“The Soviet leaders will be on a certain train at a certain time. We know the train’s schedule-we know where to find it at a given time. We intend to stop the train by bombing it from the air. Then our ground troops will administer the coup de grace. We’ll have Stalin’s corpse to prove we’ve done the job.”
He had to wait for the taut murmur to die away; then he went on:
“The Nazis control the approaches to the Baltic Sea. So we’ve got to carry everything with us by air. Our bombers will fly with full bomb-loads and auxiliary fuel tanks and we’ll have to stuff the transports to their maximum weight limits. For that reason I ask that you leave behind anything that isn’t absolutely vital.
“The operation-code name Steel Bear-is scheduled to take off from the Finland airstrip on a date you’ll know well in advance. The flight plan requires a nonstop flight to a target of approximately one thousand kilometers-six hundred miles-not a tough run for these planes. We’re timing our approach to coincide with the arrival of Stalin’s train at the target point. Of course it may be a bit late-they’ve had to clear the rails of snow every day for the past two weeks-but we’re prepared to circle the target area until the train appears. There’s ample fuel for that. If our bombers are challenged by Red fighters they’ll respond with the proper Red Air Force recognition code for that day.
“Our first-echelon of parachute commandos will have taken off twelve hours previously. The parachute drop will have been made by night into fields as close as possible to the target areas assigned to each team. There are a half dozen teams. One key target is the wireless transmitter towers on the Moscow-Noginsk road-they’ve become the center for outgoing transmissions since the towers on the west of Moscow were bombed by the Luftwaffe and the Nazis cut the western telephone networks. The telephone lines to the east are wired through a subsidiary central switchboard on the Noginsk line; that switchboard is the target of Major Solov’s team of paratroops. Both the switchboard and the wireless transmitter station are piped into the Kremlin. By taking these two points we cut the Kremlin off from contact with units outside Moscow, and we inform those in the Kremlin of the coup d’etat.
“As some of you know we’ve been working with the assistance of a man inside the Kremlin. He’s a member of the General Staff, I can reveal that much. He will be ready to join us at the communications center the moment we have captured it and confirmed the death of the Soviet leaders. The general and I will announce that we’ve jointly taken command of the military forces of Russia.
“Major Postsev’s team will secure the Krivoy airfield, the nearest field to Moscow that’s in use at present. Prince Felix will land there after having bombed the train. He will proclaim the liberation. We’ll warn the Red Army commanders in the Kremlin that if they don’t join us we’ll cut off their communications-they’d lose control of their armies and the Germans would be able to take Moscow in a matter of hours; they’ll have little choice.
“Our advance line of combat personnel will move into the Kremlin wearing Red uniforms. According to plan this should take place approximately twelve hours after the bombing of Stalin’s train. Prince Felix will arrive in the Kremlin when it’s secured and the lines of communication then will be restored. By this time your echelon will be airborne en route to Moscow. You’ll be driven from the Krivoy airfield to the Kremlin. In this manner we expect to provide continuity in governmental administration with an interruption too short to allow the Nazis to take advantage of it.
“Most of the Soviet departments have been evacuated to the Kuybyshev but Red Army headquarters remains in Moscow and that’s our key. Once we have control of the armies the other departments must fall into line. Within a few days many of you will travel on to the Kuybyshev to assume control of your agencies. There will be revolutionary resistance and partisans to contend with-it can’t be helped-but the German threat will guarantee our success. We’re presenting them with an ultimatum and they’ll have no time to organize resistance; they’ll have the simple choice-go along or go under.
“That sums up the operational plan. We’re ready for questions now.”
6
He looked up from the desk and Buckner was there, leaning casually in the doorway with one stiff arm up against the jamb. “Well?”
“Pack your things, Glenn. We’re moving out.”
“Not without filling me in first.”
“Happy to. Take a seat while I finish this.” He went back to the assignment rosters.
When he looked up Buckner was sitting there with his hands folded across his flat belly. The picture of wry patience.
It was nearly noon. In Washington it would be about seven in the morning. Alex said, “You’ve been communicating with Washington nearly every day.”
“Sure.”
“Using the Navy shortwave from Scapa Flow, right?”
“You got it.” Buckner smiled a little. “I thought I had a tail the past few days.”
“You’re lucky I let you off the base at all.”
“Okay so you’ve found out my deep dark secret, Hell if you’d asked me I’d have told you. I’m the President’s boy, Alex-I got to keep in touch with the home office.”
“If I’d had objections to it you’d have heard them long before now.” Alex pushed his seat back. “We’re taking off this afternoon, Glenn. Shortwave only works at night. You won’t have a chance to talk to Washington before we go.”
He saw the impact of it and he went right on before Buckner could work up the anger to respond. “I promised to spell out the plan for you and I’m going to keep the promise right now. It happens the transatlantic cable was cut last week by an American depth-charge attack on a U-boat; otherwise I’d have strung you along until takeoff. But there’s no telephone to Washington now. Next week they’ll have the cable repaired again, won’t they. Fortunes of war, Glenn.”
“You’re a clever bastard.”
“Sure I am. Now there’s a string attached to what I’m about to tell you.”
“What string?”
“You’re going with us as far as our forward base. It’s in Finland.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I’m glad you feel like that. You won’t be able to communicate with Washington at all until we’ve accomplished the mission. My radio people have strict orders to keep you away from all wireless gear.”
Buckner took it stoically. “Thanks heaps-pal.”
“Don’t try to make any phone calls, Glenn. I’ve had the outside line disconnected. Nobody communicates off the base without my authorization.”
“Thought of everything, haven’t you.”
“I always had a fair head for security,” he murmured, “Nobody’s sabotaging this operation now. Nobody.”
Buckner did a strange thing. He nodded and smiled. “If I were in your shoes I’d do exactly the same thing. I had my orders, Alex-but in the gut I’m on your side. I want to see you people pull this thing off. I remember Moscow under Joe Stalin-you know how it is. Now let’s hear the plan. Just for the hell of it.”
7
It was a motley flotilla: three massive B-17S, three American Dakota transports, two Canadian De Havilland transports. The British Spitfires would pick them up at the coastline and escort them to the limit of their fuel ranges. The remainder of the flight-past the Denmark straits and up the Baltic into Finland-they’d be on their own. The guns of the B-17S were turreted and loaded; belts of ammunition lay gleaming dully of Cosmoline beneath the gunners’ swivel seats. The aircrews assembled on the tarmac and Pappy Johnson walked among them wearing his mustard-collared flying jacket; he was flying right-seat in one of the transports this time but he was still the man they listened to.
“These aircraft are overloaded. I’d like you misters to remember that. You’re flying at maximum gross weight and then some. Do me the kindness of remembering to keep your noses down on the turns, all right? Let’s go then.”