It was bullets from the attacking force on the ground;
he increased the collective pitch and the helicopter quickly increased height he adjusted the cyclic pitch and the helicopter quickly took on forward momentum.
Max had heard the helicopter engine firing up he spoke to Strayker, “Sir we need those Tornado’s now!”
RAF Marham
RAF Marham Norfolk
Lat = 52 degrees, 38.8 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 33.6 minutes East
Air strike on Tanish Al Bazaar’s Army Surplus Supply Depot
B 1145 Lexham Road Litcham
Norfolk UK
Lat = 52 degrees, 43.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 46.4 minutes East
At RAF Marham both the Tornados were facing South on runway two ready to launch; there twin Mk 103 reheat turbofan engines idling when the control tower operator spoke, “strike package Gauntlet; you are clear to roll.”
Gauntlet one’s pilot moved a few yards forward and applied the brakes full on and then with his left hand increased the engine power with the throttle controls, he confirmed that both wings were swept fully forward.
The pilot adjusted the full-span flaps and slats down to give maximum lift and set the elevator trim to neutral. The navigator had already plotted the course and was showing an arrival time of four minutes fifty-two seconds, the pilot opened the throttles to three-quarters power developing six thousand four hundred and eighty-seven pounds of thrust he released the brakes.
The Tornado leapt forward gathering speed; the pilot engaged the after-burner increasing the thrust to fourteen thousand and four hundred and eighty pounds. Gauntlet one thundered down the runway followed by Gauntlet two, as both aircraft cleared the runway the pilots retracted the undercarriage, both planes after burners were glowing.
The pilots simultaneously banked into an eastern direction, engaging the wing sweep selector lever, from the ground you would have seen both plane’s wings sliding back to the full sixty-seven degree angle, thus increasing its high-speed low-level capability by reducing drag.
The control tower operator spoke, “strike package Gauntlet you are cleared for supersonic speed out.”
Back at Litcham the Cobra had flown a half mile North-west of the depot and had acquired an altitude of one-hundred and fifty feet.
Meng pushed the left pedal to increase the pitch of the tail rotor turning to the left to bring the helicopter about towards the supply depot.
Abdul flickered the weapons arming switches and the M73 head up display sight illuminated in front of him he targeted the team on the west side of the compound, as he pressed the trigger switch the two 7.62mm multi-barrel Miniguns spat there lethal rounds into the Green team instantly killing two of the team within seconds the Cobra had passed over the Green team and over the compound.
The Red team had quickly dispersed to make it harder for the Cobra’s gunner to acquire them as targets.
The two Tornado GR-1s were now at two thousand feet with the sound of the sonic boom resonating as they reached the speed of sound Mach-one, seven hundred and sixty one miles per hour, Gauntlet One’s navigator spoke, “ninety-seconds to target.”
The pilot looked at his targeting system and was showing the Cobra on screen, “I have target locked, arming side-winders.”
He was interrupted by RAF Marham’s control tower, “Gauntlet’s One and Two; do not; I repeat do not use missiles there are friendly forces on the ground below your target over.”
Gauntlet One’s pilot replied, “Roger tower going to guns.”
Gauntlet Two was on Gauntlet One’s eight position and the pilot was now arming his twenty-five millimetre cannon guns.
Back at the Supply depot the Cobra had taken out three more of Max’s men from the Red team, Max shouted into his radio, “where is our air-support we are being massacred down here?”
Gail spoke, “Max your air-support is sixty seconds away.”
Just then Max heard the sonic boom to the South West, “all units back away I repeat back away; we have incoming air-support.”
The teams withdrew away from the Supply depot.
Meng and Abdul had seen this, “they have no stomach for this; hey Abdul.”
Abdul was looking at his radar and observed two blips to his South West moving extremely fast, “Meng we have two aircraft coming in fast South West of us, that’s why they are running.”
“Can you identify them,” Meng replied.
“They are travelling at close to a thousand-miles per hour, descending from two thousand feet rapidly; thirty seconds away, these are military jet fighters.”
“Why have they not used their missiles on us?”
“That would compromise their ground troops; they will come at us with their cannons.”
“Can you target them with our missiles at this range Abdul?”
“Take us to an altitude of three-hundred feet and do it quickly,” replied Abdul.
Meng increased the helicopters pitch with the collective leaver and the Cobra rose rapidly he also turned the Cobra around to face the oncoming threat, Abdul had armed the Hydra-70 missiles in the under wing pods.
At three-hundred feet he released two of the Hydra’s.
The Tornadoes were now at sub-sonic speed altitude Four-hundred feet; both pilots having operated the variable wing sweep to bring the wings forward for a more stable flight at this speed.
Both pilots had quickly picked up the Cobra’s climb in altitude, Gauntlets One’s pilot spoke, “His going to release his missiles on us, Split formation Gauntlet two!”
The two Tornados increased power and banked East and West respectively; both pilots operated the wing sweep to bring the wings back to forty-five degrees just as the Hydra missiles passed through the air they had just occupied.
