Three Kings

“There we are,” said Wavell. “A rescue operation for General O’Connor, and a new ship for His Majesty’s Fleet. I’d say that is a favorable turn of affairs given all this bad news of late. As for this search and rescue operation, I have a man I should like you to meet, Admiral Volsky, a man named Vladimir Peniakoff. We call him Popski, as most have trouble with his real name. He’s a bit of a self styled soul, expert in special operations in the desert, and he has a private little army of like minded fellows that may come in very handy during this mission you are planning.”

“Excellent,” said Volsky. “We would be honored to operate with him, and it will serve to solve the communication issue between our people and yours. Our Mister Nikolin here will be needed aboard my ship, so perhaps this man of yours can accompany our team and serve as a guide and liaison with your own forces.”

“My thoughts exactly,” said Wavell. “Popski is fluent in English, and a very useful man. I know your people must be very capable, but there are many hazards in the desert that can trip the best of men up if they are not aware of them. Popski knows the desert very well, and I would feel much better to have a man like that on your team. I will make the arrangements. Might I have him sent aboard your ship?”

“Certainly,” said Volsky, and the matter was settled.

“Now all we have to worry about are those damnable Fallschirmjagers over Malta.”

“Fallschirmjagers?” Admiral Volsky tried to repeat the word, though he mangled it a bit as he did so

“The German word for Paratroops,” said Fedorov. “It loosely translates as ‘Parachute Hunters,’ but I have always called them the Hunters from the Sky. They are elite troops, and the garrison on Malta will have a hard time if the Germans throw their entire 7th Flieger Division at the island. Malta had only one Brigade in defense in late 1940…” He stopped himself, realizing he was rambling on, and referring to present events as past history. Wavell could not help overhearing him, picking up the Russian easily.

“You seem to be very well versed in military matters and up to date on current intelligence,” he said to Fedorov. “We’ve only just confirmed that the German 7th Flieger Division went operational. Now I’m afraid they’ve gone an done exactly as you suggest and thrown the whole division at Malta. We have some good men there, but only four or five battalions and too few fighters and anti-aircraft guns to hold off the Luftwaffe. This is the second time Jerry has surprised us, and caught us unprepared to make a good showing. I know our boys will fight, but frankly, I give them no more than a week, and until we settle this naval business, there is no hope of sending them any reinforcements.”

“Agreed sir,” said Fedorov. “Yet in one respect, we may look at this as a bit of a godsend. Had you sent the 2nd New Zealand and 6th Australian Divisions off to Greece, your situation now in Libya would be very much in jeopardy.”

“I’m inclined to believe things hang in the balance even with those good divisions still in hand.”

“Might I ask what your plan is, General?” Fedorov knew he was being presumptuous. Here he was, a Captain in the Russian Navy trying to stir the borscht with the Theater Commander of the entire Middle East. Yet Wavell was most gracious in responding.

“To be frank about it, we won’t stop this General Rommel in Libya. I’ve ordered the entire Western Desert force to withdraw to Tobruk. If we can’t hold there, then it’s back to our positions near Bardia andSollum on the Egyptian border.”

“Then you’ll abandon Tobruk?” Fedorov knew the British held on to that key fortress in the withdrawal.

“Not bloody likely. We’ll hold it as long as we can. It will be a difficult decision should it come to a siege. I’ll have to leave the 6th Australian Division there. The Aussies were a leg division, and we had them well to the west when this German counteroffensive began. Thank God for the Italian trucks and fuel we captured on the way over, or we would have never been able to get those boys back to Tobruk. The 6th Division would have had to foot it over a hundred miles from their present position, and with enemy tanks nipping at them like a pack of wolves the whole way. So I pulled them into Tobruk. Now, however, most of those trucks have empty fuel tanks or broken axles after the mad dash to the east. If need be, we can get them out by sea, but it is my preference that they hold on there as long as possible. We’ll cover their desert flank, if feasible.”

“Tobruk is certainly a port of great strategic value,” said Fedorov. “That and the best airfield in North Africa at ElAdem make it a prize worth holding, and it will tie down an entire Italian Infantry Corps if Rommel wants to move east towards Egypt.”

“Precisely,” said Wavell. “My, you are well versed in military matters. May I ask if you have served in the Russian Army?”