Kitabı oku: «Blue Flame», sayfa 8

The driver was a cheerful U.S. G.I army sergeant, and in the front seat was a young G.I captain, whom the Wolffes thought looked far too serious. The sergeant tried to engage in friendly banter with the Wolffe’s several times but was chastised by the captain.

Arriving at the port, they stopped alongside a 14,200-ton U.S. liberty cargo ship: the S.S. John H. Brown. This would be the last time many of them would ever see Germany again. The voyage was to take almost a month. General Brownlow was the liaison officer in charge of coordinating the group of men, women, and children. He would accompany them on this leg of their journey, which he was happy to do, as it meant he was going home and getting away from the Berlin stench and the people who he despised.

Sergeant Hickster carried Joseph, Jane, and baby George’s luggage as they boarded the cargo ship, along with the rest of the group. As Sergeant Hickster escorted them to their quarters, he whispered in German, “My name is Tomas. What’s yours?”

Joseph looked surprised and was about to introduce himself when a loud booming voice echoed behind them.

“Sergeant Hickster, I warned you not to speak to these people.”

“Sorry sir,” said the sergeant. “I was just…”

“Take the bags into their cabin,” barked the young captain, looking enraged.

With the captain waiting outside the cabin, Sergeant Hickster placed the Wolffe’s bags beside a set of bunk beds and went up to the deck to chat with one of the ship’s crew.

The captain escorted the Wolffe’s to an eating area where General Brownlow waited with their instructions for this part of the journey.

He gave strict orders not to have any contact with the crew and be a separate community until they reached the United States. He told them that once in America, they would be transported to their respective areas to begin their new lives, and he warned them, “You are all prohibited from going onto the deck for the entire voyage. You have an area below decks for recreation and exercise with a separate galley and eating area. Anyone who breaks these rules will be shot.”

After the briefing, they all silently went to their cabins and unpacked their belongings. Joseph and Jane sat on their hard bunk bed. Jane started to cry, which made George cry. Joseph put his arm around his wife and son, and said, “At least we are safe, we are better off than most of the German people.” Jane nodded and sobbed as she cradled George. “Maybe it will be fine at least there was no more war, and apart from that nasty General, the Americans whom we have met so far have not been so bad. Besides, some of our friends are here, so we are not alone,” said Joseph and kissed Jane and George.

Jane sighed, nodded, wiped the tears from her eyes, handed George to Joseph, and said, “I will check the kitchen and see if I can find us something to eat.”

“It’s called a galley on a ship darling,” smiled Joseph.

Two hours later, the John H. Brown edged away from the dockside. The cargo of refugees stared out of their portholes as the vessel made its way out of the port. They all had tears in their eyes as they gazed back at their war-ravaged and decimated country that got further away from the ships wake.

* * *

Lieutenant George Sykes, Staff Nurse Steffi Beike, and Dr Rudolph Flanman sat around a small, round, brass-hammered table in a corner of the small café. Steffi apologised to George for her abruptness earlier but explained that they and the Schuler’s had become close, so it came as a shock to her and the doctor when George took them away. Both Dr Flanman and Steffi spoke English and probed George for information about the family. They told him how concerned they were about the baby.

George, feeling uncomfortable with the questions, took a drink of coffee. He looked at the pair smiling at him, and said, “I am sorry, but I am not at liberty to divulge any information about the Schuler’s or my work. But don’t worry, I guarantee that the family are safe and will be well taken care of.”

Steffi smiled and said, “We understand George, let’s change the subject. How’s the coffee?”

The conversation changed, although Steffi and Rudolph occasionally spoke to each other in German, George felt more at ease. The waitress brought small plates of food to the table, and they ate and chatted for another hour. George could not take his eyes off Steffi. She was a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties. Her wavy blonde hair clipped back into a bundle, which reminded George of Rita Hayworth, the American actress, dancer, and pin-up: every serviceman’s dream girl. Except this Rita Hayworth had deep crystal blue eyes, which George gazed into. He had not thought about, much less been, this close to a woman in a very long time.

The doctor smiled as he noticed the young lieutenant’s ardour and excused himself, leaving the pair alone.

