“I think you will find that room service is somewhat below its usual self today.” The Ambassador’s voice was droll. “The staff will also be celebrating. The working people of this country have little enough time off; perhaps we should let them enjoy it?”
Hull bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “A considerate thought, madam. How did you know my preferred brands of cigars and whisky?”
“I am expected to know such things. But, we did include one thing that is perhaps a little undiplomatic. We understand your father made his own whiskey, so we included a bottle of the whiskey we brew here. We thought you might like to compare the products of our moonshiners with yours.”
Hull chuckled delightedly. “An excellent idea, madam. Perhaps, when I return home, I could send you some jars of… ”
He was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. He picked it up, listened for a few seconds and then handed the receiver over. “It is your office, Madam Ambassador. They apologize, but say it is very urgent.”
The Ambassador took the receiver and listened carefully. Her face froze into an expressionless mask. Eventually, she put the receiver down and spoke, slowly and carefully, with a complete lack of intonation. “We have just received the promised reply to your diplomatic initiative from the French authorities in Indochina. Four French Farman bombers have just dropped ten tons of bombs on the border town of Aranyaprathet. The bombs hit the marketplace that was crowded with people celebrating Christmas. There are many killed and wounded; how many, I do not yet know. Please excuse me, Mister Secretary, I must go there immediately.”
“May I come with you?” Hull was shocked by the news. If what I have just been told is true, it puts an entirely new slant on the whole situation. This is what the Japanese are doing in China.
The Ambassador hesitated, slightly confused by the sudden change in events. She had been expecting a French-inspired incident, ever since Hull had sent his diplomatic message to Hanoi a week earlier. She had not expected a bombing raid on Christmas Day. Once again, she marvelled at the way the French authorities appeared to be cooperating with their own destruction. “I think so. I’ll have to arrange fighter escort for the transport aircraft, if you are on board.”
She picked up the telephone again and dialled a number; speaking quickly once the receiver had been lifted at the other end. Listening, Hull caught the change in her voice. The polite, deferential tone was dropped and orders were snapped out. He had noticed this before with Thai women; once, in a very rare while, their mask of polite deference dropped and they gave orders that were to be obeyed. Things were not as they seemed on the surface; Hull was the happier for knowing that.
“There will be a Boeing 247 waiting for us at Don Muang. It is being loaded with emergency medical supplies for Aranyaprathet. The seats are being taken out so it can carry more. We will have to sit on the boxes. I hope that is all right? Also, our elite fighter squadron, FKP60, is getting three of its Hawk 75 fighters flown here to escort us, as soon as they can get the pilots in from their leave. We will depart as soon as they arrive.
“Sitting on the boxes will be fine, Madam.” Hull hesitated. “May I use the telephone, please? I wish to call our Consulate and arrange for the United States to donate some additional aid to the victims at Aranyaprathet.”
Suriyothai nodded. “That is a very kind gesture, Mister Secretary. On behalf of my people, I thank you.” Inwardly, Suriyothai felt a fierce glee. One more piece had just fallen into place.
“Christmas presents, Archie.” Maitland Wilson had a beaming smile on his face. “Lots of Christmas presents.”
“Do tell, Jumbo. What have we got?”
“Well, from 6th Australian we have Bardia. The Italian garrison capitulated last night. According to Division, they’ve captured seven acres of officers and 22 acres of other ranks. We’re pushing 200,000 prisoners now; how we’re going to feed them all, I don’t know. Then, we have a nice package from 7th Armoured Division. They have surrounded Tobruk, while their flying column has seized Beda Fomm. The whole of the Italian North African Army is now surrounded in Cyrenaica with their ports of supply either captured or under siege.
“Let’s see, what else have we? Oh yes, Andy Cunningham has reported in. The Navy really did give the Italians a trousering in the Strait of Otranto. Sank a battleship, four cruisers and five destroyers, with another battleship and two more destroyers badly hurt. We lost a destroyer and three aircraft, with a cruiser and another destroyer in a bad way. The Italian convoy got scuppered; at least a dozen merchant ships sunk and more damaged. Bill Slim’s Indians have broken through at Keren and are advancing quickly on Asmara. We’ll have Eritrea wrapped up in a day or so. Ethiopia? Well, the South Africans are advancing on Addis Abeba from the south and the Indians from the north. We’re expecting one or both to get there in a day or so. Kenya is cleared; all the Somalilands are occupied. It’s a clean sweep, Archie. In two weeks, we’ve pretty much destroyed the Italian position in North and East Africa.”
Wavell stood and stared at the map on the wall of his office, a great sense of relief pervading his soul. The tremendous gamble he had taken had paid off. Egypt was secure. That meant the Noth Plan had taken a serious blow, with its southern supporting thrust neutralized. After losses like the ones the Italian Army had taken, they wouldn’t be going anywhere for a long time.
“I got a message from London, Jumbo. Very impolite one, as it happens. According to London, all our operations here are in defiance of their specific orders and contravene common sense.”
“Well, Archie, we can’t really disagree with the first part and Operation Compass in particular does look insane, unless one realizes that only armored and motorized units matter in desert warfare. So I would say That Man has a point, so far.” Maitland Wilson beamed owlishly at Wavell.
“Perhaps, Jumbo; perhaps. But he demands we cease operations immediately before, and I quote, ‘you are sent running like rats.’ End of quote. It looks like the final break with London is very near.”
“Rats, eh. That explains something; the contents of that telegram must have leaked out. Have you seen the new insignia for aircraft?” Wavell shook his head. Maitland Wilson produced a series of pictures.
“Basically, the Commonwealth nations have agreed on new markings for our aircraft. We’re all keeping the traditional blue, white and red roundel, but replacing the red dot in the middle with a stylized red symbol for each nation. A maple leaf for Canada, a gazelle for South Africa, a kangaroo for Australia, a kiwi for New Zealand, a Chakra for India and so on. And, for us…”
Maitland Wilson held up the picture. “A jerboa. We’re now officially the Desert Rats.”
“There is a motorized column approaching.” Subedar Shabeg Singh spoke thoughtfully. “I might suspect it was Italian, since Sululta is of critical importance, but I might also think that care is of the highest importance here. We are drawn to Sululta for the same reasons that the Italians would wish to defend it, but those same reasons again will draw the South Africans here.”
4th Battalion of the 11th Sikh Regiment was on a small hill, just over a mile from the town. The position towered some 200 feet over the surrounding terrain; it gave a panoramic view of the countryside. That view showed why Sululta was so important. The town was built around a five-way crossroads and had two independent sources of water. It also occupied a pass through the low mountain ridges that ran across the terrain. A combined pass, water source and communications center; that made it a worthy prize.