Fox & The Rat: Day 5 Battle 1 - Kleiner Flugplatz

0200 hours 14/10/1942

Location - Western Desert; Undisclosed location west of Benghazi, Libya

Roster: Lieutenant Tonkin

Sergeant Almonds

Troopers Carstairs; Godfrey; Crabtree; Flashman; Pike; Cooper

Clear night, waxing crescent moon, light winds, broken cloud scudding quickly on a south-westerly breeze.  Unknown number and quality of DAK sentries.

Sub unit of L Detachment led by Lt. Tonkin - recently returned to duty following a ‘scratch’ from his last outing against ‘Harry Hun’ - charged with attacking an isolated airstrip and attendant aviation fuel.  The main column have been subject to unanswered Stuka attacks - heaven knows where the Desert Air Force have been - so this should at least provide some well needed respite.

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-west.  The demo charges were allocated to Sgt. ‘Big Jim’ Almonds and Pte. Pike.  Sgt. Almonds approached the perimeter from a westerly direction whereas Pte. Pike approached from north/north-west.  The remainder of the detachment followed a generally north-west angle.  Two Stukas were drawn up on the strip which was in the centre of the compound while a fuel truck was a short distance inside the perimeter towards the western edge.

Tonkin, Pike, Crabtree & Flashman made towards a pill box at the north-western corner of the perimeter whereas Almonds set off towards the fuel truck and Carstairs and Godfrey made towards the perimeter fencing to the right of the pill box.  Cooper with his sniper rifle held back scanning for suitable targets should the alert be raised.

Pike was caught out attempting to gain cover from the pill box.  A close sentry and the DAK officer felled him and his charges!  Crabtree & Flashman making better use of the cover despatched the DAK officer.  Meanwhile a pair of sentries were close to the pill box to the opposite side where Pike was and near to where Lt. Tonkin had taken cover - they would be heading towards Almonds’ route of attack.  Tonkin’s pistol wouldn’t account for both so he took the high risk decision to lob a grenade - this accounted for one of Fritz - luckily Carstairs & Godfrey had a clear line of sight and took out the second. The balloon was now truly up and the the cat out of the metaphorical bag!

However a sentry with a vicious hound  further along the perimeter was alerted and caught Almonds scurrying between rocks and a sandbag emplacement.  He shot wildly but missed - Cooper took steady aim and accounted for the impetuous Jerry.  Without his master Der Hund  scarpered into the night.  This allowed Almonds to breach the perimeter and make towards the fuel truck.  

The sentry who’d taken out Pike targeted Crabtree and Flashman - he missed and paid for this by becoming Cooper’s second victim who exhibited his customary sangfroid.

Almonds now had a clear run to the fuel truck and he laid the charges - now onto one of the Stukas.  Jerry reinforcements were now streaming in from the south so he targeted the one furthest from these additional troops.  What he hadn’t realised was it was guarded by another blasted Hund and it’s master.  The cowardly dog handler sent Fido out to intercept him and the vicious beast brought him down and incapacitated poor Almonds before he had a chance to draw his dagger out and despatch him.  Time was running out for Tonkins’ mob.

Meanwhile Crabtree and Flashman picked up the charges left by Pike and were making slow progress towards the rear of the same Stuka which had beguiled Almonds.  Tonkins now rushed forward to where Almonds was now lying and picked up his charges determined to vanquish Fido and his handler and blow up the damned Stuka.  Fido launched himself at Tonkins but this time he was ready dagger drawn.  It was a tremendous tussle, Tonkins managing to injure the animal which whimpered it’s way back to it’s master but Tonkins too took some gouges and bites to his arms and legs.  Tonkins finally got rid of the dog and sentry with a grenade; Cooper had climbed atop one of the pill boxes and took out another Fritz advancing on Tonkins’ position from the aircraft hanger.  Carstairs and Godfrefy moved up in support of Tonkins but the Jerry reinforcements were now too much and Tonkins was out on a complete limb - too far out of reach for Crabtree and Flashman with the other charges to attempt to destroy the Stuka.  It was time to cut and run, the men were confident Jerry would at least not kill Tonkins and Almonds.  Cooper provided covering fire from his elevated position and they were able to drag Pike from where he’d gone down.

Score:  Tonkins and Almonds in the bag; Pike - light wound; 

Jerry - one fuel truck destroyed

Not a great result although superb bravery exhibited by L Detachment, in particular Tonkins and Almonds, and Cooper’s ‘Dead Eye’ wreaking havoc in the DAK ranks.