Norsemen!
Chapter Eleven

Major Welsh had flown back to the State house for a briefing with Ygnvilder on the upcoming raid in the south. He brought several of his high ranking officers with him so they would get first hand information to pass to their flights. Yngvilder was exhilarated at the thought of hitting the Greeks from the air, it would be the first time they used their bombers in actual combat, and this thrilled Welsh. Her attitude with these pilots was contagious, he could see that her attitude stimulated the other pilots greatly.

"We will meet over these coordinates at zero five tomorrow morning, ladies and gentlemen!" She said firmly, looking at each one in their eyes.

"Are there any questions?" She asked.

"Only one, sir!" One of the senior pilots from Major Welsh's flight said.

"How can we scavenge the dead Greeks from the air?" Everyone chuckled.

She smiled broadly.

"Good luck airmen and lets give them hell, shall we?" She said.

Gunny landed his plane, taxiing it to the flight line where the ground crew was waiting and turned the engine off. His had to adjust to the quiet for several moments from the noise of the engine for the last few hours. As he got out of the cockpit he could feel his hip joints ache from sitting so long and grunted as he jumped from the wing. He was feeling his age as well as the last war that took so much out of him and knew his flying days were coming to an end. He consoled himself with the thought of recreational flying, that might have to do for him now days.

"Sir!" A Major saluted as he stood by the flight shack. "I have a car waiting to take you to the State house."

"Thank you, Major." He got into the back seat of what looked like a cross between a model 'T' and a nineteen-forty Buick.

The ride though the town was interesting since he had not been here after the mobilization, it seemed nearly quiet and empty. But still shops were open and people walked the streets, mostly older people and children. There were a few cars and trucks on the cobble stoned roads but those were the locals still doing business, he saw only very few military vehicles. The town had been emptied from the recall. However, the closer he got to the State house the busier it became.

As they neared the State house he saw what looked like the New York subway during rush hour. Cars, trucks, motorcycles and people were going into or out of the building, runners carrying dispatches and officers and staff going or coming. The noise was so great he had to raise his voice to the Major to say thank you for the ride as he exited and walked up the steps, saluting every second of the way. He noticed two guards at the entrance way at attention. He stopped to each one and shook their hand letting them know they were doing a great job, then entered the large double doors.

It looked like mass confusion there were so many people there and all were talking at the same time. He removed his cap to make his way to the rear where he knew he could find the Skipper and Jackson. He saw members of every nation and province present in a variety of uniforms,mostly he had never seen before but he was impressed with their style. None were as gaudy as the Greek, but were unembellished in decorations and color. Ordinary soldiers uniforms he thought.

'GUNNY!" General Jackson yelled over the den of noise as he jumped to shake his hand. "Are we glad to have you back!"

"Gunny!" Skipper yelled from across the conference table with a smile.

He made his way to the table with Jackson at his side.

"OK. Give me a brief, brief." He said as he sat with a grunt.

"OK!" Skipper went to the map on the wall, pushing several aids to the side.

"We defeated the Greeks on our first attempt at Hannover, the Germans and a battalion of ours ripped open their lines in a surprise attack, pushing them for about sixty miles until they regrouped." He traced the map with his finger.

"We are about here," he pointed to a spot on the map. "Near Bielfeld, where the Greeks stop our advance."

"We were only stopped because our supply could not keep up. If not for that we could have gone another one hundred miles." Jackson said.

"We have to work on field logistics then," Gunny said tiredly.

"Where is Yngvildr?" He asked.

"She and most of the pilots and planes are heading south right now on a bombing mission I wanted to brief you on," Skipper said as he sat next to him.

"OH!" Gunny looked surprised. "Do yo have contact on the radio?"

"Yes and they and the Brits just linked up at the rally point and are on their way to the target." Jackson said as he went to the map.

"Right about here," he pointed at the map then traced his finger down south. "They will head south-south west to here, then drop their loads." He turned to the Gunny.

"We have fifty of the Brit bombers and all of our bombers in the flight."

"How many bombers do we have left?" He asked.

"Eighteen." Skipper said. "We lost a few on that scouting mission last week."

"Well. Let's hope they can slam the Greeks with this and we don't loose too many planes in the act." Gunny took a deep breath.

"You said one of our battalions were used to reinforce the Germans in that attack?" Gunny asked.

"Yes, lead by a Major Bjorn, I think his name was." Jackson said.

"That sounds familiar." Gunny took out his not book from his left breast pocket and flipped through it.

"OH YES!" He said as he looked at a page. "He was a First Sergeant that lead the Saxons to victory in the last war and I promoted him. I remember this man."

