Countdown to D-Day

by Peter Margaritis

  The two men exchange greetings. The mayor, to explain his presence, says that he had come out to visit Lucie earlier in the day to give her a painting, and when she had mentioned to him that her husband was coming home that afternoon, he had begged her to let him stay, so that he might talk to the field marshal on a matter of great importance.

  As they go into the living room, Lucie points out the new painting with pride. Rommel does not realize how much Strölin has been courting Lucie’s goodwill for a special cause, lavishing her with several visits and special gifts or favors.

  Rommel does not care much for the mayor, although he carries no animosity towards him either. What bothers him is the way the man has indirectly wheedled his way into the field marshal’s life. Early in the month, when Gause had requested to go on leave and Lucie, ever polite and considerate, had welcomed him to Herrlingen just as she earlier had his wife, Strölin had come over and had talked to Gause and Lucie at length about political changes that were needed. Gause, in bad health, depressed about the war, dejected about losing his home and savings, and feeling helpless about the political situation in his country, was a good listener, openly agreeing with the problems that the mayor either stated or alluded to.

  Lucie had been a harder subject for the mayor to win over. She had listened to him during his visits with a degree of skepticism, and he had been careful not to get too radical in his complaints against the government. He had instead wooed her with lavish gifts, including often sending bouquets of flowers to their home. Occasionally, Strölin sent her tickets to the theater, and he made sure that she had an official car available at any time. If she ever chanced to go into Stuttgart for any reason, she was given free boarding whenever she wished at one of the city’s most lavish Hôtels. And of course, now there was that painting, a large representation of Rommel in uniform.

  Lucie and Aldinger leave to get refreshments as Rommel, the mayor, and Manfred sit down in the parlor. They begin with some idle chitchat. How Manfred is growing so tall, as the lad sits there smiling. Strölin tells how Stuttgart had been bombed the night before by the RAF.3 Rommel studies the mayor intently as they talk. He notes that he is chain-smoking and seems somewhat nervous, although he is trying to hide it well behind a smiling countenance and genial behavior.

  After a few minutes, the mayor senses that Rommel is fatigued. So he wastes no further time and begins by saying that he has also come out to talk to the field marshal on a matter of great importance. He pulls some documents out of his briefcase and gazing at his audience—Lucie, Manfred, Aldinger, and the expectant field marshal—he begins to speak.

  Strölin, once an avid Nazi, is now an anti-government conspirator. As such, he starts off by first condemning the National Socialist regime, calling it a brutal, criminal, runaway abuse of power. It is destroying their country, and will lead them all down the path to total destruction, unless someone like the field marshal himself takes the bull by the horns. Looking directly at Rommel, he solemnly declares, “We need you, Herr Feldmarschall, to save the Reich.”

  Everyone in the room is dead silent as Strölin continues. Hitler’s government has to go, he says bluntly. Its illegal and immoral activities are too much for the world to have to take.

  And there is more. He speaks to them of horrible crimes being committed against Jews on a scale so large that even he has trouble believing it. To support his claim, he selects a few more documents for Rommel to examine. One of them is a memo to the Ministry of the Interior that shows a number of activities offensive in humanitarian terms. As he passes to Rommel some documents to prove his point, he talks about grisly atrocities against the peoples of the East: massacres, brutality, torture, and outright systematic extermination. Something has to be done, the mayor said grimly.

  Strölin goes on, outlining the plans of a small group that he represents. He tells Rommel that a number of senior army officers on the Eastern Front are considering arresting Hitler and forcing him to announce his abdication on the radio.4 Along with a few other officers, they have met covertly for about a few years now, trying unsuccessfully to overthrow the existing government.5 Since an inevitable coup d’état would probably trigger civil unrest and political chaos, someone solid would have to take over leadership immediately, someone everybody respected and would readily accept.

