Last Stand at Glazer's Creek II
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This article is about the Second Battle at Glazer's Creek; for the First Battle at Glazer's Creek, see Last Stand at Glazer's Creek. |
"Honour your wargear, give praise to the Emperor and maker every shot count - you'll see the Orks off soon enough."
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The Last Stand at Glazer's Creek II was a battle between the Orks and elements from several Ventrillian regiments of the Astra Militarum.[1a]
Contents
Prelude
Ortan Glazer, son of Conrad Glazer, had taken over his father's farm in the twenty years since the first battle at Glazer's Creek. Ortan had heard rumours of ork presence near his farm. These rumours were confirmed when Commander Stromfjord of the 24th Ventrillian Nobles arrived at the farm, and had his troops construct makeshift defences to prepare for a coming ork raid.[1a]
The First Assault
As the first wave of orks neared the farm, Commander Stromfjord urged his men to hold their fire until the xenos were at short range. When the orks got close, the Ventrillian autocannon teams, led by Corporal Jarvis, opened up upon the Killa Kan that was closing in. Commander Bauhin ordered troopers to open fire upon an ork trukk. Despite their best efforts the trukk smashed into the stanchions of the grain silo. The orks were now in close combat with the Ventrillians. The survivors of the assault fell back and formed a gun line. The orks, with their assault faltering fell back. Four Guardsmen had died in the assault, two from self-inflicted plasma wounds.[1d]
The Second Assault
"They appeared out of nowhere - sneaky ones these Orks!"
The second ork assualt was also led by a trukk. Though it was quickly dispatched by Ventrillian meltaguns. It was then that Lieutenant Varenhalt noticed ork kommandos had snuck in through the western wall. They were beaten off by disciplined fire from second squad under the direct command of Stormfjord. It was then that Brother Vanhire led a charge into an ork Deff Dread, though this lead to the loss of two of his Crusaders. The orks than began to target the make-shift hospital, formerly Ortan Glazer's home, that Corporal Jarvis' autocannon teams were stationed atop. Stromfjord ordered it evacuated, and not longer after the ork assault again ground to a halt, and the orks fell back. By this stage half of the 1st Ventrillian Dragoons had been taken out of the fight, either wounded or killed.[1d]
The Third Assault
The hospital was still aflame when the third ork assault began. Glazer spotted orks from the south-west, while simultaneously Major Scharper of the 95th Ventrillian Jagers spotted a group of orks approaching from the north-east. The 95th, as trained marksmen, were able to kill most of the ork nobs before they got close to the farm. It seemed the third assault may be beaten before it started, when suddenly most of first squad were burnt alive by an ork flamer. Sixteen guardsmen now lay dead, including Private Gorman, who was killed while sounding his bugle. A further ten were badly wounded, including seven members of first squad.[1d]
The Final Assault
"Ventrillians! We fight to the last man!"
Major Scharper raised the alarm again. Orks closed in from the north, east, and west. Glazer then spotted orks from the south. The Ventrillians were completely surrounded. The last two standing members of the 1st Ventrillian Dragoons leapt the barricades to meet the ork assault head on.[1d] The orks destroyed the Ventrillian Sentinel, and Warboss Skogrin engaged Glazer in close combat. The farmer was hopelessly outmatched, but managed to survive his encounter, only losing an arm. Malfunctioning plasma weaponry claimed the life of another Guardsman. Yet, the Ventrillians were able to hold the orks off.[1e]
Aftermath
Commander Bauhin fetched medics to attend to the injured Commander Stromfjord. Stromfjord attempted to sit up, only to realise that half an ork was pinning his legs to the ground. Bauhin helped Stromfjord regain his feet, and informed him how the battle had ended. The farm was burning as the sun set, and the barricades were all destroyed. Stromfjord feared another ork attack, but was informed that Major Scharper's 95th Jagers had left the farm to scout and had seen orks in quite some time. The Ventrillians only had fourteen men left who were fighting fit, but the day had been won.[1e]
