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.htmlup the rear were a trio of bakkies cross-country vehicles with six small balloon wheels, mounting abristle of automatic cannon and recoilless rifles.All were travelling at danger speed, slewing around thesteep curves in spatters of mud and dust."Quick work," Eric commented, as the vehicles roared down the final slope, where the military road cutthrough the huddle of stone buildings."I wonder whoThe daunting hoot of a fox-hunter's horn echoed from the lead warcar, and an ironic cheer went up fromthe paratroopers."Need I have asked," the Centurion sighed."CohortarchDale Jackson Smythe Thompson III."The warcars rolled into the square at 90 kph, spattering passers-by in a shower of mud, theirvariable-pressure tires gripping at the earth and cobbles.The lead car finished its circuit with a chargedirectly at Eric's position, slewed about in a perfect 180 degree turn, and came to rest in front of CenturyA's commander.There were fresh bullet scars shiny against its dark-grey battlepaint, and a puckeredexit-hole in the hexagonal turret just to the right of the machine gun.A jaunty figure in immaculatelypressed fatigues pulled himself from the commander's seat and stepped down to the deck, standing withboots braced; a beaming smile showed as he pulled down the silk scarf that covered his face and pushedhis dust goggles back onto the brim of his helmet.His left arm was bandaged from elbow to wrist; theright slapped a riding-crop against his leg as he glanced around the square.Gaping, blackened holes marred the face of the mosque and the town hall.Just as well for that piece ofminiature Stalinist wedding cake , he thought.Pity about the mosque pretty in a quaint sort ofway.There were bodies in Waffen-SS camouflage still lying scattered about the irregular open space, orhanging motionless from windows; the last thirty lay in a neat row, with their hands bound behind theirbacks.He glanced behind; the rest of the convoy was pulling up at a more sedate pace."Nice piece of driving, Lucy," he called down into the warcar.A giggle came in answer; there was aclatter as a grenade looped out of the driver's port to land on the riveted aluminum of the deck.Heignored it, but the sight brought the beginnings of a dive for cover from the onlookers, until a woman'svoice followed it:"Never notice the pin's still in, do they?"The cohortarch laughed, jumped to the cobbles and strode over, snapping a salute before extending ahand a rarity in the Draka military and even rarer in the field."Matters well in hand, I see," he called."And how are you, Eric, dear boy?"Eric returned the salute, smiling at the older man: a slight figure, freckled and sandy-haired andsnub-nosed."Busy.How are things in the cavalry, Dale?""The cavalry's in tanks, and that's the problem if I'd wanted to crawl about in a giant steel coffin, Iwould have joined the navy& and flying makes me squeamish, so I'm left here, trying to bring some toneto this vulgar brawl of yours."He nodded to the assembled commanders."Now, I suppose you'd like to know how the war's going& "He assumed a grave expression."Well, according to the radio, the Americans claim that resistance is stillgoing on in the hills of Hawaii three months after the Japanese landings, and promise that McArthur'stroops in Panama will throw the invader back into the Pacific " Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Dale, you're impossible!" Marie burst out, with a rare chuckle."No, just a Thompson& Actually, we had a bit of a surprise.""We heared about the tanks," Eric said."That was theleast of it.Have you ever heard of a Waffen-SS unit, 'Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler?'Perhaps met a few of them?" He smiled beatifically at their nods."Well, it seems that the good old Fritzwere so anxious to get those field fortifications at the southern end of the pass finished that they movedour friends of the lightning bolts up to help the engineers and forced-labour brigades we were expecting.Still stringing wire and laying mines when we dropped in right on their heads.Not on their infantry, praisegod on their H.Q., signals, combat engineers, vehicle park, artillery&"Luckily, not all of them were there; still a fair number down in Pyatogorsk, from what the prisoners say.And we had complete suprise, which was just as well, seeing as we lost about a fifth of our strength totheir flak before we hit the ground."There was a general wince; that was twice the total casualties of a month's