W. IV - Honor Bound 05 - The Honor of Spies

There was dutiful laughter.

"What I learned, and it has really proven useful, is that if the junior officer is asked for his opinion first, then one may be reasonably sure that his answers are what he believes, rather than what he believes his superiors wish to hear. Why don't we try that here? Who is the junior officer?"

"I believe I am," von Berlepsch said as he stood. He quickly added, "Herr Reichsfuhrer."

But the delay was noticeable.

"And you are?" Himmler asked.

"Leutnant von Berlepsch, Herr Reichsfuhrer."

"And what do you think of Brigadefuhrer von Deitzberg's . . . excuse me, Hauptmann Skorzeny's plan, Herr Leutnant?"

Canaris thought: So von Deitzberg has been playing soldier and planning operations? I wonder why he decided to say it was Skorzeny's plan. Perhaps because, so far, von Deitzberg has yet to hear a shot fired in anger and doesn't want to give anyone the opportunity to mention that?

Or is there something Machiavellian in play here?

Himmler wants Skorzeny to be a hero, because he has plans for him?

"As I am sure the Reichsfuhrer is aware," von Berlepsch began, "any type of vertical envelopment operation is very difficult in mountainous terrain."

"Vertical envelopment means parachutists, gliders?" Himmler asked.

"Precisely, Herr Reichsfuhrer. In the case of the Gran Sasso, the wind conditions are such that parachute envelopment is impossible. The only way to envelop the hotel is by glider, and they will, for lack of a better term, have to be crash-landed."

"Von Berlepsch, aren't all glider landings, for lack of a better term, 'crash landings'?" von Deitzberg asked.

"Yes, Herr Brigadefuhrer, they are. My point here is that Fallschirmjager troops are trained in glider crash landings--necessary because, under optimum conditions, one glider landing in four is a crash landing--and I don't think this is true of the Waffen-SS troops you envision employing."

"I don't think I'm following this, von Berlepsch," Himmler said. "Let me put a question to you: Suppose it was absolutely necessary that a number--say, twenty-five--of the Friedenthal unit participate in Operation Oak. How could that be done?"

Von Berlepsch looked first at Major Moors and then at General Student for guidance.

"I asked you, von Berlepsch," Himmler said curtly.

"If such a requirement were absolutely necessary, Herr Reichsfuhrer--and I would hope that it would not be--I would put the SS men in the last three gliders."

"Why the last three?" von Deitzberg asked almost angrily.

Himmler pointed an impatient finger at him to shut him up, then made a Let's have it gesture with the same finger to von Berlepsch.

"Herr Reichsfuhrer," von Berlepsch said, "I of course have no idea what Hauptmann Skorzeny has planned, but in our plan--"

"The author of which is who?" Himmler asked.

"Major Moors and I drew it up for General Student's approval, Herr Reichsfuhrer."

"Go on."

"There will be a dozen gliders towed by Junkers Ju-52 aircraft, Herr Reichsfuhrer. The aircraft will be in line, one minute's flying distance apart. Each will be cut loose from the towing aircraft as it passes over a predetermined spot on the mountain. I can show you that point on Hauptmann Skorzeny's maps, Herr Reichsfuhrer . . ."

Himmler made a gesture meaning that wouldn't be necessary.

". . . which will cause the gliders to land at one-minute intervals on a small flat area--not much more than a lawn, actually--near the hotel."

"That will take twelve minutes," von Deitzberg protested. "Why can't they land at thirty-second intervals? For that matter, fifteen-second intervals? Fifteen seconds can be a long time." Then he began to count: "One thousand one. One thousand two. One thousand three. One thous--"

"Because a sixty-second interval is what these officers recommended to General Student," von Wachtstein interrupted, "and what General Student approved. I think we can all defer to his judgment and experience."

"And your reason for putting Skorzeny and his men in the last three of the gliders to land?" Himmler asked von Berlepsch.

"Because by then the Fallschirmjager in the first gliders to land will be in a position to help the Waffen-SS troops get out of their crashed gliders," von Berlepsch said.

"Unless they themselves have crashed, of course," von Deitzberg said sarcastically.

"Some of them will have crashed, von Deitzberg," Student said icily. "We expect that. What von Berlepsch has been trying to tell you is that Fallschirmtruppe are trained to deal with that inevitable contingency."

"Well," Himmler said, "that would seem to solve the problem, wouldn't you agree, von Wachtstein?"

"If what you are saying is that General Student, Admiral Canaris, and you are agreed . . ."

"I'm just a visitor here, General," Himmler said. "The agreement must be between Student and Canaris."

Canaris thought: And the translation of that is that if this absurd operation fails--as it well may--Student and I will take the blame.

If it succeeds, Himmler and the SS will get the credit because Skorzeny was involved .

"Admiral Canaris?" von Wachtstein asked.

"If General Student is happy with this, I will defer to his expertise and judgment."

"I will so inform the Fuhrer," von Wachtstein said.

"And now, if I may delicately suggest to you, Admiral, that your knowledge of the fine points of an operation like this is on a par with my own, and that neither of us is really of any value here, I wonder if we could have a few minutes alone?"

"There's a battered desk and several chairs in my cryptographic room," Canaris said. "Would that be all right with you, Herr Reichsfuhrer?"

"That would be fine," Himmler said. "Von Deitzberg, when you're finished here, come to my office and bring me up to date."

Von Deitzberg popped to attention and clicked his heels.

"Jawohl, Herr Reichsfuhrer."

Himmler gave the Nazi salute wordlessly and waited for Canaris to show him where to go.

[TWO]

"Be so good as to give the Reichsfuhrer and me a few minutes alone in your luxurious accommodation," Canaris said after one of his cryptographic officers had unlocked the door to a small room crowded with equipment.

"Jawohl, Herr Admiral."

"Is there coffee?"

"A fresh pot, Herr Admiral."

Himmler waited until the cryptographic officer had left.

"In the nature of a state secret of the highest category--in other words, not to go further than this room--I really don't like von Deitzberg," Himmler volunteered. "He's very useful, but there is something about him I just don't like."

What's that all about?

Whatever it is, I'm not going to react to it.

"In the nature of a state secret," Canaris said, "the coffee I just asked about is not only full of caffeine, but was smuggled into Germany. I think you'll like it."

"How smuggled?"

"Usually, in one of two ways. Several of the stewards on the Lufthansa Condor flights to Buenos Aires are mine. In addition to keeping an eye on the passengers and crew for me, they bring me Brazilian coffee beans. And then, from time to time, I have to send someone to Lisbon--or go there myself--and in Lisbon, one can go into any grocery store and buy as much coffee as one can afford."

"The Fuhrer would be very disappointed in you if I told him that," Himmler said. "I gave up on our Victory Coffee a year ago and went to tea. And now the tea is going the same way as the coffee did."

"I'm coffee rich at the moment. May I offer you a half-kilo?"

"A cup I will gratefully accept. But thank you, no, about the half-kilo. If I took it, I would again become addicted, and withdrawal is just too painful." Himmler smiled his undertaker's smile. "Actually, what I wanted to talk to you about is a conversation I had over a cup of tea with our Fuhrer yesterday at Wolfsschanze--after you left."