Jodl acknowledges that Luftwaffe reports show that coastal air bases are being hit hard too. Rommel asks him if this means some of the squadrons might move inland, and Jodl admits a few already have.
Great. If you look up and don’t see it up there at all, it must be the Luftwaffe…
They discuss airborne operations. Rommel says that he has revised his estimate of the countryside. Having talked to a number of airborne troops, he realizes that the patchwork boçage country is well suited for airborne landings. It is relatively easy to land in open areas and then quickly hide in the trees.
Rommel also tells him that they need more cement. Supplies are very low, and Seventh Army is behind in its casemate constructions. Jodl patiently tells him that he is getting all the Reich can spare at this time.
Rommel closes by adding, “Just get me the 12th SS Panzer, that’s all. The base of Cotentin is bare. And the paratroopers are right. Contrary to popular opinion, the terrain there is ideal for airborne landings. The hedgerows and ditches would allow the landing assault troops to find cover immediately, but would be difficult to reach if we had troops already there. And Marcks’ men have not had time to put up enough obstacles for the area.”
Jodl soothingly replies that he will look into the matter. Rommel finally hangs up, frustrated. He knows that the call has for the most part been in vain.
He spends the rest of the morning catching up on paperwork and issuing new orders for the redeployment of units in the Cotentin peninsula.
Reports of air attacks, bombings, strafings, and aerial reconnaissance, not to mention damage reports from aerial activity the days before, pour in to the château. Some of these attacks can be heard outside—distant rumblings; as of thunder.
Around noontime, Luftwaffe General von Barsewisch1 is ushered into Rommel’s office. Rommel does not mince words with him and lets him know how disappointed he is with them.
After the general leaves, Rommel has Lang enter into his Daily Report:
I told him quite clearly what I expected from the Luftwaffe. It is incomprehensible how, within two years, we have let our air supremacy drop to its present level. The Luftwaffe, it seems, has been resting on its laurels and has not found ways to adapt itself to the present-day necessities of the war. I too, could have rested on my laurels but constantly renewed efforts were required of me, just as much as they were of the Luftwaffe.
The rest of the day at La Roche-Guyon passes fairly well. Late that afternoon, Rommel is visited by the Quartermaster of the Army, General Eduard Wagner. They discuss shortages and the war in general.
That evening, Rommel holds a lavish dinner for him, and the Heeresgruppe B staff is allowed to relax. The banquet is done in grand style. Wagner loves food, and Rommel is glad. He wants to score some brownie points with the OKH quartermaster. Perhaps he can secure some much-needed supplies, like Panzerfaust weapons.
Later on, Speidel has an opportunity to speak privately with Wagner, who is actually a fellow co-conspirator. They update each other, and discuss strategies on how to win the field marshal over. A little later, their business concluded, Speidel and Wagner return to the main study. No one is aware of what they have discussed. As they part for the evening, Speidel asks Wagner to tell his brother-in-law, Dr. Max Horst, on Stülpnagel’s staff, that he promises to get in touch with him as soon as he can.
That night Rommel writes to Lucie. Part of the letter is about Treff and Elbo.
Thanks for all the things you sent me, especially the cheese sticks. I’m already busily eating them up.
The two mutts have made friends. The little one is a scream. Treff got into a fight with a German shepherd yesterday. When I come, the two of them are so enthusiastic, and I can’t get away, unless I take them for a walk in the park. The little one will probaby soon be with you in Herrlingen…
He also mentions the dogs in his diary:
My two dogs are a great source of joy. Above all, they take away some of my preoccupation arising from the great responsibilities placed upon me. That is also the reason why I can hardly afford to deal with personal matters. Furthermore, I find it difficult to establish close contact with other people. A man in my position is doomed to loneliness.
Administratively, there are at present more panzer divisions in France than there are operational headquarters to command them. The Waffen-SS has Sepp Dietrich’s staff, and the OKW reserve panzers have Geyr’s. An administrative “buffer” command is needed between Rommel and his own three reserve panzer units: the 2nd, the newly formed 116th, and the 21st.
