Hitler remained silent for a few moments and then addressed the group. “We must regroup and win this war. Our enemy is inferior to us.” He continued with his orders. “Hienrich, you and the S.S., along with Walter and Alfred, round up anyone who can carry a weapon, old men or young boys, and get them to defend their fatherland.”
Hienrich Himmler, Field Marshal Walter Von Brauchitsch and General Alfred Jodl clicked their heels in salute. “At once Füehrer,” They said, confirming that they would carry out Hitler’s order, although they realised the futility.
Hitler leant over the table, sighed, and lowered his head. The others noticed his hands shaking as he mumbled to himself.
“My Füehrer; we must get you out of Germany,” said Max Amann, a senior Nazi Party official. “We have false Red Cross papers for you and Eva with an escape route planned. We can…”
Hitler looked up, giving Amann a cold stare, stopping him in mid-speech.
“Do you mean a *Ratline, Max?” He asked.
“Yes, my Füehrer, we planned one for you,” Max stammered, looking nervous.
“Do you think of your Füehrer as a rat Max?” said Hitler, sounding calm.
“No Füehrer, I am concerned about…”
“Your concerns do not interest me, Amann!” Hitler yelled interrupting Amann, who hung his head and looked at the floor as the tempo in Hitler’s voice reached a crescendo. He again slapped the desk hard and returned to staring at the individuals, screaming, “I will never leave my beloved Germany. Only you fools think this war is lost. I am the German people, and I will have victory. We cannot be defeated. We are the superior race, and I am your Füehrer. There will be no surrender or escape for anyone.” He stood silent for a moment and looked at certain individuals, who nodded as his gaze fell upon them. He then bellowed, “Do I make myself clear? No escape and no surrender… Now get out of my sight.”
He slouched again over the table as some of the men left the room ignored by Hitler.
Several men remained behind, unnoticed by the others who left with their heads lowered, avoiding Hitler’s gaze, and wrath.
Two guards closed the large doors behind the last man to leave. Hitler looked at the six individuals remaining in the room.
SS – Grupenfüehrer Heinrich Műller - Chief of the Gestapo.
SS- Oberfüehrer Benno Von Arent.
Gross Admiral, Karl Dönitz.
Professor Kurt Gutzieg.
SS – Hauptsurmfüehrer Doctor Josef Mengele, and Professor Hellmuth Walter.
Hitler smiled at the men, and sounding calm, asked, “Has everything been prepared, gentlemen?”
All six raised briefcases, showing the Füehrer. Hitler smiled.
“Excellent,” he said and shouted over to a guard at the door.
A guard marched over to Hitler, giving him a smart ‘hitlergruss.’ Nazi salute.
“Take the Gross Admiral, Doctor Mengele, and the professors to the stateroom and ensure they are granted all necessary comforts,” he ordered, and then spoke to the four, “Karl, Kurt, Hellmuth, Josef, excuse me, we have an important matter to deal with first. I will summon you when ready.”
The four saluted Hitler and followed the guard out of the conference room.
Hitler faced the two remaining SS officers smiled and said, “Heinrich, Benno, we have guests waiting to see us, so let’s retire to more comfortable surroundings.”
He turned and went over to a wall where a large red flag with a white circle and black swastika imprinted on it hung over a doorway. He moved the flag to one side and pushed a section of the wall. A door opened and the three head down a well-lit shaft, with only a gentle buzz, heard from the air filtration units’ battery generators. They walked the short distance along the tunnel, entering through a door into Hitler’s drawing-room.
Another Nazi flag was on the wall and in front of the flag was a large desk, with a telephone on one corner, and a strongbox placed at its centre. The red chest had a swastika symbol painted on each side, with STRENG GEHEIM: BUCH MOSE (TOP SECRET: GENESIS) stencilled across the top.
In the centre of the room, several armchairs were around a large coffee table. The main entrance to Hitler’s drawing-room was from double doors opposite, with two armed SS soldiers stationed outside, and another SS soldier stood by the side of a well-stocked drinks cabinet. The soldier snapped to attention when the party entered the room.
Chandeliers illuminated the room and several art masterpieces adorned each wall. A large, ornate hearth situated to the right of the room with a raging, smokeless coal fire, burning behind a golden antique fire surround and a false York Stone chimney. Despite having powerful air filters and extractors hidden behind the chimney, the room smelt of coal.
Even without windows and natural light, the room resembled an elaborate drawing-room, although it was underground and encased in thick concrete and steel.
Already seated in the room, was a young blonde woman, Hans Kruger, and a small, dark-haired, middle-aged man. They all rose when Hitler entered.
Hitler instructed them all to take a seat and offered them a drink.
“Hans, Erik, Eva,” said Hitler, smiling at those already in the room. He sat on the middle chair, looked at the five and said, “You know why we are here, so let’s get on with it.”
The guard placed drinks on the table beside the men and woman and then left the room.
“Eva, you don’t need to be here for this, so go to your room,” he commanded Eva Braun, who nodded, smiled at the men, took her drink, and left the room.
Gestapo Chief Heinrich Műller removed maps from his case and laid them out on the table and they all leaned over to look.
Hitler pointed to an area marked on the map and asked, “You are sure there are no enemy forces in this area?”
Műller looked at Hitler and replied, “Yes, Füehrer, I am positive. This area has no strategic value or use, so there is no military activity there.”
Hitler looked over at the chisel-jawed Hans Kruger and enquired, “Is everything prepared, Hans?”
Hans Kruger sat upright, staring straight ahead. “Yes my Füehrer, my team is ready and awaiting your order.”
Hitler looked at the map, smiled, and addressed the smaller man, “Erik, you have done well with this find. Are you prepared?”
“Yes, my Füehrer, everything has been taken care of, and our equipment will work,” said the little Jewish man, smirking.
Hitler smiled and asked, “How do you know it will work, Erik? We haven’t been able to test it.”
The small Jewish man pushed his wire-rimmed spectacles further up the bridge of his nose, smiled, and with an air of confidence, said, “I am sure Füehrer,”
This small Jewish man seemed not to hold any fear of the Füehrer, which puzzled the military men in the room. They all had the same lingering doubts about Erik Jan Hanussen. Hitler was a staunch anti-Semitic, so wondered why this Jew was always allowed an immediate audience with Hitler. They knew Erik always stayed close to their Füehrer, who would always listen to his advice, more so than any other of his war chiefs. They could not understand their close relationship and Erik unnerved them all with his sinister, creepy demeanour.
Hitler studied the plans and the markings of a small valley alongside a glacial stream, near the town of Schenkenzell, in the Kinzigtal valley at the edge of the Black Forest. A square grid drawn around an area in the small valley appeared to be a planned excavation site.
“Make