Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.
Author's note: Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was a German (and, later, American) aerospace engineer and space architect. He was the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in Germany and the father of rocket technology and space science in the United States.
Dieter Grau (April 24, 1913 – December 17, 2014) was an aerospace engineer and member of the "von Braun rocket group", at Peenemünde (1939–1945) in World War II. He was among the engineers who surrendered to the United States and traveled there, providing rocketry expertise via Operation Paperclip, which took them first to Fort Bliss, Texas.
Creative license is about to ensue.
Rocket Men
By Suzie2b
The jeeps had stopped on a ridge more than ten miles from their target. In the distance they could see the rocket facility that was reported to be preparing to use the German Retaliatory Weapon 1—also known as the V-1 flying bomb.
Moffitt retrieved a leather case from the jeep. He took the telescope out and extended it to its full thirty-two inches. When he put it to his eye, Moffitt could plainly see the facility and the launch pad miles beyond.
Troy asked, "What can you see?"
Moffitt replied, "The building appears to be brick and mortar, but it must be reinforced somehow. The launching area has a ramp on it that could very well be used to launch a V-1. I don't see any personnel on site, but there are two guards at what must be the main entrance."
"We need to get in there and find out one way or the other if the reported rockets are there." Troy took the telescope the other sergeant offered and scanned the area.
Moffitt said, "I don't see how they would even get the rocket out of the building."
Hitch asked, "Do you think the head Rocket Man is there?"
Moffitt smiled at the nickname. "If you're talking about Wernher von Braun, the report did mention him being there. And High Command would like us to get him."
Tully asked, "How are we supposed to get him outta there?"
Troy handed the telescope back to Moffitt and replied, "Our main assignment is to find out if the rockets are there. If we can get von Braun out, well, that'll be a plus for our side, but there's no guarantee."
Moffitt was scanning the area again and said, "It looks like if we go around to that other ridge to the east, we'll be in a good position to get in and out without being seen."
"Right, let's shake it."
##################
On the second ridge they were about a mile from the facility. Tully was standing watch among the boulders. Other than the two guards at the main door there had been no activity. But then there was a movement that had him bringing the binoculars up to his eyes. Then he turned and called, "Hey, sarge! You should see this!"
Troy, followed by Moffitt and Hitch, hurried over to where Tully was. "What is it?"
Tully pointed at the building as he handed the binoculars to the sergeant. "Garage door is goin' up."
Troy took the field glasses and peered out at the Germans that were using a chain and pulley system to open a heavy garage door as Moffitt questioned, "Garage door? There was no sign of one earlier."
Tully agreed. "It's gotta be a tight fit to keep it concealed like that."
Troy continued to watch, hoping for a glimpse of what was inside, but the door only went up about halfway to allow a truck out. As the big door was again being shut, he lowered the glasses and said, "Well, now we know how they get the rockets out to the launch pad. That must be some kind of hanger."
The truck followed the side of the building and disappeared around a corner. Hitch said, "Wonder where they're going?"
Troy said, "Moffitt, you and Tully go take a look."
##################
Tully drove them out and around the hills so they could see that side of the building. Moffitt used the telescope to search for the truck, but it was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and said, "It couldn't have just vanished."
Tully took the telescope and stood up on the seat next to the sergeant. He searched the ground along the route the truck had taken, but the hard packed earth revealed nothing at that distance. "I don't see any tracks from here, sarge." Tully lowered the telescope and asked, "Want me to go down and look around a little? There aren't any guards on this side."
Moffitt nodded. "I think we should, but we'll go together."
Tully shook his head. "Not a good idea. If I do get caught, you can get back to Troy and Hitch and tell them what happened."
Moffitt eyed the private critically, knowing full well he was right. Finally the sergeant said, "All right, go ahead. I'll keep an eye on you from here."
Tully moved down the hill. At the bottom, he hid behind a boulder to check the area. When he was sure the coast was clear, Tully ran full tilt across the open ground to the side of the building. He flattened himself against the wall and searched the ground for any telltale signs of tire tracks. They were there, but they were faint. Tully stayed close to the wall as he crouched and followed the tracks to where they ended. He frowned as he looked at the tracks, and then at the wall they seemed to disappear into.
