'We're being defeated here, I know,' said Tanner, 'but that doesn't mean we'll lose the entire war.'
'Maybe you won't lose. But can you defeat the Nazis? No. Not at the moment, at any rate. But I think Hitler is looking beyond Europe.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'I mean America and Russia.'
'But they're allied with the Russians and America isn't even in the war.'
'Not yet, but it is only a matter of time. And when that day comes Germany will need vast amounts of oil - which the Soviet Union and the United States have in abundance.'
Tanner shook his head. 'What happens next month, next year, is beyond me, Professor. All I want to think about at the moment is getting us out of here. Getting you to safety.'
'But you see now why that is so important?'
'Yes - and thank you, Professor.' He shook his head again. 'Oil - I would never have guessed. I thought it must be some secret weapon.'
Sandvold chuckled. 'In a way it is. But take heart, Sergeant. Without oil, the Nazis won't win. Not in the long term.'
In the dank confines of the seter, Tanner and Sykes prepared for their reconnaissance mission. It was nearly half past ten. From their packs they took out the German uniforms they had captured several days earlier, and put on the tunics, wind jackets and field caps. Both men had lost their Mauser rifles at Tretten, but they took two from the Norwegians, as well as several rounds of ammunition. Their own uniforms and packs - including the explosives - they left with Lance Corporal Erwood and their men.
'Heil, mein Fiihrer!' said McAllister, standing up and performing a mock Nazi salute, one finger pressed above his lip.
Tanner laughed, then turned to Chevannes and the Norwegians. 'We'll be off, then, sir,' he said. 'We'll have a good look at the town, but then we'll head west down the lake and try to find a good crossing-place.'
'Yes,' said Chevannes. 'Now go.'
In the darkening light, they headed towards the valley, Tanner explaining his plan. It was nearly dark by the time they reached the lower slopes directly above the bridge into Vagamo, but there was still just light enough for them to study it sufficiently. Two stone pillars jutted out from the banks at either side, and across it there was a simple iron construction much like the bridges they had already seen in the Gudbrandsdal valley.
'What do you think, Stan?' said Tanner, from their position among the trees.
'It can be as strong as it likes,' he replied, 'but if it's got a wooden roadbed, we're going to be able to put it out of action. Simple as that.'
There were, they noted, just two guards on the bridge, both on the southern side. 'That'll make life easier,' said Tanner.
'What I want to know, Sarge, is why Jerry's here anyway.'
'Because of that road, I should think,' said Tanner. 'It gives them another line of advance north towards Andalsnes. And it might also be because they're hoping to catch us. But it's clear they're not using it yet. I've not seen any movement north.'
With the light now all but gone, they moved quietly away through the trees until they were a safe distance from the bridge, then dropped down on to the valley road. The night sky was clear. Millions of stars twinkled above, reflected in the inky darkness of the lake. A thin crescent moon stood high over the valley and, with the stars, cast a pale creamy light across the landscape, enabling the two men to see the shape of the road, the lake, the mountains.
A few miles to the west the road forked. 'Where's that lead?' whispered Sykes. 'I'm pretty sure back to Heidel and Sjoa,' said Tanner. 'It's quite a long way round, though.' He paused to study its approach, then the valley. He could no longer see the knoll in front of the seter.
They walked on a short way through the silence, the air cool and crisp, until they reached the small headland that projected into the lake. There was a farmstead, but a small wooden jetty too - and, as Tanner had hoped, a number of small boats.
It was a little after midnight. The dawn of a new day - and the last, he realized, of the month. Twelve days they'd been in Norway. It felt like eternity.
With the first streaks of dawn, theseter stirred into life. The dusty floor was hard and uncomfortable, and although the soldiers were used to sleeping wherever they had to, most had had enough rest over the past twenty-four hours to ensure they now slept only lightly. As they woke, they stumbled outside, some to urinate nearby, others to wander somewhat further. Since Anna had joined them they had been more careful about such things.