George told Steffi that before the war, he was a schoolteacher from California. He had served in the US Army for two years, and although a tall muscular man, due to his education, he had served in administrative roles. The couple enjoyed each other’s company, and George felt relaxed and secure with Steffi, despite the rocky start, for which she constantly apologised.

Steffi told George that she wanted to be a surgeon and had spent several years at an English university. Her mother was English and her father German, which posed a quandary during the commencement of hostilities. With her family living in Germany, she returned there after completed half of her surgical training because the country needed nurses. They had been talking for some time, so hadn’t noticed that the other customers had long since gone from the café. The waitress leant against the counter, staring at the couple. Time seemed to have stood still for George, and he didn’t want the night to end, unlike the pig in knickers, who kept coughing and looking at her watch.

Steffi smiled and whispered, “I think she wants us to leave.”

George looked at the waitress and asked for the bill.

“That’s okay, there’s no need to pay here,” said Steffi and stood up and held out her hand. “Thank you for a great evening lieutenant. It’s a pity it has to end,” she said.

George did not quite know what to do with her hand: shake it, kiss it, slap it… what?

He decided to be gallant and kiss it. Steffi chuckled and put her hand over her mouth.

“What did I do wrong, ma’am?” asked George.

“Nothing,” said Steffi still giggling, “Nothing at all.”

George also started to laugh.

“I was only supposed to shake it, wasn’t I?” he said, looking embarrassed, “I was being gallant, like an English knight.”

“Thank you Sir George,” said Steffi as she curtseyed.

“Can I have the pleasure of seeing you again m’ lady?” asked George, smiling.

“I would like that very much,” replied Steffi as they stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments. Steffi said goodbye and started to walk out of the café. She looked back at George, smiled, and said, “I finish work at 4 o’clock. I will meet you here at 5.” She never waited for the reply and left the café, closing the door behind her.

* * *

A happy Lieutenant Sykes pulled up to the small café at 4:45 pm the following day. With a spring in his step, he hopped out of his jeep and went in. He had spent the day doing more paperwork that was monotonous and thinking about Steffi.

Steffi was already at a table. George looked at his watch, thinking it had stopped. “Sorry, am I late?” He said tapping his watch.

“You’re not late George, I am early, I was missing you,” said Steffi and giggled.

A smiling George sat down, and Steffi ordered him a coffee.

“What have you got in your bag?” Steffi asked, noticing that George was carrying a brown paper bag. He pulled out two sets of nylon stockings and two blocks of chocolate and handed them to Steffi.

The waitress brought over his coffee. He brought out a smaller block of chocolate and gave it to her. The veritable pig in knickers looked puzzled. “Danke,” she said and walked away.

“Damn,” George said and then joked, “I thought that would make her smile. Do you think anything would make that woman crack a smile?”

Steffi laughed and said, “Try asking her to marry you. That may work.”

They both broke into childish laughter.

These daily trysts continued over the next few days. Steffi and George met at the same time and place. After eating, Steffi would then take George on a Guided tour around the ruins of Berlin. She showed George where she used to go dancing and her local shops. Although the buildings were now just burnt-out shells, the detail in which Steffi described the city, made it easy for George to imagine what it was like in its former glory. Their meetings were short, as curfew was in place for the Germans. After 10 pm, the only people remaining on the city streets were the military.

George’s feelings for Steffi grew. They had kissed several times, usually a peck on the cheek when he dropped her off at the hospital. She told George she wanted a relationship, which suited George, now besotted with this beautiful and intelligent woman.

Steffi occasionally mentioned the Schuler’s, especially the baby, but George had always reiterated what he had told her at their first meeting about not divulging his work. Steffi explained why the baby was a miracle, telling George that after Martina was sterilized, she fell pregnant.

One afternoon, George met Steffi as usual. She seemed excited about something, asking George to skip his coffee. They got into his jeep and Steffi directed him to a street of derelict buildings. The streets during that time of day were full of workers, military men, and machines clearing away rubble. With loose debris already cleared from that street, apart from a few people squatting in their old wrecked homes, the street was deserted. Steffi told George to stop halfway down the street, and they stopped outside a bombed-out house.

“This was my aunt and uncle’s house,” said Steffi, and the couple went inside.