Moffitt watched his friend with the telescope, silently willing Tully to hurry. He saw him walk next to the building, and then stop facing the wall. Concerned, Moffitt quickly looked around for any signs of the enemy. When he homed in on Tully again, the private was going back the way he'd come, only this time he wasn't watching the ground, but the wall.
Tully dragged his hand along the wall, searching for any sign that there was a concealed opening. Finally, he found what he was looking for. Then he quickly turned and went back to find the other slit, which would tell him how big the door was.
Moffitt was relieved when he saw Tully running back to the cover of the boulder and started up the hill towards him. As soon as Tully was back with him at the jeep, Moffitt said, "I could tell you found something."
Tully slipped the machine gun back into its fender holster with a nod. "Another garage type door. Not as big as that other one, but big enough for a truck to go through."
"We'd better go tell Troy what's there."
##################
After Tully explained what he'd found, Troy asked, "You're sure it's another door?"
Tully said, "Nothing else it could be. It's a tight fit, like the other one, but it's there."
"Did you find a way to open it?"
"No, sarge. It looks like it has to be opened from the inside."
Hitch thought, then said, "All they'd have to do is use a radio to let the people inside know to open it."
Troy nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Now all we have to do is figure out how to get in."
Moffitt offered, "Why not just walk in the front door?"
"How do we get past the guards?"
"We're well within German held territory. It's obvious, because of the lack of guards, they have no idea we're here. There won't be a moon tonight, and if the area isn't too terribly lit up one the sun goes down, we should be able to get to those guards and that door easily enough."
Troy smiled as he thought it through. "It could work."
The four Allies managed to keep themselves busy while they watched and waited. Hitch was cleaning and oiling the 50s and Tully was doing the same with the four machine guns. Troy paced from one boulder to another as he watched the building. Other than the changing of the guards and the occasional truck there hadn't been any activity.
Troy saw that Moffitt was sitting in one jeep going through the paperwork Captain Boggs had given them. "What are the specs for this buzz bomb?"
Moffitt chuckled. "Buzz bomb, huh?" Troy shrugged with a smile as his fellow sergeant shuffled through the papers. Moffitt found what he was looking for and said, "According to this report the V-1's weight is 4,740 pounds. It's 27.3 feet in length and is 17.6 feet wide. Height is 4 feet 8 inches. The warhead is Amatol-39 with a weight of 1,870 pounds."
Hitch asked, "What are they using for detonation?"
"Let's see … an electrical impact fuse, a backup mechanical impact fuse, and a timed fuse to prevent examination of duds."
Tully asked, "What kind of power does it have?"
Moffitt replied, "The engine is an Argus As 109-014 Pulsejet with a range of 160 miles. The Guidance system is a Gyrocompass based autopilot and its speed is 400 miles per hour."
"Goes fast with a big boom at the end."
Hitch wondered aloud, "I wonder how accurate it is?"
Moffitt said, "That isn't mentioned here."
##################
When the time came to go in, Troy led them through the quiet, complete darkness to the side of the building about 100 yards outside the circle of light from the flood lights over the main entrance. They moved carefully, slowly, staying as close to the wall as possible.
They got as close as they dared, making sure they stayed in the dark, when Troy stopped. He turned and looked at his men. Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully all silently indicated they were ready. Troy gave a nod, turned back and let out a soft whistle. The two German guards looked around curiously, but of course could see nothing. Seconds later Troy whistled again. This time one guard said to the other, "Gehen Sie sehen, was es ist."
The second guard took a hesitant few steps away from his post, then looked back at his comrade, who made a shooing motion with one hand. The guard sighed and held his rifle at the ready as he moved to the edge of the light. He squinted into the darkness beyond and could see nothing. With a frown he stepped into the inky blackness never to return.
