Chapter 22
Jack Powell lead Biggles to a large tent where a familiar face greeted the pilots. Tom Swift was all smiles and welcoming.
"Here is your fourth gunner Tom." Said Jack. "Good luck with the test run."
"Thank you, Jack." Replied Tom
After Jack departed to join G8's squadron, Biggles was taken into the tent to see a very large ironclad wonder.
"I was taken into your splendid airship." Said Tom. "Now you can come into my great vehicle."
The tank was huge and heavily armoured. It was shaped like two wedges fused together broadside to broardside. Large caterpiller belts stretched over cogged wheels that spanned the vehicle's tall height. There was a gun port on each side, each with two machine gun turrets: one front, the other rear. There was no artillery gun. A large hydraulic mechanism was attached by cables to a latticed steel girder resting in sockets on each side of the tank.
"This is my baby." Said Tom. "And you have just joined the crew for its test run."
Biggles was flabbergasted. "When G8 said he needed a gunner I thought he meant in a plane."
The guns we have installed are much like your Vickers mounted machine guns." Said Tom. "Come on inside. I'll show your around."
A metal door in the chassis gained them entry where Biggles was introduced to Hank Baldwin, Tom's tank mechanic and gunner. He was the only mature aged person there; everyone else was appeared to be in their teens. First there was the assigned sapper, Anthony Rogers; the communication engineer, Jason Gridley; Ned Newton, Tom's best friend, here serving as a gunner along with Benjamin Button. This last individual took the cake for looking young, while most of this crew would need proof that they were eighteen years old, this gunner appeared to be no more than fifteen. Since everyone but Hank was very young, including himself, Biggles did not pursue the matter.
"This tank is better than either you British or the French have." Stated Hank Baldwin. "It can go almost twice as fast and is doubly armoured. A Big Bertha shell could not destroy this."
Biggles replied. "I hope you're not going to test that claim today."
"Not today." Answered Jason. "Take a look at all the electronics in here. This ironclad giant can be driven by remote control. Then we can test its resilience to enemy artillery."
Ned Newton continued. "But first we should impress the top brass with its maneuverability."
Tom explained more. "Building this advanced prototype was financed by Daddy Warbucks, a munitions magnate in New York. He won't like us using it for enemy target practice before we make an example for the Military to buy and manufacture more of these."
The interior was designed for long term occupancy in case it's escape was cut off by the enemy. There were cupboards with provisions and even a latrine. Biggles post was the left gun port's rear turret with Benjamin on the front. Ned and Hank were on the right port. Anthony would look through a horizontal slit to observe the ground ahead. Jason set up his wireless communication equipment as well as monitoring the electrical operations within the tank.
"We're all here." Announced Tom. "We can commence the test run now."
Tom gave the signal for the tent crew to remove the cover, then moved himself into a higher compartment to drive the tank. Five minutes later the engines had started and they were moving. Gripping rings were fixed in the interior so the crew could brace themselves for this ride's rough moments. Biggles seized the one nearest to him as soon as the tank lurched forward.
Adjusting the speed of each steel belt separately allowed Tom to steer around the many trees. He had his own view of the ground ahead, so did Anthony, who would yell out his sapper's opinion of its feasibility for such a heavy tank.
After the forest was cleared there were only foxholes to avoid. Anthony recommended going around a muddy bog ahead, but Tom drove straight into it. The tank's speed was only marginally curtailed as it traveled through the thick mud.
Hank laughed. "This baby's extra weight has given the belts a lot of traction."
"The Brass will be impressed with this." Announced Anthony. "While we still have trees on our flanks let's test the guns."
Tom stopped the tank where each gun turret had a tree within their range. Each gunner fired his turret into a tree hitting them with reasonable accuracy. Biggles found the deadly hardware easy to swing and stabilize, it fired its first shots with smooth grace into the designated tree. The recoil was only slight, only requiring minimal effort from the gunner to keep stable.
"These are pretty good." Complimented Biggles.
All gunners agreed and Anthony gave thumbs up to Tom.
"Now for the trench crossing." Said Tom.
An American trench was ahead, beyond that, No Man's Land. All soldiers within the defile stayed clear of the crossing point; they clearly expected calamity from this.
