Traitor of Dini Salam (eBook)

A South African Hero's Struggle in the French Foreign Legion, Book 30

Meiring Fouche, Pieter Haasbroek (Autoren)

Pieter Haasbroek (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
82 Seiten
Pieter Haasbroek (Verlag)
978-0-00-077889-5 (ISBN)

Infos

One man's treason doomed the French Foreign Legion.

Another's courage is its only salvation.

Sahara desert, 1940-1960. A brilliant Arab warlord, a cunning act of betrayal, and a single forged order are all it takes to lure 1,800 soldiers into a Sahara death trap. Colonel Le Clerq's garrison marches toward a phantom military exercise, unaware they are surrounded by thousands of warriors thirsting for blood, leaving their fortress, the legendary Dini Salam, defended by only 200 men. The Legion's extinction is all but assured.

When the resourceful Private Teuns Stegmann uncovers the plot, he becomes the enemy's most valuable pawn. Captured and facing a gruesome death, he's forced to lead a column of disguised killers through the gates of the undermanned fortress. His choice will either save the last bastion of the Legion or be the instrument of its final, bloody doom.

As the main army runs out of bullets and the walls of Dini Salam begin to crumble under a relentless siege, Stegmann realizes survival isn't enough. He must attempt an impossible, unsanctioned mission across a war-torn desert to deliver ammunition to a dying army. If he fails, the Sahara will swallow the Legion whole.

A relentless military thriller packed with classic adventure, this story is a non-stop barrage of battlefield action and nail-biting suspense. Perfect for fans of Alistair MacLean and epic tales of desert warfare.

Step into this unforgettable thirtieth Sahara adventure now!

Textauszug

30. TRAITOR OF DINI SALAM

Chapter 1

FIFTEEN CONSPIRATORS

In a spacious room, deep within the Arab quarter of Algiers, fifteen high-ranking Arabs are seated around a horseshoe table.

In the centre of the table sits one man dressed in the uniform of a captain of the French Foreign Legion.

Private Oosterman feels somewhat out of place in this company, and he feels just as out of place in the captain’s uniform, for in the French Foreign Legion he has never advanced beyond the rank of an ordinary soldier.

A profound silence reigns, and Private Oosterman feels a tightness around his heart. Here, seated now in the crescent of the horseshoe table, he wonders if he has indeed done the right thing. But before he can fret over it much, a tall and impressive Arab rises from the middle of the table’s curve.

Oosterman has heard that this man is named Ebrahim Rama. He is clearly the leader of this gathering, for he appears to be an intelligent, alert fellow possessed of considerable perseverance and an iron will. His face is narrow. His nose resembles the beak of an eagle, and his eyes are lively, bright, and resolute.

“Members of the high command of the Arab liberation forces in the Sahara,” says Ebrahim Rama, “we are gathered here to finalise an important matter.”

Private Oosterman feels the Arabs looking at him curiously. He sees Rama looking at him, but Rama ignores him for the moment.

“We have devised a plan,” says Ebrahim Rama, “which we wish to present to you. Before we implement it, we require your consent, as it is an extremely momentous step. Because it is a great gamble, but also because, if successful, it will place the Arab forces in an almost unassailable position.”

He turns away from his chair and walks to the wall where a brightly lit map of Algeria and the Sahara desert region hangs.

“I would like to draw your attention to the situation as it currently exists,” says Ebrahim Rama. He picks up a thin measuring stick and points to a location on the map.

“Here lies Dini Salam,” says Ebrahim Rama. “As you all know, Dini Salam is the foremost garrison post of the French Foreign Legion in the southern Sahara. As you are furthermore surely all aware, Dini Salam is the most serious obstacle in the Arab struggle for freedom.

Over the years, Arab forces have repeatedly engaged the French Foreign Legion with incredible courage and unstoppable bravery. Often, we have been on the verge of success, but each time, we ultimately lost.

“If you examine the reasons why the Arabs have never succeeded in driving the Foreign Legion out of the desert, you will find that Dini Salam is one of the most crucial reasons for those failures.”

He walks over to a large sketch map hanging next to the geographical map on the wall. “Dini Salam,” says Ebrahim Rama, “is a sturdy, well-equipped fortress. The man who digs himself in there cannot easily be dislodged. The French realise this very well, which is why they always keep the fortress well-manned and well-supplied under all circumstances.

“Dini Salam lies on the major routes between the Atlas Mountains and the hinterland of the Sahara and the seacoast, towards Algiers and our major cities in these regions. That is precisely why the French built it there. Now you can well understand that if Dini Salam were to fall into the hands of the Arab liberation forces, it would signify a deadly blow to the French Foreign Legion, and for our people, a great step on the path to freedom.”

Ebrahim Rama is not only a cunning militarist, he is also an actor and a diplomat. After making these announcements, he pauses dramatically and looks at his colleagues, who are now all attention. Ebrahim Rama’s next words cut sharply through the quiet room. “Comrades in the freedom struggle,” he says, “a few others and I have devised a plan to conquer Dini Salam.”