The other guard waited a full minute before he called out, "Was ist es?" As an answer he heard another whistle. "Hans, ist dass Sie?" Silence. The guard looked as if he didn't know quite what to do. Finally, he turned and reached for the doorknob, only to hear another whistle. Frowning, he stepped away from the door and started out to investigate, saying under his breath that Hans had better not be playing a joke. "Wenn das ein Witz, Hans ist..."
Less than a minute later, both guards were lying dead among the boulders where Hitch and Tully had dragged them to. As soon as the privates were back with Troy and Moffitt, they headed for the door. When Troy turned the knob, he found the door was unlocked. He opened it just enough to peek inside. Seeing no one, he pushed it further and looked around it before he went in with the others following.
The four Allies walked quickly and quietly down a short, brightly lit corridor that was lined with pictures of Hitler, fighting aces like Günther Rall, Erich Rudorffer, and Ivan Kozhedub, to name a few, along with photos of German aerospace accomplishments. At the end, they had a choice to make—straight, where there was a door at the end, left, or right. Moffitt whispered, "Straight."
Troy asked, "Why?"
"Hanger."
Troy nodded. It made sense. He checked the other corridors again, then led his men straight ahead. Troy and Moffitt crouched under the door's window. They both removed their hats and slowly rose until they were just able to see through the glass. Inside was a large hanger with several rockets in various stages of development. There were also a small detail of men in white coats working on different rockets or making notes on various pages of the paperwork held by clipboards.
The sergeants ducked down again and Moffitt said quietly, "They must be working around the clock."
Troy said, "Well, we know the reports are true. Now we have to try to find our Rocket Man. Any suggestions?"
"Why don't we go in and ask where von Braun's quarters are?"
Troy peered through the window again. There were no guards. Then he said, "Why not."
Troy opened the door just enough to slip through. Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully followed quickly and Tully made sure the door didn't slam shut. Then they hid behind a grouping of tall filing cabinets and bookshelves. Silently, Troy pointed to Hitch and Tully, then at the floor. Both privates nodded their understanding. Troy then pointed at Moffitt and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. The other sergeant nodded and grabbed the length of rope from Tully's belt as he followed Troy, leaving the privates to wait.
As the sergeants left their hiding place, Troy pulled a book from a shelf. They stayed low as they carefully made their way from place to place, looking for a likely target. They were on their knees peering over a desktop when they saw him. One man concentrating on his clipboard walked to a desk a few yards away and sat down, never once looking up from his paperwork.
Troy looked at Moffitt and they both nodded. They made their way around and hid behind another set of tall filing cabinets just feet from their quarry's desk. Troy took a quick look at the man, who was apparently checking calculations and adding up numbers, then dropped the heavy tome next to the cabinet. It hit the floor with a solid thud.
The man jumped at the sound and looked up. He glanced around and spotted the book on the floor. His brows knitted together as he stood up, wondering where such a book had dropped from. Walking over to where it lay he picked up the book and looked at the cover—it was one of the technical engineering books that was kept in another part of the hanger. Then he turned with a shrug. That's when a hand covered his mouth and he was yanked back around the filing cabinet.
Moffitt quickly tied the man's hands in front of him, then gagged him with his ascot. Troy whispered, "English?" He was answered with a quick nod. Troy held his knife up so the prisoner could see it and said, "Make one wrong move and I'll slit your throat." The German nodded with wide, frightened eyes.
With their prisoner in tow, Troy and Moffitt hurried back to join Hitch and Tully.
The privates heard someone coming and pulled their knives just in case it wasn't who they were waiting for.
Moffitt appeared first and as Hitch and Tully lowered their weapons, Troy rounded the corner with their prisoner. When they were sure they hadn't been seen or followed, Troy pulled the gag out of the German's mouth and whispered, "What's your name?"
"Dieter Grau. I am one of the rocket scientists working with Wernher von Braun."
"Where can we find von Braun?"
"In Berlin."
Troy frowned. "Our information says he's here."
Grau nodded hesitantly. "Normally he would be here. Wernher is the lead engineer on this project. He was called to Berlin to give the Führer a report on our progress with the Vergeltungswaffe 1."
