“Jawohl, Herr Admiral.”
&nbs
p; “Three, ask Fregattenkapitän von und zu Waching to come in.”
“Jawohl, Herr Admiral.”
Fregattenkapitän Otto von und zu Waching appeared in Canaris’s office less than two minutes later. When Karl Boltitz started to get out of his chair, von und zu Waching waved him back into it.
“Have you had your lunch, Otto?” Canaris asked.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Boltitz and I have not,” Canaris said. As if on cue, a white-jacketed steward appeared with a tray of sandwiches.
The aide had them waiting outside; there’s no way they could have been prepared this quickly.
Canaris signaled for the tray to be laid on his desk in front of Boltitz, and then for Boltitz to help himself.
“Thank you, Herr Admiral.”
The first bite of the leberwurst mit sempf was in his mouth, but he had not had time to chew when Canaris ordered, “Begin with the master of the Océano Pacífico, Boltitz.”
He saw that I was chewing. Is this a reproof for thanking him?
Nearly choking with the effort, he managed to quickly swallow the liverwurst. “Kapitän de Banderano,” he reported, “stated very clearly that von Wachtstein was in his presence when von Wachtstein learned where the Océano Pacífico’s boat was to land on Samborombón Bay. And that that information came from Standartenführer Goltz, who used the phrase ‘it’s time for you to see where we’re going,’ or words to that effect, before telling him—or actually showing him on a chart.”
“Is there an implication that Goltz did not trust von Wachtstein?”
“I asked that question, Herr Admiral. Kapitän de Banderano felt that Goltz had confidence in von Wachtstein. Goltz introduced von Wachtstein to de Banderano as ‘my assistant in this undertaking,’ or words to that effect. Kapitän de Banderano felt that Standartenführer Goltz was simply being careful. He also said that it would have been impossible for von Wachtstein to communicate with the shore from the time that Goltz showed him the landing spot to the time of the landing.”
“Somebody told the Americans or the Argentines—one or the other, or both—where the landing was to be made,” Canaris said.
“Kapitän de Banderano also stated with great firmness that von Wachtstein’s behavior on the beach after the shootings was heroic. According to de Banderano, many shots were fired—this differs from von Wachtstein’s account that there were not more than four or five—and that despite this fire, von Wachtstein carried both bodies to the Océano Pacífico’s boat, and then returned for the two crates which had been put ashore.”
“How could de Banderano know this?” Korvettenkapitän von und zu Waching asked. “Could he see it? How far offshore was the Océano Pacífico?”
“Kapitän de Banderano commanded his ship’s boat himself,” Boltitz said. “He apologized profusely for the cowardly behavior of his crew for not helping von Wachtstein.”
“Then you are satisfied that von Wachtstein is not the man who informed the Argentines—or the Americans?”
“I believe, Herr Admiral, that he is less likely than Gradny-Sawz and von Tresmarck.”
“Let’s hear what you have on them,” von und zu Waching said.
“Let’s finish with von Wachtstein,” Canaris said. “He went to see von Stauffenberg?”
“Yes, Sir, he and Generalleutnant von Wachtstein.”
“A purely personal question, Boltitz. How is von Stauffenberg?”
“He’s badly injured, Sir.”
“He will live, would you say?”
“Yes, Herr Admiral. I don’t think there’s any chance of his dying now.”
“Good. Germany needs officers like him,” Canaris said. “And you would say they—he and young von Wachtstein, I mean—are close?”