When the tank reached the edge of the twenty foot wide trench it stopped. Tom raised an observation tower to a point slightly above the tallest part of the vehicle. Hank started an extra motor which made the metallic structure tremble.
"Here goes the grippers." Said Tom as he threw back a lever.
Two steel latticed girders were pulled away from the tank's sides by steel cables attached to a hydraulic crane mechanism Tom was operating. Biggles noticed the lattices were diagonal to make them stronger. A series of cams and levers manipulated by Tom brought the girders before the tank. Each girder was laid to rest so that its ends were on opposite lips of the trench, thus forming a bridge.
"Cross your hearts everyone." Yelled Tom.
Many did. Biggles noticed several onlooking soldiers in the trench do likewise. The tank moved forward across the two girders. A little drop occurred as the portable bridge was pressed into the ground. Slowly the metal monstrosity crawled over the gap. Onlookers kept their breathing to a minimum; the crew held tightly to their gripping rings. It was a tense few seconds but soon the bump and then second bump when the tank reach the other side brought relief.
Hydraulics and steel cables pried the girder loose from the trench lips and deposited them back into their notches on the tank's sides. A flurry of applause came from the soldiers.
"Well how was that." Asked Tom as he drove forward.
"Brilliant Tom." Said Anthony. "The top Brass will most likely commission several of these."
"Hang on." Said Biggles. "Why are we proceeding into No Man's Land?"
"I built this baby to operate and survive there." Answered Tom. "If the Bosch see us and take action; then bring it on. I would love to show what this tank can do under fire."
There was much eye contact between the crew when Tom revealed his arrogance.
"Don't worry." Said Ned Newton. "He has orders to keep away from the enemy trench."
Jason Gridley talked into the radio to transmit a test progress report. The tank maneuvered around many shell holes; some were deliberately dropped into so Tom could demonstrate how the vehicle could maneuver out of them. Much barbed wire and other barricades were run over, effectively clearing a path for an allied advance.
One thing the tank couldn't clear was a huge mound of dirt about twenty feet high.
"We can leave it." Said Anthony. "It will stop our advancing soldiers getting fired at."
A distant explosion was heard. Many more followed. The starboard gunners moved to the portside view holes to see the American lines come under heavy fire. They could see masses of dirt fly into the air.
"That's the heaviest artillery fire I have ever seen here." Said Anthony.
"The guns sound so near." Yelled Biggles.
Jason read his instrumentation and said. "The sounds are not coming from the German lines. They're coming from the other side of that mound."
"We have to check this out." Announced Tom as he drove the tank forward.
Once the mound was cleared, the sight they all beheld was of four strange tanks firing their main turrets at the American lines.
"I didn't know the Bosch had tanks." Said Hank.
"These are unlike anything the British or French have." Stated Tom.
"And much more firepower than either." Added Anthony.
Biggles realised these war machines were a product of Unit 11, the death factory he and the League were to track down and put an end to.
The tanks were in teams of two and they were spreading their fire along this section of the Argonne front. They would rain hell on one area then swerve their big guns and begin to devastate another with a frighteningly powerful payload. There was no infantry support by them; no soldier could tolerate the thunderous noise.
Tom observed the firing patterns for a minute, realising neither of the metal monsters had noticed his tank, then drove at full speed towards the nearest team.
"Tom. what are you doing?" Demanded Anthony.
"We have no firepower to take these bastards out." Replied Tom. "But we can surprise them with an almighty ram."
"Tom, don't do it." Pleaded Jason. "I know what we can do." The communications engineer blared out a message on the radio.
"I built this baby to be a juggernaut." Yelled Tom. "If my timing is right we can destroy two of those monsters. Everyone brace yourselves.
All crew members returned to their posts and seized their gripping rings.
The tank accelerated to a velocity twice the speed of any known tank. Neither enemy crew saw it coming. Their turrets were loud, drowning out the sound of the oncoming juggernaut. Tom's timing was excellent; the blunt nose of his tank hit the front side of the nearest tank just as it fired a shell. The target pivoted firing its payload into its unfortunate partner, which was blasted in to a thousand pieces; its parts and crew splattered to the four winds.
The hit tank rolled after it pivoted, copping a large force of the explosion. When its momentum was spent it was a flaming, smoking ruin lying on its back. Screams from its crew were brief before secondary explosions ended all possibilty of life within.
