Lucilla--NaNoWriMo2014

Chapter Thirty-Two

With Christmas behind them and January half gone,  Mark met with the local Italian Partisans.

"My dear friends, the expected invasion at Anzio will be difficult because they can land but one division at a time.  So we can help them considerably if we can seize on of their first day's objectives.  The Army Air Force will air drop hand-held rocket launchers, a fifty caliber machine gun, two thirty caliber machine guns, automatic grease guns, a two-way radio, and boxes of K-Rations to last for two days."

Mark led the partisans and waited until the appointed time for the air drop.  Nothing happened.  Three hours later, there was a low whoosh and three US Army C-47 Cargo Planes threw dropped their loads with parachutes attached.  The men lost no time gathering them up.

Mark and Lucilla had them store them away most of  the materiel while they took only the most basic weapons and ammunition and shovels.  With these they chose a road running through a narrow the narrow mountain pass.  They best place for an ambush was where the road made a sharp turn to the left uphill out of the village of Aprilia.   Mark called it an L-shape kill zone.  It was there that they would initially begin the fight.

"Mark, you are going to camouflage our positions and provide cover from their small arms?"

"Lucy, you are getting the idea.  It is going to be a long day.  The first column passing through will take on the most casualties and vehicles destroyed.  It may be possible that some of them will get luck and barge through in spite of how many hits they take."

Several Partisans volunteered to lay concealed by the road and take no action unless a German tank passed by.  They would use their anti-tank rocket launchers to hit their tanks in the side or the rear. That is where they would be vulnerable.

"Mark, what will happen when the road becomes glutted with destroyed vehicles?  Will not the German soldiers swarm out positons?"

"Yes, that will be the most dangerous time for us.  The Germans will outnumber us before too long.  Our firing positions will be high up, and they will have to fight uphill to get to us.  Eventually they may get us all.  We have to hold until relieved by the American Army."

"We could die, couldn't we, Mark?"

Mark placed his arms around her and kissed her.  "Yes, my love.  We may give our lives when the invasion comes."  He then smiled and handed her a shovel.  "Let's dig our firing positons."

 When Mark and Lucilla reached their safe house, Mark got on the radio, and he received coded radio call signs and authentification codes.  With these he could call in air planes to hit the enemy and also call in fire missions from naval war ships.

That night Mark and Lucilla lay discussing what might happen the next day.

"Lucy, it will be hard, but I am so fortunate to have the woman that I love with me."

"Oh, Mark, tomorrow is the most dangerous day in my life, but life here or in my old world means nothing without you.  My place is with you."

"Will you marry me, Lucy?"

"Will you go back with me to my world?"

"I love you enough to go with you, and I think would also love to be with me."

"Oh, Mark, let that be.  We will be like husband and wife tomorrow.  Let us accept what fate brings us."  She kissed him.  "Make love to me, Mark.  It may be our last time."

The US Forces did not have their naval forces use their big guns to shell the beaches around Anzio.  They moved the landing craft in and soldiers first cleared the beaches.  Then came the larger LST's which disgorged huge numbers of vehicles and supplies.  The vehicles then began to move forward to secure more beach ahead and waited for soldiers to catch up. A little later came troop carriers and Two and a half ton trucks that would carry infantrymen toward their objective.