With a tentative plan in place, the Krolowa weighs anchor and resumes its journey downriver. The tug drifts placidly with the steady, nearly 3kph current, the riverbank gliding slowly by on either flank. The surrounding countryside is empty, the few isolated homesteads dotting the landscape on either bank cold and dark. The crew, eating in shifts, has a spot of warm breakfast (oatmeal porridge) before returning to its duty stations.
After two-and-a-half hours, the tug approaches the twin settlements of Chelmno and Swiecie, the former occupying the east bank of the Vistula, the latter situated on the western side. The road bridge that used to connect the two towns is gone; only two jagged stumps remain, jutting out a few meters from either bank over the cold brown river.
From the Krolowa's bridge, First Mate Walter Matuziak surveys the route ahead through a pair of high-powered German naval binoculars.
"Eh, Captain. Looks like a ferryboat yard on the west bank up ahead." He points at the spot and hands the binoculars to Griet.
"Maybe we could find Gryzyech's parts there."
Griet studies the ferryboat yard, a rectangular cutting in the west bank about 700m short of the destroyed road bridge. Several battered, rusty vessels occupy the yard. There's no one around. Griet continues her scan of the west bank, focusing on the town of Swiecie, set back about 3-5 kilometers from the Vistula. The settlement stretches several kilometers from southwest to northeast, bisected across its midsection by the highway that used to cross the river here. The western half of the town appears to consist of damaged industrial buildings; the eastern half appears mostly residential in nature. At the east of town, a blue flag flies above a red brick tower. It's too far away at the moment (about 5km) to make out much detail.
Chelmno, on the opposite bank, is a smaller settlement, lacking a visible industrial component. Griet seems to remember that the village has some sort of recent historical significance, but she can't put her finger on it. Walter, seeming to read her mind, pipes in,
"The Nazis built a death camp there. For the Jews."
Updated Tac-map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/...w8YU&usp=sharing
OOC: Is the tug flying a flag? If so, which one? There's an illustrated list of available flags in the Vistula Queen notice.
Your Turn.
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This message was last edited by the GM at 18:00, Fri 29 May 2015.