The Price of Friendship Raid
By:AliasCWN
Chapter 4
The convoy had no idea that they were being watched. The drivers were showing their usual amount of awareness, watching the desert around them, but not particularly worried. They too had been told that this particular sector had been quiet for weeks. Unfortunately for them, that was no longer the case.
Sam Troy studied the long column of trucks as they stretched along the hard packed road. It was the usual line-up; halftracks in front and rear for security with the trucks spaced in single file between. He thought that if he were in charge he would have changed it up a bit just to make it more interesting but the Germans were sticklers for routine. In a way it made his job easier, he always knew what to expect. He would have thought that by now they would have realized that this formation wasn't really all that secure. He lowered his field glasses and looked back at his team.
Moffitt was draped across the 50 caliber machine gun talking to Tully. Tully was twisted around in his seat so he could look at the sergeant while they talked. Hitch was playing with the dial on a radio in the seat next to him. Troy could faintly hear music but he wasn't sure if it came from the radio Hitch had or from a radio on the convoy. The announcer was definitely speaking in German. He saw Moffitt glance up and catch him looking. The other sergeant stood straight and Troy became the focus of his attention. Both private noticed the change and turned to look toward Troy too. Troy used hand signals to tell them that the convoy was in sight. Hitch threw his radio in the back of the jeep and pulled his goggles off of his hat to cover his eyes. Tully put his goggles on and reached for his helmet. Moffitt checked his ammunition belt one more time.
Satisfied that the others were ready, Troy turned back to watch the convoy. He saw an officer in the first halftrack standing up in his seat as the armored vehicle rounded the curve in the road. The officer waved his hand and his driver swerved off the road. A paper fluttered in the officer's other hand. One by one the trucks followed the halftrack into the desert, avoiding a long stretch of the road. They didn't return to the road until the officer consulted the paper and gave his driver a nod. Troy noted that each truck driver was careful to follow the tracks left by the halftrack and none of them returned to the road until they were past where the heavier vehicle had resumed traveling on the hard packed sand. Marking that stretch of road in his mind, Troy began to calculate the distance to the convoy.
When they were close enough that Troy could make out the features of the men in the lead halftrack Troy raised a fist. He glanced back to see all three of his men watching his every move. He turned again to time their attack. He had no sooner dropped his fist than he was running down the steep slope toward the moving jeeps. Even as he was running he was thinking about that detour that the convoy had taken around that section of road.
"Stay off the road once we pass the convoy." Troy called to his driver. "Make your turns in the desert beside the road."
Hitch nodded an acknowledgement just before the jeep went airborne. Troy nearly bit his tongue as his jaws snapped shut when the jeep landed. He opened fire before they reached the trucks. His shots forced the gunners in the halftrack to duck for cover, giving both jeeps time to get past it to reach the trucks. Troy and Moffitt both concentrated on the trucks as their drivers tried to get them close enough to cause maximum damage. It was a challenge to walk the fine line between getting close enough for maximum damage and avoiding the mayhem caused by the exploding fuel and ammunition. Hitch followed the road until they reached the last truck in line. He swung wide to avoid the last halftrack in line before turning back for another run.
"Stay off the road!" Troy repeated as Hitch started his turn. Hitch jerked the wheel at the call, having come close to crossing the road as he turned. The abrupt change of direction threw Troy off balance. He fell; losing is grip on the 50. Even as he grabbed for support he saw Tully swing toward the road to make another run at the convoy. Troy yelled and waved his arms. When he caught Tully looking his way he waved him away from the road. Tully swung his jeep the other way, not sure what was wrong but understanding that he needed to stay off of the road.
The jeeps finished their turns and made another run at the convoy.
Moffitt tossed a grenade in the rear of the last halftrack as Troy kept the gunners pinned down. With the halftrack out of the fight they had another easy run at the trucks. When the lead halftrack finished its turn and headed for the jeeps Troy called off the attack.
"What was that all about?" Moffitt called as Tully pulled is jeep up next to Hitch and stopped in a wadi well clear of the convoy.
Troy was watching behind them for pursuit while Hitch did a hurried check of the jeep. He turned at Moffitt's question to see Tully watching him too. "The road is mined. At least I think it is. I saw the convoy give that section of the road a wide berth. They came around the curve, swung off the road for a bit, and then returned to the road. They were following a map or some coordinates an officer was holding in his hands."
"We'll either have to destroy those mines or avoid that section of the road for a while." The Brit suggested.
"That's what I was thinking." Troy responded. "I didn't have time to warn you before we began the attack."
"We are grateful that you warned us when you did." Moffitt nodded.
Tully grinned and began to check his jeep for damage.