"What's that?"
Moffitt translated quietly, "Vengeance Weapon 1 or V-1."
Troy wasn't sure he believed Grau. "When did von Braun leave?"
Grau said, "Four days ago. I do not know for sure when he will return. Wernher told us he would be gone week … possibly two."
Moffitt studied the German as he spoke. Then the sergeant said, "I believe he's telling the truth, Troy."
Grau nodded, desperately wanting to be believed. "I would not lie. I have no desire to die."
Troy sighed and looked at Moffitt as he said, "Yeah, I think you're right."
Moffitt said, "Well, if we can't get Wernher von Braun, High Command will have to make do with Dieter Grau."
"Okay, it's time to get outta here. Tully, you and Hitch are in charge Grau here. Gag him again just to be safe."
With the prisoner between them, Hitch and Tully followed the sergeants back out into the corridor. Troy had the others wait as he hurried to the end to see if it was clear. He checked left and right, then signaled Moffitt to bring the rest forward.
They moved quickly to the door and Troy opened it a crack to look outside. He saw the backside of a German guard and could hear someone giving orders further away. He carefully closed the door and looked back at Moffitt, who whispered, "They're searching for the missing guards."
Grau mumbled around the gag, "There is another way out."
Troy growled softly, "Why should we trust you?"
Moffitt said frankly, "Because we don't have a choice."
Grau mumbled, "I promise. I do not lie."
Troy thought for moment, then grabbed the German by the front of his white coat and pushed him ahead and said, "Let's go."
The Allies followed Grau back the way they'd come, except this time they turned right to follow a different corridor. After a minute or two, they came to another door.
Troy peered through the window and into a dark room. He turned and pulled the gag out of Grau's mouth and asked, "What's in there?"
Grau said, "There is a kitchen. It is where we take our meals. There is a door to the outside."
Troy pushed the door open and let the German go first. Without turning a light on Grau crossed the room quickly to the door, but before he could open it, Moffitt stopped him and moved him aside. He opened it a crack and peeked out. Then he turned to the others and gave a nod to indicate it was clear. The Rat Patrol along with their prisoner slipped out and disappeared into the darkness.
They made it back to the jeeps without being seen, thanks to the moonless night.
##################
They left the area immediately and drove until they'd crossed into Allied territory as the sun was coming up. Moffitt directed them to a wadi where they could hide and take a break.
Troy hopped out of the back of the jeep and stood next to Grau in the passenger seat. "We're going to be here a while. I'll untie you if you guarantee I can trust you not to try anything."
Grau said, "I am a rocket scientist and engineer, not a soldier. I will not try anything."
Troy untied the German's wrists. "Let's get something to eat."
Tully handed Grau a K-ration breakfast and a canteen. "It's not as bad as it looks."
Grau smiled slightly as he took the offered meal and water. "Danke."
Troy watched his tired men as they sat and silently ate. Then he said, "Hitch and I will take first watch while the rest of you sleep. Moffitt and Tully can take over in three hours."
Grau asked tentatively, "What will happen to me?"
Moffitt said, "That's up to Allied High Command."
After Troy finished eating, he went to the jeep to write out a coded message. A minute later Moffitt was standing next to him and asked, "What are you going to tell headquarters?"
Troy replied, "That the Germans are building rockets at the coordinates we were given."
"What about Wernher von Braun and Dieter Grau? High Command won't be happy we didn't get von Braun."
"There isn't much we can do about that. We can't get what isn't there."
##################
After three hours of sound sleep, Moffitt and Tully were roused by Troy and Hitch. An hour later Grau woke up. He sat up on the blanket as he looked around and saw Tully watching him.
The private took a canteen from the jeep he was leaning on and pushed away. He stepped over to the German and offered him the water. "Thirsty?"
Grau stood up and took the canteen. "Danke, private." He swallowed a mouthful of the warm water and handed it back as he asked, "May I walk a bit to stretch my legs?"
Tully nodded. "Yes, sir, just stay in sight."