Steffi led George into the living room and after removing a little rubble left on the floor, she opened a large wooden hatch. George helped her lifting the hatch open to reveal a set of steps. Steffi went down first, flipping a switch on a dark wall mid-way down. There came a slight rumble and whirring sound like a car motor starting. She tried several more times until the generator kicked into life and illuminated the stairwell and a cellar at the bottom.

“My uncle was an engineer. He made this bomb-shelter,” Steffi told George as they walked into a small, well-lit room. George noticed a sofa and a single bed, along with various cupboards containing tins of food and water in the brick cellar. It looked similar to his room at the barracks.

George looked around the room and asked, “What happened to your uncle and aunt? This place appears secure enough.”

“The allies shot them when my uncle tried to surrender,” said Steffi sounding nonchalant. She then walked up to George, threw her arms around him, and kissed him passionately.

They lay on the small bed, embracing and caressing each other. Steffi got off the bed and, with George gazing at her, removed her clothes, revealing her luscious, slender body. She gave George an impish smile while she took off his uniform. The rest of the world would be slow to accept or trust the German people again. However, Lieutenant George Sykes had passed the acceptance stage. Although surrounded by destruction and violence, he had found an inner peace being in love with Steffi. Oblivious to the outside world, they shared themselves.

“I could murder a cup of coffee,” joked George, as they lay entwined in each other.

“Oh, I think you want to go see the waitress at the café. I know you like her; you bring her chocolate.” joked Steffi.

“Yep, you’ve caught me: I love the veritable pig in knickers,” said George, as he gave Steffi another lingering kiss.

George had never considered his future before. It had never been a big issue until now. He was unsure how long he would remain in Germany. He knew Steffi would never leave, as she had already told him that she wanted to help rebuild her tattered nation. Feeling both happy, and melancholy, he said, “I know I have only known you a short while, but I can’t imagine not having you in my life.”

“Are you going to propose George Sykes?” Steffi interrupted, looking enigmatic.

George laughed, and mumbled, “No, I just want a coffee.”

They laughed again and Steffi feigned anger.

“You want the pig in knickers to have your babies, don’t you?” she frowned.

“Caught me again,” teased George.

“Baby George Sykes,” said Steffi and giggled.

“Then there would be two babies George’s walking around,” said George and chuckled.

Steffi furrowed her brow and said, “You never mentioned that you had a child… or that you were married,”

George smiled and told her, “I haven’t got children and I am not married.”

George saw Steffi frown and seeing how confused and upset she appeared, and with no doubt about Steffi’s honesty, told her, “Your friends, the Schuler’s, named their baby son after me.”

Steffi looked taken aback and asked George, “Why would Martina and Stefan Schuler name their baby, George Sykes?”

George chuckled and said, “No, silly. They named their baby, George Wolffe. They only used my first name.”

The couple chatted, laughed, and held each other until they noticed the time was drawing near curfew for Steffi. They slowly dressed and went outside.

As George drove back to the barracks, his thoughts were on his future with Steffi even if it meant him staying in Germany. With a smile a mile wide, he returned to the barracks and lay awake on his bunk. For George, the next day could not come soon enough. He formulated plans that would allow them to be together. He was well aware his senior officers would try to dissuade him from marrying a German, the same way he would have done to any of the soldiers under his command. Nevertheless, he felt ecstatic.

After George dropped Steffi at the hospital, she went to the hospital’s basement and walked along a dark corridor into a small office.

Dr Flanman sat behind a desk reading notes. He looked up, smiled, and asked, “Did you get the information?”

Steffi smiled and nodded.

Doctor Flanman smiled and took out a BUCH MOSE folder from his drawer. Flanman removed a file with a partially filled out form with a photograph attached to the top. The photograph was identical to the one Martina had pinned onto her hospital headboard.

Steffi gave Flanman the vital information she had acquired. The doctor smiled and filled in the missing space on the form.

Name: George Wolffe.

Dr Flanman said, “You have done well. Now that we have this vital piece of information for the Füehrer, we can get out of here. I am tired of the stench.”