The Tornado’s hit Mach-one as they flew over the supply depot the ground troops felt the sonic boom resonance along with the enormous sound energy.
The Cobra was hit by these forces as well as the jet wash from the two Tornados’.
Meng was fighting to regain control of the Cobra increasing the altitude to come out of the turbulence at six hundred feet the helicopter was now responding; he turned towards the direction the Tornado’s had gone his radar was picking them up two miles away the image showed both aircraft banking to re-engage.
Abdul spoke, “Tornado GR-1’s.”
Meng knew they were no match for these low-level supersonic ground attack fighter bombers, his thoughts momentarily drifted to his dead wife and son, “I will soon be joining you”, he muttered.
He looked down at Abdul in the forward cockpit, “what targets can you identify on the ground to take out Abdhul?”
Abdul quickly scanned below, “we are too high to get any visuals.”
Meng checked the radar, “thirty seconds and they will blast us out the skies Abdul.”
“It has been an honor,” replied Abdul.
“Allah Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest), replied Meng.
Abdhul launched the remaining twelve Hydra missiles at the oncoming Tornados.
Gauntlet one picked up the wall of missiles approaching them, he spoke into his face mask, “too late to avoid them, Gauntlet Two go to cannons and let’s blast as many of the missiles out of the sky.”
Both Tornado pilots pressed the firing buttons releasing a torrent of twenty-five millimeter rounds at the incoming Hydra missiles the resounding explosions as cannon rounds destroyed the missiles could be heard over twenty miles away.
All but one missile was destroyed, and this remaining one was now coming directly at Gauntlet two, The pilot made the call, “eject. . . eject.”
Both crewmen reached between their knees and grasped the pull handle, a loud bang followed as the canopy flew off.
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This was followed by an explosive cartridge in the catapult gun, launching the ejection seats into the air, as the seat rode up the guide rails; a leg-restraint system was activated.
These leg restraints are designed to protect the crewmember’s legs from getting caught or harmed by debris during the ejection, the under seat rocket motor provided the force that lifted the crewmembers to a safe height.
Within two point five seconds of the ejection handle being grasped both crew men were clear of the aircraft, having experienced eleven-G they were accelerated to two-hundred feet where they watched as their Tornado was hit by the single remaining Hydra missile.
The drogue gun in the seat fired a metal slug that pulled a small parachute to deploy the main parachute.
Gauntlet One’s navigator had turned over his left shoulder in the cockpit and had observed the ejections and destruction of the Gauntlet two, “They both made it out sir.”
With the destruction of the Hydra missiles along with a steep climb, this had now put Gauntlet One Four-thousand feet above the Cobra helicopter, the pilot banked and put the plane into a steep dive coming in at five-hundred miles per hour he sighted the Cobra and pressed the gun switch unleashing the twenty-five millimeter rounds at the Cobra helicopter.
Both Meng and Abdul had witnessed the destruction of the one Tornado, their joy was short lived as the twenty-five millimeter rounds penetrated the fuselage of the Cobra, Meng was killed instantly, the helicopter exploded into a ball of fire scattering debris across the ground below.
The pilot of Gauntlet One trimmed the aircraft to level flight and moved the joy stick over to the right putting the aircraft into a barrel victory roll.
The pilot spoke into his facemask, “Gauntlet one to tower.”
“Tower to Gauntlet one go ahead.”
“Cobra helicopter destroyed, Gauntlet Two is down, both crew have ejected, send rescue to this location,
returning to base; out.”
Back on the ground the OSC and Hussein’s men had seized their hostilities as the battle above raged.
Max spoke into his Codetta radio, “all teams report with SITREP.”
The teams reported in, “Green team two dead.”
“Red Team three dead.”
Roy Smith reported in for the Blue team, “all intact here.”
Max did the math’s, five out of three four man teams Killed.
“Anyone have any numbers for enemy casualties?”
The teams reported back with confirmed kills totaling Seven, leaving nine, along with Hussein and Vas.
Max spoke to the sole Green team survivor, “Green team what weapons are you armed with?”
“Heckler & Koch PSG-1, sir.”
“Good a snipers weapon,” Max, thought.
“Okay soldier begin targeting the hostiles; try and force them over to North east corner. Blue and Red teams hold your fire until hostiles come to the North East corner; I’m coming in through the front door in my vehicle.”
Vas had laid low during the initial firefight and aerial assault; he was now crouching down on his own near the portable cabin as Ben came over to him, “were in deep trouble here mon.”
Vas was momentarily taken back, “you speak English.”
“As good as you mon.”
Ben looked down at the weapon in Vas’s hand it was a Smith & Weston M39 with silencer, “where did you get that from mon?”
Vas quickly looked around; there was no one in sight, he raised the pistol quickly to Ben’s head squeezed the trigger firing the ten-millimeter round, a micro-second before the round slammed into his skull Ben’s face took on a look of amazement then a blood spray emitted from the back of his skull.
“Nothing personal mon!” Vas commented.
