Menzies was completely taken aback by this unexpected news. Nothing along these lines had reached his ears. He’d not heard of any suicidal defence plans, not unless you counted Berlin. As far as he knew, Hitler and all the top Nazis were still in the capital, and had no intentions of going elsewhere. That was where the heart of Nazism, and all that it stood for, lay. Eisenhower’s concern was all very well, but wasn’t the news about the location of the rocket factory and bio-weapon base just a little more important than anything about some desperate last-ditch shootout? Possibly not, he thought, looking at all the serious faces around him. He was aware that he had few real friends here, and possibly some enemies he might not be aware of. Perhaps he should proceed carefully.
‘No sir,‘ he said, careful to keep his voice neutral. ‘I’ve heard nothing of this as yet. May I ask about the basis of your suspicions?’
Eisenhower turned towards Strong. ‘Over to you, Kenneth.’
‘We’ve received various bits of information,’ Strong began, looking immediately uncomfortable under Menzies’ penetrating and at least to his eyes, mildly sardonic stare. ‘Harrumphh…’ He cleared his voice and began again. ‘We know that what’s left of the Sixth SS Panzer Army is defending eastern Austria from the Russians. So why should Hitler’s elite be down there, rather than defending Berlin? It doesn’t make sense. From what little our Soviet allies tell us, it would appear that the German defences along the Oder are second rate by comparison, so it would be more logical for Hitler to use his best forces around where he will fight it out to the last – Austria. That’s where he comes from, along with many of his cronies in the upper echelons of the Nazi Party.’
Menzies grunted to himself sceptically. Just when was the last time Hitler did anything logical? And why should he start now? This all sounded rather vague.
‘Do you have anything else, anything more substantial, Kenneth? ‘Menzies asked.
‘We’ve captured a few documents that refer to an Alpine redoubt,’ Strong continued, casting a quick glare in Menzies’ direction. ‘Moreover, some of the SS prisoners we’ve captured recently have referred to this in their interrogation. In addition, quite a few villages and towns we’ve taken recently have been difficult to subdue once our forces have moved on to their next objectives. There seems to be a growing resistance among the teenagers in the population. They call themselves Werewolves, fanatical young Nazis armed with grenades and Molotov cocktails. Most of them fight to the death, but the few we’ve taken alive also refer to what I’ve already mentioned.’
Eisenhower interjected. ‘Admittedly, it’s not much, but Kenneth here thinks it’s something that we can’t afford to ignore, even now.’
Yes. Menzies could see the logic in that. But it was all rather flimsy. Granted, a large swathe of central Germany had yet to be captured, but the enemy looked to be finished. The knock-out blow of the war was about to be delivered. The defences in the west were surrendering in ever- increasing numbers, the captured German troops well aware that the war was almost over and glad to surrender to the western Allies… anybody but the Russians. But when had Strong ever been right about anything? It was only four months ago that he was proclaiming that the war would be over by Christmas, and that the enemy was out for the count. Only a few days later the Germans counterattacked in great strength in the Ardennes.
‘I can understand your concern, sir,’ Menzies began, addressing Eisenhower directly and deliberately ignoring Strong. Menzies knew he had to be careful in expressing his doubts. Here he was in the highest echelons of Allied power, and while it was usually a wise move to act as some sort of Devil’s advocate, it was also necessary to do it respectfully and not needlessly antagonize the powerful figures that were seated around the table. ‘Sometimes it can be very difficult to be sure what the enemy’s intentions are, but I have no evidence, not even a hint, of anything like this taking place. I have some sources inside the enemy camp, but none of them has mentioned anything remotely resembling this.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘There is always the possibility that this may be a hoax…’
He left the rest unsaid. Strong was not exactly a friend. He thought back to some of their previous meetings. The impression that he had gained over the last two years was that Strong had an over- active imagination, coupled with an unhealthy dose of wishful thinking. SHAEF’s chief intelligence officer would mould his hypothesis first, and then fit the facts in to support his theory afterwards, rather than looking at it the other way round. But the man was highly placed, and had Eisenhower’s ear. That counted for a lot. .
‘Nothing at all?’ Eisenhower pressed him.
‘Absolutely not, sir. Has the OSS turned anything up?’
‘No,’ Eisenhower sighed. ‘Our boys have drawn a blank, much the same as you and MI6’.
‘I see.’ Enough of this nonsense. ‘Sir, may I turn to the information I’ve received in the last twenty four hours?’
Eisenhower waved a hand and leaned back in his chair. What Menzies told him soon made him sit up and pay very close attention. The MI6 chief summarised the latest developments, and gave a brief description of his journey to Spain in January.
‘I received a message from the Joint Chiefs of Staff about this,’ Eisenhower interrupted, still looking somewhat sceptical, ‘but I must confess that I found the whole idea a little far-fetched. Yes, we know about their rockets, but biological warfare? Are you sure?’
‘I’m afraid so, sir.’ Menzies continued. ‘The facts are there. I must admit that I felt the same way at first, but soon realised that we cannot afford to take this sort of threat casually. The potential for disaster is too great.’ With that, he launched into the latest news, and the imminent threat to Birmingham, and possibly New York.
