Mitla Pass - Leon Uris [187]
“Not before November third! Yoffe’s Brigade is moving down the other side. He’ll beat me to Sharm al-Sheikh! Half of his men are reservists. I will not let Yoffe beat the paratroops! I must get there first. I want to have a welcoming committee for Yoffe when he arrives!”
Captain Kofsky, the doctor, and Major Ben Asher held their tongues while Colonel Zechariah fumed. He peered out of the tent. It looked like a battlefield full of dead men.
“Why don’t we wait till morning, see what shape the equipment is in, let the men have a night’s sleep, and we’ll also be in better shape to make a decision,” Ben Asher said.
Wait! Zechariah did not like waiting! He did not like assessing! He did not like delaying decisions! Bang on through, that’s the way! Damned! Damned! What if Yoffe actually got there first?
He dismissed Kofsky and the doctor with a wave of the hand, then turned to Ben Asher.
“We can’t just screw up a day sleeping here while the whole Sinai is in flames. Ben Asher, your Lions have been sitting on their asses for two days now. They should be ready to do a little work tomorrow.”‘
“What do you have in mind?” the major asked.
“Before we swing south, I want Mitla Pass secured. We go in with your battalion and take it tomorrow at dawn.”
“Sorry, Zech, I’ve got specific orders from Dayan that we are not to enter Mitla under any circumstances.”
“Since when can’t the commander in the field change orders?”
“That’s up to you, but you’ll have to relieve me of my command first, I won’t take them into the Pass until Central changes my orders.”
“Come on now, Ben Asher. For Christ sake. You want me to move the brigade south and leave Mitla Pass wide open and our backs exposed?”
“I’ve had a chance to examine every piece of intelligence for two days. True, the Egyptians don’t have a large force in the Pass. They are in there to try to prevent us from reaching the Canal. Okay? Purely defensive. But God dammit, Zech, even a few hundred Egyptians dug in in those cliffs and defiles could really mess us up. Besides, we are complying with the ultimatum to stop eight miles before the Canal. If we go in and take the Pass, we’d be in violation.”
“Don’t give me any political shit. I’m not going to let the Egyptians jump me in the back.”
“Zech, there’s no way on God’s earth that Egypt can mount an offensive. Israel is winning on four fronts. The French and the British have jumped Egypt. Mitla Pass isn’t worth a pound of camel shit. And we may get slaughtered if we go in.”
“I gave you an order, Ben Asher. Yes or no?”
“No. I will not commit my troops to you without orders directly from Central.”
“Your troops! Since when have the Lions been your troops? I created the paratroops. I put you in this command. Now get this, very clearly. At zero five three zero tomorrow, either you will lead the Lions into the Pass or the new commander will.”
“No, not unless I get an order from Central,” Ben Asher repeated softly.
It was concrete facing off against granite. Zechariah snarled over the map, took a message pad from his kit, and scribbled out a communication.
“Runner!” Zechariah yelled. A para spilled into the tent.
Para 202 to Central Command STOP 1800 Hours STOP Urgent STOP Most secret STOP It is my considered opinion as the commander in the field and on the scene that Mitla Pass poses a threat to our rear STOP Request permission to remove Ben Asher from his command and use Lions to take the Pass SIGNED Colonel Z.
Zechariah settled in on a canvas field chair, propped his boots up on the map table and tilted back and forth and sipped from his canteen, waiting for the return message.
Central Command to Para 202 STOP 1820 Hours STOP Permission to relieve Ben Asher denied STOP Permission to capture Mitla Pass denied STOP REPEAT denied STOP Late intelligence via Cairo now indicates full infantry battalion inside Pass with one dozen medium machine guns STOP One dozen 57MM anti-tank guns and forty Czech recoilless rifles STOP Enemy dug in