fighting in Sicily."Yes, quite distressing.In any case, we weremarginally less astonished than they, so we managed tosplit them up and fight them out of the entrenchments; particularly as they were feeing the other way.Killed about a third a third of the fighting men, that is ran a third out south to join their confreres.Unfortunately, thelast third escaped up into the hills and woods; there just weren't enough of us left tocontain them all.Ever since, they've been regrouping, harassing one group shot us up on the way down.That's what my warcar cohort is doing, keeping the road open between our units.These ruddy bastardsare tough, they just won't giveup.Most of the legion is in the line above Kutaisi; we've already hadprobing attacks from the south, one in strength, and it looks as if they're building up for a major assault.Soon."The rest of us are in hedgehogs down the length of the pass; the Fritz within our lines don't have heavyweapons, but they are making life difficult for our communications, and a secure perimeter is out of thequestion.So, I'm afraid, are those two Centuries you were supposed to get."There was a stony silence, as the leaders of A Century realized that they had just been condemned todeath; then a sigh of acceptance.The warcar commander looked slightly abashed."The first casualty of war is always the battle plan,' " Eric quoted."How's the general offensive going?"He produced a flat silver flask, took a sip and handed it around."Extraordinary, really.We saw the barrage start, it lit the whole southern horizon, thousands of gunslined up hub to hub.The Air Corps caught their planes on the ground around Tiflis; since then theTac-Air johnnies've been all over them like, pardon the expression, flies on a cowflop.Fighter-bombers,ground-attack, mediums; cannon, guns, rockets, napalm, cluster bombs, fuel air bombs, and for all Iknow, ginger-beer bottles.You can watch it all like a map.Extraordinary!"Then the Janissaries hit them south of Tiflis and Batumi; they re already backpedalling, with us at theirrear.The Janissaries are piling up bodies in waves, but keep coming."They all nodded; not surprising, given their indoctrination& and the Security Directorate machine-gundetachments at their backs. 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.htmlup the rear were a trio of bakkies cross-country vehicles with six small balloon wheels, mounting abristle of automatic cannon and recoilless rifles.All were travelling at danger speed, slewing around thesteep curves in spatters of mud and dust."Quick work," Eric commented, as the vehicles roared down the final slope, where the military road cutthrough the huddle of stone buildings."I wonder whoThe daunting hoot of a fox-hunter's horn echoed from the lead warcar, and an ironic cheer went up fromthe paratroopers."Need I have asked," the Centurion sighed."CohortarchDale Jackson Smythe Thompson III."The warcars rolled into the square at 90 kph, spattering passers-by in a shower of mud, theirvariable-pressure tires gripping at the earth and cobbles.The lead car finished its circuit with a chargedirectly at Eric's position, slewed about in a perfect 180 degree turn, and came to rest in front of CenturyA's commander.There were fresh bullet scars shiny against its dark-grey battlepaint, and a puckeredexit-hole in the hexagonal turret just to the right of the machine gun.A jaunty figure in immaculatelypressed fatigues pulled himself from the commander's seat and stepped down to the deck, standing withboots braced; a beaming smile showed as he pulled down the silk scarf that covered his face and pushedhis dust goggles back onto the brim of his helmet.His left arm was bandaged from elbow to wrist; theright slapped a riding-crop against his leg as he glanced around the square.Gaping, blackened holes marred the face of the mosque and the town hall.Just as well for that piece ofminiature Stalinist wedding cake , he thought.Pity about the mosque pretty in a quaint sort ofway.There were bodies in Waffen-SS camouflage still lying scattered about the irregular open space, orhanging motionless from windows; the last thirty lay in a neat row, with their hands bound behind theirbacks.He glanced behind; the rest of the convoy was pulling up at a more sedate pace."Nice piece of driving, Lucy," he called down into the warcar.A giggle came in answer; there was aclatter as a grenade looped out of the driver's port to land on the riveted aluminum of the deck.Heignored it, but the sight brought the beginnings of a dive for cover