Crusader (A Novel of WWII Tank Warfare), Jack Murray [top romance novels .txt] 📗

‘I think we’ve stopped them for the moment or perhaps they’rerunning low on ammo.’

There was no question that there was a lull in the battle. Thelight was beginning to fade. The sound of shelling had all but stopped. There wasstill the low rumble of explosions elsewhere but they, too, were slowlysubsiding. The group gazed down at the burnt out hulks of the Crusaders. The 6thRTR had been annihilated.

‘What happens now, sir?’ asked Stone.

Aston laughed drily.

‘Damned if I know, Stone. We haven’t got a pot to piss in nevermind a tank.’

The group stared out at the airfield in silent shock at theslaughter of their regiment. Sand was caked over Danny’s face and his eyes feltclogged. His calf muscle burned from where the shell fragment had hit him. Thesmell of burning permeated the atmosphere. Danny began to shiver as the imagesof his friend swam into his mind. He was filthy, starving, angry and brokenhearted. The bile rose from within him and he fought hard to stop himselfthrowing up again.

Stone put an arm on his shoulder.

‘It doesn’t get better.’

Danny looked at Stone and forced a smile. The others were on theirfeet now, and Danny rose with them. They trooped slowly past the remainingtwenty-five pounders of the 60th Field Regiment. Past the twistedmetal of the disabled guns. Stretcher bearers were carrying bodies away fromthe guns.

‘Where are we heading, sir?’

‘Good question,’ said Captain Aston. He turned to Stone andpointed out some orderlies. ‘Be a sport and see if you can find out whereBrigade HQ is.’

Stone trotted off and spoke to a group of men near a woundedcorporal. He returned a few moments later and nodded upwards.

‘That way.’

-

The remainder of the 6th RTR rallied at the Brigade HQto the south of the airfield. The arrival of Aston with Danny and the othertank crew provided some degree of consolation on what had been a catastrophicday for the regiment. Danny glanced around and spotted Arthur at the side ofone of the few tanks left.

‘Arthur,’ shouted Danny.

His friend turned and stared at him in shock. Danny tried to smilebut his heart wasn’t in it. He must have been quite a sight. Arthur ran overwith one question his lips.

‘Phil?’

Danny couldn’t speak. He shook his head. Arthur nodded and led himover to the tank.

‘Sit down,’ ordered Arthur. ‘I’ll make you some grub. Have youeaten?’

‘I haven’t eaten since this morning,’ replied Danny. It felt solong since he’d brewed up the tea and handed out the biscuits and marmalade. Somuch had happened. He watched in silence as Arthur made the tea. Finally,Arthur brought over a cup and a tin with warm bully beef which Danny scoffeddown in seconds.

‘You saw him?’ asked Arthur.

‘Yes. I don’t know how we survived. It was over so quickly.’

Arthur listened in silence as Danny related the events of theafternoon. A light drizzle fell on them but neither noticed. Danny withheld thedetail of what he’d witnessed in the tank. It would be his memory alone. WhenDanny had finished, neither said anything. Each was left with theirrecollection of the corporal who had first greeted them at the camp. A sense ofdespondency hung over the men. Arthur’s voice was barely recognisable to Danny.

‘All gone, just in the blink of an eye. I heard that the Sixthheld back a whole division of Panzers. I hadn’t realised what it was like. Youboys are bloody heroes, mate.’

‘Not many of us left are there, though?’ said Danny glancingaround at the remaining tanks.

‘We have about four tanks that are still working. One of them ismine. I was with Captain Gjemre. We were out with ordnance.’

‘You were well out of it, mate. It was hell.’ Out of the corner ofhis eye Danny saw Alex Wilson, the driver in Aston’s tank, waving over to him.‘I’d better go here, Arthur. Duty calls.’

Danny rose gingerly to his feet. He looked up to the sky and letthe drizzle wash over his face. He wiped his cheeks and limped over to Aston’sgroup. The others made space for him.

‘What’s happening?’ asked Danny.

‘The captain’s off to find out where we’re going to be deployedtomorrow. There’s not enough tanks to go around. The regiment’s finished forthe moment.’

Danny saw in the distance two tall figures walking towards theirgroup. Captain Aston was walking with the tall officer Danny had met earlier bythe two pounder.

‘Who’s that with the captain?’ asked Danny.

‘That’s Brigadier Campbell,’ answered Stone. ‘Jock Campbell. Why?’asked Wilson.

‘I met him earlier.’

Danny didn’t offer anything else and the others were too weary toask more. Instead, they watched the two men talking. Behind them stretcherbearers carried a steady stream of dead and wounded. Aston pointed to theirgroup as they walked. The two men halted and Aston saluted Campbell as if theywere about to part. Then Campbell peered at them in the gloom. He turned to saysomething to Aston who glanced back at the group. Aston shrugged and then thetwo men started walking towards where they were all sitting.

‘On your feet, boys’ said Stone.

Danny felt his calf muscle cramping. It needed a supreme effort toget to his feet. He grimaced as he rose. Wilson noticed Danny’s discomfort and offereda helping hand. At that moment Danny craved nothing more than sleep. His mind wasmuddled like he was drunk. The earth seemed to be pulling him down into itsembrace.

‘Thanks,’ whispered Danny to the driver. Wilson winked back to himand kept a steadying arm on his back. He shivered a little and became aware ofthe cold for the first time.

‘This is Brigadier Campbell,’ said Aston. Danny and the othersstood to attention and saluted. It amazed Danny he could even lift his arm.

Campbell looked at the weary men before him. Few of the tank crewmembers remained of what had once been the 6th RTR.

‘I know of the sacrifices you and other men have made. The enemythrew everything at us, but they didn’t succeed. We held on to the airfieldthanks to what you did today. Make no mistake, they’ll be back again tomorrowand the day after and the day after that until we kick them out. They’ve givenus a bit of a