Dieppe

by Hosker, Griff

  "Fred, can you get this thing started?"

  "I reckon so."

  He opened the bonnet and fiddled with some wires.

  "Scouse, open the back."

  Sergeant Poulson said, "Don't bother messing about there, Fred. It has a starting handle. Ken sit behind the wheel and pump the accelerator when the engine turns."

  The roller door slid open; a little too noisily for my liking. Then the engine fired. "Ken, Fred, get in the back with Scouse."

  The window on the third floor opened and the young man shouted down. All he saw was two Arabs stealing his lorry. With Sergeant Poulson on my right with his Colt in his lap I sped off south. We could afford to take a long detour now and throw off any pursuit. We used the roads well to the south of Algiers and I only headed east once we had passed Saoula. We went north at Reghaïa and reached the edge of the swampy scrubland as darkness began to fall.

  Sergeant Poulson said, "What do we do with the lorry sir? If we leave it here then it is a dead giveaway."

  "We drive it to El-Marsa and leave the back open. I am betting the locals will be on it like ants on sugar."

  We went to the back and opened it.

  Scouse shook his head, "The bloke we nicked it from won't be going to the police sir. This is black market stuff. Fags, stockings, chocolate. There's even some false papers here."

  "Right, the papers we keep."

  "Could we not keep the chocolate, sir?"

  "Okay, Fred, you can keep some chocolate and a couple of cartons of cigarettes. They may come in handy. Sergeant Poulson, you go and dump the lorry and we will wait here for you."

  "Right sir."

  Emerson, who had a sweet tooth, took charge of the chocolate while I held on to the papers. El Marsa was just a mile or so down the road and half an hour later my two Commandos ran down to meet us. "Right, let's head to the 'Lady' and see if Wacker is in touch with Gib."

  We moved quickly across the scrubland to the beach. Scouse took out his torch and flashed the signal to the boat. He had to repeat it a number of times but eventually he received a reply. "They are sending the dinghies for us, sir."

  It was gratifying that we could not see the boat. When Scouse had flashed the reply had come from the inky blackness of the night.

  "Sorry we took so long, Lieutenant, we have been busy pumping and bailing. The holes were worse than we thought."

  "Never mind, Symons. Is everything going well now?"

  As we were paddled out he said, "Not really sir. We are on battery power and that will run out by morning."

  "How about the radio?"

  "Lieutenant Jorgenson does not want to risk draining the battery."

  That was a problem. It was no wonder we had seen nothing. The E-boat was in darkness. The crew were using torches. Alan shook his head, "Sorry about this Tom. We spent too long repairing the hole in the hull. We did not even start to repair the fuel tank. We used all the juice we had on the pump. Still we are dry now." He saw my face. "Is that a problem?"

  I nodded and told him what we had discovered. "We need to get the information to Hugo. If they invaded today or tomorrow then there would not be a problem but if the Germans arrive then it will be a different story."

  "You say they are leaving Tunisia in two day's time?"

  "That is what I heard. It could just be rumour."

  "Then we need to get the boat repaired and radio the Prof. I have a feeling he will ask us to stop the column before it leaves Tunis."

  "You mean go back."

  He nodded. "We still have plenty of explosives on board. If we could ambush them while they were still in Tunisia then we could obviate the problem."

  "Is there anything we can do?"

  "I reckon we all need a good night's sleep. At first light we can start to weld patches on the holes in the fuel tank and get men over the side to sort out the rudder. Once we have filled the tanks and started the engines then we can radio the Prof."

  "If the atmospheric conditions are right."

  He laughed, "Be positive. Think good thoughts! We are due a little bit of luck."

  Alan could see how exhausted we were and he allowed us a full night's sleep. We were all up before dawn, however, for we had already pushed our luck to the very limit. We had been here for a couple of days and no one had yet investigated. It could not last. With George and Fred helping the engineer I had the rest of my men except for Hewitt who was helping Johnson, don the bisht and we became sentries. To cover ourselves I had the men hunt for eggs and shellfish in the swamp and the scrubland. After half an hour of fruitless searching Scouse came over and said, quietly, "There's bugger all here, sir."

