A Man and a Plane: An Alternate Germany

by Joseph T Major

  He put away the paper, and reached into another pocket. "I used to do this with my own, but I can't take off the oakleaves without damaging it. Eddie, if you will hold the other end? He is named in your honor, after all."

  Rickenbacker leaned forward and took the other end of the black and white ribbon, and in the presence of two other knights of the Pour le Mérite, Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Ritter von Udet and Konteradmiral Theodor Osterkamp, two chevaliers of the Legion d'Honneur, Colonel René Paul Fonck and Commandant Chevalier Willy Omer François Jean Coppens de Houthulst, and one Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (with Bar), Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw, the newest knight of the Order Pour le Mérite had the blue star put around his neck by a recipient of the Medal of Honor and a knight of the Order Pour le Mérite with Golden Oakleaves -- and his father.

  "Everybody smile," Carmen said, and the camera flashed.

  "Now let my patient rest!" the nurse said from the doorway, as commanding as ever.

  "Here, son," Adelaide Rickenbacker said, and before she left kissed young Manfred on the forehead. He flushed.

  The Reichswehr Minister had to countersign all medal awards, so this one took some doing. It was the next day, and Manfred was still coming down from the heights of doing it himself, but he made himself receive Noske without too much irrational exuberance. The Reichswehr Minister arrived early, and Bodenschatz had to scramble.

  "Herr Reichskanzler, we are at peace now, you can quit playing soldier," he said, upon seeing that for all that Manfred was in civilian clothes, he was wearing his Pour le Mérite medal. "We have to talk about this occupation policy for Belorussia. There are thousands of refugees streaming across the Dniester and many moving into Germany . . ."

  "We can settle this at Monday's cabinet meeting," Manfred said, holding up a hand. "I wanted to go over something with you, the revised constitution of the Order Pour le Mérite. The wording is a little unusual."

  Noske snorted as he took his seat in front of Manfred's desk. "What's so unusual about it? Enlisted men should be on an equal footing with officers. Are you becoming a Junker in your old age?"

  "Oh, I hope not. But the wording doesn't say that, it just says 'any person of the military.'" He let the words fall into silence for a moment. Then he said, "I believe that includes civilians in the Reichswehr Ministry."

  Noske said, "As if any of the Beamter will take up a gun and go to the front."

  "But, you understand, the Pour le Mérite with Golden Oakleaves is awarded for winning a campaign. BODENSCHATZ!" He raised his voice. "Let them in!"

  As the pressmen began to enter the office Manfred said very quickly, "This isn't a hereditary honor so you should have no problem with your party. Herren, I have an announcement. His Imperial Majesty, Louis Ferdinand, German Emperor and King of Prussia, is pleased to award the Order Pour le Mérite with Golden Oakleaves for victory in the campaign defending the Reich against the Russians to Gustav Noske, Reichwehr Minister of the German Reich, for his efforts in organizing, assembling, training, and supporting the armed forces. Since we know he'll get it, but the Kaiser is unavailable until tomorrow --" He reached up, undid the medal he was wearing, and with one quick motion came around the desk and hung it around Noske's neck.

  Cameras flashed, there was a brief silence. He could see tears in the old man's eyes, glittering behind the glasses. Noske stood there for a moment, accompanied, vindicated, triumphant. Then he spoke, slowly, choked-up. "I am not worthy," he said. "I am not worthy. It was the efforts of many who accomplished this triumph. I will accept this in the name of all the people of Germany who worked for our salvation, and wear it in their honor."

  Manfred could not tell which Pour le Mérite he had handed out was more satisfying.

  In the following days a cascade of medals for the heroes of the late war poured forth. Noske found himself joined by his generals in receiving the Oak Leaves, and he seemed to take a certain pride in Generalleutnant Rommel of the Gebirgsjäger. "Not a Junker, but a man of the people! Son of a schoolteacher!" the Reichswehr Minister bellowed. (The other non-aristocrat in the High Command was Hoepner, and for all that Noske did not reject him now, he still remembered the names in his little black book of those who had supported the Kapp Putsch, and refused to obey him against the putschists.) For his own part, Manfred noted that General Rommel's brother had been a pilot in Turkey, and that the general had written a memoir of his service in the Italian Alps, The Infantry Attacks!. He resolved to meet with him.