He stood up, removed his clear glass spectacles and false dental crowns to reveal his normal teeth. He took off his shirt and unhooked a padded bodysuit. Going over to a mirror, he yanked off his grey false beard and other prosthetics that had aged him. Rubbing his now bald head, he sat back down and made a phone call while Steffi went to a wardrobe and took out two folded uniforms and two tin helmets with US insignia. She changed into her uniform. Flanman hung up the telephone and closed the BUCH MOSE folder. He placed it into a brown leather folder with a white star and U.S Presidential seal stencilled on the front.

Flanman changed into a U.S Colonels uniform. He went into his top drawer and took out forged military I.D.s for Lt. Col. David Sanders. U.S Diplomatic attaché, and Lt. Sharon Foreman.

Rudolf Flanman looked at his watch while Steffi went over to a gas stove and boiled the kettle.

They had just finished drinking tea when an American G.I. knocked and entered. Sergeant Hickman clicked his heels together, “Heil Hitler!” he said, saluting them both.

The two returned the hitlergruss and then Flanman asked him, “Everything set?”

“Yes sir. We have a clear passage through to the port. On my way back I briefed the checkpoints that I would be bringing an American VIP through soon,” replied Hickman in German.

“Were there any problems?” asked Steffi.

Hickman smirked, “Only an obnoxious American captain, but he has been taken care of,” said Hickman, “I apologise for not getting more information on the destination, but the John H. Brown’s crew wasn’t told.”

“You briefed our spy on board to tell us anything that we need to know?” asked Steffi.

“Yes, he will call to inform us of any useful information when they dock in America,” said Hickster.

“Okay, let’s go meet with our Füehrer,” said Flanman, standing and putting on his helmet.

They walked outside to the U.S.-marked saloon, passing a pile of stacked rubble by the side of the road. Hickman looked at the pile with disdain.

“A befitting tomb for the arrogant U.S. Army captain,” snarled Hickman, AKA, SS-Standartenführer Tomas Schroeder. He, along with SS-Hauptsurmführer, Dr. Josef Mengele – ‘The Angel of death,’ and Kriminalkomissar, Katrina Frume of the Gestapo, codename: Schwarze Witwe, the black widow, got into the car and drove away.

10
Never deprive someone of hope; it may be all they have

A periscope sliced through the dark waters of the South Atlantic Ocean. With his target in sight, Kapitanlieutenant Karl Viktor surfaced the U-boat. The water hissed from the ballast tanks as the U-boat surfaced and slowly steamed towards its rendezvous with the brightly lit crane barge. They were now in safe waters, with the Argentine navy that patrolled the Rio de la Plate area expecting them.

The captain went to the conning tower, took a deep breath of fresh air, and guided his vessel alongside the barge, adjusting the U-boats buoyancy until the decks aligned.

Several of the U-boat’s crew went onto the deck and, along with the Argentine crew of the barge, tethered the vessels together. It was a warm night and a calm sea as the vessels nudged against each other’s mooring buoys. The captain turned on the U-boats deck lights as a crane’s boom swung over his head taking up position above one of the cargo hold sections. Captain Viktor heard a small engine, and looking amidships saw a sleek wooden motor launch come from the port side of the barge and manoeuvre alongside the U-boat. He watched as four of the SS commandos’ came from the conning tower hatch and removed a gangway off the U-boats deck, placing it from the hatchway to the open passenger section of the stylish motor launch.

The voyage had taken sixteen days without incident. Captain Viktor had seen several allied battleships through the periscope but glided undetected beneath them. The weary U-boat crew had the extra pressure from the armed SS commandos who guarded them. Captain Viktor felt on edge, Kruger had given him orders and course headings at varying intervals, so until he received the final coordinates, neither he nor his crew knew their destination. Throughout the voyage, the commandos kept the crew either at their workstations or in their cramped sleeping quarters, making communication between them difficult. Having not surfaced during the voyage, the snorkels provided little fresh air to the cramped U-boat and with one tank of potable water aboard, Kruger had rationed the crew’s water for drinking only.

Captain Viktor smiled as his crew looked relieved to be out in the fresh air, as the hatches opened and they all came out and ambled around the deck.

The captain felt concerned about the fate of his crew. He had witnessed how Kruger executed the two young SS officers on the dockside in cold blood, and despite the last set of orders he had received, knew this man was a ruthless killer and would have no hesitation killing him and his crew. The captain saw Kruger come onto the deck and gave orders to his men.

