Secret Honor (Honor Bound 3)

“Yes, Sir. When von Wachtstein was drunk at Augsburg—”

“Tell us about that,” Canaris interrupted.

“Well, he’s apparently sort of a protégé of General Galland, Sir—the general put him up in his quarters, and told both Cranz and myself that he intends to have von Wachtstein assigned to the ME-262 project—”

“Von Wachtstein getting drunk, Boltitz, if you please,” Canaris interrupted again, somewhat impatiently.

“Yes, Sir. There was a good deal to drink, apparently, in the General’s quarters, and von Wachtstein got very drunk.”

“You were there?”

“No, Sir, but General Galland told me not to judge him harshly. He had come from Oberstleutnant von Stauffenberg, and was terribly upset by his condition. General Galland believed that was the reason he got drunk.”

“Galland is another good man,” Canaris said. “We might be a good deal better off with more very young general officers who’ve earned their rank in battle. Was there anything unusual in von Wachtstein’s behavior when he was with Hauptmann Grüner? Did he look guilty, in other words?”

“I thought his behavior was what one could expect,” Boltitz said.

“Now tell us what you have learned about Gradny-Sawz and von Tresmarck.”

“Very little, I’m afraid, Sir. Obersturmbannführer Cranz put it to me that the SS had assets in place to observe them; that I didn’t; and that to attempt to set up some sort of surveillance would not only be unnecessary but might tend to alert them.”

“And you agreed with that?” Canaris said.

“I didn’t think I was in a position to argue with Ober sturmbannführer Cranz, Sir. And in this case, I think he had a point.”

“Do you think Galland will be able to have von Wachtstein transferred to him, Sir?” von und zu Waching asked.

“If he goes to the Führer, and the Führer is in the right frame of mind, he might. And actually, that might be the best solution to the situation. I’m sure von Wachtstein would rather be flying than doing what he’s doing. I wonder…do you know, Boltitz…if having him assigned to the ME-262 project was von Wachtstein’s idea, or Galland’s?”

“I don’t know, Sir. I know he flew the ME-262, what they call a check ride, with General Galland.”

“And did he pass the check ride?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then I would tend to think that Galland really must have a high opinion of von Wachtstein’s skill as a pilot,” Canaris said. “The Führer has ordered that he be informed—by Galland—of the loss of each ME-262 in training. What is that phrase aviators use? ‘Pilot error’? I don’t think our Führer believes there is any excuse for it.”

He looked at Boltitz. “Eat your sandwich. We have to leave shortly.”

“Jawohl, Herr Admiral,” Boltitz said, and reached for the liverwurst sandwich.

[TWO]

The Office of the Reichsführer-SS

Berlin

1455 22 May 1943

SS-Obersturmbannführer Karl Cranz marched into the office, came to attention, gave a stiff-armed Nazi salute, and barked, “Heil Hitler!”

Without rising from his desk, or even straightening up, Himmler returned the salute with a casually raised palm. “I understand there was aircraft trouble,” he said.

“We had to make an unexpected landing at Leipzig, Herr Reichsprotektor,” Cranz said. “But the reason I am this late is that I have been at the Propaganda Ministry’s film laboratory.”

“What’s that all about?”

“The funeral service was filmed by Propaganda Ministry photographers. I arranged with General Galland to have it flown here in a fighter so that it could be processed immediately. It was ready—a rough cut, they called it—by the time I got here.” He exhibited a small black can of film.