from the onlookers, until a woman'svoice followed it:"Never notice the pin's still in, do they?"The cohortarch laughed, jumped to the cobbles and strode over, snapping a salute before extending ahand a rarity in the Draka military and even rarer in the field."Matters well in hand, I see," he called."And how are you, Eric, dear boy?"Eric returned the salute, smiling at the older man: a slight figure, freckled and sandy-haired andsnub-nosed."Busy.How are things in the cavalry, Dale?""The cavalry's in tanks, and that's the problem if I'd wanted to crawl about in a giant steel coffin, Iwould have joined the navy& and flying makes me squeamish, so I'm left here, trying to bring some toneto this vulgar brawl of yours."He nodded to the assembled commanders."Now, I suppose you'd like to know how the war's going& "He assumed a grave expression."Well, according to the radio, the Americans claim that resistance is stillgoing on in the hills of Hawaii three months after the Japanese landings, and promise that McArthur'stroops in Panama will throw the invader back into the Pacific " Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Dale, you're impossible!" Marie burst out, with a rare chuckle."No, just a Thompson& Actually, we had a bit of a surprise.""We heared about the tanks," Eric said."That was theleast of it.Have you ever heard of a Waffen-SS unit, 'Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler?'Perhaps met a few of them?" He smiled beatifically at their nods."Well, it seems that the good old Fritzwere so anxious to get those field fortifications at the southern end of the pass finished that they movedour friends of the lightning bolts up to help the engineers and forced-labour brigades we were expecting.Still stringing wire and laying mines when we dropped in right on their heads.Not on their infantry, praisegod on their H.Q., signals, combat engineers, vehicle park, artillery&"Luckily, not all of them were there; still a fair number down in Pyatogorsk, from what the prisoners say.And we had complete suprise, which was just as well, seeing as we lost about a fifth of our strength totheir flak before we hit the ground."There was a general wince; that was twice the total casualties of a month's fighting in Sicily."Yes, quite distressing.In any case, we weremarginally less astonished than they, so we managed tosplit them up and fight them out of the entrenchments; particularly as they were feeing the other way.Killed about a third a third of the fighting men, that is ran a third out south to join their confreres.Unfortunately, thelast third escaped up into the hills and woods; there just weren't enough of us left tocontain them all.Ever since, they've been regrouping, harassing one group shot us up on the way down.That's what my warcar cohort is doing, keeping the road open between our units.These ruddy bastardsare tough, they just won't giveup.Most of the legion is in the line above Kutaisi; we've already hadprobing attacks from the south, one in strength, and it looks as if they're building up for a major assault.Soon."The rest of us are in hedgehogs down the length of the pass; the Fritz within our lines don't have heavyweapons, but they are making life difficult for our communications, and a secure perimeter is out of thequestion.So, I'm afraid, are those two Centuries you were supposed to get."There was a stony silence, as the leaders of A Century realized that they had just been condemned todeath; then a sigh of acceptance.The warcar commander looked slightly abashed."The first casualty of war is always the battle plan,' " Eric quoted."How's the general offensive going?"He produced a flat silver flask, took a sip and handed it around."Extraordinary, really.We saw the barrage start, it lit the whole southern horizon, thousands of gunslined up hub to hub.The Air Corps caught their planes on the ground around Tiflis; since then theTac-Air johnnies've been all over them like, pardon the expression, flies on a cowflop.Fighter-bombers,ground-attack, mediums; cannon, guns, rockets, napalm, cluster bombs, fuel air bombs, and for all Iknow, ginger-beer bottles.You can watch it all like a map.Extraordinary!"Then the Janissaries hit them south of Tiflis and Batumi; they re already backpedalling, with us at theirrear.The Janissaries are piling up bodies in waves, but keep coming."They all nodded; not surprising, given their indoctrination& and the Security Directorate machine-gundetachments at their backs. 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