The Arab representatives around the horseshoe table glance fleetingly at each other, and then they look at Ebrahim Rama.

One old sheikh cannot contain his curiosity. “And how exactly do you intend to conquer Dini Salam?” he asks. “How many times have I and countless others here led overwhelming forces against Dini Salam, only to be thrown back in a bloodbath each time? Have you discovered a secret weapon now, Ebrahim Rama?” asks the old Arab. This is precisely what Rama has been waiting for. He smiles benignly. “No,” he says, “I do not have a secret weapon. It is merely a matter of common sense and the correct utilisation of the opportunities that exist.” Again, he turns to the map and points to a place some distance from Dini Salam. “We have taken the liberty,” says Rama, “of assembling a force of eight thousand Arab horsemen here. It is a strong assault force, comprising the finest warriors of the Doelak people, the Berbers, and the Touaregs. It took us a long time to raise this force. They are heavily armed. Their horses are well-fed, and they are ready for battle.”

“Eight thousand horsemen against Dini Salam?” asks another sheikh, astonished. “Do you wish to have them all annihilated? On one occasion, we attacked Dini Salam with twenty thousand horsemen, and it was futile.”

Ebrahim Rama laughs again. A little condescendingly, he says, “That is precisely our trouble. We fight too much with sabres and too little with intellect and ingenuity.” These words elicit an enthusiastic reaction from the assembled Arabs. They grasp the truth of it immediately, for they all know how they have failed, even when hurling overwhelming odds against the French forts. If there is now another method, they would be only too eager.

“Well, what is the new plan?” asks a younger sheikh, somewhat impatiently.

Ebrahim Rama leans with his back against the large map. He looks them over, one by one. Then he looks at Private Oosterman in his captain’s uniform.

“It is utterly simple,” answers Ebrahim Rama.

“We must first empty the fortress of Dini Salam before we attack. If two thousand men of the French Foreign Legion man the fortress, that is one matter. But if a few hundred man it, then it becomes a horse of a different colour.”

“And how, pray tell, do you intend to empty the fortress?” asks the elderly sheikh, slightly irritated by Ebrahim Rama’s presumptuous self-assurance.

“Eldest of our people,” answers Rama, “it is once again the time for the annual maneuvers of the French Foreign Legion. During the time they conduct maneuvers, they leave only a small group of men behind in the fortress of Dini Salam. Men who must ensure that normal services are maintained, that the fortress is protected against intruders, and so forth.

“We have ascertained that the usual maneuvers for the Dini Salam garrison are scheduled to take place in two weeks. However, the command there has not yet received notification. What we are going to do now is give them notification.” He smiles and tugs at his flamboyant moustache.

“The only difference is that we are going to notify the garrison of Dini Salam a week too early.”

It becomes so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Private Oosterman feels a ringing in his ears.

“We are going to notify them?” someone asks, completely dumbfounded. “We are going to notify them!” he repeats. “Do you think the French are such sheep-heads that they won’t notice?”

“No,” says Ebrahim Rama, walking back to his chair. “The French military command is as sharp as a tack. They are alert and cunning. But then, we too are alert and cunning.”

He gestures with his hand towards Private Oosterman. “Most of you have probably been wondering what this captain of the French Foreign Legion is doing here?”

“Yes, and I don’t like his presence here one bit,” says a rebellious young sheikh. “We all assumed he was just some decoy or something, but I think it’s time his presence was explained.”

Ebrahim Rama sits down, picks up his briefcase, and places it on the table. “The man you see before you,” he says, “is Private Oosterman of the French Foreign Legion. We have temporarily granted him the rank of captain and dressed him in a captain’s uniform because it is necessary. You see, Private Oosterman has grown weary of the French Foreign Legion. He wishes to leave. I have personally guaranteed that if he undertakes a certain task for us, we will grant him safe passage to Egypt and assist him in settling there. You can trust Private Oosterman. He will do his part.”

Rama signals for Oosterman to stand up. “As you see, Private Oosterman is wearing the uniform of a captain of the French Foreign Legion. I invite you to scrutinize him carefully and see if you can find any flaws in the uniform.”

They examine Oosterman as if he were an animal placed on display at an exhibition. But each must admit to himself that the uniform is perfect and irreproachable.

Then Rama has Oosterman speak French. He invites the members of the meeting to pose impromptu questions to Oosterman, which he must answer in French. Oosterman does this masterfully. Although he is a Flemish Belgian, he speaks French as if he were a native Frenchman.

The representatives seem satisfied. Only one remains suspicious.

“What guarantee do we have that he will not betray us?” he asks.

“We have a very good guarantee,” says Rama. “Our guarantee is that Private Oosterman wants to flee the Foreign Legion. That is about the best guarantee one can have. I might add that Private Oosterman has a particular motive for wanting to flee the Legion. You see, he murdered a fellow private. The body has not yet been found, but when it...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 25.8.2025
• Übersetzer: Pieter Haasbroek, Ai
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 0-00-077889-3 / 0000778893
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-077889-5 / 9780000778895