CHAPTER XII
SALERNO
Events moved rapidly for Stan during the next day or so. GeneralMontgomery's Eighth Army was driving up the toe of the Italian boot,while General Clarke's Fifth Yank army was having a tough time holdingits bridgehead at Salerno. Stan was tickled when O'Malley and Allisonreturned. Arno and Tony came with them.
Colonel Benson called the boys to his headquarters. He was a very busyman. He was working twenty hours a day and lines of weariness furrowedhis face. His fighters and bombers were at last masters of the air overSalerno, but they got no rest after their victory. The Germans wereentrenched in specially prepared spots on high ground overlooking thebeaches. Artillery positions had to be blasted, and the repeated tankattacks had to be checked or the Fifth's landing force would be blastedinto the sea.
The boys entered the colonel's office. He nodded toward chairs. Whenthey were seated, he turned to Stan.
"Have you any plans for the rescue of General Bolero? We need hisknowledge of military positions behind the German lines."
Stan looked at Arno. "The plans are really Lieutenant Arno Bolero's," hebegan. "Arno and Tony are familiar with every foot of the country wheretheir father is being held. He is a prisoner in a house once owned byDon Sachetti. The Sachetti family and the Bolero family were very closefriends. Arno and Tony have spent many days at their home. If they cango with us, we will have a chance of success."
"They can go. Now what is your plan?" the colonel glanced at his wristwatch. He was to have a conference with high officers in five minutes.
"We will take one De Havilland plane. Four of us will parachute into afield at night. Here, again, the boys will know just where to land tohit a field of grain the Germans are saving for harvesting. The planewill return to base and come after us the next night. If we do not setsignal flares for landing, the plane will retire and keep watch untilforced to fly home. It will return the next night and if we do notsignal it then, it is not to try again."
Colonel Benson looked from one to the other of the boys. "I understandyou men are accustomed to such dangerous jobs. To me it seems there isabout one chance in a hundred of your even landing your parachuteforce."
"If there was an attack on the German field south of the place about thetime we arrive, we could get in easily," Stan suggested. "I haveprepared a set of maps showing good targets. The Bolero house is a hotelfor German officers."
"I'll have operations chart a raid," the colonel promised. "Now I haveto go. Lieutenant Wilson will be in command. I have given orders to havehim supplied with what he wants." He stepped around the table and shookhands with the boys. "I'm leaving this show up to you fellows. Good luckto you." He turned and hurried out of the room.
"Sure, an' that's the first time the brass hats iver turned us loose,"O'Malley said with a big grin.
"And it will likely be the last time," Allison said with a chuckle.
"We'd better be getting over to operations. Now, who's flying theMosquito?" Stan looked from Allison to O'Malley.
O'Malley swallowed eagerly. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but heturned to Allison. Allison grinned at him.
"You fly the crate, old man. I'm one blighter who wants to get even forsome of the slaps and kicks we got in that prison dog house."
"Sure, an' I'll be after flyin' her," O'Malley said. "But only becauseI'm thinkin' ye'll be needin' the best pilot in this crew at thecontrols o' that ship."
"You hate yourself, don't you?" Stan teased. "You fly her, but justremember, if you get into a dogfight and don't show up when we set offour flares, you'll get the beating of your life when we walk in." Hegrinned at O'Malley.
"I'll be right there," O'Malley promised.
All of the details had been worked out and gone over so many times bythe boys that they did not need to check again. They drew the machineguns and grenades they needed along with flares and other equipment.The supply officer got blue parachutes for them from an operating unit.
"Can't be spotted at night," he explained.
Evening was closing in by the time they had everything set. The Mosquitowas warmed up and ready. She was stripped down for carrier purposes andto enable her to handle an extra gasoline tank. The ground crews gaveher a final once-over, waved to her crew, and backed off. Stan sat upfront in the copilot's seat to see that O'Malley was not teased into afight. Allison and the Bolero brothers manned the machine guns.
O'Malley was a bit skeptical about the powers of the De Havilland, inspite of what Stan had told him. He gunned her and gave her her head.When she snapped off the ground in a manner that would have done creditto a Lightning, he began to grin and mumble to himself.
"Just don't get any wild ideas," Stan warned. They had sighted a flightof Focke-Wulf 190 fighters and O'Malley was eying the Germans with adangerous gleam in his eye.
"If they run in on us, ye can't blame me," he said sourly.
The 190 fighters tried a run at the De Havilland, but she ran away fromthem before they could begin to cut her off.
"She's so fast she keeps out of trouble," O'Malley said in disgust.
"That's just what she was built for. Every night her sisters keep Berlinawake with bombing attacks, and every night they fly materials anddispatches from England to Malta. This is something you've overlooked,Irisher." Stan chided O'Malley.
