Crusader (A Novel of WWII Tank Warfare) by Jack Murray (important of reading books .TXT) 📗

of Allied leadership had often been discussed in the tank. However,this seemed abstract now. Manfred absorbed everything he could about thetactics of the enemy, the quality of their armour and the character of theirsoldiers.

What of the men plotting the Axis defeat? Their names, theirstrengths, their weaknesses were unknown to him. One thing was clear though:tactically they had been bested by the men standing not thirty metres from himnow.

Manfred felt a shiver of pride. To be on the same side as men likeRommel and Crüwell was to have an undeniable advantage. They wereprofessionals. Their knowledge of war was not just a function of experience. Itwas as if they understood its capricious nature, its undulating rhythm and itsbrutal sense of justice.

They’d already put the enemy to flight within a matter of months oftheir arrival. The combination of armour and men, no, the integration ofbetter-trained men and superior armour with better strategy had proved irresistible.Would the enemy learn the lessons of the summer’s bitter failure?

‘I’m surprised Cramer is here,’ commented Overath to Kastner.Manfred listened in, as he usually did, to their conversations.

‘He doesn’t look well,’ agreed Kastner. Manfred recognised thecraggy face of the regiment’s commander, Colonel Cramer. He’d been woundedduring the summer when the Germans had taken Sollum, a coastal town just insidethe Egypt’s border with Libya.

‘They’re planning something,’ said Overath. He handed Kastner acigarette and the two men smoked while they considered what was afoot.

‘It can’t be Egypt,’ said Kastner after a minute or two.

Manfred certainly didn’t think so but did not feel confidentenough to express his opinion. Moments later he regretted this as Overathconfirmed Manfred’s instincts.

‘Not while the Tommies hold Tobruk. We can’t have them attackingour supply lines from inside Libya. Tobruk first then Egypt is my guess.’

This would have been Manfred’s assessment, too, and he feltfrustrated with himself that he’d said nothing. But this had always been hisway, hadn’t it? If Erich had been here, he’d have offered an opinion whetherinformed or not. Manfred thought about the paradox of the German character andits army. He’d been brought up in almost military fashion. Obedience wasdemanded and beaten into you. Yet the army, while expecting obedience andrespect for senior officers, encouraged individual self-reliance, autonomousthought as long as it was not to the detriment of the whole.

Within the command structure there was an implicit acceptance thatplans needed to evolve from the ground up, not the top down. Officers in themidst of battle had to be prepared to adapt the plan to the situation theyfaced. Manfred was certain that much of the Afrika Korp’s success had come notjust from superior equipment and strategy but also from more tactically astuteofficers taking advantage of changing events.

Manfred resolved at that moment to speak up more. In training he’dfelt more comfortable in leadership because he was with his peers. Sincearriving in North Africa this had largely disappeared; replaced by a feeling ofinferiority, not just with older men like Overath and Kastner but also withFischer who was his age. He glanced at Fischer who was now seated, drinkingcoffee. The Bavarian was treated by the two senior tank crew members as anequal. Kohler was disregarded somewhat. They rarely sought his opinion onanything that was not mechanical.

Rommel and the other officers disappeared into a tent. As they didso, Manfred heard Lieutenant Basler barking orders at the men who had stoppedwhat they were doing to stare like football fans at their heroes on the pitch.

‘Get back to work,’ roared the lieutenant angrily.

-

Manfred joined Gerhardt at the other side of the camp where hisfriend’s battalion had leaguered. Gerhardt had missed the arrival of the seniorcommand and listened avidly to the news. They agreed they would soon berequired to attack and take Tobruk. It was untenable that the enemy should havea bridge head in the country, particularly one which was a harbour that couldconstantly resupply the enemy with men and equipment.

The perimeter established by the Allies with mine fields andbarbed wire put the city out of range of the Afrika Korp’s eighty-eights and,furthermore, made infantry and tank attack dangerous. The regular bombingattacks by the Luftwaffe were proving costly. Too many losses. At some pointthey would have to go in. With the end of summer they now had a window toattack.

‘I think we’ll strike soon. Within a few weeks,’ said Gerhardtwith all of the experience and understanding that only a young man can providewhen so spectacularly devoid of any evidence to support his view.

‘I agree,’ said Manfred, adding an additional consideration thatthe army couldn’t just sit on its backside day after day while the Alliesbolstered their defences at the target. Before long, the two friends hadsingle-handedly won the war in North Africa and were invading Russia from the Caucasus.

They collapsed laughing after ten minutes when they had defeatedthe combined might of Britain and Russia with The United States signalling thatthey would abstain from any involvement in Europe.

‘It’s all so easy,’ said Manfred ironically.

‘I know. Quite why our leaders haven’t called upon us to directthe strategy is a mystery to me.’

‘Complete mystery,’ agreed Manfred.

-

With the war won and the world set to rights, Manfred made his wayback in the darkness to his tank. Basler was with Overath. They looked atManfred as he arrived back.

‘Where were you?’ asked Basler.

His voice was serious, but Manfred detected some amusement in hiseyes. He was immediately on alert.

‘Sorry sir, I had completed my tasks and went to see my friend inthe second battalion.’

Basler nodded. Overath’s face, meanwhile, was unreadable but hedidn’t seem happy. This was not unusual, however. His waking state couldsometimes be somewhere between anger and irritation.

‘You missed meeting Generals Rommel and Crüwell.’

Manfred only just stopped himself from letting out a yell of pain.Of all the times to take a walk. There was amusement on the faces of Kastnerand Fischer which needed addressing.

‘I’ve already met General Rommel, sir,’ replied Manfred perhaps alittle too casually.

This stopped Basler in his tracks for he was on the point ofwalking away.

‘Really? When?’

‘I asked him if I could join the tank regiment, sir.’

Basler eyed Manfred closely, unsure if the young man was joking orserious. In