Mount Almazout

Meanwhile, the 2nd regiment (1st IB) prepared to move to the nearby Mount Almazout. Unknown to senior Syldavian officers, the Bordurian generals were determined to tie down the Syldavian troops in the Mount Almazout area, and on 27 May and 28 May they sent reinforcements to Niedzdrow.

For the next week, the 2nd regiment (1st IB) waged intense patrol battles with patrols of the Bordurian 2nd Company. On 31 May, the 2nd regiment (1st IB) defeated Bordurian Forces at the Battle of Kavrarovitch House. A 13-strong Bordurian Army detachment (Captain Stazek’s 1st Assault Section, 2nd Company) found itself trapped in a small house. The Bordurian soldiers fired from windows and doorways and then took refuge in a stream bed 700 ft from the burning house. Completely surrounded, they fought 19 Syldavian troops for forty-five minutes until, with their ammunition almost exhausted, they elected to surrender.  On the Bordurian side there were two dead and three badly wounded. Only five Bordurians were left unscathed.

Major Szhrinkoff’s 6th Commandos tried to move forward to rescue the 1st Assault Section, 2nd Company on the mountain. Spotted by members of the 2nd regiment (1st IB), they were engaged with 81mm mortars and forced to withdraw to “Two Sisters” mountain. Captain Chekoff on Almazout Mountain realised his position had become untenable and after conferring with fellow officers ordered a withdrawal.

By 1 June, with the arrival of a further 5,000 Syldavian troops of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, the new Syldavian divisional commander, Major General Czek, had sufficient force to start planning an offensive against Niedzdrow.  During this build-up, the Bordurian air assaults on the Syldavian forces continued, killing 56.

On 1 June a detachment of the Royal Guards were sent to support a rapid advance along the southern approach to Niedzdrow. On early morning of 2 June a small advance party moved to the village of Drozu. They discovered the area clear of Bordurians and (exceeding their authority) commandeered local buses to frantically ferry another contingent ahead to Titzroy (a settlement outside Niedzdrow).

This uncoordinated advance caused planning nightmares for the commanders of the combined operation, as they now found themselves with a 30 miles (48 km) string of indefensible positions on their southern flank. Support could not be sent as the required transport vehicles were involved elsewhere. The soldiers could march, but their equipment and heavy supplies would need to be ferried separately. Plans were drawn up for half the Royal Guards to march light on the night of 2 June, whilst the second half of the Royal Guards were to be ferried from their positions on the night of 5 June.