Griffin W.E.B. - Honor Bound 02 - Blood and Honor

De Banderano had been very curious about the crates brought aboard the Oceano Pacifico under heavy guard at the last moment before he sailed. And once they were under way he went so far as to enter the hold to look at them. He actually considered opening them for a look. But they had been sealed with lead-and-wire seals that could not be broken without detection.

"Major," he said in German, "my German is not that good. This is obviously of great importance. Would you please translate what the Herr Standartenf?hrer just said?"

Peter did so.

"The Comerciante del Oceano Pacifico is at your disposal, Herr Standartenf?hrer," he said when Peter finished. "And may I say, as a former Naval officer, that I am delighted to make a contribution to such an undertaking?"

"This project, of course," Goltz said, "has the personal support of Admiral Canaris, who was himself interned in Argentina—and escaped—during the First World War. And I have reason to believe that the F?hrer himself has a personal interest."

"What would you like me to do?" de Banderano asked.

Goltz took a map from his pocket and laid it on the table.

The steward arrived with the coffee, pastry, a bottle of Spanish brandy, and three gold-rimmed crystal glasses. He filled the glasses.

"Have we time for a toast?" de Banderano asked, picking up his glass.

"Of course," Goltz said.

"To Adolf Hitler, our leader in the war against godless communism," de Banderano offered.

They sipped their cognac.

"To El Caudillo, Der F?hrer's ally in that noble enterprise," Goltz said.

They sipped again.

"To my comrades in the war against the Communists in Spain," Peter said.

De Banderano was touched by the young major's toast.

Goltz pointed to the map.

"I have arranged for a truck to be at this point, Captain," he said, and interrupted himself. "Hans, you better have a look at this. It's time for you to see where we're going."

"Jawohl, Herr Standartenf?hrer," Peter said, and looked at the map.

"By now, Captain," Goltz said, "Oberst Gr?ner and the others are already in position. All that remains is for us to bring those special materiel crates ashore and into their hands."

In that absurd little river craft? It wouldn't be exactly landing through the surf—this is, after all, a bay—but that boat probably draws a meter or a meter and a half and they're very likely to run aground fifty meters offshore. If they can make it in without capsizing.

"I have aboard a boat, Herr Standartenf?hrer, which is probably more suitable to land on a beach than your vessel."

'"Splendid!" Goltz said. "Now let me ask you this: Can you take our boat aboard your vessel?"

"I don't know. I'd have to look at it," de Banderano said. "Why would you want me to do that, if I may ask?"

"I thought it would be useful when we bring the Graf Spee officers from shore," Goltz said.

"With respect, Herr Standartenf?hrer, the Oceano Pacifico's boat could do that more efficiently," de Banderano said. "All I would have to know is where and when you wanted our boat available."

"In that case, Hans," Goltz said. "We would not need your boat. You could return it to El Tigre. If we weren't using it, obviously, it would not arouse suspicion."

"You're absolutely right, Herr Standartenf?hrer."

"Let me propose this course of action, Hans, and you tell me what you think is wrong with it. We will use the Oceano Pacifico's boat—" He interrupted himself. "I presume your offer, Captain, includes a crew for your boat?"

"Of course. I will send my First Officer . . . No, I will take you ashore myself."

"That's very gallant of you, Captain."

"It is the very least I can do."

"Let me continue," Goltz said thoughtfully. "We will land the materiel in Captain de Banderano's boat. I will stay ashore. You will then return to the Oceano Pacifico, pick up your boat, and return it to El Tigre. I will have a word with Herr Loche and see if we can't sell the boat back. Or perhaps it might be a good idea to hold it in reserve. That can be decided later."

"I hesitate to ...," de Banderano said.

"If you have something to say, Captain, by all means do so."

"There is no reason for Major von Wachtstein to go with us. What I meant to suggest is that if anyone sees your river craft tied alongside, it might seem odd. There was an airplane flying over earlier. . . ."

"What kind of an airplane?" Goltz asked quickly.

"Oh, I am sure this airplane is no cause for alarm," de Banderano said. "It was an airliner, painted bright red, and it passed at least a mile away, probably at five thousand feet or more. But it made me think that the Argentines probably have patrol aircraft."

"I understand your concern," Goltz said after a minute. "That sort of problem was the reason why I asked if our boat could be taken aboard." He hesitated again. "But I still would like Major von Wachtstein to go with us."

"Of course," de Banderano said.

"But as soon as you return here, Hans," Goltz ordered. "You start for El Tigre."

"Jawohl, Herr Standartenf?hrer."

"How long will it take, Captain, for you to prepare your boat? And to load the crates aboard it?"

Capitan de Banderano smiled.

"In my professional judgment," he said. "It will take almost exactly as long as it will take for you to have a nice breakfast."

[THREE]

Samboromb?n Bay

River Plate Estuary, Argentina

0940 19 April 1943

Although he had been standing on the roof of the truck looking out into Samboromb?n Bay through very good 7 x 57-mm Ernst Leitz-Wetzlar binoculars for fifteen minutes, Oberst Karl-Heinz Gr?ner did not see the power launch of the Comerciante del Oceano Pacifico until after it was seen—and photographed—by First Lieutenant Madison R. Sawyer III, USAR.

This was primarily because Sawyer, Suboficial Mayor Enrico Rodriguez, Argentine Army, Retired, and Sarjento Rudolpho Gomez, Argentine Army, had stationed themselves just behind the military crest ( The military crest of terrain is that point closest to and immediately below the actual crest at which soldiers cannot be seen (and thus fired upon) by the enemy) of a rise in the land that placed them sixty feet above the beach.

They were thus able to see farther out into the bay. And they, too, were equipped with very fine optical viewing devices. Enrico was looking out into the bay with an 8 x 75 binocular el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade had personally purchased at the Leitz plant in Wetzlar while he was in Germany attending the Kriegsschule. Enrico spotted the power launch first.

Lieutenant Sawyer was equipped with Bausch and Lomb 8 x 57-mm binoculars Enrico had found in Se?or Clete's luggage when he returned from the United States. Se?or Clete told him that this instrument had been stolen from the U.S. Navy and that he had bought it in New Orleans.

After finding the boat with the stolen U.S. Navy binoculars, Lieutenant Sawyer then found the boat in the viewfinder of his telescopic lens-equipped, tripod-mounted, Leica Model I-C camera, also a product of the Leitzwerk.

When the boat came closer to the beach, Suboficial Mayor Rodriguez changed his means of surveillance to the adjustable 2-10-power Zeiss telescopic sight mounted on the Lowe-Berlin Model 95 7-mm sporting rifle, which was also a souvenir of el Coronel Frade's time in Germany.

There were only a few telescopically equipped rifles in el Coronel Frade's gun room. Rudolpho was furnished with the next best, a Remington Model 70 caliber .30-06 sporting rifle equipped with a nonadjustable Bausch and Lomb 4-power telescopic sight. It took him a little longer than Enrico to clearly see the power launch approaching the beach.

But shortly after Colonel Gr?ner spotted the launch in his binoculars, Rudolpho, too, was able to see it. And shortly after that, when Enrico asked him if he could identify the German pilot who came to Estancia San Pedro y San Pablo the night before, Rudolpho was able to reply in the affirmative. The launch moved closer to shore.