Attack on the Homeland

by Nick Mariano

  The two man Waffen-SS teams on each U-boats also had a sealed envelop that they were to read on their fourth day at sea. The Waffen men were told who their contacts were on shore and that they should meet up with them at an appointed time, date and location. If that the sub did not maintain its projected schedule, the operatives would continue to go to the appointed drop spot everyday until the landing teams and cargo showed up. Only if Berlin notified them to abort their mission would they cease to do their daily rendezvous. Their orders also instructed them to protect their cargoes at any cost. Under no circumstances should they allow their cargo to fall into the hands of the Americans. If they sensed that they had been detected they should attempt to hide or bury their box or as a last resort blow up the cargo with explosives they would be carrying with them. If this happened they should attempt to contact their operatives to notify them of where the cargo was hidden. The message also stressed that this was a highly dangerous substance and that they should not attempt to tamper with its contents. Doing so could result in certain death. They and the Captains of the U-boats should coordinate the landings of the teams once they reached the American shoreline. Himmler concluded by wishing the Waffen soldiers good luck in carrying out this important mission for the Fatherland.

  Later that day the respective Captains assembled their crews and laid out some of the details of their secret mission. They did not, however, inform the crews about the contents of their cargoes. Most felt this was better left secret.

  At the conclusion of Day 4 all ships were maintaining their bearings and the Captains and crews were in high spirits now that they knew more about their mission and its importance.

  A new moon appeared on the horizon as the U-boats cut through the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

  DAY 5

  Back in Berlin Himmler and Mengele had previously agreed to meet again to review the progress of the three U-boats. Although the boats were maintaining radio silence Himmler had included in their Day 4 messages that they could respond, although only by the shortest of responses, if Control in Berlin transmitted a message or beacon signal to them. This would be used by Control to ascertain the location of the three boats while they crossed the Atlantic. The new Type IX boats carried the new Telefunken E437S HF receivers that could communicate with Control from longer distances than the Telefunken 200 watt HF primary transmitter on the old subs. Before Himmler’s scheduled meeting, Control at the Wehrmacht, who controlled all combat operations, sent a short message to each sub and requested they provide their current headings.

  The three U-boats received a coded message at approximately 10 am on Day 5 and after consulting with their Captains, the radio operators transmitted a short message back to Control with their current locations.

  Later that day Himmler and Mengele met. Himmler told the Doctor about the progress of each boat and on a wall map showed his colleague where each boat was currently located. Himmler said that it appeared that all boats were keeping to their original schedules and that they were now about one-third of the way to the American coast. He added that there had been no problems so far in the crossing and all boats appeared to be operating at 100% following their retrofitting at the sub pens.

  Mengele started out by saying that there had been some additional developments with the virus they had developed. This was not true, as Mengele knew before the subs departed that the rabies portion of the virus had resulted in serious reactions in all his test subjects. Mengele went on to describe to Himmler how the test subjects had eventually transformed into walking zombie type creatures. Many had attacked both the infected and uninfected persons in the control areas and some had even eaten the persons they attacked.

  Himmler couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He inquired why Mengele had not informed him sooner about this development. Mengele avoided the question and said that this effect had just recently been observed. This was another lie but at least he wouldn’t have to justify his reasons for not informing Himmler sooner. Now that the boats were well on their way, he knew that Himmler would not recall the U-boats to Germany. Himmler decided to finish their meeting and when Mengele departed, telephoned the Furher’s office and requested a meeting the following day. He was sure that the Fuhrer might not like what he had to tell him; however, he knew he could not keep this information from him. Himmler now knew why Mengele was frequently referred to as the “Angel of Death.”

  Meanwhile the three subs continued on course toward their targets. The day was bright and sunny. The Captains allowed the crews to sun themselves on deck for a few hours before resuming their regular duties. Later in the day, Captains Salman and Falke decided to run some evasive drills and submerged and went on silent running for a several hours in order to ready the crews for possible combat they might meet with. Falke had now reached the undersea trenches and he and his navigators wove their sub through the Mid-Atlantic underwater submarine mountain ridge. While the average depth of the Atlantic was around 1,500 fathoms or 8,900 feet, the depth of this section of ocean approached nearly three times that depth. Falke was happy that no enemy ships had been encountered so that he could run the trench without any danger from above. He would be happy when Day 6 came, as they would then be beyond this trench and the Great Rift Valley, which extended along the ridge for most of its length. Besides avoiding the ridge itself, the U-boat Captain also had to watch and avoid the several peaks that rose above the water and formed small islands throughout the area. Of the three routes the U-boat Captains were traveling, Falke felt that his route was the most tricky and dangerous. He knew he would be very lucky to complete this mission unmarked.

  The sun slowly set over the horizon as the three U-boats continued their 14-day journey.

