The German Peace

by Derek Pennington

  As they struggled on the pitching deck to release it, the wind increased to a howling gale and the yacht was now frequently being blown onto its side. Waves were breaking over them. It was taking all Jamie’s strength to fight the helm. He wondered if they were about to join the ships resting on the seabed from the Battle of Trafalgar, nearly one hundred and forty years earlier.

  The sail had to be reefed in. There was no alternative. Otherwise there was a real danger of the yacht capsizing. They made their plan. They had noticed there were occasional very short lulls in the wind, lasting about a minute or so, usually before it came back in even greater strength. Katherine put on a safety harness and collected a few small tools. It was she who would have to go up the mast and find, and fix the problem. She would not have had the strength to hoist Jamie up the mast. So releasing the jam had to be her job. Jamie hoped he was strong enough to haul her up with the spare halyard, essentially using only one arm. He needed the other hand just to hold on.

  The helm was lashed down. Katherine was ready. They waited for a lull in the wind. It came.

  As soon as they sensed its impending arrival Jamie was hauling up Katherine. His arm was burning by the time he heard her faint cry to stop. He watched and waited. She seemed to be up there forever. The wind must come roaring back any second. He was just about to let her down regardless, when he heard another faint cry from her. He let her down so quick he got rope burns on his hands. Just as her feet touched the deck he saw a huge wave rear up behind her. He bellowed to her to drop to the deck and hold on. She disappeared completely as the wave swept the length of the deck before breaking over Jamie. ‘Please let her be OK’, Jamie desperately prayed as he took a mouthful of seawater.

  The relief when he saw Katherine’s head surface was intense. She was wet through but had a huge grin on her face. That had been a close one!

  Somewhere in that torrid time, Jamie had collected a huge shiner! He did not remember his head connecting with anything, but it was the biggest, most exotic black eye he had ever had. A real beauty! Katherine could not stop giggling every time she looked at him. She felt the need to take a photograph!

  The following morning, after an uncomfortable night struggling on their continued easterly course, they treated themselves to an overnight stay and rest at Villanova, a port on the Algarve. The weather improved a little overnight, and they left early the next day. After that it was a short day sail to an anchorage in a sleepy river at Mazagon on Spain’s southern coast, followed by another overnight stay in a small port a hundred kilometres further along the coast, Puerto Santa Maria.

  This port had been heavily involved in the sherry trade hundreds of years ago, and is famous for once being attacked and briefly occupied by Sir Francis Drake. Unfortunately for Drake, his sailors discovered the unlimited quantities of sherry stored throughout the town. The rest is history!

  Finally, thirty five days after leaving England they tied up at an unprepossessing jetty in the historical port of Gibraltar, a British possession on the southern coast of Spain since 1704. They loved Gibraltar from the first day, and ended up staying there for several weeks.

  In a moment of madness they got married. Just a quiet wedding in a small church, the only guests being two couples they had become friendly with at one of the local pubs. They were blissfully happy.

  When they finally managed to tear themselves away from Gibraltar, they cruised along the French North African coast as far as Tunisia, from where they made their way north to Greece, via another British possession, Malta.

  The weather improved steadily as summer approached. Katherine was looking forward to an idyllic summer drifting around the countless Greek and Turkish islands.

  It was late August. They were in Athens to restock their supplies and fill up with fuel before heading to the Aegean Sea, through the Corinth Canal. About once every month or so, either Katherine or Jamie made a point of contacting their families to let them know they were fine and keep up to date with the news. They would also tell them a future port of call and expected date of arrival. Today was Katherine’s turn to make contact.

  A couple of hours later she returned, laden with sundry bags of groceries and packages, and a letter marked urgent for Jamie. Apprehensive, Jamie tore it open. Katherine waited patiently. He read it a second time before putting her out of her misery.

  “Your brother James has apparently got himself involved with the takeover of a small American bank in California. His German friends are also part of it. The aim is to turn the bank into, as his American partner puts it, ‘The best goddamn asset finance bank on the west coast’. They already have plans for the aircraft industry. Things seem to be moving quickly.”

  “What is this to do with you?”

  Jamie pulled a face. “It seems that James thinks I know something about ships. He wants me to think about joining them in importing German built ships into the States. The buyers of these would be financed by his new bank.” He looked at Katherine. “Who the hell would have thought James could pull off something like this?”

  “And does it interest you?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe. I need to know a lot more about it before I can make a rational decision. What do you think of it?”

  “Well look at it this way. We both know that we can’t swan around the Mediterranean for ever, darling. We need to start thinking about jobs and a place to live. You need a new career. You are a married man now, with responsibilities,” she said laughing.

  Jamie pointedly ignored her last comment. “If I am interested in his offer, I have to let James know straight away. Then he wants to meet with me soonest. Let’s sleep on it overnight, my love. But in the circumstances perhaps we should stay here tonight so that I can telephone or telegram James in the morning.”

