August 9th
Warsaw
Warsaw's climate was no better than Berlin's. Autumn had brought some relief in temperature but the proximity of the river more than compensated in terms of humidity. Stauffenberg's arm stump itched inside his tunic. Behind him von Haeften and Trott followed at a respectful distance through the rubble that seemed to cover everything in the Polish capital. An eerie silence hung over the crippled city. The silence of a temporary ceasefire readily entered into by two exhausted enemies, now scurrying through the wasteland looking for their wounded and dead. Amid this destruction they seemed out of place; especially Adam who as usual wore one of the sand-coloured suits of which he seemed to have an inexhaustible supply.
From the airfield, they had driven as far as the destruction would permit and then begun walking toward the frontline. Ahead Stauffenberg saw a number of machinegun positions manned by Wehrmacht soldiers warily eyeing both him and the Polish interpreter who accompanied them. Stauffenberg had seen to it that both van Haeften and the interpreter carried white flags. This was not the place for mistakes or confusion. The fighting had been savage and there was a lot of hate here. Enough for someone to claim to have made a mistake. It was likely they would only get one chance. Surviving like corned rats in the rubble to which the Germans had reduced their capital city, the Poles had fought with the ferocity of a people with nothing left to loose.
As he surveyed the destruction, the Colonel gave Trott's idea less and less chance. The bitterness that had accompanied the fighting of the last few days would linger for years. He gingerly stepped over a pile of wooden planks all scorched from the fire of flamethrowers with which the Wehrmacht special troops had burnt many Poles out of their dugouts. The Poles had fought with a few weapons, captured German stock and little else. And yet the well-armed men of the Herman Goering Parachute-Panzer Division and the specialist anti-partisan mercenaries had had to dig these starved scarecrows out of their rubble piles one by one and at great cost.
No matter it had to be tried.
Ahead he saw a group of men emerging from what had been the ... There were six of them all civilians with armbands. All haggard and ragged. They too made a lively display of their flags of truce.
The Colonel stopped a few yards away and did his best to imitate a salute. 'Guten Tag I am Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.'
A haggard figure in a threadbare suit stepped forward 'I am General Bor Commander of the Polish Home Army' His salute was sharper than Stauffenberg's.
For what aides would later describe as an eternity the two men stood silently sizing each other up.
It was Bor who broke the silence. 'Colonel, your emissaries indicated that you wished to speak to the military commander of the Polish forces in Warsaw. I am that man. What is it you wish to discuss? After the events of the last few days I do not believe that you have come here to make small talk.' It came out harder than it was intended but it covered his case of nerves. Bor was impressed. The famous Stauffenberg himself. The man who had planted the bomb and to all intents and purposes had led the coup from Berlin. What little news Bor had been able to get indicated that this was a natural leader, a man of destiny. If he found time to deal with their uprising then this could be an opportunity. His mere being here indicated that the Poles had something the Germans wanted. But for the moment it escaped him what it might be. The smouldering ruins of Warsaw hardly seemed a prize anymore.
For his part Stauffenberg was so intent on organizing his thoughts that he took in the haggard nature of Bor and his group only superficially. None of the men wearing the ragtag armbands over their civilian clothing had changed those clothes since the beginning of the uprising and none has had a bath. They had been fighting for their lives with what little they had. Aggression was to be expected. It did not matter he had to make his point.
"General, we do not know each other properly and I fear time may not allow us to rectify that adequately before we must discuss serious matters that will affect the fate of our people. But I would be grateful if you listened to the proposal I have for you.'
'If its surrender of your army all along this front then we accept ' Bor grinned. 'However, I doubt we would have the space to accommodate you.'
It broke the ice. Stauffenberg, relieved smiled back.
'General Bor, tell me why you rose in Warsaw.'
