Wilco- Lone Wolf 8

by Geoff Wolak

  ‘As I said, leave it with me.’

  As the sun set I called Liban and then Lt Col Marsh, and I warned them that a counter-attack was very likely from the south. They would get ready. I also told Marsh that he would hand over to the French tomorrow.

  No sooner had I ended the call than a wounded rebel threw a grenade, six Paras seriously wounded, a medic also wounded, one of Morten’s team.

  I threw my hands in the air. ‘We’re getting more wounded after the damn battle than during it.’

  Ten minutes later the Gurkha major stepped in. ‘I was back for supplies, but wondered what else we could be doing.’ He pointed out the area he controlled on the map.

  I told him, ‘Every day push east, but on foot, and after you’ve secured a few miles move the vehicles forwards.’

  ‘We’re doing that now.’

  ‘Well it’s not a big area, so eventually we’ll have it all covered, but the French will control the north and east. Tomorrow the Paras pull out from where they are, back to the airport, and might be sent home, regular Army units used for the peacekeeping.’

  Colonel Clifford said, ‘No plans for the Paras?’

  ‘I need London to direct me on that, sir. If London wants them kept busy there’s lots to do.’

  ‘They’ve had two battles, and picked up dead and wounded,’ Clifford noted.

  ‘Yes, sir, but after they return they’ll sit in barracks for ten years before something like this comes around again.’

  I stepped out and called Lt Col Marsh, the FBI teams examining crates. ‘Sir, you’ll be withdrawn tomorrow as you know, but ... do you want to stay here and for me to find you tasks?’

  ‘Well ... down to the MOD. What have they said?’

  ‘Nothing yet, but you have dead and wounded, so they may pull you out. If they do ... then it might be ten years before you get another one of these, they don’t come around often.’

  ‘True, yes, most men see one action in a lifetime, and Northern Ireland is quiet now. If it was my call I’d say stay, and I’ll explain to the men why.’

  ‘I’ll make some calls, sir.’ I called the MOD, and they got General Dennet to call me back.

  ‘Wilco, you after me?’

  ‘Yes, sir. The Paras posting here; they want to know if they’ll be pulled out.’

  ‘Someone mentioned that today, but I’m keen to see this milked for all it’s worth. How many wounded?’

  ‘They have two dead, twenty something wounded, plus the first lad that fell over and died. But the thing is, sir, when they go home they might not get a live job like this for ten years.’

  ‘So how about we keep them there, but a few days rest, and I send a group from 1 Para.’

  ‘There are plenty of small rebel groups, sir, so the Paras ... they’ll each fire a shot in anger, but with limited risks.’

  ‘Then I’ll send some men from 1 Para, you can rest 2 Para a few days.’

  ‘Marines are itching for some action, so I’ll task them tomorrow.’

  ‘Yes, good.’

  ‘Oh, and those Lynx pilots – I’ll be recommending them for the highest award.’

  ‘They did well, yes, and no one can think of a time when a helicopter shot down a fixed wing aircraft, it’s all over the news. I’m sure they’ll be in the New Year’s Honours List.’

  Thinking about getting some sleep, and now used to sleeping at this time, the Major called me. ‘They had a delivery at GL4 just now, those rifles from Finland.’

  ‘That was quick.’

  ‘They’re hoping for a good endorsement, that’s why – what with the fighting going on down there.’

  ‘Could you send them down, sir?’

  ‘I can have them dropped at Brize tonight, must be a plane heading down, lots of movement – just been watching it on the news. Amazing to see the Hercules lined up, Paras walking aboard. No one has seen that since the last war.’

  ‘Well the Paras are picking up more wounded after the action than during it, wounded rebels throwing grenades.’

  ‘Often the way, yes. How’s Echo doing?’

  ‘All back here with me, resting, no serious wounds, and when they were wounded they treated themselves, even stitches.’

  ‘Well they’ve done enough damn courses by now. And the Wolves?’

  ‘Back here as well. “G” Squadron is being withdrawn, not a man without a wound.’

  ‘How the hell did that happen?’

  ‘The rebels at the base ran off south, right into “G” Squadron. They shot so many they clicked empty and beat the blacks about the head with empty rifles. “D” Squadron lads picked up wounds as well, same issue.’

