by Unknown
Kammler watched as a very angry, but dejected couple was prodded away at gunpoint by the two men. They would probably be shot anyway, he thought. At least I will have my house back. He turned and followed the Colonel back to the control room.
Fredrich couldn’t believe his luck. Since arriving that evening and seeing the whole complex for the first time, he had been in a panic. Somehow he needed the chance to contact the authorities and shut the place down, but he was almost constantly watched. Now he and Otto were leading these two people back into the tunnel system, out of sight of the rest. Halfway down the hall he motioned to Otto, “I’ll stop at the armory and get us two pistols and plenty of ammunition. I will meet you in the General’s office,” he said in a whisper as they walked along.
As they passed the armory, Fredrich paused and went in. He was gathering the ammunition when he saw Johann pass by the door, following the others. He knew something bad was about to happen and quickly gathered the remaining equipment and eased out the door and down the corridor.
Otto had the two stop at the door and go in. The general’s office was sparse. There were two chairs, a desk under a lamp and a work table to one side. A photo of Hitler was behind the table, but there were two other very nice paintings on another wall. Eric and Anna entered the room and turned to face the young man who had escorted them in. They watched as he looked outside the room and then closed the door. Otto lowered the rifle and moved toward them.
“We need to get you two out of here. The general isn’t bluffing. We found out tonight he is really going to launch those things,” Otto said.
Eric and Anna seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Their jailer had just turned into a savior. Eric was the first to react.
“If I can get back to the house we can phone.”
Otto shrugged. “The telephones are sometimes listened to. But if we can get back up there they may be too busy to notice. My friend is getting us a couple of pistols. When he gets back we should be better off.”
Eric nodded. “There may be some men on the way. Inspector Dresner of the police said he was coming.”
“Good, then we need to get back to the house as quickly as possible,” said Otto as the door banged open.
Johann stood in the door with a pistol in his hand. “I knew you were a traitor to our cause. The General will be very pleased when he finds I stopped you from betraying his plans.”
“Johann, you need to back away,” said Otto.
“Not this time,” said Johann. “You have done a lot to discredit me with the Colonel and the General. Now they will see who the most loyal Party member is. They say blood strengthens the heart. Maybe I should start with yours,” Johann said as he aimed the pistol at Otto’s chest.
There was a crack from in the hall as a rifle butt slammed into the back of Johann’s skull and crushed it inward. Johann’s eyes drifted upward as his body slumped downward. His pistol clattered out of his hands and onto the stone floor. The others watched in amazement as Fredrich stepped around the corner of the door sill and looked at Johann’s body as it bled onto the stone. “You will not be hurting anyone,” he said with contempt. He turned to the others. “We need to get moving,” he said.
The four quickly ran along the deserted hallway and up the flights of stairs. As they passed through the cellar, Fredrich took the time to close the door and the cask covering, then prop a chair on it so it would not open.
Entering the main part of the house, they found Helga tied tightly to a chair. A dishrag was tied around her face and a cloth gag was in her mouth. The four quickly began untying her. Once the cloth was removed she let out a whimper. “Eric! Anna! I thought I would not see you again,” she cried out.
“It was close Frau Hufham. These two rescued us and brought us back. We need to call Rolf,” Anna said.
At that time Dresner and his men came crashing through the front door and into the house. Almost immediately they were pointing their weapons at Fredrich and Otto, who threw their weapons down and held up their hands.
“Hold on!” cried Eric. “These two are helping us escape! Herr Dresner, there is a vast complex under this house and they are planning to launch missiles!”
“I know,” Dresner said as they lowered their weapons. He turned to Fredrich. “Is it a General Kammler and a Colonel Müller?”
Fredrich nodded. “I do not know it all, but this is something planned for a long time. My father says it was since the end of the war. I didn’t know what it was until tonight. Neither did Otto,” he said pointing to his friend.
“Never mind that now. We have to find a way to stop them. What if we turned off their power?” Dresner asked.
“My father has the duty of running a diesel generator. They probably have that running,” Otto said.
Dresner thought a moment. “That means they have backup electricity so we can’t go that route. I guess that means we must weed them out the hard way.”
“There’s another way. There is an armory down there. If they have more of those anti-tank weapons I can fix it so those missiles won’t be going anywhere,” said Eric.
“What? By blowing them up? You would kill everyone down there including yourself,” said Betz, standing nearby.
“No, I don’t plan on getting myself fried. But if we can find those weapons I can guarantee they won’t go anywhere,” Eric said confidently.
“Where is this armory? Can you take us back there?” Dresner asked Fredrich.
“Ja, I can do this,” said Fredrich.
Dresner turned to his men. “It looks like we will be going underground like we did in some of the mines. Everyone be on alert. For those who don’t have weapons, it looks like we can get you some.” He turned to Fredrich. “What is your name, young man?”
“Fredrich Stadt.”
“Well Fredrich, you know the danger?”
Fredrich straightened confidently. This was something he wanted to do. “Jawohl, Herr Dresner.”