That got an instant response. Bor's eyes narrowed the smile was gone. 'I am assuming this to be a rhetorical question that will lead somewhere Colonel. ! Very well The Home Army took up arms against the Wehrmacht in order to free the capital of our nation at a time when after four years of barbaric occupation the withdrawal of your forces before the advancing Russians seemed to offer an opportunity to capture our capital and reassert territorial control over sizeable parts of our land. By taking an active role in the liberation of our homeland the hand of the legitimate government of Poland would be strengthened. Poland's honour has been restored. '
'Thank you General Bor,' Stauffenberg replied 'that was what I wanted to hear. General do you mind if we sit. Stauffenberg motioned to von Haeften for the water flask. He took a sip and passed it to the Pole. 'General the way we see it your forces rose in order to capture Warsaw before the arrival of the Russians. By doing so you would have staked a strong counter-claim to the little group in Lublin.' The phrase scored a point. 'A Warsaw liberated by Poles would give your Government in London a stronger hand in dealing with Moscow. If you would have waited for the Russians you would have simply had to join the Lublin Group.'
'Bor's face remained expressionless.
'Your troops rose against us. Today you hold about a third of Warsaw. You have not established contact with the Russians who seem to be sitting and watching us butcher each other. You also are struggling to receive adequate supplies from the western Allies. I would argue that no matter how bad a shape the Wehrmacht is in right now, your uprising is close to failure. Sooner or later, unless the Russians move again your supplies and ammunition will run out and you would be crushed. Since the fronts between our forces have largely hardened it is unlikely that you will be in a position to substantially change that by military means.'
Bor spotted the queue 'Are you suggesting that there might be others ? After all this carnage after all what your soldiers and your mercenaries have done ?'
'Yes General I am hoping that we might find common ground. You see I believe we share an interest in preventing any further advance by the Red Army. Any further advance into eastern Europe. There are other issue which we will have to deal with at a later stage. Would you not agree ?'
'Possibly' That was as far as Bor was willing to go with this man. You don't waste time Colonel, he thought smiling a bit more than before. ‘The issue of your people’s atrocities against mine, particularly in the past few days will be a key point for discussion.’
'At present the Wehrmacht is not really up to the job when Stalin puts his mind to it.’ Stauffenberg continued, ’However I believe you and your Home Army do hold the key to stopping them.' Bor was staring at the German; he was clearly mad.
'General Bor the proposal I have is that we consider at least a temporary alliance beginning with a cease-fire which the Wehrmacht will adhere to with immediate effect if we can agree. In return for certain undertakings on your part the Wehrmacht will gradually withdraw from Warsaw and other regions within Poland that your men rather than the partisans of the Lublin Committee can secure. In these regions we would expect you to exercise control, maintain law and order and suppress any attempt by forces loyal to Moscow or the Lublin Committee to establish themselves. In return we ask that you co-operate with us in preventing any further Russian advances.
'Colonel Stauffenberg I appreciate your compliments regarding my troops conduct but are you not expecting a bit much from us. And after all... he swung his arms to indicate the field on burnt-out buildings that surrounded them.. after all this you think we can co-operate. You would expect us to set aside what you have done to us
and our families, our children, our nuns, our churches, our cities, our land, four years of occupation. May I remind of what your mercenaries did just a few hours before the ceasefire. Just yesterday I was at a burial of more than 30 nuns raped and murdered by men who wear the same uniform as you.
'Stauffenberg's crippled hand was up, open. ‘No, General, I do not ask forgiveness or understanding, I cannot expect that of the Poles. But what I am offering is to increase the area under your control to a level where your claim to territorial sovereignty is more substantial. By substantial I mean in the eyes of the few neutral countries left in this world and also sufficient for friendly groups such as the Poles in the United States to send observer missions unfettered to airfields that you control. Right now your only link to your Government in London is via radio. I am offering you the free use of the airfields around Warsaw. This will allow you not only proper contact with your government, but it would also allow London to supply your forces with everything they may need. I understand that Polish forces fighting in the British ranks are still subject to the edicts of the Polish Government ? In the interim the Wehrmacht would undertake to make available humanitarian aid.' Stauffenberg stood up and signalled to a group of soldiers who had been waiting half a block down the road at the edge of the German lines. Upon his signal they moved forward carrying sacks marked with the Red Cross.
