Resolute Nazi

by Wagher, Ward

  Peter nodded. “Cordell Hull invited both Thomsen and Ribbentrop to his office and gave them a quiet apology. I think we can safely let the matter drop.”

  Schloss looked up. “And of course, our treatment of the Jews is the elephant in the room. Sooner or later we are going to have to open Pandora’s box. I think we all know how messy that will be. I received a note from David Ben-Gurion in Judaea about this. He said that they were satisfied with the way we helped them establish statehood. They were not inclined to bring up the issue themselves.”

  “And we have our newspapers following up with their articles, now,” Rainer grumbled.

  “Are you well, Hennie?” Peter looked at him with concern.

  “No, I am not. I have a migraine coming on.”

  “Perhaps we should adjourn for the afternoon,” Rainer suggested.

  Schloss looked around the table. “Let’s do this. I am going to go lay down. General Milch needs to report on the status of the war. Why don’t you do that now, Erhard? If there is any other business, Willem can fill me in tomorrow. Willem, arrange for an appointment for General Milch to come in tomorrow to give me his report on the war. Peter, you have the meeting.”

  Without another word, Schloss stood up and walked unsteadily out of the room. Those remaining around the table looked at each other.

  “This makes me uncomfortable,” Milch said. “The Reich Chancellor has always seemed very healthy.”

  Peter knocked on the table with a knuckle. “I did not intend to offend you, General, but discussing Herr Schloss’s health is not very profitable right now. Can you proceed with your report?”

  “I apologize for that, meine Herren. I sometimes misspeak, much to my embarrassment.”

  Rainer waved a hand. “Understand that everyone in this room can pretty much say what needs to be said. We all understand that there is nothing personal, even when emotions run high. Don’t worry about it, Herr General.”

  “Hennie, what’s wrong?” Gisela met Schloss as he walked into the apartment.

  “I have a migraine coming on, and if I don’t get off my feet, I’ll be down for a whole week.”

  He walked into the bedroom and began undressing. She followed him in. “Is there anything I can get you?”

  “Some aspirin and some water, please. Also, if you can bring me a cool damp cloth to put over my eyes, that often seems to help somewhat.”

  When Gisela returned to the bedroom, Schloss was already stretched out in the bed with his eyes closed. He wordlessly took the aspirin when she gave it to him and lay back down so she could put the cloth over his eyes.

  “Leave me now, Gisela. It is important that I remain quiet and not speak.”

  She leaned over and kissed him on his forehead, then eased out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. She walked down the hallway to the kitchen, where Frau Marsden was preparing dinner.

  “Hennie has a migraine. He is resting in his room.”

  Frau Marsden turned and leaned against the counter, folding her arms. “Herr Schloss is very concerned about this movement to right the wrongs we carried out against the Jews. He is allowing the worry to make him ill.”

  “But what can we do?”

  “There is nothing we can do, Liebchen. Herr Schloss must learn to deal with this. And sooner or later, the nation is going to have to face these crimes that it committed against the Jews.”

  “It is almost as though Hennie feels guilty about this.”

  “Herr Schloss is an honorable man. He carries the weight of the nation on his shoulders, and it is an almost impossible burden.”

  “But can you not do anything, Frau Marsden?”

  She shook her head sadly. “The only person who can decide what to do about it is Herr Schloss himself.”

  § § §

  October 2, 1943; 2 PM

  The Prime Minister’s Office

  Tokyo, Japan

  The meeting of the Japanese Imperial General Staff convened promptly at 2 in the afternoon. Yamamoto had recently begun including the full staff in the weekly meetings on the theory that it was easier to deal with those who schemed against him. It also provided the opportunity to make sure that everyone received the same information. He thought it unfortunate that the internecine warfare in the Japanese military was as dangerous as the battles with the Americans and British.

  The lieutenant who was presenting the briefing was the lowest-ranked officer in the room. He was successful in hiding his nervousness, for the news was not uniformly good. And it seemed to be a tradition in Japan to shoot the messenger. Admiral Shimada had assured him before the meeting that the Prime Minister was insistent that things remain civil.

  Yamamoto folded his arms as he scanned the room. “It seems to me that we scored a victory against the British in Trincomalee, and something unpleasant happened to the division that landed in Perth, Australia. Does anyone care to comment on my conclusions?”

  Admiral Shimada raised a finger and Yamamoto recognized him. “In destroying the petroleum storage at Trincomalee, we very likely set operations back six months. Moving that much fuel around will be a big task, even for the British Merchant Marine. But the victory was too expensive. We lost thirty aircraft and pilots. It was too rough to recover anyone in those seas, even if we were able to find them.”

  “But we also took that American aircraft carrier out of action,” one of the naval captains in the room protested. “To our best knowledge, that is the only enemy carrier in the Indian Ocean.”

  “I do not discount that,” Shimada replied. “However, we know that the British have several more carriers in the fleet, and they will show up at Trincomalee just as soon as they can prepare them. The Americans are also building carriers. The one we tangled with in the Bay of Bengal is a new build. For that to show up so quickly after the start of the war means that the Americans must be turning them out in large numbers.”