Vas put the pistol in his waistband behind him and quickly dragged the body out of site behind the portable cabin.
At that moment Hussein came limping to the portable cabin carrying an AK-47 assault rifle with two other men similarly armed, Vas came around from the back, “have you seen Ben?”
“I just seen him running towards the North East corner with a group of men,” replied Vas.
Hussein spoke, “they have a sniper on the West side;
he has already taken out four of our men, go with these two to the North-East corner to assist Ben, I’ll be with you shortly.”
Vas and the two men ran crouched towards the North-East corner.
Hussein limped over to a land rover vehicle, checked for the keys which he found in the ignition, he climbed in and started the engine, as he shifted to first gear the gates in front of him came crashing down followed by a Black colored car that screeched side on to his left.
He saw the driver, the infidel that had tortured him in Kabul; he raised his weapon and squeezed the trigger unleashing the rounds at the Black car.
Max had calculated that his vehicle could take down the gates; he had accelerated towards the gate from the lane opposite ramming them down and steering away from a land rover vehicle in front of him.
The car around him began to disintegrate as the windows shattered around him; he quickly released the seat-belt opened the driver’s door and rolled away from the vehicle, coming up in crouch position he observed a figure glaring at him in the land rover with an AK-47, leveled at his wrecked vehicle, “Hussein. . . got you now.”
He raised his Glock pistol and squeezed three rounds off from the nine round magazine, they struck the land rover in the passenger side.
One of the rounds narrowly missed Hussein; he slipped the clutch and accelerated out of the compound turning left onto the main road.
Max reached for his Codetta radio, “GAIL; are you still monitoring this location on the satellite?”
“Yes Max; but we will lose it in four minutes.”
“A vehicle has just left the compound heading West, it has Hussein driving it follow it for as long as you can.”
“I’ll do my best Max,” replied GAIL.
Max clocked movement from his right and raised his weapon.
“Don’t shoot Max; it’s me Vas.”
Max recognised the voice and the figure that was coming towards him.
“SITREP; Vas.”
“The remaining five hostiles are in the North-East corner they have had enough and have surrendered.”
Gail interrupted on Max’s Codetta radio, “Max; satellites out of range we tracked him to the A1065 where he headed South.”
“Gail; link up with the local Police and give them a description of the vehicle, stress that they only observe it and not to intercept it, the driver is armed and dangerous.”
“Consider it done Max.”
Strayker came on the line, “Max what’s the SITREP
there?”
“Sir; at least five of our men killed, one Tornado destroyed, I think the crew ejected safely, we have five prisoners, however your probably aware Hussein escaped.”
“Three choppers are on their way Max; ETA ten-minutes ones a medevac, you know the drill with the prisoners,
local Police will secure the area.”
“Roger that sir.”
Max turned the Vas; “Any of the prisoners likely to give us a lead on Hussein?”
“There’s one named Lang, he brought the truck and men here, and he appeared to know Hussein.”
“Right separate him from the others and bring him to me; Vas.”
Max spoke into his Codetta radio, “Eagle Two to Eagle Five SITREP.”
Roy Smith replied, “Eagle Five to Two we have five confirmed KIA’s and two men with superficial injuries.”
“Roger that Five; have the causalities and bodies loaded onto the medevac chopper, you and the remainder of the men with the prisoners on another, I’ll have one
prisoner named Lang with me and Vas on the third chopper, I’ll liaise with you back at Hesters copse, out.”
Max picked up the sound of the inbound choppers to the West and emergency vehicle sirens from the road to his East, just then Vas was walking over with a hooded and bound prisoner.
“This is Lang; sir.”
“Put him on the third chopper, and wait for me as I liaise with the local police.”
Max walked to the road through the smashed gate, “this will be interesting explaining this lot,” he mused.
Swaffam
Swaffam Norfolk
Lat = 52 degrees, 38.8 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 41.3 minutes East
Safe house three
Greenland road Camden
London NW 1
Lat = 51 degrees, 32.4 minutes North
Long = 0 degrees, 8.4 minutes West
Hussein drove the short distance from the supply depot south down the A1065 to the small town of Swaffam; he needed to ditch the landrover and acquire a new set of wheels.
As he entered the town he saw a white van being loaded up at a builder’s merchants, he pulled in across the road and observed it.
A single man was loading what looked like bags of sand and cement into the back and appeared to be on his own, Hussein watched as he loaded the last bag before closing the rear doors and walking to the driver’s door.
Hussein left the landrover and limped over to the van opening the door on the passenger side, the driver looked over, “what’s your game?”
Hussein pulled out a handgun, “start the van up and drive south down this road.”
“Look mate I only have a few quid on me; take it and the van.”
“Shut up and drive while you still can,” replied Hussein.
The van driver fired the engine up, reversed onto the road and drove south as instructed.
The van driver was frightened, “What do you want from me?”
“Just keep heading south on this road,” replied Hussein “Okay don’t hurt me, I have a wife and two kids.”
The Wrath of Shakira Page 13