Hans then yelled at the U-boats crew, “Who permitted you to come outside. Get below decks and return to your stations… immediately!”

The armed commandos pointed their weapons at the crew, directing them to the hatches.

The first officer, (Executive Officer: XO) and the dive officer looked up at the captain on the conning bridge, who now looked angry.

“Don’t look at him, do as I ordered and get your men inside the boat and stay at your action stations,” snapped Hans, waving his Luger at them.

The U-boats crew mumbled as they went below decks and back to their hot fetid compartments.

Captain Viktor glared down at the smirking Hans, who went back inside and closed the hatch.

Captain Viktor watched the barge’s crew as they swung heavy lights around, bathing the U-boat’s cargo section and conning tower in high-beamed artificial sunlight. Several of the barge’s crew jumped onto the U-boats deck as the crane lowered its lines, and after the Argentine crew attached the hooks, the crane hoisted the full section out of the U-boat. The crane boom swung the heavy load and deposited the section on the barge’s deck, rocking the barge under its weight.

After a short while, the conning tower side deck hatch opened. Hans walked out and gave the SS commandos an order.

The captain, leaning on the side of the conning tower, looked at his watch. It was 0230, and according to his orders, they would finish offloading the cargo before dawn. His order was then to sail into US-controlled waters and surrender his U-boat to the American fleet.

Viktor realised when he saw the orders that the Nazi regime would never let this technology fall into enemy hands, and knew that they were in 40 meters of water, deep enough for them to sink without a trace. He had suspected some of the cargo was explosives, so he’d formulated a plan, although he knew that informing his crew would be difficult. He hoped that they would follow his direction if the opportunity arose. The U-boat had handled sluggishly due to the excess cargo, and although they had larger ballast tanks, the weight still proved to be an obstacle when surfacing. The captain figured that he could use this to his advantage; with his thoughts interrupted when he saw the SS commandos file into a guard formation along the gangway to the motor launch. He heard the conning tower hatch-locking wheel turning and looked down. The commandos now faced outward with their machine guns shouldered. Hans stepped out and escorted Hitler and Braun down the gangway onto the motor launch. Hitler looked up at the captain and then spoke to Hans, who smiled and nodded. The captain could not hear what orders Hans then gave to his men before he boarded the launch, which pulled away from the U-boat.

That was the first time Captain Viktor had seen his mysterious guest. He now knew that he, his crew, and his vessel were doomed. He had seen too much. ‘They aren’t concerned about me seeing the Füehrer because they know I will not live to tell the tale,’ he thought.

The SS commandos watched the motor launch pull away while they stood on the gangway. Captain Viktor noticed the crane boom got into position to hoist the second load out of his boat. He hoped that he had calculated correctly because now was the time to take action. He called the first officer (X.O.) up to the conning bridge through the intercom pipe.

The X.O., Kapitänleutnant, Johan Landis, came up and told him that two SS commandos were in the control room. Captain Viktor, knowing they couldn’t be overheard, told the X.O. of his concerns and his plan.

The X.O sighed and rubbing his hand across the stubble on his face, said, “I agree sir. I think the crew also know they would not come out of this alive, and after what you have told me, now I am certain.” He then looked at the weary captain and added, “But we need to come up with an alternative plan, yours is suicide.”

The captain shook his head and said, “There is no alternative X.O. We must act fast before the SS have time to plant any explosives and I am prepared to take the risk.”

He and the captain went below into the control room, closing the conning tower hatch behind them. Captain Viktor spoke to the two SS guards, while the X.O. went to helm control, whispered to the helmsman, and then went to the engine order telegraph (EOT) and pushed the lever to - Stand By.

“What’s happening?” asked an SS commando, noticing the engine noise increasing.

The captain smiled and said, “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, we have to vent peroxide and recharge the batteries. This is the first surface recharge, so I have to go to the engine room to check the snorkel for our return voyage,” replied Viktor.

The SS guard smiled, deciding to humour the captain and allow him to continue believing they would be going home.

The captain sighed, furrowed his brow, scratched his head, and said, “Mind you, it will take three of us to lift and check the snorkel equipment. It is a simple job, but the chief engineer has hurt his back, and with the rest of the crew ordered to stay at their posts by SS-Oberfüehrer Kruger, I don’t know what to do,” said the captain, throwing out his hands and shrugging.