Utter silence dominated the meeting. The faces around the table were a mixture of incredulity and shock. Then everyone began to talk at once.
‘Silence!’ Bedell-Smith roared, speaking for the first time. The hubbub quickly ceased. He turned to his boss. ‘Birmingham? I can well believe that. These V2s can hit London without a problem. But New York? How the hell can the Nazis have developed a weapon that can cross the Atlantic? I find that very hard to swallow.’
Several voices joined in, expressing similar sentiments of doubt and amazement. Eisenhower abstained from the frenzied discussion, all the while quietly watching Menzies face. After a minute or two he raised a hand for silence. ‘Do you believe all this, Stuart?’
‘It’s hard to say, sir,’ Menzies shrugged his shoulders. ‘I know it sounds very far-fetched, and I still find it hard to believe. But our scientists say that technically it’s possible. With the right type of fuel, and appropriate modifications to their rockets, if they can reach Birmingham then they can reach anywhere, possibly even the United States. As to these biological weapons, who knows? But theoretically, all this is possible.’
This time Bedell-Smith did not need to demand quiet. The silence was profound. The shocking implications of the news Menzies had brought were not difficult to work out. After a prolonged pause, it was Eisenhower who spoke first. ‘Gentlemen, let’s review our options. What about our air forces?’
Menzies brought him up to date with the RAF’s reconnaissance mission, and it’s essentially inconclusive results. Eisenhower, however, saw no problem with this. He would instantly order the Eighth and Ninth Tactical Air forces to carpet bomb the entire area, as soon as it could be arranged. But Bedell-Smith voiced his concerns almost immediately.
‘It may not be quite that simple, sir,’ he said diplomatically. ‘All our planes are being used as tactical support for the ground forces. Their commanders may make it difficult for us if we suddenly decide to switch them away to something much less obvious and profitable.’ Nobody there was in much doubt as to what he had left unsaid, what needed to be read between the lines. The Allied air commanders were notorious for their independence and bloody-mindedness. There was a very good chance that they would only cooperate if it suited them. ‘Besid
es, I doubt if we would have enough immediately available planes with the correct armament to destroy an underground factory, or sufficiently bomb the area around the clock.’
‘What do you think?’ Eisenhower looked back at the MI6 Chief.
‘I think General Bedell-Smith has raised some valid points, sir,’ Menzies acknowledged, with a gracious nod in Bedell- Smith’s direction. ‘The Joint Chiefs of Staff were similarly concerned at the meeting I went to in Washington. We can try bombing, but I don’t think we can necessarily rely on it alone. There a quite a few technical difficulties that are not immediately apparent – do we have the correct type of bombs to penetrate underground, and enough of them to do the job? We’ve narrowed the location of the factory down to a few square kilometres, but is that sufficiently precise? If not, what about our ground forces and airborne troops? I know the area is not ideal for a para-drop, but could this be done, if all else fails?’
Nobody spoke for a moment. Eisenhower steepled his hands under his chin, looked thoughtful and then turned to the map. ‘I don’t think using the Allied Airborne Army is the answer, ‘he said, after a long pause. ‘The US 82nd and 101stAirborne divisions are advancing as ground infantry units with the rest of our front line forces, and they’re tied up in heavy fighting. The British 6th and American 17th Airborne are still involved in Monty’s Rhine crossings, and what’s left of the British 1St Airborne division is recovering back in England from the setback at Arnhem last September. We have the 13th US Airborne in reserve, but it’s still undergoing jump training, and is not considered combat ready as yet. Besides, it usually takes at least several days, if not a week or two, to plan and mount such an operation, concentrate all the available aircraft, gliders, and get the whole thing off the ground. It doesn’t look like we’ve got this time available. When did you say the Germans would start launching?’
‘In the next day or two, sir. If we don’t cooperate with the Nazis after these warning shots, then their main rocket offensive will start in the first or second week of April.’
Eisenhower thought for a few more minutes, and then made up his mind. A grim, purposeful look set over his normally genial features. ‘Okay, I know we’ve got limited options, but we’re not gonna give those Kraut bastards an inch on this,’ he barked determinedly. He turned to his Chief of Staff. ‘Walter, get all the Allied air commanders over here today, without fail. I don’t care what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with. I’m going to read the riot act to them this last time, and by God they’ll do what I tell them!’ He thumped the table. ‘Pinky!’ He roared. The diminutive figure of General H.R. Bull shot up.
‘Sir!’
‘Get me Brad on the line immediately!’ Eisenhower was referring to Omar Bradley, now commander of the 15th Army Group. ‘I need the latest up-to-date information on where Courtney Hodges’ 1st US Army units are.’ He stood up, strode over to the map and studied it for a few minutes, measuring distances with his fingers. ‘They’re closest to Nordhausen. It looks to me as if Courtney has got enough assets to hand. Let’s see what they can do.’ He paused for a moment. ‘One last thing – get me General Brereton at 1st Allied Airborne Army HQ. Let’s see if he can put a scratch airborne operation into motion. We’ve got to use every possible source to knock this factory out.’
