Death and Honor (Honor Bound 4)
“What you solemnly promised Allen Dulles and me you wouldn’t talk about?”
“J. Edgar is humiliated that he hasn’t been able to make good on his promise to FDR that he would find out who Galahad is. I think that’s why the subject came up. Roosevelt wanted to suggest to J. Edgar that J. Edgar’s not as sublimely efficient in all intelligence matters as J. Edgar thinks he is.”
“You did tell the President how far along his airline is?”
Donovan sipped at his coffee, then said, “And he seemed pleased.”
“And by any chance did the subject of the Germans trying to buy sanctuary in Argentina come up?”
“Yeah, it did. The President asked J. Edgar what he knew about it, to which J. Edgar replied that he’s working on it, and would have something on it for him soon.”
“Which means he’s still in the dark,” Graham thought aloud.
Donovan nodded his agreement.
“About Operation Phoenix or our involvement in it?” Graham asked.
“I think J. Edgar has heard the term, but I suspect that’s all he knows. I know he knows there’s the program concerning the ransoming of concentration camp inmates, because I was there when Roosevelt told him he wanted to know what the FBI found out about it, and ordered him to take no action without his specific approval. I don’t think he knows how deeply we’re involved, or whether we’re involved at all.”
“Then you would say—Roosevelt would have told you—if he’d changed his mind about just letting the Phoenix program go ahead, and we’ll deal with it after the war?”
“I think Roosevelt is less interested in Operation Phoenix than he is in not interfering with the ransoming operation. As despicable as that is, it keeps some Jews alive.”
Graham nodded.
“Which is not to say that FDR is not interested in Operation Phoenix,” Donovan said.
“Then why don’t you read this,” Graham said, handing him several sheets of paper, “and tell me what you think we should do about it?”
URGENT
VIA ASA SPECIAL
TOP SECRET LINDBERGH
DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN
FROM TEX
TO AGGIE
1—AT APPROX 1700 LOCAL YESTERDAY GALAHAD AND POPEYE WITNESSED THE UNLOADING OF SIX (6) HEAVY WOODEN CRATES AND HALF A DOZEN (6) SS GUARDS FROM U-405 NEAR NECOCHEA APPROX SIXTY (60) MILES SOUTH OF MAR DEL PLATA. IT WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE QUOTE SPECIAL SHIPMENT END QUOTE THE GERMANS PREVIOUSLY FAILED TO GET ASHORE AT SAMBOROMBÓN BAY.
2—THE OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED BY STANDARTENFÜHRER KARL CRANZ (HEREAFTER LIMBURGER), WHO OSTENSIBLY IS GOOD KRAUT’S REPLACEMENT AT EMBASSY, AND LITTLE-Z. BIG-Z HAS BEEN RECALLED AND HAS DEPARTED FOR BERLIN, LEAVING LIMBURGER AS SENIOR OSS OFFICER. GALAHAD AND POPEYE WERE NOT INFORMED OF OPERATION UNTIL IT WAS UNDER WAY AND THERE WOULD BE NO CHANCE FOR EITHER OF THEM TO TELL SOMEBODY ABOUT IT.
3—GALAHAD REPORTS THE FORCE ON THE BEACH WAS ARGENTINE ARMY MOUNTAIN TROOPS UNDER COMMAND OF A GERMAN-SPEAKING COLONEL. SOME SOLDIERS WERE IN WORKMAN COSTUMES, OTHERS IN UNIFORM. COLONEL WORE CIVVIES AND USED PHONY NAME. CRATES AND SS GUARDS WERE LOADED ONTO ARGENTINE ARMY TRUCKS THEN DRIVEN OFF TO UNKNOWN DESTINATION OR DESTINATIONS. PROBABLY, AS THEY WERE MOUNTAIN TROOPS, TO THE CHILEAN BORDER AREA IN THE ANDES MOUNTAINS.
4—GALAHAD REPORTS THAT U-405 CAPTAIN WAS KÄPITANLEUTNANT WILHELM VON DATTENBERG (HEREAFTER GUPPY) WHOM GALAHAD KNEW IN COLLEGE AND WITH WHOM POPEYE HAD SAILED IN OTHER U-BOAT. GALAHAD FURTHER REPORTED THAT GUPPY LET SLIP THAT U-405 HAD TAKEN SPECIAL CARGO ABOARD FROM SPANISH-FLAGGED CIUDAD DE CADIZ OFF FALKLAND ISLANDS APPROX TWO (2) WEEKS EARLIER. VESSEL APPARENTLY HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO REPLENISHMENT VESSEL WITH FUEL TANKS, REEFERS, CLOTHING STORES, TORPEDOES, AND SO ON.
5—GALAHAD REPORTS THE OPERATION WAS VERY SKILLFULLY PLANNED AND EXECUTED AND THAT FROM REMARKS OF LIMBURGER, GUPPY, AND OTHERS THIS WAS NOT A ONE-TIME OPERATION.
6—MY CHANCES OF FINDING THE CRATES ARE PRACTICALLY NONEXISTENT, BUT I WILL WORK ON IT. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO IN CASE I GET LUCKY.
7—ALSO PLEASE ADVISE IF THE CAMERA WORKED AND WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THE TOURISTS.
8—PLEASE ADVISE WHEN FLAGS WILL ANSWER THE PHONE.
TEX