The commando stared at him and then smiled, “Okay, we’ll come with you and help,” he said.

The commandos wanted to see the technology behind this modern vessel. Having been cooped up in the forward compartments on guard throughout the voyage, they wanted to see something that would be lost when they killed the crew and blew up the U-boat. The commandos knew that none of the U-boats crew had weapons and their superior fighting skills made the submariners no match for these tough rugged soldiers.

“Let’s be quick before the others come back inside. Kruger’s gone on his holiday so let’s have one last look at great German technology before we all become Argentinians,” said one commando smiling at his comrade. He laughed, and they all moved to the end of the control room.

The captain spun the wheel on the hatch to open the watertight door. He and the commandos left the control room and the X.O. relocked the hatch behind them.

“What’s happening sir?” asked the Dive officer.

The XO sighed and told the crew what was about to happen and to be prepared.

The crew gasped.

“That’s suicide sir,” said the weapons officer.

The X.O sighed, nodded, and snapped, “Yes, I am well aware of that, and the captain knows the risks. They are his orders. Now, arm the torpedoes.”

He looked at the coxswain, and ordered, “Let the chief engineer know what’s happening and to be ready. Then stand by the EOT and await my order.”

“Yes sir,” confirmed the coxswain, who took the intercom pipe and pressed the valve to the engine room’s whistle.

The crew remained silent as they glanced at each other while awaiting further orders. The XO went to the hatch and jammed a wrench in the locking wheel. He then looked through the glass spy port and saw the Captain looking outside the conning tower hatch at the SS commandos on the gangway. He then saw the two agitated commando escorts yelling at him as he shut the hatch in the conning tower base compartment and turned the locking wheel. “God be with you, my friend,” mumbled the XO who continued to watch.

“What are you doing?” yelled one of the SS commandos who glared and aimed his weapon at the captain who carried on turning the wheel.

“Stop!” yelled the other commando, also aiming his weapon.

The captain turned and faced the commando, with their weapons trained on him. He grinned, lunged at the first commando, and grabbed the muzzle of his machine gun.

When the X.O. saw the scuffle, he yelled, “Now! Full ahead. ” The coxswain pushed the lever to full ahead. Seconds later, the engines revved and the U-boat lurched forward.

The commando grappled with the captain and with his superior fighting skills easily subdued him, smashing his gunstock into his face, and knocking him to the deck.

The other tried to reopen the control room door but with the wrench jammed in the locking wheel on the inside, it wouldn’t budge. Captain Karl Viktor sat bloodied on the deck, laughing at the futile attempts of the SS, who now turned the conning tower hatch-locking wheel and pulled the large hatch open.

Pandemonium broke out on the surface as the submarine edged forward and the tether ropes strained as the crane barge got dragged along. The barge’s captain, feeling his boat judder and then move, panicked, and shouted orders to his crew to release or cut all moorings. The barge’s crew ran around cutting ropes, dislodging the gangway between the two vessels and throwing the SS commandos into the frigid South Atlantic, along with some Argentine crew from the U-boats deck.

The SS commandos inside the conning tower went onto the deck as the U-boat edged forward, scraping along the side of the crane barge. Unable to see their comrades in the dark they could only hear their screams, along with the Argentines’ as they splashed about in the cold dark ocean, caught in the submarine’s wake. They looked at one another and then stumbled as the U-boat lurched forward as the Argentine crew cut the last mooring loose from the crane barge.

The commandos’ ran back inside the conning tower looking bewildered. They glared at the captain laughing on the floor with blood streaming down his face.

“Stop the boat,” ordered one commando, his voice quivering. “Now!” he said, aiming his weapon at the Captain’s head.

“Of course,” said the Captain grinning. He stood up, spat blood and teeth on the deck, and went over to the spy hole in the control bridge door. He looked at the X.O, smiled, and mouthed an order. “Dive the boat!”

The X.O. knew that with the conning tower hatchway open, they could dive the boat, but he wasn’t sure they would have enough watertight integrity to re-surface. He looked at the crew, who looked nervous as they awaited his order.