  He points to Rommel sitting in his chair and tells him that as a war hero well respected by the enemy, he is that man. The facts are obvious. Rommel, the mayor boasts, is their greatest and most popular general, and he is more respected abroad than any other. His loyalty to Germany as well as to the Wehrmacht is beyond question. His good favor with the Allies is a rare and critically important necessity, if the Reich is to have any hope of negotiating a survivable peace. Just as importantly, he is a member in good standing of the Nazi party. Thus many die-hard Nazis would also be willing to accept him. Basically, he is the best choice—indeed, the only choice—for this pivotal job. Strölin tells him, “You are the only one who can prevent civil war in Germany. You must lend your name to the movement.” The mayor spends a couple more minutes trying to convince him.

  Getting to the end of his speech, he states that the Nazis in power have to be overthrown if Germany is to survive as a country. For this to happen, Hitler has to be killed. “If Hitler does not die,” he concludes, “then we are all lost!”

  At the mention of assassinating the Führer, Rommel’s one-time mentor, the field marshal stiffens. He has found the mayor’s remarks up until now distressing enough, but now they have taken quite a dangerous turn. Besides, as far as Rommel is concerned, assassination is totally out of the question. Making things worse is Manfred’s presence. It will do no good for his son to hear such things, much less accidentally repeat them to the wrong people. And what type of message does it give him to hear his father considering the idea of killing the leader of the Reich? A man his father, a national hero, has supported for years? No, the mayor has gone too far.

  Rommel rises in a dignified fashion and says sternly, “Herr Strölin, I would be grateful if you would refrain from speaking such opinions in the presence of my young son!”

  Strölin pauses. Looking around the room, he sees indignation, resentment, and shock on the faces of his audience. He senses that he has perhaps gone too far and begins to put his papers away.

  They finally talk a bit more, though there is now a decided chill in the room. Rommel promises to at least think about what the mayor has said, if for no other reason than to get him to leave. Strölin asks Rommel whether or not he will come to Germany’s aid if his country needs him.

  “Yes,” Rommel admits, “I believe it is my duty to come to the rescue of Germany.”

  “Well sir, your country is in trouble.”

  “Herr Strölin, I do not need you to tell me that,” Rommel grumbles.

  Embarrassed, Strölin apologizes for intruding on Rommel’s homecoming, and beats a hasty withdrawal to his car.6

  The troubled family soon has dinner with the issue clearly unresolved, Manfred silent on the matter. Later, Rommel discusses it with Lucie. What the mayor said did make some sense, but how on earth could a field marshal turn against the leader of Germany? And not assassination! Out of the question! Pure treason! Such things were far beneath the dignity of a German officer.

  Lucie points out the obvious fact that removing the Führer is also a very dangerous undertaking. And besides, she adds, it had been Hitler who had first made him famous. He had put him in charge of his own personal bodyguard. And despite Rommel’s lack of experience in armored warfare, he had given him command of a panzer division in 1940 and put him on the leading edge of their early victories in France and North Africa.

  The couple finally goes to bed, deep in thought over the idea.

  Again responding to Allied raids over Germany, a series of Steinbock air raids is initiated. It will continue sporadically for three weeks. Although damage to English cities is significant, the offensive is clearly not yielding the resul
ts that Göring had hoped for. And the Führer is not impressed.

  More occasional raids will continue through May.

  1Von Rundstedt invited Rommel a few times to dine with him there, but Rommel turned him down each time.

  2A premier burgundy.

  3About 542 bombers hit the city, although not much serious damage occurred.

  4According to StrÖlin, Rommel actually agreed in principle with this idea.

  5The group had been dubbed by the Gestapo the “Schwartz Kapelle”—the “Black Band,” or ‘Black Orchestra.’ In 1942-43, there had been a “Red Orchestra” (Rote Kapelle), so dubbed by the Gestapo’s intelligence. This had been a communist-aligned covert intelligence network formed after the German invaded Russia. Its prime mission was not necessarily the removal of the Nazi regime, but rather to secure victory for the Soviet Union over Germany. The name originated in the Spring of 1943. Gestapo investigations, headed by Dr. Manfred Roeder, had centered on certain members of the Abwehr, and a surprise inspection of now-Major Hans Dohnanyi’s office yielded incriminating evidence of a plot to overthrow the government. The subsequent inquest by Roeder’s section was dubbed by him the “Black Band Investigation,” fashioned no doubt after the “Red Band” ring he had helped to break the year before.

