Out of the night, an RAF McDonnell Douglas MC-47 Dakota flew over the Desert of Libya, escorted by two RAF Gloster Meteors jet fighters. The mission of these aircraft was shrouded in secrecy, to secure the oil fields on the coast of Libya by dropping a group of SAS commandos to prevent the routing of oil to the communist guerrillas and ba’th socialist party supporters.

The main fear of the British Government and the Allied forces as a whole is that the Ba’th party and the socialists would send the oil to the Soviets, increasing their war machine’s strength as well as overthrowing the pro-western Libyan government and the Italian administration.

The SAS was to meet up with a U.S. Army Ranger squad to form the ‘Gentlemen’s club 9-2’ squad. One of the SAS commandos was 28 year old staff sergeant Chris Jones, who passed SAS training five years ago. He did a few minor missions that included sabotage and protection of important allied politicians from KGB agents (He once managed to kill off a KGB agent with his M-2 carbine at 500 yards, spotting the KGB agent using a pair of binoculars)

He now was placed into actual major combat. It was an honour for him to be in David Sterling’s regiment who is highly acclaimed for giving the Soviets a bloody nose.

The McDonnell Douglas MC-47 Dakota’s red light switched on to indicate that it is almost ready to jump. Chris picked up his M-2 automatic carbine, his M-1A1 Thompson and his Colt 1911 pistol. The light was green and everyone jumped out of the Dakota and into the night sky. He fell around 1200 feet down. He could see the trails of the Dakota and Meteors flying away and the floodlights and flashing lights of the oil field, it was almost like a Christmas decoration.

Chris pulled the rip cord and his parachute opened up with the rest of the SAS team and glided down towards the desert, they soon landed in the dark cold desert, only the lights from the oil fields that broke the darkness and the for some commandos, night vision attached to some of the commando’s sniper rifles. The noise of the oil wells broke the silence of the night.

Chris ran towards a sand dune and took aim with his M-2 carbine, making sure no guerrillas were around or approaching the team from inside the oil field. Another SAS commando lay beside Chris with his Browning M-1918A2 assault rifle.

The all-clear was given and the team approached the oil field that was surrounded by rocky hills behind it, it seemed that there was almost no one there, the lights were on and the oil wells were pumping oil, but there was absolutely no-one there.

Chris put his M-2 carbine away and took out his rapid firing .45cal Thompson and walked slowly around the place full of shiny metal pipes pumping oil around the place, he carefully walked into a porter cabin and saw a dead man there, the man seemed to be shot five times in the chest, a clear sign that there was somebody was, or is here.

Chris looked around and found some bloody footprints in the sand and concrete, he carefully followed them slowly, they lead right into the oil refinery through a closed old, wooden door. Thinking that there would be somebody behind the door, he shot the door and kicked it in, he then sprayed the room with his Thompson and quickly ran into the refinery room to see a man with an AK-47, Chris wasn’t hesitant to kill him. A few SAS commandos ran toward the sound of gunfire to find Chris standing at the door. “What happened?” asked one commandos.

“There was a guerrilla here” said Chris “be on the lookout, there might be more of those bastards lurking around here”

Soon the SAS commandos who guarded the entrance to the oil fields heard a clicking sound, *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*, the guard clicked back on a little clicker three times, the clicking returned. Then all of a sudden loads of men with rifles, machine guns and machine pistols stood up, it was the American Ranger team that the SAS supposed to meet up.

“Hay it’s the yanks” said one of the commando who was guarding the oil field perimeter.

“Hay, how are things around here” said one Ranger.

“Well we have found one of the guerrillas snooping around the place, I bet there are more so be on the lookout, I doubt that it was only one man who would have killed the whole lot of workers” said one SAS commando.

“And I think that the Soviets are now supporting their cause, the man that one of our soldiers killed was equipped with the new Soviet rifle, the AK-47 Kalashnikov”

“Could it be that possibly the Soviets could have supplied the guerrillas with tanks and armour as well as guns?” asked one Ranger.

“Possibly” replied one SAS Commando “I shall alert HMS Eagle to prepare some aircraft to support us”

As the Ranger rest of the team moved into the oil field, suddenly there was automatic gun fire coming from a sand dune, it was the guerrillas, armed with AK-47 automatic rifles, SKS rifles and PPsH-41 machine pistols, the Rangers and SAS commandos fired back at them, but then had to resort to mortar and bazooka missile fire to kill off the guerrillas.

After the fire fight Chris asked the Ranger leader what anti tank firepower did they have, “We have M-20 Bazookas and M-28 recoilless rifles, what do you have?” asked the Rangers.

“We have the Boys .50cal rifle and the super PIAT” said Chris “But we also have carrier support from HMS Eagle”

Three hours passed, and the sun was starting to rise over in the horizon, warming up the desert slightly. One tired commando was staring out into the desert, and he thought he could see some dust trails, he looked down his binoculars and could see a truck and at least five T-28 light tanks with some people pointing guns into the air. He ran into the refinery and pulled the fire alarm, the whole SAS and Ranger team woke up, “THE GUERRILLAS ARE COMING” he shouted.

Everyone ran towards the dune where the commando was guarding, “What did you see?” asked the lead Ranger.

