The Dutch officer looked around the wind swept Lithuanian sea port, as he walked down the gangway of the Dutch merchant vessel Piet De Vries , a multitude of ships dotted the harbour of Klaipeda. Some tied up at anchor, others were tied up alongside warfs, others were in the docks. A great many were leaving for new ports of call, a similiar number where entering the port to drop off or pick up cargoes. The whole place was a seething beehive of commercial activity.
The Dutch officer noticed the German Kriegsmarine naval ensign flying prominantly over a fortified barracks near the harbour front. Several platoons of blue uniformed German sailors with shouldered rifles were marching along the water front, on parade evidently. A moment later he stepped off the gangway onto the shore. He turned from his nonchalant survey of his surroundings, when someone unexpectedly called his name in slightly accented Dutch.
"Majoor Van Der Kade." an officer of the Lithuanian Army approached, his hand snapping up to the visor of his cap in a crisp military salute. Van Der Kade returned it, with equal polish. He looked the young man, who presented himself, over very carefully.
"Kapitanas Teodoras Baltusis, Lithuanian Army General Staff."
Baltusis looked, to Van Der Kade, to be about thirty, but his eyes, a steady sea grey looked older. The ribbons and decorations attached to his service tunic bespoke an experienced veteran, the black eye patch that covered his left eye, and the stiff way he held his gloved left hand said that the limb was either crippled or a prosthetic. Van Der Kade put, Baltusis down as a veteran of the recent and on going June Insurrection.
"Majoor Karel Pieter Van Der Kade, Chief of Staff, Legion Oranje. At your service, Kapitanas Baltusis."
"Indeed, sir. Welcome to Lithuania."
"Nice to met someone civil upon arriving in a foreign land." Someone remarked behind them.
Both Van Der Kade and Baltusis turned to see who had spoken. The commander of the Legion Oranje, Jacob Snellensoon, walked down the gangway with a jaunty step, his Dutch general officers cap at a slightly rakish angle.
"Brigade-Generaal Jacob Snellensoon. Kapitanas." Snellensoon offered by way of introduction. Snellensoon rather suspected that Baltusis already new that, but it never hurt in Snellensoon's opinion to establish one's credentials promptly. Baltusis returned Snellensoon's salute and offered his hand. Snellensoon took it a firm grip.
"I trust, all our personel and equipment has been unloaded, Captain Baltusis?"
"The process is one going, sir. We've set up a transit station and depot here in Klaipeda, most of the military cargo for the first, second and third ships has been landed here, but because of security concerns raised by the Ministry of Interior Affairs, and seconded by some members of the Ministry of National Defense, the main depot and barracks for you and your people is being set up at Palanga, where the fourth and fifth of the cargo ships have been diverted." Batlusis responded levelly. "The LNS Presidentas Smetona and four of our motor/torpedoboats are running escort for them.
"Good." Snellensoon returned. "Given a few days to unload and assemble everything, we'll be in position to get to what we're here for."
Baltusis gestured for both officers to follow him.
"If both you gentlemen would accompany me, I have a staff car waiting. Defense Minister Liatukas, awaits you. I'm authorized to give you both a working brief of the situation, enroute."
The three officers walked a short distance along the landing dock, Van Der Kade was surprised to see that the staff car, was in fact an armoured truck. It's slanting armoured front, decorated with large armoured view slots, and slab-sided armour plates on the rest of the chassis, lent the vehicle a distinctly menacing air, which the long-barrelled machine gun mounted just in back of the driver's position did absolutely nothing to dispell. Baltusis, saw Van Der Kade, and Snellensoon's expressions and gave them a knowing look.
"We tend to take some precautions with our officers here in Lithuania, particularly in present circumstances, even more so with visiting foreign officers."
Van Der Kade and Snellensoon, also noticed the unit field sign, stenciled onto the sides of the staff car. A black edged orange triangle, point down, with a white Lithuanian Cross superimposed upon it, part of the top of the cross broke the top of the triangle. A curious device, Snellensoon thought. He hadn't given any consideration to coming up with a unit badge and the insignia intrigued him.
Baltusis then opened the double door set into the rear of the staff car's armoured back and waved the two men in. As soon as the three were seated, Baltusis barked an order and the vehicle began to speed away from the port, weaving it's way through traffic, picking up a small motorcycle escort as it did so.
"What is the situation for us, Kapitanas?" Van Der Kade asked, withdrawing a note book from his service tunic. Snellensoon nodded in agreement, as he settled himself more comfortably in his seat, as his industrious chief-of-staff got down to business.
"Much of the surplus equipment has been landed, or will be very shortly, we've put a high priority on moving it and our Army Transport Corps is working around the clock to get it done. We've drafted some naval personel and civil workers we regard as trustworthy as well to help out." Baltusis responded, consulting a file folder.
