Chapter 5
Shaun lit the burner and put the pan on for tea before waking the rest up at 5am, the sun had not risen yet but the skyline to the east was lightning up.
After a quick breakfast, they struck camp and set off, knowing they would be passing into enemy territory now.
At two they stopped for a brew and to let Sue cool down. They'd covered fifty miles by Prof's reckoning, and had been skirting the sand dunes to the south. The dunes stretched out to the horizon, rolling mounds of sand whose glare hurt the eyes to look at them. Titch had pulled up in the shade of a sandstone buttress so they didn't need to rig the camouflage net over them.
Jack came over and sat beside him by the wheel with his mug, excepting a cigarette.
"I don't suppose there'll be many patrols this far south but they may have aircraft out," he murmured.
Shaun nodded. "I'm more worried about running into the Bedouin, they'd report us for the reward. We'll keep heading west for another 150 miles and then turn north to pass between Tengeda and Bir-Hacheim."
With the tea break over they continued their journey.
The ground became increasingly strewn with rocks and boulders the further they progressed. Speed dropped down to five miles an hour has Titch navigated around them.
At six he came to a halt in a wadi and the men climbed of the truck weary from the jolting drive. They fell into the usual routine for making camp.
Shaun rubbed the stubble on his chin, waiting for Prof to establish their position.
Eventually he came over to him, "By my reckoning, we've covered 76 miles today Boss. I'll pass on the coordinates to Sammy to let base know."
Shaun nodded, knowing the Prof would be making a note on his map of the course they had been following.
Sammy picked up the 7pm GMT signal, and they all checked their watches. After the meal Shaun shouldered his Cartwright .303 and made his way to the top of wadi, he would be on first watch that night.
He sat with the fur collar of the flying jacket up around his ears has the stars appeared in the sky and the temperature plummeted. He could hear the night sounds of the desert as nearby rocks cracked, contracting as they cooled from the burning heat of the sun to the near freezing of the night.
It took over three days before Prof announced they could turn north. With the exception of Titch everyone was on the lookout now, their safety now depended on them seeing any danger before being seen by others. At night they took special care to find places that offered the best concealment.
They passed between Tengeder and Bir-Hacheim, crossing the track that linked them. It had taken a further two days to arrive at this point.
Shaun had been keeping an account of fuel, water and ration supplies in his notebook has they had progressed.
Now they changed course heading North West to pass between Mechili and Bir-Halegh. There were numerous tracks now to cross. Each had to be reconnoitred for safety before crossing.
Although the going was easier now Titch kept the speed down to prevent any dust clouds that could give away their position.
They had seen plenty of air activity away to the north the further they got to the coast, finally arriving at the base of Jebel-Achdar mountain, less than twenty miles from Dena.
Shaun held a council of war with the men that night.
"Tomorrow Jack, Prof and myself will go forward to scout the airbase from the top of the escarpment." He looked at them letting that sink in. "We have been lucky so far, no one expects any danger this far west. Let's keep them thinking that way."
That night he and Titch scouted ahead to find a spot for Sue to hold up in. Finally locating a wadi two miles from the airbase.
They moved into it while it was still dark, taking great pains to camouflage Sue. Shaun warned Titch, Sammy and Cookie they would be gone for a few days. Taking their canteens and a supply of biltong and binoculars, Jack, Prof and Shaun set off to the airbase.
They found a place just below the top of the escarpment in some rocks that offered a perfect view of the base.
As the sun rose they could make out the details of the base. Prof began sketching it whilst Shaun and Jack looked through their binoculars.
The base had only one runway, with access roads either side of it. On one side a mixture of Heinkel and Dornier bombers and ME109s were lined up, on the far side Savda-Marchetti bombers and Maechi C202 fighters were lined up.
Shaun counted 88 aircraft, 48 German and 40 Italian, Prof dually noted it in his note book.
At 6-30am, men began to load bombs into eight of the Heinkel aircraft, Shaun noted were the trailers carrying the bombs came from. At 8am, two trucks deposited flight crews at the bombers and at four of the ME109s.
The planes taxied to the start of the runway, and took off, climbing up over the sea.
"Gone to pound Tobruk," Jack murmured.
During the course of the day, four further flights took off. The returning flights took up a position in the flight line, where they were refuelled. Ground Staff would come out and work on some of the aircraft. Flak damage Shaun surmised.
He paid particular attention to where the fuel bowser returned too, a heavy camouflaged area well away from the main buildings.
By the end of the day Proff had an accurate sketch of the base, with anti-aircraft gun emplacements detailing the type of weapon, the buildings and their suspected use, all noted in his neat precise handwriting.
The last flight returned just before 6pm. By now they knew which barracks were used for flight crews, and ground staff. They'd established when the guards were changed and their barracks, noting that the guards were Italian.
They watched as the base settled down, men going to their respective mess halls, whist they chewed on the biltong.
Then at 7:30 four trucks loaded with personnel left the base heading down the coast road to Dena eight miles away.
They returned just before mid-night, with raucous shouts and laughter coming from them.
"At least someone has had a good night," Prof observed mournfully.
