CHAPTER 30 – SUMMIT CONFERENCE
09:07 (Berlin Time)
Monday, May 19, 1941
Eagle’s Nest, Berchtesgaden
Admiral Canaris could see as he took his seat that Adolph Hitler was in one of his black moods. Looking around the conference table, it was obvious that all the participants were bracing themselves for the incoming storm. Reichmarshal Herman Goering in particular was in his small shoes, with many secretly hoping for his downfall. The Luftwaffe had been humiliated by the British for too many months now: excuses were not going to cut it this time.
Rudolph Hess rose from his chair and declared the conference open before announcing the first briefer, General Jodl, Chief of Operations of the O.K.W.{18}. Jodl let two subordinates install an easel with a map board on it near Hitler, then started speaking, pointing to various spots on the map with a stick as he went.
“Mein Fuhrer, gentlemen! I’m going to describe for the benefit of our East Front commanders present here the attack that the British mounted against Germany last Wednesday. As best as it could be reconstructed, the British, using over 200 of their new skimmer crafts, showed up on the German North Sea coast just before sunrise, with a heavy mechanized brigade of Royal Guards on board. Our coastal radars, which had been pounded continuously for weeks from the air, were out at the time and could not alert our own troops. The British then split up and attacked the following objectives: the naval base and submarine yards at Wilhelmshaven; the port, submarine yards and the Focke-Wulf factories in Bremen; the port of Bremerhaven; the port and submarine yards in Hamburg; the Luftwaffe regional headquarters in Stade, near Hamburg; the concentration camp of Neuengamme, near Hamburg; various refineries along the Elbe River, downstream from Hamburg; and, finally, the western locks of the Kiel Canal. All of these objectives were either completely destroyed or heavily damaged, with the ports of Hamburg and Bremen in particular being obstructed by numerous sunken ships. The Kriegsmarine headquarters in Wilhelmshaven was also taken and destroyed, with Admiral Donitz and most of his staff taken prisoner. Heavy bomber raids and even gunfire by battleships were used by the British to support these operations. A detailed list of the damages and losses incurred by us are part of your briefing packages if you have any questions on that subject.”
Feldmarshal Von Kluge, commander of the Eastern Front, exploded, banging his fist on the table.
“And what did we do, while the British were having their little excursion on German soil? Watch them and sit on our thumbs?”
Canaris saw Hitler nod his head at Kluge’s question. Jodl looked embarrassed, having probably taken heat before on that same question.
“Please, Feldmarshal! The British attack was over within hours and their taking of the Stade Luftgau HQ prevented any of our aircraft from reacting to them. Also, the British that landed were equipped with a panoply of new and impressive weapons and equipment, against which our troops were comparatively ill-equipped to resist.”
“What kind of new equipment, precisely?” Asked a now worried Von Kluge.
“You will find details on these new weapons at Annex B of the intelligence study in your briefing packages. They include a long range fast attack skimmer boat, a heavy tank, an armored troop carrier, new infantry weapons and personal armor kits, plus very compact radios.”
Marshal Von Kluge and General Von Rundstedt got progressively more agitated as they read the annex concerning the new British equipment. General Von Rundstedt looked at Jodl, intrigued by a particular point.
“General Jodl, I have problems believing this personal armor. To stop rifle and machinegun bullets as it is claimed to be able to do would make it too heavy to be worn for any length of time. Did we capture any of these?”
“Unfortunately, no! The British were very careful in picking up their casualties and damaged equipment before leaving. We have only eyewitness accounts of it.”
“If I may, Gentlemen, I think I could be of help here.”
All heads turned towards Admiral Canaris, who was taking a set of large prints out of his briefcase as he explained himself.
“A British photographer accompanied the British force that attacked Hamburg on Wednesday. His photos were published in London on Thursday and one of my agents posing as a Spanish press representative was able to buy a complete set of his pictures. I received them just as I was leaving Berlin to come here, which is why I didn’t have a chance to disseminate them. May I, Mein Fuhrer?”
Hitler nodded, then the chief of the Abwehr walked to the map board and pinned to it a number of large pictures. Whispers immediately ran around the table as Canaris pointed to a particular picture.
“This is the armor that is interesting you, General. It consists of a vest covering the torso, shoulders and groin, plus a helmet with armored faceplate. In this particular case, that armor stopped dozens of bullets, giving a chance to its wearer to shoot down every German around her.”
