Return to the Reich
Page 26
declaration of war on Nazis, 26
German occupation of, 53
Hans’s leave in, 75–76
Luke Wijnberg in, 67, 75–76, 156, 263 n156
Mayer family’s border crossing to, 20–21
Munich Agreement and, 17
Normandy invasion, 58–59, 67, 71
Franco, Francisco, 50, 94–95
Frank, Anne, 55
Free Austria (newspaper), 156–57, 174
Freiburg, Germany
Freddy’s return to, 230–31
Jews of, 3–18, 21, 25
restitution office in, 246 n17
Rotteck Gymnasium in, 244 n5
school in, 5–6, 12–13, 23
French resistance fighters/allies, 58, 69, 77, 127, 154
French Vichy forces, 66
G
Gausthaus Krone, 133, 144–45, 146, 147, 169, 174, 236–37
General Motors, 231
George VI, King, 37
Gerbner, George, 254 n69, 263 n153
German American Bund, 245 n15
German Americans, 28–29, 47
German soldiers, 61–62
Germany. See also Nazi Germany; specific German place names
Freddy in, after the war, 230–31
Freddy’s early life in, 3–18
golden age for Jews in, 7
history of oppression of Jews in, 5, 8
Hofer’s flight to, 235–36
Jewish flight from, 11–12, 17–18, 20–21, 50, 73, 245 n11
postwar, 214
Primbs’s return to, 236
“special reconnaissance” battalion and, 71–72
surrender of, 224
Gestapo
agents captured by, and escaped from, 70, 254 n69
anti-Nazi resisters and, 177, 181, 203–4
“cutouts” and, 144
danger posed by, 77, 93, 127, 131, 134, 137, 145–46, 153
Father Mayr and, 125–26
Freddy taken to Hofer by, 209–16
Freddy taken to Oberperfuss by, 205–8, 271 n205, 271 n206
Habsburg and, 130
headquarters in Innsbruck, 143, 189–99, 201–5, 208, 209–10, 213, 231
on high alert in Innsbruck, 184–85, 186
imprisonment of political opponents, 177–78
informant for, 204
internal documents on Spitzel, 181, 186–87
interrogation and torture by, 189–99, 204–5, 210, 225, 268 n191, 269 n194, 270 n196
Matull and, 199–201
Nazi invasion of Austria and, 128
on train, 121
undesirables and, 128–29
Gewissen, 82, 126–27
Goebbels, Joseph, 24, 156
Göring, Hermann, 211
Grand Central Station, 45
Greater German Reich, 127
Green Berets, 41
Greenup, 112, 227. See also Gulliver mission
Gries, Austria, 117–19
Gruber, Karl, 266 n175
Gulliver mission. See also messages between Gulliver team and OSS
aborted drop attempts, 91–92, 96–97
averted crash, 99–101, 258 n100
B-24 test run, 97–99
drop into Austria, 89–90, 101–7
Franz as third man for, 64, 78–84, 86
Freddy as French airplane factory worker, 151–52, 163–70, 178, 264 n163
Freddy at Nazi barracks in Innsbruck, 139–43, 151–55
Freddy’s story to Billings, 93–95
glacier landing and descent from, 109–22
Gulliver’s Travels and, 112
Hans as Freddy’s partner for, 76–77, 81–87
Hans’s underground newspaper, 156–57, 174
Hitler’s headquarters and, 142–43, 147–49
Nazi railway system targeting, 158–63, 228, 263 n163
in Oberperfuss, 123–37, 144–49
preparation for, 76–87
success of, 182, 227–28
Gulliver’s Travels (Swift), 112
Güttner, Walter
arrested by American military, 224–25
Freddy’s meeting with Hofer and, 209–11, 216
Freddy’s release from Reichenau and, 219
Freddy taken to Oberperfuss by, 205–8
Freddy transferred to Reichenau by, 217–18
interrogation and torture by, 190–94, 196–98, 202–3, 213, 269 n194, 270 n196
Matull and, 201–3
OSS interrogation of, 267–68 n187, 269 n194, 271 n202
release of, 236
on trial for war crimes, 236
H
Haass, Walter, 91, 98–99, 102, 104–7, 137, 199–200, 255 n78
Habsburg, Otto von, 130
Hague Convention (1907), 77–78
Halifax, Lord, 16–17
Hall, Austria, 160–61, 211, 223
Hall, Virginia, 262–63 n152
Hartheim (castle), 129
Hemingway, Ernest, 58
Himmler, Heinrich, 65, 154
Hindenburg, Paul von, 11
History of the Baden Jews, 18
Hitler, Adolf
American misperceptions about, 15
Americans honored by, 26–27
