Berlin: A Rat Patrol story. Captain Dietrich meets with the resistance leaders prior to D-Day and the July 20th assassination attempt of Hitler. Rated T for Language.
Berlin: June 3rd 1944. 3 days before the invasion. 48 days before the assassination attempt at the Wolf's lair.
If Captain Hans Dietrich was expecting to find a well organized operation at the small house on the Elbe. He was very quickly disappointed.
He came to the quiet house in the suburbs of Berlin, and discovered more fighting then he saw at the front.
There were several factions now fighting over which direction. There were several people that still labored under the delusion that the only thing that was needed was at a signal the commanders on both fronts simply had to ignore Hitler's orders and the war effort would collapse.
Then there was the even smaller band who believed that the Royal family could be restored to power. All in the room believed that the conquests of the last few years could still be retained in a peace settlement.
After listing with both irritation and horror, Dietrich could not restrain himself any more. "That is a particularly childish notion, Gentlemen! The Western Allies are not going to make a separate peace." He snorted in disgust. "And why in the hell should they with things going the way they are now?"
"Who is this officer?" a grey haired civilian asked.
A voice from the back spoke up "This is Capt. Hans Dietrich from Army Group B. He represents our friends in Paris and Field Marshal Rommel." The man stood up and Dietrich recognized Col Stauffenburg from earlier in Africa. He walked over to Dietrich, "And how is Rommel?"
Dietrich nodded "He is well, Sir. He wants to know what the situation is here though."
A slim white-haired man stood up. This was Gen. Ludwig Beck, the nominal leader of the conspiracy. "Where does Rommel stand, Captain?"
Dietrich reported "The Field Marshal will collapse the Western Front and march Army Group B and the 15th Army east upon success of the primary solution in Berlin, Herr General." He then continued "We will then fall back to the Siegfried Line and hold against the West while the main bulk of the army can hold the Russians in the East."
The grey-haired man, Carl Gordeler spoke up "By then we will have formed a new government and negotiated peace with the western allies, and end the war."
Stauffenburg added, "When we remove Hitler, then we can move."
Dietrich shook his head violently. "And what of the S.S.? and Himmler, and Goering, Goebbels? Do you truly believe that the S.S. are just going to wander off and pout after Hitler is dead?"
Gordeler spoke with confidence; "They will be neutralized Captain. Don't you worry about that?"
Dietrich caught Stauffenburg attention and gestured to the den.
"This is madness, Claus!" Dietrich yelled. "You and I both know that killing Hitler is not enough."
"Of course I know, Hans." Stauffenburg said soothingly "Now keep your voice down." Dietrich paced around the room. "Can we count of the Replacement Army at least?"
"I believe so; we promised Fromm the post of Commander in Chief when we succeed?"
That piece of news left Dietrich aghast. "Fromm? Commander in Chief! Is that what you want me to go back to France and tell Field Marshal Rommel? That he is to risk his life and honor, not to mention his wife and son's life so that toad of a Fromm will be C in C? Can you even trust Fromm?"
Stauffenburg tried to calm the panzer officer down. "We have the situation under control. Our plan will succeed. Come back inside." But Dietrich had heard enough for one night. He left the small house and started walking the streets of what was once one of Germany's most beautiful cities.
Dietrich walked for hours, Rommel would have to be told about the meeting. In his heart he knew that the conspiracy would in all likelihood fail, and the lives of anyone connected with it would be forfeit including his own.
The air raid sirens started to wail again, the people ran for the shelters. The sound of distant aircraft engines, many aircraft engines could be heard in the distance growing closer.
"The British again." Dietrich said to himself, as the colored flares started to fill the night sky. Soon the bombs began to fall as well.
He sat in the shelter waiting out the raid, and knew that to do nothing was greater insanity. The raid went on for hours.
Two days later, Dietrich was a guest in the home of Field Marshal Rommel. As Rommel's wife and son left them in the study. Rommel asked the question. "How bad Hans?"
Dietrich gave an exasperated sigh. "They are living in a dream world, Sir. They truly believe that all they have to do is kill Hitler and the rest of the gang, Himmler, Goering, the S.S. will just fade away."
Rommel shook his head in disbelief. "Does their plan have any chance at all?"
"Certainly it can." Dietrich replied. "If everything goes smoothly, if it does not then anyone who believes that Hitler would show any mercy to them or even their families is truly a fool."
"I see." Rommel said as he started to pace the room. he looked out the window to see Lucie and Manfred walking the grounds. Then he turned back to Dietrich. "Hans." He began. "I made up my mind about my involvement to remove Hitler back in North Africa, when he allowed the Afrika Korps to be captured and destroyed, when he refused to allow Paulus to pull the 6th Army away from Stalingrad. If there is no change then Germany will be destroyed." Considering the younger officer. "But you are not in so deep that you can't get out of this, and if you choose to, I will understand."
"I thank you, Sir." Dietrich replied. "But like you I made my decision in Africa. there is not turning back from this."
"Thank you Hans." Rommel told him. They both walked outside and down the path where Rommel's wife and son were.
"I'm glad you can stay with us for a few days." Rommel said.
"It's my pleasure, Sir." Dietrich replied. "By the way, did you ever find those shoes for Frau Rommel?"
"I did indeed. I picked them up for her in Paris." Rommel said. "They are her birthday present, for tomorrow, the Sixth of June."
To the reader: As you know the invasion of Normandy was on the Sixth of June. So the conspiracy against Hitler went into high gear from that point on.