"The Lithuanian Army will be providing the Legion Oranje with Lithuanian service uniforms and field equipment. The uniforms will have a shoulder patch matching the badge on this staff car, for identification purposes."
"I see." Van Der Kade said quietly, making notes. "Will we be provided with any military arms and equipement, we've brought little of it ourselves."
"Yes, we were given to understand before we left the Netherlands, that Lithuania would provide the bulk of our needs in that regard." Snellensoon commented. Baltusis, looked at the Legion Oranje commander and nodded.
"Yes, those needs are being addressed, although there will be some shortages in certain articles, the working up of our new army divisions, and the needs of the Interior Affairs field corps have absorbed a lot of our existing stocks, but we have a reserve of items that we are making available to the Legion."
"We have approximately 1,000 people in the Legion Oranje at the moment, mostly drawn from DMZSBD members who were serving in the military so they won't need much training to be useful in the field. The rest are volunteers of one sort or another from reservist or militia formations." Snellensoon explained to a listening Baltusis. He looked thoughtful as he looked at his files again.
"That shouldn't be too much of a problem, Generaal Snellensoon. We'd built up a bit of a surplus of military stocks for the Legion, and those numbers are within the limits we'd calculated on."
"More Legionaires may be shipped in as time goes on, we're still recruiting." Van Der Kade warned. "So that number might increase by some three or four times, if our own staff projections are correct."
"Again not a great problem, our local stockpiles have been substancially dented by various demands being made on them, by our local industries are making great strides to make up the short falls. I'm certain that the General Staff can set enough of the new production aside for your needs."
"Excellent, Kapitanas Baltusis, excellent indeed." Snellensoon enthused. Van Der Kade, nodded sharply in agreement with his commander.
"We're expecting a sixth ship to bring three maintenance companies to supplement your local units handling vehicle servcing needs. One for aircraft and two for armoured." Snellensoon went on after a moments silence. Baltusis digested this information before posing a question.
"Will they be attached to us long?"
"No, they will stay about a month at most, to serve as intructors, then once things are running smoothly, they will return to the Netherlands." Van Der Kade, finished for his commander.
"Good, the Lithuanian military has relatively good support and logistical services, but all this new equipment is going to put a strain on existing personel until all the new recruits and draftees from other units get organized."
"How is the situation with the Army Tank Corps, I understand that is the main unit we will be working with?" Van Der Kade asked, looking up from his rapidly accumulating notes.
"The Army Tank Corps, already has one battalion, now designated the 1st Armoured Battalion. It's composed of two companies equiped with Renault FT-17 and Vickers M1933 light tanks, and a third company equiped with Landsverk L-181 armoured cars. Cadres from these existing units are being used to form the staffs and support services units of the 2nd and 3rd Armoured Battalions, which the Dutch surplus FT-17 tanks and Romsfell armoured cars will be used to create." Baltusis explained." Baltusis paused to consult his files again. "Six battalions of Security Auxilieries have been transferred to Lithuanian Army control, they will be used to fill out the bulk of the personel needs in the Tank Corps, crews, mechanics, support infantry and artillery, etc. along with some drafts from the Life Guards, and various army units."
Baltusis went on, answering the next question that was on Snellensoon and Van Der Kade's minds.
"The Military Aviation Service is doing much the same thing with it's existing squadrons, spliting off cadres to form the new squadrons, with drafts from the National Aero Club of Lithuania to provide flight crews, that will be equiped with the surplus Dutch aircraft we are recieving."
"I imagine our maintenance companies will become critical to those units becoming operational, then."
Snellensoon said to himself as much to Baltusis and Van Der Kade.
"One more thing, Kapitanas Baltusis, before we continue with more mundane but essential staff details. Will the Legion Oranje be called upon to participate in... shall we say... joint military field exercises with Lithuanian security or armed forces units?"
Baltusis regarded Snellensoon levelly, and nodded.
"If by that you mean field exercises with live ammunition, and very live targets, in certain areas of this country, then the answer is yes." Baltusis paused shortly. "Either as complete independent units or as attached instructors and tactical observers."
"Good. Very good, Kapitanas Baltusis I'm glad we understand each other." Snellensoon said smiling, although the smile didn't reach his eyes. Van Der Kade watched this by play for a moment.
"Kapitanas, would it be possible for me to observe any comming operations in Vilnius, I understand, that continued operations are planned for that particular place at the moment." Baltusis looked at Van Der Kade levelly for a moment, then answered.
"I believe something can be arranged, Majoor. You may find the trip worth your while, if nothing else you will get to see how we Lithuanians wage war."
This post has been edited 2 times, last edit by "Agent148" (Jan 24th 2008, 8:00am)