Threads of Despair: The Parallel Nazi - 6 Read online

  “As you said, Sergei,” Malenkov replied, “that is what we are doing. We must succeed in this war, and we must make sure the General Secretary is satisfied with us. You also must observe for any threats to the state from below.”

  “What are the threats?” Khrushchev asked.

  Kruglov looked down and used his index finger to trace the grain of the wood on the table. “I believe we have succeeded in reducing the threat from the people to something manageable. I think the greatest threat would come from the Red Army. Your General Smirnoff, for example, Nikita. Everyone knows how you have guided him.”

  “Perhaps you might want to rephrase that statement,” Khrushchev said as he leaned forward in his chair. “We all know how to play the game here. Smirnoff is our best tool for defeating the Germans. I don’t want the Germans marching through Moscow more than anyone else does. But, I do agree with you, Sergei, about the risks. Anyone with the skills and aggressiveness to go up against the Germans is someone we must keep an eye on, and I do.”

  Kruglov smiled. “Just so we understand one another.”

  “And you have threats within your organization, too,” Malenkov commented.

  “Indeed. And I have been actively purging the threats. However, some of those individuals are also superb administrators and officers.”

  Khrushchev laughed. “You hit the nub right there, Sergei. It’s the truth we have faced from the earliest days of the revolution. The sharpest knives in our collection are the ones most likely to cut. We must pay careful attention, indeed.”

  “Just so we understand each other,” Kruglov said. “And I believe that we have been dismissed.”

  Without another word, the three stood up and left the room. Kruglov followed the corridor around to the side entrance to Stalin’s office. The guard at the door knocked and opened it for him. Stalin looked up as Kruglov walked in.

  “Do we need to purge them, Sergei?” the General Secretary asked.

  “No, Comrade. I am vetting people in the politburo and several layers down as quickly as is practical. Several show promise, but I think we would not see any improvements in the current situation. Khrushchev and Malenkov are both competent, and they know their place.”

  “Keep an eye on them, Sergei,” Stalin said, pointing the stem of his pipe at Kruglov. “We still don’t know who was responsible for Beria’s death, but I believe it was someone who was in that room when we met.”

  “Rationally, I would agree. But absent evidence?”

  “Should we purge them, just to be safe? Beria would have.”

  Kruglov thought on that statement. Beria would have indeed purged them. But, Beria brought his own brand of insanity to the table.

  “I serve the state,” Kruglov said simply. “I am watching them closely. If we uncover anything at all that causes suspicion, I will act.”

  “That is good, Sergei. Thank you.”

  Stalin then waved his hand, directing Kruglov to leave.

  § § §

  November 5, 1943; 10 AM

  Government Council Chamber

  Reichschancellery

  Berlin, Germany

  “Considering how we are essentially in total war against Russia,” Joachim von Ribbentrop droned on in his report, “the economy is holding up remarkably well. With the draw-down of the workforce for the Wehrmacht, we are at full employment. Since our industry is at capacity, we have been contracting work in the occupied territories. We have thus stimulated the economies there.”

  He hesitated for a moment when Reichsmarshall Milch raised a finger. “Yes, Erhard?”

  “Are you suggesting we cannot expand our war production further in the homeland?”

  “As we have currently structured our workforce, that is correct. There are a few things we can do to augment production, but it is something we should discuss in this group before we suggest it to the War Industries Board.”

  “What would that be, Joachim?” Schloss asked quietly.

  “One would be to curtail production of consumer goods and introduce rationing. The other would be to encourage women to enter the workforce in significant numbers.”

  Milch leaned back in his chair. “That would be unmöglich, impossible. That goes against a major program of the party. We have fully implemented Kinder Küche Kirche. I am not certain the people would react well to such a change.”

  “I merely presented it as an option, meine Herren. I recognize the difficulty, but these are difficult times.”

  “If we put the Frauen to work,” Rainer commented, “they will once again demand the vote.”

  Schloss smiled to himself. The Kinder Küche Kirche initiative was something the Nazis had introduced in 1934 and relegated the German women to their proper place: children, the kitchen, and the church. It set incentives for families to have multiple children by making loans to them. The government forgave the loans as more children were born.

  The program was widely derided in the 1970s and ’80s by feminists in Germany as demeaning to women. In this culture, the men universally accepted the plan. Since the women in Germany had no practical voice in the matter, there was no significant dissension. Women had gained the voting franchise in 1918 in Germany; however, the Nazis had greatly circumscribed the right during the 1930s.

  As he thought about it, Schloss, the historian, wondered why there was not more protest at the trend. And as he thought about it, he pondered how he could learn more of the background of the vote during the rise of Nazi Germany. This was an area of German sociology he had neglected and now regretted it.

  He glanced over at Peter Schreiber, who listened carefully, as usual, but did not add much to the conversation. He had remained very quiet following Renate’s death, and Schloss missed his contributions to the discussions.

  “Very well, Joachim,” Schloss said. “Let’s put that topic down for further discussion. May I suggest everyone give the topic some thought before we meet again? Please continue.”