“Mein got! Is it her?”
“Yes, General, this is Nancy Laplante, as she stood after leading a bayonet charge in Hamburg.”
Canaris unpinned the picture and passed it to Von Rundstedt, who shook his head in disbelief.
“If this woman would have been fighting on our side, I would have given her the Iron Cross First Class on the spot.”
Many heads nodded in agreement, including that of Hitler, who had been decorated for bravery during the vicious trench battles of the First World War.
“She seems to be a woman of remarkable courage indeed.” Said the Fuhrer, to the hidden satisfaction of Canaris.
“Mein Fuhrer, I could show you a psychological profile of Nancy Laplante, done by an eminent female psychologist that I hired recently. I believe that Colonel Laplante did a lot more than participate in those British raids: she also planned them.”
A wave of disbelief went around the gray-haired generals and marshals sitting around the conference table as Canaris went on.
“The patterns of the attacks are proof of this in themselves, Gentlemen. No known British general could have combined ground, air and sea elements in an operation as audacious as the one on Wednesday. The attack on the Neuengamme concentration camp itself is the perfect signature of Colonel Laplante’s planning.”
The chief of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, was intrigued by that statement.
“Could you elaborate on that, Admiral?”
“Certainly, Reichführer! Most of you here will readily agree that Neuengamme had little to no value as a strictly military target. It also was the most dangerous one to attack, since it was located deepest in our territory and the force attacking it had to sail by the port of Hamburg while the battle there was just starting. The force that attacked Neuengamme also included a sizeable unit of French infantry, according to the rare guards that escaped that day.”
“French troops, on German soil?” Exclaimed Hitler, suddenly agitated.
“Yes, Mein Fuhrer! All this makes Neuengamme a target of psychological value only, one that fits perfectly with Colonel Laplante’s profile. Laplante may be a very efficient soldier and a first class strategist, but she is also a humanitarian with an unusually open mind, and a feminist to boot.”
Canaris then went back to his briefcase and took out a single picture before passing it to Himmler.
“This shows Laplante, who seemingly commanded the raid on Neuengamme, helping one of the female inmates she had just liberated. You can even see some French soldiers in the background.”
Himmler looked for long seconds at the picture, then passed it to Adolf Hitler as Canaris spoke again.
“Gentlemen, my conclusion from those pictures is that, in terms of military technology, the British now hopelessly outclass us and are further widening the gap every day. Furthermore, we can thank that on one woman alone: Laplante! In the future, as long as she holds a position of influence with the British, we can expect more such amphibious raids, commando operations and the like, plus pinpoint bombings of our industrial centers. The one thing that we will probably be spared is area bombings against civilian targets, as Laplante seems to have convinced Prime Minister Churchill to discontinue such raids.”
“And why would she have done that, Admiral?” Asked Albert Speer, the new minister of armaments.
“For both military and humanitarian reasons, Herr Speer. She has demonstrated to the British that pinpoint bombing from low altitude is more effective than high altitude carpet bombing, even going to the trouble and risk of flying one low level mission against Kiel to prove her point to the British.”
‘’And…her humanitarian reasons?’’
‘’Put simply, Herr Speer, Colonel Laplante does not hate the German people per say, contrary to many British. She even became friend with a group of female German auxiliaries held in London and is acting as their morale officer. She will simply not condone the deliberate killing of German civilians, even though she knows what to expect from us if captured.’’
Canaris then took a sheet of paper out of his briefcase and gave it to Speer.
‘’Hundreds of copies of this wanted poster were dumped from Laplante’s plane as it flew over Kiel during that raid.’’
‘’Is she a qualified pilot on top of everything else?’’ Asked a shocked Goering.
“No, Reichmarshal! She probably flew as an observer.”
Goering looked at the wanted poster of Laplante, with Nancy’s sarcastic message written in red ink on it, then looked at Canaris as Von Kluge grabbed the paper to examine it.
“Is this a joke, Admiral?”
“No, Reichmarshal! She was dead serious about this. Her message is that she is not afraid of us but that she will still respect the laws of war, irrespective of our attitude towards her. That raid could have caused thousands of civilian casualties, since the submarine yards in Kiel are so close to civilian areas. Yet, not one civilian house was touched in that raid, while the submarine yards were devastated.”
FeldMarshal Von Kluge then held up the wanted poster as he looked directly at Heinrich Himmler.