“I saw trucks and armed gunmen, I also saw some tanks, they looked like T-28 light tanks” said the commando.

“Ok let’s do this by the book men, find some cover and when I give the signal, fire at them”

The radioman contacted HMS Eagle, “Calling HMS Eagle, stand by, over.”

“*KchK*Roger that Gentlemen’s club 9-2, air support standing by, over *KchK*” replied the radioman from HMS Eagle

The tanks came closer with the guerrillas, the SAS and Ranger teems placed their mortars and their rocket launchers to kill off the tanks and infantry. As the guerrillas got near the small sandy corridor that lead into the oil field, the lead Ranger fired his flair pistol, then all the Rangers and SAS commandos fired their weapons, the combined heavy firepower from the Rangers and the SAS stunned the guerrillas as one of their trucks blew up, but during the fire fight, there was Soviet built JSU-152 self propelled howitzers furiously bombarding the oil fields from afar, “CALLING HMS EAGLE, THIS IS GENTLEMEN’S CLUB 9-2, REQUESTING AIR SUPPORT” shouted the radio operator “WE ARE UNDER ARTILLERY FIRE”.

Three minutes later, a mixture of DeHaviland Venom jets, Hawker Sea Furies and Supermarine Sea Spitfires flew over the oil field, into the open desert and blew up the JSU-152 self propelled guns with their unguided missiles.

The guerrilla forces started to approach the oil field with T-28 light tanks.

Chris saw a Ranger injured and in front of the path of a rampaging T-28 tank, he ran towards the Ranger, picking up his Bazooka, he aimed underneath the T-28 and then fired it. The explosion of the missiles threw the T-28 into the air and landed on its side, throwing the turret onto Chris.

Chris bravely reached for the Rangers Browning M-1918 assault rifle and killed the guerrillas that were coming after him and the injured Ranger.

Chris Jones survived the fire fight. “Calling HMS Eagle, position under control” said the radio operator “We have twelve injured, requesting helicopter extraction for the injured, over.”

“*KchK* Roger that, over and out *KchK*” said the operator on HMS Eagle.

The T-28’s turret broke Chris’s leg in many places, the Westland Dragonfly helicopter from HMS Eagle managed to lift the turret off him, then a commando and a medic lifted him onto a stretcher, they placed Chris inside the Dragonfly helicopter and flew him out of the oil field.

Chris, now crippled, was inside the Westland Dragonfly, he is hoping that the injury that has been inflicted on him won’t force him out of the SAS.

The Dragonfly landed on HMS Eagle, he was taken off the Dragonfly and into the sick bay inside HMS Eagle.

“Hmm, I don’t know how to tell you but” said the doctor inside the sick bay.

“But what?” said Chris.

“Well, I am not optimistic about you’re ability to walk” said the doctor.

Chris looked horrified.

“I am not 100% sure, but I would like you to have an X-ray” said the doctor.

After Chris had his X-ray, another Dragonfly helicopter landed on HMS Eagle, a man wearing pilots uniform was hurriedly taken off on a stretcher into the sick bay, he was bleeding heavily.

“Quick, this man needs to be operated on now!” said a Dragonfly helicopter crewman.

“What happened to him?” asked the doctor.

“Got shot down while on patrol” said the helicopter crewman “He has a Flak shrapnel lodged into his chest”

“Sorry sir, this man has a more urgent need” said the doctor.

“I understand” muttered Chris.

Chris sailed on HMS Eagle back to Pembroke naval base back in Great Britain where a cheery crowd waving small Union Jack and the Welsh flags upon HMS Eagle’s arrival. The local brass band was playing ‘Men of Halech’ to greet the huge aircraft carrier.

An ambulance was waiting for Chris to be taken to Hereford Hospital, after a path was made through the crowd, two sailors took Chris on a stretcher to the ambulance where it began to race off through Wales and into Hereford Hospital to be examined by army doctors.

He had his X-ray taken, and the doctors waited for a month to check up on his progress of his leg healing.

The army doctors looked at the latest X-rays a month later and looked at the previous X-ray.

“Do you think there is any hope for this soldier?” said one doctor.

“I don’t think so, this X-ray is not that different to his previous one” said another doctor.

“I agree, send a report to the commander of the base, I don’t think he should be going back into combat, it is too risky” said the fist doctor “ doubt he will regain the ability to fully walk again”

A week later, the doctor came to him “Staff Sergeant Chris Jones?”

“Yeh, what is wrong” asked Chris

“I’m afraid it is bad news, you’re leg is still broken in many places, and you have also tore some muscle ligaments in your leg. You will have to retire on medical grounds from the army” said the doctor “I have sent the base commander the report of your condition and the recommended action to be taken”

Chris was devastated that he was snatched away from the SAS regiment, and from the army as well.

The oil field in Libya was secured but the pro-western Libyan government and Italian administration was overthrown and National Socialist rule rained over Libya. The Rangers and the SAS pulled out, destroying the oil field to prevent funding their cause.

They left it in a wreck, the oil pumps were sabotaged, the drills were destroyed and concrete poured in the tubes of the oil wells.

They went back to the United Kingdom on HMS Ark Royal after being airlifted out by HMS Ark Royal’s Dragonfly helicopters.