  6Although David Irving wrote that StrÖlin soon left, Samuel Mitcham, based on the material in the book Rommel by Richard D. Law and Craig W. H. Luther, indicated StrÖlin did not leave immediately, and that the discussions lasted over five hours. This seems unlikely since the field marshal had just arrived home and was tired from his trip. Still, it is possible that the mayor stayed for dinner and the dialogue continued on and off well into the evening. Neither Brown (Bodyguard of Lies) nor Fraser in his biography indicate how long the mayor stayed, although the latter refers to the meeting as a conversation, and not a long discussion.

  Wednesday, February 23

  Generalfeldmarschall von Rundstedt, just returned from leave, spends his second day back catching up on paperwork at his winter quarters in the Hôtel Georges V. Of course, it takes more time to catch up when one takes breaks for sumptuous meals and relaxing conversations in the parlor…

  ***

  Generalfeldmarschall Rommel is at his new home in Herrlingen on a ten-day furlough. With him is his fifteen-year-old son, Manfred, who has recently been inducted into the Luftwaffe auxiliary. Today, the two spend time together, and Rommel gets an opportunity to really study the boy. These days, he is often amazed by his teenage son, and every time he sees him, it seems like the boy has grown a little taller and has learned something new. Sometimes, Manfred makes some remark that surprises his father with his complexity and maturity. Yes, Manfred is indeed growing up. As if to confirm this, the field marshal observes that the boy is having some acne problems.

  Rommel gently chuckles. No doubt, girls will be next.

  ***

  Vizeadmiral Friedrich Ruge leaves Fontainebleau today for his own tour of the coast of northern Europe. He travels northwest along the Seine, his destination Le Havre. There he calls on the fortress naval commander, Admiral von Tresckow. Afterward, Ruge takes time for a pleasant visit with a former assistant of his, Korvettenkapitän der Reserve Kloess, once Ruge’s flag lieutenant. Kloess now oversees the Le Havre shipyards.

  On his return trip, Ruge follows the Seine eastward to Rouen to see the port captain there and assess the port’s defensive stature. Finally, he formally calls on the Kanalküste naval commander, Vizeadmiral Friedrich Rieve, at his headquarters in the town. Ruge discusses with the admiral and his staff Rommel’s expectations for naval defenses and strategy.

  ***

  Adolf Hitler, the subject of Mayor Strölin’s plea to Rommel the night before, today leaves his Wolfsschanze headquarters in Eastern Prussia to attend an “Old Guard” conference in Munich. From there, he will go to his mountain villa, the Berghof, for a few months. He has a number of reasons for going there. For one thing, the air raid shelters at the Wolf ’s Lair are inadequate, and if the Allies ever decided to try to kill him by air attack, he would be vulnerable. Leaving will allow its air raid defenses and shelters to be heavily reinforced by the OT without bothering him or his staff.

  Another reason for the move is that at the Berghof, he will be closer to the Italian front. He recently said somewhat amusingly, “We have built headquarters in just about every other corner of the Reich, but never dreamed that we would one day need one near Italy!” And anyway, with the hard toll of the war upon him, Hitler feels he deserves a break. Where better to relax than his mountain retreat?

  So this morning he has boarded his special train, and now he is on his way, first going by way of Munich. There he will lead the Nazi party in its annual Party Foundation Ceremony. Göring will follow him to the Berghof in about a month.

  As the Führer’s special, heavily armored train travels southward in secret, the shades are down and the blinds are closed, blocking nearly all of the sunlit view. This is in accordance with his strict orders, because the sunlight hurts his eyes. For a few weeks now, his right eye has been giving him trouble. Vision on that side is sometimes painful and difficult, and the medication that Dr. Morell gives him does not help much. However, his staff secretly knows that his headaches are only part of the reason for the drawn shades. He simply refuses to get himself upset by gazing upon any damage sustained by the many enemy bombing raids. He will not give the enemy that satisfaction.

