Free Hammer of God (Kirov Series Book 14) by John Schettler

should like to have a ride on one of those one
day, but military necessities have the hour.”
    “There’s
one more thing,” said Wavell, handing the message off to Churchill now. “It
seems Bletchley Park is picking up a lot of chatter concerning new German troop
movements. Several more divisions have moved to the Turkish frontier, and there
appears to be a buildup of air units and troops on Rhodes.”
    “I
can’t say as I like the sound of that,” said Churchill. “The Germans know full
well what a prize they may be able to take in Iraq and Syria. Rashid Ali has
already thrown in with them and is asking for German assistance. We must do all
in our power to prevent that. The Germans must not be allowed to steal a march
on us here. It’s time for bold action, gentlemen. We must strike now, or fail
to live up to the victory Captain Fedorov indicated we should rightfully have.”
    “Agreed,”
said Wavell. I thought we might reach a political solution that would precede
the need to tap our already overstrained forces with a mission to Iraq, but I
see now that we must liquidate this tiresome business there quickly. Yet what
about Crete, Mister Prime Minister? And with this movement to Rhodes, what
about Cyprus?”
    “Why
would they reinforce the Italians on Rhodes, General?”
    “They
may have gotten wind of our earlier plans to take that island. Then again, this
could be a prelude to their planned operation against Crete, or even Cyprus.”
    “Cyprus
was never attacked in the history I know,” said Fedorov.
    “Glad
to hear it,” said Churchill. “Given this new plan of ours for Operation
Scimitar, Cyprus may even be more important to our immediate success than
Crete. In fact, it has better deep water ports than Crete, and from Rhodes
wouldn’t the Germans be able to put fighters over that island?”
    “They
would,” said Wavell.
    “And
here I’ve let it sit with no more than a token garrison all these months.”
Churchill shook his head. “I can see more in this message than I want to for
the moment,” he said with a somber tone. “The Germans are moving troops to the
Turkish frontier, and to Rhodes. Cyprus is a pearl for Turkey. It could be that
they are trying to put pressure on the Turks to submit. Heaven knows we’ve been
courting them for months now. I’ve even considered ceding them territory in
northern Syria in exchange for active cooperation with us.”
    “Don’t
let De Gaulle hear of that,” said Wavell. “He’s been talking about making Syria
independent as a carrot to try and persuade them to our side and avoid having
to fight the Vichy forces there.”
    “De
Gaulle will have to stay in line and leave off ceding territories he has yet to
conquer,” said Churchill.
     “We
need the Free French, sir,” Wavell cautioned.
    “Indeed,
but at the moment, we need the Turks even more. Gentlemen, I think we had
better launch this operation like a bolt of lightning. Time to draw our curved
steel and settle the issue of Syria once and for all. Because if we do not act
swiftly, I fear we may lose an even greater prize—Turkey.”

 
     
     
     
    Part III
     
    Forgotten
Few
     
     
    “ The tale must be told of the 'Forgotten Few',
of the Pupils, Pilots and Planes that flew…
      Of intrepid deeds and a
lonesome stand,
to 'Hold Habbaniya' in Hostile Land.”
    -- Maurice Skeet, RAF Habbaniyah

 
    Chapter 7
     
    The first of the oil wars
that would end civilization in the year 2021 began soon after its discovery,
and even this early action in WWII saw both sides maneuvering to control its
supply and delivery. Sergie Kirov had already sent his army through the ‘Rostov
Gate,’ into the Caucasus, where they were now besieging the Black Sea port of
Novorossiysk, and battling to secure the oil fields at Maykop. Now the British
heard the growing dissent in Iraq and saw the rise of Rashid Ali and his Golden
Square.
    Rashid Ali al-Gaylani was born in
Baghdad, of a wealthy secular family, and was