  “Thank you, Herr Reich Chancellor. We are now seeing significant oil shipments from the field in Libya. But it is starting to impact the rail traffic from Italy. I have commissioned a study on the advisability of building a pipeline from Italy to our refineries in Germany. The Judaeans are building a pipeline and road across the Transjordan from Iraq to Haifa. We will, of course, purchase all they can send us. But that will further impact the rail network in Italy.”

  “Has anyone talked to Ciano about this?” Schloss asked.

  “I had a conversation with the Italian ambassador last week,” Peter immediately said. “They were concerned about losing capacity on their rail system. Their economy is becoming strong, and they want to keep growing it.”

  Schloss nodded. “Joachim, thank you for taking the initiative on the pipelines. Please keep me informed of the progress. I think this is something that will benefit everyone.”

  “I will do so. To continue, our trade with England has picked up. The DeHavilland Company has approached us about building a light bomber for us.”

  That would have to be the Mosquito, Schloss thought to himself. Those planes were beginning to be a real nuisance before we ended the war with the English. Not as fast as our jets, but quicker than anything else, plus they have the range we need.

  “Erhard, are you involved in this?” Schloss asked.

  “Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor. We are trying to negotiate a license to build them in Germany. The talks are going slowly.”

  “Let’s just buy the things,” Rainer said disgustedly. “They probably have a bunch of them sitting around. And I assume we could probably use them right now.”

  “But I need to keep our aircraft industry busy,” Milch complained. “This does not help.”

  “How long did it take for us to ramp up the Fortress production at Heinkel?” Schloss asked.

  “About eight months.”

  Schloss looked around the table. “Because of our jet aircraft, any propeller aircraft are already obsolete. I do not want our aircraft
industry building old designs. If they have the aircraft available, I think the English would give us very advantageous terms. Make it happen, Erhard.”

  “Very well, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Milch grumped.

  He still really doesn’t see what needs to be done, Schloss thought.

  “That completes my report,” Ribbentrop said.

  Schloss looked over at his secretary.

  “That completes the agenda, meine Herren,” Kirche said. “There is a meeting following with the Reichsmarshall and General Guderian.”

  “Oh, yes,” Schloss said. “I had forgotten. Very well, meine Herren. Thank you for your time this afternoon.”

  He stood up, as did the rest of the men in the room. “Willem, I will take a short break, and we can convene the next meeting in my office.”

  “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Willem murmured.

  CHAPTER SIX

  November 5, 1943; 5 PM

  Reich Chancellor’s Office

  Reich Chancellery

  Berlin, Germany

  “Very well, meine Herren, I wanted to have an extended conversation about our prosecution of the war and didn’t want to waste the time of the rest of the council.”

  Guderian and Milch both nodded. Willem slipped into the room with a tray of coffee and pastries. After setting the tray on the small table between Schloss’s guests, he eased out of the room again.

  “Things have quieted a lot all along the front over the past couple of weeks,” Guderian stated. “I think the Russians are settling into their winter positions.”

  Milch nodded in agreement before adding, “We are taking the opportunity to run our equipment through the maintenance cycles. The tanks, in particular, are beginning to break down more than is acceptable. I think we will rapidly return our forces to a high level of efficiency.”

  Schloss began tapping his pencil on the desk, first on the eraser end and then on the sharp end. He looked at Milch and then back at Guderian, and they began to look uncomfortable. He waited a bit longer before speaking.

  “What are we missing, then?”

  Milch shook his head, not understanding. Guderian answered immediately.

  “We are playing by the Russian’s rules, once again.”

  “I don’t understand,” Milch stated.

  “Do you want to tell him, Heinz, or shall I?”

  Guderian looked over at the Reichsmarshall. “While we are performing maintenance and getting our armies in shape, so are the Russians. And their army is much larger.”

  “Oh. Please forgive me, Herr Reich Chancellor. That did not occur to me.”

  “What should we be doing?”

  “We should not give the Russians a chance to relax,” Guderian said. “We must have them scratching around for food, fuel, and ammunition.”

  “We still have our high-altitude JU-88, right?”

  Milch nodded. “Yes, mein Herr. We recently added two more to the fleet.”

  “And we have artillery that can reach a long way over the Oder River, correct?”

  Both men nodded.

  “I don’t propose to expend all our ammunition, but if we have the JU-88’s spotting, we can drop a few rounds into their headquarters companies, ammo dumps, and fuel depots. What is the accuracy of our artillery corps when someone is spotting for them?”

  “That puts us within a twenty-meter circular probability of error,” Guderian answered. “We are working on narrowing that down further.”

  “And you have a grid map of all the land on the other side of the river?”

  “We do.”

  “Then you know what to do,” Schloss said, continuing to tap his pencil. “What is happening with the Russian logistics?”

  “They are struggling to rebuild their rail network,” Guderian said with a smile. “They have not been successful.”

  “But we can’t get all the way to Moscow with the Fortresses, isn’t that correct?”

  “That is correct,” Guderian explained. “Colonel Gehlen has continued to send teams behind the Russian lines to interdict the rail lines.”

  “And how well is that working?” Schloss asked.

