20 July 1944, Wolf's Lair, East Prussia
The plan was now set in motion: Führer Adolf Hitler had to be assassinated at all costs. Claus von Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators decided that Hitler's guidance had destroyed Germany and its chances for victory in the war. The Soviets were marching into Poland and Romania from Belarus and Ukraine, which they had both just liberated, the western Allies succeeded in a Normandy landing, and the Italians failed to march back southwards. Objectively speaking, Germany was in danger of losing.
This could not and in the eyes of Stauffenberg, should not be happening. Maybe with new leadership, preferably leadership dominated by military men, the Wehrmacht, or rather another group of people, could turn the war around. The Reds would not surrender, but maybe, just maybe, the Allies would negotiate a peace with the country. That had to wait however, as right now, killing Hitler was the priority.
From early 1942, Stauffenberg had come to share two basic convictions with many military officers: that Germany was being led to disaster and that Hitler's removal from power was necessary. After the Battle of Stalingrad in December 1942, despite whatever religious scruples he had, he had concluded that killing the Führer was a lesser moral evil than Hitler remaining in power. Stauffenberg brought a new tone of decisiveness to the ranks of the resistance movement, and he later took charge of planning and executing the assassination attempt, following Tresckow's assignment to the Russian Front.
In the meantime, Colonel Hogan and his men were sabotaging and doing as much damage as possible to the war effort of the Third Reich. They were blowing up bridges and even spiriting away German officers by force to England to put them into prison camps. Colonel Hogan even saved the Kommandant, Colonel Klink, a few times from execution or getting sent to the Russian Front.
General Kurt Stauffen knew how important this mission was for himself, Claus von Stauffenberg, and the others. If they failed, a lot of them would be executed. He was glad though that no one knew of Hogan's involvement, because if they did, it would mean disaster for Colonel Hogan and his men back in Stalag 13, and with the uncovering of the tunnels, could also mean disaster for Colonel Klink.
Minutes later, in the Wolf's Lair, an explosion went off, coming from a briefcase which contained a bomb inside of it. Seconds later, General Stauffen, Claus von Stauffenberg, and several other perpetrators that survived got onto the truck and rushed out of there, heading back to Berlin to stage a coup d'etat.
"Claus! Anyone?!" Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein looked around the Bunker. In horror, he saw a dying Adolf Hitler. "Mein Fuhrer! Who did this to you?!" He hurried right over to him. "Ugh….General Stauffen..maybe…." And then there, just there, Hitler died from his injuries.
Hours would pass, as the news of Hitler's assassination slowly passed through the Third Reich, and it ended up reaching the allies. By now, the coup d'etat was underway, as a government of continuity was established, with all resistance by forces still loyal to Hitler being crushed. Finally, at last, in the afternoon of July 21, the news would reach Stalag 13.
General Burkhalter himself did not know yet of the news, as he had just awakened a few minutes after 12:00 PM. He made his way over to Colonel Klink's office, as did Hogan at the same moment. Colonel Hogan entered into the secretary's office. "I'm here to see the Iron Colonel, Fraulein Hilda." Hogan says to her. Strangely, Hogan felt weird. Has General Stauffen done it? Had he succeeded and finally killed the madman behind this entire war? Hogan didn't know. But either way, he went into the office to see the Kommandant. "Colonel Hogan's here, Kommandant." Hilda said to him. Klink nodded and shut the door. "Sit down, Hogan."
Hogan did as Klink told him. "So, what's going on this time in your neighborhood, Colonel?" Hogan asked. "Silence!" Klink responded, agitated. "Colonel, your men have been gambling in the barracks, and Schultz was involved! Gambling is verboten and unless it stops, it will be punished to the full extent. Understand? Corporal Langensheidt has admitted that he was involved too, and as a result he is walking a post outside of the wire!"
"I understand, sir." He replied back to Klink as General Burkhalter entered the room. "Klink! Is everything ready for the arrival of Fuhrer Adolf Hitler?" Burkhalter asked him. Hitler was coming to visit Stalag 13. "Yes, Herr General. Everything is ready." Just then, suddenly, the phone began ringing.
"Stalag 13, Colonel Klink speaking." Klink began speaking on the phone, after he answered it. "What?! General Stauffen?! Ah. I see sir. Understood. Heil Hitler." Klink would then hang up. He was shaking, as he was in total shock. "The Fuhrer won't be coming, it seems. Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein has just informed me of the news, as he did with several other Stalags. Berlin is in chaos at the moment."
"What do you mean the Führer won't be coming? And Berlin is in chaos?" Burkhalter questioned Klink about this. "Well, Herr General…an explosion was reported at Wolf's Lair, where Hitler was meeting regarding what to do next for the war; Fegelein reports that General Stauffen and Claus von Stauffenberg were involved and that a coup is currently underway in Berlin." Klink would further add to the conversation. "The Fuhrer is dead, General Burkhalter. Long live Germany." Klink saluted the picture of Hitler. Burkhalter was shocked. "The Fuhrer….dead….no….it can't be…..no…." Burkhalter sat down. Hogan turned away from the two and smiled.
It had finally happened. The Fuhrer no longer was in power. After that, Hogan was dismissed by Klink and went over to the barracks, to go down in the tunnel, to inform London what had occurred, even though they already knew what happened. Operation Valkyrie as a whole had finally, finally succeeded. Colonel Klink would soon leave his office, to call for a special formation, to announce the news to every barracks, what had occurred in the Wolf's Lair yesterday. The coup by this time was over, but the question was, what would happen now?