Norsemen!

Yngvilder felt her plane jerk roughly just as a black puff of smoke blew up to her right. More black puffs made it feel like she was in a truck on a bumpy road.

“FLACK!”

“Raven four! This is Raven One, head back, reverse heading.” She yelled into the radio.

The anti aircraft became thick with black puffs of smoke shrouding them even as they turned.

“Raven four! Did you get the report back to the rear?”

“Affirmative, Raven one. Message sent.”

She felt some relief knowing that they got the information back telling them the Greeks are on the move.

“Raven four! Bring to a heading of zero-two-zero degrees then release your bombs!”

“Roger.” Came the reply.

She could see the bombs being dropped but knew it was only a token attack and would not cause much damage. The only sanctification was the thought that the Greeks knew they were here.

“I’M HIT! I’M HIT!” A mans voice on the radio yelled.

She looked to the side and saw one of her fighters in flames going down slowly, trailing black smoke behind it.

“Raven one, two of our bombers are down!”

OH CRAP, she thought. She knew they had to break up and fly defensive.

“This is Raven one...break up...fly defensive but break up and get further away from each other.”

They had to fly zig zag for the next thirty to forty minuets until they were clear of the enemy anti aircraft guns then reform.

“This is Raven leader....did we loose any?”

“Raven four....we have one bomber damaged and smoking but I think they will make it to the field.”

“Roger....Raven one are we still here?”

“Scout to Raven Leader, we are still here, no damage.”

Gunny was in the State house listening to the radio reports of the flight when Skipper came in, his arms full of paperwork.

“Gunny! Did you hear the reports on the Greeks?” He said excitedly, pilling the papers onto the conference table. In the back ground they could hear the radio operators speaking loudly.

“Yes. I heard and I’m all packed for the airfield. Heading south to one of the advanced fields.”

“CRAP! So you want ME to run everything back here?” He stood looking at him. “Do you have ANY IDEA how difficult it is back here?”

“I know, that’s why I sent for General Jackson to help you out. He has a handle on everything and will be here in about an hour.” Gunny slung his small pack onto his back then stopped, looking around the State house as if it would be his last.

“Good luck...I really think we will need it this time old man.” Skipper said as he sat.

“OH! Before I forget. Do you remember that First Sergeant that got the Saxons off their butt, got them moving towards the Greeks last time? First Sergeant Bjorn was his name.” Skipper nodded he did.

“I forgot all about that young man. We need to promote him to, at least major and give him his own Battalion.”

“Sounds reasonable, I’ll get on it today.” Skipper said.

“And!” The Skipper added. “That team of Hard Corps you used to have, remember them? Yngvildr’s people?” Gunny cocked his head.

“Well, your wife made them Special Operations. Kind of a behind the line recon team. Jackson wanted to use them for sabotage.”

“WOW! Yeah, OK. Have Jackson take hold of it and see if they can do some real damage.”

Gerhold had his entire army on line after he got messages from the State house about the Greek march. He was at a table in a tent just behind his lines going over a map deciding where to deploy the reinforcements and tanks he just off loaded from the rail head. He had thirty seven aircraft, all fighters, no bombers that he was using for scouting. Skipper wanted to know his main strength in the last message, with reinforcements. He had his officers making a count while he waited on them in the tent near the radio.

“Sir!” A Colonel entered the tent in his new uniform......he was told by Gunny, he could make his uniforms anyway he wanted but to keep in mind camouflage. The colonel was wearing a dark brown uniform with the same cut as Gunny’s troops. They also had the steel helmet Gunny produced that protected against over head blast as well as small arms. And the machine guns he traded for were something of a miracle.....brand new, light weight and he was told they fire seven hundred rounds a minuet, not to mention the new artillery!

“We have a head count,” he handed Gerhold a piece of paper.

“One hundred and sixty-eight thousand?” Gerhold said with a smile.

“I did not think we had that many! I’m impressed!” He looked at the Colonel. “So ALL the provinces mustered for this one I see.”

“I hope the Saxons on our flank did as well,” he sat at the small field table and poured himself some ale.

“Sir! The report you asked for.” A messenger handed King Oswald a piece of paper.

It read that his forces numbered one hundred- thirty-eight thousand Saxons. Not as much as he expected but quit a force. Especially with all the tanks, artillery and weapons he traded for from Gunny. He stood next to the messenger in his forest green uniform thinking of his air craft. He did not have near enough at only twenty five. He would have to use them sparingly and for scouting only until his factories could put more on the line.

“Skipper!” A radio man yelled out from his small alcove. “I have a message from the British, sir!” He handed the paper to him. “From a Major John Welch?”