"I may be after lookin' into her doings one o' these days. Spendin'ivery other evenin' in London wouldn't be so bad," O'Malley decided.
Heading north they eased across the backbone of the peninsula which theGermans had not taken the trouble to occupy in any numbers. They movedalong while darkness settled. Arno and Tony kept a close check onlandmarks. Finally Arno called up to Stan over the phone.
"We can head west again. I have located the ridge and the mountain wewill use as a marker."
O'Malley headed the Mosquito west, letting her ease down to lowaltitude. Arno called in directions.
"We are coming to the divide. There we will follow the ridge north."
O'Malley followed instructions. As they swept up the ridge they sawbelow them a great fire, with several smaller fires breaking out nearby.
"Colonel Benson's boys have hit the flying field," Stan observed toO'Malley.
"Sure, an' I think they're over the Bolero place right now." O'Malleyjerked his head to the right. At that moment Tony's voice came in overthe intercom.
"The bombers are attacking the villa." He tried not to show hisfeelings, but the boys knew how he felt. His home was being blasted.
"The whole German staff for this area ought to be down there at thishour," Stan answered. "It's tough, but we have to do it."
"I know," Tony agreed. "If the boys catch even half the staff there,I'll be satisfied."
"Now head west again, very low," Arno ordered.
O'Malley swept lower over the darkening terrain. Stan began to wonderhow Arno was going to spot any landmarks. Hopping out into the nightwould not be so nice. There were lakes and woods and rocky ridges allover the country.
"Into the valley a point left," Arno called. "Fly low and line up on twopeaks with square tops which should be against the sky."
O'Malley and Stan peered ahead as the Mosquito dropped into a widevalley.
"There's yer peaks," O'Malley said. Stan spotted the markers as his palspoke. Two peaks with square tops loomed against the sky ahead.
"Regular gunsights," Stan said.
"Get everything ready to jump," Arno called.
Stan slapped O'Malley on the shoulder. "Be seein' you soon," he said ashe slid back to help with the guns and other things they were takingalong.
He found the boys getting set. Tony was loaded and ready to jump. Arnowas spotting his markers.
"Go!" he called.
Tony unloaded through the open hatch and disappeared into the blueblackness, followed closely by Allison. Arno nodded to Stan and Stanpiled out. As he went down into the cool night he slid his hand to therip cord. They were jumping from low altitude and there was no tim
e forfree falling. He pulled the cord and felt his chute open and snap himinto suspension. A shadowy form above him and very close told him thatArno had wasted no time in following him out of the ship.
Stan adjusted his pack and his tommy-gun for a landing. Peering down, hesaw the field they were to land on. At first he thought Arno had missedand dropped them over a lake. He could dimly see what looked likerippling waves. Then his feet touched waving grain and he eased up onthe cords to make his landing. A split second later he was down in afield of tall and ripening grain. Wadding his chute up he drew in a deepbreath. The field reminded him of Kansas with its rich, ripe smells.
A low whistle off to his right indicated one of the boys was asking fora location. Stan gave a bird call and listened. He got three answers andheard his pals working their way toward him. Twice more he gave theassembly signal. Then he noticed that the sky above and over toward thetwin peaks was lighting up with streaks and points of light. Tracerswere arcing up and over, in and out. Grimly Stan watched. Nightfighters had tackled O'Malley. He watched the battle, following theaction by the tracers and the bursts of cannonfire. Suddenly one of theplanes broke into flame. Like a torch it twisted earthward.
"Could have been a Messerschmitt," Arno spoke close beside Stan.
"It burned up like a plywood job," Allison's voice said. He spoke in hisusual unruffled drawl.
"O'Malley never would run from a fight," Stan said grimly.
"This time I think he ran," Tony cut in.
Allison laughed. "You just don't know O'Malley, old man."
"No matter what happened to O'Malley we have to get going. Lead on,Arno," Stan ordered. There was no use in going sour over what might be atough battle. They had plenty of work to do.
Arno led the way out of the wheat field. He located a thick woods andthey entered it. A few minutes of walking through tangled bushes broughtthem out on a pathway.
"This is the trail to the orchard," Arno whispered to Tony.
"There is another trail branching off, the one we used to follow when wewent swimming in the little lake below the hill," Tony said.
"That one we must find," Arno answered as he moved on.
The boys had their packs swung high on their backs. Their tommy-gunswere held ready. If the night fighters who had jumped O'Malley hadspotted the parachutes they would have given an alarm. Arno seemed to bethinking about this. He moved carefully, pausing to listen every fewyards.
Tony was bringing up the rear. He called softly to Arno. "Here is thetrail, you passed it."
They halted and went back. Arno checked the cross trail.
"Yes, this is the trail," he said.
He headed off to the right and they followed. Coming to the top of alittle hill they saw lights below, dim and shaded lights, but many ofthem.
