The Way of War Pt. 03

Chapter 8

Private Mario Frabitzy was tired and cold, he had an hour left of guard duty, then he could return to the warmth of the guard house.

He saw the faint lights of the convoy descending the escarpment road. Must be more provisions for the bloody Germans he thought. He moved to the other side of barrier unbuttoning his trousers to relieve himself. In doing so he saved his life.

He suddenly heard the engines accelerate, glancing over his shoulder he saw the convoy turn off the coast road descending down onto the base access road, at the same time machine guns opened fire sweeping into the guard house. He threw himself down on to the ground curling up into a ball, his trousers soaked in urine.

Shaun had fired a five second burst with the Vickers Ks, which fired at 950 rounds a minute. The wooden guard house was completely destroyed only a few screams was heard as they roared pass.

Jack opened up with the big .50 into the radio shack, flames appeared as the hut collapsed.

They passed on to the dispersal area heading for the runway, Titch veered to the right as the sandbagged gun emplacement protecting the evil looking 30mm quad flack canons came into view. Sammy dropped two Mills grenades inside it, repeating it at the next sandbag emplacement.

Shaun stood up to look back, Tim was over to the left taking care of the flack guns there, whilst Bill was heading for the right hand side of the runway. "Ok Titch head for the planes," he shouted above the noise.

Titch drove down the side of the runway as the first sandbag aircraft emplacement came into view. The Perspex front of the aircraft dissolved into shards as Shaun and Cookie's bullets tore it apart, above the tearing sound of the Vickers Ks could be heard the slower boom, boom, boom of the 50 calibre machine gun as Jack concentrated his fire on the engines and wings, rewarded as the fuel on board exploded. Lighting up the night sky with a mighty whoosh ammunition on board the aircraft exploded adding to the scene of destruction.

Titch passed the next emplacement keeping to the agreed 20 miles an hour, knowing Tim would take it out. But giving them the opportunity to change magazines if needed, handed out by Prof and Sammy.

And so they proceeded down the line, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Bill was waiting at the end of the runway to go back up their side, as Shaun followed Tim returned up his side of the runway.

Aircraft not blazing were treated to a further onslaught so that the runway looked like a scene from hell, as they made their way back to the entrance with Bill in the lead.

Bobby's guns were keeping what little effort the enemy had mustered contained. Shaun glanced at his watch 3:47, they were on schedule he realised.

Bill followed as Tim drove out of the base, Bobby followed while shouting that the charge was in place. Shaun paused to glance around at the destruction they had caused, before nodding to Titch to follow.

The trucks were waiting at the turn-off from the coast road as Titch took the lead. Suddenly the night sky was ripped apart by a massive explosion that lit up the desert as the petrol dump exploded. Flaming jerry cans were thrown into the air like comets, exploding as they touched earth.

They travelled faster returning to the wadi then they had done on the outward journey.

At the entrance to the wadi, Titch pulled over to let them pass. Sammy leapt down to send the signal to base. The Morse key tapped out 'Khana,' three times before he closed down the radio climbing back on board.

As they passed into the cave one of the men pulled over the camouflage net. Shaun climbed down from his seat, frowning at a crowd mustered alongside Tim's truck. He pushed his way through them finding Tim and Alf, Tim's radio man, laying down with Sandy, the most experienced of the medics tending to them. Bill murmured at his side, "Alf bought one in his side, Sandy's rigging up a blood transfusion, seems Tim has the right blood."

When he had a moment, Shaun asked Sandy about Alf. "He was unlucky Boss, one of the aircraft bullets hit him, and fortunately it passed straight through without hitting bone. But he lost a lot of blood on the way back. I think I fixed him up in time, but he'll need rest to get over it and I'll keep an eye on the wounds to make sure they don't get infected."

Shaun knew Sandy had dropped out of medical school to enlist with only six months left before qualifying.

He knelt down beside Alf passing him a lit cigarette. "How do feel?" Alf grinned "I felt better Boss. But seeing as Tim is giving me his blood does that mean I'll be an officer now?"

"Dream on you moron." Tim said at the side of him, bringing a smile to Shaun's face.

All of the patrol were standing around with grins on their faces at what they all had accomplished. Bobby came over to him, "We really caught them with their pants down, most of them dived into the air raid shelters in their night shirts," he chuckled. "I think most of them thought it was an air raid." Shaun nodded "We were lucky Bobby, it could have been a lot worse."

Now that it was over, Shaun began to relax. He knew the strain of planning this raid had played upon his nerves, the doubts and fears that constantly whispered in his subconscious were finally at rest.

Shaun called out "Cookie, I think we could indulge now."

Cooke with a huge grin on his face reached into the provision bin that had been left behind prior to the raid, bringing out two bottles of whiskey. The men lined up with their mugs as Cookie poured it out.

