Feet of Vertical Tunnel Completed: 0 Days until Deadline: 52
Chapter 91
Tuesday-Wednesday, August 8-9, 1961
Just after 2300 on the eighth of August, we were ready to begin raising the telescoping shaft into position. At my signal, the Chief activated the blades whose electric motor made a discernible, smooth whirring sound. Soon we all heard muted thumping and thudding sounds as debris of various sizes passed through the grates and hit the floor inside the shaft.
Smiling, I felt proud that I’d helped create such a unique mechanism.
We had extended the shaft about two feet when suddenly we heard a loud crunch sound. The whirring of the motor ceased, then resumed almost immediately when the Chief reversed the drive mechanism. A loud, prolonged screech followed before it stopped again.
We sent two men with ladders into the telescoping shaft through the access panel in Section 3. After a few minutes, they handed out a note which read, Large piece of concrete wedged beneath digging blade. Need support structure, tools & more men.
We sent in six additional men and tools, as well as material to construct the temporary support structure required to prevent cave-ins.
Trying to clear the obstruction brought with it another problem. Noise. A lot of it.
The Chief grimaced and put his hands over his ears, shouted something in Polish above the din and disappeared into the structure.
Emerging sometime later, he motioned me to follow him to the tunnel. “Sir, immediately above us, the basement floor of the building is buckled downward. Perhaps one of the bombs landed nearby. The grate is open, the safety structure is in place, and we’re working to clear that obstruction. I’ll stay until they finish. Why don’t you go home and get some shut-eye?”
I glanced at my watch. 0254. “Do you think we’ll be able to start digging again tonight?”
He shook his head. “Doubtful sir. We’ll be lucky if we are able to clear the obstructions before we quit at 0430.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow afternoon.”
Feet of Vertical Tunnel Completed: 2.4 Days until Deadline: 50
Chapter 92
Wednesday-Thursday, August 9-10, 1961
At just before 2200, the Chief next gave the men their work assignments, concluding, “We’ll probably have to stop and dig out the area above the shaft several times tonight. Those of you who are assigned to complete this task, do so as quickly as possible. We need to excavate six to seven feet this evening.”
The whirring of the digging blade’s motor indicated we were again operational. Shortly before the end of the shift, we’d managed to penetrate four feet of the earth above us, but we had to stop three times to manually remove large obstructions.
After the last stoppage, Sergeant Adams, who was responsible for the clean-out crew, signaled me to follow him into the tunnel. Once we made our way to a spot beyond the zone of silence, he reported, “There is a small stream of water emerging from between two pieces of concrete above us, sir.”
I shrugged. “It’s rained for three days. With the sandy, boggy Berlin soil, that rain needs to go somewhere. We’ve had some water seepage before, but it sealed itself before causing a problem. Thanks for the head’s up, but we have no choice but to continue, Sergeant.”
Adams started to object but nodded his reluctant acceptance. We returned to the terminus room. I was pleased to note that the shaft was moving upward again without difficulty.
All of a sudden, I heard a loud whooshing sound. Water seeped out from under section five. Seconds later, a wave of water gushed out of the opening in section three, flooding the terminus room floor. The men looked at each other, shock and concern on their faces.
Water quickly rose above my ankles. I considered our next move, mentally kicking myself for not heeding the Sergeant’s warning! Next, a torrent of water rained down on the work crew from the space between the telescoping shaft and the opening in the ceiling of the terminus room, drenching us all. The water level reached above my knees.
When the flow of water began to abate, I heaved a sigh of relief. Then I heard a loud clap, immediately followed by a deafening metallic ringing as a huge mass struck the outside of the metal shaft with immense force. The lights in the terminus room blinked off. Since the lights on our hardhats no longer worked, the whole area went dark.
“Chief, am I correct that sixteen people, including us reported for duty this evening?”
“That’s correct, sir.”
“Okay. Can anyone get the light on their hardhat to work?”
When I received only negative replies, I said, “They must have all gotten wet and short-circuited. Each of you needs to sound off, report if you are injured and if you have any means of illumination. I’m Captain Kerr. I’m number one. I’m okay and have no light source.”
“Chief Weber, number 2. I’m okay. I tried my Zippo lighter, but wet Zippos don’t work.”
We soon determined that all sixteen of us were there unhurt, but also unable to provide any light source.
“Does anyone have any idea where the exit from this room into the tunnel is located?” I asked.
The Chief’s accented voice said, “I’m standing next to it.”
“Each of you move slowly toward the Chief’s voice,” I directed. “We should be safe once we get a distance down the tunnel. Sound off, Chief.”
“Follow me,” he ordered. “This way….this way….this way….”
I headed for the Chief’s voice and the exit once silence indicated that everyone else had left. I kept my hand extended, brushing the wall to help orient myself as I walked. With the water just up to my ankles, I sensed the decreasing rate of water flow.
After an extended period of time, the Chief finally declared, “Men, I see a pinpoint of light ahead of us.”
In a relieved tone, someone said, “Thank God.”