"That is the house," Arno said.
"How far is it?" Stan asked.
"About a kilometer," Arno answered.
"Less than a mile to go. What's in between?" Stan asked.
"There is a settlement where the Sachetti farm workers used to live. Isee lights down there." Arno was bending forward, peering into thenight.
"And I hear cars and trucks," Allison added. "I'll bet the Germans havea repair depot or an assembly point down there."
"In that case the half mile between the settlement and the house will befilled with Germans," Tony said.
"One way to find out. Lead on," Stan ordered.
The little group moved slowly down the trail. After a couple of haltsArno paused and pulled the boys close to him.
"I think it best to leave the trail. Just a little way ahead it opensinto a roadway. There we should certainly run into outposts."
"We better go on until we locate them," Stan said.
"If you think that is the best way," Arno agreed.
"I'll walk ahead with you," Stan said.
They moved along very slowly, stopping every few feet to listen. Finallythey heard guttural voices in the darkness ahead. Halting, theylistened. Allison moved forward a little to try to overhear what wassaid. Soon he came back.
"This is the outpost," he whispered. "Six men and two machine guns. Theyare about to change guards." He chuckled. "And they do not expect us."
"Can we move around them?" Stan asked.
"We could, but I think we should stay. An officer is coming out toinspect the guard. He's coming from Villa Sachetti." Stan could almostsee Allison's sardonic smile. "Nice spot for a surprise party, eh?"
"Swell," Stan answered. "We'll take over the post. Allison can be thedecoy to lure the officer in close. He speaks German."
"Good, very good," Arno said eagerly. "Will we use the short knives onthem?"
"No shooting if we can help it. We'll shove in close and have a look."Stan began moving down the pathway with Allison at his side. The partykept very close together so as to be able to give signals to each otherwithout speaking.
After edging forward a short distance they were halted by a gruff laughahead. Getting down low they peered through the starlight and spottedthe sentries. They were grouped close together, four seated, twostanding. The two men standing up moved off, one to the left and one tothe right. Stan got his crew into a close huddle.
"Allison and I will do our commando stuff on the two guards walkingpost. I take the one on the right, Allison the other. You boys stayright here. We'll be back soon." Stan spoke in a low whisper.
One of the seated Germans suddenly sprang to his feet. He stood lookinginto the night toward the party of raiders. Tony started to moveforward. Stan pulled him back. The German walked up the pathway a fewfeet and halted, listening. The boys turned their faces away andremained perfectly still. After a minute or so the man went back and satdown. Stan gave Allison a signal and they moved off the pathway. Theyleft their tommy-guns and carried only their pistols, knives, and shortlengths of rope.
Stan moved silently along in a direction that would cut across the beatwalked by the sentry. Soon he spotted his man moving at a slow walkalong what appeared to be a pathway. Stan moved in and halted beside abush. There he remained without moving a muscle. The sentry had reachedthe end of his beat and was turning back. Stan ducked his head to makesure no light was reflected from his face. Tensing his muscles hewaited.
The sentry seemed to be enjoying the night. He sauntered along, hisrifle slung carelessly over his shoulder. The barrel missed Stan's headby inches as the man brushed past the bushes where he stood.Straightening, Stan leaned far forward, his arm shot out and encircledthe man's neck. At the same time his knee came up through the bushes ina smashing blow. The expert application of Stan's arm and the blow inthe spine knocked the German limp at once. He did not struggle and hecould not cry out. Stan dragged him back into the bushes, hurriedlygagged and bound him.
Moving swiftly back to the pathway he came upon the boys. Allison wasalready back, kneeling with Tony and Arno.
"Fast work," Stan whispered softly.
"He was a rotten soldier," Allison answered. "He sat down and startedremoving one boot."
"We'll close in fast but without noise. I have a hunch we'll get abreak. If two of the men should start out to check the men we disposedof, Allison and I will take them out. You boys take the other two. Makesure they don't get a chance to yell."
"They will not yell," Arno promised grimly.
The four raiders moved in on their hands and knees. They halted only afew yards from the four men. Here they waited. Finally one of the mengot up and called. He listened, then challenged his sentries again. Whenthere was no answer he caught up a rifle, snapped an order to one of theothers, and headed off down the picket line.
Instantly Allison slithered away into the night. One of the others gotto his feet grumbling loudly. He caught his rifle up and held it atready as he moved off. Stan was after him at once.
Before Stan had overtaken the guard, having allowed him to get down thepathway a little distance, so as not to arouse the two left behind, heheard sounds of scuffling. Arno and Tony h
ad not waited. They were inaction.
Stan leaped in upon the guard just as the fellow whirled around. Heknocked up the man's gun and closed with him. The German shouted oncebefore Stan could get a strangle hold upon him, then he went down,struggling wildly. He was a burly fellow with powerful arms and thicklegs. Stan was not sure that he could hold the headlock he had slid downinto a strangle grip.
