Magestic 2, page 81
Mines were found and marked, moved around as a dog-leg path was plotted by the first man. He reached the far side and cut the wire, pulling his shroud over himself after scraping out a hollow in the sand. His colleagues moved past one at a time, moving slowly, soon attaching Good Morning grenades to trucks, to oil barrels, and to expensive aircraft, a few grenades left under tent flaps. After just over an hour at the base they withdrew, retracing their steps through the mines. But they didn’t leave. They spread out beyond the minefields, dug in and covered themselves where they had an angle on the base, .223 rifles with silencers pointed at the base.
At dawn the first charge blew, causing the sounding of an alarm and much running around, a dozen men picked off by the snipers and seen falling. The second blast caught men in the open, a third blast destroying one aircraft and damaging two others, the aircraft soon well alight. Fires were tackled, only for the men tackling the fire to be killed by further blasts. And after each blast, as the smoke billowed and sand rained down, the snipers would pick off men.
By noon, all of the grenades had detonated - the number of blasts counted by Abdi’s men, but few Germans or Italians were left alive. The snipers inched forwards, picking off the survivors, many of the camp’s inhabitants having been wounded from the blasts. With no further movement at the base noticed, additional grenades were used to destroy remaining aircraft and vehicles before Abdi’s men withdrew, a little something left behind for good measure.
When contact with the base had been lost, an Italian aircraft had been duly dispatched, arriving to find the base completely destroyed, no one left alive, the German commander in the country notified. Abdi’s men walked during the remaining daylight hours, and through the night, reclaiming their vehicles before driving south in a hurry.
The first German vehicle to reach the base drove straight over a mine that had been purposefully left for it. The Germans checked the positions of the minefields, clearly marked, and edged forwards on foot. The first platoon saw a wounded officer sat upright against the wheel of a burnt out truck, and rushed over, straight into a line of mines, the mines setting each other off, the platoon decimated. If the Germans were to make use of this base, they would have to clear every damn inch of it.
The trucks that had halted at the gate were turned around, to make a temporary camp outside, two driving straight over mines left for them, causing mayhem. In a slow and careful procession, the trucks reversed over their previous tracks, soldiers in the back very keenly shouting corrections.
With such heavy losses, of men and machines, the German commander in the country was under pressure to even the score, and there was only one way to do that. He launched a night raid against British positions in Egypt with most every plane he had, much sand moved around, but little real effect. A few barrack blocks were flattened, no one in them at the time, trucks destroyed, two half-tracks, a few people killed by direct hits to their bunkers and trenches.
The British had not been bunched up, and had expected an air raid, so the mass air attack had a limited affect. But the Germans were now missing six aircraft, the last flight to drop its bombs; they had not returned. Those Heinkels had fallen prey to six Boeing Mark 4s fitted with night sights.
The Fuhrer ordered a ground offensive, the whistle blown to go over the top. Fortunately for the British, the German armour was still sixty miles from the Egyptian border, the bulk of the British armour sixty miles beyond the border. It would not be a quick clash, it would be like two tortoises squaring up to each other across the lawn. The British ranks had also been swollen by their own medium tanks, if only fifty of them.
The British armoured brigades and infantry brigades moved out to take-up position closer to the border, their ground carefully chosen. Trenches were started, mines laid. Half-tracks and jeeps moved south, into the sand, the RAF made ready for its ground attack role.
On the third day, German armour met Italian mobile brigades and inched closer to the border, final positions taken, the Italians to be in the south – on the right flank. The Italian units would face the British jeeps and half-tracks, those half-tracks packing 105mm and mortar tubes. But as dusk fell that evening the RAF took off, a flight of six Boeings with night sights, eight RPGs per plane, and they were soon crossing the indistinct desert border. Nosing down from two thousand feet, their night sights highlighted warm engines and recently doused fires, the tank metal remaining warmer than the surface sand as desert temperatures plummeted.
German tank crews were amazed to be hit by accurate rocket fire, and from a plane that they couldn’t even see, tank after tank destroyed and now on fire. Their half-tracks exploded, their trucks also now on fire. But mostly the RAF targeted the tanks, circling time and time again. At dawn the carnage was evident: twelve tanks destroyed, sixteen other vehicles destroyed or damaged. The advance was halted, a change of tactic called for. The RAF would now be destroyed first, to gain air superiority.
The Luftwaffe lifted off at dawn the next morning, and flew with high fighter escorts, a line straight to the RAF bases, RAF radar illustrating the attacking aircraft as soon as they had lifted off. As the air armada crossed the border, the RAF themselves lifted off, and flew away to the east. Half an hour later the first RAF base was pounded, its runway hit, buildings destroyed. But no aircraft sat on the aprons. The second airfield was also hit, much damage, a great deal of sand moved around and blown skyward, the third base having its runway pockmarked.
With the air armada turning around and heading for home, no sign of the RAF, German escort fighters that were low on fuel headed west. As they approached the border, RAF Boeings that had refuelled at a secret desert base pounced from height, attacking the last two fighter formations and scattering them, five shot down, the German aircraft left with little fuel for manoeuvring. The Bf109s lost height and took damage, chased back across the border for a few minutes before the RAF broke off - to return home to damaged airfields. Buildings could be replaced, expensive aircraft and trained pilots were not so easy to replace.