  "I know Fletcher, it is just cover in case anyone comes."

  Alan had told me that it would take all morning at the very least to effect repairs. It was mid morning when we had visitors. A delegation of men wandered from the north. Sergeant Poulson gave a low whistle. I, surreptitiously, headed towards them. I heard them speak to Crowe. He, of course, said nothing. He could not speak French.

  There were four of them and one was an older man with a white beard. I gave a slight bow, "How can I help you elder?"

  "You are not from around here. You and the others work on the boat. Who are you? Do you bring danger to my people?"

  I put my hood back so that he could see my face, "Perhaps we do. Although we mean you no harm. It might be better if you walk away and pretend you have never seen us."

  "We cannot do that. Yesterday the police came and said to report any strangers in the area. You are strangers."

  "But we mean you no harm and we shall be gone in a very short time."

  He spread his arms, "Some of my people wish to tell the police. Good may come to us if we do the police a favour. We owe you nothing."

  I realised at that point the difference between us and those who had captured us the other day. They would not have hesitated to kill these four out of hand. I would not do that. I turned and waved over Scouse. When he was next to me I said, "Take Crowe. Fetch those cigarette cartons and half of the chocolate from the boat."

  He ran off. It would take some time they had to paddle the dinghy out to the boat and then return. The elder smiled, "Do you send for more men, Englishman? Will they bring guns?"

  I gave a slight bow and smiled. I opened my bisht and patted the Luger, "I do not need more weapons and I told you, we mean you no harm. By this evening we will be but a memory."

  "The men who run our country do not like the English. They speak with the Germans."

  "And have you seen Germans in your village?"

  He shook his head, "No, but we have seen Germans." He smiled, "Perhaps they would pay for information about a boat load of Englishmen."

  I shook my head, "They have other ways of getting what they need. If the Germans come, my friend then I would hide."

  He looked beyond me, "Your two men return."

  "I sent them for some gifts for you. They are little enough."

  I turned as Scouse neared me. He put his head close to mine and said, "The Lieutenant says we can be at sea in two hours."

  I nodded and said, "Give the cigarettes and chocolate to these men." I smiled at the elder, "Take these with our blessing. I promise you that we will be gone by the morning and then you can tell the French that we were here. They may reward you too."

  "Thank you. We will do so. May God be with you."

  "And with you."

  The four of them began to trudge to the north west and the huts we had seen. "Right lads, back to the boat."

  "Trouble sir?"

  "I reckon so."

  When we got back to the boat I told Alan what had happened. "You have got two hours at the most. I didn't see either a vehicle or a telephone. They will have to send someone to inform on us."

  "Then this is finished as a supply base."

  "I guess so. How many barrels will it take to fill her up?"

  "A barrel and a half."

  Then we will need to take another bar
rel and a half and fill up when we are close to our target."

  "You mean you don't think we ought to go home?"

  "I am guessing that Hugo will tell us to stop the column. You know that." He nodded. "Besides the French may know there was a strange warship off the coast but they won't know what we were up to."

  "There was an urgent air to the repairs. My men manned the guns in case we were attacked and the three barrels we would use were manhandled close to the boat. As soon as the rudder was repaired one barrel was lashed to the stern. An hour and a half after we had returned the engineer said, triumphantly, "She's ready. She might leak a bit. We need a new tank really but we can fill her up."

  It took slightly under a barrel and a half to fill her. He lashed the half empty barrel close to the stern. We would jettison that one half way to our target. As soon as the engines were started we dismantled the camouflage nets and Wacker got on the radio. It took him half an hour, by which time we had left the coast behind, but he got through.