  ROME - SEPTEMBER

  The Italian Grand Prix was over. The overwhelmingly partisan crowd had gone wild as their hero, Nuvolari, in his red Alfa Romeo, had finished the first lap in third place, sandwiched between the silver Mercedes and Auto-Unions. Against all odds he drove like a man possessed, and defiantly held onto third place for another two laps. But once again the Italian was let down by his outclassed car and retired on lap four with yet another blown up engine. However it had been Nuvolari who had provided the excitement in what was otherwise a boring demonstration of German mechanical and driver superiority. The race results were identical to those of the German Grand Prix.

  As a result of his two Grand Prix wins, the motor sport’s governing body, the FIA, confirmed the Mercedes driver, Hermann Lang, as the European champion of 1944. Even though there had only been three events in this first year of the return of Grand Prix racing, there was consensus that Lang deserved it, especially considering that he had won the most races in 1939 but was never named champion because the sport come to an abrupt stop on the outbreak of war.

  BERLIN

  Kesselring had finished his evaluation of the three different designs for the four engine jet airliner. Four aircraft manufacturers, Dornier, Focke-Wulf, Heinkel and Junkers had submitted designs for the jet airliner. He was impressed. They all looked superb and exciting, although he was less enthusiastic about the Dornier design than the other three.

  The Aviation Minister had taken into account the histories of the four firms, including their records of reliability, quality control, production, and financial standing. He had made his decision and was ready to recommend it to the Governing Council.

  Before the end of the Great War in 1918 there had been many small and medium sized aircraft manufacturers in Europe. The end of that war, and the ensuing glut of surplus military machines thrown onto the open market, had resulted in considerable rationalisation within the industry. Some manufacturers went out of business. Others merged or were taken over by bigger concerns.

  The same thing was now being repeated following the end of the European War. Kesselring had noted with concern that six British aircraft builders had closed their door in the last four years. In Germ
any Arado, Blohm & Voss, and Henschel, three previously well-known names, had also ceased operations. All his research convinced him that this trend would continue over the longer term.

  To compete in future years with the Americans, the British and possibly soon, the French, there would be no room for small, undercapitalised aircraft manufacturers. What was needed were well capitalised firms with large capacity production lines, able to control their unit production costs to ensure a viable and sustainable business.

  Kesselring was going to ask the Interior Minister, as part of his Department of Industry domain, to look into the desirability of Focke-Wulf, Junkers, and Heinkel, and possibly Dornier, merging into one large efficient and cost effective aircraft manufacturing corporation. Such a detailed task was beyond his own capabilities as a military person.

  His preferred design for the new proposed jet airliner was Focke-Wulf’s.

  Albert Speer put a team of his best industrial analysts and accountants onto the project handed to him by Kesselring. The Aviation Minister had needed to exercise his considerable powers of persuasion to obtain the co-operation of the four aircraft manufacturers, each jealous of their reputation and proud of their history.

  The manufacturers eventually accepted the arguments for the need for economies of scale in the second half of the twentieth century. And all were apprehensive about America’s large manufacturing capacity. Junkers, however, fiercely opposed being incorporated into a larger entity. As things stood they were operating profitably, and had plans for new aircraft in the near future. They were emphatic. They wished to remain independent.

  Heinkel saw the writing on the wall. They agreed to sell out, lock, stock and barrel, to Focke-Wulf. Deutsche Bank gave an undertaking to provide all necessary finance that Focke-Wulf might require to complete their transformation into the largest aircraft manufacturer in Europe, conditional only on the Economics Ministry underwriting the development costs of the future jet airliner. This guarantee was agreed upon by the Governing Council within two weeks.

  Focke-Wulf were lukewarm about integrating with Dornier. There seemed to be some difference in management styles, and some lingering antagonism from the past. That firm was left to fend for itself.

  Everything was finalised. The Aviation Minister now used this opportunity to announce to the world another first for Germany, a jet powered long range airliner. In an arrangement similar to the Starflight, this one would also have British Rolls Royce engines and would be known as ‘the Komet’. Anticipated date of first delivery was late 1949 or early 1950.

  LONDON

  Jamie and James were quietly conversing over a drink at the same Thames-side pub where the idea of financing refurbished Junkers JU52s had first been put into James’ head.

  After receiving James’ letter, Jamie had sent a telegram the next morning to say he would be back in London the following week. Katherine would sail the yacht into the Aegean as planned, but with a friend of hers who’s husband was based in Greece, and who was looking forward to a couple of weeks sailing. Jamie would make his way to London. Depending on how things went with the discussions with James, he would either come back to Greece, or Katherine would organise a permanent crewmember to help her bring the yacht back to England.