To better help administer these reserve panzer divisions, OB West orders the 47th Panzer Corps headquarters to relocate from Russia to command these units.
General von Funck, a veteran of the Eastern Front, had been appointed the corps commander on March 5. He is a long-time friend of Heinz Guderian’s, although Rommel knows him too. Rommel had turned over his legendary Gespenster Division to him in February 1941 so that he could go to North Africa.2
***
At the Berghof, the news from Italy today is not good. The American Fifth Army and the British Eighth Army are continuing their expected spring offensive, started the night before against the Gustav Line in Italy. The Allies are trying to move northward to join up with the troops at the Anzio beachhead.
Clearly, the Hermann Göring Panzer Division will not be going to France now, no matter what the Western commanders have been told.
1Generalmajor Harl-Hennig von Barsewisch (mistakenly referred to as “General Bardewicz” in Ryan’s notes source). Appointed General der Aufklärungsflieger (General of Reconnaissance Aircraft) in April 1942, he commanded the reconnaissance arm in northern France until late 1944, including the versatile seaplanes.
2Fifty-two-year-old General der Panzertruppe Hans Freiherr von Funck. He had commanded a motor-machine-gun company in World War I. Between wars, he became a blitzkrieg pioneer, working with Heinz Guderian, expanding their theories on panzer warfare. He had been an important part of the 1940 campaign in France, and until recently had been commanding on the Eastern Front.
Interestingly, von Funck had initially been considered to take command of the German forces in North Africa because he had already been there in January, assessing the situation for the General Staff. However, Hitler considered him “too gloomy” about what could be done there after the British had thoroughly routed the Italians. So Hitler picked Rommel because (as he told an Italian diplomat) “he knows how to inspire his troops… This is absolutely essential for the commander of a force that has to fight under particularly arduous climatic conditions, as in North Africa or the Arctic.”
Saturday, May 13
It is early morning. At 7 a.m., Rommel and his entourage depart headquarters again on another tour—this time to the Somme estuary. It is here that Rommel really thinks the invasion will come, and in light of the OKW assessment that the invasion might very well start any day now, he wants to make one more inspection of this area.
They travel northeast in a heavy fog, and call on the 2nd Panzer Division. They find various divisional units bivouacked in fields around the headquarters near Amiens. There are many others in the nearby woods as well, trying no doubt, to stay away from the eyes of the enemy Jabos. The fact that they lack any suitable anti-aircraft weapons is no doubt a big motivator for cover and camouflage. Still, they have obeyed his orders to stay out of the villages, and Rommel is satisfied to see that.
He talks to the new divisional commander, General von Lüttwitz, 1 who tells him that his division has indeed scouted and noted the best routes available for rapid deployment, whether they be straight ahead to the coast, up towards Calais, or southwest towards Le Havre. Like von Oppeln-Bronikowski, von Luttwitz was once an excellent, decorated equestrian, although he is now overweight and haughtily sports a monocle. Working his way up the general ranks, distinguishing himself in Russia, he was finally given command of the recuperating 2nd Panzer in March.
Rommel notes that two bridg
es in the area have been destroyed by bombs, and getting supplies and reinforcements across the Somme River could pose a serious logistical problem when the invasion comes. Rommel suggests that the bridges be rebuilt just below the river surface, and that the center span be left off until it is needed. He stops and talks to some of the panzer commanders. At one point, he yells out, “When the enemy approaches, don’t engage in operational maneuvers. Just keep shooting!”2
They move on towards Abbéville and inspect the 85th Infantry Division, located behind the coastal main line of defense. Arriving at divisional headquarters in the famous town of Crecy, they get briefed by the commanding officer, Generalleutnant Kurt Chill. The men complain to Rommel that they lack machine guns.