  Also, foreigners: the English General Alexander and the Czech General Sirovy. Here was international politics again: cutting off Rydz-Smigly and Weygand would send a signal that the Reich did not approve of Polish or French arrogance. Somewhat to his surprise, General Alexander turned out to be a painter, among his other talents. "He speaks very good German," Duke Carl said, "and about half-a-dozen other languages." The former reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, King George's cousin, had been German liaison to the British Expeditionary Corps, and so under the convoluted rules of English society, Manfred could now chat with General Alexander, since they had a connection. Here was another dinner companion.

  Yes, he would have them over.

  CHAPTER 38

  Reichkanzlerpalais, Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany, Saturday, October 26, 1940

  Bolko and Viktoria were in the United States, keeping an eye on Papen. Therefore it fell to Doris to be the hostess, and so the invitations went out saying, "Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen and Doris Freifrau von Richthofen gennant Gräfin von Keyserlingk invite . . ." And the names on those invitations were "I.K.H. Carl Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha und Viktoria Herzogin von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha"; "Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel und Frau Lucie Rommel"; "Lieutenant-General Sir Harold Alexander and Lady Margaret Alexander"; and of course "Captain Randolph Churchill and Carmen Freiin von Richthofen". They would have ten at the table and Doris would be able to keep an eye on her flighty daughter.

  About half an hour before the time there was a call. "Hello, Manfred?" Randolph said. "Sir Neville wants to have words with me. Something from Father. I'll be as quick as I can but you know how these diplomatic types run on. Or off."

  "Will we need to hold dinner?"

  "Don't think so. I'll tell him but duty calls."

  Randolph did not sound drunk and the first hour or so would be mostly drinks, which Manfred knew Randolph of all people should not be indulging in. So he was going up to see his son when he was forestalled. "General and Frau Rommel," were announced.

  He could see why Noske was impressed by this General Rommel. He was too, by his standards. Wurttembergers make good combat soldiers but poor parade-ground ones, history said, and in this case the former had been emphatically verified. The general and his wife were shown into the drawing room. "Herr Reichskanzler," Rommel said, bracing respectfully.

  "Herr General. Frau Rommel. Such a pleasure," Manfred replied. "The other guests will be coming along soon. I was just going to visit my son, who is recovering upstairs. Would you care to come along?"

  "Shall we, Lu?" Rommel said, and his wife nodded, so they went along.

  Young Manfred was sitting propped up, reading a magazine with a young woman in a rather tight and somewhat inadequate outfit in a tugging match with some hostile-appearing red monsters. His father saw the cover as he came in and said, "Planet Stories! Manfred, can't you read more uplifting material!"

  "That depends on what you mean by 'uplifting,' Father."

  Manfred laughed, relieved that his son's spirit was improving. "Son, I want you to meet another hero of the War. This is Generalleutnant Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel, commander of the Gebirgsjägerkorps during the recent war. He is a knight of the Pour le Mérite from the War -- he won it on the Italian front. And this is his wife, the former Lucie Mollin. Herr und Frau Rommel, this is my son, Manfred Albrecht Eduard Freiherr von Richthofen. He is named for my father, and for my friend Eddie Rickenbacker."

  "Our son is Manfred, too," Lucie Rommel said.
"He is in school now, but he wants to study law. He'll be twelve Christmas Eve."

  Manfred smiled, "Good God, half the boys in Germany are 'Manfred', it seems," he said.

  "Sorry, Herr Reichkanzler, not you," Rommel said. "I had a brother Manfred who died and -- well, we wanted to carry on the name. My Manfred is quite a peach, a wonderful lad."

  "So is mine. I hope your Manfred will be spared my son's ill-fortune."

  Young Manfred sighed. "I wish I could come down and eat with you, but I seem to have been put on a liquid diet. I would like to see you again, Herr General, and Frau Rommel, and meet your son."

  He himself would rather meet this Manfred than some of the other Manfreds who had been named in his honor; Manfred Hauptmann, for one. A somewhat reserved voice came from behind them. "So this is the lad who fended off the Bolsheviks?"