  ‘And you still have the police there?’

  ‘Yes, Sergeant Crab has them busy patrolling around here.’

  ‘There was a story about them in one of the papers, but it was fair and balanced.’

  ‘Colonel Dean will send some of his lads down, and 1 Para is coming down. MOD wants as many men as possible to get some patrols in.’

  ‘They’d just be sat in barracks otherwise. Oh, almost forgot, reason for the call, Lassey has gone.’

  ‘Gone, sir?’

  ‘He had time to think, a close call, so he’s quit, fast track out, be a civvy by the weekend. His girl is pregnant, and she wants him alive.’

  ‘I don’t blame him, it’s a dangerous pastime.’

  ‘Two men down now.’

  ‘I was thinking that Leggit and Swan, from the Wolves, could move across. They’re shit hot, good attitude. Chat to O’Leary for me, sir, and ask him to send it up the line to their manager.’

  ‘OK, will do.’

  ‘Is it quiet at the base, sir?’

  ‘Canteen is closed, ladies on holiday, and I rarely venture in, it’s just me and O’Leary, and Bongo. Admin Corporal is on holiday. Whisky is on holiday as well, PTIs are up in Hereford. Bongo eats at the pub. When you back?’

  ‘Not for a week or more, sir.’

  ‘Then I’ll keep the canteen closed, because cooking for just Bongo is a waste – despite how much he eats.’

  I called back Lt Col Marsh. ‘Sir, MOD will keep you here, not least because they can see that after your return your men will see no action for years. And some men from 1 Para will come down for experience.’

  ‘Just had another man wounded. Could get lively around here if this lot want their beds back.’

  ‘Warn the men to stay down, sir, the rebels will snipe from the tree line.’

  ‘We have some of their mortars set-up ready, plenty of mortar rounds, so they’ll get a shock. And the French have four hundred men here now, so we’re well manned and well kitted.’

  I finally turned in, but only after I moved Leggit and Swan in with Echo. The two men were pleased, and keen, but I explained that London might block the move.

  I was awake at 11pm, and stiff, Haines handing me a brew. ‘Anything happening?’ I asked, the FBI sat eating, as well as nosing at the map board, Franks sat with them and chatting.

  Colonel Clifford was still awake. He informed me, ‘Paras are seeing probing attacks, but are repulsing them. They have mortars and GPMGs, and are well dug in apparently. Oh, Major Taggard didn’t want to wake you, but he’s gone to the airport with the last of his men, be flying out soon.’

  ‘They took a beating, close quarter fighting, some hand to hand,’ I noted before sipping my brew. My phone trilled. ‘Wilco.’

  The Air Commodore began, ‘Ah, Wilco, my lad, just sat through a one-hour special on the TV. Fantastic, really fantastic, you earned your keep this week for sure.’

  I smiled. ‘Thank you, sir.’

  ‘They had the para school doing their stuff, loading the men, and it looked like a hundred Hercules lined up. Had a shot of them in the air, and dropping the Paras, had to be twenty minutes on just my Hercules – worth a million adverts for recruitment.

  ‘And this past half hour my phone hasn’t stopped, everyone very excited about it all, even the Defence Minster was on
the blower. And tomorrow they print extra copies of The Sun, some pull-out pages as well. This is just like during the Falklands War, when we landed.’

  ‘I bet your wife will be telling you to calm down, sir.’

  ‘She already has done,’ he laughed. ‘I’ll call in a day or so. Keep up the great work.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’ Phone away, people wondered who it was. ‘Air Commodore, like a kid at Christmas. They ran a one hour special on the TV, lots of coverage of the Hercules and the Para drop. Everyone in the UK is watching this show.’ I faced Colonel Clifford. ‘All good for recruitment, sir.’

  ‘Damn good,’ he agreed.

  Captain Hamble stepped in. ‘Ah, you’re awake. We get a tasking, those of us left?’

  ‘If you want one. But maybe you should wait for whoever is coming down to get here.’

  ‘Who’s coming down?’

  ‘No sure, but Colonel Dean is sending more men. Or you double up with the Wolves and Echo.’