"I will." Grau strolled the campsite, being sure not to go too far. Soon he found himself near Moffitt. He asked tentatively, "May I ask you something, sergeant?"
Moffitt smiled slightly. "Of course."
"What will your superiors do now? Most of the people there are scientists, engineers, or workers. They do not have a desire to fight. I, myself, have never even held a gun."
"The Allies will be shutting down your operation."
Grau looked at the sergeant sadly. "It will be blown up, will it not?"
Moffitt nodded. "However, they will take as many prisoners as possible before destroying things. High Command has no intention of killing unarmed civilians."
"And the soldiers that are stationed there?"
"If they fight, the Allies will fight back. If they give up, they will become prisoners of war and treated accordingly."
Grau nodded. "I understand. My people will have missed me by now. Major Behrmann will be expecting something to happen."
Moffitt said, "We are aware of that."
Grau nodded with a sigh, then turned and walked back to the jeeps. He sat down on his blanket and looked up at Tully. "Would you by chance have a deck of cards?"
Tully went to the glovebox and returned with a deck of cards with a rubber band wrapped around them. He handed them over and said, "They're all there."
Grau took the deck and smiled a bit. "Would you know how to play Sixty-six?"
Tully said, "No, but I'm willing to learn."
"Please, have a seat and I will explain the rules." Grau removed the rubber band and began to separate the cards as he said, "It is played with a deck of twenty-four cards consisting of the Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, and Nine, worth 11, 10, 4, 3, 2 and 0 card-points, respectively…"
When Troy got up a couple of hours later, he could only smile as he watched the two men playing cards.
##################
When the Rat Patrol arrived at base, the four of them escorted their nervous prisoner to Captain Boggs office. Troy said, "Captain Boggs, this is Dieter Grau. He's a scientist from that bomb making facility."
Boggs nodded his acknowledgement and said, "What about Wernher von Braun, sergeant?"
Moffitt said, "Unfortunately, sir, von Braun had left for Berlin before we got there."
"You're sure he wasn't there?"
Troy nodded. "Dr. Grau told us he went to make an in person report to Hitler. I have no reason to think he's lying, sir."
Grau said, "Everything I have told your men is the truth, captain."
Boggs finally nodded and said, "All right, take him to the visitor's quarters and stay with him until the guards arrive. He'll be questioned later."
"Is it possible that I be allowed to shower?"
"Of course. I'll have clean clothes sent to your quarters."
Grau said, "Danke, captain."
##################
Ten days later Grau watched from his window as truckloads of prisoners were brought into Ras Tanura. He recognized the civilian scientists, engineers, and workers as they were escorted under guard to quarters in the visitor's barracks where he was being housed. However, he would not be allowed to see or talk to his friends and colleagues.
Major Behrmann and his surviving men were taken to the stockade. Another truck with an opened back carried a large covered object. The shape of the object told Grau it was one of the V-1 flying bombs that had been finished and was ready to be used.
When the Rat Patrol was on base, Tully would make a point to visit Dieter Grau in his quarters. There was a sharp rap on the door and it was opened by one of the guards, who said, "You've got a visitor, sir."
Grau stood up with a smile as Tully walked in with a lunch tray. "Welcome, my friend. Good to see you back and healthy."
Tully set the tray on the table and shook the offered hand. "Good to be back, doctor."
Grau went to the table to inspect the tray of sandwiches, apples, and powdered milk. "Aah, good. I am glad you have introduced me to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They are quite tasty."
Tully smiled as they both sat down. "The usual game?"
"Of course." Grau picked up the deck of cards that were always on the table. "You are getting very good at the game of Sixty-six."
"I've had a good teacher. I'll have to teach Moffitt how to play when you're gone."
"And that will be soon, I understand. I will miss our games and talks. I wish I could meet your lovely wife."
Tully asked, "Do you know where you and the others will be going?"
Grau shuffled the cards. "Only that we will be sent to the United States."
"Well, let's enjoy the time we have. I'd really like to win one of these games before you go…"