Doodlebug

Prologue

During the 1930’s, The United States Government had limited and inadequate intelligence gathering capabilities except through the military services. Other sources of intelligence data collecting came from Diplomats and their attachés who gleaned information from secret contacts during undercover meetings. Unfortunately, the agencies and services failed to communicate among themselves. Because the government did not have a central intelligence organization to assimilate important information, keeping abreast of clandestine operations and other intelligence that could involve national security had become a major problem.

Prior to the start of the Second World War, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was not pleased with the lack of cooperation among the various departments in the government—or in the military services—relating to the exchange of information concerning new challenges that could affect our nation. He established an intelligence-gathering agency named the Office of the Coordinator of Information, or COI, in an attempt to initiate a strategic approach to make the traditional intelligence services begin to work together. His goal was to enable the sharing of all information and data that could have a bearing on national security. Roosevelt finally gave COI the responsibility to collect, correlate, and analyze all intelligence data. He asked them to make the information immediately available to the President, his staff, and to all department heads and officials he designated. The head of this new civilian office, Mr. William J. Donovan, reported directly to him. Wild Bill Donovan had a very strong background in foreign affairs. He had enjoyed a distinguished career in military service, had earned a law degree at Columbia University, and understood the importance of having a strategic plan to secure important information relative to national security issues, and most importantly, the issues relating to Nazism and its pending dangers to the United States. In 1942 the OCI was renamed the Office of Strategic Services, or the OSS.

Donovan began to recruit personnel for his new agency who had studied international affairs, traveled extensively abroad, and had extensive business and legal backgrounds. He named Alan W. Dulles, an attorney with an extensive background in the diplomatic service, to serve as Director of Operations of the OSS. Dulles had gained a reputation for intelligence gathering as related to German programs, plans, and activities, while stationed in Bern, Switzerland.

In June of 1942, the government restructured the Office of Strategic Services to include a new highly secretive posting known as ASIA, the American Secret Intelligence Agency, and named T. James Bendel, of the Office of Naval Intelligence, a Navy Captain with extensive experience in tracking foreign espionage activities, as the Chief of ASIA. The OSS formulated the agency to guard against all counter-intelligence operations within the United States and Canada, our closest ally during the war. ASIA now had the responsibility to investigate all incidents of disasters that occurred in either country to determine if the incident was a natural happening or if the disaster could have been a possible act of espionage caused by enemy agents.

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Chapter 1

Initial Briefing

1:30 p.m. February 20, 1942

Location: Pension Moritz Hotel, Berchtesgaden, Bavaria

Waffen SS Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler, the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany during World War II, faced the three Hartmann brothers who served in the SS as German secret agents. They stood at attention in the underground command post while Himmler raised his right arm, saluted, and snarled in a loud voice: Heil Hitler! He paused, staring at each agent individually and intently for a brief second, and continued. As members of the Germanic peoples, you can be happy and proud. You can be thankful that once in a thousand years fate has given us, from among the Germanic peoples, such a genius, such a leader, our Führer Adolf Hitler. He closed his eyes briefly, as if in silent prayer. Turning slightly, he looked up in the air and began to converse with them in a soft voice. It was almost as if he were directing a stage play and they were the actors participating in the play; and that it was necessary to explain to them the necessary communication they needed among themselves in their next scene, in order for them to promote an immediate reaction from the audience.

"You three Hartmann brothers are here today because of a direct order from the Führer himself. He is aware of your background. When you immigrated back to Germany from Canada to assist your father in managing our famous Bavarian hotel, the Pension Moritz, you did the correct thing. You immediately joined the Nazi Party. He is also aware that you have other relatives still living in Canada, including a brother and a sister.

You have been chosen for some very special missions; clandestine operations that will involve your immediate return to Canada and covert entrance into the United States."

His results as a director were immediately rewarded. In unison, the brothers Hartmann clicked their boot heels together, raised their arms in a return salute, and shouted: Sieg Heil! the Nazi response meaning, We will win, or We salute the highest!

On February 10, 1942, Chancellor Adolph Hitler ordered Himmler to hold a strategic planning meeting with the brothers at a secret location, an underground command post located beneath the Austrian town of Berchtesgaden, above which rose the beautiful Alpine region called Obersalzberg. The Nazi’s had constructed the secret underground chamber for Hitler’s benefit and for the use of other Reich Ministers and their staff. The Eagles Nest, or Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s private retreat for entertaining dignitaries and other guests of the Reich, was located at the top of the Kehlstein Mountain in the Alps a short distance away.

The underground area, consisting of a series of large cavernous bunkers and tunnels, was almost the size of a small town in itself. It was cleverly accessed through an entrance door hidden in the rear of the kitchen of the Pension Moritz, a large hotel that serviced the many vacationers and tourists who visited the area. While the hotel was one of the most beautiful and luxurious lodges in Europe, the Nazi Party had taken over the hotel in June of 1936.

A long series of forty stone steps from the kitchen area of the hotel led down to a concealed underground passageway, cut into and through the left side of a thick wall of rock located at the bottom of the stairwell. The passageway led into an underground chamber consisting of a series of very large tunnels and bunkers, interconnected, well fortified, and well lighted. Twelve enormous diesel-powered generators, originally constructed for use aboard German U-boats, supplied the electrical power for heat, light, and refrigeration for the underground cavernous compartments.

