0200 hours 19/10/1942
Location - Western Desert; Undisclosed location west of Benghazi, Libya
Roster: Acting Lieutenant Stirling
Sergeant Sadler
Troopers Carstairs; Walker; Crabtree; Flashman
Light cloud, waxing gibbous moon, light winds. Unknown number and quality of DAK sentries.
Sub unit of L Detachment led byA/Lt. Stirling - promoted in the field as a result of the heroics of both Cpt. Mayne and Lt. Tonkin seeing them in the bag - charged with attacking an isolated airstrip and attendant aviation fuel. This was the second party L Detachment had gone to at this particular venue. First time, a few days earlier, Sgt. Almonds had managed to destroy a fuel truck but was injured before attacking the grounded Stukas. Lt. Tonkins had bravely picked up the mantle but was seriously hurt taking out one of Jerry’s vicious attack ‘Hunds’ and both had ended up captured for their efforts. A/Lt. Stirling - having debriefed the team who had managed to scramble back to the lines - thought he’d devised a more solid plan although it was still going to be a very tough nut to crack indeed!
Intelligence indicated there was a small airstrip servicing an unknown number of Stukas guarded by a mixture of DAK Gendarmerie and sentries plus reserves of aviation fuel. Objective was simple - to destroy as many aircraft, fuel facilities and auxiliary vehicles as possible.
L Detachment approached from the north-east. The demo charges were allocated to A/Lt. Stirling himself and Sgt. Sadler. They both approached the perimeter from a north-east/east direction - there were two aircraft hangers on this axis with Stukas at the far end of both. Beyond these, in the centre of the compound, was a fuel truck. Stirling and Sadler would be supported by Troopers Crabtree & Flashman while Carstairs and Walker would approach from a north/north-east route to act as a diversion and provide support.
Crabtree & Flasman moved into position at the outer edge of the first hanger before Stirling and Sadler moved up to join them. Stirling weaved his way to the rear of the Stuka in Hangar 1 while Sadler positioned himself to make a similar move against the Stuka in hangar 2, although this was was further into the compound and more tricky to get to. Ideally they would synchronise their explosions however Stirling was in position too quickly and waiting in situ while the Hun were on their patrol was a risky business - perhaps it would be better to blow the first kite and rely on the confusion to attack the second - the fuel truck would probably be a bridge too far……
An improvised plan but not an unreasonable one.
Stirling carefully primed and placed the demo charges at the base of the tail section of the Stuka………..but disaster. The fuse was faulty and detonated immediately. The blast knocking Stirling off his feet and backwards onto the dust floor. Alas he was to play no further part in the mission and went into the bag. He later reflected it could have been worse, much worse.
That was it, the Bosch were fully alerted now and Sadler was still some distance from his quarry. He did his best to skirt the edge of the hangar but there was a sentry in his path - he gave a burst from his Thompson but unbelievably he missed! A DAK sergeant was bearing down on him from the other side of the hangar. This was it……Sadler launched himself at the obstructing sentry with just cold hard steel and despatched him, auf wiedersehen Fritz, but the sergeant now caught him out in the open and cut him down with his SMG. This was the first fatality suffered by L Detachment. It wouldn’t be the last.
Carstairs and Walker were covering the north side of the perimeter and a couple of DAK sentries sent out a speculative burst, more in fear than intent following the explosion, but this caught Walker and he slumped beside Carstairs. He was bound for the Elysian Fields.
This was the signal for the rest of the group to melt back into the desert night. What had started as a well planned operation had turned quickly into something of a disaster for L Detachment. Damn their cursed luck. Goodnight Sgt. Sadler and Pte. Walker. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori…..or is it?
No comments:
Post a Comment