Death and Honor

[TWO]

Embassy of the German Reich Avenida Córdoba Buenos Aires, Argentina 0855 13 July 1943

Manfred von Deitzberg, a tall, slim, blond forty-two-year-old wearing a brand-new gray double-breasted pin-striped suit, marched through the door of the office of Ambassador Manfred Alois Graf von Lutzenberger. Von Deitzberg thrust out his arm. “Heil Hitler!”

Von Lutzenberger returned the salute, none too crisply, then said, “If you please, gentlemen, give the Herr Generalmajor and me a moment alone.”

First Secretary Anton von Gradny-Sawz—a tall, almost handsome, somewhat overweight forty-five-year-old with a full head of luxuriant reddish-brown hair—SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Raschner—a short, squat man of the same age—and Korvettenkapitän Karl Boltitz, the latter two also wearing obviously new suits of clothing, and all of whom had obviously intended to enter von Lutzenberger’s office, stopped so suddenly that they bumped into each other.

“And close the door, please,” von Lutzenberger said, then waited until it was before he said, “And how was the voyage, von Deitzberg?”

Von Deitzberg, unsmiling, ignored the question. “I presume there was an important reason why you summoned me here?”

“I was complying with my orders,” von Lutzenberger said, and handed him a sheet of paper.

MOST SECRET

The Foreign Ministry

Berlin

7 July 1943

By Hand

Manfred Graf von Lutzenberger

Ambassador of the German Reich

Buenos Aires

Heil Hitler!

1. On receipt of this document, you will immediately hand deliver enclosures (1) and (2) hereto to Generalmajor Manfred von Deitzberg.

2. Foreign Service Officer Grade 15 Karl Cranz is appointed commercial attaché of the embassy of the German Reich, Buenos Aires, with immediate effect. Vice Foreign Service Officer Grade 15 Wilhelm Frogger will return to Berlin to assume new duties in the foreign ministry as soon as the turnover can be effected.

3. Kapitän zur See Karl Boltitz is appointed naval attaché to the embassy of the German Reich, Buenos Aires, with immediate effect. In this position, Kapitän zur See Boltitz will be the senior military officer of the embassy.

4. Major Hans-Peter Baron von Wachtstein is appointed attaché for air to the embassy of the German Reich, Buenos Aires, with immediate effect.

Concur:

Himmler

Heinrich Himmler

J. v. Ribbentrop

Reichsprotektor Joachim von Ribbentrop

Foreign Minister

Canari’s

Wilhelm Canaris

Rearadmiral

MOST SECRET

“By hand, Herr Ambassador?” von Deitzberg asked.

“That was hand-delivered to me by Herr Cranz. Yesterday afternoon.”

“And where is he?”

“He and the pilot of the Condor, a Captain von und zu Aschenburg, accepted von Wachtstein’s invitation to have dinner with von Wachtstein’s family at their farm. Cranz called the duty officer later to say they would be spending the night there, and coming here at nine this morning.”

“It’s nine now.”

“Then they should be here. Sometimes there is traffic.”

“May I have the enclosures mentioned, please?”

“Certainly,” von Lutzenberger said, opened his desk drawer, and handed von Deitzberg a bluish-gray note-sized envelope and a large thick manila envelope.

Von Deitzberg opened the small envelope first. It contained a sheet of Reichsprotektor Heinrich Himmler’s personal notepaper.

Der Reichsprotektor

7 July 1943

Brigadeführer von Deitzberg,

You are immediately needed here.

If necessary, you are authorized to delay the return flight of the Condor by as much as twenty-four hours until the turnover to Cranz, who will assume all your responsibilities in Argentina, is accomplished.

Heil Hitler!

Himmler

The large manila envelope was so securely bound that von Deitzberg couldn’t open it until von Lutzenberger’s secretary, Fräulein Ingebord Hässell, a middle-aged spinster who wore her graying hair drawn tightly against her skull, was summoned and finally produced a huge pair of shears.

It contained a letter and several packets of charts and data.

MOST SECRET

Reichssicherheitshauptamt

Berlin

7 July 1943

SS-Brigadeführer Manfred von Deitzberg

By Hand

(One): You will immediately make these orders known to Ambassador von Lutzenberger and SS Obersturmbannführer Cranz for the necessary actions on their part.

(Two): There has been confirmation that the special cargo has been transferred from the motor vessel Ciudad de Cádiz to U-405, Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm von Dattenberg commanding. Sturmbannführer Kötl and a small SS detachment are accompanying the special cargo.

(Three): Enclosed are chart overlays and signal cryptographic matériel to be used in seeing that the special cargo is safely put ashore in absolute secrecy at a location in Argentina to be determined by Cranz and von Lutzenberger in consultation with von Dattenberg.

(Four): If the landing operation is successful, the SS detachment will remain ashore to ensure the security of the special cargo and to perform other missions as determined by Cranz. If the landing encounters difficulty, the priorities are to (A) return the special cargo to the U-405 and (B) return the SS personnel to the U-405.

(Five): Sturmbannführer Kötl’s responsibility and authority is limited to the protection of the special cargo. The decisions to attempt to land the special cargo, the methods of doing so, and, should it be necessary, to break off the attempt are entirely the responsibility of Kapitänleutnant von Dattenberg. The location of the offloading is to be determined by consultation between Cranz and von Dattenberg.

(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?”

“Yes, sir. All the reichsprotektor told me was that I was to come here, bearing certain documents for the ambassador, and be prepared to stay for an indefinite period of time.”

“Well, I think you had better have a look at our orders, Cranz. And then I will entertain your suggestions as to how the turnover may be accomplished in the least possible time.”

“Jawohl, Herr Brigadeführer.”

Von Deitzberg handed him the orders from Himmler.