  DAY 6

  As scheduled Himmler met with the Fuhrer at the Fuhrerbunker in Berlin the day after his meeting with Mengele. Hitler appeared to be in good spirits, of which Himmler was happy. On numerous occasions he would be ill tempered and even the slightest remark could send him into a flying rage. Himmler began the meeting by showing Hitler on a wall map just where the three subs currently were, their expected arrival points and the dates for the commando landings. He then moved on to the real reason for this meeting, a follow-up of what Mengele had told him about the side effects of the super virus. Hitler was already up to date on what viruses had been combined and some of the effects expected. He did not, however, know about the results that Mengele had told Himmler about the day before. Treading lightly on the topic, Himmler finally broke the news to the Fuhrer that one of the serious side effects of the aerosol version of the rabies virus was that the infected could eventually turn into man eating zombie like creatures, attacking anyone they might encounter. Hitler sat quietly for a moment as though he was deep in thought and then unexpectedly burst into laughter, clapping his hands. Himmler sat in amazement at the Fuhrer’s reaction and said nothing. When he finally stopped laughing, Hitler looked at Himmler and said that the final results were better than he ever could have hoped for. He said this virus would cripple the Americans and he was sure that Germany would regain the upper hand on the European Front. He said that the Americans would have to withdraw some of their efforts from the war itself to confront the crises back home. Hitler congratulated Himmler for a job well done.

  They then turned their attention to other projects in development. Himmler said that new modifications to V-2 rocket would allow Germany to target several cities that had previously been outside of its range. Himmler said that over 3,000 V-2s had already been launched by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets and that besides London they were also targeting Antwerp and Liege. He said that work was progressing on the new A-4 rocket and that it carried larger liquid-fuel engines and had better guidance systems in them to control their flight. New construction techniques also prevented ice from forming on the rocket during its flight at high altitudes. He talked about some the new modifications they had been making on their U-boats and how they had increased patrol times
of the boats and the amount of armaments the boats could carry on their patrols. He also said that development of the new Type XXI “Elektroboot” was moving along well and that the new U-boat would be able to travel more efficiency submerged than the old type boats. It had a newer design that featured a streamlined hull and new propulsion systems.

  Himmler also filled in the Fuhrer on the commando teams aboard each of the U-boats carrying their special cargo and how they would link up with their counterparts on shore once they reached America. After that, it would only be a matter of days before the deadly virus was unleashed and they would start seeing its dramatic results.

  The two men briefly discussed their problems in Italy and how Pietro Badoglio had formed a new government following the ouster of their ally Mussolini. Germany had seized control of Rome and northern Italy and freed Mussolini from imprisonment; however, the Badogoli government had unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. It was also rumored that Hungary was on the verge of deserting its Axis partnership. Allied troops were also rapidly taking over parts of Italy, enroute to Rome.

  The meeting concluded and Hitler told Himmler to pass on his congratulations to Mengele on a job well done. He said he would await further details from Himmler as they developed.

  While the two German leaders talked, the three U-boats navigated their courses toward America, now almost at the halfway point.

  DAY 7

  Captain Falke in the U-756 had finally navigated the treacherous Mid-Atlantic Ridge and was on a heading that would take him past Cape Farewell, off the coast of Greenland, before he started his southerly course toward Newfoundland, St. John’s, and eventually past Halifax and onward to the American shoreline. He breathed a sigh of relief now that the trenches were past him, however, his journey now became even more dangerous as the number of military convoys and surveillance flights would be increasing as he approached Canada and the U.S. He had decided to run submerged for a few hours and run surfaced only in the late afternoon and evening hours. His crew was performing very well, considering many of the sailors were only on their first war crossing. He hoped things would stay quiet and that he could drop his cargo off without incident and get back to the open sea to begin his attack runs against the Allied ships in the area.

  Captain Salman continued his course toward the southern points of the U.S. and was on a heading toward Cuba and in the next few days would begin his gradual turn to the North, enroute to the Carolinas. Ship traffic had been lighter than he anticipated and a few recon planes had been encountered, however, the new radar units recently install on the U-751, had given him adequate warning so that he could dive before he became visible to the approaching aircraft.

  The U-532 continued its zigzag route to the shores of America and was now about half way to its destination. Captain Walkerling continued to drill his men to ensure that they were ready for any eventuality that might materialize. Both the crew and ship were performing better than he had hoped for.

  The German operatives in the United States and Canada were anxiously waiting for further instructions concerning the important mission that lay ahead. Communications from Reichsfuhrer Himmler’s office had informed them of a high priority mission they were to undertake and the initial details, although a little vague, had indicated that it could turn the tide of the war in Germany’s favor. The men knew that this meant promotions and awards for them if the mission was successful and turned out the way Himmler foresaw.

  Ahwehr agent Warner Langbein, had arrived in Canada aboard the U-213 on May 29, 1942, and had assumed the identity of a local fisherman who lived in a village on the Bay of Fundy near New Brunswick. He was known as a sleeper agent, as although he had been in North America for over a year, he had yet to undertake any missions for the Fatherland. He would soon travel south to the Carolinas to meet a landing party coming ashore near New Bern, North Carolina. He had adequate fake identification and so he anticipated no problems crossing from Canada into the U.S. when the time arrived.