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘But they’re on rest for a day or so.’ My phone trilled, and I had to check the battery level. ‘Wilco.’

  ‘Major Langton, Marines, HMS Fearless. Just wondering about a job for us.’

  ‘Many rebels ran off into the jungle, so plenty for you to do. Got a map, sir?’

  ‘In front of me.’

  ‘Look at the rebel HQ, sir.’

  ‘Got it.’

  ‘There’s a road two miles south. Tomorrow, at a time of your choosing, fly in, pick an area. Strafe the tree line before landing, then down and out. Set a camp in the trees south, cut that road, have GPMGs trained on the road. Then send out local patrols. Any rebels wandering down that road ... open up on them, none of our forces will use that road.’

  ‘OK, straightforward enough.’

  ‘Make sure you have a large group, well armed, there are hundreds of rebels out there.’

  ‘We have more than a hundred men.’

  ‘Any 66mm, sir?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Take them, hit any trucks, but watch the civvies.’

  ‘We’ll make a plan now. How long would we stay?’

  ‘As long as you like, sir, or till relieved, it’s your sector, your show.’

  ‘And the Paras are a few miles north?’

  ‘They’ll be pulled out tomorrow, French holding that base. At the moment they’re in contact with the rebels. Those woods north of your intended position are crawling with rebels.’

  ‘Be a hot landing then.’

  ‘Could be, sir, be careful.’

  I updated the map board, the Marines intended position noted, the Navy FAC interested in that position. His Lynx were down, but were keen for some action in the morning. ‘Support your Sea Kings when they go in.’

  ‘They’re mostly Westland Commandos these days,’ he told me, but without attitude.

  I nodded.

  He took a call ten minutes later. ‘HMS Birmingham is here, one Lynx available on her,’ reported.

  ‘Have her Lynx join the other two, as a group. Are any ready now?’

  ‘Two are.’

  ‘Then have them sit above the Paras, and fire south into the jungle. I’ll check with the Paras now.’

  I called Lt Col Marsh, who sounded dog tired. ‘Sir, do you have any men in the trees south?’

  ‘No, all back at least a hundred yards, firing out now and then.’

  ‘Lynx will give you a hand, but make sure you have no one in those trees.’

  ‘Unlikely, full of irregulars firing at us.’

  I warned Major Liban – asking him not to shoot at the Lynx, then tasked the Lynx, the keen new pilot and one other returning to the Paras, and fifteen minutes later the Lynx sat above the camp, loudly hammering out 30mm rounds, missiles finally fired, four loud explosions in the jungle, and the rebels would now be thinking twice about attacking the Paras. That was just as well, because the Paras needed some kip.

  The Lynx flew overhead here ten minutes later, the FAC getting reports of what had been done, a report made to me.

  After I had eaten it fell quiet, no reports of significance coming in, the Paras not being probed any longer. Swifty was awake and peering at the board, keen to see what the various units were doing.

  Many of the Echo lads wandered down during the night since they had slept during the day. They replenished kit, washed items, ate a great deal and sat around chatting, most having a nose at the map board.

  An hour before dawn, few left around the command room, I got a call to say that the Marines would lift off in half an hour, to land at dawn – and where was their FAC?

  I woke the FAC, a coffee thrust in his hand, and told him about the Marines. He was almost with it by time radio contact was made, Lynx moving in ahead of the Westland Commando helicopters, to have a look around.

  The lead Lynx landed at the chosen spot and had a look, reporting it all quiet, without realising that he had just woken several hundred grumpy rebels. Those rebels were hungry, tired, and had slept on the floor - and were a tad pissed off with us British.

  The Lynx climbed as the main body arrived, men out and down quickly, no strafing of the tree line as suggested. Sixty men were soon on the south side of an opening as the main helicopters departed. It fell quiet for a whole two minutes before rebels in the tree line north, some 300yards away, opened up.

  The Marines, with plenty of GPMGs to hand, returned fire, the rebels keeping their heads down, but a few RPGs were fired towards the Marines. The Lynx were at 1,000ft, just turning for home when the frantic calls came in.