“OH YEAH!” Skipper jumped the the radio man and took the message.

‘Gunny! We got the information on the Greek army heading north. I have mobilized our forces and we can send over two hundred and fifty-three thousand troops, fully equipped. Our factories have been working over time. We will need help in shipping.....two hundred sixty-eight tanks, one hundred thirty-nine pieces of artillery and we will fly our air-corps over....six hundred fighters and fifty-three twin engine bombers. Sorry to say we did not adopt your steel pot. We went with our old stand by, the Tommy helmet. See you in a few days.’

“HOLY COW!” Skipper stood there with his mouth open. He turned to General Jackson and handed him the message.

“Get this message out to the Gunny, NOW!” General Jackson said with a smile. “I wonder what their planes look like? The Spits or the Hurricane?” He chuckled.

“And how many bombers?” Jackson asked.

Skipper looked at the message again,“Fifty-three!”

“More then we have and I bet you they resemble the old Lancaster bombers too.”

“Yep. And I’ll bet they have Tommy uniforms!” Skipper laughed.

“Things seem to be coming into place, Skipper,” Jackson said as he read more messages.

“You bet they are!” Skipper was beside himself.

“Did we ever get any word on the few French forces we have down there?” Jackson asked.

“No. Not a peep. But not to worry, the Saxons have that area covered and we can always deploy the Brits down there if need be.”

“I was thinking of sending them straight there as soon as they off load.” Jackson said as he sat. “I have several designated areas of operation Major Welsh can use, and....there are several forward airfields there also.” He turned to the radio man.

“Contact Major Welsh and ask him, at his pleasure, would he deploy at these coordinates.” He gave the operator a set of numbers from the map.

“Skipper! Can you get with the Navy and see how many troop ships we have available for the Brits? We need to send them right away.”

“I’ll get right on it, Jackson. Won’t be until tomorrow I can say that for sure.” Skipper wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to a radio operator.

“Message sent.”

“SIR!” An operator sounded excited. “Message from the Germans! Classified URGENT!” He handed it to Jackson.

Jackson’s face seemed to frown as he read it, then he looked at the Skipper, handing him the paper.

’From: General Gerhold

Subject: Immanent attack

The Greeks have launched an attack on our main line in Saxony from Oldenburg to Nienburg. Saxony not in radio contact. Air scouts report major movement by Greek north west towards coast.′

“The coast?” Skipper scratched his head.

“Could be heading for the Netherlands sea port.” Jackson went to the map on the wall.

“Doesn’t Saxony control that?” the Skipper asked.

“Yes they do!” Jackson ran his finger over the map. “And the Germans are too damn far away to reinforce them from where they are and the Greeks know it.”

“If they take that port we will loose the south west area resupply!”

“Yes we will.” Jackson jumped to the radio operator, scribbled a message and handed it to the operator. “Send this priority and coded.”

“What’s on your mind , Jackson?” Skipper asked.

“If the Saxons can hold for twenty-four hours, we can land the entire Brit landing force right there at that port.” He smiled. ’I will let Major Welsh know and he can send in his air-corps today to help the Saxons. It’s a bit further south than I had planned though but it will have to do.”

Jackson stepped back still looking at the map on the wall.

“What are the Greeks after there. Can’t be the port, there are several ports south of that area they can take with ease.” He rubbed his chin in thought.

“Lelystad! A sea port there. We abandoned it because it was too difficult to get out of if attacked, but great on defense. We just didn't have enough troops to defend it.” He stood with folded arms looking at that point on the map. “If they take it....it would be hell dislodging them from that position. BUT! It’s a hell of a defensive position.”

He paced back and forth in front of the map.

“What would they want that for?” He kept asking himself as Skipper looked on.

“They can use it for a build up? Well...no! It is to open for that and we would attack it with everything we have and they know it.” He paused. “Besides, we still own that area with the Saxons holding it right now.”

“I believe the Saxons are down to Calais,” the Skipper said. “With light forces down to Dieppe.”

“Would they be trying to cut the English channel?” He looked at the Skipper. “What do you think, Skipper? If they take Lelystad, do you think they could cut access of the channel from there?"

"If they get those damn dreadnoughts in there it's possible."

"Well...." Jackson still paced back and forth. "I think that is very possible but!" He turned looking at the Skipper.

"WE have the Brits and six hundred fighters, fifty-three bombers AND our new dive bombers." He smiled.

"Remember the battle of Midway?" He raised his eyebrows. "It was the U.S.Navy airplanes that won that battle!"

“As they say in England....“Jackson smiled. “Tally-ho!”