Chapter 8

Private Mario Frabitzy was tired and cold. He had an hour left of guard duty. Then he could return to the warmth of the guard house.

He saw the faint lights of the convoy descending the escarpment road. Must be more provisions for the bloody Germans, he thought. He moved to the other side of barrier, unbuttoning his trousers to relieve himself. In doing so he saved his life.

He suddenly heard the engines accelerate. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the convoy turn off the coast road descending down onto the base access road. At the same time, machine guns opened fire sweeping into the guard house. He threw himself down on to the ground, curling up into a ball, his trousers soaked in urine.

Shaun had fired a five second burst with the Vickers Ks which fired at 950 rounds a minute. The wooden guard house was completely destroyed and only a few screams were heard as they roared pass.

Jack opened up with the big .50 into the radio shack. Flames appeared as the hut collapsed They passed on to the dispersal area, heading for the runway. Titch veered to the right as the sandbag gun emplacement of the evil looking 30mm quad flak cannons came into view. Sammy dropped two Mills grenades inside it, repeating it at the next sandbag emplacement.

Shaun stood up to look back. Tim was over to the left taking care of the flak guns there whilst Bill was heading for the right-hand side of the runway. “Ok, Titch, head for the planes,” he shouted above the noise.

Titch drove down the side of the runway has the first sandbag aircraft emplacement came into view. The Perspex front of the aircraft dissolved into shards as Shaun and Cookie’s bullets tore it apart. Above the tearing sound of the Vickers Ks could be heard the slower boom, boom, boom of the 50 calibre machine gun as Jack concentrated his fire on the engines and wings, rewarded as the fuel on board exploded. Lighting up the night sky with a mighty whoosh the ammunition on board the aircraft exploded, adding to the scene of destruction.

Titch passed the next emplacement, keeping to the agreed 20 miles an hour, knowing Tim would take it out, but giving them the opportunity to change magazines if needed as handed out by Prof and Sammy.

And so they proceeded down the line, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Bill was waiting at the end of the runway to go back up their side as Shaun followed by Tim returned up his side of the runway.

Aircraft not blazing were treated to a further onslaught so that the runway looked like a scene from hell as they made their way back to the entrance with Bill in the lead.

Bobby’s guns were keeping what little effort the enemy had mustered contained. Shaun glanced at his watch 3:47am. They were on schedule, he realised.

Bill, followed by Tim, drove out of the base with Bobby following and shouting the charge was in place. Shaun paused to glance around at the destruction they had caused before nodding to Titch to follow.

The trucks were waiting at the turn off from the coast road as Titch took the lead. Suddenly the night sky was ripped apart by a massive explosion that lit up the desert as the petrol dump exploded. Flaming jerry cans were thrown into the air like comets, exploding as they touched earth.