Austrian reception of, 127–28
birthday of, 125, 185
blitzkrieg in Battle of the Bulge, 83
Donovan’s meeting of, 37
expansion of empire, 16–17, 20, 21–22, 26, 36, 52–53
Freddy and Hans’s friendship and, 15
Freddy on, 213, 214
Gulliver’s Travels and, 112
Hans’s family and, 48, 49–50, 51–52, 55–56
headquarters/bunker of, 142–43, 147–49, 151, 154, 212, 219
Jews as viewed by Nazis and, 5, 10, 156, 193, 212
last stand in the Alps, 2, 64–65, 82, 83, 153–54, 174, 212
loyalty to, 211
marriage and suicide of, 219
Nazis disloyal to, 63, 77–79
Olympics (1936) and, 13
OSS scientists and, 42
rise to power, 10–11
“Schwalbe” as secret weapon of, 166–68
Tyrol’s support of, 125, 175, 210
Hitler Youth, 4, 125
Hofer, Franz
arrest of, 235
escape from justice by, 235–36
Freddy’s meetings with, 210–16, 219–21, 222
Freddy’s message relayed by, 216, 218
last stand preparation by, 152
murders ordered by, 129, 235, 276 n236
reign in Tyrol, 77, 128, 212, 221, 235
second-ranking position under, 198
surrender of, 221–23, 228
Holocaust and Holocaust survivors, 233–34, 237, 276 n236
homosexuals, 13, 128
Hoover, J. Edgar, 38
Hortnagl, Maria
bicycle lent to Freddy by, 145, 160, 168–69
as cutout, 143–44, 145, 147, 153, 206
dairy products brought to Freddy by, 169
Franz and Hans’s escape and, 207, 208
Freddy and Hans’s reminiscences with, 236–37
Freddy’s plan to take Innsbruck and, 182
gift from Freddy, 231
honoring of, 235
infatuation with Freddy, 145–46
thanked by Freddy’s team, 224
Hossbach Conference, 16
I
Ickes, Harold, 26–27
Immelmann Turn, 98
Innsbruck, Austria. See also Tyrol, Austria
Allied bombing of, 123–24, 154–55, 181, 184, 203, 204
American military arrival in, 223–24
anti-Nazi resisters in, 176–77, 203–4
code name for, 84
Franz’s knowledge of, 79, 80, 83
Franz’s sisters in, 145, 152, 158
Freddy’s plan to “take,” 173–84
as Freddy’s target, 117
Gestapo headquarters in, 143, 1
89–99, 201–5, 208, 209–10, 213, 231
Gestapo on high alert in, 184–85
information exchanged in, 143–44
intelligence gathering in, 158–59
Nazi barracks in, 139–43, 151–55
Nazi court in, sham, 130
Nazi Party leadership in, 77
Nazi takeover of, 128
surrender in, 221, 223, 228
train headed towards, 121
insulin, 181, 184
“The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem,” 26
Iron Cross medal, 4, 5, 10
isolationism, 26, 36
Italian Americans, 28–29, 47
Italy
Allied territory in, 92, 96–99, 107
FDR and, 27
Franz fighting with Nazis in, 62
German POWs held in, 61–63, 78–79, 82
Mussolini executed in, 220–21
Nazi strongholds in, 58
Nazi surrender in, 65, 219, 228
OSS bases in, 63, 65–66, 70–72 (See also Bari, Italy)
trains with military supplies headed for, 161, 228
J
Jandorf, Adolf, 7
Japan, 27, 39
Japanese Americans, 28–29, 47
Jewish Americans, 47
Jewish refugees, 57, 69, 78, 84, 89, 237, 254 n69
Jews
in Austria, 128
execution of, 55, 58, 74
flight from Germany, 11–12, 17–18, 20–21, 50, 73, 245 n11
of Freiburg, Germany, 3–18, 21, 25
golden age for, in Germany, 7
history of oppression in Germany, 5, 8
Hungarian, 58
murdered in Holocaust, 233, 276 n236
Nazi deserters and, 78
Nazi persecution of, 4, 12–14, 16, 17, 20, 24
in Netherlands, 52, 55
sent to concentration camps, 80, 217 (See also concentration camps)
serving in World War II, 47, 87
as slave laborers, 164, 167
United States as hope for, 15–16
as viewed by Hitler and Nazis, 5, 10, 156, 193, 212
World War I veterans, 4, 11, 13–14
Julius Caesar, 44–45
Julius Mayer Hardware, 7
K
Kematen, Austria, 166–68, 177–78, 181, 191, 205
Kesselring, Albert, 76, 215
Kirchebner, Frannie, 147, 155, 207, 235
Kirchebner family, 146–47, 155, 157, 207, 271 n207
Kripo, 177, 181, 204, 271 n206
