”It was going to be another lovely day----for the Germans.” The German Panzer IVWhen the Germans invaded Poland in 1939 Britain sent the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) to defend France. May 10th of 1940 the Germans invade the Netherlands and Belgium and quickly drive through the Ardennes to attack France. Three German Panzer Corps quickly pushed the French, British, and the tattered remains of the Belgian Army to the coast of France. The Blitzkrieg tactics had worked to perfectionEverything hung in the balance. The war, the world, the future. The Panzer tanks were moving so fast that they were way ahead of their ground troops. They were unable to secure any of the territory they had so easily conquered. Adolf Hitler ordered a halt and that gave the Allies time to build defenses and perform The Miracle of Dunkirk. From Destroyers to pleasure craft to the most insignificant floating derelicts were all launched towards the coast of France. Civilians worked desperately along with the Royal Navy to save their boys. They pulled 338,226 troops off that deadly coast so that they would be able to fight another day. This was one of the finest moments not only in British history, but in world history in my humble opinion. If you ever want to see me tear up just mention one word...Dunkirk, but you will have to buy me a pint. They went and got them by any floating means possible.Churchill was under immense pressure to sue for peace by his cabinet. This is one of those times in history where one man did make a difference. One man refused to bend under the weight of a seemingly impossible situation. One man saved civilization as we know it. He refused thoughts of surrender and gave one of the most important speeches of his career. The we shall Fight on the Beaches speech. Linked below for those that may not have heard it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkTw3... That is a Matilda II Tank shown in front of a Valentine Tank in a demonstration in 1940. Now Sergeant Barnes commander of a Matilda II tank has no idea all of this is going on. All he knows is that he, his crew, and his beloved tank (nicknamed affectionately Bert) are trapped after the Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht chased them into a railroad tunnel and bombed the opening closed. They dig their way out only to find that the world has changed. They aren’t sure what has happened, but their sole desire is to rejoin the B.E.F. and stay alive in the process. They soon find themselves in a cat and mouse game with German Panzers and doing their best to avoid a series of fortunately poorly manned roadblocks. They also have to contend with looters, French and German who are desperate and frankly despicable. They meet some wonderful French people who are willing to risk their lives to give these British soldiers a chance to return to the fight.”If the generals had fought this war the way some of these people fight when they get a chance we’d be over the Rhine now.”What he is alluding to of course is the disastrous command structure of the French Army. The top leadership was loaded with ancient, career officers most many decades removed from their peak mental and physical years. The young Frenchmen who volunteered to defend their country deserved much better. Towns have been obliterated by the firepower of the Luftwaffe. ”Barnes ordered Reynolds to drive down the very centre of the rubble-littered highway as he anxiously watched the spectral walls of the bombed buildings they were passing, wondering whether they should turn back at once. It was by no means certain that the vibrations of the tank movement might not bring down one of those hanging walls. Some of them seemed to stay upright by a miracle of balance.”Lives shattered by the passing hordes of armies. One, then another, then maybe the same one again. Sergeant Barnes and his tank crew found bombed cities in the wake of the German invasion.As they keep out of the clutches of the Germans, they often have to take Bert over terrain that tanks were not really meant to contend with. The descriptions that Colin Forbes A.K.A. Raymond Harold Sawkins shares of the formidable, but vulnerable aspects of the Matilda tank certainly provided me with more insight into the continual problems of tank warfare that still exist clear up to the present day. They have to hide under bridges, in abandoned buildings, in tunnels of trees, in river beds and even in one real moment of desperation... a haystack. The eyes of the Germans are randomly circling overhead and spell doom for them if they are spotted. As they put two and two together and start to understand the extent of the German triumph. They decide they must do something to put a damper on the victory dancing. I had been intending to read Colin Forbes spy series Tweed & Co., but this book just happened to fall into my hands. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a novel involving a tank of any kind from WW2. This is the first book that he wrote under the Forbes pseudonym. He was able to lend authenticity to his books by personally visiting the places utilized in all of his novels, due diligence that I appreciate. The book was published in 1969. The events of World War II was still fairly recent history for most of his audience in Britain so he did not include much of the background of what was happening (as I did at the beginning of this review) partly also because this tank crew was cut off from being able to communicate with their own command. The tank crew had to rely on the mostly sketchy information provided by the French people willing to offer them help. This is certainly a man’s book, not in the graphic sex, graphic violence sense (if that is even a designation anymore), but simply because the only female character is a French wife, unable to speak English, who dresses their wounds and exits stage right. Now me, I would have had to add a character, an intelligent, extremely attractive female French resistance fighter who would provide some saucy repartee while firing off a few rounds in the direction of the German soldiers. :-)This book fulfills a high quota for adventure as it was intended and a low quota for literary value also as it was intended. It is an entertainment, a page flipper, a Walter Mitty adventure for those whose most exciting moment of the day is shaking the pop machine so it will drop their Sierra Mist. ***Best read in a hammock with a glass of condensation beaded lemonade (cause you will be thirsty) attire should consist of aviator Ray-bans, cargo shorts, and a box of smokes (smoking them not recommended) rolled up in one sleeve of your short sleeve western style snap shirt. Also this is the proper attire to attract females who like their men with a dubious nature.