  Abwehr agent Alfred von Kanowski, age 30, had landed off the shores of North Carolina on November 29, 1942, when the U-518 surfaced off shore and put him ashore off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina. He eventually got a job working in a hardware store in Wilmington and he would be only a short distance from his rendezvous point with U-532. He had done some surveillance since his arrival, however, the upcoming operation looked to be something much more important than anything he had ever been involved in.

  Waffen-SS Officer Erick Colepaaugh had landed in the Americas on October 29, 1942, aboard the U-1230. The U-boat had discharged him off the shores of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The son of a grocer, he had taken employment aboard a fishing boat in Georegtown, South Carolina. While fishing daily, he was able to observe both merchant and military traffic during his daily fishing trips and report the information back to Berlin via a special radio he had hidden in the room he rented in Georgetown. He had traveled before to the coast of North Carolina while on fishing trips but had never been to Sea Breeze, North Carolina, the city where he would meet up with fellow Waffen-SS soldiers.

  The last communication the operatives received told them that the final details of their mission would be transmitted to them on Day 10 of the ship’s voyage to the US. It added that the Fuhrer himself was watching the progress of this mission and that it was paramount that it was carried out successfully and without delay.

  DAY 8

  The Waffen-SS men assigned to the three U-boats had the task of landing the precious cargo and linking up with German operatives already in place in Canada and North America. The operatives had already started their trips to the rendezvous points and would be in place in another day or two. The men on board the subs were told that the operatives would be ready and in place to receive their cargo anytime after DAY 12, in case the subs arrived either earlier or later than originally scheduled. This was the key part of the operation and the chances of them or the subs being detected by the Americans was greatest during this last phase. The boats would also have to break radio silence in order to alert the operatives and this added to the risk factor.

  Scharfuher (Sergeant) Heinz Auerwald was the senior SS officer onboard Captain’s Falke’s U-756, which was currently steering south from the coast of Greenland. His assistant was Rottenfuhrer (Corporal) Eugene Vault. Both men had previously served on the Russian front and were well trained in their jobs. They would rendezvous with their counterparts on the shores of New Bern, NC, a small fishing village in the northern part of the state.

  Unterscharfuhrer (Junior Sergeant) Ernst Zierte had previously fought on the European front before being assigned to Berlin to work on special projects. He looked forward to getting a glimpse of America since he had heard so much about it. His assistant was Sturmmann (Lance Corporal) Heinrich Barbi, who had fought on the Russian front before Germany’s troops had been pushed back by the Soviets and been forced to retreat to safety. Both men were assigned to the U-751, which was quickly approaching the southern shores of North America. They would make contact with their operative at Sea Breeze, NC.

  Scharfuhrer (Sergeant) Josef Blosche and Scharfuhrer Erick Dings were on Captain Walkerling’s U-532, which was making a direct course to North Carolina and the shores off Wilmington. Both men had previously been assigned to U-boat duty and carried out special operations of sabotage in North America over the past two years.

  All U-boats continued their courses per their orders and as they neared the US coast the crews were all on high alert as the likelihood of encountering enemy naval forces was much higher. All three U-boat Captains began a series of emergency drills with their crews to make sure all the newly assigned sailors were familiar with their tasks. They also pushed their vessels deeper and deeper during the drills, sometimes close to the crush point limits of their subs. They knew that if they were detected by enemy sonar, this was the only way they could try to evade the convoys and make it to safety. Having just been retrofitted at the sub pens all the U-
boats were still performing at peak levels although the crews always grew nervous when they started to hear the creaks and squeaking sounds of the hull as the boats dove to their crush limits. Only when the subs blew their ballasts and started for the surface did the Captains and crews breath a sigh of relief.

  If the boats stayed on their projected schedules they would start arriving in American waters in less than a week. The Captains would start running submerged during the day starting in two days as the Allied ship traffic had already begun to increase as they headed to their objectives.

  Day 8 ended with everyone hoping the final 6 days would be as uneventful as the first 8.

  DAY 9

  Day 9 started out the same as any of the other 9 days since the boats had begun their voyage to America. Captain Salman and the U-751 would be approaching the coast of Cuba before he changed his heading to due north and began a zigzag pattern along the American coast to his final destination of Sea Breeze. Starting tomorrow he anticipated that he would begin to come across Allied warships that had been strung out along the coast to protect the U.S. from attack. The American coastline was hazardous navigating for U-boats as the ocean’s surge and the occasional hurricane could change the structure of the ocean’s bottom and produce variations that weren’t noted on his navigation charts. They would steer out at least 30 miles from the coast, as anything closer required steering through much shallower waters. Normally the U-boats wouldn’t come in that close, however, this time it was necessary so that the landing party could quickly reach shore undetected. He planned to submerge to periscope depth when he was about 30 miles out and gingerly weave his way toward shore, surface and discharge the landing party and then submerge and lie in wait until the party returned. A dangerous move but one that would save time when his men returned to the boat.