  The man who entered was somewhat larger than either Manfred or Rommel, and had that supremely confident, reserved look of the English; he proved it by saying. "General Alexander reporting, Herr Reichskanzler. You must be the Herr General Rommel. And Frau Rommel. This lad, I take it, is the hero of the hour?"

  "I am pleased to met you," Manfred said, taking the English general's hand. "Duke Carl says many good things about you."

  "Indeed! He had no end of praise for you."

  "I saved him from getting bombed during the War."

  "Yes he was a decent fellow. Pity . . . A fine boy, Herr Reichskanzler, and I can tell he's from a good family. And General Rommel, is it true that you captured ten thousand Italians during the War?"

  As the two land commanders began to reminisce, Manfred said to his son, "I'll see you after dinner, son, the nurse will get jumpy again if you have too many visitors. Oh and I have some bad news -- the monster never does get the girl, and neither does that man with her." Young Manfred sighed again. What fathers will do . . .

  His father meanwhile said, "Shall we join the others?"

  Down below, they found Doris keeping Lady Margaret occupied, while Carl and Viktoria were complimenting Carmen. "So you flew with Frau Earhart across the Baltic to get the people out of Finland," Carl was saying. "Your father would have been very proud. You do honor to the name of Richthofen."

  Carmen curtseyed and said, modestly, "She did most of the flying." She looked less uncomfortable than he had feared in her dress, almost demure. A careful eye would have noticed the pilot's wing motif in the pin on her dress. (If she had dared she would have worn her father's pilot insignia; Wolf-Manfred had worn it briefly but after his second victory over a Red bomber had pinned on one of his own.)

  Then she noticed him. "Uncle, wherever is Randolph?" she asked.

  "At his embassy, telling Sir Neville Henderson about this beautiful, reliant young woman he is partnering at tonight's dinner."

  "Ah yes, the young Churchill!" Carl said. "That remarkable combination of bravery and obnoxiousness! Stopped two soldiers from kicking an Ogpu man to death, bellowing 'First we try him, then we shoot him!' Then he got stewed on my brandy and threw up all over the floor."

  "The two may be connected," Alexander said. "As for the Bolsheviks, I had thought they were bad back in twenty, but under this Stalin they only seem to have become worse."

  "Yes, that's why they picked you to command. You and Guderian had already worked together."

  "Not quite together, just close by," Alexander said, "They put me over the Baltic Landwehr to keep it from joining the Iron Division, Guderian, General von der Goltz, and all. But we had one common enemy all the same, and now we did again."

  This kicked off a discussion of fighting above and below. Rommel was surprised to learn that Alexander had risen from Lieutenant to Colonel during the War. "There were many officers who thought our Chancellor here was scandalously overpromoted when he became Major before he turned thirty," he said. "I myself entered the army the year before he did, and I was only a Hauptmann when it ended."

  "Made up for it since then," Alexander said. "Mountain troops. You know, I think you would find the Northwest Frontier -- of India, that is -- interesting. I was stationed there when I married Margaret. Commanding a brigade. Spectacular mountains there, and full of Pathans, chaps who regard fighting as just another sport. Some of them used to come down after a punitive expedition and put in for our campaign medal!" He touched his neck where the Pour le Mérite would go. "Come to think of it, I seem to be in the same boat."

  They all laughed heartily.

  After a few more War stories, Manfred was glancing at the clock and thinking they should go to dinner when Randolph was announced. "Carmen!" he said when he entered. "Baron von Richthofen, Sir Neville will want to see you Monday or so, no rush. Oh, and Your Royal Highness, may I have a few words with you, alone. And a drink! Mouth's dry as a limekiln!"

  "Well, we can't go in to dinner until we're all settled, so Damen und Herren, you may all wash up while our Randolph is getting ready," Manfred said.

  For some reason Carl seemed particularly pleased when they sat down to dinner, but he didn't seem to be free to say why. But he smiled occasionally and patted his wife's hand avuncularly.

  During the War, Manfred had eaten only to fight, but he had eaten as well as he fought. He sipped at the wines, keeping an eye on Randolph, while the others drank discreetly. They discussed trivial things, this new book by Herr Hemingway on the Spanish war, the hunting in India, the prospects for vacationing in Jamaica. Dinner was not to be spoiled by heavy talk.

