Read Online The Rat Patrol 4 - Two-Faced Enemy by David King - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David King
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southeast on the route two miles before turning into the desert. Troy maintained constant observation of the road as the jeeps jumped into the squishing sand and pulled straight east. He saw no vehicles moving on it. The road disappeared from sight when they crested a dune after about a mile. Protected by it, the Rat Patrol turned to the north.
The supply dump would be located somewhere near the command post, Troy reasoned. The trucks had been hauling the drums in that direction and he wanted to blow the rest of the fuel supply. Dietrich undoubtedly had gas and oil stored in other dumps, but Troy believed he had been depending on the oasis dump as his main source. After the initial attack, Dietrich's conduct of the battle might well depend on how far he had to haul his fuel. The columns of armor demanded vast quantities of fuel and a long haul could stall him. One thing was certain after the destruction of the supply at the oasis, Jerry would have his stockpile at the CP well guarded.
After driving for twenty minutes behind the northeast slanting dune, Troy estimated they should be about a mile and a half east and half a mile north of the CP. He began to search the dark patches in the desert contours for a place to hide the jeeps. Tully pulled into a small wadi which had escaped Troy. It was barely long enough to park the jeeps one behind the other but it was deep enough to afford protection under the camouflage nets. Hitch nosed after Tully and Troy crawled to the top of the dune to survey their position.
Bareheaded, he lay at the top of the dune with his glasses trained on distant lights. It must be the CP, although at that distance in the moonlight, it was difficult to identify the shapes that bulked darkly. He thought he discerned a group of tents and beyond them to the south a regularly shaped dark mass that could be the gas and oil drums. Once or twice he thought he detected motion about the mass which could indicate guards. As he studied Dietrich's command post, he was aware of a dry gritty taste in the air which he thought must come from a heavy dust cloud curtain. That would mean an armored column was on the move.
He scrambled back to the wadi where Moffitt, Tully and Hitch were ready to stretch the nets over the jeeps. They were squatting on their haunches, so plainly visible in the moonlight he could see the whites of Moffitt's eyes and the matchstick Tully was rolling from one side of his mouth to the other.
"We waited, Sam," Moffitt explained. "Weren't quite certain what equipment was in order."
"Neither am I," Troy admitted, sitting in the sand with them. "From the way it looks, the oil and gas is stored south of the tents. Grenades should set it off. I want a closer look. I'll put on a Jerry cap and jacket and reconnoiter."
"A moment, Sam," Moffitt said with a smile. "I've already tried on the lieutenant's tunic and it fits. I outrank you. I'll go in."
"Tully and I volunteer," Hitch spoke up. "We're privates. We're expendable."
"Nuts," Troy tried to say disgustedly but he couldn't help laughing. "We'll all go, at least part of the way. It'll save time. When we get as far as we can, we'll see who does what. Dietrich is bound to have guards posted, so take off your canteens and side arms. We don't want anything that jangles. We'll make a sling from a piece of a net and drag a dozen grenades and a couple of plastic time charges."
"Don't you think one of us ought to carry some sort of weapon, old boy?" Moffitt asked, already exchanging his beret for the Jerry lieutenant's cap.
"My Bowie knife?" Tully suggested.
"What about my garrote?" Hitch said hopefully.
"Hitch's nylon choke rope it is," Troy said. "Hitch, take off your glasses and go bareheaded. Tully, leave your helmet behind. I'll wear a Jerry cap like the doctor's and the Jerry sergeant's jacket. Let's knock off the conversation and move in. From what I could see and smell, a tank column already has moved out."
When the jeeps were under
The supply dump would be located somewhere near the command post, Troy reasoned. The trucks had been hauling the drums in that direction and he wanted to blow the rest of the fuel supply. Dietrich undoubtedly had gas and oil stored in other dumps, but Troy believed he had been depending on the oasis dump as his main source. After the initial attack, Dietrich's conduct of the battle might well depend on how far he had to haul his fuel. The columns of armor demanded vast quantities of fuel and a long haul could stall him. One thing was certain after the destruction of the supply at the oasis, Jerry would have his stockpile at the CP well guarded.
After driving for twenty minutes behind the northeast slanting dune, Troy estimated they should be about a mile and a half east and half a mile north of the CP. He began to search the dark patches in the desert contours for a place to hide the jeeps. Tully pulled into a small wadi which had escaped Troy. It was barely long enough to park the jeeps one behind the other but it was deep enough to afford protection under the camouflage nets. Hitch nosed after Tully and Troy crawled to the top of the dune to survey their position.
Bareheaded, he lay at the top of the dune with his glasses trained on distant lights. It must be the CP, although at that distance in the moonlight, it was difficult to identify the shapes that bulked darkly. He thought he discerned a group of tents and beyond them to the south a regularly shaped dark mass that could be the gas and oil drums. Once or twice he thought he detected motion about the mass which could indicate guards. As he studied Dietrich's command post, he was aware of a dry gritty taste in the air which he thought must come from a heavy dust cloud curtain. That would mean an armored column was on the move.
He scrambled back to the wadi where Moffitt, Tully and Hitch were ready to stretch the nets over the jeeps. They were squatting on their haunches, so plainly visible in the moonlight he could see the whites of Moffitt's eyes and the matchstick Tully was rolling from one side of his mouth to the other.
"We waited, Sam," Moffitt explained. "Weren't quite certain what equipment was in order."
"Neither am I," Troy admitted, sitting in the sand with them. "From the way it looks, the oil and gas is stored south of the tents. Grenades should set it off. I want a closer look. I'll put on a Jerry cap and jacket and reconnoiter."
"A moment, Sam," Moffitt said with a smile. "I've already tried on the lieutenant's tunic and it fits. I outrank you. I'll go in."
"Tully and I volunteer," Hitch spoke up. "We're privates. We're expendable."
"Nuts," Troy tried to say disgustedly but he couldn't help laughing. "We'll all go, at least part of the way. It'll save time. When we get as far as we can, we'll see who does what. Dietrich is bound to have guards posted, so take off your canteens and side arms. We don't want anything that jangles. We'll make a sling from a piece of a net and drag a dozen grenades and a couple of plastic time charges."
"Don't you think one of us ought to carry some sort of weapon, old boy?" Moffitt asked, already exchanging his beret for the Jerry lieutenant's cap.
"My Bowie knife?" Tully suggested.
"What about my garrote?" Hitch said hopefully.
"Hitch's nylon choke rope it is," Troy said. "Hitch, take off your glasses and go bareheaded. Tully, leave your helmet behind. I'll wear a Jerry cap like the doctor's and the Jerry sergeant's jacket. Let's knock off the conversation and move in. From what I could see and smell, a tank column already has moved out."
When the jeeps were under
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