Night of the Nazi Zombies (5 page)

The pilots had obviously seen the incoming fire as the glider dropped into an even steeper angle.
 
From where the pilots were sat their view filled with light as tracer fire tore around them.
 
The landing was going to be hard and fast but the only way they could hope to avoid the bullet impacts was to get on the ground fast.
 
Only then could the soldiers on board do their job.
 
It was only a matter of seconds before touching down that the pilot operated the ‘barn door’ flaps which when lowered, made a steep, high rate of descent landing possible.
 
The sudden operation of the flaps cut the airspeed and was instantly followed by the release of the braking parachute.
 
Anything not tied down rolled across the floor as the rapid deceleration felt as though they had hit something whilst in the air.
 

Even this wasn’t enough to prevent the jarring crash though.
 
The nose wheel hit the ground first, the impact snapping it clean off and dropping the nose down to the ground.
 
The force of the wheel coming off tore a section three feet wide from the bottom of the aircraft.
 
As the rest of the glider hit the ground the sprung skid under the fuselage took the strain.
 
Luckily this part of the aircraft was almost indestructible and stopped the aircraft suffering any other major damage.
 
Without even bouncing, the glider slid across the field at great speed.
 
More holes appeared in the body of the glider as small arms fire ploughed through the thin covering of the plane, luckily none hitting the passengers.
 
After several seconds the glider bumped into the air, presumably striking something on the ground and then came down with a bump.
 
The right wing struck a tree or bush, tearing off half of the wing and spinning the fuselage around to come to a halt in the tree line.
   

The final impact folded the glider around the trees, crushing the nose, instantly killing the pilots and the sappers that were positioned close to the front of the aircraft.
 
The remainder were thrown about inside as the middle section came apart disgorging seating and equipment out onto the ground.
 
Without pausing from the crash, Smith unclipped himself, glanced around the glider and shouted his orders, “Out!”

Smith could see that the front of the glider was smashed beyond repair and there was no movement in the front third of the aircraft.
 
It wasn’t a good start but at least they were on the ground and below the elevation of the heavy anti-aircraft guns.
 
Small arms fire was one thing, but those heavy guns could cut down the rest of his unit in seconds if they could get the weapons lowered in some way.
 
Getting out of the glider was their best chance of survival.

The clicking of harnesses echoed through the groaning remains of the glider as the first dozen men clambered out of the side door and into the darkness.
 
Smith was first; brandishing is Sten MkV submachine gun in his right hand whilst hurrying the men from the door and the shredded section where the nose and centre used to be joined.
 
If nothing else the crash had given them additional ways to exit the glider!
 
Smith counted them out.
 
Each man took up positions a short distance form the glider, watching carefully for the enemy whilst also keeping their heads down and in cover.
 
Lieutenant Harvey stepped out, putting his hand on Smith’s shoulder.
 
Smith responded.

“We’ve lost eight.
 
Two shot on the way down, plus the pilots and the sappers bought it in the landing, Sir.”

“Spread out and secure the landing zone, Sergeant.”

Smith nodded in acknowledgement, as he turned he remembered one last thing, “Oh, and Johnson has got framing stuck in his shoulder, he’s pinned inside but stable.”

As he moved off with the men he called back, “See what you can do about Johnson...and keep your head down, Sir!”

Lieutenant Harvey climbed back inside the glider whilst Smith moved out to the rest of the men who were fanned out, forming a thin perimeter around the glider.
 
Crouching next to Mathews, the sergeant checked his map.
 
Corporal Mathews moved over to check on the plan.

“How bad does it look?”

“Pretty bad, we’re a good way off track, looks like we’re at the wrong river.
 
Some arsehole dumped us early.”

“Bugger.
 
Dumped is probably the right word then,” replied Mathews with a sarcastic smirk.

“We need to get to the bridge, and fast, or we’re going to be a plane short for the attack.
 
Are they ready?”

Mathews nodded.

“Good.
 
Get everything you can out of the glider and see if Harvey needs any help with Johnson.
 
We need him on a stretcher and ready to move right away.”

Smith squinted, looking off to a distant building.
 
He was certain he could see something up ahead.
 
Was it a vehicle or an animal of some kind?
 
There was a flicker of light.

“What’s that?”

Mathews turned only to be spun around from a series of bullet impacts.
 
The line of rounds cut from his waist right up to his throat.
 
The exit wounds sprayed blood, some of it hitting Smith.
 
Without hesitation he dropped immediately to the ground as more rounds hit around the glider.
 

“Incoming, get down!” shouted Smith.

The horizon lit up with a multitude of flashes from rifles and machineguns.
 
The movement Smith had spotted was obviously a military unit and the position that the British troops found themselves in was not a good one.
 
With the crashed glider to their backs the soldiers were left exposed in the open field with only light scrub and thick grass around them.
 
The only saving grace was that the field hadn’t been farmed recently so they wouldn’t have to slog through mud.
 
Behind the glider, the cover was better but would leave the Germans with the initiative.

Signalling to the men, Smith ordered some of the riflemen and the Bren gunner to put down covering fire.
   
He called to the others.

“When we start the assault I want you to get ahead to the low fence and support us with close fire.”

The men nodded in acknowledgement.
 
The British trained in a bizarre ritual known as the Mad Minute, something that had passed on from the Great War.
 
It used to be where they would fire fifteen aimed bullets into a target at three hundred yards within one minute.
 
Many riflemen could average twenty five shots, while others yet could make near an incredible forty shots.