“Colonel Laplante is a military officer who is scrupulously respecting the laws and customs of war. She also seemingly went to great lengths to avoid German civilian casualties. Why this, then?”
Himmler clenched his teeth, his eyes focusing on the poster.
“Laplante is still Germany’s most dangerous enemy and she holds priceless military secrets. We need those secrets.”
“Even in a way that would bring dishonor to Germany?”
“State security is my business, Feldmarshal, not yours.”
“Gentlemen, I will make Colonel Laplante my personal business.”
All heads turned towards Adolf Hitler. The Fuhrer then looked at Admiral Canaris.
“Admiral, do you have that psychological profile on Laplante with you?”
“I do, Mein Fuhrer.”
Hitler took the file Canaris handed him, then looked at the conference participants.
“Let us return now to the main point of this conference. German soil was trampled by invaders Wednesday and it will be the first and last time that this happens. Since the Luftwaffe is incapable of defending the Fatherland, then I want the Wehrmacht to reassign sufficient divisions from the Eastern front to ensure that such raids do not occur again. As for Operation Barbarossa, it will still be launched, but after we relocate the necessary forces to defend Germany.”
As Goering was smarting over Hitler’s vote of non-confidence, Von Kluge tried to protest the cutting down of his invasion force but was silenced by Hitler’s dark look.
“My decision stands! You have your orders, Gentlemen. You are dismissed, except for Minister Speer and General Milch.”
Hitler waited until the others had left the conference room before looking at Speer and Milch.
“I believe that, after this presentation, the subject of our secret weapons programs is becoming even more urgent now, if we want to still win this war. Herr Speer, I directed you a few months ago to study the new weapons introduced by Colonel Laplante and to apply the lessons to our own weapons programs. As the minister of armaments, I also gave you total freedom to implement these new programs. How are we progressing up to now?”
“Mein Fuhrer,” said cautiously Speer, “we had little to go by in terms of information about the new British weapons. However, I was able to surmise a few important facts from the British actions against our own weapons programs. For one thing, the speed with which the British struck with uncanny accuracy at our rocket program showed how important Colonel Laplante thought it was for the outcome of this war. Also, she borrowed part of our secret technology, which she probably knows everything about, to adapt it to her own projects. An example of that was the probable adaptation of pulse jet engines to British bombers, which made them fast enough to outrun our fighters. I thus ordered our rocket and jet programs to be accelerated and given top priority. Another area that was given higher priority was in the matter of our infantry weapons. The new British weapons have plainly shown their superiority by now, so I pushed for the accelerated production of a new automatic rifle for our troops, along with better tanks. The latest British raids just proved how far behind we have fallen by now in those areas.”
“Yes, yes, I know!” Said Hitler impatiently. “What are we doing precisely about that now, though?”
“Mein Fuhrer, the V-2 rocket program is now at the trials stage, with mass production to follow in a few months. As for our V-1 flying bomb, it is now considered inadequate for its original purpose and has been abandoned. We are however in the process of adapting its pulse jet technology to our own bombers. Our jet-propelled fighter program is also going well and we should have a flying prototype before the end of this year. On the subject of our infantry weapons and tanks, we were lucky in having programs already in place, but running at a slow pace. I boosted the priority of those programs as well. The first new StG-41 rifles should get to our frontline troops in two months, while the new TIGER heavy tanks will start rolling out of the assembly lines in three months. The PANTHER medium tank will be next to roll before the end of the year.”
“Excellent!” Exulted Hitler before looking at General Milch, the inspector-general of the Luftwaffe. “General, the new bomber tactics introduced by Laplante have proved devastating, especially those fast, low-level attacks, as used in the raid on Kiel. I want you to study those tactics and to introduce them into the Luftwaffe if feasible. Do not be afraid to be innovative. Colonel Laplante may yet prove to be our best teacher in these matters.”
“It will be done, Mein Fuhrer.”
15:02 (GMT)
Saturday, May 24, 1941
Apartment 11, 24 St James’ Place
London, England
Nancy answered her door and found herself facing Doctor Reginald Jones and Peter Stilwell. Both men were smiling widely.
“My, you guys look quite happy. Is it the thought of visiting me that makes you smile like this?”
“Partly!” Replied Peter. “We are also bringing some very good news.”
“Really? Please, come in!”