Kristallnacht, 24–25
Kroeck, Paul, 263 n153
Krone hotel. See Gausthaus Krone
Kuen, Alois, 177–78, 181, 182–83, 186, 203–4, 271 n206
L
La Rocque, François de, 263 n154
Larson, Erik, 245 n11
Legion of Merit Award, 229
Leo (black-market operator), 158, 160, 185
Lewis, Jerry, 68
Lichtenstein, 186
Lindbergh, Charles, 26–27, 36, 52
Lowenstein, Dyno, 73–75, 76–85, 103, 175, 199, 255 n78
Ludin, Friedrich, 5–6, 12, 244 n5
Ludin, Hanns, 244 n5
Luftwaffe, 92, 167, 168
M
Madison Square Garden, 15, 245 n15
Manhattan (ship), 19, 21, 103
Manhattan, New York, 45
Maquis, 69, 77
Marianne (Elsa Weber’s friend), 125–26
Martin, Dean, 68
Matull, Hermann “Max,” 199–201, 203
Mauthausen concentration camp, 70, 128, 129, 167, 217, 254 n70
Mayer, Friedrich “Freddy”
in America and in military training, 19–33
arrested by Nazis, 186–87, 190, 208, 267–68 n187
desire to fight Nazis, 2, 27–28, 30–31, 33, 43, 57, 59, 74–75
family in Brooklyn, 20, 22–23, 182, 184
as German boy, 3–18, 193
in hiding, 185
in high demand, 149
interrogated and tortured by Gestapo, 189–99, 229, 269 n194, 270 n196
medical treatment after the war, 229
as OSS spy (See under Gulliver mission; OSS)
parachute jump into Austria, 1–2, 103–5
plan to take Innsbruck, 173–84
rank and promotions, 170–71, 229, 265 n170
surrender negotiated by, 219–21, 222–23, 228, 235
trip to Austria (1993), 236–37
Mayer, Heinrich “Henry”
in America, 21, 22–23, 25–26, 231
in Freiburg, Germany, 4–5, 7–8, 9–11, 13–16
Nazi Germany fled by, 17–18, 103
restitution for money lost to Nazis, 246–47 n17
Mayer, Hilda, 5, 9, 14, 16, 231, 246–47 n17
Mayer, Julius (Freddy’s brother), 8–9, 12, 22, 29, 45
Mayer, Julius (Freddy’s grandfather), 7
Mayr, Father, 125–26
McKinley, Ray, 155
Me 262 “Schwalbe,” 166–68
Mein Kampf (Hitler), 10
messages between Gulliver team and OSS
on aborted drop attempt, 95
following drop into Austria, 136–37
from Freddy as Gestapo prisoner, 216, 218
on Gestapo documents handover, 186
intelligence gathered, 143, 147–49, 153–55, 159, 161–62, 170
on missed supply drop-off, 183
request for advance warning of bombings, 155
request for promotions, 170–71
on taking Innsbruck, 175
Messerschmitt (German manufacturer), 166–67
Mitchell, George, 153, 263 n153
Mittelwerk (factory), 167
Morse code, 67, 222, 234
Moser, Fritz
foreign laborers information from, 164–65, 166, 185, 195
Freddy hiding out with, 169, 195
Freddy squealed on by, 195, 199, 203, 205, 269 n195
jailed by Nazis, 185, 195
Moser, Robert, 204–5, 271 n205
Mühle (board game), 147, 155, 207
Munich Agreement, 17
Mussolini, Benito, 154, 220–21, 263 n154
N
Naples, Italy, 61–63, 69–71, 78–79
Navy SEALs, 41
Nazi Germany. See also Third Reich
“fateful year” in, 20
Kristallnacht in, 24–25
Mayers’ escape from, 2, 17–18, 20–23, 27, 103
OSS and, 58
Nazis/Nazi Party. See also Gestapo; Third Reich
airplane factory, 164, 166–68, 178, 191, 205
Alpine fortress, 64–65, 76, 82, 83, 212, 214, 228
Alpine patrols, 110, 111, 114, 117
American supporters of, 15, 52, 245 n15
Austria invaded by, 21–22, 127–28
British and, 16–17, 37, 52
Catholic Church and, 125–26
deserters/defectors (See deserters/defectors, Nazi)
Dutch supporters of, 52
education policies of, 12–13
foreign laborers used by, 164–65, 168
Freddy arrested by, 186–87, 190, 267–68 n187
Freddy’s desire to fight, 2, 27–28, 30–31, 33, 43, 57, 59, 74–75
Freddy’s encounters with characters in, 152–53, 154
Hans’s desire to fight, 48–49, 57–58, 59
Hans’s family and, 49–50, 51–53, 54, 55
Heinrich’s attempt to reclaim money taken by, 8, 246–47 n17
informants jailed by, 185
Innsbruck barracks, 139–43
in Italy, 61–62
Jewish flight from Germany and, 11, 17–18, 20–21, 73, 246 n17