don't want to fight, why don't they just lie down and die?"
Throughout the area that was exactly what the Egyptians were doing. Some of them were simply collapsing behind their guns, paralyzed with fright; some were hiding; some were running. But almost none were fighting.
The officer led Israeli Army had found for its enemy an officerless rabble of young boys and tired old professionals.
And none of the boys, and few of the pros, had ever experienced a battle like this one. They were reeling in horror and despair from scenes of spurting blood and spilled guts that were all the more terrifying because they happened in the dark. And the bits and pieces of dismembered bodies flying around alerted the Arabs to their own imminent fate.
As dawn broke over the Sinai there was not a single Egyptian officer in effective command in the whole of Al 'Arish, although here and there a captain or a major, a colonel or a sergeant tried to rally around him a few Arabs in the defense of their Jihad.
A few succeeded, but these heroes died as painfully, as brutally, and as uselessly as the cowards and the sensible ones who were running for the horizon.
Casca's company played little further part in the action. The arms store was a fine place to rest but no sort of bunker to fight from. And, hell, the company had lost enough men for one day. The Egyptians were either unaware that they had occupied the building or were too busy running, hiding, and dying to care.
Only when the Arab defense positions emptied in a wholesale, every man for himself retreat, did Casca permit his troops to open fire. They sprayed the few Arabs who came close with lead, but attracted no return fire amid the general chaos. As the sun came up Casca was delighted to realize that his ammunition store had survived intact and that the fleeing Arabs were making no attempt upon it.
Over the Regimental Headquarters a large blue and white flag was rippling in the light morning breeze.
"Well, you learn all the time," he said with a laugh to Harry Russell. "The last place I'd have ever wanted to be in turns out to be the safest position there is."
Harry sat down on an ammunition case. "Yeah," he said, "it sure is an unusual sort of bunker but I like it."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Brigadier General Israel Tal invited his field officers to a working breakfast in the luxuriously appointed Egyptian general officers' dining room.
"Fruits of victory," he said ironically as he passed around a plate of fresh figs. "A brutal battle, but we have set the stage, as we planned to, for the victories that are to follow.
"I have just been advised that an Egyptian relief column is on the way here consisting of an armored brigade and a brigade of mechanized infantry." He paused for effect. "I must also tell you that we will not be waiting for them as they will not get here: They had the misfortune to encounter Avraham Yoffe's men at Bir al Lahtan." He grinned happily as his officers cheered. "So we will be pushing on immediately to Suez."
There was another general cheer. "Some of us, that is. Some of you I am sending to the assistance of General Sharon, who is about to attack Abu Agheila. He is at present, encircling the whole area, which is, as you know, an extremely complex maze of fortifications that has been built up over many years, and will not be easy to take.
"But we must have it. It commands the central axis through the Sinai. Ariel Sharon will launch a coordinated attack of infantry and armor at nightfall today. Colonel Weintraub's regiment will join him. The force will be lifted from here by helicopter."
"Sounds like a fun way to start the night," Moynihan said when Casca told him the news. "I suppose they'll put us down right in the middle of it all."
Moynihan had guessed right. The helicopters swooped into the center of a ring of fire.
General Sharon's concerted attack was occupying the Egyptians at every point of the compass. For an hour every gun that he could bring to
Throughout the area that was exactly what the Egyptians were doing. Some of them were simply collapsing behind their guns, paralyzed with fright; some were hiding; some were running. But almost none were fighting.
The officer led Israeli Army had found for its enemy an officerless rabble of young boys and tired old professionals.
And none of the boys, and few of the pros, had ever experienced a battle like this one. They were reeling in horror and despair from scenes of spurting blood and spilled guts that were all the more terrifying because they happened in the dark. And the bits and pieces of dismembered bodies flying around alerted the Arabs to their own imminent fate.
As dawn broke over the Sinai there was not a single Egyptian officer in effective command in the whole of Al 'Arish, although here and there a captain or a major, a colonel or a sergeant tried to rally around him a few Arabs in the defense of their Jihad.
A few succeeded, but these heroes died as painfully, as brutally, and as uselessly as the cowards and the sensible ones who were running for the horizon.
Casca's company played little further part in the action. The arms store was a fine place to rest but no sort of bunker to fight from. And, hell, the company had lost enough men for one day. The Egyptians were either unaware that they had occupied the building or were too busy running, hiding, and dying to care.
Only when the Arab defense positions emptied in a wholesale, every man for himself retreat, did Casca permit his troops to open fire. They sprayed the few Arabs who came close with lead, but attracted no return fire amid the general chaos. As the sun came up Casca was delighted to realize that his ammunition store had survived intact and that the fleeing Arabs were making no attempt upon it.
Over the Regimental Headquarters a large blue and white flag was rippling in the light morning breeze.
"Well, you learn all the time," he said with a laugh to Harry Russell. "The last place I'd have ever wanted to be in turns out to be the safest position there is."
Harry sat down on an ammunition case. "Yeah," he said, "it sure is an unusual sort of bunker but I like it."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Brigadier General Israel Tal invited his field officers to a working breakfast in the luxuriously appointed Egyptian general officers' dining room.
"Fruits of victory," he said ironically as he passed around a plate of fresh figs. "A brutal battle, but we have set the stage, as we planned to, for the victories that are to follow.
"I have just been advised that an Egyptian relief column is on the way here consisting of an armored brigade and a brigade of mechanized infantry." He paused for effect. "I must also tell you that we will not be waiting for them as they will not get here: They had the misfortune to encounter Avraham Yoffe's men at Bir al Lahtan." He grinned happily as his officers cheered. "So we will be pushing on immediately to Suez."
There was another general cheer. "Some of us, that is. Some of you I am sending to the assistance of General Sharon, who is about to attack Abu Agheila. He is at present, encircling the whole area, which is, as you know, an extremely complex maze of fortifications that has been built up over many years, and will not be easy to take.
"But we must have it. It commands the central axis through the Sinai. Ariel Sharon will launch a coordinated attack of infantry and armor at nightfall today. Colonel Weintraub's regiment will join him. The force will be lifted from here by helicopter."
"Sounds like a fun way to start the night," Moynihan said when Casca told him the news. "I suppose they'll put us down right in the middle of it all."
Moynihan had guessed right. The helicopters swooped into the center of a ring of fire.
General Sharon's concerted attack was occupying the Egyptians at every point of the compass. For an hour every gun that he could bring to
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