'General, you have not even had time to respond, but time is in short supply and I wish to establish my bona fides. The 15 men you see advancing there are carrying about 300 kilograms of medical supplies and food. I wish to offer them as a token of my goodwill regardless of the outcome of our discussions. If nothing else the courage of your troops requires that kind of recognition.’
Bor's heart leapt the supplies would instantly quadruple the available medicines in the Polish-held area. The German knew how to impress. He also had done his homework. Without asking for anything in return he had just massively increased the Home Army’s medical capacity and thus its ability to hold out against future attack.
Adam cut in. ‘I am also able to tell you that irrespective of the outcome of our discussions, my Government in Berlin, has recognized your Government as the sole legitimate authority over Poland and I have therefore also given orders for all prisoners taken to be accorded full POW status under the Geneva Convention. Here is a copy of that order. The Red Cross will send a delegation as soon as possible to ensure that their treatment is as it should be. These are small symbolic acts and I do not expect you to be swayed by them. I see them as a first step for me to prove to you that the interests of the new Government in Berlin are rather different than those of the Hitler regime. The issue of atrocities against civilians in the past few days as well as over the past few years will be a matter for our Governments to discuss when the Russian threat has been contained. May I as a sign of good faith offer you a unilateral cease fire from our side for at least the next 72 hours until you have had a chance to communicate with your superiors.'
This all sounded too good to be true and most certainly it was. Nevertheless if Stauffenberg was genuine, then the Home Army could achieve its objective without further bloodshed. It would also have the benefit of separating out the communist factions about whose ultimate loyalty he had always been in doubt.
'Colonel Stauffenberg I find myself tempted but fear you are proposing to turn the Home Army and the Polish Government into a puppet. What assurances do we have that you will not simply wipe us out once we have emerged from our positions. Your Ukrainian mercenary scum seem very good at that. They seem to enjoy killing our people, men, women or children in the cruellest manner their depraved minds can think of. I will need something on that issue upfront if I am even to take this all serious.'
Stauffenberg sighed he had heard about the looting, the atrocities and the barbaric way in which the Ukrainian mercenaries in German service took out their century old hatred of Poland on the civilians of Warsaw. But he took heart the Polish commander had not rejected his proposal out of hand. Bor was talking detail already. Gratefully Adam, sensing his hesitation stepped forward with
'Our purpose General Bor is to allow your Government, and by implication its current host, the Government of Britain, the means to project real power into eastern Europe. With an area more substantial than the one you now hold under your control that will not be difficult. I believe that Britain went to war over the issue of Polish independence and stood by as Hitler and Stalin carved up Poland because she had no means of projecting real power into eastern Europe. What we are asking is that you use the control over parts of your country that we will vacate to allow Britain to deploy forces here. Even if Britain is unwilling to send her own men, I would suggest that large numbers of your compatriots currently serving with the Allies forces would come to the defence of their homeland. These forces would be your guarantee that Stalin and his Lublin Group do not impose their will when they have driven us out of Poland. I am confident that such a deployment of forces would cause Britain to wake up to the realities of her historic interests in Eastern Europe and would lead to a softening of her stance towards our Government. But by being able to protect Poland from the grip of the Red Army, Britain would be protecting all of Europe.’
Bor cast a glance to where his comrades were eagerly distributing the contents of the Red Cross bags to a group of runners. ‘Your proposal surprises me Colonel, Deputy Minister. I am however merely the commander of the Home Army. In order for me to take a decision of such far-reaching political consequences I will need to get instructions from my Government. But before I do I must point out that you have not said anything about your mercenaries.’ Stauffenberg stepped in, this was military not political. ‘I am the minister of defence in the new cabinet and as such I give you my word that these troops will not live to see the end of hostilities.’ As a soldier Bor knew what that meant, they would be made to disappear in the meat grinder of the Russian front. He got up and saluted 'Make sure they do not live rather than disappear Colonel, otherwise the ghosts of their victims will haunt your nation until the end of time. I will say this, however, soldier to soldier; I cannot find fault with the logic of your proposal and will present it in a positive light.'
