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

He thought of his brother,Tom, and wondered if he was out there as part of the breakout from Tobruk. Andgood old Carruthers, of course. He was likely to be in the artillery. If he wasstill alive, that is.

He stopped himself from thinking more. Any thoughts of death werealways cast out of his mind immediately. There was no point on dwelling on it.He gazed out in front of him. An explosion in front of the tank threw up grit.He instinctively jerked his backwards.

The tank was silent. A homage to the rage of shells plummetingaround them. A prayer for their survival. Even Danny was finding God at thatmoment. He remembered Craig’s comment from a lifetime ago.

Bravely, or foolishly, Sergeant Reed put his head up to make aquick scan of the enemy positions. He kept the hatch open just enough so thathis eyes were level with the cupola, and he could see what was in front. Ascreaming shell forced Reed back into the turret, head down. He grinnedsheepishly at Danny.

‘I was curious.’

Up ahead Danny could at last make out the sinister shapes of the enemythrough his periscope; the heavily camouflaged guns which were now spittingshells at a shocking rate. One fireball after another soared into the air andlanded with a terrible thud in the ground in front and to the side of the tank.

They had to cross over a mile of open ground, without cover,without much hope of avoiding a hit. Danny’s tank was in the third row of Bsquadron. To his left he saw Aston’s tank. Turner was out front, movingrapidly. At least their speed made them a difficult target. Danny saw one tankgo up in a huge gout of flames. The orange flame stood out sharply against theblue sky; a harmony of science and savagery.

 The first row and then the second were bearing the brunt of theonslaught. One by one he saw them stop abruptly and burst into flames. He saw thetank belonging to Major Miller, the leader of B Squadron go up. No one couldpossibly survive although he saw some men diving out of the hatches. Hecouldn’t look. His eyes flicked ahead to the belching guns.

The sickening reality of war was laid bare for Danny. TheCrusaders, when they managed to work, were no match for the terrifying power ofthe anti-tank gun, even from a long range. As soon as tanks went over the topand down the slope they were knocked out. It was like a shooting gallery forthe Germans.

‘Don’t stop,’ ordered Reed. What else could they do? Eitherdirection was suicidal. The ground in front of them was moving. A man-madeearthquake created waves on the ground. Shards of rock were being thrown up allaround them.

Danny saw carnage everywhere he looked. The sound was a percussionof rage. Explosions mixed with the chattering of machine guns. Flashes oftracer flew through the air pinging off the tank. Holmes was firing back now.They were in the game at last. Able to return fire with fire.

‘Keep loading’ shouted Holmes to Danny.

‘Keep firing,’ said Danny through gritted teeth.

Reed let out an oath which was unusual. Moments later the tank washit at the front. The clang echoed around the tank. Danny’s heart stoppedbeating then it restarted as he realised, they were alive. He sucked the airinto his lungs and regretted it immediately. It was rank with fumes and theacrid smell of cordite.

‘This is suicide,’ said Reed. There was no fear in his voice. Justwonder mixed with dismay. An acceptance of his own mortality.

Below Danny heard Craig call out the name of the Lord in a mannerthat seemed at odds with a his deeply-held beliefs. Something hit the tank onthe right. Then the left. No damage. Every explosion seemed to rock the tank toits rivets. Danny felt numb from the pounding. Every near miss passed along theearth and through the tank like stones thrown into a pond.

They’d passed over the Trigh Capuzzo and were nearing the ridge wherethe gun emplacements rained shell on them. Not only were they getting close,they were also beginning to do some damage.

‘Got one,’ shouted Holmes triumphantly. They were now within closeenough of range to do some serious damage. The tank jolted upwards as itreached the escarpment beyond the Trigh Capuzzo, throwing Danny backwards. Hescrambled forward again rubbing his head which had just bashed against the wallof the tank.

 ‘I’m hit,’ came a voice on the radio. It was Lister. The lieutenant-colonelhad taken part in this cavalry charge. The radio went dead. This was a new kindof shock for Danny. The lieutenant-colonel had been at the forefront of thismad cavalry charge. Now he was perhaps dead. Danny hoped he’d escaped the tank.

Danny was still mechanically feeding shells into the gun barrel.He was past thought. His movements were robotic. Reed was speaking into hismicrophone, but Danny couldn’t hear what was being said. Everything was blockedout for him save for the racing of his heart and his breathing. He felt a touchon his arm. It was Holmes. He motioned for Danny to stop. They were takingevasive action.

‘Reverse,’ shouted Reed. The attack was failing. They hadtravelled too far and there was no support. They’d lost their CommandingOfficer as well as the leader of B Squadron. Yes, the attack was failing.

Catastrophically.

The radio crackled. It was Aston ordering the tanks back. Theycouldn’t hope to hold the ridge. The whistle of shells continued; thestomach-turning wait before the shells exploded their confirmation that itwasn’t you. This time.

The engine whined and groaned as Craig reversed the tank, keepingthe hull facing front where the heavily armoured gave them a better chance ofsurviving a hit. It felt like they were in the midst of a hailstorm such werethe number of hits on the tank.

‘Faster,’ shouted Reed, struggling to keep the fear from hisvoice.

Danny held his breath as he felt the tank jerk backwards. It wasmoving and he breathed a sigh of relief. Reed released a torrent of oaths,suddenly. Danny put his eyes to the periscope.

At this moment they stopped.

‘What the hell is going on?’ shouted Reed.

‘The bastard engine’s conked out,’ responded Craig.

-

“Keep firing ordered,’ Lieutenant Turner.