Shaun took his over to Jack, "At daybreak we'll need to set lookouts on top of the wadi with binoculars, can you take care of organising it?" Jack was senior Sargent of the patrol. "No problem Boss," he replied. Shaun knew he didn't need to tell the men on lookout to make sure the sun didn't glint of the lenses of the binoculars, they had all done this before.

Chapter 9

Shaun sat by the front wheel as the men prepared their bedrolls, smoking. His mind drifted back to Kenya and the Crater. His could hardly remember his parent, they had died in an aircraft accident returning from Cape Town when he was five. Grandmother Susan and Granddad David had raised him. His grandfather had taught him to ride and shoot, the happiest times of his life had been out hunting with his grandfather and N'debi the giant Matabele who was a dear friend of his grandfathers.

He had spent days down on the game Reserve with Uncle Sultar and Aunt Yasmin. He would listen to the stories of the battles that had occurred in India and here in Kenya that Uncle Sultar and his Grandfather had fought in. Shaun had grown to idolise his grandfather, and when he had died suddenly, he was devastated. He had been at University at Cape Town when he received the news.

He had flown back immediately. They buried him behind the stables alongside the grave of Kahn a horse that had saved his grandfather from a leopard attack.

He had been left in the will, all his grandfather's guns and weapons. He like Shaun had been left handed. Aunt Vicky, his father's Sister, had moved in with his grandmother, her husband had died of a heart attack early in their marriage. Her two children had grown up and moved away from the Crater. His grandmother never really got over the loss of her husband and died a few years later.

He smiled to himself, recalling the memories as he stubbed out the cigarette and unrolled his bedroll.

The next morning the men were busy sweeping out the spent cartridge cases from the trucks and burying them at the back of the cave. Jack had sent three men up to the top of the wadi to keep lookout. Whilst others added to the cave's camouflage. A group had gone to the entrance of the wadi and moved boulders to impede any vehicles trying to find their way up it.

Shaun sat with the other Officers around him. "We will need to keep the men busy, after a few days in here they'll start to get restless, but we must wait until the heats died down before returning to base. He left them to check on Alf, finding him sat up drinking tea. "How do you feel today Alf?"

Alf smiled, "A bit sore Boss, but I should be up and about when the lads have done all the work," he said with a grin.

Later when the lookouts were relieved, they reported that they had seen aircraft to the west and southwest some had been Ju87 Stuka's they said. Also dust clouds of fast moving vehicles heading down the tracks to the south and southwest.

He had a long talk with Jack, outlining a plan to have kit, weapons, and truck inspections. The truck that lost in the inspection would be responsible for policing the cave and latrine duty for a 24 hour period, the Officer of the truck would also be subject to the inspection. The best truck turnout would get lookout duty, it being a welcome relief from the confinement of the cave.

Jack had smiled wolfishly at the plan, his Guard training coming to the fore.

Shaun announced about the inspections at the evening meal, saying Sargent Blake would be the judge. Jack said there would be a kit inspection at 013 hundred hours the following day. The look of horror on all the faces was laughable.

The next morning men were washing their clothes, shaving or repairing their clothes. At the appointed hour they lined up alongside their trucks, as Sargent Clark began his inspection.

Bill's 'Gloria' lost through missing buttons, and Tim's 'Jane' was awarded lookout duty. Sargent Blake announced that the next day would be personnel weapons inspection. As Bill's patrol started picking up cigarette butts, used matches and empty ration tins, much to the enjoyment of the other patrols.

Shaun watched the proceedings with satisfaction, it gave the men something to do to relieve the monotony of the cave.

On the fourth day, the lookout reported that a truck carrying Italian soldiers had pulled up at the entrance of the wadi. They had gotten out and started to examine the boulders that blocked the route through the wadi. After some heated conversation they had returned to the truck and prepared a meal. After which they played cards or slept, eventually leaving after staying five hours.

"The lazy buggers" Tim chuckled, "they'll report back that the wadi is clear."

By the seventh day no aircraft were reported, the same happened the following day.

Shaun gathered the Officers and Sergeants around him. "I think the time has arrived for us to go home," he smiled, "we may need to use this cave in the future, so let's make sure there's nothing left to say we have been here. Just before sunset have the boulders moved to give us free passage. We will be travelling at night, it's a full moon and the first 250 miles is fairly smooth running until we hit the dunes. We'll find a place to holdup in before daylight, and set off again at sunset." He looked around the faces for any comment, seeing only smiles.

The first two nights they made good progress over relative clear ground, with Titch following the headings Prof gave him on the Mk8 tank compass. But by the third night the ground became more difficult to traverse by moonlight and Shaun gave the order to halt.

"We will have to travel by daylight from now on," he told the others, "so keep a good watch out."

Before descending from ridges or dunes, the road ahead was scouted on foot. On the fifth day from the top of a ridge they saw a small camel caravan of Bedouin below them, the men had Kar98 German rifles slung over their shoulders. They waited until they were long gone before proceeding.

