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

refined good fellowship and optimism. In all likelihood,the affected ennui of Aston was nothing more than a wall built to hide hisfears. It made Danny more sympathetic to the captain even if he didn’tparticularly like him.

The group of officers walked on to the next tank. Danny’s tankcrew sat down.

‘I hope we’re getting the hell out of here,’ said Holmes. ‘Bloodysitting ducks.’

Felton nodded his head in agreement. The men turned towards Reedwho seemed on the point of saying something when Craig added his thoughts.

‘I would be careful what you wish for.’

Danny noticed the stony features of Reed’s face as he turned awayand went to lie down on his makeshift bed by the tank.

‘Put some music on, Charlie,’ said Holmes.

Felton wandered over to the wireless and spent a minute or twosearching for the B.B.C. Finally some music came on.

It was a German song, ‘Lili Marlene’.

‘Have the Germans invaded Britain then?’

-

0230. It was cold and the sky was dagger-black. Lister looked upas his majors trooped blearily into his bivouac followed by some of the otherofficers. One of them could not prevent a yawn. Lister glanced at him wryly.

‘A bit of a bore, I know.’

‘Sorry sir,’ came the sheepish reply.

 Lister looked around him. All of his officers were there: the threesquadron leaders Miller, Longworth and Laing as well as the troop leaders. Aday spent absorbing shell fire had left them exhausted, but they were fightingmen. They wanted to give the enemy a taste of his own medicine. Yet, still, Listerfelt a foreboding. The enemy was now aware they were here. They would be ready.

‘As you know, Scobie is to break out of Tobruk tomorrow. Sorry,today. Gott has ordered us to push north west from the airfield towards Abiarel Amar. We and the rifle brigade will attack the enemy positions from the leftwhile the Kings Royal Rifles attack from the right. We’ll have artillerysupport from the Royal Horse artillery and the 60th.’

The men drew closer to Lister’s map to see better. The lampflickered a little as they moved. A shadow fell over their position on the mapas Lister pointed to two different areas on the northern part of the escarpmentthat they would occupy.

‘Once we’ve gained our objective,’ continued Lister, ‘we moveforward past the Sidi Rezegh mosque and link up with Scobie at 1400 hours.’

‘What information do we have on the enemy strength, sir?’ asked MajorMiller.

‘No information, I’m afraid. But Scobie has significant infantrystrength. He will be, in effect, attacking their rear even though they are tothe north of us. And don’t forget he has the 4th Royal Tank Regiment to callupon, too. I think he’ll make a dent. As you can see, though, the situation israther complicated. We are facing enemy to the north. We know they are forming twentymiles to our southwest because the 4th Armoured Brigade encounteredtanks. Jerry, meanwhile, is facing us to his north, south and every which way.We won’t have a lot of information when it kicks off. This lack of informationis something that I suspect we’ll need to get used to over next few days,’ saidLister more dejectedly than he’d intended. ‘The key will be to maintain goodcommunication and to think on your feet.’

The assembled officers nodded but it was clear from their facesthat they were more than a little concerned by the rather complicated situation.Lister noted this but could think of nothing to allay their concerns. Insteadhe concentrated on the plan.

‘Now I will lead the advance to el Duda. Miller, you and Bsquadron will follow myself, and Warren over the Trigh Capuzzo. We’ll seize thecrossroads at Sidi Rezegh and link with the Tobruk sorties. Laing, you and Csquadron stay south of the escarpment to provide flanking protection.Longworth, you and A squadron will occupy point 167 and protect the left flankof the 60th. Are there any questions?’

The majors nodded, and the meeting ended a few minutes later asdetails of the advance were ironed out. Lister watched his officers depart.Their objective was clear but their concerns around the extent of enemystrength had been well made. Once they cleared the ridge and went into thevalley what would they encounter? The lines of Tennyson rose into his mind asunwelcome as the last guests at a dinner party.

“Into the valley of death, rode the six hundred”

 18

Trigh Capuzzo, Libya, November 20th, 1941

That same morning, further to the west, Manfred sat in a hot tank,bored, tired and hungry. The hunger was something he‘d grown accustomed to. Itwas a permanent state for him and, if their conversation was anything to go by,for his tank mates. Every week they would have conversations about imaginarymeals the wished they could have. The hunger and his general discontent was nothelped by the fact that they seemed not to be doing very much.

‘At what point do we just acknowledge there’s no bloody Tommiesaround here?’ asked Fischer.

This was not unreasonable, thought Manfred. Overath wanted toreprimand Fischer but, in reality, he agreed with him. The tank had beenpatrolling up and down the Trigh Capuzzo track for a few hours without seeingso much as a reptile on their journey. Instead, the tank crew were hot, hungryand heavy-eyed through lack of sleep.

Over the wireless, they were aware of an engagement taking placeabout thirty kilometres to the west of their location at the Sidi Rezeghairfield and another further south at el Gubi. Fischer’s comment from theprevious evening hung heavy in the air. If the British had any intention ofsupporting a breakout from Tobruk then this was likely to be the start of it.

Overath glared down at Fischer and ordered him to keep his eyesahead and his ears to the wireless. He then turned to Manfred and snarledirritably, ‘And don’t you talk, either.’

Manfred, who’d said nothing, remained impassive in the face of hissergeant. Moments later he glanced down at Fischer who was laughing. Manfredstarted to laugh himself. There was no point in getting too upset.

The morning dragged on and silence descended on the tank. Anarmistice lest they get on one another’s nerves. The heat and the torpor meanteverything was done unconsciously. Manfred had next to nothing