Chapter Three
SHENANDOAH BLESSING SAT AT Cal’s bedside until the boy fell asleep. He padded into the living room and turned on the radio to American Forces Network for a delayed broadcast of a baseball game between the Cards and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Lil handed him a bottle of beer and a hank of yarn. He put his big paws through the wool, sneaking a sip now and then as she wound it into a ball.
There was too much truth in the little boy’s fears and no one knew the urgency better than he. For several weeks Bless headed a special detail to train people recruited from the free political parties, the free union, and the Western Sector students in the tricks of in-fighting, riot control, and all of the brawling tactics known to the Communist Action Squads—plus a few of Bless’s own innovations.
These Order Companies were quick to spot Communist agitation cars and troublemakers. It was becoming unprofitable for the Communists to cross into the Western Sectors as the Order Companies toughened.
Blessing had also worked in the build-up of a system of spies and informants, for the facts of life demanded quick, accurate intelligence. Dozens of volunteers had buried themselves in the ranks of the Communist Party and even became Action Squad members for the purpose of keeping American Headquarters informed of moves.
That is how he knew that the talk of Mongol troops was true and their presence outside Berlin deliberate.
Blessing was among those Western officers singled out for abuse over People’s Radio, which described him as a strikebreaker, lyncher, and fascist bully in the tradition of the Storm Troopers. He came in for cartoon treatment in their papers, which depicted him as obese, stubble-bearded, fanged, clawed, drooling, hairy.
His answer to the last attack was to take Lil and the two boys to the Russian Sector and have a Sunday picnic on the Müggel Lake.
He lowered the volume on the radio as Gil Hodges took a called third strike. “What are the girls gossiping about these days?”
“Usual PX talk. Who’s sleeping with who. Who’s drinking too much.”
“What do they say about the situation here?”
Lil shrugged, feigned innocence. “Not too much. Bless, that sure is a nice girl Sean has. We got to have them come to dinner again soon.”
“Come on, Lil. What’s the talk?”
She dropped the ball of wool, lit a cigarette, and glared at him with that expression that said he was acting like a cop. They’re all scared to death.”
“You?”
“I know we can’t leave. I’m trying as best I can not to show it to the kids.”
“And the rest of the girls. They want to leave?”
“Stop grilling me.”
“We got to know.”
“Well, a dozen I know of, maybe more, have asked to be evacuated.”
“If they start to move out, every dependent in the garrison will want out, except Agnes Hansen and Claire Hazzard.”
The phone interrupted them.
“Blessing,” he said.
“Hardy,” a Constabulary officer said, “better get over here right away.”
“What’s up?”
“Tide’s coming in tomorrow. We’re going to have to send out the fishing boats.”
Bless turned his back to Lil to get a grip on himself before he set the phone down, but she saw the receiver wet with perspiration.
“Honey, rig me up a thermos of coffee and a couple sandwiches. I got a little extra duty.”
He left the room quickly to dress.
She had seen him react this way too many times not to know there was danger. In a few moments he returned, strapping on his duty belt and checking his pistol. He slipped his MP arm band on, she handed him the white Constabulary helmet and a lunch bucket.
“Keep the boys home from school tomorrow and stay in the house.”
“Tell me.”
“You can’t communicate this to anyone, Lil. The Commies are going to try a Putsch in the morning.”
“How serious is it?”
“There is a pistol in my closet in the inside pocket of my winter coat. I don’t want you and the kids to be taken alive.”
Chapter Four
FOR SEVERAL DAYS INFORMERS WORKING inside the Russian and Communist groups had alerted the Americans that they were brewing a “workers’ Putsch.”
The logical time to try it would be early in the morning during rush hour when the trains exchanged populations from sector to sector. The Communists first would infiltrate organizers who would move to key points in the Western boroughs.
The leaders would be followed by Action Squads, armed with concealed clubs, knives, stones, bottle bombs, and small arms, who would be loaded on the underground and elevated trains from various points, cross into the Western boroughs where their leaders would be waiting at the town halls, the power plant, radio transmitter, RIAS, and key factories. When they reassembled they would begin riots and seize their locations.
The plan was to create chaos in several dozen places and force the West to commit its garrisons to restore order. Then a second wave of Communists would cross over in trucks and grab dozens of new targets. This follow-up group would include Soviet soldiers and Schatz’s SND police dressed as civilians. By now, the West would be spread too thin to cope with the new mayhem.
At this point, General Trepovitch would offer to send in his troops from the outskirts of the city provided the Western troops agreed to return to their barracks. Tempelhof and Gatow airdromes were the prime targets and would be closed due to “technical difficulties.”
With the West in their barracks, the Russians would “in fact” control the entire city in a bloodless coup.
The propaganda organs would then leap into action and explain that the workers, tired of Western imperialism and unemployment, had rebelled. Only the benevolence of the Soviet Union prevented a blood bath.
0515. Putsch day.
Blessing’s breath darted out, evaporated in the morning chill as his driver, Danny Sterling, pulled up to the Kreuzberg Town Hall where a temporary command post had been established in the foyer.
The Borough of Kreuzberg lay directly across from Mitte Borough in the Russian Sector where a series of rail lines would exchange the heaviest traffic.
Blessing had checked his subway and elevated stations, which were due to take the first shock of the Putsch. It was deceptively calm.
Deputy Police President Hans Kronbach, who had quietly built a force loyal to the Magistrat, made his decision earlier to commit them. They were staked out along with the newly trained Order Companies to spot Communist leaders.
The Constabulary under Blessing would act as a mobile force. In the Russian Sector, dozens of American informers were in Mitte, Pankow, Friedrichshain, Treptow, for the purpose of watching for Communist movement.
The final back-up force was the regular garrison under Colonel Mark Parrott with headquarters at Tempelhof and all troops poised to move to trouble spots.
Blessing stepped outside the Kreuzberg Town Hall, uncapped the thermos jug, sipped some coffee, and offered some to his driver. The street was gray and quiet with only the first small sounds of the day, wheels on the pavement, a pair of angry hungry cats.
He walked over to Victoria Park, where a group of police were hidden, and spoke a few words to the German officer. The quiet made him restless. He got into the jeep and told Danny to drive him toward the major subway and elevated transfer point on the Yorck Strasse. It was 0545. If their information was correct, the Communists would be coming soon. Bless tuned in on the British and French frequencies and heard them checking in. They stopped at Yorck Strasse and waited. 0600.
The sound of wheels on steel rails humming in the distance from the direction of the Russian Sector grew louder and louder. The train leaped into view with a smell of brakes as it screeched to a halt. The doors opened and the first rush of morning passengers exploded onto the platform.