Mattingly decided Greene was now convinced he was being told the truth.
Greene then said in a tone of reason: “I would be grateful, Colonel, if you told me as much as you’re able about this operation of yours.”
Mattingly began to do so.
“So those rumors are true,” Greene said five minutes later. “We are sneaking people, Nazis, into Argentina.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Eisenhower knows about this?”
Mattingly did not reply directly.
“General, outside the Twenty-third and Twenty-seventh CIC detachments, there are four people—now that I’ve told you, five—in the European Theatre who are privy to Operation Ost. I am not at liberty to tell you who they are.”
“I can understand why,” Greene said, thinking out loud. “Can you tell me why this Cronley fellow was promoted and given the DSM?”
“Some of it, sir. Using intelligence obtained from General Gehlen, Captain Cronley located the submarine—U-234—in Argentina and recovered the half ton of uranium oxide she was carrying. The operation was not carried out perfectly. SS-Oberführer Horst Lang and a detachment of SS personnel were onboard the U-234 to guard the material. We have reason to believe Lang intended to sell it to the Soviet Union. It was necessary for Captain Cronley to terminate Lang, despite our hope that we would be able to keep him alive for questioning.”
“By ‘terminate’ I presume you mean Cronley had to kill him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know why you have been authorized to bring me into this?”
“Yes, sir. You have a reputation for being very good at what you do. You—and your inspector general—came very close to compromising the security of Operation Ost.”
“And it was decided that I be told what’s going on so that I’ll understand why I’m now to keep my hands off—keep my nose out of—your business?”
“Yes, sir. That and to provide assistance . . .”
“What kind of assistance?”
“Whatever we might need at some future date.”
“I don’t suppose I’m authorized to tell Schumann about this?”
“No, sir, you are not.”
“Does General Seidel know?”
“I’m not at liberty to answer that, sir. I can only repeat that you are not authorized to—you are forbidden to—tell anyone anything at all about what I have just told you.”
“Can I have that in writing?”
“Sir, the policy is to put nothing on paper.”
“That figures.” He grunted. “Okay. I’ll tell Schumann to back off.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Mattingly, I’m sure you appreciate that when I began to nose around, I was doing what I considered my duty.”
“Yes, sir. I fully understand that.”
“Unaware that you had—how do I say this?—friends in high places and were involved in anything like this, I gave you a hard time when over my objections you were appointed my deputy. And I was prepared when you burst in here just now to double down on giving you a hard time. No hard feelings?”
“Absolutely none, sir.”