The meeting began to break up. The rest of those in attendance prepared to leave. Before they started to file out, Menzies stood up and looked towards Eisenhower. ‘Sir, if I may…’
‘Go ahead, Stuart.’
‘Thank you sir,’ Menzies inclined his head in acknowledgement, and turned to face everyone in the room. ‘Gentleman, I beg to remind you that everything that has been discussed today, and in particular my report, is kept top secret. It must not be discussed beyond the confines of this room. It is vital that no word gets back to the enemy that we have a source at the top level over there.’ He smiled apologetically. ‘Please do not feel insulted. I realise that you are aware, as well as I am, that anything spoken in here is classified and on a need-to-know basis only. However, this new information goes beyond the normal security concerns, and I cannot begin to stress just how important this is. Thank you.’
There were a few surprised, even indignant faces, but no one commented, at least not in the presence of the Supreme Commander. Soon the room emptied, leaving Eisenhower, Bedell-Smith, Strong and Menzies alone. Eisenhower turned towards him and smiled. ‘Thanks, Stuart. You handled that well, very diplomatically, especially considering just how many egos were sitting around this table up until a few moments ago.’ He grinned wryly. ‘Present company excluded, naturally’.
‘No problem, sir,’ Menzies smiled in return. ‘Thank you for acting decisively. We may just be able to head this off and avert a catastrophe.’
‘I hope so.’ Eisenhower’s smile faded. ‘But there’s one thing, at the very least, in all this that you’ve not explained – your German contact. Who is he? Can you trust him? And do you have anyone inside Germany who can possibly help us out?’
‘Exactly,’ Strong echoed, somewhat aggressively. ‘We’ve taken everything you’ve told us on faith alone. Where’s the proof?’ Bedell-Smith nodded in agreement.
Menzies knew this was coming, sooner or later. There was no way to avoid it.
‘I’m sorry, sir,’ he said apologetically, addressing Eisenhower alone. ‘All I can say is that my source is at the very top of German Military Intelligence. Part of the deal is to protect his identity at all costs. He’s given me sufficient reason to believe that all this is true, and at considerable risk to himself. I’m sure I’ll be able to reveal him soon – the war will end shortly, no matter what happens. And yes – I do have assets working inside Germany. Two of them are well positioned to help us out. That’s all I can say for now.’
Eisenhower chuckled. He had expected little else, but it was worth a try. ‘Of course - I understand. Just as long as you’re sure you’re doing the right thing.’
Menzies nodded in return, placed his papers inside his briefcase, saluted and left the room. Christ, I bloody well hope so.
Kohnstein factory complex, Harz Mountains 1645 29/3/45
The light was fading rapidly as Hartmann looked out from the concealed main factory entrance that lay beneath the hill mass that housed the rocket factory complex. The blast doors were almost closed, leaving just a small gap for him to peer out. He stood in their shelter behind the left-hand door, peering out as the daylight faded. Dusk was approaching, and the trees and slopes of the surrounding hills were quickly slipping into deep shade. The bombing had been going on all day, a war- time phenomenon that had never concerned them before. There didn’t seem to be any pattern to it, but the fact that the Allies seemed to have found them was disturbing nonetheless. You could feel the explosions sometimes, especially the nearer hits. The earth would tremble and occasionally shake. A few of the tunnels had reported minor cascades of dust, and there were one or two instances of chalk landslides from walls and ceilings, but nothing serious, nothing too structural. The factory would go on functioning, even if the fresh air supply was not as good as it had been before the bombers arrived. Some of the air vents must have taken direct hits, but he was not too concerned about that. Much more worrying to him was the state of communications with the outside world, and the re-supply situation.
They’d lost the ability to reach Berlin, or anywhere else for that matter. Since the bombing started he had not been able to get out a clear message. All telephone links were severed shortly after 0900, and less than an hour later the radio transmission also went down, never to return. The enemy bombers must have hit the two radio transmitters disguised as pine trees on top of the Kohnstein. That was serious in itself, but what also worried him was the fact that several supply loads had failed to turn up by rail. Sure, he had enough slave labour to last him for a few more days, but little in the way of food and water had reached them. Still more important was the delivery of rocket components. The last shipment had reached the factor
y at 0200, but several more should have arrived throughout the day. The weather was still excellent for resupply purposes, a dense mixture of heavy cloud and rain. It should be safe enough to permit rail movement by day. He reckoned that the enemy was bombing blind, relying on their radar to consistently hit their targets. That was just as well, but it could be worse. If the weather cleared up, then the Allies’ efforts could dramatically improve, and seriously interfere with current operations.
Hartmann knew he had to do something. In desperation he’d sent a four man reconnaissance team out to find out how bad the effect of the bombing was. Part of their mission was to check the camouflaged rail lines down as far as the bend in the main road, and the area where they joined the main line from Nordhausen to Northeim. That was nearly two hours ago. They should have reported back in by now, but maybe conditions out there were worse than he realised. Still, he needed to get some idea of the damage to the area, and what sort of shape the road and railways were in. And Berlin would want to know what was going on, why he had been unable to contact them…
The Fall of the Father Land Page 18