On the second day, the same air armada took off, this time an hour before dawn and in the dark, aiming to be over the RAF airfields at first light. Radar picked them up, mobile units close to the border, the RAF scrambling. But this time the RAF not only refuelled at the secret base, they loaded RPGs.
Timing their attack, the small RAF force waited for the signal that the air armada was beyond their first base, and flew north, diving down at the tank formations and firing from five hundred feet, each Boeing offloading its full compliment of RPGs in a single pass, before climbing and setting a course east. Out of sight of ground units, and over the Egyptian border, they turned south and towards the secret airfield.
The RAF bases again took a pounding, their runways badly damaged, barracks and buildings demolished. A few people would be sleeping in tents tonight, but the aircraft were safe. Concluding that the runways were out of action, but greatly puzzled by the RAF behaviour, the ground offensive began with German artillery pounding the British positions at length, dozens killed, many vehicles destroyed. The Germans and Italians moved forwards and across the border, advanced units of engineers clearing mines.
We watched the action from afar, reading the reports, the British being pushed back. It was time to act.
Two hundred men from our British Brigade had been moved by train to Tunisia, had offloaded their vehicles and moved to the Libyan border, making their presence known. With half-tracks and 105mm, mounted machineguns and mortars, they attacked the lightly-guarded border at several key points and moved across, the Italians no match for them. As they moved across, the main Italian base in the west of Libya was attacked by a large parachute force, a lengthy battle leaving few Italians alive, five hundred dead or wounded.
With reports of tanks to his rear, the German commander had no choice but to ease his advance into Egypt and make ready to fight on two fronts, his forces split. That was not his only headache. The group that had gone to re-occupy the oasis airstrip had been subjected to air attack, few vehicles left working, few men without wounds, many dead. They were a spent force. And re-supply trucks heading to the front in Egypt were tripping mines every day.
At the hotel, I said to Jimmy, ‘Slow him up, or stop him?’
‘Slow him up, but it’s hard to justify to the British the casualties they’re taking when we could be bombing the crap out of the Germans.’
‘The RAF?’
‘Hitting a few vehicles each night, hiding in the day. 105mm are having an effect, making the German tank crews less cocky. The Germans are damaged enough not to be able to win quickly, but strong enough to still try, and that’s what we want.’
‘Bogged down,’ I noted. ‘Four German submarines have been hit, possibly more.’
‘They must be scratching their heads, and sweating in Das Boat,’ Jimmy said. ‘They don’t know our aircraft have radar. And who would be daft enough to put a side-firing thirty mil on a plane?’
‘Sykes intercepting their comms?’
Jimmy nodded. ‘There’s nothing about Poland yet, but movement on their western border, and around paratrooper units. Sykes think they may do something bold.’
‘A para drop … to where?’
‘Maybe around Paris, maybe somewhere in North Africa.’
‘Norway?’
Jimmy made a face as he considered it. ‘They’ll go by ship, it’s easy enough. Oh, our mountain and artic warfare guys are training in Scotland ready for Norway, but they don’t know about Norway yet.’
‘How many?’
‘Only fifty, but I borrowed another sixty from the Americans, their Rangers. I have to notify the President before their use, and … they’re not to be used against Germany, or … Italy. Only Japs.’
‘Are there … many Japs in Norway?’
‘I’ll use up a favour when the time comes. Besides, he already suspects I’ll use the American Brigade in Europe.’
‘And the guys in Norway?’
‘Will be used for harassment; blowing roads and bridges, and generally making life uncomfortable.’
‘And the President’s view on the war in Europe?’
‘They’re still considering their options,’ Jimmy carefully mouthed. ‘They’re also still fielding questions about Hal’s flyby. You know, I think he could have set some kind of record, even in our era. Damn plane should have disintegrated.’
‘They make them tough, from the alloy, and he was very high.’
‘It’s a record for that class of aircraft, I’m sure.’
‘Big Paul says that the Japs are pushing two hundred thousand men towards him.’
‘We’ve organised more weapons to be flown into Manchuria to ease that, and to create a second front. And the Japs have landed more units in the Philippines. That was a difficult conversation, because our subs shadowed them.’
‘It’s too soon,’ I let out with a frustrated sigh.
‘There are plenty of Marines landing in the Philippines now, and the bombers are having an affect. But there’re enough Japs there now to overrun the place.’
‘We’d be popular – not!’
‘I’ve got twenty MLRS on the ground, RPGs, mortars, and the Airborne unit is giving the Japanese a headache in the hills, heavy casualties inflicted. Their Rangers and Mobile Infantry will land there soon by ship, so that’s over thirty thousand well-trained men. Besides, it needs to look like an American fight, and an American victory.’
A few days later the President wanted a chat, so we flew down to Chicago, only this time at a respectable speed. Our plane sat near his heavily guarded plane, and we met in his conference room. His Secretary of State and The Secretary for War were sat ready, also the Vice President and a sour-faced General. They made us tea, which was better than their 2010 counterparts, and we settled after two minutes of pleasantries.