Dresner smiled and patted the boy on the arm. “Then let’s be at it then. Welcome to our unit,” he said.
Dresner’s group, led by Fredrich Stadt, made their way back down the stairs into the cellar. Fredrich opened the cask and then the door beyond. Surprisingly, no one was met as the group quickly, but quietly made their way down the corridors. They stopped at each intersection and looked carefully before continuing. Within minutes they were at the armory door.
Dresner turned to Betz. “Sergeant, post some men down the corridor to warn us if someone comes. No shooting unless necessary. I suggest we turn off some of the lights in the corridor so it is a bit darker,” he said as they went inside.
The armory held more weapons that Dresner had seen since the war. There was a little something of every type of hand held weapon, boxes of ammunition, several cases of explosives and the equipment to detonate them. The men spread out and rearmed themselves, discarding their rifles and each gathering a new pistol and an MP 40 submachine gun. Commonly called the “Schmeisser” by the Americans, it was one of the best submachine guns produced by either side. Nearly every man got one along with a pistol and holster. Some even found silencers for the pistols and handed them out. They also loaded up with plenty of ammunition.
There was a muffled exclamation from the back of the armory. Dresner turned to see Corporal Wagner come around the corner carrying a Panzerschreck. Also called the Ofenrohr or “stovepipe” by the men who used it, it was the German equivalent of the American Bazooka. Eric followed him carrying two wooden cases of projectiles.
“This ought to do the trick,” Eric said.
“It isn’t going to be very subtle,” said Dresner.
“Yes, but it will punch through six inches of concrete,” said Eric.
Wagner was nodding and grinning behind him. “He has a good idea, Herr Major. I can help him do it.”
“Alright, what is your plan, young Eric?” asked Dresner.
“Corporal Wagner and I go up to the gazebo on the lake and punch holes in the co
ncrete under what we thought was a patio. It is actually the tops of the four silos down there. If we can hit them just at the waterline…”
“The whole place would be under water in a matter of minutes! I like that much better than shooting at the missiles themselves. But there are some things we must do as well. I must try and get those men out of there. They have broken laws and if I can bring them out alive I will do so. But if not…” Dresner let the meaning hang in the air.
Otto tapped him on the shoulder. “Pardon me, Herr Inspector. You need to know there are several young men our age there. They are like us. Our fathers have made us attend these meetings for the last year or so. I doubt they have really broken any laws and if they are like us, we didn’t know the whole story until tonight. If I go with you, we might be able to get them out without a fight,” he said quietly.
Dresner hadn’t thought about young people being there. He saw the sense in what the young man was saying. “Very well, come along. But if we start shooting, you make it back up to the house as fast as you can. You’re not trained for this and you have already done your share,” Dresner said. “Now tell me your name.”
“Otto Haldebeck.”
“Very good, Herr Haldebeck. You stay with me. Now tell me, is there another way into this place?”
Fredrick stepped up. “Yes, Herr Inspector. There is another tunnel which opens from the road just below the one for the house. My father told me and we came in by it. I can take you there.”
“Good. Wagner, you and Eric take one man and make your way to the lake. Betz!” he called out. Betz came around the door. “You take eight men and young Fredrick here and go in the other entrance.” He turned to face Fredrick again. “This other entrance, does it lead to the rocket chamber or to the house?”
“To the main chamber. It comes out just below the control room. There may be some people guarding it.”
Dresner turned back to Betz. “You heard him. Go back to the house and get a car. Drive it down and see if you can get in. As best you can, make your way to the main chamber and be ready.” He looked at the group. “I’ll give you ten minutes. I know that’s not much time, but we can’t wait until they launch those things. When ten minutes are up, Wagner, you start making holes in concrete. Betz should be making his way up the entrance tunnel and I will take the rest of the men and go in from this side. Try and take people alive and get them out of this facility. If you can’t just make sure we get all our people back out of this place. Once the water starts coming in, we need to get out fast. Our primary goal is to get Müller and Kammler. I want those two most of all. Any questions?”
The men looked at each other and then back shook their heads. Eric was surprised at the men. They each had a very determined look. There was even a sort of professionalism in the way they handled themselves which was different from the time he had met them before. He had to remind himself that these same men had survived a much larger conflict together and were thinking like the old days – as one unit.
Dresner nodded and glanced at his watch. “Very good. We all start the assault ten minutes from now. Good luck,” he said.
The men snapped to attention and began rushing to their assigned place. Wagner, Eric and a man named Stephen made their way as fast as they could back to the house. The going was difficult with the heavy load of the Panzerschreck and its ammunition. By the time they reached the front door all three men were sweating profusely.
Eric saw Anna and Helga sitting at the table. “Get in a car and get out of here. I’ll call your place when we’re done,” he said.
He saw Anna put her hands on her hips defiantly and yelling out, “No!”
Eric smiled at her and yelled back, “Wait for me then!”
Crossing the courtyard and exiting through the gate, Eric led the men down the side of the lake and onto the short pier out to the gazebo. Glancing at his watch he told the men, “There’s no time to lose.”
