Raiding Rommel by Phil Ward

Author:Phil Ward [Ward, Phil]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-18T22:00:00+00:00

The Operations Room at Oasis X was a madhouse. Field phones were clattering, Phantom operators were taking after-action reports from patrols in the field, Royal Marines and WRENS were passing them to the appropriate officer to evaluate. Signals were coming in from the RAF. Women were sticking new pins in the big wall map or moving others, based on patrol situation reports and/or the latest intelligence updates from Middle East Command Headquarters—none of the MEHQ reports were good news.

Wing Commander Ronald Gordon, aka “Flash Bang”, was at a desk evaluating requests from patrols for airstrikes on potential targets later that night. He advised Col. Randal that after the success of the first three called in by SOG and White Patrol, the RAF had decided to commit to major air interdiction operations against convoys on the Via Balbia during daylight hours. If that worked, they would consider expanding the cooperation.

This was a first––direct air support for the army.

All four Raiding Regiment commanding officers were present: Major Jeb Pelham-Davies, Major Travis McCloud, Major Baltimore “Mongo” Farquhar and Squadron Leader Johnny Page. Each of them was briefing one of his patrol leaders individually on an upcoming mission.

Colonel John Randal stood in the back of the room. He stuck one of Waldo’s thin cigars in his teeth and observed what was going on. He had provided the necessary command guidance; now what he needed to do was stay out of the way, keep an eye on things, and let his subordinate unit commanders get on with the job.

Not easy to do.

Col. Randal thought of himself as a tactician, but along the way he had become a special operations strategist. How did that happen?

As he saw it, his role as the commander of Raiding Forces involved three specific elements: (1) he needed to know and be able to communicate to his subordinate commanders what Raiding Forces was expected to accomplish; (2) he needed to ensure adequate resources were available for his troops to accomplish the mission; and (3) he had to understand the limitations of his men and equipment.

The last was the reason Col. Randal required all his senior officers to lead patrols before moving up to a command position—the exceptions being Maj. Farquhar and S/Ldr. Page, who both had years of desert experience commanding armored cars . . . which was the same thing. The only way to truly understand the workings of Raiding Forces patrol operations was to have led them.

And that need to evaluate officers was the reason why he continued to lead Raider Patrol—or at least that was what he told himself.

Sub-Lieutenant Bentley St. Ledger breezed past. “Exciting!”

Lieutenant Mandy Paige, standing next to Col. Randal, said, “I think Bentley has a crush on you, John.”

Col. Randal said, “I’ve already got three girlfriends.”

“Three?”

“Lady Jane, Brandy, then there’s you, Mandy,” Col. Randal said.

“I am one of your girlfriends?”

“Well, yeah,” Col. Randal said. “Jane has the money and connections, Brandy—she’s a one-off original. You I keep around for your looks.”

“If it were not for me, John Randal,” Lt.

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