Resolute Nazi

by Wagher, Ward

  This time he was able to follow the path of the small airplane as it streaked across the sky. The sound stopped, and he watched as the craft dove to the ground to his north. It seemed unerring in its path as it dropped directly on the command tent containing General Vitally Menschkin and his staff, except for Colonel Smirnoff.

  § § §

  May 18, 1943; 10 AM

  Reich Chancellery

  Berlin, Germany

  Heinrich Schloss had convinced himself that he existed in an unending nightmare where he was continually inundated with mounds of paper until he eventually suffocated. He moved his pencil down the page of another interminable report and thought that he should not be subjected to so much detail about German agricultural production. Joachim Ribbentrop’s turgid prose did not help matters, either. But both he and Ribbentrop knew why it was essential to pay attention.

  Germany’s farmers were not able to produce all the foodstuffs needed by the populace, not to mention the armed forces. Fortunately, they now had the freedom to import the necessary goods from Argentina and the United States. The recovery of trade across the Atlantic had greatly benefited Western Europe and the Americas.

  On a hunch, Schloss had significantly reduced the import tariffs, and this materially increased trade and boosted the overall economy. Despite a major war that was siphoning wealth from the country, the people seemed better off.

  Schloss gradually became aware of another presence in his office and looked up. Willem Kirche, the secretary, stood in front of his desk.

  “What is it, Willem?” he snapped.

  “The hospital called Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  Schloss felt a pang of fear in his stomach. “Well, what news, then?”

  “Frau Schreiber was delivered of a healthy baby girl. The mother is doing well also.”

  Schloss swore in relief. “Why could you not simply tell me the news first, Willem?”

  “I was trying to make sure you heard me, Herr Reich Chancellor,” he said innocently.

  “Your false obsequious manner will lead to your untimely demise,” he snarled. “I hope you understand that.”

  “Of course, Sir.”

  “And clear some time for me to visit Renate and the baby today.”

  “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor. I have already started arrangements.”

  “Then leave me, Willem.”

  Schloss watched as his secretary sailed triumphantly out of the office. He wondered why the competent secretaries were the most insufferable. Both Goering’s and Rainer’s secretaries were the same way. It was worse than tangling with a dragon. And he was sure they gossiped among themselves like old women.

  He looked down at the report and decided his concentration was indeed broken. He threw down his pencil and got up to visit the toilet. Returning to his office, he yelled for more coffee.

  “Already taken care of, Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  “I swear I am going to give him a rifle and send him east to reinforce Rommel,” he muttered. “The Russians will be terrified.”

  Schloss poured another cup of coffee and spun around in his chair to look at the report again. He finally worked his way through the last page and signed it with a sigh of relief. He then looked up at the stack of reports in his inbox and groaned anew.

  Willem magically appeared in his office again.

  “What do you want, now, Willem?”

  “I have arranged for you to visit the hospital before your lunch. The council will meet at two this afternoon.”

  “When do I leave?” Schloss asked.

  “Whenever you like, Herr Reich Chancellor. Your schedule is free, and I can have the motorcade ready within ten minutes.”

  “Well, you’re efficient, I’ll give you that much,” Schloss grumbled.

  “Of course, Sir.”

  “Call the cars around, then,” he commanded. “I have pretty well ruined this morning, anyway.”

  “Of course, Sir.”

  Schloss pulled one of the shorter reports from the stack, hoping he could breeze through it in a few minutes. He decided that he must have been getting morose again, as Willem would behave in ways that would get him to lose his temper, and that would usually snap him out of it. He pondered whether he ought to apologize to the secretary, but then decided that it was part of the man’s job.

  He began paging through the report and then shouted for the secretary.

  “Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor?”

  “This report on the Tiger Tank. How long has it been sitting here?”

  “It came in yesterday in the late mail. I put it in the stack first thing this morning.”

  “Why is it not on top of the stack? This is important!”

  Kirche walked over to the desk and thumbed through the stack. “Which of these is less important, Herr Reich Chancellor?”

  Schloss fanned through the other six reports. “Okay, Willem, I apologize. In the future, please let me know that there are several critical items I must attend to. I would try to be more diligent.”

  “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor. I believe your car is ready.”

  “Fine. Thank you.”

  Schloss shrugged into his tunic and shot the cuffs. As he walked out of the office, he vaguely remembered Kirche nagging him about several of the critical reports. At least the little man was tactful enough not to remind him.

  Gisela met him when he reached the elevator. “Are we ready to go, Darling?”

  He shook his head. “I must be having a bad day, my dear. It should have occurred to me that you would want to visit Renate with me.”

  “Willem called me, Darling.” Her eyes were dancing.

  He laughed as they walked into the elevator. “And here I was thinking of all the cruel things I needed to do to Willem. I was going to start by sending him to be Rommel’s secretary.”

  “Did you tell him that?”

  “No. Of course not. He would only find some way to turn it against me.”

  She chuckled in her melodious way, and he loved her.

  “You could not get along without Willem, Darling,” she said.