  “Not as well as we would like,” he admitted. “We have recently lost several teams and are not sure why.”

  “Do you understand why we are meeting today?”

  Milch looked blank, but Guderian immediately nodded. “We are not doing enough to halt the Russians.”

  Schloss now pointed the pencil at the two men. “If we don’t continue to bleed them through the winter, they will come across the Oder River as soon as the weather allows next spring. And we won’t stop them. I shouldn’t have to teach you strategy, Heinz. You have forgotten more than I ever learned.”

  “I think that is unfair, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Milch responded. “The Wehrmacht has done well, despite incredible difficulties.”

  “Erhard, you have uncommon skills at logistics,” Schloss said. “But, you don’t have a grasp of tactics. You have admitted that. And I accepted it because Heinz knows what he is doing. I think we have done well with the arrangement. What I want to know is why someone has failed at directing our strategy. Tell me that, please.”

  “I have failed in that regard, Herr Reich Chancellor,” Guderian said. “I allowed myself to focus too much on the minutiae. You have my apologies and also my resignation if you desire.”

  Schloss looked at Milch, who said nothing.

  “You have nothing to say, Erhard?”

  “I believe you heard General Guderian’s explanation.”

  Both men jumped when Schloss slapped his hand on the desk, the sound like a rifle shot.

  “I depend upon both of you to manage this war,” he shouted. “I know I can’t do it, and nobody else in the government can. The fact that I have to call this to your attention terrifies me. Okay, Heinz made a mistake. Fine. I accept your apology, Heinz. Erhard, you should have spotted that and called him on it. I am sitting here today asking questions that you should have been asking, but you didn’t. That is your job, and you are not doing it!”

  Milch shook his head and gabbled. “Herr Reich Chancellor, I don’t know what to say.”

  “And that is what bothers me.”

  “If it needs to be said, you can have my resignation,” Milch continued.

  Schloss jumped to his feet. “At this point, falling on your sword is the most dishonorable thing you can do. We are going to dissect the problem and solve it, mein Herren, and we are going to do it today!”

  Guderian and Milch looked at Schloss fearfully.

  Okay, Hennie, you have managed to lose your temper completely, and these poor fools have not the slightest idea what to do. Time to pour on the oil.

  “I apologize for the outburst,” Schloss said. “I want you to go back to your offices and gather your staff. I want a plan on how to process and regain the initiative. I want you to bring the plan back to me in the morning. Do you understand?”

  They both mutely nodded.

  “Kirche,” Schloss shouted.

  “Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  “I want both of these men back in my office at eight o’clock in the morning. See to it.”

  “Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  He looked back at his guests. “Now, get out of here. You have a lot of work to do tonight.”

  They quickly stood and retreated from his office. Schloss collapsed back into his chair and buried his face in his hands.

  What a mess. And part of the problem is that I let my attention drift. It is as much my fault as theirs.

  He looked up to see Willem Kirche standing in front of his desk.

  “Yes, what is it?” he snapped.

  “You are scheduled to fly to Munich tomorrow.”

  “What time is the flight scheduled to leave?”

  “6 AM.”

  Schloss picked up his pencil and began tapping the eraser end against the blotter. “Very well. When they arrive for the eight o’clock meeting,
tell them I apologize and I had forgotten about this trip. Ask them to return at eight the next day.”

  Kirche continued to watch Schloss.

  “What is it now, Willem?” Schloss growled.

  “You are aware they will likely be up all night working on your directive.”

  “As well they should! They have slipped, and they need to understand how serious that is.”

  “Very well, Herr Reich Chancellor.”

  “Is there anything else this afternoon, Willem?”

  “You and Frau Schloss are having dinner at the Schreiber residence tonight. I believe Frau Schloss is waiting for you.”

  Schloss chuckled and stood up. “And Frau Schloss is not to be trifled with.”

  And he walked out of his office.

  § § §

  November 5, 1943; 8 PM

  Schreiber Residence,

  Charlottenburg,

  Berlin, Germany

  “You seem to have settled down, Hennie,” Gisela said as she bounced Gratia on her lap.

  “Settled down?” Peter asked as he sipped his after-dinner brandy. “And what, may I ask, got Hennie un-settled down?”

  “My meeting with Guderian and Milch became a bit tense,” Schloss murmured. “I was forced to yell at them.”

  “In other words, they pressed you into losing your temper.”

  “Something like that,” Schloss said dryly.

  “Whatever caused them to drift into that predicament?”

  Schloss shook his head. “It seems our Wehrmacht leadership decided to bed the troops down for the winter. Since the Russians seem to be doing the same thing, they decided we could stand down for extended maintenance.”

  Peter looked shocked. “Are you serious? I’m surprised you didn’t sack both of them on the spot.”

  “Once Heinz comes to his senses, I think he will be embarrassed. I suspect our beloved Reichsmarshall still doesn’t understand why I yelled.”

  “I am beginning to regret the day we gave Erhard his job. He hasn’t covered himself in glory.”

  “Exactly, Peter. Milch is an able administrator and logician, but his mental processes lack a certain acuity.”