  They turned around, and could see the Marines tracer rounds hitting the tree line north, so opened up with 30mm cannon, several short bursts before they flew off east. Coming back around, both Lynx put two missiles into the trees, the missiles cooperating this time.

  With the Lynx heading home to re-arm the rebels fell quiet, the Marines waiting. But now re-supply was an issue, plus the second batch of men could not land. They called me.

  ‘Send a patrol south, look for a clearing to use. In the mean time keep your heads down, and watch your flanks and your rear. Your job is to stop movement on that road, so fire at any trucks, but don’t try and attack across that road yet. Just keep the rebels boxed in for now.’

  I pointed at the FAC, who was now awake and with it. ‘Don’t send any more helos to the Marines position, they’re taking fire. Oh, do they have ropes to slide down?’

  ‘Yes, as standard.’

  ‘Fit them, have Marines ready to rope down over the trees, but the Marines are looking for a clearing to the south.’

  I updated the map with a yellow sticky note and stood wondering what the best course of action was. This was a stalemate and a standoff.

  The Navy fitted ropes, but that meant that re-supply was an issue. They waited aboard ship.

  Half an hour later a clearing was found, a tree hit with a 66mm and then pushed over. The LZ was big enough, the helicopters called in. Those helicopters took off from Fearless with men and kit, ropes attached just in case, and fifteen minutes later touched down, one at a time, men out, kit pushed out onto soft mud.

  By time the helos pulled away as a group there were one hundred and twenty Marines down, plus one Navy FAC keen for some action. The men took position just as rebels were spotted crossing the road further east, to flank the Marines.

  I got a call, and advised the Marines on ambush tactics. They reported a stream and marsh about ten yards wide, and I asked them to make a defensive position on their side of that stream, but not to use GPMGs in tight trees, no 66mm. Rifles, camouflage, and keen eyeballs were required.

  RPGs started to hit the trees near the Marines, minor wounds picked up; splinters. Fire was returned as the Lynx returned, the trees housing the rebels hit again and shrouded in smoke. But this time the Lynx had two Marines aboard, each sat in the door with GPMGs.

  Having fired their 30mm cannon and loosed off their missiles, the Lynx flew side on at 500ft so that the Marine on
the port side could fire down, returning the other way so that the Marine on the starboard side could fire down.

  Back at the map board I had no idea at the time of casualties on the rebel side, but a hundred were dead, two hundred wounded, the rest well pissed off.

  Thinking on, I called Lt Col Marsh, a major answering the phone. ‘Sir, can you direct your mortars south. Have a look at the map, distance is about two miles. Marines are pinned down, rebels north of the road down there. Fire for effect and I’ll report the grouping.’

  ‘Mortar crews were just getting ready anyhow. Give us five.’

  I called back the Marines and asked that they report the mortar grouping. And five minutes later the mortars fell, the first hitting the road – Marines ducking, the remainder on the north side, but too long.

  I had the Paras adjust tubes, shorter two hundred yards, and they fired again, six rounds. Those rounds hit the trees, and the unlucky rebels hiding in those trees. I reported that to the Paras, who lobbed twenty-four mortars in quick succession, the rebels getting a pasting at a time when their bravest men were sneaking up on the Marines.

  That group of thirty rebels inched slowly forwards, heads down, and approached the stream, not seeing the Marines. When the first boot hit the water the Marines opened up, twelve rebels killed in the first burst of fire, the rest scattering, several hit in the back. The Marines held position, not pursuing. I got a call, and a report, happy with it.

  Lt Col Marsh called me. ‘Did our mortars do any good?’

  ‘The rebels that ran off yesterday were all grouped north of the road, Marines south of it. Your mortars hit the rebels, so less men for you to face later on today.’

  ‘In that case we’ll fire some more, boxes of mortars lying around here.’

  ‘Shorten the distance a little, random left and right, sir.’

  ‘OK, will do, but when are we pulling out?’

  ‘When the Chinooks get there, two helos at a time, sir. Contact the airport to coordinate it, sir, no hurry.’

  The Marines found themselves in a modest sniper duel till 2pm, a standoff in effect, and I was happy with that. The Marines were seeing some action for few casualties, and the rebels could not re-supply nor use that road.