  “I could not get along without you,” he retorted. “I am not married to Willem.”

  She laid her hand on his shoulder and laughed again.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  May 18, 1943; 11:15 PM

  Charité Hospital

  Berlin, Germany

  The Reich Chancellor carefully projected his mien of competence and confidence as he walked through the halls of the hospital. This display was something that he carried with him everywhere, regardless of the situation. After all, everyone expected the Chancellor of Germany to exude strength and determination. That all vanished when he stepped in the door to Renate’s room.

  Since Peter was a senior member of the government, Renate rated a private room. Two guards stood outside. They snapped to attention when Schloss walked up, and he nodded in a greeting to them. So, as he moved into the room and saw Renate and the baby, his knees nearly buckled.

  She looked up at him and grinned. “Come meet your new niece, Hennie.”

  Gisela urged him forward. He walked across to the bed on shaky legs and looked down at the babe. The sense of wonder at the new life welled up inside him.

  “Say hello to Gratia, Hennie,” she said softly.

  The baby girl’s eyes were blue, and he wondered if they would stay that way. He had never been around infants before and didn’t know how to act. He reminded himself that another Schloss had been with Hans-Friedrich and Anna-Lisa when they were infants. He needed to operate with that level of confidence. But he didn’t know what to do.

  “She is a doll,” Gisela said.

  Both women studied him, and he realized that Renate was puzzled by his confused demeanor. Gisela also looked at him questioningly.

  “Hennie?”

  He mentally shook himself. “You have a beautiful daughter, Renate.”

  She chuckled deep in her throat with the pleasure a new m
other felt. “You have always been at a loss around babies, Hennie. I don’t know why I thought it should be any different.”

  And he was again reminded that the other Heinrich Schloss, the Alter Schloss was not so very different from himself, wherever he was. Or wherever the Alter Schloss now called his world. And he wondered again what became of the other man.

  He gave Renate a sheepish smile. “I suppose I am going to have to learn all over again how to be around small children.”

  “And, I hope you and Gisela will experience this.”

  “One never knows,” Gisela said with a secret smile. “It would be wonderful if our children were to grow up together.”

  “Well… I think so too,” Schloss interjected. “And how are you feeling?”

  “I am weary,” she replied. “Between the labor and the fact that this little piglet kept me up most of the night learning to eat. But I am told that first-time mothers often survive the experience.”

  “I certainly hope so.” Schloss forced a laugh.

  “Peter may have rather a more difficult time, I think. But he is enchanted with Gratia.”

  “I will spend as much time at the house as you need for me to do,” Gisela said.

  Renate smiled in pleasure and thankfulness. “Oh, thank you. I wish Mutti was still alive to see this. And to help.”

  “Daughters often have their fathers wrapped around their little fingers, I think,” Schloss said, picking up the previous thread. “Peter is just starting early.”

  “That he is,” Renate agreed. “I think he will be a good father.”

  “He takes good care of you, anyway,” Schloss said.

  Schloss looked around the room and shuffled his feet. “I suppose we should be going.”

  Gisela regarded him with humor. “Darling, why don’t you go back to the office? I want to spend the afternoon with Renate. I can call for the car when I need to leave.”

  He looked back at Renate. “Is that all right with you?”

  “Of course. I am happy for any time Gisela wants to spend with me.”

  Now that he had permission, Schloss fled the room. He was uncomfortable in hospitals anyway. Besides, Gisela would want to talk to Renate about things he did not want to hear. He was able to return to the Reich Chancellery in plenty of time to have lunch and prepare for the governing council meeting.

  § § §

  May 18, 1943; 2 PM

  Government Council Chamber

  Reich Chancellery

  Berlin, Germany

  “Our first item today, meine Herren,” Schloss began, “is General Guderian’s planned offensive in Eastern Poland.”

  “Are we going to vote on this today, then?” Goering asked.

  Schloss looked over at the man who appeared more gaunt by the day. “No, I will make the final decision. However, I want your thoughts on the project. We are considering something that will be risky, and I want to consider all of the factors, pro or con.”

  “I am sure the operation will cut off the bulk of the Russian army from its supplies,” Goering said. “It will wither on the vine.”

  “Thank you, Herr Reichsmarshall,” Schloss said. “What about you, Reinhard?”

  Gehlen looked somewhat panic-stricken when Schloss called to him.

  “Yes, well, the Russians have nearly a million men under arms at the front. I think we can successfully cut through their rear. But they will still be very dangerous and even more unpredictable. It will be the first time we have directly confronted them. I question whether we have bled them enough to accept the risk.”

  Peter Schreiber slipped into the meeting and claimed his chair.

  “Congratulations, Herr Schreiber,” Goering called.

  “Thank you. Mother and child are doing well.”

  The others around the table gave their congratulations as well.

  “Very well,” Schloss said. “Peter, we have been discussing the considerations concerning Guderian’s plan to cut off the Russian supply lines.”

  “Has anyone suggested anything new?” Peter asked.

  Schloss looked around the table, and nobody nodded in the affirmative. “I think not.”