It was like a load of bricks had come off his shoulders. Thank you General Bor' was all Stauffenberg could say. Suddenly it did not feel so hot.
August 9th
London
‘They want to do WHAT?’- Churchill's cigar went flying from the ashtray as the meaty hand came crashing down. Eden standing before him was pale. 'The Germans have proposed an arrangement with the Warsaw Poles that they are calling a ceasefire but is an alliance in all but name. Prime Minister there is one more thing.'
Churchill's eyes blazed fire. ‘You mean to tell me that it gets WORSE ?.’ This was a few dozen decibels higher than Eden liked doing business at. ‘We may just be stuck in contractual arrangements that puts us on both sides of the fence and you mean to tell me that is NOT all?.'
‘No Prime Minister 'The Prime Minister of Poland is outside waiting to see you. I submit that he will have some rather strong views. May I suggest that you let him vent them and then leave him to me at a later stage. After all this could be deemed a Foreign Office matter.’
‘Anthony, ‘Churchill took a deep breath’ I am sorry for losing my temper. Could you also be so kind as to find out what our friends in America think about this and while you are at it have someone canvass the other exile governments.’ Churchill’s cigar lay forgotten so long it almost set the carpet aflame that day. It would not have been the only fire in that office, merely the only open flame. Premier Mick came in like a cavalry officer leading the charge of the light brigade. To the complete surprise of Churchill’s secretary he emerged less than twenty minutes later smiling.
Evening August 9th
Warsaw
Before Stauffenberg left the Warsaw region there was one more thing left to do. It was something he needed to do in person. He had promised Bor that the non-Germa
n mercenaries would be withdrawn from the Polish frontline. He now needed to make good on that promise. Strangely it had not proved difficult for the local Wehrmacht commander to agree to a transfer of these troops away from his sector. As a professional officer he like many Wehrmacht rank and file had been appalled by the barbarism of the SS men. It hadn't taken Stauffenberg long to discover that there were two units in particular that stood out - the irregulars of the Dirlewanger Brigade and the RONA Brigade.
Accompanied by the local Waffen-SS General von dem Bach-Zelewski, he had had little difficulty in making the headstrong ruffian and honorary SS-Colonel Kaminski accept to order for redeployment of the RONA Brigade. The pardoned criminals and convicts of Dirlewanger would an entirely different matter as most of them were German citizens. Even within the SS Dirlewanger was a law unto himself. Von dem Bach-Zelewski, had only taken charge once the attack had been in progress and was unwilling to do the job himself, so it remained for Claus to have a direct confrontation with the haggard six-foot commander of the criminals. He did however take along a dozen well-armed men as well as von dem Bach for the occasion.
Dirlewanger’s HQ was in a burn-out railway car in the shambles that had been Warsaw’s main railway station. The place smelt of stale liquor and urine.
‘Do you know who I am?’ It was a rhetorical question but set the tone as Claus entered the place.
'Yes, you are the man who planted the bomb.' It was a statement that left the morality as to whether planting the bomb under the head of the Third Reich was a good or a bad thing wide open. Neither Dirlewanger nor any of his men made an effort at coming to attention. Stauffenberg refused to be drawn.
'Colonel, do you recognize my authority as well as that of Gruppenführer von dem Bach.'
A pause ensued. The tall man with the scruffy bits of beard on his cheeks was weighing up his options. Life in the streets of Warsaw had been hard but had offered many an opportunity for plunder and rape. He glanced at the Waffen-SS commander who just a few days before had suggested that he and his men avail themselves of the opportunity. Now this character. His men expected no quarter and gave none, but being sent to the front to face Soviet regulars, if that was what this meeting was about, would be a certain death sentence. However, unpopular Dirlewanger had his sources of information and news of Stauffenberg’s meeting with Bor had travelled fast. It could destroy his ever-tenuous hold over his rabble. He would not give up so lightly.
The Valkyrie Option Page 28
