(3) ALL ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO
EFFECT THE TRANSPORT OF NAVAL OFFICERS
FROM THE GRAF SPEE FROM THEIR PLACE OF
INTERNMENT TO PUERTO MAGDALENA ON
SAMBOROMBON BAY ONCE THE ACTIONS
DESCRIBED IN (1) AND (2) ABOVE HAVE
BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
(4) THE NAVAL OFFICERS WILL FIRST BE
TAKEN ABOARD THE OCEANO PACIFICO AND
THEN REPATRIATED TO THE FATHERLAND AS
SPACE BECOMES AVAILABLE ABOARD U-BOATS
RETURNING TO EUROPEAN PORTS.
(5) WHILE THE UNDERSIGNED HAS ASSUMED
PERSONAL COMMAND OF OPERATION PHOENIX
SINCE ARRIVING IN ARGENTINA, HE WISHES TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY AMBASSADOR
GRAF VON LUTZENBERGER AND MEMBERS OF
HIS STAFF, IN PARTICULAR FIRST SEC RETARY ANTON VON GRADNY-SAWZ, MILI TARY ATTACHE OBERST KARL-HEINZ GRUNER
AND ASSISTANT MILITARY ATTACHE FOR
AIR MAJOR FREIHERR HANS-PETER VON
WACHTSTEIN. THEIR IMMEDIATE GRASP OF
THE IMPORTANCE OF OPERATION PHOENIX
AND THEIR DEDICATION TO THE PRINCI PLES OF NATIONAL SOCIALISM AND THE
FUHRER HAS EARNED MY ADMIRATION.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
JOSEF LUTHER GOLTZ
STANDARTENFUHRER SS-SD
END APPENDIX ONE END
MESSAGE
The Comerciante Oceano Pacifico, a Spanish-flagged merchantman, had been sent to Samborombon Bay in the
Argentine section of the River Plate estuary ostensibly with the clandestine mission of replenishing the increasingly des perate South Atlantic U-boats. Replenishment was not, how ever, its only secret mission. It was also charged with smuggling into Argentina equipment and supplies intended to aid the escape from internment of the crew of the German pocket battleship GrafSpee, which had been scuttled in the harbor of Montevideo, Uruguay, in December 1939, after a running battle with the Royal Navy.
The repatriation of the GrafSpee crew was especially dear to the heart of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, who had himself escaped internment in Argentina during the First World War.
There was a third, far more secret, mission for the Oceano
Pacifico. It had become clear to a number of Hitler's highest ranking associates that the war might be lost-and probably would be-and that the life span of the Thousand-Year
Reich was likely to be only a matter of years, perhaps less.
With that in mind, it was deemed prudent to establish in
South America a place of refuge. "Operation Phoenix" was set in motion. Money was obtained, largely from Jews, either from the dead-jewelry, gold fillings, and the like-or from the living, by way of extortion.
The equivalent of $100,000,000 (in various currencies, including American dollars) was aboard the Oceano Paci fico. Once smuggled ashore, along with the material for the interned Graf Spee crew, the money would be covertly placed in Argentine banks and used to establish a South
American refuge for Nazis who not only hoped to escape punishment for their crimes, but who also sought a place where the Nazi philosophy could be kept alive for an even tual return to Germany.
Himmler raised his eyes to Korvettenkapitan Boltitz.
"Please be so good as to thank Herr von Ribbentrop for me," he said.
"Jawohl, Herr Reichsfiihrer."
"That will be all," Himmler said. "Thank you."
Korvettenkapitan Boltitz rendered another crisp Nazi salute, which Himmler again returned casually, then made a military about-face and marched out of Himmler's office.
Since the door to the outer office remained open, rather than returning to his desk and using the intercom, Himmler raised his voice and called, "Frau Hassler!"
Frau Hassler was tall, thin, and in her early fifties; and she wore her gray-flecked hair in a bun. When she appeared at his door moments later, she was clutching her stenogra pher's notebook and three pencils.
"Please ask Oberfuhrer von Deitzberg to see me immedi ately." Oberfiihrer was a rank peculiar to the SS that fell between colonel and brigadier general.
"Jawohl, Herr Reichsfuhrer," Frau Hassler said, and pulled the door closed.
Manfred von Deitzberg, Himmler's adjutant, appeared in less than a minute. He was a tall, slim, blond, forty-two year-old Westphalian; his black SS uniform was finely tai lored, and there was an air of elegance about him.
He entered the room without knocking, closed the door after him, then leaned against it and looked quizzically at
Himmler. He did not render the Nazi salute, formally or informally.
"We've heard from Goltz," Himmler said, and held the message out to him.
Von Deitzberg walked to the desk, took the message, and read it. When he'd finished, he looked at Himmler, returned the message to him, but said nothing.