“That’s no problem,” Rommel tells them. “Then take the guns off the paratroopers when they drop in on you!” He instructs the senior officers to make sure the division is deployed against airborne assault, so that it can immediately defend itself. To make this strategy even more effective, he tells them to issue their men additional ammunition.
They move on to inspect the 348th Division and note the 230 stakes that have been installed along the beach. Continuing, they inspect a tetrahedron plant in Cayeux, and Rommel expresses dissatisfaction over the design they are manufacturing. “I want to have the most modern and the best model,” he tells them.
They move on and stop to observe a demonstration of the new nutcracker mine.3 A few are detonated effectively, and Rommel is satisfied. Then on to Le Touquet, noting several enemy bomber formations overhead as they drive.
That evening, the group stays at the soldiers’ quarters in town where they enjoy a fine dinner. Rommel is in a good mood, having a sense of accomplishment from what he has observed today. Later, he writes in his diary about the fact that some had once dismissed him as being an inexperienced, unfit commander. However, as he did in France in 1940 and North Africa in 1941, he is again proving that he can do what others said was not possible—in this case, turning the Atlantic Coast, once considered indefensible, into a deadly weapon. Now he is going to disprove both of those viewpoints.
Unlike these naysayers though, Hitler had still been confident enough in him to give him a critical post, one that would ultimately determine the future of the Reich. So the hell with what the rest of his flunkies thought. He adds with a firm hand, “Der Führer vertraut mir, und das gejuegt mir auch.”—’The Führer trusts me, and that’s enough for me.”
He will want to get an early start in the morning.
***
Today, GroβAdmiral Karl Dönitz is informed that his last surviving son, Oberleutnant zur See Klaus Dönitz, assigned to Schnellboot S-141, has just been reported missing in action, along with the rest of the boat’s 18 crew members; it has apparently been sunk by a French warship.4 It had been his son’s 24th birthday, and he had been invited by his comrades to ride along and take part in a 10-boat night patrol northeast of the Isle of Wight. Klaus, because of who his father was, was normally not authorized to go on any such dangerous mission. When the admiral’s younger son Peter had been lost nearly a year ago aboard U-954, Klaus had been removed from combat operations and had resorted to studying medicine. His ties to his old shipmates though, were strong. They were going out in a formidable force on a routine patrol, and he really longed for some action. So he had convinced them to secretly take him along.
Early on the night of the 12th, the S-boats of the 5th and 9th Flotillas slipped across the Channel in the early night and began stalking some shipping off Selsey Bill point. Suddenly, they discovered that two enemy destroyers were unexpectedly closing in on them. The boats stayed silent, trying to remain undetected. Using searchlights though, the enemy vessels spotted the Schnellboote and immediately engaged the group. In the ensuing action, one boat had been heavily damaged and S-141 had unfortunately been destroyed. Klaus was missing in action.5
The despondent Kriegsmarine leader nevertheless goes ahead with the soirée planned that night for the Japanese ambassador. After it is over though, his wife collapses in grief over the loss.
Dönitz vows to take revenge on the British.
***
At Hitler’s daily war conference, the subject of the upcoming invasion in the West is again covered thoroughly. Many seem anxious for the landing to begin, so that it can be thwarted and they can move on to concentrate on other battle areas. There is even a small concern growing that the landing may not come. Propaganda Minister Goebbels gets field reports from many civilian leaders who feel that way, although they are disheartened about the “air terror.” Today he records in his diary:
The letters I am getting talk almost solely about the invasion. People are not only expecting, but looking forward to it. They’re only afraid that the enemy may not try.