Wagner gave instructions on how to load the weapon as Stephen broke open the wooden cases with the ammunition. After only a minute a round was in the end of the tube and Wagner kneeled beside the wooden rail. Using the rail to steady the tube, he took aim at the exact point where the water met the concrete. Looking at his watch again, there was only one minute left to wait.
Fredrich, Betz and the other men were quicker getting up to the house because they didn’t have as much to carry. They grabbed two of the cars and tore out the gate and down to the tunnel. It only took two minutes to be out the other side and down the 100 meters to where Fredrick said the door was. Fredrick stepped out of the car and walked to the edge of the concrete sill. Reaching behind the sill he pulled something and then pushed the door inward.
There were two students in the underground garage. As the door opened, they turned to see who was coming in and saw the two cars enter followed by Fredrich who was pushing the door closed. With Fredrich there, they did not expect trouble and sat their rifles down and leaned them against the wall. Suddenly the cars raced up and screeched to a halt. A group of eight men with guns jumped out, pointing them at the students. The two immediately threw their hands into the air. One of them even wet himself as the others rushed towards them.
“Take them and tie them up beside the cars. Karl, you stay with them until we return. If there is trouble, get them to safety,” Betz said. He turned to look at the garage. Sitting in it were about twenty cars of different makes and sizes. But two things caught his eye. The first was a row of four Tiger tanks and other armored vehicles sitting against the far wall. The second was a large truck marked “US Army.” A smile crept across his face. “One case solved,” he said to himself.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Betz grabbed Fredrich. “Which way do we go?”
Fredrich pointed to a large steel door at the far end of the garage which was open only just enough to allow entry. “That leads to the main complex. The tunnel is about 200 meters long,” he said.
Gathering his men, Betz pointed to the tunnel entrance. “Guerilla tactics,” he said. “You three lead the way,” he said pointing to three of the men. The men swung around and made their way to the large door. It was a thick steel door, obviously made to withstand a lot of pressure. Cautiously, the men made their way round the door and into the main tunnel.
The tunnel was fifteen feet wide and twelve feet tall with a curved ceiling. The tunnel curved slightly to the left and had supports every twenty feet with just enough room to hide a person or to take some cover. The lighting was dim compared to the other places they had been. Betz looked at his watch. They were still 50 meters from the far end with only 30 seconds to go.
Dresner felt exposed inside the smaller corridors nears the armory. He turned to Otto. “Is there a room or some place we can wait where we won’t be seen?” he asked.
Otto nodded. “There is a place, but you may not like it,” he said.
“At this point I would even hide in a toilet,” Dresner said.
Otto nodded and quickly led the men to the next passageway where there was a “T” crossing. Passing through and down the dimmer passage, he came upon the doors with the marble framing. “No one will come in here,” he said.
Dresner saw why. He and his men were frozen in their tracks at the sight of Adolf Hitler in his glass sarcophagus. “It can’t be so,” Dresner heard one of his men say. “It must be wax,” said another.
“It’s really him,” said Otto, recounting the story he was told.
The men almost reverently walked to the glass to stare at the body inside. For years they had looked up to the man inside and had lived through the highs and lows of his leadership. The looks on each man’s face told its own story. Some had a look of wonder, others had a mask of hatred, while others a sort of despair. Each had his own feelings upon seeing the man inside.
“All the time we were down here and never knew,” said one of the men. The others nodded, but none took their eyes off the man.
“We missed them the first time, but
not the second,” said Dresner breaking the spell.
“I feel dirty. Let’s go clean house,” said another man as he lifted his weapon.
Dresner looked at his watch. It was nearly time. “Okay, let’s fan out. Make our way back to the armory. I have a plan. Let’s see if we can get all of these men,” he said with an evil grin.
The men began to smile again. Dresner opened the door, looked outside to make sure it was clear, and then led the way down the corridor.
The control room was hot from the tubes in the cabinets and the heat of the eleven occupants. Along the front of the room was a set of very thick glass windows looking into the main chamber and the four silos. There were two consoles for each missile with an occupant sitting at each one. Three men stood at the front of the room; General Kammler, Dr. Ingles and another technician. There was a clock on the wall above the windows counting down. Dr. Ingles was smoking a cigarette and checking his watch as the countdown continued.
“Oxidizer tanks filled on four. Starting pumps for main propellant tanks,” said one technician. Within a few seconds all four had finished reporting the same thing. This was one of the last steps before launch.
“Open launch doors,” ordered the doctor.
“Launch door opening,” repeated each technician.
The switches were thrown and slowly the large concrete domes over the missile silos began to open.
On the gazebo outside, the men watched in fascination as what they had originally thought was a large patio began to lift in several places. As the pads tilted higher the patio furniture began sliding down the concrete and into the lake with a loud set of screeches. In the middle of the procedure Corporal Wagner looked at his watch. It was the time the Major had set to begin.
“Get out from behind me,” he warned the others, who stood nearby holding another round of ammunition.