Both men entered Nancy’s apartment and sat down in a sofa. Nancy, limping around with the help of a cane, sat between them and passed her arms around their shoulders.
“So, what is that good news of yours?”
Reginald Jones handed her a sealed envelope taken from the locked briefcase he had brought with him. The envelope bore stamped markings in bold red letters saying ‘MOST SECRET’ and ‘ULTRA’.
“We just intercepted and decrypted two Enigma messages coming out of the German O.K.W. that we believe you should know about right away. The first is iffy news. The second one is definitely good news.”
Intrigued, Nancy opened the envelope and, extracting from it two sheets of paper, read the first one and frowned.
“Hmm! Herman Goering has been dismissed as head of the Luftwaffe and was replaced by General Milch. That is definitely a so-so news: General Milch is a competent man, unlike that fat buffoon of Goering. The Luftwaffe may become a serious threat again. Let’s see the second message.”
Nancy’s eyes widened as she read the second decrypted message.
“On the personal authority of the Fuhrer, General Directive 196 directs all German units and authorities to apply normal prisoner of war treatment to Colonel Nancy Laplante, of the Canadian Army Intelligence, if she is ever captured. The previous Gestapo warrant on her head is therefore rescinded and no longer valid. Furthermore, the Gestapo is prohibited in taking any part in the handling of Colonel Laplante upon her capture.”
Nancy happily kissed both Reginald and Peter and pressed them against her.
“This is the best news I had in weeks. Thank you so much for bringing this to me here.”
“We were as happy as you are now when we got that, Nancy.” Said softly Peter. “We were really worrying about you, you know.”
She looked at both men with glistening eyes, tears rolling on her cheeks.
“Guys, I love you all. How could I thank you for caring like this?”
“By letting us invite you for supper at a good restaurant tonight.” Said Peter. “All the people of the office will be there. It would make them really happy if you could come.”
“Then I will be there. Can Mike come too?”
“Of course! Jennifer Collins was hoping for that.”
“Hmm, point well noted.”
All three then laughed. Nancy insisted on opening a bottle of chilled white wine and sharing it with Peter and Reginald before they left. She then sat back in the sofa and blew out air in relief, feeling like a huge weight had just been taken off her shoulders.
09:55 (Tokyo Time)
Wednesday, May 28, 1941
Headquarters of Japanese Imperial High Command
Tokyo, Japan
General Hajime Sugiyama, Chief of Staff of the Japanese Army, looked around the table and, seeing that all those who should be present had arrived, signaled them to sit. He then spoke in a firm, grave tone.
‘’Gentlemen, the Guardian of the Imperial Sceal, Marquis Kido, informed me a few days ago that His Majesty the Emperor wishes to know the possible impacts on our imperial policies and on the future of Japan that the actions of the Canadian woman from the future, Nancy Laplante, could cause. His Majesty the Emperor is particularly concerned by the military reverses sustained recently by our German allies because of that woman, and by the introduction in service of new British weapons. This meeting was thus convened in order to provide answers to His Majesty and to allay his fears. Thankfully for us, Major General Yamashita just returned from a lengthy tour in Europe, where he was able to study personally the subject of this meeting. I will thus let General Yamashita speak first to give us his report, so that we can then discuss the situation on a firm footing. General Yamashita?’’
Yamashita Tomoyuki, a squarely built man in his fifties, rose from his chair and saluted Sugiyama.
‘’Thank you, General! In view of the very particular nature of our problem, I believe that it would be better for me to start by presenting a few personal details on the person of interest to us. Lieutenant!’’
A junior officer who was standing at attention in a corner then slid open a curtain covering a projection screen and lit a retro-projector that already held a transparency. The meeting participants were then able to see on the screen the picture of a tall and attractive woman wearing a sort of female suit and pointing a huge pistol at a man lying on the ground of a parc.
‘’Gentlemen, here is the source of our problems: Colonel Nancy Laplante, a Canadian woman and time traveler from 71 years in our future. I can assure you that she is no typical woman and that the Germans are actually terrified of her.’’
Many of the officers present gave him skeptical looks, including General Tojo Hideki, the head of the Army Aviation and a long-time rival of Yamashita.
‘’The Germans, terrified of her? You can’t be serious, Yamashita.’’
‘’I am very serious, General Tojo. Lieutenant, next transparency!’’
Tojo and the others then saw one of the photos taken of Nancy Laplante as she was kneeling in the Hamburg submarine yard, surrounded by piles of dead German soldiers. Incredulous whispers went around the table.