  “I think we must speak to the situation in Perth,” Yamamoto said. “After the army had all of their equipment ashore, they radioed the ships that they were in place, so that task force could leave. It was after that the task force received an air attack. There was no significant damage to the warships. However, we lost two freighters. And we have heard nothing further from the force on the beach.”

  “That may mean that they had radio difficulties,” an Army Colonel suggested. “I find it hard to believe that the First Marine Division could have destroyed the two-and-one-half divisions of our army. I realize they were short divisions, but nevertheless.”

  General Homma shook his head. “If that were the case, they should surely be able to find a working radio somewhere in Perth. No, I am afraid they were overrun.”

  Yamamoto stood and walked over to peer out the window. He studied the traffic in the streets below for a while then turned to face the group.

  “That which we cannot discover by shining a light on we may discover by stealth. The Navy has several small teams that could slip ashore at night and scout the area where the invasion landed. Then perhaps they could slip back out after several days ashore to a waiting submarine.”

  It was quiet in the room as everyone considered what the prime minister said. Shimada nodded.

  “We could do that. We have a submarine in Singapore that we could use for this project. The team is currently at Nagasaki. We would have to fly them to Singapore. It would take two or three days to make the trip.”

  “If we gave the order, Admiral, how long would it take for them to get ready?”

  Shimada looked at Yamamoto. “No more than twenty-four hours. Procuring the aircraft would be no problem.”

  “Very well,” Yamamoto said. “Please make this happen.”

  Shimada nodded to his adjutant, who got up and quickly walked out of the room. The rest of the men in the room looked at Yamamoto to see if there was anything further.

  “Admiral Shimada, I want you to continue to attack Trincomalee. That base must be unusable by our enemies. We have invested bl
ood and treasure in the Bay of Bengal, and I do not want to see that investment wasted.”

  Shimada stood up and bowed to Yamamoto. “We serve the emperor.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  October 4, 1943; 4 PM

  Reich Chancellor’s Office

  Berlin, Germany

  “Are you back with us, Hennie?”

  Peter Schreiber walked into Schloss’s office carrying a portfolio and made his way to the open chair across from Schloss. Karl Rainer was in the other chair.

  Schloss glanced up at the ceiling and shook his head. “Let me tell you, Karl, don’t expect sympathy and understanding from the family. You won’t get it.”

  Rainer rubbed his face but managed an admirable neutral expression. He glanced over at Peter, who was openly grinning and then looked at the ceiling himself.

  “I believe I will stay out of this discussion.”

  Peter chuckled. “So, the SS decides to sit out this hand.”

  “I would have to inspect your sleeves, Peter. As you know, the SS is always suspicious.”

  “This isn’t poker,” Schloss commented. “It’s tennis. And Karl won the volley.”

  “So, he did,” Peter replied. “I assume we needed to discuss the summit this morning?”

  Schloss nodded. “Yes. We meet the queen next week, and I want to make sure we have all our dishes in the cabinet. I believe she is planning to offer us some under-the-table assistance in the war, but I also do not intend to be surprised.”

  “That’s reasonable,” Peter said. “Although I have no idea how the English could support us in the war without it being obvious to a blind man. And we also should remember that not everyone in the Queen’s party is going to be deliriously happy about the summit.”

  “There’s that,” Karl said. “I have been talking to the head of the English security team. He is most cooperative.”

  “I suppose what happened in Lisbon is a recurring nightmare for them,” Schloss said. “Are you taking the party security group or the SS with us?”

  “Both. The party security will hold the inner ring. The SS will have the outer ring. We are developing the protocols to communicate between the teams.”

  “Good. I assume you will keep them properly motivated.”

  “Of course, Herr Schloss. The difference between this meeting and Lisbon is that we will be prepared for anything. There is always some risk, of course.”

  “I thought you said you wouldn’t do anything to risk Hennie,” Peter said with a glint in his eye.

  “I am speaking practically, Peter. There is always some risk. We simply have to minimize it.”

  “Don’t start picking on Karl, now,” Schloss warned. “He might send you out into the street to see if you would draw fire.”

  “Nahhh,” Rainer responded. “Renate would be unhappy with me.”

  “And we see who counts around here. However, I have no problem with putting Renate first. I have my priorities straight.”

  Schloss smiled at the two other members of the inner circle of the government. He trusted either one completely, plus they were his friends. There were few others he could talk to honestly without worrying whether they had ulterior motives. Too many in the Nazi party always looked for an angle that would allow them to advance themselves. Few were genuinely dedicated to the Fatherland, and fewer still seemed to have the kind of friends who would die for the other.

  Schloss felt much better on this Monday afternoon. Germany’s position in the war was as grave as ever, and everyone was worried. Yet Gisela and Frau Marsden had contrived to keep him away from the office and the never-ending phone calls over the weekend. He mostly remained in the sitting room of the apartments and listened to the phonograph while sipping coffee. Frau Marsden had made sure he was well-fed, and he had taken the opportunity to spend time with the children. He was amazed at how fast they grew up.