  Finally, Manfred rang the bell to have the desert plates taken away, then got to his feet and said, "Gentlemen, if you would like to adjourn for a smoke?"

  The four other men got up and prepared to leave, while Doris glared at her daughter. "Now you must be ladylike!" Doris said sotto voce.

  "Oh Mother, I am, like Amelia, er Frau Earhart. And Frau Andra."

  As Manfred led the procession to the drawing room, he suspected that his niece would, after a short time with the other ladies for propriety's sake, be hanging around the door of the other room. Whatever would Lothar have said about his daughter?

  They walked down the hall to the drawing room. There was a fire laid, and the chairs had been set in a circle in front of it. "Seems odd to step out for a smoke when I don't feel like it," General Alexander said as he took a seat in an overstuffed chair.

  "It would be a shame to spoil the memories of that splendid dinner by affronting the palate with tobacco," Carl said, ironically as he was inspecting the humidor on the table. "Manfred, you must tell me how that sauce was made! Or at least have your cook tell mine!"

  "Yes, he sets a good table," Randolph said, and he had only managed to sneak a fourth glass. "Father said eating well never hurt anyone." He sat down with a plop in the chair by the fireplace. Manfred himself sat next to him, doing his own surveillance.

  For the moment Rommel stood near the door. "Herr Reichskanzler," he said, almost formally. "Since this is an informal affair, I would like to ask the English General -- and the son of the Prime Minister -- what their government may think of the latest activities of the Polish government." Then he entered and took a seat.

  "You mean this 'Belarus Commonwealth' and 'Volhynian Free State' they set up?" Randolph said, lolling back in his chair. "Covered their borders all the way to the Dnieper! Can't blame them much for wanting a few miles between them and the Red Army."

  "You must realize, Herr Churchill," Carl said as he came, cigarless, to join them, "that that point goes double for the Reich. Every kilometer further east the Soviet border lies is an added kilometer of security for us." And he sat on the other side of Manfred.

  Alexander said. "I do not believe the Government have made any decision about the new Polish protectorates. Marshal Rydz-Smigly has at least suggested that the Polish government should apply to the League of Nations for a mandate over those territories."

  He shuddered and went on. "The Bolsheviks have only changed for the worst in the past few years. Randolph here knows better than I; while I have been keeping the
Force in order, he has been dashing about interviewing civilians. Survivors, I should almost say."

  "You know, Alex, you can come right out and say that those Soviet Ogpu bastards are murderous swine," Randolph burst out. "Do you know I found a document from the Head of the Ogpu himself, Comrade Ezhov, saying that the Ogpu in this one particular White Russian town had to find a quota of Trotskyists. A quota! Label people as traitors and send them off to Siberia! Christ, if I had to live through that I'd welcome anyone who came to run them off, even the Eyties! I'd think the people of those lands would prefer living in Polish colonies to living in Soviet dependencies. Or not living."

  "Indeed." Carl said. "I went ahead with the advance party of the headquarters one day, and we were welcomed into this one town. Women offering bread and salt, the old German flag over the town hall -- I don't think they know about the change yet -- with the British. You remember, Herr General. At dinner, they said 'Is the Zar coming back?'" His eyes gazed on a distant vista, as if of German peasants offering the first fruits of the harvest to the Herr Herzog . . .

  "They wanted you to be Regent, if not Czar yourself," Randolph said. "They'd take anybody."

  "Desperate fellows indeed," Alexander said. "If the Poles want to move their boundaries east, they will have local support."

  "Speaking of moving boundaries, what are you going to do about Danzig?" Randolph continued in an aggressive style.

  Manfred could tell a sounding-out by now. He said, "Herr von Papen will discuss that matter with Colonel Beck, Minister Eden, Minister Reynaud, Commissar Lwitnow, and Secretary Hull. I understand the Poles are making some claims on the Reich. We win victories so that the diplomats may throw away our successes at the negotiating table."

  General Alexander said, "Not that the French are much help, either. Monty -- that is, General Montgomery of our Third Division -- threw a fit and demanded to come under my command. After a few hours of the full Monty treatment, General Weygand was happy to see him go, I understand." He sighed and scowled at memories of French obstructionism.