It is late afternoon at La Roche-Guyon. The field marshal, having departed that morning to tour the coast, will be staying at Le Touquet this evening. Knowing this, his chief of staff is using the opportunity to invite a close friend to the château for dinner: Ernst Jünger. An established author, he is currently a Hauptmann assigned to the command of Military Governor General Stülpnagel in Paris. Like Speidel, both are in the secret Schwartz Kapelle. In fact, Jünger is one of Speidel’s contacts with the group. He had managed to get himself appointed to Stülpnagel’s staff to be close to Speidel and to Rommel. Now with Rommel gone, the chief of staff has bid the author over for dinner so that they can talk freely. Speidel will also get a chance to see an advanced copy of the peace manifesto that the plotters have created. They will put it into effect once Hitler has been assassinated.6
The two seclude themselves as soon as Jünger arrives, and Speidel eagerly goes over the draft. He makes some favorable comments, and offers a few suggestions. They then put the papers away and go to dinner. Afterwards, Speidel suggests that they go for a stroll around the grounds. Although it had been foggy earlier, the skies have cleared up. The two conspirators walk out into the garden and begin climbing up around the back of the château, enjoying the scenery as sunset begins. Naturally, they do not discuss politics as they pass a sentry here and there. Jünger himself is not the fidgety type, but he is amazed at the calm that Speidel radiates. The chief of staff seems to be in control of his world, as they trek, talking about the war. Speidel takes in the idyllic countryside and suggests in general how the future might be.
They hike up the hill above the château to the old Norman tower, noting the occasional anti-aircraft units interspersed around the countryside. They continue up the battlements. Here they decide to share a bottle of fine wine as they discourse.
With nobody in earshot now, they discuss various covert matters. Jünger asks if Speidel has made much headway converting the field marshal to the cause of peace. He adds that many of the other plotters are quite worried about it. Rommel is their best hope for a leader after Hitler is killed. He is the one man who everyone—the Allies, the German people, and the Wehrmacht—will probably accept as a leader to end the war. If anybody can negotiate a peace with England and the United States, assuming such a thing is still possible, he can.
The two of them finally arise from sitting at the battlements and slowly meander back down around the Norman tower. Walking down the hillside, they leave the château area and begin strolling towards the little village of La Roche-Guyon.
They eventually stop and sit down overlooking the Seine. Speidel tells Jünger about his attempts to win over Rommel. He has indirectly approached the field marshal on the issue a couple of times. Despite the fact that Rommel was uncomfortable about the subject, they had discussed certain issues along a general vein. Rommel knows of course that they cannot possibly win the war—he has known that since North Africa. He still believes though that negotiations with the West are possible, not to mention highly desirable. Speidel points out that Rommel also feels that it is time to end the war, before Germany is totally destroyed. Negotiations might still be possible, if the right conditions are placed before the United State
s and Britain. With a slight smile, Speidel also tells Jünger that Rommel confided in him the belief that the Führer would have to step down for this to be possible.
They eventually get up and start walking slowly through a meadow. Speidel occasionally pauses to gaze at some flora or to admire a bush. He stops at one point, bends over, and picks a lovely flower, Standing up, he slowly twirls it in his hand, and then looks around him. How beautiful this Seine valley is. Flowers of all types are in bloom. Spring here is at its height.
After a short while, they start back, walking through one of the village’s narrow streets. Jünger glances at Speidel, who just smiles back at him confidently. “Don’t worry,” he says, “The war in Europe will be all over by this autumn.”
“What about the field marshal?” Jünger asks.
“I think he’ll come around,” is Speidel’s assured reply.
Jünger is not so sure.
1Forty-seven-year-old Generalleutnant Diepold Georg Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz. A Prussian aristocrat and excellent horseman, he was a highly decorated veteran of World War I. An early believer in maximizing the use of motorized units, he commanded a motorcycle recon battalion at the start of World War II. Working his way up the general ranks, he served in most of the Eastern campaigns (as did his two famous cousins, Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz and Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz). Although he was gravely wounded in the Polish invasion, he served dutifully in the East, and eventually was given the 20th Panzer Division. After the 2nd Panzer was all but destroyed in Russia, it was moved to the West to recuperate and reform, and von Lüttwitz was put in command.
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