  “What do you think, General?” Peter asked.

  “No one has ever won a war by staying on the defensive. Victory requires us to take risks. I have spent time with Rommel and Model to make sure we are paying attention and can pull our forces back if we think they are endangered.”

  Schloss nodded. “Herr Reichsmarshall, when I decide on this, I will notify you.”

  “Of course,” Goering replied.

  Schloss noticed that Goering was leaning to one side in his chair and had an arm wrapped around his ample middle. He wondered if the man was in pain.

  “And you wanted to report on our use of the V1 weapons, Herr Reichsmarshall?”

  “Yes, meine Herren,” Goering said. His pain was evident in the strained voice. “We combined the use of a spotter aircraft and fired a volley of V1s toward the Russian command encampment. The second weapon scored a direct hit inside the camp, and subsequent flights appear to have caused substantial damage.”

  Gehlen raised a finger.

  “Yes, Colonel?” Schloss asked.

  “We have been monitoring the radio traffic, and it appears we may have killed their new general.”

  “Ho, ho, ho!” Goering grinned. “That will certainly confuse things.”

  “In that case,” Guderian said, “I would like to kick off our operation within 48 hours so that we can take advantage of the confusion.”

  Schloss thought hard for a moment and then spoke. “If that is the case, then the operation is approved. But, Heinz,” and he pointed to the general, “I want you to be prepared to cancel the operation up to the last minute if you do not see things breaking our way.”

  “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor.” He stood up. “If you will excuse me, I must return to the OKW headquarters and send the initiation messages.”

  “Of course,” Schloss said. “We must be prepared to strike quickly.”

  Schloss looked down at the agenda that Willem had prepared. “And Herr Ribbentrop has a proposal.”

  “A proposal from the Americans,” Ribbentrop corrected. “They are preparing to ship another two-hundred Boeing B-17 bombers to Germany. In return, they would like a flight of our Messerschmidt Swallow jet fighters and then fill out the order with our new build U-boats.”

  “That is completely out of the question!” Goering shouted as he reared back in his chair. “We cannot give our best weapons to other countries.”

  Schloss glared at Goering. The Reichsmarshall subsided and sat down heavily. He looked over at Ribbentrop.

  “Have you negotiated the actual quantities, Joachim? I do like the concept of an in-kind trade. Our gold reserves are not what they could be.”

  “We are working on the quantities. The Me-262 would serve as more of a demonstration project.”

  “But we need those airplanes at the front,” Goering insisted.

  Schloss rolled his tongue around in his cheek. “So, are you implying that if we remove five aircraft from our fleet, we will lose the war?”

  “Of course not, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Goering said. “But is it wise to remove any resources when we are having such a difficult time in this war?”

  “That is a fair question,” Schloss said. “What do the rest of you think?”

  “Would it help if we sent some of the earliest models to the Americans?” Ribbentrop asked.

  “The B model went into production last week,” Goering said. “It fixes many of the shortcomings of the original model and also adds external fuel tanks. We had to retrofit the A models for the external fuel tanks. If we were to send anything, I would prefer the oldest aircraft.”

  “What would the Americans do with the airplane?” Rainer asked. “They obviously cannot attack the Japanese with them. Nobody has the range to attack Japan from the air.”

  “Unless they flew off of an aircraf
t carrier.”

  Ribbentrop jumped. “I almost forgot. The Americans wish to purchase the Graf Zeppelin and the Öesterreich.

  “But those ships are the future of the Reich Navy,” Goering sputtered.

  Schloss concluded that the Reichsmarshall was not having a good day.

  “I do not disagree,” Schloss said. “But they have no real value in the current war and are also valuable in trade. Let’s face it; it may be decades before we can go head to head with the English navy.”

  “And the Americans wanted to explore having our shipyards produce more ships for their navy,” Ribbentrop added.

  Goering looked down at the notepad in front of him. “You know, that starts to make a lot of sense. I think our biggest concern with the capital ships was that ours were undeveloped compared to just about anyone else. If we gain practice building ships to American requirements, we might eventually develop a blue-water navy worthy of name. Now that I have thought about it, I think I have changed my mind and am in favor of selling the ships.”

  Schloss was surprised. He looked over at Rainer, who also looked surprised. Such victories against the Reichsmarshall never came easily. Schloss wondered what the old boor would ask for in return.

  “I think we have a consensus, Joachim. Please continue with the negotiations. If the Americans want to sell us all their B-17s, I think we should buy them.”

  Ribbentrop bobbed his head. “Very well, Herr Reich Chancellor. I will proceed on the basis of those instructions. Thank you, meine Herren.”

  “Ha!” Goering barked. “We should thank you for getting something right for a change.”

  “Hermann,” Schloss warned.

  Goering glanced at Schloss and then dropped his eyes to the table. He said nothing further.

  “Next, I would like to review progress on our strategy for dealing with Russia. Does anyone have anything to report?”

  “My people had their first meeting yesterday,” Goering commented. “Milch sat in on the meeting and spent most of it getting them to understand what you expect.”