THIS DIFFICULT SITUATION IS EXACERBATED BY OUR STRENGTH, WHICH IS NOW THIRTEEN (13) ARMED CIVILIANS, ALL FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HÚSARES DE PUEYRREDÓN AND SIX (6) UNARMED AND UNTRAINED MECHANICS AND DRIVERS, ALL EMPLOYEES OF SAA. THE LATTER HAVE NOW BEEN ARMED WITH WEAPONS SEIZED FROM 10TH MOUNTAIN PERSONNEL BUT THEIR ABILITY TO USE THEM EFFECTIVELY IS AT BEST QUESTIONABLE.
ON THE MARCH HERE THE UNDERSIGNED AGAIN ENCOUNTERED RESISTANCE TO MY AUTHORITY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESERVE THE AVIATION FUEL STOCKS AT THE TRELEW NAVAL AIRFIELD.
TO ENSURE THAT THE AVIATION FUEL STOCKS WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND TO PREVENT THE NAVY PERSONNEL OF THE TRELEW AIRFIELD FROM NOTIFYING THEIR HIGHER HEADQUARTERS OF OUR PRESENCE (AND OUR REQUISITION OF FUEL) IT WAS DEEMED NECESSARY TO BOTH SHUT DOWN THE TELEPHONE AND RADIO COMMUNICATION AT THE FIELD AND TO CONFINE THE NAVY PERSONNEL TO THE BASE. TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO LEAVE THE HÚSARES DE PUEYRREDÓN MILITARY DETACHMENT OF ONE (1) SENIOR SERGEANT AND SIX (6) OTHER RANKS AT TRELEW. THE SHUTDOWN OF COMMUNICATIONS WILL PREVENT BOTH YOU AND THE UNDERSIGNED FROM CONTACTING THE SERGEANT IN CHARGE.
SENOR GRÜNER STATES THAT HE CAN HAVE THE STORCH AIRCRAFT READY FOR FLIGHT BY 0800 AND THE PIPER CUB READY BY 1000. HE FURTHER STATES THAT BOTH AIRCRAFT CAN BE OPERATED FROM THE TERRAIN HERE. IT IS NOTED THAT GRÜNER IS THE ONLY PILOT HERE AND HE HAS NEVER FLOWN A CUB, ALTHOUGH HE FEELS HE CAN DO SO.
GRÜNER FURTHER STATES THAT THE TERRAIN HERE IS SIMILAR TO THAT HE ENCOUNTERED IN RUSSIA -- THAT IS, WHILE THE ICE CAP THEREON WILL SUPPORT BOTH THE STORCH AND THE CUB IN LANDING AND TAKEOFF OPERATIONS AND PROBABLY -- EMPHASIS PROBABLY -- SUPPORT LANDING AND TAKEOFF OF LODESTAR AIRCRAFT, IT IS PROBABLE -- EMPHASIS PROBABLE -- THAT ONCE STOPPED THE WEIGHT OF LODESTAR AIRCRAFT WILL CAUSE IT TO BREAK THROUGH THE ICE CAP, THEREBY RENDERING IT IMMOBILE.
DIRECTION REQUESTED.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.
CARLOS HABANZO
CORONEL, BIS
* * *
“My God!” von Wachtstein said.
“Well, if Nervo wanted to see what this Klausberger character was going to do when he learned that O’Reilley had been bagged, I think he succeeded,” Jimmy said. “How soon can he get his reinforcements to Estancia Condor?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Clete said, “but they can get there quicker than we can get these guys down there by road. San Martín de los Andes is a lot closer to Estancia Condor than we are.” He paused and shook his head. “Even before we got this, my plan was to fly our reinforcements to Trelew, and move them by truck to the estancia. Then you showed up with the wonderful news that there will be no more Lodestars.”
“What are you going to do, Clete?” Jimmy asked.
“Following the famous Cletus Frade theory that it’s better to do something, anything, when you don’t have any idea at all what to do, I’m going to have the Húsares and my people start preparing for a road march. Find some trucks, fuel cans, food, et cetera. Then, as soon as we get back from seeing Dieter, you and Hansel are going to fly the Húsares captain and a dozen guys to Trelew, and play it by ear.”
[TWO]
The Hospital of the Little Sisters of Saint Pilar
Mendoza, Mendoza Province, Argentina
0850 22 October 1945
Dieter von und zu Aschenburg was propped up in the hospital bed when Mother Superior came in his room followed by Clete, Hans, and Jimmy.
“You have five minutes with him,” she announced. “Then I’m going to give him something for his pain.”
“You haven’t given him anything yet?” Frade blurted.
“He said he was going to wait until he heard from you, Cletus. I now understand why you’re all such good friends. You’re all crazy.”
“What do we hear from Willi?” Dieter asked.
Clete handed him the printout from the SIGABA.
“And there’s more good news,” Clete said, when he’d finished reading it. “We don’t have any airplanes to reinforce Habanzo.”
“What are you going to do?” Dieter asked.
Frade told him.
“My God!” Dieter said.
“Dieter,” Jimmy said, “tell me about the landing and takeoff rolls in snow and ice like that. Would a Lodestar break through the ice cap the moment it stopped rolling?”