They flopped and thrashed around until Stan finally worked behind theGerman and put on more pressure. After that the fellow wilted in shortorder. Stan was binding and gagging him when Arno came running to helphim.
"Did we act too quickly?" he asked in great excitement.
"A bit fast," Stan admitted, "but I have him now. He was a toughcustomer." Stan rolled the sentry into a clump of bushes and faced Arno."How did Tony make out?"
"Fine, very fine. Tony hates all Germans." Arno laughed quietly.
They moved back to the guard station and found Allison and Tony there.One glance at the two sentries Arno and Tony had silenced told Stan theywould not have to be bound or gagged. The boys had used their knivesexpertly.
"Now about the reception committee?" Allison queried softly.
"We need four helmets. I have one and there are two on the ground. Getone more," Stan ordered.
"I have it," Allison answered. "On my head."
Sure enough, Allison was wearing a German helmet. "You boys know whatthe Germans will do with us if they catch us wearing even one of theirhelmets?" Stan asked.
"The firing squad," Arno answered as he slipped one on his head.
"If the inspector's car has its lights on bright we'll have to get down.Arno and I will be out on each side as though on beat. Allison will haveto make up a challenge that will pass."
"I have their password," Allison answered. "Got it from the man whobrought up word of the inspection. He gave it to get up to the post."
"The Germans are not so smart," Tony said. "They are fools to warn theirsoldiers of a coming inspection."
Allison laughed. "The man who came up was a pal of the squad. He wastipping them off."
"There's a car coming up the road," Stan warned. "Use your tommy-guns tocover them, but no shooting unless we have to fight it out."
He and Arno moved into the darkness, leaving Allison and Tony seated onthe bench which had been used by the Germans.
"There ought to be four of us here," Tony said.
"I don't think that will make any difference," Allison said. "They'llthink the others are out on the beat."
The car came up the gentle slope slowly. It did not have its brightlights on. The slit in the headlight hood gave only a meager amount oflight and did not show more than ten feet ahead of the car. Allisonmoved several paces down the road and shouted an order in German.
The car halted and Allison shouted again, making his voice gruff. He gotthe password and snapped permission to advance. The car charged forwardin a surge of speed that made Allison leap aside.
From the darkness beside the road Stan had moved in. He saw that therewere three men in the car, counting the driver. He also saw the shadowyform of Arno closing in on the other side. A tall officer climbed out.He snapped an order at Allison. Allison backed away a few steps to allowthe other two officers to get out. Stan had moved up and Arno had a gunbarrel shoved into the neck of the driver. Tony leaped forward with hisgun ready.
"Get your hands up!" he snapped and Allison gave the same order inGerman at the same instant.
Startled grunts came from the three officers. One of them reached forhis pistol. Allison's gun barrel came down over his head and the officerpitched forward. The other two elevated their hands.
The boys closed in and took away the men's side arms. They helpedthemselves to caps and light topcoats and belts, then they bound andgagged the officers. The ranking officer, a colonel, was furious. Untilthe gag stopped his mouth he poured forth a stream of angry abuse.
With the officers laid out far back in the bushes, Arno donned thedriver's cap and jacket. They were ready for the real adventure,cracking the gates of the German prison camp.
"You know the roads, so you take over, Arno," Stan said.
"Shall we drive right through and into the front yard of the big house?"Arno asked.
"Is there a back yard?" Stan asked.
"A very spacious one, but with a high stone fence around it and only onegate, though it is a very wide gate," Arno answered.
"There is the stone passageway to the wine cellars," Tony put in.
"We don't want to be caught in any wine cellar," Allison answered.
"We have to figure on fast work. The dirty work we've done here will bediscovered within a few hours, then they'll be after us," Stan said.
"I know the house and I think I know the spot where prisoners will beheld. The Germans always take the best rooms for themselves. I thinkthey will hold my father in the servants quarters at the back of thehouse. I have even decided which room he will be given. There is onehaving no running water and very little light."
"We'll have a look there first," Stan said. "If we park in the backwe'll be near to those rooms?"
"Yes," Arno answered. "We can reach them through a narrow hallwaywithout entering the main part of the house."
"O.K., driver, move on."
Arno started the car and they rolled down the road at a fast pace. Stancould not see the road but Arno knew every turn. They soon swung into along driveway and headed toward a big stone gate with machine gunners ateach side. Sentries armed with rifles paced back and forth across theopening.
"Here goes!" Stan snapped. "Try your German on the boys. If you flop, westart shooting our way in."
Arno charged up in the best German manner of driving an official car.The heavy machine guns on each side of the gate converged on the car andone of the sentries bellowed an order.