Death and Honor (Honor Bound 4)

(Six): There are additional SS personnel aboard the Ciudad de Cádiz who, following the successful unloading of the special cargo, may be brought into Argentina to further ensure the security of the special cargo and to perform such other duties as Cranz may prescribe. Ambassador von Lutzenberger is charged with acquiring the necessary documentation for all SS personnel whose presence in Argentina must obviously not come to the attention of the Argentine authorities.

(Seven): As the senior officer of the German Reich in Argentina, Ambassador Lutzenberger will continue to exercise that authority, including over U-405 while U-405 is involved in this mission. It is understood, however, that inasmuch as von Lutzenberger cannot be expected to have the expertise of Cranz and von Dattenberg, he will seek their counsel.

Himmler

Heinrich Himmler

Reichsprotektor

Concur:

J. v. Ribbentrop

Joachim von Ribbentrop

Doenitz

Karl Doenitz Foreign Minister

Grand Admiral

Canari’s

Wilhelm Canaris

Rearadmiral

MOST SECRET

“Are you familiar with the contents of this, Your Excellency?” von Deitzberg asked.

Von Lutzenberger shook his head. Von Deitzberg handed him the order. Von Lutzenberger read it carefully and handed it back.

“It would seem the next step is to make Obersturmbannführer Cranz aware of these orders,” he said.

“Would you do me the courtesy, Your Excellency, of giving Cranz and me a few minutes alone?”

“Herr Generalmajor, there is an unfortunate implication in your request that there is something you wish to discuss with Cranz that you don’t wish the ambassador of the German Reich to hear,” von Lutzenberger said.

“It was my intention, Your Excellency, to ask Cranz, man-to-man, if he has anything he can tell me why the reichsprotektor is recalling me to Berlin on such short notice. I have no objection to your hearing that question, or the reply.”

Von Lutzenberger depressed a lever on his intercom device.

“Fräulein Hässell, will you ask Herr Cranz to come in, please?”

Von Deitzberg thought: The sonofabitch knows there’s no way he can keep me from talking to Cranz privately later. He’s doing this just to put me in my place. I guess he didn’t like being ordered to “seek the counsel” of Cranz.

Fräulein Hässell opened the door for Cranz a moment later. He marched into the office, threw out his arm, and barked, “Heil Hitler!”

“It would appear, Cranz,” von Deitzberg said, “that I am urgently needed in Berlin. Do you have any idea why?”

“No, sir, I don’t.”

“And it would also appear that in addition to your new diplomatic duties, you are to assume all of my responsibilities here vis-à-vis both the Reichssicherheitshauptamt and Operation Phoenix.”

“Jawohl, Herr Brigadeführer.”

“You are learning this for the first time, are you, Cranz?”