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

for their rifle drill. This wasfollowed by a brief inspection by Lister and Warren. Danny and his friends werestanding in the back row so avoided further contact. Danny felt relieved; hewas worried that he’d already blotted his copybook not once but twice. Theinspection over, Reed accompanied Lister back to the other officers.

‘Have you had your breakfast yet?’ asked Lister.

‘No, sir.’

‘Hurry along then, Reed. By the by what did you do with the youngchap?’

‘Shaw?’

‘Yes, that’s the one.’

Reed, a veteran of nearly two years of the desert campaign, lookedunusually sheepish at this point.

‘Ah,’ smiled Lister, ‘Good choice.’

‘Let’s see, sir.’

-

It was going to be a new experience being with people who were notfriends. The tank rumbled along the rocky desert path. Danny sat in the hull ofthe tank beside Charlie Felton trying to understand how the wireless worked.Under any circumstances this would have been straightforward, but they were ina moving tank, the heat was melting Danny’s skin, the sun-softened metal washot to the touch and the two men almost had to coordinate their breathingrhythm to ensure there was enough room for them.

Still, Danny was excited, undeniably scared yet oddly desirous tohave his first encounter with the enemy. Meeting his tank mates had solidifieda feeling that had grown within him since his arrival. Aside from Sergeant Reedand the tetchy Ulsterman Craig, he couldn’t help but feel they were beaten. Themood was sour, particularly that of Joe Holmes. Even the otherwise friendly,Charlie Felton, seemed resigned to defeat.

‘I thought it would be easier than this; got that wrong,’ admittedFelton as they drove along. ‘They’ve better tanks than us, better guns. Betterled, for my money, too.’

‘What’s wrong with Lister? Seems alright to me,’ said Danny.

‘He is but he’s new. He only arrived a week or two before you.He’s a tank man though. So is the sergeant,’ said Felton, his eyes flickedupwards towards Reed. The sergeant was riding in the turret of the tank. ‘Idon’t think the higher ups have much clue. A few months ago, we could have beenhaving beer in Tripoli. Now, we’re fighting for our lives to defend Cairo.’

‘Rommel?’ asked Danny.

Felton nodded. The young wireless operator introduced Danny to thetank in more detail.

‘V12 engine. Fast but unreliable and the fan drive wears out socooling breaks down all the time. Means it’s hot as hell in there usually. Sowe’re fast and we need to be. Our two pound gun is smaller than theirs. Thismeans we have to get close to their tanks if we’re going to hurt’em. Good thingis it’s difficult to hit a tank on the move never mind one moving quickly soit’s a trade-off.’

‘How fast on sand?’ asked Danny.

‘Fifteen miles per hour. Doesn’t sound much but try hittingsomething travelling that fast, unless we’re head on. Also it’s quite low, so it’sa smaller target. You’ll be loading. Holmes is the gunner and Craig’s thedriver. He’s down here,’ said Felton pointing to the driver’s compartment.‘Usual layout. Clutch on left, pedal in centre and accelerator on the right.You’ve driven a tank before?’

‘Yes. The A9 and A13.’

Felton shook his head.

‘This is better. Still not as good as what Jerry has, though. Tothe left is the instrument panel. The driver can look through there and thisside panel. Holmes is here with the gun. Telescopic sight there. He traversesthe turret. It goes quite quick.’

‘You’ll be loading,’ continued Felton. ‘That’s what I was doinguntil you came. You have your own periscope and a bullet proof visor. Thecommander of the tank is up there. In our case that’s Sergeant Reed. You comein through the roof of the turret. Levers are at the side, here. They open. Getused to them. You never know when you’ll need to bail out. Once a tank startsto brew you get the hell out.’

‘Have you brewed up yet?’

Felton nodded.

‘Yes my first tank did. We were lucky. We all got out, but youdon’t want to hang around. I’ve seen what some of the poor blokes look like whodon’t.’

Felton was silent for a moment as the memory returned of sights noone should ever see or experience. Danny looked away and pretended to look atthe instrument panel. He could hear the quickening of Felton’s breathing. Aminute later Felton could continue.

‘The engine is behind the turret. Have you done the mechanic’scourse?’

Danny nodded, ‘Yes. I’m also a smithy, so I can turn my hand torepairs if need be when we’re at the camp.’

‘Leave that to the recovery teams. We can only do maintenance. Youcan help me with that, though. Bloody pain.’ said Felton before adding with agrin. ‘Right, I think that’s the tour over. That’ll be five bob, please.’

‘Can I take it out for a spin?’ asked Danny.

‘Don’t see why not,’ grinned Felton.

Danny had ridden inside a tank many times before. He was used tobeing bounced around. It was surprising just how hard and rocky the desertsurface was. This was not the soft sand he’d been expecting but something evenless welcoming and unyielding. It felt alien and threatening. In England, themost dangerous thing he’d encountered was an angry heifer protecting hercalves; not to be underestimated, remembered Danny.

‘What brought you here then?’ asked Danny as the tank headed outof the leaguer with Felton demonstrating the controls.

Felton glanced at Danny. He seemed a little ill at ease and Dannyfelt remorseful at asking. However, Felton, after a few seconds, decided to saymore.

‘I ran away from home when I was sixteen. Hated my dad. He was abad ‘un. I didn’t like the way he treated mum and me. Found work on a farm inthe next county. They put me up. Stayed there a few years then this allstarted. I signed up. Just before I left, I went back to the house to see mymum.’

‘Was your dad still there?’

‘Aye, he was. Looked a bit spooked when he saw me in my uniform. Itold him if he ever hurt mam again, I’d kill him. He wasn’t so brave then. Ihear from mam. She says things are all right. I’ll go back and check firstchance I get. Bastard.’

-

The tank returned to the leaguer in the early afternoon. A quicklunch was