By now they were skirting sand dunes, their speed had dropped to 5miles an hour in order to traverse the rocks, and reduce the dust clouds of their passing. At meal times the usual grumbles about bullied beef took place. "What I wouldn't give for a nice chicken," Bill exclaimed. "Bugger the chicken, I'd settle for a couple of fried eggs," Tim moaned.

That night Prof did his usual position checks, reporting to Shaun, "By my calculations Boss we are eight miles from the border, and six miles below Fort Maddalena."

"So we should cross tomorrow, and assuming the lines have not changed be home free." Shaun murmured.

This last part of the journey would be the most dangerous, apart from the minefield that extended along the border, there would be mechanise patrols to avoid.

The next day at noon they arrived at the minefield, but there were signs in the sand of recent tracked vehicles having passed by. Shaun got out to investigate the tracks, joined by Bobby and Sargent Clark. "Their leading south," Shaun murmured. "So their below us," Bobby replied. "Going by the tracks there's at least four halftracks. The sand has not completely obscured them so I'd say about eight hours ago," Shaun added.

"They have either gone to add to the minefield or to look for us." Sargent Clark added.

"Either way we are cut off from going south around the minefield." Bobby murmured.

"So there's no alternative but to go through the minefield here. Jack tell Tim and Bill to set up lookouts on the ridge, and bring Sargent Mason back with you, we may need some grenade pins too for the S mines." Grenade pins were always kept for just this sort of emergency.

The four men had done this routine in the past concerning clearing a path through a minefield.

They spread out over a distance of ten feet laying on their stomachs, each armed with a commando knife. Gently sliding the knife in a shallow angle they probed their way forward carefully.

The Teller Anti-tank mine was normally easy to spot owing to the slight depression that occurred when the sand settled around a newly placed mine. Never the less extreme caution was taken by the four men. Each time the knife point touch a solid object the heart would suddenly race. With the Teller mine the sand would be carefully wiped from the top until the trigger pin was exposed. It was checked to see if a connecting cord was attached to set off other mines. When an S mine was located, the sand was carefully removed from around it until a grenade pin could be slid into the safety hole. As they worked their way forward they marked the edges of the path they cleared. Some of the men picked up the mines they uncovered taking them back to the start line.

It took over five hours to clear a path, at any moment expecting to hear that the Germans were returning. When Shaun returned to the start line Bill informed him that they had re-laid the mines across the halftracks return path.

Before they set off across the minefield Tim clipped his sand panels to the back of his truck to obscure their tyre tracks.

By sunset they were safely inside their own lines in Egypt, on their way home to base.

They drove all through the night, arriving back at base at 10am, to a rapturous greeting from the men at the base.

Ted was on hand to greet them. He could see the tiredness etched into their faces. He addressed the men.

"Get some sleep, you deserved it. Shaun you can present your report tomorrow, there's a special meal laid on for you all tonight. Chicken, with all the trimmings."

Shaun collapsed on to his bed, the strain and worry of the mission now behind him, he was asleep in seconds.

He was woken at six and informed dinner would be in an hour. He grabbed his wash bag and towel and made his way to the shower stalls. Emerging 30 minutes later showered and shaved, in his tent he changed into a fresh uniform and underwear, glad to be rid of the cloths that he had worn for nine days.

In the mess tent, he sat with Ted as the meal was served. "We have to thank Ali for the chickens and beer," Ted murmured, "part of his war effort." He said chuckling.

"How did the convoy do?" Shaun asked.

Ted smiled before replying, "They only lost three ships, and that was due to submarines. A couple were hit with Stuka's but managed to get in. Your raid was a brilliant success, a photo reconnaissance Hurricane flew over the base two days after the raid. The photo reconnaissance boys said 73 aircraft were completely destroyed and 7 were requiring major maintenance. It also relieved the pressure on Tobruk, giving the Australian lads a breather. I'll give all of you a full briefing tomorrow."

The four officers were sat in the command tent as Ted completed his brief of the damage done to the base. Shaun had handed him a written report of the action, which he placed to one side of his desk. After listening to the comments of his Officers, he finally commented, saying all of the men involved with this raid will be put up for decorations. Turning to Shaun he said, "As of now you are promoted to Captain, Bobby you should get your Captaincy by the end of the month, Tim and Bill, you are promoted to first Lieutenant, effective immediately. The entire raiding party are awarded ten days leave starting tomorrow."

The Officers smiles of pleasure were not lost on Ted, as he wondered if it was the promotions or the leave that had put it on their faces.

Bobby burst into Shaun's tent, "It's all fixed up, four rooms at the Nile Palace. And Ted says we can have the Ford, we leave tomorrow at daybreak."

Shaun looked up from putting a third pip onto his shoulder flap of his best uniform, and nodded his agreement.