Lions of the desert, p.1
Lions of the Desert, page 1
part #4 of World War Two Series
Table of Contents
Title Page
Praise for Samuel Marquis
By Samuel Marquis
Copyright
Dedication
Lions of the Desert:
Cast of Historical Figures
PART 1
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
PART 2
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
PART 3
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
PART 4
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
PART 5
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 64
AFTERWORD
SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND FORTHCOMING TITLES
LIONS OF THE DESERT:
A TRUE STORY OF WWII HEROES IN NORTH AFRICA
VOLUME FOUR OF THE WORLD WAR TWO SERIES
SAMUEL MARQUIS
MOUNT SOPRIS PUBLISHING
Praise for Samuel Marquis
#1 Denver Post Bestselling Author
Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year Winner
Foreword Reviews’ Book of the Year Winner
Independent Publisher Book Awards Winner
Beverly Hills Books Awards Winner
Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner
American Book Fest-USA Best Book Award-Winning Finalist
Colorado Book Awards Award-Winning Finalist
“The Coalition has a lot of good action and suspense, an unusual female assassin, and the potential to be another The Day After Tomorrow [the runaway bestseller by Allan Folsom].”
—James Patterson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“Spies of the Midnight Sun is not only a skillful, rapid-fire historical spy thriller, but also a fine source on one of the least-known and most heroic chapters of the Second World War.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Marquis is a student of history, always creative, [and] never boring....A good comparison might be Tom Clancy.”
—Military.com
“Altar of Resistance is a gripping and densely packed thriller dramatizing the Allied Italian campaign...reminiscent of Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Marquis grabs my attention right from the beginning and never lets go.”
—Governor Roy R. Romer, 39th Governor of Colorado
“The Coalition starts with a bang, revs up its engines, and never stops until the explosive ending….Perfect for fans of James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Vince Flynn.”
—Foreword Reviews
“Marquis writes quite well, but his real contribution with Blackbeard: The Birth of America is historical….An engrossing and historically grounded yarn.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In his novels Blind Thrust and Cluster of Lies, Samuel Marquis vividly combines the excitement of the best modern techno-thrillers, an education in geology, and a clarifying reminder that the choices each of us make have a profound impact on our precious planet.”
—Ambassador Marc Grossman, Former U.S. Under Secretary of State
“Samuel Marquis’s Spies of the Midnight Sun weaves historical truth with masterful storytelling in an action-packed and intriguing tale of covert spy operations during World War II.”
—Foreword Reviews
“In the richness of the texture of his material, Marquis far exceeds the stance of a mere raconteur and entertainer of the masses—he, in fact, becomes a public historian.”
—Lois C. Henderson, Bookpleasures.com (Crime & Mystery) - 5-Star Review
“A combination of The Great Escape, Public Enemies, a genuine old-time Western, and a John Le Carré novel.”
—BlueInk Review (for Bodyguard of Deception, Book 1 of WWII Series)
“A simply riveting read from beginning to end, Spies of the Midnight Sun is impressively informed and informative, and a work of solidly researched history.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Samuel Marquis picks up his World War II trilogy with Altar of Resistance, a well-researched and explosive ride through war-torn Rome with Nazis, booming battles, and intense cat-and-mouse chases….Grounded in historical fact but spiced up with thrilling imagination with the fate of the world in balance.”
—Foreword Reviews
“Cluster of Lies has a twisty plot that grabs hold from the beginning and never let’s go. A true page turner! I’m already looking forward to the next Joe Higheagle adventure.”
—Robert Bailey, Author of The Last Trial and The Final Reckoning
“If you haven’t tried a Samuel Marquis novel yet, The Fourth Pularchek is a good one to get introduced. The action is non-stop and gripping with no shortage of surprises. If you’re already a fan of the award-winning novelist, this one won’t disappoint.”
—Dr. Wesley Britton, Bookpleasures.com (Crime & Mystery) - 5-Star Review
“Marquis is the new Follett, Silva, and Clancy rolled into one.”
—Prof. J.R. Welch, Editor of Dispatches from Fort Apache
“Reminiscent of The Day of the Jackal…with a high level of authentic detail. Skyler is a convincing sniper, and also a nicely conflicted one.”
—Donald Maass, Author of Writing 21st Century Fiction (for The Coalition)
“Readers looking for an unapologetic historical action book should tear through this volume.”
