Read Online The Black Effect (Cold War) by Harvey Black - Free Book Online
Authors: Harvey Black
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Regiment, Staff Sergeant?” asked Poole as he clambered alongside his tank commander, handing him a mug of strong black coffee.
“I reckon. Thanks. The boys got some chow?”
“No, they were too tired to eat.”
“Ow.”
“It’s a bit hot.”
“Bugger off.”
“They’ll make a big difference though, won’t they? A full battalion of these babies, I mean,” Poole said, patting the sides of the armoured turret.
“Oh, they’ll make a difference all right. Blocking the forward part of the Gap will give 3rd Armoured and 8th Mech Division a chance to get into position.”
“They hit us and we pull back again?”
Lewis turned and looked at his driver. “Not this time, Larry. It’s now time to start digging our feet in. Frankfurt’s about 100 klicks from here.”
“That’s still a long way.”
“At twenty-five kilometres a day, providing they can maintain the momentum, they could be at the city in four days.”
“Shit.”
“Yes, shit. So, we’ve got to hold them.”
“Quite right, Troop,” added the voice of Lieutenant Jefferson, the platoon commander, as he clambered onto the tank.
“Coffee sir?” asked Poole. “It’s a fresh brew.”
“Just had one, thanks, Poole.”
“If you’ll excuse me, sir, Staff Sergeant, I’ll take stag at the front of the tank.” With that, the driver slid down the glacis and dropped off the front, turned the corner and rested his back against the tracks of the M1, checking his service pistol was loaded and handy. He should have the tank’s only M16, but he would get it once the platoon commander had gone.
“Your track up to scratch, Troop?”
“Of course it is, LT, you know me well enough by now.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just asking. Make sure your guys are on the ball. The squadron commander reckons they will be here by tonight, if not sooner. I suggest you keep your crew inside the track. There’s going to be a lot of shit coming our way.”
Lewis studied his platoon-commander. His face still had the appearance of being soft-skinned, that even dabs of cammo paint could not hide. But the puppy fat seemed to have disappeared overnight. Their first taste of battle, and twenty-four hours effectively on the run, had transformed the boy into an officer in command of a platoon of tanks and their crews.
“Good point, LT, I’ll call them in shortly. Seems 1st Battalion are getting into position.”
“They’ve had a platoon here since this morning. The rest are manoeuvring into position now.”
“They’ll make a difference.”
“If they, with our help, can screen the Fulda Gap, it will give the 3rd and 8th a good chance to prepare their positions.”
The sound of armoured vehicles moving drew their attention towards the activity behind them and they twisted around to take a look.
“That will be the 533rd MI battalion.”
“Think they’ll be much use, LT?”
An MLQ34 TACJAM of the 533rd Military Intelligence Battalion made its way north, heading for higher ground where it could jam the enemy’s communications. A trailer with a generator onboard was being towed behind, to handle the high electrical demand of the jamming equipment soon to be put to use.
“Hey, Staff Sergeant, I’ll take whatever they’ve got. At worst case, they can pull a gun.”
Lewis laughed. Maybe the youngster had a sense of humour after all.
0730 6 JULY 1984. EAST OF THE FRANKFURT AREA, WEST GERMANY.
THE BLACK EFFECT −2 DAYS.
The military policeman, standing next to his VW 181 Jeep, waved the M1 Abrams of the 1st Battalion, 64th Armoured Regiment, 3rd (US) Armoured Division, the Spearhead Division, past him. The majority of the division had gone this way the previous day. This battalion was following up the rear ensuring the security of the lengthy logistical tail that was growing ever bigger and ever longer as the battle raged further east, and more and more troops and supplies came from the US and Great Britain. He and the rest of 2 Kompanie,
“I reckon. Thanks. The boys got some chow?”
“No, they were too tired to eat.”
“Ow.”
“It’s a bit hot.”
“Bugger off.”
“They’ll make a big difference though, won’t they? A full battalion of these babies, I mean,” Poole said, patting the sides of the armoured turret.
“Oh, they’ll make a difference all right. Blocking the forward part of the Gap will give 3rd Armoured and 8th Mech Division a chance to get into position.”
“They hit us and we pull back again?”
Lewis turned and looked at his driver. “Not this time, Larry. It’s now time to start digging our feet in. Frankfurt’s about 100 klicks from here.”
“That’s still a long way.”
“At twenty-five kilometres a day, providing they can maintain the momentum, they could be at the city in four days.”
“Shit.”
“Yes, shit. So, we’ve got to hold them.”
“Quite right, Troop,” added the voice of Lieutenant Jefferson, the platoon commander, as he clambered onto the tank.
“Coffee sir?” asked Poole. “It’s a fresh brew.”
“Just had one, thanks, Poole.”
“If you’ll excuse me, sir, Staff Sergeant, I’ll take stag at the front of the tank.” With that, the driver slid down the glacis and dropped off the front, turned the corner and rested his back against the tracks of the M1, checking his service pistol was loaded and handy. He should have the tank’s only M16, but he would get it once the platoon commander had gone.
“Your track up to scratch, Troop?”
“Of course it is, LT, you know me well enough by now.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just asking. Make sure your guys are on the ball. The squadron commander reckons they will be here by tonight, if not sooner. I suggest you keep your crew inside the track. There’s going to be a lot of shit coming our way.”
Lewis studied his platoon-commander. His face still had the appearance of being soft-skinned, that even dabs of cammo paint could not hide. But the puppy fat seemed to have disappeared overnight. Their first taste of battle, and twenty-four hours effectively on the run, had transformed the boy into an officer in command of a platoon of tanks and their crews.
“Good point, LT, I’ll call them in shortly. Seems 1st Battalion are getting into position.”
“They’ve had a platoon here since this morning. The rest are manoeuvring into position now.”
“They’ll make a difference.”
“If they, with our help, can screen the Fulda Gap, it will give the 3rd and 8th a good chance to prepare their positions.”
The sound of armoured vehicles moving drew their attention towards the activity behind them and they twisted around to take a look.
“That will be the 533rd MI battalion.”
“Think they’ll be much use, LT?”
An MLQ34 TACJAM of the 533rd Military Intelligence Battalion made its way north, heading for higher ground where it could jam the enemy’s communications. A trailer with a generator onboard was being towed behind, to handle the high electrical demand of the jamming equipment soon to be put to use.
“Hey, Staff Sergeant, I’ll take whatever they’ve got. At worst case, they can pull a gun.”
Lewis laughed. Maybe the youngster had a sense of humour after all.
0730 6 JULY 1984. EAST OF THE FRANKFURT AREA, WEST GERMANY.
THE BLACK EFFECT −2 DAYS.
The military policeman, standing next to his VW 181 Jeep, waved the M1 Abrams of the 1st Battalion, 64th Armoured Regiment, 3rd (US) Armoured Division, the Spearhead Division, past him. The majority of the division had gone this way the previous day. This battalion was following up the rear ensuring the security of the lengthy logistical tail that was growing ever bigger and ever longer as the battle raged further east, and more and more troops and supplies came from the US and Great Britain. He and the rest of 2 Kompanie,
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