The impact was hard on those inside Tom Swift's juggernaut; only a firm grip on the rings prevented the jolt from sending them to a bone breaking crash against the interior wall. Biggles' arms were sore as was the others. Everyone lurched as the juggernaut went into reverse. A look out the gunport window had Biggles notice the fate of the nearest two tanks and the reaction of the other two.
If they were not aware of the juggernaut before the impact, they certainly were now; their turrets began to swing toward the fleeing intruder.
"Tom, the other two tanks are going to fire on us." Biggles yelled out.
"I know." Blared out Tom. "The mound should cover us."
Biggles saw the enemy turrets finished their swing and aim for them, just as the mound came between him and the deadly artillery. The guns fired all the same and struck the mound. Thunderous impact turned the huge pile into a moving tidal wave of dirt that rose to splash down on the fleeing juggernaut.
Tom tried to reverse faster not checking the ground behind him. The juggernaut fell into a deep foxhole with a near vertical side. The tank's rear hit the pit's bottom then toppled onto its back. Dirt flooded into the pit as the wave of soil that was once a mound enveloped the area.
Darkness came over the fallen juggernaut's crew. Biggles felt dirt seeping through the port window. A red light came on in what was now the floor.
"Well, now we know the emergency light works." Said Ned.
Everyone was shaken but nobody was hurt, there were some blood noses. Dirt had ceased pouring in through all apertures. All seats were upside down; septic waste poured out of the latrine; cupboard were jolted open their contents had fallen out.
Tom entered the main area to check on everyone; he shone a torch around and asked all if they were all right. Each answer had various doses of hostility in them.
It was Ned who started the inquisition. "Tom, why did you do it. We could have sneaked away."
"You should know me better than that Ned." Answered Tom. "I am not a slacker. When my countrymen are getting pounded, I do something about it. And hey, we destroyed two of those monstrosities."
"And where did it get us?" Asked Anthony "Buried alive and upside down in the middle of No Mans' Land."
"I didn't build this tank just for reconnaissance; it was a weapon to make a difference on the front line. Well it has achieved that."
Jason Gridley stepped in "Tom, you didn't have to engage them. All we had to do was radio their position on the grid to artillery command. I did that while you were charging."
"Oh. Well I didn't have time to confer with any of you. I had to act before they saw us."
"Right." Said Benjamin Button nursing his bleeding nose. "Now we're in a hole."
"I reckon I could get this baby out of here."
Biggles said. "But we're upside down."
"Not a problem. This predicament has been prepared for. I built the treads to encompass the tank's height. That will allow us to maneuver."
The sound of the enemy tanks moving in the vicinity filled everyone with dread. Those monstrosities could easily finish them off upon discovery. Everyone began to appreciate that they were buried.
Thunder suddenly ripped through the ground knocking everyone of their feet. The red light flickered on and off as further strikes erupted all around the ground about the pit. More dirt was forced through the apertures.
"They have found us." Cried Ned. "They're going to blast us to oblivion."
"No." Yelled Jason. "That is our own artillery. They're saturating the area with shells in accordance with my radio message."
For half an hour all crewmen listened to the barrage. Some hits were frighteningly close and the tank rocked as the disturbances nudged it in various directions. Even more dirt poured in through the apertures slowly reducing space within. At one point Biggles heard the sound of a metal structure being struck by artillery and exploding. So the barrage was achieving its purpose, destroying those enemy tanks. Jason Gridley seems to know more about the new innovations than he's letting on.
When the artillery fell silent Tom and Hank revealed their review of the tank's mechanical viability. Structure wise it was in good shape, engine damage was minimal as was the hydraulics. Lights and electronics will require intensive work after they get back. Repairs necessary to get going again will take just a little while.
Jason Gridley stated that his communication equipment was intact, he just had to spend time attaching it to an portable battery he brought along.
Hope for salvation began to flow through the dimly lit room when a new noise came from the surface. It was a crowd indicated by a multitude of grunts, growls and heavy footprints trudging along the ground above. No association with human behavior could be made out from the sounds above; a savage roar occasionally broke the weird cacophony.
Whatever that crowd was, they were heading towards the American lines.
Biggles then realised what was happening; almost all others were baffled; only Jason Gridley seemed to recognise the evil above them. It was the homunculi formed in culture vats at Unit 11; they were attacking the American lines.