The Secretary for War outlined his equipment priorities, and we took his list, explaining just how busy we were.
‘We still get reports about strange things flying in the sky,’ the President noted, sounding none too concerned.
‘Call them … UFOs,’ I suggested, getting a look from Jimmy. ‘Unidentified flying objects. People might think they’re men from Mars.’
The President floated, ‘Some of our people … would like to try and bomb Tokyo.’
‘From where?’ Jimmy asked.
‘From Guam,’ the General stated.
‘Won’t the very large Japanese fleet then shell Guam, and take it from you?’ Jimmy posed.
‘That’s … a possibility,’ the General admitted.
‘So, you’d only get one shot at it.’
‘Your planes have the range from the Philippines,’ the General added.
‘Depending on the weight of bombs carried,’ Jimmy explained. ‘And you only have six operational bombers so far. So, they won’t do a heck of a lot of damage.’
The President had been sat back. Now he eased forwards and said, ‘We were thinking of a token gesture, to wipe the grin off their faces.’
Jimmy nodded. ‘Tell me, General, if the Jap fleet sailed over to Hawaii and bombed it, would that make you back down?’
‘Hell no.’
‘And if the Japanese built larger planes and bombed Alaska, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, would you back down and surrender.’
‘Never.’
‘So … bombing would make you mad, especially the bombing of civilians?’ Jimmy floated.
The General glanced at the others. ‘Well, yes.’
‘If I was the Jap military leader, and I was bombed, I’d fear what my own people might do to me … for backing down. I would … take Guam, and Midway, and then pound the hell out of Hawaii before invading. I’d want to show my people a … gesture.’
I eased forwards, facing the General. ‘If the Jap fleet sailed for Hawaii, could you stop them?’
‘No,’ the President cut in with.
‘So maybe,’ Jimmy suggested, ‘you should be prudent, and build your fleet, your aircraft, your subs, and hope to prevent the fall of Hawaii. And, maybe you should build-up your aircraft numbers, and when ready … bomb the hell out of Tokyo at a time when a reprisal attack is less likely, always keeping in mind American prisoners held by the Japanese; they may not fair too well if the Royal Palace is bombed, the Emperor killed.’
‘General?’ the President asked.
‘It … would be a morale booster, rather than sound military sense, yes.’
‘Fact is,’ the President stated, ‘we’re not ready, in any department. If they head for Hawaii we have a very low chance of stopping them. Once the islands were taken we’d have a very low chance of getting the islands back, our routes to the Philippines cut. We’d have to sail well south, and at greater time and cost. And as for aircraft re-supply, well, if they took Hawaii then the Philippines would be cut off.’
‘Perhaps,’ I began, ‘the build-up of soldiers on Hawaii would be your most prudent move at the moment. Anything we can do to help?’
‘We have most every spare plane ferrying troops across,’ the President reported. ‘And every spare ship.’
‘We’re working hard to produce more aircraft,’ I informed them.
‘And we appreciate it,’ the President offered. ‘Let’s talk about China. How are things going over there?’
Jimmy reported, ‘We’ve sent more weapons to the communist in Manchuria so that they can distract as many Japs as possible, but another two hundred and fifty thousand are heading towards Hong Kong.’
‘Something of a mismatch there,’ the President noted.
‘The colony is holding out,’ Jimmy informed them. ‘Supplies coming in by plane from Burma. The defenders are well dug in, the attackers at a disadvantage in the local topography.’
‘And the American Brigade?’ the President asked.
‘Fully supplied, and now with the support of a small RAF unit. They’re spread out along a front some two hundred miles long, tying up a great many Japs. If they weren’t, and Hong Kong fell, then a quarter million Japs would land in the Philippines.’
‘Overrunning it,’ the General noted. ‘I’d like to say we could help, but…’
‘We have our own hands full,’ the President noted. ‘Are you concerned that the colony – and your business interested there – will be overrun?’
‘No,’ Jimmy adamantly stated.
‘Twelve thousand men, verses a quarter million?’ the President floated.
‘We have the American Brigade, what more do we need?’ Jimmy said with a smile. ‘But we do have a favour to ask. We’d like the planes we gave you to make a few bombing runs over China, to cut-up the Jap supply lines. If not … well, then some of those quarter million may make it to the Philippines.’
‘How about … one day a week redirected there,’ the General offered.
‘How about two days a week,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘And we’ll review it as we go.’
The General faced the President. And waited.
The President cleaned his glasses. ‘Two days a week, since I don’t want that quarter million with time on their hands. But could I ask that we hit ports first, embarkation points?’
‘Of course,’ Jimmy offered him. ‘But if each plane had its own target, at least some damage and confusion could be caused across a wider area.’
‘You’ll supply the target location from your people there?’ the General asked.
‘We will, when our people in Hong Kong have drawn up a list of key bridges, ports, rail yards, barracks.’
‘Gentlemen, I’d now like a private chat to our guests,’ the President requested.
We stood as the men filed out, possibly for some toast from the galley, and sat again.