—Kirkus Reviews (for Bodyguard of Deception)
“The Coalition by Samuel Marquis is a riveting novel by an uncommonly gifted writer. This is the stuff from which blockbuster movies are made! Very highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review
By Samuel Marquis
WORLD WAR TWO SERIES
BODYGUARD OF DECEPTION
ALTAR OF RESISTANCE
SPIES OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN
LIONS OF THE DESERT
NICK LASSITER-SKYLER INTERNATIONAL
ESPIONAGE SERIES
THE DEVIL’S BRIGADE
THE COALITION
THE FOURTH PULARCHEK
JOE HIGHEAGLE ENVIRONMENTAL SLEUTH SERIES
BLIND THRUST
CLUSTER OF LIES
BLACKBEARD: THE BIRTH OF AMERICA
LIONS OF THE DESERT
VOLUME FOUR OF THE WORLD WAR TWO SERIES
Copyright © 2019 by Samuel Marquis
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, government entities, intelligence agencies, religious and political organizations, corporations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, businesses, companies, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
MOUNT SOPRIS PUBLISHING
Trade paper: ISBN 978-1-943593-25-5
Kindle eBook: ISBN 978-1-943593-26-2
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First Mount Sopris Publishing premium printing: February 2019
Cover Design: Christian Fuenfhausen (http://cefdesign.com)
Formatting: Rik Hall (www.WildSeasFormatting.com)
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Dedication
To Colonel David Stirling (November 15, 1915—November 4, 1990), fellow Scotsman and iconoclast, as well as founder of the wonderfully irreverent, unconventional, and legendary Special Air Service (SAS) Brigade that gave Rommel and his vaunted Afrika Korps hell in North Africa during WWII.
Lions of the Desert:
A True Story of WWII Heroes in North Africa
To me David Stirling was an inspiration and a hope. Of the SAS which owed its being to him, it is difficult to speak too highly—its services were, without exaggeration, invaluable. The courage, spirit and endurance of its leader and of the wonderful team he collected can seldom, if ever, have been equalled.
—General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander in Chief of British Middle East Command
Rommel had gained the world’s respect for his military genius. He was a legend, reminiscent of the more romantic, chivalrous days of old—and was a genuinely humane military officer. [T]he greatest desert fighting general of all time, [he] and his Afrika Korps were kicking the British’s butt, pushing them back to Cairo. It became a case where the war might have been lost right there. He was ordered several times by Hitler to “Stand and Die.” To fight to the last bullet, the last man. To execute and torture prisoners. He defied those orders.
—Steven Pressfield, Leaders with Character, Chivalry and Courage—Relics of the Past?
[The true story behind Operation Condor and The English Patient] is a dramatic story, with all of the essential elements of love, war, and a harsh landscape. It has gripped the imagination of writers and filmmakers since the Second World War. Before Michael Ondaatje’s novel and film, it had inspired two best-selling novels: Ken Follett’s The Key to Rebecca (1980) and Len Deighton’s City of Gold (1992), [as well as several earlier first-hand] accounts written by the main protagonists. Entertaining and informative though these fictional and factual accounts are, none of them tell the real story [about] the notorious case of Rommel’s spies in wartime Cairo. I think I can say, without a hint of exaggeration, that this is a different and far more dramatic story than we have been led to believe.”
—Saul Kelly, The Lost Oasis: The True Story Behind The English Patient
As youngsters they went to war—some as volunteers, others as conscripts—with callous notions of King and Country on the one side, Volk und Führer on the other. The desert rapidly rendered them older, sadder and wiser. Many bear the visible legacy of the wounds they received in North Africa. All bear the subtler ravages of advancing age and harrowing recall. Theirs was a bitter and implacable war in which death came in many terrible ways. Yet men on both sides like to say it was a War Without Hate—Krieg ohne Hass, as Rommel himself described it. Soldier for soldier, it was fought with a regard for the rules of war unmatched on any other Second World War battle front.
—John Bierman and Colin Smith, The Battle of Alamein: Turning Point, World War II
Cast of Historical Figures
BRITISH-SCOTTISH-IRISH: SPECIAL AIR SERVICE COMMANDOS, ARMY OFFICERS, AND POLITICAL LEADERS
Captain-Lieutenant Colonel Archibald David Stirling: Founder of the British Special Air Service (SAS) and leader of the commando unit in North Africa; iconoclastic Scottish aristocrat and adventurer; nicknamed the “Phantom Major.”
Major A.W. “Sammy” Sansom: Chief Field Security Officer, Corps of British Military Police in Cairo; fluent in English, Arabic, French, Italian, and Greek.
Lieutenant-Captain Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne: Second-in-command and founding member of SAS; hard-drinking and hard-fighting Irishman; former rugby star, lawyer, and amateur boxer.
Lieutenant Fitzroy Maclean: intellectual, scholarly, and funny Scottish SAS officer; fluent in Italian, Russian, and German and competent in Greek and Latin.
