The three pilots, fully dressed in their flying kit, were dozing in armchairs in the officer's mess. Shortly before dawn, the first faint light of a new day filtered through the windows overlooking the airfield, and Flight Lieutenant Ashington opened one eye to glance at the sleeping forms of his two fellow officers. They were alone in the mess, but from somewhere behind the shuttered bar, he could hear the kitchen staff beginning their shift and, soon after, the clinking of crockery, indicating the first brew of the day was underway. Ashington smiled to himself; tea was always a priority in England. He was about to wake the others with a cuppa when the Tannoy loudly announced action stations as an excited sergeant burst into the mess clutching a flimsy sheet of paper.
"They have taken off, sir! Squadron leader sends his compliments and requests that you report to Ops immediately."
Ashington sprang to his feet. The other two were already awake and, cursing their heavy clothing, lumbered after him as he hurried towards the operations room.
"Morning, sir," said the squadron leader to the senior pilot, Wing Commander Braddock. "They took off fifteen minutes ago from Lisbon in a Junkers Ju 52, heading for Berlin."
"The Ju 52 is a transport aircraft," Braddock explained, "so they must have equipment on board. Did your man confirm that the embassy official took the documents with him?"
"Yes, sir. He had an attaché case cuffed to his wrist, and two armed guards never left his side."
"Typical German efficiency," said Lawson, the other pilot. "What armaments does the JU 52 carry?"
"Standard fitting is two 7.9 mm machine guns. One in a dorsal position, one in a semi-retractable dustbin turret. But this aircraft could be a customised version with wing-mounted guns. We're not sure."
"What route will they take?" asked Braddock.
"If you come over to the map, sir," said Squadron Leader Cummings.
All four officers gathered around the map as Cummings traced out a route.
"According to our contact in Portugal, they will fly northeast across the Bay of Biscay into France. They'll refuel at Bordeaux before proceeding to Germany. The best point for interception would be over the Baltic Sea, northeast of Germany. We've fitted your Spitfires with extra fuel tanks under each wing. It'll be tight, but you should have enough fuel for the round trip.
"Does the target have an escort?" asked the wing commander.
"They might have a rendezvous planned, but we're not sure," replied Cummings.
"It's time to go," said Braddock. "Are you two ready? Lawson?"
"Yes, sir," said Lawson.
"Ashington?"
"Yes, sir," he responded.
"You know your orders. Your job is to keep any bogeys off my tail while I go in and make the kill. Only if they shoot me down should you engage the enemy aircraft yourselves. I've emphasised how important this is to the war effort—we must succeed. If you do attack and everything else fails, you are to collide with the enemy deliberately. We must destroy the aircraft at all costs."
"Your transport to the aircraft is here, sir," said Cummings. "The ground crew reports all aircraft are ready to go."
"Cheerio, Cummings, old chap," said Braddock. "Do join us for a drink in the mess when we return."
"Will do, sir. Good luck."
Eight minutes later, the three Spitfires were airborne in formation, heading towards the intercept point.
"The mission led by Wing Commander Braddock," said Joe, "was met with unexpected opposition from an escort of German Messerschmitts, which shot down Ashington and drove off Lawson." They attacked Braddock's aircraft, but in a display of superb airmanship, he somehow managed to get his damaged Spitfire within firing range of the German planes and shot one down. He radioed Lawson to say that the enemy aircraft had exploded when it hit the ground and confirmed that nothing could have survived the intense flames.
The Messerschmitts broke off their pursuit of Lawson and turned to attack Braddock as he tried to limp home. Outnumbered and a sitting target, Braddock's Spitfire was riddled with bullets, and he was killed in his cockpit. The Germans must have been low on fuel and turned back to base. Lawson returned safely and provided a full report.
No other pilot could have done what Braddock did. If the secret papers had reached Germany, the Nazis could have built atomic bombs before the Americans. Had they dropped a bomb on London and Washington, the Allies might have been forced to surrender, and the Nazis could have won the war.
"The poet famously said that 'no man is an island,'" said Joe, revealing another side of his character. "Every action we take, no matter how small, sends a ripple through the complex web of cause and effect that connects us all. The results are unpredictable and untraceable, but every action has consequences; nothing happens in isolation. The fluttering of a butterfly's wing or dropping a fire extinguisher on your foot—anything can change the world."