Redemption - Leon Uris [275]
“Abdul’s gone,” Willumsen said.
“Don’t worry, he’s waiting out of sight. Can you see Jeremy’s lads?”
“I can. They’re waiting about twenty-five yards down.”
“Well, invite them up.”
I went back to the edge. “Serjeant Duneen!”
I pressed my torch in the long signal to come up. As Duneen’s head appeared, I grabbed him. “Call down to move the Maoris up. Tell the Major to come up and have a look. I think we may be able to position the battalion before daybreak.”
Duneen slipped down easily.
Over the way I could see Jeremy’s lads spilling over the top. Everyone tied rope around rock and thick brush anchors and began pulling men over the top.
Jeremy and Captain Matamata, the Maori commander, found me. “Matamata, give us a perimeter using Reconn as well. Don’t go in any more than twenty-five yards.”
“It’s wide open,” the captain said.
“Twenty-five fucking yards and not one fucking inch farther,” I explained. “Abdul’s just waiting for us to get stupid.”
Deep breaths, deep breaths.
Oh God, it was good to see Joshua Malone and Christopher Hubble!
Malone looked at our perimeter. “Nice,” he said, and checked his watch. Daybreak in fifty-two minutes.
“Willumsen,” he called.
“Sir.”
“Do you have a problem about going down to the bottom of the cliff now?”
“What kind of problem, sir?”
“Good lad. I want the machine guns from heavy weapons up here, next. Tell Captain Danielson to have Wellington and Auckland bring up the rear.”
Willumsen was over the side. Malone turned to us. “My thinking is that we put all the big machine guns on the edge here, then have the infantry and Reconn creep over the plateau. If we have to withdraw, I want those big Vickers to be able to cover us.”
It grew quiet as the naval shelling stopped. The sun rose from the direction of ancient Troy and spread its golden morning light over the Chunuk Bair Plateau! For the moment, it was ours!
In quick order a flare went up and we semaphored to the Apex. They acknowledged us. They knew where the Kiwi All-Blacks were. Malone and Chris danced quickly and firmly through our priorities.
…Have the Apex phone down to Corps and have Corps wireless to the Navy to cease shelling the Chunuk Bair Plateau area.
…Run a telephone line directly from the Apex up to Chunuk Bair.
Malone turned to the sea. Suvla Bay, a mile and a half up from Anzac Cove, was filled with landing boats and troops pouring ashore without resistance! The Suvla Corps bayonets beamed in the morning sun.
“Runner! Get Captain Matamata!”
“Yes, sir.”
Another runner came back from the forward line. “Colonel! We can see the Dardanelles!”
“Jaysus!”
We took off at a trot over the field till we reached the Reconn perimeter. There! Below! We could see it all…the Dardanelles into the Narrows and into the Sea of Marmara! There was no energy left to cheer. Behind us the Wellington and Auckland companies were coming over the top and fanning out.
Captain Matamata reported.
“Send two squads down to make contact with the Suvla Corps so we can seal off the Ravine.”
“Right.”
We relished the wonderment of seeing the Dardanelles before us, but this soon gave way to getting on with a lot of work. To our right and south the sounds of a major battle could be heard as the Aussies pushed for the German Officers’ Trench and the Nek with the purpose of tying down the Turks and keeping reinforcements from going to Suvla Bay.
“Phone line in from the Apex, Colonel.”
“Malone.”
“Major Quigley at the Apex. I have three brigades in ready. Shall we cross to you?”
“No, not yet. We need to connect with the Suvla Corps first. What’s going on down there from your point of view?”
“I don’t know, Colonel. They seem to be regrouping.”
“Come