Cast a Giant Shadow Page #8

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...a second time by Titus of Rome.

Not again, Mickey. Not again!

Without Jerusalem, there is no Israel.

The defense minister|has made another speech.

I'd be interested in knowing|how you intend to save it.

In the Bible is a Hebrew word|I've never seen anywhere else.

The word is "Aluf. "

It means commander.

More than that, it means leader.

I'm placing the unified command|of all forces in the Jerusalem front...

...in the hands of Aluf Michael Stone.

Now, wait a minute! When|I first asked for command...

...there was time to organize,|train, and prepare.

It's like giving a kid a balloon|when the party's over.

- I don't believe in miracles.|- About miracles, I wouldn't know...

...but the last Aluf mentioned in|the Bible was Joshua of Jericho.

I've written a note|to all brigade commanders...

...announcing your appointment.

Well?

Don't you want to be the first general|of the army of Israel in 2,000 years?

Aluf?

How long has this convoy|been hung up here?

Two days. There is hope?

Tell them not to keep|their motors running.

And I?

You never turn yours off.

That means, "I love you," Aluf Stone.

A general should learn|that much of the language.

Nobody's going to love me|when this fighting's over.

Nobody who's alive.

Then I'll be dead.

"Do not die, for I shall hate All|women so, when thou art gone. "

What a time to think of that one.

The air smells of cow manure and blood.

Asher.

- Mickey.|- Hello, Ram.

I got something from the old man.

- It's about time.|- You gave in too easily.

You must be in worse|trouble than I thought.

We are. We lost 600 men|in the first assault.

We are forced to send immigrants|from the detention camps...

...directly from the|boats to the front lines.

Where do they get their|basic training? On the bus?

If they are lucky.

Most of the men have given up hope.

With the Legion controlling|the heights, I can't blame them.

Asher, your mission's to take Latrun.

If you can't do it, I'll|get somebody who can.

Yes, Aluf Stone.

We'll have a staff meeting in|half an hour. I want to clean up.

- Where's the Waldorf-Astoria?|- This way.

And this is the police fortress of Latrun,|now occupied by the Arab Legion.

This is the road to Jerusalem.

And here behind these trees,

the Legion has installed|its heavy artillery.

Is there any way to bypass that road|and get the trucks through to Jerusalem?

No.

Nothing that is not in full|view of those big guns there.

The only way is here,|through the Bab El Wad.

That's where we were ambushed|in the convoy last month.

The rest is high cliffs,|wild terrain, impossible to pass.

Our plan is for an armored attack|against the fort from this direction...

...a frontal assault|through the wheat field here...

...and a raid to knock out|their gun emplacements here.

- Tonight?|- Not a chance.

Tomorrow?

- Maybe.|- You can lose a war on "maybe. "

All right, we could try.|But the plan itself?

Very professional.

- You'd all get an "A" At West Point.|- Thank you.

I've just one suggestion:

I'd like an infantry unit|to outflank the entire position...

...then smash through this|village behind the fort.

They'd find themselves|threatened with being cut off...

...and they'd be forced to withdraw.

Maybe.

What do you mean?

You're speaking of coordinating|four different actions simultaneously.

You're not just playing in a sandbox.|This is for keeps.

The only chance against that firepower|is to complete the action before daylight.

- The whole action?|- What do you think?

It'll take split-second timing.

You might as well all start|getting used to it right now.

When I say "hack," It'll|be exactly 11:05. Ready?

Three, two, one, hack.

Aluf Stone...

...you'll have to excuse us.|We don't have a watch.

The buses were held up by mechanical|difficulties, but now we're ready.

So is the Legion.

In half an hour, it'll be light|enough to read your obituary.

- You've got no choice.|- We must attack.

Kadima

Any word from Petach battalion?

We're going to try?

Our only chance is if that|infantry unit can outflank the fort.

They've almost reached Imwas,|behind the enemy positions.

- No one has spotted them yet.|- Good.

Thanks.

What's this?

What?

Ram got into a big argument|with some of the men...

...who wouldn't believe|he was a commander.

So we sent for some ribbon|for all the officers.

- What about the general?|- We're out of ribbon.

The story of my life.

Ram.

Wait a minute.|Now that you've got that piece of ribbon...

...I should order you to stay|behind with us at headquarters.

You never obeyed my orders.

Okay.

Aluf Stone!

Aluf Stone, remember me?

- I'm not sure I...|- The bus from Lydda airport.

I told you to go to hell.

Now I remember.

I'm glad you didn't.

Where do they come from?

Belsen, Auschwitz, Buchenwald...

...by way of Cyprus.

What are they singing?

The same song they used to sing|on the way to the gas chambers.

And as most of our songs...

...it begins, "Next year in Jerusalem. "

"Next year in Jerusalem. "

Gafna Blue, this is Petach Red.

Do you read me? Over.

- Where are you?|- Did they contact the Legion?

-We're In the wheat field.|- Did you make contact with the Legion?

The Legion Is on the roof|of the fort. We can see them.

Our flamethrowers are a surprise.

-They made them for us, and they work.|- How about the dynamite?

Our boys are placing the dynamite.

We're inside. Inside the wall!

Three of us. No, four!

-Four cars|- They've made it!

Excuse the expression,|but where the hell is the Palmach?

The infantry were supposed|to be attacking the rear.

Do they want us to be fried?

Magda, do you read me?|Gafna Blue, this Is Petach Red.

What'd she say?

The second hit a minefield|and the artillery has found the range.

Where's the infantry battalion?|Everything depends on them.

They should've captured the|town and be coming from the rear.

- They've decided to withdraw.|- What? Withdraw? How the hell...

All right. What went wrong?|How many casualties?

Two. Two dead.

- Two?|- Try to understand.

They're all from the same neighborhood.

And now two more.|Two from a family that already lost two.

They're withdrawing.

That does it.

Our car has been set on fire.

We need mortars! Mortars!

We need more than mortars.|We need God.

Do you read me, God?

This is Rona.

Rona.

Do you hear me, Rona?

Rona!

They don't need generals now.

Ram!

Ram!

I'm sorry.

The 7th Brigade lost 200 men.

The 3rd, over 300.

The immigrants were hit the hardest.

We gave orders in seven languages,|and still many couldn't understand.

But they advanced.

We found their bodies in the wheat,|safety catches still on their guns.

They didn't even know|how to release them.

- But they still advanced.|- But they were all facing toward Latrun.

"Next year in Jerusalem. "

What do you want me to do, cry?

It means your training is poor|and you need interpreters.

It means you're wasting manpower.|These kids want to fight.

You know how important that is?|We've got to attack again.

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