Close Quarters

Hartsock: "I'd been promoted maybe an hour before, but it still felt like I was following Baker around. It was probably for the best at the time."

Marshall: "How much more resistance did you encounter?"

Hartsock: "Mostly just the pockets of scared Krauts that fled during the assault on the train yards. It wasn't easy finding 'em in all those back alleys and side streets. It's hard to imagine people lived in half the places we were standing on."

—Hartsock Interview

Close Quarters is the 10th chapter of Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood.

Summary[]

After a fellow soldier is wounded, the men of 2nd and 3rd squad must work together to eliminate the threat hiding deep in Carentan.

Plot[]

During the fighting, Mac is shot and lay down to rest with McCreary guarding him. Red and Baker's squad headed to town ruins and alleys to clear the remaining Germans. They fought at each alley and streets in the area and trying to outsmart each other.

After clearing each part of Carentan, they regroup at the plaza orchard and discuss about the fighting progress. They are suddenly ambushed by a Pazner tank along some German soldiers. Baker's squad hides in the near house where the tank can't reach them while Red's squad engage the Germans and the tank. Red managed to reach the enemy lines and clear the German infantry and grabbed a Paznerfaust and destroy the tank.

After the fighting, Baker's squad comes out of their hiding and Baker celebrate Red's promotion with the wine he found in the house.

Objectives[]

Clear the remaining Germans out of Carentan[]

The remaining Germans in the train yards scattered into the city once their positions was overrun.

Characters[]

Colonel S.L.A. Marshall
Staff Sergeant Gregory Hassay (WIA)
Sergeant Matthew Baker
Sergeant Joseph Hartsock (Playable)
Corporal Jacob Campbell (does not speak)
Corporal Samuel Corrion
Corporal Franklin Paddock (does not speak)
Private James Marsh (does not speak)
Private Derrick McConnel (does not speak)
Private Dale McCreary (does not speak)
Private William Paige (does not speak)
Private Dean Winchell (does not speak)

Weapons[]

American Weapons

German Weapons and Vehicles[]

MP 40
MG 42 (Mounted)
Panzerfaust (Picks Up)
Granatwerfer 42 Mortar
Panzer IV

Teams[]

Assault Team[]

Cpl. Paddock - M3 Grease Gun
Pvt. Winchell - M1A1 Carbine
Pvt. McConnell - M1A1 Carbine

Fire Team[]

Cpl. Campbell - M1 Garand
Pvt. Paige - M1A1 Thompson
Pvt. Marsh - M1 Garand

Transcript[]

Main article: Close Quarters/Transcript

Talking to Squadmates[]

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Extras[]

Sgt. "Mac" Hassay[]

Mac has been a professional soldier since 1930 had knows his trade inside and out. He has served all over the world and volunteered for the Airborne in 1942. He is dedicated and committed, an expert with all infantry weapons and a superb "lead by example" Platoon Sergeant. Mac will not let the men of his platoon down. He is very proud to be a paratrooper and in the 101st and very proud of his 3rd Platoon.

Max served with Colonel Joe Baker, Matt Baker's father, at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1939 when Mac was a rifle and machine gun marksmanship instructor at the Infantry School and the Colonel was an instructor of Infantry tactics. Colonel Baker saved Mac's life in a demolitions training exercise at Fort Benning. As a result, Mac respects Matt's father and looks at Matt as a leader with the potential to carry on in his father's footsteps.

The Browning Automatic Rifle[]

The Browning Automatic Rifle, commonly referred to by the abbreviation BAR, was introduced in service in 1918 and became a favorite weapon of Allied forces in WWII.

Designed by famous weapon maker John M. Browning, this cross between a light machine gun and heavy assault rifle was the powerful and essential part of Allied squads. Although not initially issued to paratroopers on D-Day, many (including Sgt. Joe Hartsock) scavenged them from gliders or landing troops.

A very versatile weapon, the BAR could be fired from many positions including the shoulder, hip and from the prone position using a bipod attachment. Despite its limited 20-round clip, the BAR became a weapon that Allied infantry swore by.

In Brothers in Arms Earned in Blood, the BAR is an essential element of your squad. Because its high rate of fire, the BAR is a perfect weapon to suppress the enemy, and its ability to be fired from the shoulder and hip make it a capable weapon in close quarter firefights.

Recreating Carentan[]

The city of Carentan was the vital link up point for Allied forces making their assault during the D-Day invasion. Because of its importance, the Gearbox design team had to make sure the missions within and around the city were as accurate and as authentic as possible.

Using military maps; aerial photos; After Action Reports; and on site reconnaissance, the city of Carentan was meticulously recreated for the many missions in both Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood.

The map from 1944 illustrates the detail that went into creating the city's center area used for both the "Close Quarters" and "Eviction Notice" missions in Earned in Blood.

Here you can see the church where Hartsock received his promotion at the end of Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30.

A secondary map provides more detail on the buildings and roads and rail station just south of the church area.

A closer look...

Using these maps, the design team rebuilt this area of the city. Here you can see the actual game levels "Close Quarters" and "Eviction Notice" imposed on top of the map.

Here, Gearbox Artist, Jennifer Burris photographs one of the many side streets in the "Close Quarters" map. These photos were then used to recreate the many buildings and structures found throughout Carentan.

Comparing real life photographs to in game screenshots, you can see the level of detail that the Gearbox Art team put into creating an authentic and accurate depiction of 1944 Carentan.

More Comparison Photos...