One of their number, an agent of the Sicherheitsdienst wandered away from the hut, safe in the knowledge that it was possible to break away from the others for a few minutes without arousing any suspicion whatsoever. At least, it was now that Sergeant Tanner and Corporal Sykes were away. It had been difficult during the past couple of days with them watching every move; they suspected someone, that was certain. But not me, the agent had decided. At any rate, with them out of the way for the time being, there was now a clear chance for him to send another signal.
Passing within clear sight of the sentry, the agent smiled - morning ablutions - and then headed into the woodland until the seter was out of sight. Finding as wide a tree as possible, the traitor squatted and took two small metal boxes from a haversack, both no more than five and a half inches long, four and a half wide. One was a transmitter, the other the accumulator. From a pocket, three leads were produced, each with crocodile clips. The agent attached the two boxes together, then turned a small black knob at the front of the transmitter until it clicked, causing a faint light within the box to glow. From another pocket, a long length of wire was produced, which was then connected to the back of the box with trembling fingers. This done, the person took the weighted end and threw it high into the tree above. With a hammering heart, the agent glanced round, even though it would have been possible to hear anyone approaching. Then a quick look back down at the transmitter. The light was glowing brighter now, as the valves warmed up. Half a minute more.
The agent prayed this message would get through. Instructions had been to send as many as was possible without jeopardizing the mission. The transmitter that was to be used was just that - a device for sending Morse signals - not a receiver. There was no way of telling whether the messages that had been sent had been read or not. Until the Stukas had arrived two days before, the agent had begun to think that the transmitter could not be working at all: a specific message from the Rostads' farm had been sent and several from the j0ra valley, yet despite troops arriving at Uksum Farm, they had made no attempt to act on his information.
'No one will suspect you,' Kurz had said, 'because we will swoop down and whisk Odin away before anyone has the chance.' Perhaps that would have been so, had it not been for Tanner and his men turning up. Tanner. The agent cursed him. Despite repeated efforts, the sergeant was still alive, still jeopardizing the mission. Thanks to Tanner, several golden opportunities for Odin to be captured had been foiled. Now perhaps all would be well. For once, the sergeant appeared to have let down his guard.
The agent leant back against the tree, eyes briefly closed, then checked the time once more. Nearly there, he thought. Just a few more seconds.
As soon as a minute had passed, the agent turned the middle knob to number seven, tuning the oscillator of the transmitter frequency, and then adjusted the aerial load, the last of the three knobs at the front of the tiny S108/10 transmitter, until the light was at its brightest. Taking a deep breath, the crouching figure held a still quavering finger above the Morse button and began to transmit.
Less than a minute later, the message was completed. Having rolled up the wire and put the boxes back into his pack, the agent stood up and walked steadily towards the seter.
Chapter 20
Reichsamtsleiter Scheidt was shaken awake, and rolled over to find Sturmbannfuhrer Kurz leaning over him.
'What the devil is it?' he croaked.
'A message - good news!'
Scheidt sat up now, the remnants of sleep gone. He sna
tched the typex from Kurz and read: 'In mountains above Vagamo. Crossing planned over lake west of town when dark 30 April. More details later.'
Scheidt's face broke into a grin. 'Excellent,' he said. He looked at his watch. It was only half past four, but he knew there could be no more thought of sleep. 'Well done, Kurz,' he said. 'We've got him this time.'
Soon after, having shaved and dressed, he hurried downstairs to the conference room of Generalmajor Engelbrecht's spacious headquarters in Vinstra. Three men were standing by the map pinned to the wall - Major von Poncets, Sturmbannfuhrer Kurz and Hauptmann Zellner.
'Ah, good morning, Herr Reichsamtsleiter,' said von Poncets. 'Good to see you again.'
Scheidt nodded, then looked at Zellner. A white bandage had been strapped across his nose, his cheek had blackened, while his eye, purple last time Scheidt had seen him, had turned yellow. 'Hauptmann Zellner,' he said, 'what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in hospital?'