  Alan was at the bridge and I spoke with Hugo. I told him as succinctly as I could what we had discovered and what had happened. He had a quick mind. "Stop the column, Tom, or slow it down. We can't afford to have Germans spoiling the party."

  "You know that we will be out of touch now for some time."

  "I know. Just do your best eh?"

  I returned to the bridge. "We go."

  "I thought as much." He turned the wheel and we headed east. We were going to poke the bear and hope that he was slow!

  Chapter 20

  Alan was conserving fuel as we cruised east. We had not rigged the radar yet. It gained us a knot or two. We relied on human eyes to spot danger. Martindale, the lookout, shouted, "Sir, patrol boat astern of us!"

  We both swung around and raised our binoculars. It was a fast French patrol boat and was flying the Vichy flag. "The chocolate and cigarettes didn't work then Tom."

  "I knew they wouldn't. I was just playing a game."

  "Well we will have to outrun him." He shouted, "Hold on!" He gave her all that he had. Soon we had a lead on the Frenchman. He tried one desultory shot from his forward gun but the waterspout was half a mile astern of us. He gave up. When he disappeared from view Alan slowed down. "Well it looks like we shall have those to contend with all the way back to Gibraltar after we have completed our mission."

  "One problem at a time eh, Alan?"

  Fate, was not on our side. We were delayed when we refuelled with the half empty barrel. Rather than discard it we retained it. It was too useful to waste. It was dark as we closed with the coast. We passed the town of Annaba and kept a good watch on the road. We were still many miles from Tabarka when Martindale, who had sharp eyes and an even sharper sense of smell, said, "Sir, to the south. I can hear lorries."

  Alan turned the E-boat and cut the speed. He headed slowly towards the land. I ducked into the chart shack and used the torch to look at the map. The closest place to us was Lac Tonga. It was in Algeria. I returned to the bridge. We could now hear the rumble of vehicles and see the tiny glow from dipped headlights. We moved ever closet to the shore. Alan turned us slowly so that we were heading west and every eye peered at the land.

  Martindale, the lookout, had glasses. He said, "It is a convoy of German lorries sir. And there are a couple of tanks."

  Alan cut the engines and we floated. The rumble of vehicles was now deafening. "Alan, they have crossed the border. They are in Algeria."

  He started the engines again, "Leslie take us west by north. When we have lost the convoy give it full speed. Try not to hit the cape!"

  "I'll do my best sir," He said, cheerfully.

  We went to the charts. "We need somewhere to ambush where the road is close to the sea."

  Alan jabbed his finger at El Kala. "There is El Kala but it is a big place and is less than ten miles from the convoy. How long would you and your chaps need?"

  "Longer than that." I traced a line along the road, "Here, ten miles from Annaba. There is nothing close by and the road is just a few yards from the sea. It is forty miles away. They will be there by dawn."

  "I thought you wanted to attack at night."

  "Beggars can't be choosers. If we are going to do what Major Fleming asks then we have to compromise. How long for us to get there?"

  "Less than two hours."

  He was as good as his word and we edged close to shore one hour and forty eight minutes later. We had not been idle on the voyage. We had been preparing the charges we would use and coming up with a plan. The odds were it would be daylight when the convoy passed over the charges. We could not use timers. We had to stop the convoy while destroying as much of it as possible. Shepherd had heard tanks. That changed everything. We would have to detonate them at the right time. Human eyes would be needed and not a clock.

  We went ashore in two dinghies. Alan dropped Shepherd, Fletcher and me four hundred yards east of the main ambush site. Shepherd and Fletcher would have the hardest job. We paddled the dinghy ashore and hurried across the scrubland to the road some four hundred yards away. We had the grenade launched and the last five grenades as well as spare hand grenades for booby traps. We would be much lighter as we raced for safety when the operation was over.

