Eisenhower.
Bedell-Smith.
Bradley.
Strong.
De Lattre.
And others… all dead.
Telephone wires started burning white-hot and NATO lay in disarray.
Chapter 191 – THE CRESCENDO
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
1307 hrs, Friday, 14th March 1947, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse, temporary government building #1, Magdeburg, Germany.
“President Truman, Speer here. I must offer my personal sympathies to you and your nation at this time, as well as the sympathies of my nation. This is an awful accident and our cause has lost some great men.”
“Thank you, Chancellor Speer. I hope you’ll understand that I cannot yet bring myself to speak at length as yet. It’s far too soon, and we don’t know what has happened here; simply that we have lost some extremely courageous and steadfast souls.”
“My forces have secured the crash site tightly, and I’ve ordered them to defer to your officials in matters relating to the site and any investigation. We shall, of course, assist in any way you wish.”
“Thank you again, Chancellor. I’ve no doubt your assistance will prove invaluable. Clearly this tragedy has struck us hard, and it’ll be important to discover its origins, so we can avoid repeating it.”
“On the delicate matter of the remains, Mister President, we’ve placed those bodies recovered, both from the aircraft and on the ground, in a temporary facility in Scharmede. This is also guarded and autopsies are already in progress.
“Chancellor Speer, on that matter I must also express my regret and sympathies. To lose so many young lives is a tragedy of monumental proportions. I believe reports have stated as many as fifty affected?”
“Mister President, I regret to inform you that as of twenty minutes ago, that number was placed at eighty-two confirmed dead, including all members of staff, mainly nuns.”
“A tragedy heaped upon a tragedy, Chancellor. Our nations will mourn together.”
“Mister President, there’s a matter that we, as statesman, must find the strength to discuss, even at this grave hour. The situation is tense and we cannot remain as we are.”
“The leadership of NATO?”
“Yes, I’m afraid I see no time for delay, Mister President.”
“Such an appointee would have to have the confidence of all, as our dear friend Ike did. That’s essential. An immediate replacement doesn’t suggest itself, Chancellor.”
There was a pause during which Speer willed Truman to continue.
He obliged.
“Do you have anyone in mind, Chancellor?”
“Most certainly not, Herr President. That‘s a matter for all, but I suspect we would expect that such an appointee would come from your forces. I’ve no doubt that Feldmarschal Guderian could do the job, but I also don’t doubt that it is far too soon for such an appointment from our forces.”
“Most likely, I agree, Chancellor. So what do you suggest? I assume you’re meaning a temporary appointment?”
“Yes, Mister Truman, I think there’s no choice. I believe that you can make a temporary appointment yourself under our existing rules, until such time as a formal discussion can be conducted… and to leave NATO without a leader is courting disaster, particularly at these delicate times…”
“This Swedish meeting?”
“Not just that, Mister President. We have other matters of direct concern at this time, do we not?”
“Yes, indeed we do, Chancellor. My problem here is that the two most likely successors have died along with Eisenhower.”
“Perhaps we should seek for the immediate return of Montgomery?”
“That will not happen. I’d have a mutiny on my hands.”
Speer knew that the suggestion would be enough in itself to agitate the American leader.
“Then it must be someone here… close at hand… and of sufficient worth to command the respect of all nations, Mister President.”
The silence multiplied as Speer willed Truman down the right path, and as Truman’s brain worked the issue and kept on coming up with the same name.
“Purely temporary, Chancellor. Any appointment I make must be understood as purely temporary to ensure a firm hand on the reins here. We must make sure the other Allies understand that… I’ll speak to Prime Minister Churchill immediately I’ve decided on the appointment.”
“I’m sure you will do the right thing, Mister President. Again, the sympathies of myself and my nation for your great loss.”
“Thank you, Chancellor. May God protect us and guide us in the coming days. Goodbye.”
Speer replaced the receiver and slumped as the tension of his deceit left his body.
“And this is just the start!”
The other man said nothing, but understood the huge pressures on his leader.
The Chancellor took a taster from his Ansbach; he had allowed himself a small one, despite the rigours that the following hours would bring.
“I think he’s thinking as we would hope, but I couldn’t direct. It must be his choice, Rudolf.”
“I agree, Herr Kanzler. Shall I continue?”
“Yes, yes do.”
“From the report I received it seems that Bedell-Smith simply accompanied Strong as they had a shared destination. Strong we already knew was going to Vár, so he took the opportunity offered.”
Speer took another sip and derived satisfaction from the steadying burn in his throat.
“What happened next is still unclear, but something caused Eisenhower and his party to leave their aircraft and get aboard the RAF plane.”
“And this list of personnel that were killed when it crashed is complete?”
“Yes, Herr Kanzler. That is the confirmed list of persons on the RAF transport, achieved by combining the original with the stated personnel manifest of the USAAF aircraft, minus the crew of the latter.”
“And there was no way of stopping this from happening once we knew Eisenhower was aboard?”
“Yes, there was, Herr Kanzler, but not one that would have done anything but announce our involvement, bringing great harm to the Fatherland and ourselves.”
“So our men along the line acted well… in what must have been extremely difficult circumstances.”
“I do agree, Herr Kanzler. It would’ve been easy to panic. They didn’t.”
“And our men will remove anything remaining of the devices from the plane wreck?”
Diels looked at his watch.
“That will already have been done, Herr Kanzler.”
1359 hrs, Friday, 14th March 1947, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse, temporary government building #1, Magdeburg, Germany.
“Mister President. I had not expected to hear from you again today. How may I be of assistance?”
Speer listened carefully and silently.
There was no need for words, none at all, as his face announced the culmination of their hasty plan.
“Yes, I can do that… and I’ll ensure he contacts you as quickly as possible, Mister President… no… I agree… we’ve no time for niceties… no, the Allies will understand… I’m sure of it… no, indeed, Mister President… yes… yes… yes, I agree. Thank you… and to you, Mister President. Goodbye.”
He squeezed the telephone in both hands and held it to his face, eyes closed, almost like a supplicant with a treasured icon of his faith.
“He’s done it, but can’t get hold of him, so he’s asked us to inform him.”
“Mein Gott! This is destiny, Herr Kanzler… destiny! So much has gone astray and yet here we stand, with so many things unexpectedly in our favour. This is our moment… our destiny!”