"I'm going to mark that section of the road on the map. If we don't get an opportunity to do something about it I think headquarters should be alerted." Moffitt suggested.
"This is still German territory." Troy responded. "I doubt if any of our guys will be using this road any time soon."
"Other than us you mean." Moffitt answered.
"That goes without saying."
"I would hate to forget about it and run into it by mistake." The Brit observed.
"I don't see any reason to want to run into it on purpose either." Troy grinned. "We'll take a crack at destroying the mines after the convoy leaves if it makes you feel any better."
"Hey Sarge!"
"Yeah Tully, what is it?" Troy turned at Tully's call.
"My jeep took a few bullets. I need to fix it before we run into any other patrols or columns."
"How long?"
"An hour, maybe more. Depends on whether or not we have the right parts." Tully shrugged.
"What if we don't?"
"I think I can still fix it Sarge, but it's going to take longer. I'm pretty sure I have what I need to patch it if I can't fix it right."
"Okay Tully, get started working on it. See if Hitch can help you, I'll keep watch."
"Okay Sarge."
"Dietrich will have heard about the attack on the convoy by now." Moffitt said as he walked up beside Troy to help keep watch.
"Yeah." Troy agreed as he scanned the desert. "He'll send someone out to look for us and someone out to help the convoy."
Moffitt cocked an eyebrow. "I'm afraid there is not going to be a lot they can do to help the trucks we hit. Even the ones without fuel or ammo were hit with shrapnel or burned."
"That was the idea, deprive Jerry of his supplies."
"They should be getting low on just about everything by now." Moffitt reasoned. "We've hit quite a few of these convoys in the last two weeks."
"Right now I'm more worried about getting that jeep fixed before we get company." Troy admitted.
"The lads are working on it."
They could hear the two privates talking as they worked on the damaged jeep. Troy tried to ignore them to listen for German motors instead.
"Sarge."
Tully's call caused Troy to turn from the desert beyond their refuge to face the wadi. "What's wrong Tully?"
"Nothing Sarge, the jeep is fixed. We didn't have the right parts so we had to find a temporary repair. I just hope it holds until we get back to the base."
"All right Tully, good job. We're heading right back if you're ready."
"Ready Sarge."
Troy looked at his watch. "It's been over an hour since we hit that convoy. Dietrich has had time to send someone out to look for us."
"His base isn't that far away." Moffitt agreed.
"Let's move!" Troy started for the jeeps. Moffitt looked around one more time and, still not seeing anything, followed Troy.
They decided to take the road to save time. Moffitt and Troy were riding in the seats, hoping to get clear before Dietrich's men found them.
"Sarge!" Hitch pointed ahead to some dust headed directly for them.
"They're trying to cut us off." Troy yelled over the wind generated by the movement of the jeep. He turned to wave at Tully and Moffitt and noticed dust behind them as well. There was more dust in front of them than behind them so Troy opted for the smaller opponent, or so he thought. "Turn back Hitch!" The section of the road they were on was bordered on both sides by high hills, not wanting to get trapped, Troy urged Hitch to drive faster. Troy waved for Tully to go back the way they'd come.
"They're trying to trap us in the middle." Hitch yelled as the jeep fairly flew along the road. Troy climbed over the seat to reach the 50.
"Stay on the road, we can make better time." Troy ordered.
Hitch nodded and leaned over his steering wheel as if doing so would make the jeep go faster. They passed the scene of the ambush, the abandoned trucks seeming to mock them as they ran for their lives.
"Sarge!"
Troy had been looking behind them but spun at the yell from his driver. Racing toward them on the road were two German patrol cars. Troy hesitated as the cars continued toward them with guns blazing. The cars stayed on the road, not slowing as they approached the section of road that Troy thought was mined. He waited, expecting them to turn off into the desert but they kept coming. "Get off the road! Head across the desert!"
"The column will cut us off." Hitch yelled back.
"That's better than getting blown up!" The sergeant answered.
Hitch swerved off the road and cut across the desert. The column had split up and they were moving into position to cut them off. One of the halftracks opened fire and Hitch swerved violently to avoid the crater that had suddenly appeared in front of the fast moving vehicle.
An explosion sounded behind them and Troy looked back to see one of the patrol cars smoldering in the road. The driver had stayed on the road, either forgetting the mines were there or ignorant of their presence. The wreck burst into flames as Troy twisted to look back. The next thing he knew he was flying through the air as a halftrack shell landed next to the jeep and threw it onto its side. Troy saw Hitch jump to his feet and jerk as red spots appeared on his shirt. Hitch fell forward onto his knees clutching his chest.
Troy tried to get to Hitch but another shell landed close by and Troy was thrown into the air again. This time he landed hard and his world went black.