The Reichsbank Robbery
Page 40
The noon sun was now beating down fiercely on their heads, so they returned to the relative shade of the shack and waited for nightfall. They had decided to stay at the old mine until it was nearly dark to lessen the risk of anybody recognising the two vehicles. Once out of the immediate area the Wencks planned to buy a new vehicle and dump the Ford, while Meunier said he would get rid of the Chevrolet once he had successfully made it to Mexico. He knew of several back ways of crossing the border and did not foresee any problems.
Peter Wenck lay down on one of the bunks and immediately fell asleep. Sophia and his father took it in turns to stand guard. The sun was halfway to the horizon when they eventually drove off. As planned there was sufficient light for them to negotiate the tricky dirt tracks and they reached the highway just when the last portions of the sun were sinking below the rim of the earth. They alighted from their respective vehicles and said their goodbyes.
“You know where to contact me in Mexico, Helmuth,” Conrad’s voice was warm. “Please, when you are settled, let me know what you are doing, or better still bring Vigdis with you and stay in Mexico with me … and Peter my brave resourceful friend. Look after your father and look after yourself.”
The pilot smiled and said he would. Then turning, he said to the Jewess, “I hope you find some peace Sophia.”
She inclined her head in thanks and without a word got back inside the Chevrolet. Meunier gave a half wave and sat behind the wheel. The vehicle’s engine was still running and without hesitation he moved off and turned south onto the highway.
A minute later the tail-lights had faded into the darkness. Peter Wenck turned to his father.
“Achtung, mein General,” he mocked. Then in English he said, “Come on, let us leave. I want to see Mother.”
The End
Author’s Note
In January 1944 a Junkers JU 390 six-engine long-range bomber carrying search radar and a heavy gun armament joined a special squadron Fernäufklarungsgruppe 5, at Monte de Marsan in France. From there she undertook a flight across the Atlantic to within twelve miles of New York and returned safely to base. The crew actually saw New York from their cockpit.
This mission was designed to test the feasibility of the Germans bombing New York regularly from bases within France. In this it was a success. It meant that if the Germans had been able to put together the necessary resources and political will, they could have bombed New York before D-Day in June 1944. The political and strategic implications would have been enormous.
During the last weeks of the war there were many un-logged and un-documented aircraft flights that left Germany. Some of these flew to the Alps where Hitler was to have made his last stand. Others flew to Spain and North Africa. Many of these missing aircraft then flew on to South America: Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
In the mid 1980s one such transport was found in the mountains of central Europe loaded with sensitive papers, money and the skeletons of her crew. The problem with all these flights was that in order to reach South America (the most favoured destination), they needed to land in Spain or other neutral areas to refuel. This meant records and witnesses.
There were also other destinations.
Up until the German surrender in May 1945, there were three areas still in German hands: part of Norway, part of central Europe and the Channel Islands, which are part of the United Kingdom. It is not generally known that this part of the UK was in German hands. The German commander on the Channel Islands was a rabid Nazi called Admiral Hüffmeier. Hüffmeier was so audacious that even though his command was now a virtual backwater, he conducted raids on the French coast (attacking American Army and Navy units), until Germany surrendered.
During the war the Germans operated a top secret squadron, which was equipped almost exclusively with captured Allied aircraft. This included British and American bombers. The squadron was called KG200 and it flew long-range missions deep into Russia, the Middle East and Africa. Many of these flights took place in the last months (and even weeks) of the war.
Much of its work has never been revealed and is still shrouded in mystery.
Miss Nonalee Two was a Boeing B17F-100-BO serial number 42-30336. She was part of the 385th Bomber Group, which took part in a raid into eastern Germany on 9 October 1943. On her way there she lost an engine and the pilot, First Lieutenant Glyndon D Bell, attempted to divert to neutral Sweden.
Unfortunately the crew became lost but Bell successfully landed the B17 in Denmark where the plane was captured by the Germans. She was repaired and flown for over a year by the Luftwaffe on various missions and ultimately joined KG200. Her last recorded trip was to Leipzig-Brandis airfield in December 1943. From there all records of her activities end. She simply disappeared.