‘’You see here one of the photos taken of Laplante just after she had led a bayonet charge in Hamburg against an enemy force ten times more numerous than her unit. The soldiers she killed that day were from the SS Corps and were considered elite soldiers. Much more significant than her courage, however, is her military genius, recognized by even the most conservative British generals. As a special counselor of Prime Minister Churchill, she exert a considerable influence on the policies and the strategies of the British, an influence out of proportion to her rank or sex. Because she comes from the future, she knows about everything about this war, including most probably our own long term plans and intentions. Her knowledge of 21st Century technology also allowed the British to introduce new weapons that the Germans are presently trying to counter or even copy. The next few pictures will show some of the weapons and equipment introduced thanks to her knowledge. Some of the pictures are from the British press, while others were taken by German civilians while some of the new British air cushion vehicles were attacking the port of Hamburg, in Germany.’’
More whispers and exclamations came up as the lieutenant showed a number of transparencies. Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, Commander of the Combined Fleet, examined gravely the pictures of the LCMACs and of the surface effect ships.
‘’Do we know something about the performances of those new craft, General Yamashita?’’
‘’The Germans did give me copies of their intelligence reports concerning those new craft, called hovercraft by the British. Thankfully for us, while they are incredibly fast, their range is limited, making them of little use in the Pacific. They are however very useful for amphibious operations.’’
‘’How fast, exactly?’’
‘’Uh, between seventy and one hundred knots at maximum speed, Admiral.’’
Yamamoto frowned, not liking at all the implications of this for his own ships.
‘’Then, they should be very dangerous if encountered during coastal operations, if I can judge from their armament.’’
‘’That is the opinion of the German navy, Admiral.’’
‘’I would like to see later a copy of those German intelligence reports, General.’’
‘’With pleasure, Admiral. Another point concerning that woman, a point of direct interest to us, is the fact that she visited Washington in last December. We now believe that she gave to the Americans detailed plans of all the new weapons put in service by the British during the last months.’’
Yamamoto slammed a fist on the conference table, visibly frustrated.
‘’Great! With their huge industrial capacity, the Americans will now be able to swamp us with those new weapons within a year.’’
‘’More reason for us to attack them earlier, Admiral.’’ Cut in Tojo. ‘’The more we will wait, the more the Americans and the British will have time to rearm. Eventually, they will feel so powerful that they will then not hesitate to dictate to us our external policies. If we do nothing now, then Japan will soon be reduced to dancing on the Anglo-saxons’ tune. How could we then show ourselves in front of His Majesty?’’
Yamamoto eyed Tojo for a moment while he thought furiously. He didn’t want a war with the Americans, knowing their huge industrial capacity. However, Tojo was right about the American external policy. President Roosevelt was showing no sign of flexibility in terms of letting Japan rule its empire as it wished. The recent decision to send Japanese troops to Indochina, to help the Vichy French there to resist the British based in Malaya, had resulted in an American steel embargo, an embargo that already had painful effects in Japan.
‘’Let’s say that we decide to attack the Americans and the British, General Tojo. What tells us that they don’t already know everything about our plans, thanks to that Nancy Laplante? Look at what happened to the Germans since her arrival in England. The German airforce was decimated when it attacked London, because the British were waiting for them. What tells us that the same thing will not happen to us?’’
‘’How should I know, Admiral?’’ Exclaimed Tojo, frustrated. ‘’She has the crystal ball, not me!’’
Yamashita then jumped in the exchange.
‘’If I may, gentlemen. A recent remark from Admiral Canaris, the head of the German military intelligence, struck me. Basically, he believes that, the more time passes and the British change the course of the war thanks to the information from Laplante, the less precise those informations will become. If she had not appeared in England last September, when would you have suggested that we should attack the Americans and the British colonies?’’
Tojo and Yamamoto looked at each other, with the former answering.
‘’Well, the idea was to wait until the end of October of this year, to see if the American policies for the Pacific would become more acceptable to us. After, if Roosevelt stayed inflexible, we would attack, probably in December of this year.’’
‘’Then, I propose that, if we decide to attack the Anglo-saxons, that we do it well before December, as much to prevent the Americans from reequipping their forces as to surprise them concerning the date of our offensive.’’
Yamamoto nodded his head at that, imitated by Tojo and the other officers around the table.