Keeping low, these men with the highly accurate Lee Enfield No.4 rifle put down a continuous rain of accurate shots.
 
The bolt-action rifles were famed for their fast actions and in seconds the Germans were forced to halt their attack.
  
The Bren gunner fired short, accurate bursts and supported the fire of the riflemen. The other paratroopers, along with Smith, advanced in a loose skirmish line through the field.
 
Keeping their heads down they made slow progress across the field but the supporting fire kept the enemy busy.
 
The poor light and the confusion on the part of the Germans, the incoming fire hit all around the glider but not the paratroopers.
 
Within two minutes the ten soldiers had crept to within one hundred yards of their position.
 
They kept low and looked to Smith for the signal.

Watching carefully, Smith observed the enemy position.
   
The actual area consisted of a large single storey building with several barns and ancillary buildings near it.
 
Out in the open was a Sdkfz 251/21 Schützenpanzerwagen.
 
These halftracks had become synonymous with the German military and provided light armour and mobility for the infantry.
 
More worrying though was that this vehicle was the mit Fla MG Drilling version, the model designed for anti aircraft usage.
 
Mounted onto the vehicle was a substantial triple 20mm autocannon mount.
 
If they could reduce the elevation enough they could use this weapon against them.

Around the vehicle a dozen men were scattered taking cover behind barrels, ammunition boxes and containers or behind previously erected sandbag emplacements.
 
Smith double-checked, he couldn’t see any support weapons such as machine guns or mortars.
 
These men had the advantage of cover, armour, weapons and also knowledge of the local terrain.

Smith whispered to his tough second in command, Lance Sergeant Peters.

“Take Jones, Humphreys and Chard and to the right, we’ll hit them on the left, you will flank them and stop any escaping, we’ll drive the survivors to you.”

Peters nodded in agreement, “Sarge.”

 
He turned back and whispered to the other three men who then slipped off through the thick grass to the right.
 
Smith and the other men continued their move forwards and more to the left till they reached the cover of a broken wooden fence, marking the perimeter of part of the farm.
 
The German position was now facing long range rifle and Bren fire from their front and both sides faced two groups of British soldiers.
 

The rifle fire and suppressing fire from the Bren continued from the men positioned at the glider.
 
Smith double-checked his unit, they were ready.
 
He gave the signal and they started the assault.
 
The start of the attack was created by half a dozen Mills Grenades exploding around the line of Germans.
  
Moving quickly, Smith was over the broken fence and jogging forwards.
 
Taking cover behind a piece of old farm machinery he loosened off half the magazine at a group of confused Germans.
 
Two were killed instantly and another three tried to escape from the fire but were gut down by Smith’s colleagues.
 
They left their cover and pushed ahead.

With the fight now well and truly underway the group of riflemen and L/corporal Cable with his Bren lifted themselves up and moved forwards towards the ongoing battle.

Smith and his group had taken the first German position and were left with the seven Germans dug in around the halftrack.
 
Spreading out, the British continued putting down fire on the Germans but were now finding it hard to hit them with their reinforced cover.
 
The main assault team was now lying prone, exchanging fire between three Germans in a sandbag emplacement and another three who had retired to the cover of the large building behind the halftrack.
 
The final German was climbing up the side of the halftrack, perhaps to reach the heavy 20mm autocannons.
 
With a single crack from an Enfield No.4T sniper rifle, Private Trent shot the man cleanly through the throat.
 
The man tumbled to the ground, grabbing at the gushing wound.

Before the soldiers could take advantage of the situation the Germans in the building turned their almost total rout into a determined stand.
 
With a smashing of glass the Germans opened fire from two different windows.
 
To add to this, they had brought up an MG34 machinegun.
 
Within moments the MG34 was hammering the cover with 7.92mm bullets, forcing the British back to more substantial cover.

Smith, still stuck behind the farm machinery, could see the pinned soldiers a short distance to the side of the German positions.
 
With fire now coming from the sandbag emplacement and the building he needed things to change, and fast.
 
Off in the distance he could just make out Peters and his small group who had been sneaking up, closing the distance to get within grenade distance of the building.

A burst of fire from the MG34 hit just inches from Smith’s position.
 
Two of the paratroopers were cut down, the bullets punching through their cover with ease.
 
Smith was now left with just four men and they were pinned down.
 
More machinegun fire opened up as Cable and the riflemen engaged the Germans once again from the front.
 
The short, accurate bursts from the Bren gave Smith the time he needed.
 
Pulling a grenade from his jacket, he pulled the pin and waited as long as possible.
 
With a good throw the deadly weapon landed firmly in the middle of the sandbag emplacement.
  
One German spotted the bomb, but grabbed for it too late.
 
The blast sent shrapnel into both his companion whilst simultaneously tearing the man’s arm clean off.
 
Luckily for him the pain was almost nonexistent as the grenade also tore holes in his stomach and chest.
 
The other two writhed in agony, for now they were out of the fight.

Smith shouted to his group, “Come on, follow me!”
 

The sergeant and his surviving four soldiers moved forward, taking the sandbag emplacement.
 
Dropping down into cover they surveyed the scene.
 
Private Wilks, slamming in a new magazine continued putting down fire on the windows, keeping the MG34 occupied.
 
Smith grabbed another grenade and threw it, only for it to hit the wall and land just outside the window.
  
As it flashed impotently it was followed by additional explosions from the opposite side of the building.
 
The attack by Peters and his small unit had started.