SAS In North Africa
Lt. Powell shoots barrels of gasoline near a German Panzer IV tank in the airfield supply area, destroying it.
The Special Air Service, more commonly known as the SAS, was created in 1941 by Lt. David Stirling of the British Army, who was convinced that a small team of commandos working with the element of surprise could hinder the enemy’s ability to fight more than an entire platoon.
This special forces unit achieved world-wide attention when it ended the Iranian Embassy Seige in 1980. Today, it is featured in video and computer games, such as Call of Duty.
In 1941, it was created specifically for operating behind enemy lines in North Africa. Many SAS operations targeted airfields, from which the Luftwaffe launched their airplanes in support of Gen. Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps.
Originally five officers and 60 men of other ranks, the SAS’s first mission was a parachute drop behind enemy lines in support of Operation Crusader. However, the attempt to attack enemy airfields met with resistance and unfavorable weather conditions, resulting in one-third of the force (22 men) being killed or captured. Their second operation targeted three Libyan airfields, resulting in the destruction of 60 aircraft and no loss of life.
Likewise, an airfield is one of the target of Maj. Grillo of the SAS and Lt. Powell of the U.S. Army Rangers in Allied Assault.
After sabotaging an Afrika Korps motor pool on his own – destroying Opel trucks along with Tiger and Panzer tanks – Powell is extracted by Grillo in a Willys MB “Jeep” armed with a Browning .30 cal machine gun.
The final goal is to destroy a nearby radar station that can direct fire from coastal batteries onto the invasion fleet. With that completed, Powell must activate a lighthouse, which will serve as a signal torch to the Allied fleet that the invasion can begin. Get it now? Lighting the Torch? Whatever, I like wordplay, don’t judge me.
Between the motor pool and the lighthouse, there is one of the most fun, though most annoying (if you haven’t played it a few times already) missions of the game.
As Grillo drives (terribly at times), Powell must stand in the back, exposed to enemy fire, operating the .30cal Browning. While all Powell has to do is aim, enemies are often hard to see, jump out from hiding, or are just hard to hit with the machine gun. This can result in a few really annoying deaths.
On the other hand, there is a lot of sabotage going on. While contradictory to the usual connotation of “sabotage” (undercover, cloak-and-dagger destruction), this is more like, “Hey, we’re going to drive around your base, blowing stuff up, while completely exposed… stop us if you can,” kind of thing.
Robert "Paddy" Mayne in North Africa during WWII.
It is also fitting that an SAS agent is driving the Jeep, as SAS Lt. Col. Robert “Paddy” Mayne pioneered the use of Jeeps in hit-and-run raids, especially those aimed at enemy airfields.
The airfield presents a new challenge, as Powell must continually fire at grounded airplanes until they explode, while keeping an eye on his surroundings. As Grillo drives, Germans with MP40‘s, rifles and Panzerschrecks will arrive via foot or truck to attempt to stop the pair.
One stubborn Stuka pilot will even take off and attempt a strafing run on the Jeep, giving Powell a chance to shoot him down.
Once the nine Stukas (10 if you hit the one in the air) and three Focke-Wulf Fw190‘s are destroyed, along with any other explosive targets (tanks, trucks, gasoline barrels and a few motorcycles), Grillo drops Powell off at the entrance to a bunker. He plans to “lead their reinforcements away” and meet up with Powell at the light house.
Inside the bunker is the radar station. This, as well as the two Germans guarding it, can be taken care of with one well-placed grenade. It’s hard to place the grenade THAT well, so Powell may be forced to fire a few shots.
The rest of the mission is pretty straightforward: fight through the bunker, run along the seaside road to the lighthouse, fight through the lighthouse, turn on the light and run out, meeting up with Grillo who slams through a gate in a stolen Opel truck (don’t stand too close, he will run you over, and that’s a terrible reason to restart the mission).
A German soldier reacts in surprise when Lt. Powell opens the door to his bathroom stall inside the radar bunker.
One of the most interesting finds on the level is the discovery of an MP40-toting German in a bathroom stall within the bunker.
It is possible for him to go unnoticed, if the other soldier in the bathroom is killed without any missed shots, but for the most part, he will run out once he hears gunfire.
If the other bathroom German is killed without him leaving, Powell can open the door and ruin his “private privy time”.
