Rescued at last?
13 July 1940 – undisclosed location near the temporary HQ, 2nd Corps, 1th Fieldarmy at Fuuka
Luca’s nerves where barely holding together. First the British patrol and now more jeeps on their way? Just who where these men quickly driving towards their location? Luca just hoped it was the sound of some of those Willy’s Jeeps they captured from the Brits before. He knew some of the Bersaglieri where quite fond of the robust vehicles. However, the British SAS made extensive use of them too. Just who where these mystery-men? For now the only thing he could do was buy more time for reinforcements to arrive and pray the men speeding to their position where Italian by chance.
The versatile Willy's Jeep. Produced in the US, but shipped to Great-Britain as part of Lend-Lease. Italian troops made extensive use of captured vehicles to complement their own lacking supply.
A few more tantalising minutes passed, as the British soldiers assaulting his position where coming closer and closer. Luca knew his ruse wouldn’t last, by now the British soldiers must have figured out that the post might not be as heavily guarded as they might have inbitially thought. Thoughts ran through Luca’s mind. If the British soldiers came closer, what should he do? Try to escape in their unreliable lorry, try to make lieutenant Nasser escape on the remaining motorcycle, or just surrender? The sound of the jeeps suddenly stopped and men where clearly stepping out of the vehicles. Luca heard shouts, but couldn’t figure out in which language. Suddenly flashes broke the darkness, the men in the vehicle where definetly not British. Luca heard more shouting and the screams of wounded soldiers. Then finally he recognised the shouts as Italian. Where they saved?
The fighting lasted for a few more minutes. Apparently it was simply a small British partol that had stumbled upon their location. A few men run towards their location, dressed in strange uniforms. Only when they came closer he recognized the uniforms as those of the Blackshirts, the paramilitary branch of the Fascist Party. Strange, Luca thought all Blackshirt-divisions where currently in Ethiopia, trying to stall the British invasion of Italian East-Africa.
The man obviously in charge of the Blackshirts started to adress Luca and his men:
“You did well, soldiers of the Empire. You have defended the Lieutenant well, but we can handle it from here.”
“Very well, commander, and thanks again for your assistance”, Luca smiled while adressing the leader of the Blackshirts. He stretched his hand towards the man, as to shake his hand. The commander reached out his hand in reaction. The suddenly Luca grabbed the mans wrist, wrenching it to the mans back. At the same time he pulled out his revolver and aimed it at the mans head, all while putting the mans body between himself and the other Blackshirts.
“Everyone, aim your weapons at these men!”
The commanders reaction changed from total surprise to anger,
“are you totally insane, we just saved your skin?”
Luca smiled,
“you forgot three things commander. First off all, I know for a fact there are no Blackshirts active in Egypt. Secondly, it is very suspicious indeed that you just happened to be in the neighbourhood, middle in the night and in the middle of nowhere. Those where your own faults.”
“And the third?”, the man was obviously upset at having his mistakes pointed out to him. “The third” Luca smiled as he spoke
“My brother just happens to be aide-de-camp to the Prince d’Aosta. You shouldn’t be too urprised if he told me some dirty little secrets.”
In the distance the sound of vehicles was once again recognisable, only this time it was the creaking sound of the antiquated lorries used by the Regia Escercito. Luca, his men and the lieutenant Nasser made it through the night. Luca was grateful his brother couldn’t hold all those secrets just to himself. He just hoped he could put an end to all this infighting between the factions within the Party, Italy couldn’t afford those distractions.
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And so ends the adventure of Luca Canevari. Just what will the future hold for him?
The next update will deal with the crisis the USS Ranger caused. Prepare to see the results of the battle of Egypt and a large part of the battle of the Med.