  Gisela was as radiant as ever, although she was fighting the effects of the morning sickness. When the children went off to play elsewhere, they would sit with hands intertwined and enjoy music together. Occasionally Gisela would suddenly turn pale and quickly walk from the room. He was sorry she suffered but knew there was nothing he could do.

  He mentally shook himself and smiled at the other two men. “I do feel better today. I apologize again for my outbursts last week. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “Stress, worry, fear,” Peter ticked the items off using his fingers. “Anything else we forgot about, Karl?”

  Rainer shook his head. “I do not know how you manage, Herr Schloss. But I am glad to see you more relaxed today.”

  “I was reading the Military Digest today. I suppose we ought to have Guderian or Milch in here to explain it, but there are a few elements of good news. Heinkel has managed to ramp up production of the Fortresses. They are pushing about one bomber per day out the door. We will shortly be back to where we started with them.”

  “That’s good news, then,” Peter said. “The Luftwaffe is the only thing that has kept us from completely collapsing in this war. I am impressed that they were able to ramp up so quickly.”

  “When properly motivated, Milch is quite effective. Also, Messerschmidt has been conducting test flights for the C model of the Swallow. The Junkers two-stage jet engines are performing well. Milch estimates about a thirty percent improvement in range.”

  “That is good, too,” Rainer commented. “Has anyone made any progress in refueling the jets while they are in the air?”

  “I don’t know,” Schloss replied. “Let me make a note to ask Milch about that. Also, Ribbentrop sent a courier aircraft over with the formula and some samples of jellied gasoline.”

  “As a weapon?” Rainer asked.

  “Yes. It is very sticky and sticks to whatever it lands on while it burns. He thought we could get something into production quickly. It might be the weapon that will break the enemy's will at the front. The Russian soldiers we have captured are ill-equipped and half-starved, but still have a lot of fight in them. They are convinced we started the war.”

  “And this might convince them otherwise,” Peter muttered, shaking his head. “Sounds like a horrible weapon.”

  “Depends on your point of view, Peter,” Rainer replied. “We can’t break their will by being nice.”

  “There is that. War is such a horrible business.”

  “I’m glad you think that,” Schloss said. “We must be reluctant in our use of weapons, but also wield them in overwhelming force.”

  “How soon can we get some of these gasoline bombs manufactured?”

  “Milch gave everything to I.G. Farben. They thought they might have something in a month or so.”

  “That quick?” Peter asked.

  “They believe they can put the substance into something like the drop tanks we are building for the jets. I gather the main problem is the fusing. I believe they might have some samples of their own within a few days.”

  “The drop tanks are made from plywood, I believe,” Rainer said. “It sounds like a cost-effective solution.”

  Schloss nodded. “Oh, it is. I just hope that we get all these improvements in place before the Russians try to force the crossing of the Oder. I believe this is our last chance to stop them.”

  The room grew quiet as each of them considered what Germany faced. Schloss spoke first.

  “Gisela told me that the leaders of the churches in Berlin have been organizing prayer meetings to preserve the country. I wonder if, between the three of us, we might put in an appearance at some of these meetings. It might encourage the people.”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in a god, Hennie,” Peter said.

  “I don’t. But, if word gets out that we have been with the people in places like this, the morale boost might make a difference on the front. What’s the matter, Karl?”

  Rainer shrugged. “I think it is a good idea for us to visit the churches. I suppose I should say that I have already done so.”

  Pe
ter looked at the Reichsprotektor curiously. “That’s right, Karl; I had forgotten that you were Catholic. I apologize if I offended you.”

  Rainer waved a hand. “No, no. I am not offended. I just remember that I had forgotten to go today.”

  Schloss looked at Rainer. “Do you attend your church every day?”

  “When I am in Berlin, I try. I don’t know if God hears me or not, but I think we owe Him some… I don’t know the word. Maybe respect.”

  Schloss raised his eyebrows and looked around the room. “Well, I still think this is a good idea.”

  “I can have my office select some likely sites, and we can plan the visits.”

  “Thank you, Peter. I have never paid a lot of attention to religion. I just never needed it. But I have realized that a lot of people in Berlin take it seriously, and I need to respect that.”

  “I think they would be honored to have you visit their churches, Hennie. I have also thought that it might be a good time for you to address the nation again. It has been a while.”

  “Let’s wait until after the summit. I would like to have something to announce. Gott knows the people need some good news.”

  “Was there anything else of the military digest of note?” Rainer asked.

  “We have the first group of the Tiger B heading toward the front. They claim to have cleaned up most of the faults in the original. Milch wants to crow about this, so I want you two to act surprised and appreciative.”

  “I thought you didn’t like Milch,” Peter said.

  “I don’t. But after I yelled at him, he backed down and has since been an efficient administrator. I don’t want to have to replace him. Guderian certainly doesn’t want the job.”

  Rainer chuckled.

  “What, Karl?”

  “It always surprises me, Herr Schloss, how you can get these people to eat out of your hand. Milch has always been a poisonous little toad. I suppose he still is. But he has really motivated his people to do a better job of managing the war. And the people I have watching him have heard no hint of disrespect towards you.”