The Dardanelles Conspiracy by Alan Bardos (best ereader for pc TXT) 📗

‘Rubbish, intelligence estimates there to be at least a division. He must mean facing us here at X beach.’

‘No, sir, along Cape Helles.’

‘And you believed him? Could you have misunderstood his German, perhaps?’ Marshall asked as a orderly finished fussing around him.

‘Yes, sir, I believed him, and my German is excellent. He didn't think that he was giving away anything important.’

‘Do you expect me to believe that a German officer would simply volunteer this kind of information?’

‘Well, we gave him rum, sir, he’d taken a nasty wound in the arm and he was quite badly shaken up. But to be blunt, sir, he thought the tactical situation was obvious. We have the Turkish defences in the South completely outflanked from our positions here at X and W beaches.’

Johnny tried to show him on a map, but it wasn’t clear on the blurry reproduction, how far their current position outflanked the enemy and gave up. ‘With the reserves we have coming ashore we can roll up the entire enemy defensive line and press onto our first day’s objectives.’

‘That is all very well, Swift, but I have no idea what is going on at the other beaches and I’ve no instructions. I can’t just charge off with men who are not mine to command,’ Marshall said, exasperated.

‘There is also the question of linking up with Y beach, our primary objective, sir,’ the captain said.

‘Quite, there is a terrific fight going on over there from what we can gather. There has also been a very determined Turkish counterattack at X beach. That can hardly be the work of a few companies. We’ve faced far more determined opposition than expected, taken serious casualties and the men are exhausted. If the reserve went we would have a hell of a time stopping the Turks from pushing us into the sea. No, we should keep the reserves together, until we know what on Earth is going on,’ the Brigadier said, thinking aloud rather than justifying himself to a subordinate.

‘We could take Krithia and Achi Baba, virtually unopposed,’ Johnny said, trying to sound respectful. ‘I can assure you, sir, we outnumber the Turks.’

‘You make some interesting points, Swift. How many men are ashore now?’ he asked the Captain.

The Captain looked flabbergasted. ‘Brigadier Marshall, perhaps we should seek the views of the 86th Brigade Intelligence officer before we make any firm decisions. I can see that Lieutenant Dawkins has just arrived and is waiting to make his report.’

‘Very well, send him in,’ Marshall said.

Johnny’s heart sank as Crassus Dawkins entered and snapped out a smart salute. ‘Sir, the right flank is now secure, the enemy have been dispatched and a defensive perimeter established.’

‘Good work, Dawkins. What would you estimate the enemy numbers to be?’ the Brigadier asked.

‘Oh, I’d say at least a division, sir, they were coming at us pretty strong. Also there is the attack just north of us at Y beach, but we can't say for sure how large the opposition is there until we establish communication with them,’ Crassus answered.

Marshall frowned. ‘You don’t think it could be less? A few companies for instance?’

‘I have heard rumours of that sort attributed to Turkish prisoners. If they are to be believed then surely they refer to the men directly facing us, rather than the Cape as a whole. Judging from the strength of the opposition I would dispute even that suggestion.’

‘Yes, that was my initial assessment, however this officer has information that we only face a thousand men across the whole South of the peninsula.’ Marshall pointed at Johnny.

‘Tosh, sir.’ Crassus looked behind him for the first time and saw Johnny. He recoiled. ‘Might one enquire how he came by this information?’

‘He said he interrogated a German officer, wounded I believe,’ the captain said helpfully.

‘He did what?’ Crassus was indignant. ‘Brigadier Marshall, I implore you not to believe a word that comes out of this man’s mouth. Especially if he’s quoting a Boche. He has already been brought up on charges for fraternising with and providing assistance to the Germans. I myself caught him red-handed in Flanders.’

Marshall turned to Johnny. ‘Is this true?’

‘Sir, General Hamilton washed out those charges for good conduct in the field,’ Johnny answered, ‘as Dawkins -’

Crassus interrupted, ‘sir, none of that makes the slightest difference as to whether we can treat Swift as a credible source of information. I know for a fact that he is completely untrustworthy.’

‘Brigadier Marshall, if you doubt my word why don’t you send myself and Dawkins on a reconnaissance to establish enemy numbers?’ Johnny didn't like the idea, but he couldn’t think of another way to prove the point.

Crassus flinched. ‘That’s a heck of a risk to take on the word of a man like Swift, sir.’

‘Come on, Crassus old man, you've seen font line service as a scout officer. I would have thought that this would be just your sort of stunt.’

‘It's an asinine and ill thought out suggestion, we could be facing a serious counterattack –’

Marshall held his hand up to stop Crassus. ‘Regardless of the validity of the information, it is my responsibility to keep the divisional reserve intact. The most prudent course of action is to await orders. Now go back to your unit, Swift, dig in and wait for our people to link up with us.’

Johnny went to protest, but caught a gleam in Crassus’s eye egging him on to contradict the general further and thought better of it. ‘Yes, sir.’

Crassus followed Johnny out. In his moment of final triumph all he could think to say was, ‘I know you were the wag who made up that nickname. Just remember that it was Crassus who beat Spartacus’s slave revolt and had every man Jack of them crucified!’

‘The only side you’ve