'I'm well enough, thank you, Herr Reichsamtsleiter,' he replied.
Scheidt stared at him with contempt. 'You have come off worst against those men no less than three times, which should have put paid to your chances of taking any further part in the operation. However, far be it from me to make such decisions.'
'We suspect the men will be wearing German uniforms,' said von Poncets. 'The Hauptmann will be of help in identifying them.'
'I suppose there's something in that. And what forces has the general given us for this?'
'There's a company of the 324th Infantry Regiment,' said von Poncets, 'and two companies from my own battalion of Gebirgsjager.' He pointed to the map. 'The 324th boys are already based at Vagamo. They moved in two days ago after the fall of Otta. They were hoping to catch any British troops retreating that way, but as it happened the Tommies hadn't used that route.'
'As you know,' put in Kurz, 'the general agreed to leave them there in case there was any sign of Odin.'
Scheidt nodded. 'Will that be enough?'
'More than enough.' Von Poncets smiled.
'I only ask because I recall that we had the same conversation some days ago, Herr Major, and it seems both
you and the Hauptmann underestimated the enemy.'
Von Poncets took out a cigarette, and tapped the end against his silver case. 'We're talking about the best part of five hundred men being available for this operation, which is far more than we either need or will use. Numbers are not the issue here. Execution is what counts.'
'Which, so far, has left much to be desired.'
Von Poncets paused to light his cigarette. 'We have been unfortunate, but this time we have firm intelligence. It is no longer a guessing game.' He drew on his cigarette, then said, 'Herr Reichsamtsleiter, with the greatest respect, let's not dwell on what has already happened. Let's concentrate on making sure we get Odin this time.'
'Quite so, Herr Oberstleutnant,' said Kurz. 'My team are, of course, on standby waiting for any further signal. They'll send through anything they receive the moment it arrives.'
'Yes, Kurz, we know that,' said Scheidt. He felt annoyed that the operation appeared to have been left to von Poncets and Zellner, of all people, men who had lost his respect. He wished General Engelbrecht would join them. It was as though no one but he truly understood the importance of capturing Odin. Turning back to the major, he said, 'So, what are your thoughts?'
Sunlight was already pouring through the window, highlighting the thousands of dust particles suspended in the air. Von Poncets exhaled again, sending a cloud of tobacco smoke swirling in front of the map.
'We have to assume,' he said, pointing airily to the mountains south of Vagamo, 'that they will be able to observe the town at the very least.'
'Is there a case, then,' said Scheidt, 'for attacking up through the mountain rather than waiting until tonight?'
'No,' said von Poncets, his tone emphatic. 'None at all. We don't know precisely where they are, and attacking uphill makes little tactical sense. Fighting in dense forest offers many hazards and leads to confusion. Experience, I think, has shown us that it would be difficult to capture Odin alive in such circumstances. No, we must wait for them to come to us.'
'So the difficulty,' said Scheidt, 'is laying the trap without the enemy spotting it first.'
'Exactly,' said von Poncets, 'which is why a large number of troops is not necessarily the key.'
'So have you had thoughts about this?' asked Scheidt.
'Yes. Of course, I need to confer with the general and also with Hauptmann Frick in Vagamo, but I suggest we use this route - here.' He pointed to a road that ran west of Sjoa, linked with another that ran roughly north-south until it joined the valley road several miles west of Vagamo. 'They can approach by truck and debouch in the valley out of sight of the town or of anyone in the mountains, for that matter. We won't have reconnaissance pictures for a few hours yet, I'm afraid, but a request has been made. Assuming there's good cover, I see no reason why this movement should be seen at all.'
'And what about the troops in Vagamo?'
'It's important the enemy believe it's still strongly held, so I propose we leave most of the company there.'
'Isn't that rather a waste of these men?'
'I don't think so, but don't worry, Herr Reichsamtsleiter, we shall show the plans to the general. And in any case, we may receive another signal.'