  The trip is uneventful, and his train arrives in Munich that afternoon. He and his entourage attend the rally, and after nightfall, as they all travel the 150km southeast through Bavaria, they are unaware of enemy bomber activity above them in the night sky, as several hundred aircraft fly over the area.1

  They arrive at the Berghof at 10:15 p.m., tired. Still, the Führer insists on a late conference, which he schedules for 11:30 p.m. It is delayed though, because Reichsleiter Martin Bormann and his brother Albert coerce him into first touring the new air raid tunnels built below ground in the last couple months. Finally the Führer returns to the Berghof ’s main hallway, tersely smiling as he talks to Bormann. The conference begins at 11:45 p.m., and ends a half-hour later.

  ***

  In St. Lô, General Erich Marcks, commanding the 84th Corps, sits in his office, gazing down at his map of Normandy, grumbling about the Supreme Command. The fools! He is probably going to be the corps commander that will be hit by the Allied invasion, and no one above him in the command structure seems to be taking him seriously.

  He had tried to tell Generalfeldmarschall Rommel his concerns at their regional conference on the 17th, but the field marshal had repeated what the Kriegsmarine had told him—that the invasion would most likely not hit the Calvados coastline because there were just too many underwater reefs along the Normandy shores. Marcks though, feels that this is wrong. If the field marshal really studied the Seine Bay area, he would agree that the reefs there would not pose a significant problem to landing craft. Still, Rommel remains convinced that the invasion will most likely occur somewhere up the coast around the Somme estuary, or as the High Command foolishly believes, farther up along the narrowest Channel gap at Calais.

  Marcks however, feels otherwise. The heavily defended Straits of Dover are where OKW expects the enemy, so most likely they will not land there. The Allies are not stupid. And the Somme estuary does not have enough beach area to allow the enemy to land in force and rapidly exploit a quick, mobile strike inland.

  Angrily returning from that conference on the 17th, Marcks had scheduled a war game to test his theory. Really, it amounted to little more than a map game, played along with supporting messages between him and his staff. Marcks, taking the part of the Allies, had simulated a landing along the Calvados coast between the Orne and the Vire Rivers.2 In the war game, he was able with relative ease to push out on his right flank and capture not just Cherbourg and the Cotentin peninsula, but all of Brittany as well.

  He had sent the report of the game’s results
to both Army Group Headquarters and to von Rundstedt’s OB West. As yet, they have not replied, so they must not consider his conclusions important.

  Marcks grits his teeth and looks back at the map. He is very probably going to catch hell from the enemy, and no one east of Caen seems to care much.

  Stupid morons…

  1Eighty American B-24s were coming back from hitting the ball-bearing factories in Steyr, Austria, a little over 100km east-northeast of the Berghof. The Luftwaffe, having lost several aircraft intercepting the bombers, persists, and the Americans would lose another 17 aircraft on the way back over the Alps. Also, around this time, some six hundred British bombers were attacking the armament industries in Schweinfurt, northwest of the train’s route.

  2Exactly where the Allies were to land on June 6.

  Thursday, February 24

  Adolf Hitler, after his trip to Munich, has returned to the Berghof on the Obersalzberg mountain. His military entourage, which includes the core members of OKW, has followed him, setting up their field headquarters in the Berchtesgaden train station.

  ***

  Generalfeldmarschall Rommel continues enjoying a 10-day tour of leave at his home in Herrlingen.

  ***

  Vizeadmiral Friedrich Ruge on Rommel’s behalf is touring up the northern French coast. Today, Ruge and his aide are in Boulogne-sur-Mer on the coast. There he watches a test run made on an underwater barrier of stakes. A 120-ton British landing craft is run up onto the obstacle. Unfortunately, the tide at that time is too high, and the stakes just scrape the boat’s bottom as it sails over the tips.