Chapter 51

The day before the British Mandate expired it was announced that the State of Israel had been formed by David Ben-Gurion, it was May 14th. America and the USSR were the first countries to recognise it.

That same day a message from Prof arrived, the Egyptians were preparing to move out.

The three who had been at the Egyptian base had joined Prof. They reported that four off the trucks were loaded with jerry cans for fuel and water.

Later Prof reported the column comprised of the six tracked troop carriers in the lead with seven tanks close behind. Behind them were thirty eight trucks some filled with troops then three tanks. Three Spitfires circled the column.

Later in the day Prof reported a second column, made up of an armoured car in the lead with a 30mm quad anti-aircraft cannon mounted on a truck. Then large fuel and water bowser trucks came behind and approximately two hundred troops marching with another 30mm truck mounted cannon, the second armoured car brought up the rear.

Shaun let the others know, the Spitfires would be a problem he knew. The radio had been giving out information of attacks from Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, the Jews were fighting on all fronts to stem the tide of the invasions.

He managed to contact Ari Silverman and brought him up to date with the situation with the Egyptians, “Our main problem will be the Egyptian fighters, we may need help from you with them”.

“How long will it take them to reach your positions?” Ari asked.

“Our best guess is that it will be eight days”. Shaun replied.

“OK, we may be able to help in a few days, leave it with me”.

As more reports came in from Prof who was now tailing the column. It appeared the main force was spread out over a mile long. When they stopped for the night, fuel, and water was taken from the rear most trucks and distributed amongst the vehicles and men. Later the empty jerry cans would be loaded on to the trucks and they would return to the second column and be refilled from the bowsers, before returning to the main column.

“It makes sense,” Shaun told the others, “If the bowsers were destroyed the invasion would pettier out”.

Five days later they heard on the radio that Cairo had been bombed by the Israelis. Shaun was surprised he hadn’t known that the Jews had bombers.

The following day Prof reported that the column had no air cover.

When Shaun addressed the others about it he told them that it seemed that the Egyptian fighters had been withdrawn to protect Cairo.

With the two columns now separated by over twenty miles, he ordered Prof to return to base that night.

From reports from Ari Silverman it appeared that the Israeli’s were fighting on all fronts, the Jordanian Army seemed to be the most dangerous being more professional in their organisation. But the Israeli’s were holding their own, now that weapons and ammunition were reaching them from ships now that the blockade was lifted.

Prof arrived back at the base in the early hours of the morning with the other men. All were exhausted and hungry. Prof reported that the second column no longer had the 30mm quad cannons with them.

Shaun sent them all after a meal, to rest.

Later that night Prof joined them for the daily briefing in the command post. He still had dark rings around his eyes but looked more refreshed.

Shaun brought them up to date with the situation in the rest of the country, before elaborating on their own situation. Prof ventured an opinion.

“I can’t swear to it because they had scarfs around their faces due to the dust kicked up, but I’m almost certain that the first four tank commanders are Germans, due to the colour of their uniforms”.