They did, just after ten o'clock that morning. 'Still above Vagamo. Crossing tonight at midnight 6 kms west of town after fork in road'.' Scheldt's spirits rose, and he was invigorated by the activity at Engelbrecht's headquarters. Outside, soldiers arrived in trucks, awaiting the order to pull out. Just before midday, a Luftwaffe despatch rider hurried into the building and deposited the morning's reconnaissance photographs. Poring over them in the briefing room with von Poncets and Engelbrecht's divisional staff, Scheidt had shared the mounting excitement when the pictures showed, as von Poncets had suggested they would, that the proposed approach for the ambush was indeed densely forested.
A brief conference followed, attended by company and platoon commanders of both von Poncets' battalion but also from the 324th Infantry who had been called back to Vinstra for the briefing. The mood in the room was buoyant, a haze of cigarette smoke rising to the rafters, the officers laughing and joking. And why wouldn't they be? thought Scheidt. Flush with victory, ahead lay another operation that would end successfully. Through the windows, the sun continued to shine. The greatcoats and jackets had gone; summer was on its way. This time, thought Scheidt. It had to be.
When the general arrived, the assembled officers stood up, scraping chairs across the wooden floor. He strode in, movements crisp, back erect, then casually waved at them to sit down, as though this was not a time to stand on ceremony. Then he, too, was seated, his head smooth and gleaming, the red and gold tabs of his general's collar and thick red stripe down either side of his breeches standing out vividly in the room of field grey. Scheidt was struck by his effortless air of authority.
Von Poncets stood to explain his plan, first pointing out key features each officer should memorize. They would be leaving directly after the briefing and would disembark from their trucks three kilometres south of the junction. They would then make their way to lying- up positions. Scouts would be sent forward to reconnoitre their ambush positions, and to mark where they would place spotlights. The men would move into these positions at 2300 hours.
Hauptmann Dostler of the 324th Infantry stood up. One platoon was to drive along the opposite bank of the lake. A potential problem was that the area to the west of Vagamo was well cultivated and the road could easily be seen from the mountains opposite. They were thus to drive beyond the crossing-point, after which the road was hidden by forest. They would then leave the trucks and head back through the trees, close to the crossing-point where they would set up another spotlight. The remaining three platoons would remain in Vagamo to give the impression that the town was still heavily occupied.
At this point,
Scheidt raised his hand. 'Surely, Herr Hauptmann,' he said, 'the town will be heavily occupied if there are three whole platoons there?'
'Not particularly,' said Dostler. 'We've been fighting up through the Gudbrandsdalen and all our units are now under strength. There will be about sixty men.'
The general cut in. 'Which is more than enough, Herr Reichsamtsleiter. Don't forget there will be vehicles, artillery pieces and other equipment in the town as well. Let's get on with the briefing.'
Chastened, Scheidt said no more, and after Kurz and Zellner had briefed the room about Odin and the accompanying fugitives, Engelbrecht stood up and addressed them. 'I can't stress enough, gentlemen,' he said, 'how important it is to capture Odin alive. The fear, of course, is that they will shoot him before you can get to him, which is why it is essential that none of you makes a move until they are almost in the boats. They will have travelled through the darkness and their eyes will be used to it. That, gentlemen, is where the lights come in. Caught in the beams, these fugitives will be momentarily blinded. That is the time to strike. The men must be killed and Odin left standing. Major von Poncets will brief you further, but remember: do not give away your positions until after the signal.' He eyed the officers in turn. 'Understand? Good.' He clapped his hands together. 'Right, gentlemen, off you go. And good luck.'
More scraping of chairs, and the men were on their way out. Scheidt followed them, watching them get into the trucks and other vehicles waiting in the streets outside. The sun still bore down between large white summery clouds; the snow had now gone from the valley. Scheidt put his hand on the balustrade outside the house and found it warm. A bark of orders, and engines rumbled into life.
Kurz paused beside him and offered a hand, which Scheidt took.
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