A different voice called out, “The lights are on in the level part of the tunnel. They should all be operating from that point all the way back to the building.”
The light hurt my eyes when I first entered the illuminated area.
The Chief approached me and said, “All sixteen present and accounted for, sir.”
“Anyone injured?” I asked.
“Apparently not, sir.” Turning to the men, he said, “Relax while I confer with Captain Kerr.”
We walked in the direction of the building. “Chief, do you have any idea what happened?”
“At first, I thought that we’d hit a water main, but the flow now seems to be abating. I’m going to take a wild-ass guess, based on my years of construction experience. That vacant lot above the terminus room is bowl-shaped. When the Russians dug the trench to install the pipe, they used heavy equipment. I doubt they compressed the soil over the pipe itself after they finished. When it rains, water collects in the bowl, flows down and around the pipe, and then penetrates into the debris field below.”
“That means the thud and ringing noise we heard after the water began to gush around us was part of an old building falling some distance onto the telescoping shaft?” I suggested, following the Chief’s line of reasoning. “Dammit, that means all our work ends in a complete and utter failure.” I voice my frustration as I repeatedly used my heel to kick the wall I was leaning against. “Damn, damn, damn. That son-of-a-bitch Thomas Lane will have a field day with this fiasco.”
“Captain, it’s too early to give up. It’s a little after 0400, and we all need rest. Neal Loring and the day shift will be here in four hours. I’ll tell him to get the lights and power back on and clean up the mess. You might ask your friend in the East to find out if the appearance of the vacant lot has changed. That information will be essential. Let’s meet at around 1300 tomorrow for a look-see into what exactly happened tonight.”
Exhausted after arriving home. I showered and fell asleep in Anna’s arms without giving the tunnel fiasco, Thomas Lane, or my panic attacks another thought.
Feet of Vertical Tunnel Completed
: 7.8 Days until Deadline: 49
Chapter 93
Thursday-Friday, August 10-11, 1961
Kurt, Mark and I met with Chief and Sergeant Loring at the building. Kurt smiled and said, “I have only good news. The ground above your work site remains undisturbed, despite what happened last night. The only noise my associate heard was a single, very loud, clunking ring. The area was deserted at the time, so no one else heard it.”
Neal and the Chief both gave a thumb’s up, then Neal reported, “We have restored power and are cleaning out the debris and water from the tunnel and terminal room.”
The Chief smiled. “More good news. A few minutes ago, Neal and I ran the probe up through the grates in the telescoping shaft. We were able to determine that five feet of muck, debris, and chunks of concrete are above us. The next four feet is a large space void of anything except good old air.”
“How is that possible?” I asked, amazed.
“The explanation is straightforward, sir,” the Chief said. “Water has been accumulating beneath the lead pipe since it was buried three years ago. The building that once occupied this site was destroyed by bombs, but substantial open spaces remained between the layers of debris. Our excavation efforts destabilized the area beneath the pipe. The water carried sand, soil, and small particles of debris down into our subterranean cavern. I think the pipe probably supported the soil above it.”
“Why didn’t the cave-in impact the area on either side of the pipe?” Mark asked.
“The heavy equipment the Russians used to bury the pipe compressed the soil around the trench. That well-compacted soil absorbed little water, so it was stable compared to the soil beneath the pipe. If I’m correct, then only the soil beneath the pipe shifted position, leaving a long void only a little wider than the pipe itself.”
A lengthy conversation ensued, resulting in a universal agreement with the Chief’s assessment.
I requested, “Will everyone join me in the office that the Chief and I share in the building?”
Once the door closed, I declared, “If we inform Thomas Lane about what happened last night, he’ll raise hell with the triumvirate and bureaucrats in Washington. I suggest we all forget that last night ever happened…”
“—That’ll only work if we can report that the tunnel is successfully completed in the next few days,” Mark proclaimed.
“Sir, I can assure you that we’re close,” the Chief said. “Two more nights…at the most three. Then we’ll all be able to fend off criticism about any mishaps. Our remarkable task will be finished, and that’s what really counts.”
“Make it so, Chief,” Mark ordered.
A round of handshakes and back slaps followed as everyone except the Chief, Neal, and I departed. I looked at both men, “Chief, I hope you’re right. We all have a lot riding on your prediction.”
At 2240, the Chief gathered the men around, explained what he thought they might encounter, and gave them their assignments.
Shortly before the 0430 quitting time, the telescoping shaft broke through into the cavern. The Chief and I climbed ladders, stood on the grate and touched the steel communication pipe, which was only a little over five feet above the top of the shaft. Using a powerful spotlight, we determined that the void stretched for at least forty feet in each direction.
Once we could talk, I expressed my concern. “If we leave this cavern as a void in the earth, there may eventually be a cave in, and our little secret could be discovered.”
The Chief nodded. “Yeah, that’s definitely a problem.”
“Do you think we have enough sand left in the basement to fill that entire void?”
“Probably. I’ll have the day shift bring back an electric concrete/sand pump and position it with sand in the tunnel.”