Skipper started going through a mound of papers in front of him while Jackson read messages and poured over the map.

"I will have to keep my eye on this Devil Dag." Gunny said to himself.

Oswald received word for his lines to advance towards Frankfort until he contacts the enemy them report in. So far he had seen very little of the Greeks in this war but he knew, from the last war, he would not have to wait very long to engage. As they moved forward he made sure his communication stayed intact with both flanks as well as his rear for the supply. Tanks were in his center and the artillery had been limbered, moving forward as well. In his front he made sure skirmishers were present to report any contact.

There was yelling from his right, as if someone had been surprised and screamed. Then he heard deep rumbling of engines and , looking up, he saw a dozen planes inbound for right flank.

"Breakout the anti-air guns!" He yelled but it took several minuets to set them up.

Glancing up, he could see small black dots being dropped from the planes. As they hit, explosions erupted in dark clouds in the distance. It was too far away for him to feel the concussion more than just a slight push of air, but he knew his right was getting hit by enemy air.

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He heard small arms firing, infantry, at the dodging aircraft then a few machine guns that someone set up in a hasty defense. His anti aircraft guns took too long to set up, he thought, he would have to do something about that.

As fast as it had begun, it was over and the enemy planes were gone leaving smoldering remains of several vehicles with dead and wounded troops. He had to think of a way to get those AA guns set up a lot quicker. The it hit him!

Why not just put them onto a truck and have the crews ride in the back instead of having the truck pull them. The guns would always be ready at a moments notice. He turned to his aid and scribbled out a message to have this done immediately.

Major Welsh was in the pilots seat of his fighter when he heard the bomber report they were nearing the target and for the escorts, his fighters, to break and start looking for enemy planes.

"Flight leader to all pilots...break, break. Come around to above and behind the bombers."

Yngvilder brought her flight of twenty- three planes above, behind and to the left side of the bombers as she scanned the sky for enemy planes.

"Coming up on target," the lead bomber said on the radio. "Stand by!"

Several seconds went by as they waited for the lead bomber to drop his bombs, then all the others would release their at the same time.

"TARGET! BOMBS AWAY!"

She could see hundreds of bombs being dropped by all the bombers and with this many it would be absolute hell down there she thought.

"Coming to a heading of zero-three-zero," the lead bomber reported.

"Roger," Major Welsh said as he slowly banked his brown colored Spitfire. Looking out the side he saw dozens of Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes following.

"MULTIPLE BOGIES....FIVE O'CLOCK LOW!" Someone shouted in the radio.

Yngvilder looked to her left rear but had to bank her plane to see below and there she saw them. It looked like an entire air-force coming up for them!

"Lads! Stay together until they get close...stay calm." Major Welsh said calmly into his radio.

"It appears to be more than I can count,lads, so we will have our choice of targets." He chuckled, hoping it would calm his pilot.

"Tally HO!" Someone said making Yngvilder smile. These Brits had a very calm way about them she thought.

"OK Devil Dogs,"she said calmly, copying Major Welsh. "Let them come to us, don't dive!"

"Bombers, climb and make for home." Major Welsh said as he led his flight straight towards the enemy aircraft.

"Roger, Leader one. Good luck!"

"Here they come!" Someone shouted in the radio.

"GET SOME! GET SOME!" Another yelled as tracer fire erupted across the sky.

Yngvilder banked her plane right as a Greek plane tried to nose up and spit fire into her. Hitting hard left ruder, she spun around on it's tail giving it a long burst. It's wing disintegrated.

She could her thunks from being hit but her controls seemed all right for the moment. Banking again she got another enemy plan in her sights, pulling the trigger it, too burst in flames.

"These Greek planes seem not to take damage too well," she thought as she climbed again.

"Devil Dog Leader. This is Devil Dog six. The Greek planes are breaking away."

Major Welsh banked his Spitfire to the left, looking for what he heard on the radio but there were still a few enemy planes that want to fight. The majority seemed to have had enough and are making a retreat. After several more minuets the skies were clear of enemy planes and they were searching for the bombers.

"Any sight on the bombers?" He asked in the radio.

"I have them." A voice said. " Come to a course heading of zero-two-five, altitude, three thousand."

He searched the sky above him until he saw the tiny spots above distant clouds.

"Close it up,lads." He said. "Rally on the bombers."

"Head count, all pilots report in by number." He said calmly into the radio.

"Not bad for our first en-mass encounter with the Greek air force!" Yngvilder said into the radio and it brought out many other excited voices.

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