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

Major Laing confirmed reception of the order. Then Major Millerspoke to his B Squadron.

‘Aston, Turner. You’ll follow Squadron C, leading the advance of BSquadron on the left.’

‘You heard,’ said Aston, ‘The bugger wants us out on front.Meanwhile he surrounds himself with a nice screen of armour. Next life I wantto be a General. At least Turner is with us up front. I’ll let him lead.’

‘Quite right sir,’ shouted the gunner, Wilson, from just below.

‘This is it, chaps. You’ll be in action soon,’ said Aston, tryingto control the quaver in his voice. He cursed Lieutenant Turner again. Had itnot been for this petal he’d be behind a desk or, better still, with some luckyyoung wife in Cairo. He banged the turret, but not too hard.

-

Lieutenant Turner listened to the orders from Miller. Satisfactionglinted in the young lieutenant’s eyes. He glanced over at Aston and grinned.He suspected that the captain would be none too pleased about leading theformation. This was comforting. He looked down at his gunner, Bill Wheeler.

‘You heard that, boys.’

The two men nodded.

‘They’re out there. This time it’s not a drill. We’ll be engagingthe enemy for real.’

‘You’d have thought we’d have encountered someone by now,’ shoutedWheeler. ‘What’s at Sidi Rezegh?’

‘Sidi Rezegh is one the enemy’s airfields. If we can capture itthen it gives us a great platform to relieve the boys at Tobruk. Expect contactat the airfield,’ replied Turner before adding, ‘soon.’ He looked at his watch.It was just before four in the afternoon. Very soon, thought Turner. He lookeddown at his finger. It was tapping impatiently on the metal. Or perhaps it wasnerves. A quick glance down at his men revealed they, too, were fidgeting indifferent ways: stretching, scratching, yawning in Wheeler’s case.

‘Keeping you up, Wheeler?’

‘Sorry sir, it’s the fumes.’

-

Danny’s stomach felt as if a flutter of butterflies were mid-riot.There was a low rumble in the air now. Fighting was taking place somewhere inthe distance. Each crew member in the tank shared that extraordinary feelingthat only men in war can understand that sense of fear and expectation as youwait for the enemy fire to strike.

The air seemed to evacuate Danny’s tank now. He felt his skinprickle in the heat. He glanced down at Felton. His knee was moving like ajackhammer. They exchanged glances. His eyes were bulging with fear as thesound grew louder over the whine of the tank.

At least it wasn’t just him.

-

Soon the tanks had visibility of the Sidi Rezegh airfield. It lay inthe valley just beyond the southern escarpment. Danny could see a few dozenaircraft. Incredibly they were all still on the ground. What were they doing?Just ahead he saw armoured cars racing towards the airfield. Whatever they weredoing or whatever they wanted to do it was going to be too late.

‘Reed here, we’re over the escarpment and moving down the hill towardsthe south of the Sidi Rezegh airfield. We’ve encountered no tanks or anti-tankfire. I can see aircraft on the ground ahead.

A few other tanks called in and it was clear the squadron was nowin the home straight. Ahead lay the prize. Surprise had been complete. Therehad been no reaction from the Axis troops stationed at the airfield.

-

Captain Arthur Crickmay watched the scene, three miles away, fromthe top of the escarpment. He was acting as crewman for Brigadier George Davy,the brigade commander. The sight of the tanks rushing down towards the airfieldwas breath taking. Davy held binoculars up to his eyes and tracked from thetanks across the valley to the airfield.

‘Looks like the Italians have woken up at last,’ said Davy.

Crickmay swung around to check. In the distance he could see a fewmen running to the aircraft. Shifting his binoculars to the right, he saw thearmoured cars screaming down the hill towards the airfield at close to fiftymiles per hour.

‘I see what you mean, sir. Bit late in the day, methinks.’

Davy put the microphone to his lips. The cavalry commander utteredone word.

‘Gallop.’

-

Danny’s heart was churning in his chest. Their tank was zippingalong full pelt towards the airfield. He gazed through the periscope at theground ahead. There was no response from the enemy. It seemed too good to betrue.

‘Ground better, making good progress over it,’ said Reed over themicrophone, then he saw them. ‘Bloody hell.’

‘Reed, what’s happening? Do you see planes taking off?’ It wasLister. An air attack might spell trouble for the armoured cars.

‘Three aircraft, sir, taking off,’ replied Reed.

‘Confirmed, three Italian G.50s, sir.’ said Turner.

‘Only three?’ said Lister, unable to hide the astonishment in hisvoice. ‘What on earth are they playing at? Is this a trap?’

Then the guns started. Within a seconds the tanks could hearexplosions around them. Danny winced as one shell exploded nearby. He quicklyglanced around him, but no one seemed to have noticed his reaction.

Reed spoke on the microphone.

‘Looks like the Italians have woken up. Traverse right and getready to fire. We need to destroy those enemy aircraft on the ground and any guns.’

Danny heard the buzz of the planes as they approached. Fear andexcitement gripped him. His muscles tensed. Then Holmes gave him a nod. Dannyloaded a shell. He saw Holmes adjusting the aim.

‘Gunner, open fire and keep firing until I tell you to stop,’ordered Reed urgently.

The howl of the G.50s grew louder. Then he heard machine gun fire.The G50s opened up on the tanks. Bullets pinged off the armour like flies off arhino.

Danny loaded another shell and then another and then another. Thegun was belching shells as fast as Danny could load them. Outside he could hearthe howl of the G50s and the rattle of machine gun fire.

Reed ducked into the turret and pointed to Danny.

‘There’s enough of us shooting at the airfield. Doesn’t look likethere any other planes coming. Shaw, do you fancy taking a pot shot at Italians?It’s time you were blooded.’

‘Yes, sir,’ said Danny. All fear was gone. He accepted whateverfate had decided for him. He moved up through the cupola into the open air. Theplanes had done their first dive, Danny eyed them to see if they were comingback for more.

Danny