OPERATION HERKULES (Malta Fulcrum WW2 Alternate History) by Scott Ward

Author:Scott Ward [Ward, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-12-26T05:00:00+00:00

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“That’s right, Steup,” Kuno said into the field phone. “I’ve found the gun on the east side of the strip. I can see the position of the second gun, but I have no contact with it and won’t be able to get to it before the British attack is upon us. Get me some bombers, Steup. Immediately!”

He returned to the gun, leaning around the splinter shield and out the embrasure of the bunker. Small arms fire and even shouting were coming to him clearly now, but the sandbags still blocked his view.

“DAMN!”

He ran from the bunker out into the trench. He jumped up on the firing step and looked out over the rim of the trench. British infantry was swarming up from the south end of the field. He counted seven panzers nearing the southern threshold of the runway itself, moving quickly to the north in a ‘V’ that looked much like the just departed Junkers transports. The tanks’ machine guns spit a constant stream of death. Occasionally their main guns fired also, helping the British infantry to subdue the numerous German strong points to either side of the runway.

Kuno looked up and down the trench. Hundreds of men were sheltered in it, ready to spring onto the firing step to pour hot fire into the British infantry. He caught the eye of the young paratrooper Captain in command of these men of the 23rd Regiment. They nodded grimly to one another, the unspoken understanding between them that they would soon be fighting for their lives. He scanned the field to his north. Hundreds of the new arrivals still milled about, freeing themselves of their parachute shrouds and making their weapons serviceable. Within ten minutes they would begin to come together as a cohesive combat force. But ten minutes might be too late.

The high-pitched buzz of an aero engine in a dive caught his attention. The sound grew rapidly as Kuno spun about, scanning the sky. Streaking across the field were two fighters, one behind the other, twisting and turning, diving and looping; as one fought to shake its pursuer, the other strove to get in a shot. The two fighters were in a seemingly headlong dive straight for him. Other men in the trench were on their feet and watching the fighters as well. At the last possible moment the two planes pulled out of their dives and screamed over the bunker. Men up and down the trench threw themselves to the ground in fear the planes would crash upon them, but they roared past, low enough for their passing to kick up dust and small pebbles on the ground. As they flashed past Kuno he glimpsed the German cross on the front plane and the RAF rondel on the pursuer.

He ran back in the bunker, grabbing the Sergeant by the arm and dragging him to the gun.

“Get ready!” he snarled. “The panzers will be in range momentarily.”

The two young privates knelt to the gun breech, ready to reload on command.

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