  The road passed close to a lake and there was plenty of cover. We only had four hundred yards or so to go. The road appeared empty. It was not the best of roads but it had tarmac over ancient cobbles. I kept watch while the two of them buried charges at the side of the road as well as in the actual surface in some of the potholes. They covered the charges in the potholes with gravel.. We would not have the luxury of burying them all in the road. All that we were doing was blocking their retreat. When Shepherd was satisfied I left them to make booby traps to cover their escape and I ran down the road to the bridge over the Oued Bou Nammousa. It was just three quarters of a mile. As the crow flies it was just over four hundred yards but the road curves around a rocky outcrop. This was the bridge and the spot where we would halt the convoy.

  When I arrived Poulson and Lowe had already manhandled the empty diesel barrel beneath the centre of the bridge. That in itself was impressive. The rest of my men were laying charges at both ends of the bridge. Our aim was to blow the bridge once the convoy was on it. I saw the sun begin to peer over the eastern horizon. We could see 'Lady', she was as close to the river as we could get and she now had her radar arrayed. We had eyes once more. A light flashed from the bridge. Hewitt said, "Message from the boat sir. The convoy is five miles away."

  They had made good time. "How long, George?"

  "All done sir!"

  "Good then you know what to do, Sergeant."

  "Yes sir. And you watch out for yourself, eh sir? We have the 'Lady' to protect us. You have a few hundred yards to cover."

  "I will get back. Good luck."

  I ran back to the others. I ran along the road. I knew roughly where they were but I was impressed that I could not see them. A voice came from the scrub. "Walk towards my voice sir." I began walking. "Stop. Turn left. Stop. Straight on, sir. We have laid as many tripwires and traps as we could."

  I kept going for forty yards and Fletcher and Shepherd rose from the ground. They had been hidden by their bisht. The three of us wore them. "The convoy is coming. Everything set?"

  "Yes sir."

  "Then let us get to ground." I took out my Thompson and lay on the ground next to my two men. I was confident we would not be seen. The little thorny bushes would hide our outline and there were plenty of rocks too. In the distance I heard the rumble of vehicles. They were coming. I risked a glance to my left. A mile down the road they turned the bend that had been our first choice of ambush site. We had decided it was too far from the bridge. This was the most secure place. The ground was vibrating with the weight of vehicles. I could see them as they negotiated the sharp ninety degree bend. They came closer.

  I had been looking for my men and not seen them. The Germans would be tired. They had been driving all night and th
ey would not even think of danger. We were in the middle of nowhere. They would not see us. I did not have to turn my head to see them now. A Kubelwagen led the convoy followed by a Panzer Mark IV with the 75mm gun. They had thirty yards between vehicles. I saw that there were eight lorries and a couple of Kubelwagens. I wondered if we had underestimated the size of the convoy. Another Kubelwagen and a second Panzer brought up the rear. It was too late to worry. We were now in the hands of Lance Sergeant George Lowe. He would begin the ambush when he blew the bridge. I saw that there were just the two tanks. If they could blow one at the bridge then that left one for us to disable.

  It was hard not to press closer into the ground beneath the scrubby brush before us but any movement would give us away. We had stained our faces and hands. The bisht blended in as well as camouflage nets. We just needed to hold our nerve. The Kubelwagen passed and then the panzer. Germans liked to have a gunner outside the turret with the machine gun and these were no exception. He gave our position a cursory glance but we were far enough from the road to evade detection. The trucks had tarpaulin over them and it was hard to estimate numbers. The third one towed an 88mm anti-tank gun. I realised the column was bigger than we had expected. The last tank would not have passed before the bridge was blown. Shepherd would wait for my order. The decision to blow would be mine.

  The penultimate truck was just passing when I heard the explosion from ahead. The column did not stop immediately and the last truck was next to us when they did. The last Kubelwagen pulled alongside the truck and I saw the two drivers talking. Then I heard the rattle of machine gun fire and the sound of grenades as my section, at the bridge, fought off the Germans. The officer in the Kubelwagen shouted something and the column began to move once more. I saw smoke in the distance. The Kubelwagen raced along the side of the road.