Hammelburg Area, Hideaway Chalet of General Burkhalter
October 26, 1943, 2230 hours
Albert Burkhalter poured himself a glass of brandy. He raised the glass in the air and said, "Here's to you, Colonel Robert Hogan. An excellent performance! Not only did you manage to blow up the train containing the much needed airplane parts, you managed to rescue Klink from trouble and implicate a loyal Gestapo officer at the same time."
Burkhalter was alone in his chalet, having decided to stay in the Hammelburg area for a while longer. He had been truly impressed with Hogan's ability as the events unfolded. His only regret is that the loyal Gestapo officer that took the blame for the sabotage was not Major Hochstetter. That man is trouble, thought Burkhalter.
At first, Burkhalter had been worried that he would take the blame for the sabotage of the train, as Goering had made him responsible for making sure it arrived safely. Lucky for him, Himmler had insisted that Burkhalter work with the local Gestapo. So this time, Hochstetter's man had taken the blame, though the General knew that Hogan had played a big part in that.
So to celebrate, Burkhalter had decided to visit his chalet for a few days. He would avoid dealing with the war and maybe even enjoy the company of a nice woman in town. He thought about his wife waiting for him back home in Berlin. Yes, I will definitely have to enjoy the company of a nice woman while I am here. After I get home, I will have to spend time with Berta. What an unpleasant prospect that is!
Lately he had been growing disenchanted with the way his life was. He was seeing his country ruined slowly by a madman, which nauseated him. His personal life was becoming equally nauseating. Berta was always complaining about something, her usual complaint being that hadn't been afforded the honor of being a full member of the General Staff. The truth was, that would hardly have been an honor – and most likely would have been the ruin of him. The General Staff was always taking the blame from Hitler for the mistaken decisions that he made. The General Staff in turn blamed the Generals in the field for not carrying out the orders correctly.
Burkhalter sighed. Berta is a pain. She wants to be married to power, and I do not have enough to suit her. He chuckled softly to himself. If it were possible, I would send her to the Eastern Front. She could win the war single handedly by nagging the Russians into submission. The new German secret weapon, Berta Burkhalter – Louder than a screaming Stuka, more devastating than a Panzer tank, and about as large as one I might add, and more noxious than mustard gas!
He took a sip of his brandy. He tried to push the thoughts of his wife out of his mind. He was staying here to celebrate the fact that he had been able to successfully pass another bit of information to the Allies through Hogan. He didn't want to spoil his good mood. Again he raised his glass in the air as a salute to the American officer. May you have many more successes Colonel Hogan, he thought.