket gun can manage. That ought to prompt them to rush us,” said Gengler.



“We are going to engage them in something that the Germans taught us at Kasserine Pass in WW II,” said Gengler.



“We begin an obvious “feigned retreat.” As we retreat, we hope to draw the North Koreans out, from their rifle pits and come down after us. The first wave of them will meet the “Claymore surprise” planted by Martin’s team. Then, we open up on those left, with machine gun fire,” said Gengler. “When the last wave comes at us, I want you two Saw operators, Ahearn and Marotta on the flanks, to lace them in a cross fire, back and forth. The rest of us will fire at them point blank. By that time hopefully, Martin’s team will be in position to hit them from behind with grenades, their saws and individual machine gun fire. That should be the ball game.” said Gengler.



“Stanek, I want you to keep scanning the dune tops for either stragglers or officers. It will like shooting ducks at Coney Island for you,” said Gengler.



“Alright men, let’s mount up and take these bad guys,” hollered Gengler, as they stepped into the rafts.



“Hooah!” hollered his men. They ignited the electric motors and headed into the beach.



On the Beach, at two A.M., Gengler’s team arrived. They beached their CRRC’s and geared up for the raid. They donned Night Vision Goggles, locked and loaded their weapons, got ready for a fight. As they walked off the beach, they slowed their advance. Just as in the previous raid, their lead man, Sgt. Phil Ryan, raised his fist and called for a halt. He whispered to Gengler. “These fuckers are out there, waiting for us.”



Gengler ordered the entire team to start their “retreat feint.” When the advantage of position shifted, the troops would turn and fire on the exposed enemy, with lethal effect. Martin’s Team would attack from the rear of the Korean force.



North Korean Colonel Chu, watching the Americans retreat to their boats, and seeing his victory slipping away from him, acted rashly. Still in a rage from his last defeat, he wasn’t about to let this American squad escape.



“First Three Squads advance,” he hollered. Three squads of his men stood, locked and loaded and charged down the slope, firing ahead at targets in the dark.



The Korean troopers ran down the small hillocks, towards the crouching Americans, screaming maniacally and firing their guns on full automatic.



Gengler’s team hit the dirt and then pulled the trigger on the pre-positioned row of claymores. With an enormously loud roar, a steaming spray of hot metal erupted from the claymores and disintegrated the advancing Koreans. Not one of the advancing soldiers survived the attack.



Martin’s Halo unit, hearing the first blast of the claymores, sprang into action. His men advanced and took out the squad, left behind by the Koreans, with silenced bursts of their machine guns. They then slowly made their way up the hill, and positioned themselves behind the remaining North Korean forces.

Colonel Chu, caught up in the heat of the battle, ordered his remaining squads to advance.



“Hit them,” he hollered. “For the Supreme Leader, hit them with everything you have.”



Gengler’s men were ready. Two of Gengler’s men, SSgts. Ahearn and Marotta, stationed on the flanks of the unit, wielded the wicked MK 48 "saw" machine guns. Their devastating fire laced into the charging Koreans. Then, from behind, Martin’s Halo team advanced. They threw several grenades down slope, into the mass of Koreans. Then, they opened up on the North Koreans with their two “Saws” and individual machine gun fire. Caught in a deadly crossfire of so many lethal weapons, the North Koreans were mowed down and slaughtered.



One of Gengler’s men, SSgt Peter Stanek shot off an illuminating flare. In the flickering light, he saw the Korean commander, Colonel Chu, once again making his retreat. Lifting his sniper rifle, Sgt. Stanek acquired the target in his reticle, lets out his breath slowly and whispered “This is for our guys, you clown." He sent a steel jacketed round down range, at 1,700 feet per second. It impacted with a splat on the Korean Colonel’s forehead and blew his brains and skull onto the rock behind him. Chu’s astonished aide opened his mouth in surprise. He received the second round sent by Stanek, through his nose. His blood and brains splatter on the same rock as Colonel Chu’s, making a grisly mosaic.



Afterwards, the quiet on the field was almost unnerving. Gengler’s men and Martin’s Halo team linked up and policed their gear. They deflated the two CRRC’s and got ready to board the two Chinook helos, that had been circling off shore. Gengler radioed the Cheyenne and told her to head on out. When the roaring helos landed, the men boarded the craft and set out for the U.S.S Reagan off shore.



The ever-present Capt. Paul “Tipper” Culligan was again driving one of the rigs. He called for an over flight of F-18’s, from the Reagan. The Chinooks skedaddled towards the Reagan. Cmdr. Quinlan’s protective, aerial umbrella arrived in short order. They again shepherded the helos to the Reagan. The Cheyenne buttoned up her hatches and ran out at full speed, towards her home fleet and screen around the Reagan.



When the helos settled on the Reagan, both of the liberated CIA agents were stretchered down into the Sick Bay complex. The other men sat down for a breather, or headed for the mess area to chow down. Adrenaline causes a need for a massive intake of carbs.



In the Ward Room of the Reagan, genial Admiral Dennis Farrell congratulated Capts. Gengler and Martin on their successful raid and rescue operation.



“The two lads that you rescued are being treated as we speak,” said Farrell. “Our Doc says that they are pretty beat up, but should hold on, util we get back to Japanese waters and more adequate medical care.”



Both Captains stood and thanked Admiral Farrell for all of the support by the crew of the Reagan.



“We couldn’t have done this without the help and support of you and your men,” said Capt. Martin.



“We will so state in our after-action report,” said Capt. Gengler. “And, maybe at the next Army/Navy football game, we won’t cheer so loud,“ added Gengler with a smile.



Farrell smiled back at them. “Never mind that, boys. Special Forces is welcome on this boat any time you need us,” said Farrell He saluted both men.



Admiral Farrell then left them to compose their all-important after-action report. When completed, the Reagans’ com office encrypted the document and sent it back to CINC Pac in Honolulu. The report was quickly forwarded to Washington D.C.. The State Dept. and the White House staff were readying their probable deniability claims, as they digested the reports.

Charles Winters, in CIA operations, sat back and enjoyed a glass of Kentucky Burbon, thanking the Special Forces team and all of their naval support for their heroism in action. And the faces, of those two lads recovered, floated on his consciousness a little lighter. Sometimes, the good guys do win out, he thought. Then, he settled in and started planning tomorrow’s clean-up operation.