Hammelburg Area, Farm of Friedrich Wagner
August 9, 1944, 2110 hours
Hans Wagner stood over the crude map he had drawn of the nearby fuel depot. "So you are saying that they are not guarding the area here?" he asked, pointing to a position on the map.
His brother Karl nodded. "The concentration of guards is near the front of the installation," he replied. "They seem to be focusing on the road leading to the facility."
Hans smiled. "Good," he said. "That is very good. What about mines?"
Otto Bauer spoke up. "There are mines around the entire perimeter," he said. "Including the woods."
"How concentrated are the mines?" Hans asked.
"More so in the open field at the front of the facility than in the rear," Otto replied.
"How do we know where the mines are located?" Hans asked.
Now it was Heinrich Schneider's turn to speak up. "We have identified as many as we could," he replied. "We noticed they did not do a very good job of hiding them."
"They expect someone to blindly stumble through them in the dark," Hans replied. He laughed. "They do not think we have any brains."
"We noticed one other thing," Max Becker said. "When they are expecting a shipment to arrive, they will strengthen the guards."
"Where?" Hans asked.
"By the gate," replied Rudolf Albrecht. "At that time, the rear of the facility is virtually unguarded."
Hans smiled. "That is most excellent news," he said.
"You have an idea?" Karl asked.
Hans nodded. "I believe so," he replied, smiling at his assembled group.
"And is your idea to forget about attacking the fuel depot?" Ilse asked.
"I will never forget about the fuel depot, my dear sister," Hans replied. "We will destroy this facility."
"But Colonel Hogan said to wait," Ilse begged.
"Colonel Hogan is afraid," Hans replied bitterly. "The depot is almost fully stocked and completely operational. We cannot allow it to remain."
"You mean that you have to blow it up to try to prove to Colonel Hogan that you are as much of a man as he is," she retorted.
Hans sighed. "Ilse, we have been through this many times," he said. "Either you are with us or not."
Ilse looked at her brother for a moment. "Hans, you are my brother," she said. "You began doing this because of me. I will not go away." Hans smiled and Ilse quickly added, "But I will not keep quiet."
Hans shook his head sadly. "Ilse, you worry too much," he said.
"And maybe you do not worry enough!" she shot back.
"I worry as much as I need to," he replied. "We cannot fail on this, and we will not fail on this. Am I right?" he asked, looking at each of his men. Each of them nodded their agreement. "There, you see? Everyone is in agreement."
"Just be careful," she said quietly.
"Ilse, I plan to be very careful," he replied.
- - - - -
Colonel Hogan was ready when he saw Newkirk leading Erich Jonach down the Emergency Tunnel.
"You wanted to see me, Colonel?" Jonach asked when he reached the common area of the tunnel where Hogan was waiting.
Hogan nodded. "I think we need to talk about Hans Wagner," he replied.
Jonach nodded. "We need to do something about him," he replied. "He seems to be doing more and more on his own."
"Like destroying a trainload of dangerous sauerkraut," Hogan commented, earning a chuckle from Jonach. "That was the last straw for me. If he would have checked, I could have told him that it was a civilian supply train running that night."
"He does not want to check on anything," Jonach said. "He will not even talk with me."
Hogan shook his head angrily. "We can't have that," he replied. "It's too dangerous. Someone is going to get hurt."
"What can we do about it?" Jonach asked. "You have already talked to him to no avail."
"I think the time for talking is over," Hogan replied.
"Colonel, you're not thinking of taking him out, are you?" Newkirk asked.
"I am, but not in the way you are thinking, Newkirk," Hogan replied. "What I would like to do is to round up the entire group and get them out of the area."
"Where?" Jonach asked.
"We can send them to London like we do with the downed Allied airmen," Hogan replied. "They can sit out the war back there where they won't endanger any of us."
"They won't go for that," Newkirk commented.
"I never said they would go voluntarily," Hogan replied.
"Kidnap the whole lot of them?" Newkirk asked. "There's got to be about six or seven of them!"
Hogan nodded. "It won't be an easy job," he admitted. "Especially since they don't want to talk to any of us."
"How will we do it?" Jonach asked.
"I don't know yet," he replied. "Erich, talk to the rest of your men and let them know what we're thinking. We should meet again in a few days to discuss ideas."
Jonach nodded. "I will send word back with Oskar after I have spoken with everyone."
"Good," Hogan replied. "Until then, let's hope Hans doesn't do something stupid."
"Like try to attack the fuel depot again," Jonach said somberly.
"Exactly like that," Hogan said. He shook hands with Jonach and watched as Newkirk escorted him back down the tunnel.
- - - - -
Dorfmann sat at the desk in the small office at the fuel depot looking over the requisition and supply paperwork. The progress they had made towards becoming operational had been excellent, and they were nearly ready to begin the coordinated supply shipments to the various parts of the Western Front.
He picked up the phone when it rang. "Hallo, this is Captain Dorfmann," he said. "Major Hochstetter, yes, I was about to call you. Everything looks to be on schedule." He listened into the earpiece. "Nein, there have been no complications with the additional guards. Berlin is sending a company of Waffen-SS guards along with another anti-aircraft battery." He listened again. "Nein, they will be suspending the fuel shipments until the reinforcements have all arrived. No sir, the transportation officer informed me that they will simply deliver the men instead of the fuel on the same schedule as before."
Dorfmann held the phone away from his ear as the receiver began squawking. When it quieted, he continued, "I understand, Major Hochstetter," he said. "But those orders came from Reichsführer Himmler himself. If you do not agree with them …" He paused as the squawking resumed. "No sir, I was not suggesting anything," he said. More squawking ensued. "No sir, I was not questioning your loyalties," he said. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "The orders arrived from Berlin last week. You gave them to me to implement. I am implementing them. If they are not to your satisfaction, then you should discuss it with Berlin."
A loud burst of squawking emerged from the earpiece, causing Dorfmann to almost drop the phone. "Major Hochstetter, the reinforcements will arrive beginning tomorrow," he said. "We are set to begin the regular supply shipments be the first of the month. Everything is on schedule and Berlin is satisfied." He listened into the earpiece once more. "Jawohl, I knew you would be satisfied as well. "Heil Hitler, Major," he said, hanging up the phone.
Dorfmann sighed. It annoyed him that Hochstetter couldn't be bothered with the details of getting the depot operational. But it annoyed him more that he meddled in those details. Hochstetter would not provide any suggestions, telling him that he should proceed how he saw fit. Then the Major would ask how things were being done and loudly exclaim that things were not being done correctly.
Dorfmann shook his head. Let Hochstetter rant about the orders. I can't change what Berlin wants.
His thoughts were interrupted as a Corporal stuck his head into the office. "The first nightly delivery has arrived, sir," he said.
"Danke, Corporal," he replied as he stood. "I will be right there." As he left the office, he brooded about his upcoming sleepless night as the trucks arrived one after another. How I wish I could be spending a sleepless night with Ilse …