Corporal-Sergeant John Murdoch Cooper: non-commissioned officer, gunner, driver, and unofficial quartermaster of SAS; former member of Scots Guards; nicknamed Johnny.
Peter Stirling: Diplomat serving in British embassy in Cairo; younger brother of David Stirling.
Captain Guy Bellairs: British officer stationed in Cairo; Hekmat Fahmy’s British lover.
Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill: Intelligence General Staff officer at British Middle East Headquarters and SAS officer; friend of David Stirling; son of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck: Scottish Commander-in-Chief of British Army Middle East from July 1941 to August 1942; nicknamed the “Auk.”
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery: Commander of the British Eighth Army in North Africa from August 1942 until the final Allied victory in Tunisia in May 1943; nicknamed Monty.
GERMANS: MILITARY OFFICERS AND INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVES
Major General-Field Marshal Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel: Commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps (DAK); nicknamed the “Desert Fox.”
Major General Alfred Gause: Rommel’s chief of staff from September 1941-May 1942 and August 1942.
General of the Cavalry Siegfried Westphal: Rommel’s chief of operations (1a) from June 1941-May 1942 and September-November 1942.
Colonel Friedrich von Mellenthin: Rommel’s chief intelligence officer (1c) from August 1941-May 1942 and chief of operations from June-August 1942.
Colonel Fritz Bayerlein: Rommel’s chief of staff from June-July 1942 and December 1942-March 1943.
Captain Hans-Otto Behrendt: Rommel’s chief intelligence officer (1c) from June-August 1942.
Lieutenant Wilfred Armbruster: Rommel’s aide-de-camp.
Corporal Rolf Munninger: Rommel’s personal clerk and fellow Schwabian.
Unteroffizier Hellmut von Leipzig: Rommel’s driver.
Captain Count László Almasy: Hungarian aristocrat and desert explorer; Abwehr officer from 1940-1945; chief of the Almasy Commando (Operations Salam and Condor).
Lieutenant Johannes Eppler, a.k.a. Hussein Gaafar: German-Egyptian Abwehr spy and former lover of Egyptian belly dancer Hekmat Fahmy; recruited by Abwehr in 1941 for Operation Condor in spring 1942.
Lieutenant Heinrich Gerd Sandstette, a.k.a. Peter Muncaster: German Abwehr spy posing as American oilfield worker; recruited by Abwehr in 1941 for Operation Condor in spring 1942.
EGYPTIANS: ARMY OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS
Hekmat Fahmy: Famous Egyptian belly dancer and movie star; lover of British Captain Guy Bellairs and former lover of German-Egyptian Abwehr spy Johannes Eppler (Hussein Gaafar).
Captain Anwar el Sadat: Signals officer in Egyptian Army; militant Muslim, Egyptian nationalist, and key member of the pro-Axis, anti-British Free Officers’ Movement within the Egyptian Army.
Captain Mourad Effat: Liaison officer with Egyptian Police; worked closely with Major Sansom of British Field Security Office.
Lieutenant Hassan Ezzet: Flight-Lieutenant in Egyptian Army, Coptic Egyptian nationalist and member of Free Officers’ Movement.
King Farouk bin Fuad: King of Egypt and Sudan during WWII; anti-British and pro-Axis; strongly resented British domination of his country but was powerless to counter Great Britain’s imperialistic presence.
AMERICANS: ARMY OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS
Colonel Bonner Fellers: U.S. military attaché in Cairo; called Gute Quelle, the Good Source, by Rommel for his accurate and detailed reports on British military operations, which German intelligence obtained word for word from having compromised the U.S. foreign service encryption Code 11, referred to as the “Black Code.”
Momo Marriott: Prominent Cairo socialite; wife of Major General Sir John Marriott, daughter of American financier Otto Kahn, and mistress of Randolph Churchill.
Lions of the Desert:
A True Story of WWII Heroes
in North Africa
Volume Four of the World War Two Series
To The Reader
This is the story of the 1941-1942 Desert War in North Africa and Operation Condor, based on recently declassified British Secret MI6 files and U.S.-German Military Intelligence records. The Condor story has been told many times before—most famously in Michael Ondaatje’s 1992 Booker Prize winning novel The English Patient and the 1996 Oscar-winning film of the same name—but until recently virtually every fictional and factual account has been historically inaccurate. The reason is simple: prior to the 2006 public declassification of large numbers of WWII government documents, the only historical records available to the general public were those written by the main protagonists, who had access to only limited information and were not privy to the larger military-intelligence picture. In addition, the historical record has conclusively shown that these participants, despite laying down a solid foundation of verifiable facts, have in a number of critical places distorted and embellished the Condor story to enhance their own role in history or embroider the story, making it difficult for subsequent researchers to separate fact from fiction.