Feet of Vertical Tunnel Completed: 12 Days until Deadline: 48
Chapter 94
Friday-Saturday, August 11-12, 1961
At a little before 0400 on 12th of August, 1961, the stairs and platform were bolted into place. Then at precisely 0448, just a few minutes after our usual stopping time, the last screw in the collars and panels sealed the pipe inside of the now waterproof top of the shaft.
A happy group of exhausted men dashed into the tunnel before bursting into a boisterous round of shouts, handshakes, back slaps, and hugs. I went around the group calling each man by rank and name as I shook their hands and thanked them for the monumental task they’d completed after so many months of struggles, isolation, and setbacks.
As I was leaving to go home and get some much-needed sleep, Chief Weber and Sergeant Loring intercepted me. “We’re having a victory party this evening at 1900 in our recreation area; T-bone steaks, baked potatoes, and all the booze you can drink. It won’t be a party without you, sir.”
“I’ll have to check with my wife but will be there if I can. I’m kind of new to this marriage business—I’ll need a kitchen pass to leave the house.” This comment received laughter from these two; both had been married for decades.
Although I hated to miss the party, Anna and I had seen each other only in passing for the last two weeks, I wanted to make it up to her, so I offered her a special night out, explaining, “Good things happened at work, and I want to celebrate. How about another night at Chez Orleans, that fancy restaurant at the French Officer’s Club?”
“Robbie, I’m glad you’ve been successful, but I’ve promised my parents that I’d visit this weekend so my entire family can celebrate a close friend’s anniversary. Sorry, liebchen. I told you the other evening, but I guess you were too tired to hear me. You fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow!”
That night, I crashed back at our apartment at about 0100 after attending our victory party, oblivious to events occurring only a few miles away that would change the world forever. One of the most fateful nights of the twentieth century was unfolding here in Berlin while I slept alone.
Vertical Tunnel Completed Days until Deadline: 47
“The solemn vow each of us gave to West Berlin in time of peace will not be broken in time of danger. If we do not meet our commitments to Berlin, where will we later stand? If we are not true to our word there, all that we have achieved in collective security, which relies on these words, will mean nothing. And if there is one path above all others to war, it is the path of weakness and disunity.”
John F. Kennedy, Speech to the Nation during the Berlin Crisis, 1961
Chapter 95
Sunday, August 13, 1961
The tension around the Wing Commander’s conference room was palpable. Whispered speculation passed among the seven United States Air Force officers present. Everyone wanted to know why we had been ordered to report for duty at a few minutes after 0400 on a Sunday morning? Groggy from lack of sleep and a little hung over, I remained sufficiently alert to realize something monumental had occurred.
After being called to attention, Colonel Morgan ordered, “As you were. What we know is that yesterday afternoon, tens of thousands of East German People’s Police, military units, and construction reservists were told to report to work. At a little after 9 p.m. last night, numerous phone conversations we intercepted upstairs between individuals in East Berlin contained instructions to implement Operation Rose.”
“Sir, have we or our allies determined what that is?” I asked.
“No confirmation yet, but the border between the two Berlins was closed in total secrecy at midnight last night.”
“That seems impossible with all of the resources that we, the British, and French have devoted to spying on them and monitoring all of their communications,” Mark observed.
“I agree,” Colonel Morgan said.
Before he could continue, I asked, “Sir, you may recall the press conference Walter Ulbricht, the East German leader, had with Western reporters last month. In response to a question about rumors that the border between East and West Berlin would soon be closed, he said: ‘No one has any intention of building a wall.’ Is that what thi
s is all about?”
Colonel Morgan replied. “What we do know is that at midnight, East Berlin Radio announced that all traffic between East and West will be halted until further notice. Then all telephone lines between East and West were severed. Intercepts made by the Army Security Agency over at Andrews Barracks indicate that three Motorized Artillery Divisions—two East German and one Russian—have been ordered to move toward Berlin. Each of these units has approximately 110 heavy tanks…”
Anna had attended a celebration in the East and spent last night with her parents. I cringed. Could she be trapped there temporarily—even permanently?
I missed some of Colonel Morgan’s comments, but refocused when Colonel Powell asked, “Sir, are they going to attack us here in West Berlin?”
“We can’t tell yet. At midnight, armed sentries were placed at three-foot intervals across all eighty-one crossing points in the barrier that surrounds West Berlin. All American military personnel in Berlin have been ordered to full alert. Most will stay in their barracks or quarters, and everyone has been ordered to stay away from the border.”
The on-duty flight commander rushed into the room and handed a message to Mark. He stood and paraphrased the communique. “The Surveillance and Reporting Center at Zweibrucken has ordered us to be prepared to destroy all encryption equipment and codeword-classified materials, starting with the Top Secret files.”
“Everyone in this room will remain on the base until further notice,” Colonel Morgan instructed. “One of your tasks will be to help supervise the destruction activities should that become necessary. In the interim, the Signals Intelligence Processing Center is now fully manned by analysts. Those of you who are in command of that area are excused to see if you can discover what’s going on in the East from their intercepted communications.”
The Berlin Tunnel Page 24