  James had fully briefed Jamie the evening before they were due to meet with Nigel Thornberry at the bank. Jamie found he actually liked the ideas he was hearing. In fact, he liked them very much. James had explained that an American bank, Mercantile Bank of California, was now owned by a partnership between Bradlington Thornberry Bank, Deutsche Bank, and an American businessman called Frank O’Donnell.

  Jamie’s job would be to build a small US based team to sell German built ships, equipment and machinery in the US. He would be appointed President of a new subsidiary of Mercantile Bank. All financing would be placed with the bank.

  Any job offer to Jamie would have to be approved first by Nigel Thornberry and then by Frank O’Donnell. Deutsche Bank had given Thornberry discretion in the choice of staff. Thornberry in turn, would defer to O’Donnell. Strangely, the English gentleman and the American businessman had both taken a liking to each other when they met in London to clinch their deal. O’Donnell was fascinated by Thornberry’s upper crust English accent, and Thornberry looked upon the American’s straightforward no-nonsense approach to business, as a breath of fresh air in their normally stuffy banking environment.

  Things went well at the meeting with Thornberry. Although Jamie’s connections with President Roosevelt were considered impressive, and hopefully would prove to be useful in the future, it was Jamie’s positive and enthusiastic attitude, combined with his common sense, that got Thornberry’s approval. The next day he was on his way to San Francisco to meet O’Donnell.

  SAN FRANCISCO

  O’Donnell kept two days free for Jamie. In that time he introduced him to four different shipping lines, several engineering companies, and a couple of machine tool suppliers. O’Donnell talked and asked questions non-stop. After two days he was satisfied. Jamie was his man.

  It was while they were having a last beer together before he left, that Jamie mentioned to O’Donnell that he thought someone should consider snapping up the US agency for Mercedes cars. O’Donnell, always a compulsive listener to new ideas, quizzed him about it.

  “It’s simple” Jamie said. “Mercedes are exceptionally good quality built cars. Many Americans would be attracted to their different style. I also hear that they are planning some really exciting new models. They are European champions in the Grand Prix series this year, as they were before the war in Europe. There is no doubt they will also dominate next season, which will have more races on the calendar. Great free publicity! Financing them would be no problem with the arrangements you now have between Mercantile Bank and Deutsche Bank.”

  O’Donnell’s mind was in gear. He liked it. He would investigate it some more tomorrow.

  Jamie was asleep on the plane before it took off for Washington. He was taking the opportunity to visit his father while he was so close.

  WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER

  Franklin D Roosevelt was re-elected as President of the United States of America on 7 November. He was the only President ever to be re-elected for a fourth presidential term. In fact no other President had even served three terms.

  Some people were concerned. Roosevelt, a chain smoker, had been in declining health for the past four years. Despite knowledge to the contrary, during the presidential election campaign his personal physician publicly denied several times that Roosevelt’s health was poor. There had also been suggestions that Roosevelt had used his authority to suppress press reports about his deteriorating health.

  Jamie was having coffee with his father when they heard the news. His father commented that he knew Roosevelt was a sick man, probably a dying man, and could not understand what would make him want to stand for President again, almost certainly knowing he would not survive until the end of his term. “Will we ever know what drives politicians?” He asked.

  Jamie thought darkly that the President’s physician had some questions to answer.

  Although he personally admired and respected Roosevelt, and truly wished him a long and happy life, this cover up of an important issue was considered by him to be no better than lying outright to the American people in order to get them to vote for him.

  He recalled something Baron von Altendorf had once said to him. ‘Politicians must be decisive and responsible, but most important, they should have integrity’. Jamie was disappointed with his President.

  PARIS - DECEMBER

  James and Magda were holidaying together in Paris. Officially he was working, having met with officials from Air France and the Belgium airline, Sabena, which was about to merge with Air France. However these had taken up very little of his time and he was now walking around Paris with his love, Magda.

  These days they spent all the time together that they were able to. He was always gloriously happy when he wa
s with her. The other side of the coin was that he suffered feelings of guilt, and was despondent when he was at home with his wife. James was continually faced with complaints from Fiona that she hardly saw him anymore and they only went out for dinner or lunch when it was a business occasion. And they never, ever, made love. James was conscience-stricken by his treatment of his wife but found himself incapable of change. His need for Magda dominated his actions. He could not help himself.

  Now that he was earning decent money, he had allowed, even encouraged, Fiona to buy anything she wanted. Strangely enough she had become less materialistic, and apart from household and other necessities, she spent money only on things for their son, and occasionally herself or James.

  The subject of divorce had been on James mind virtually from the time he had met Magda. The main problem was the child. James doted on him and could not bear to contemplate losing him in a custody battle. A further factor was the disapproving attitude of the bank’s directors to divorced directors and staff. Mistresses were tolerated but never divorce!