Directly at the bottom of the stairwell, another stone wall with three rectangular cutouts faced the steps. Nazi soldiers stationed in a small hollow bunker room behind this wall aimed the barrels of their submachine guns up the stairwell toward the kitchen door. Obviously, entrance to the underground chambers was well guarded and protected.

Himmler continued, advising that even though the operation would be complex, there was absolutely no room for errors. They would do everything—whatever it took—to insure success of this mission.

I have assigned operation control for this highly secret mission to Obergruppenführer Ernst Kaltenbrunner. He reached to his face and adjusted his pince-nez eyeglasses.

Almost on cue, Kaltenbrunner opened the door leading to the operations room. Himmler nodded in his direction as he walked toward them. You will now report directly to Obergruppenführer Kaltenbrunner and other designated members of his staff, he continued, taking off his leather gloves and addressing the Hartmann brothers directly.

You have developed very special talents and will soon be in a position to put your talents to good use. As you know, I believe—and have been quoted as saying, that Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS. Ordinary citizens don’t need guns, as their having guns doesn’t serve the state. You Hartmann brothers have made exemplary progress in the course of your careers in the SS. You have achieved elevated status as senior shooters in our service. Now is the time to activate your talents involving sniper rifles and other special weaponry, not so? You three should be grateful to work with others of our superior race, and to work directly with us. It will undoubtedly happen that the enemy will attempt, tomorrow or the next day, or at some future time, to break into this fortress of Europe at one point or another. That will undoubtedly be the case. You will help to keep this from happening. The only thing that matters is that we stand firm. The fortress of Europe with its frontiers will be held, and must be held, as long as is necessary. These clashes are the only evolutionary possibility that will enable us one day, now that Fate has given us the Führer Adolf Hitler, to create the Germanic Reich. As I just said, the only thing that matters is that we stand firm. You will also remember that the best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Complete terror! Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don’t ask for their love; only for their fear.

Hans Hartmann, the oldest brother, stood stiffly at attention while looking straight ahead. He asked Himmler, My brothers and I will be deployed to Canada and we will have access to the United States as necessary. Is that not true, Herr Reich minister?

Your deployment will be at the discretion of Obergruppenfuhrer Ernst Kaltenbrunner and his chief aides, Gruppenfuhrer Otto Ohlendorf and Brigadefuhrer Walter Schellenberg. Do you not understand? Himmler shouted at him with raised eyebrows, implying that any direct orders should not be questioned.

Yes, my leader, Hans replied. We wish only to make our family proud of our service to the Reich. We returned to Germany to support the Reich. We are totally committed to whatever orders we are given and will continue to support the ideals and standards of the Waffen SS!

Himmler continued to peer intently at him for several seconds. The electric lights in the cavern dimmed slightly as a second U-boat generator kicked in to supply power. He then placed his hands behind his back and paced slowly back and forth. Turning abruptly, he addressed the brothers again, spoke quietly and said, The process for fabrication and authentication of your identity papers and those of your two brothers Peter and Frederick, as Canadian citizens, is extremely plausible because of your backgrounds. Ration cards, work passes, identification cards and currency, both Canadian and American, will be available shortly. And you will be given final orders for your mission by Obergruppenfuhrer Kaltenbrunner when we have established appropriate goals and the presence, or, let’s say the ‘reappearance’ of you and your brothers to eliminate suspicion of any kind. Is this also understood, Oberstleutnant?

Very much so, Herr Reich Minister. Thank you very much!

Himmler’s eyes grew narrower and he persisted. As special agents of the Reich, your responsibilities will be to destroy all targets as directed. This will include destruction and elimination of targets such as manufacturing operations, shipping and transport operations and the like, as well as the assassinations of American and Canadian military and civilian officials. Our contacts in Canada will be expecting your return and that of other agents as well on a routine basis, said Himmler. You will be expected to complete all missions as expeditiously as possible. You will not be taken alive if caught. Do you understand?

Yes, Herr Reich Minister, the Hartmann’s shouted in one voice, advising of their total compliance with his orders.

We shall have to pass over many mountains and through many a valley, many a narrow defile. Some will grow weary on the way. Of course they will mostly be those who have reason to do so; because they have renounced their loyalty to the Reich, Himmler concluded, looking at the brothers intently. He replaced his gloves, clicked his boot heels, saluted, turned abruptly, and left the bunker with his aides. Those remaining in the bunker immediately shouted Heil Hitler! He smiled to himself as he began to walk up the staircase into the kitchen of the Pension Moritz Hotel and thought: "Another mission successfully accomplished. Wir werden die ganze weld gesturben! (We will destroy the whole world!)"

Sieg heil, mein Führer!

CHAPTER 2

In the Bleak Midwinter

8:15 a.m. December 5th, 1942

Location: western Pennsylvania

Senior agents Harmon Senko and Weston Spike Speicher of the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) leaned back on the thick padding of their wooden bench seat in the small Doodlebug train car. The Doodlebug was not much larger than a streetcar trolley or the ‘caboose’ on a passenger train. The agents gazed out the window at the ice-covered creek in the valley below. It was nasty outside. The sky overcast, fog, and frost everywhere; and it was bitter cold!

The agents had arrived early in the morning at the train station of the Ligonier Express in the borough of Ligonier, Pa., a small village nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. Ligonier, often called Pennsylvania’s Mountain Playground because of its popularity as a resort area, provided golfing in the summer months in the valleys and snow skiing in the mountains during the winter months. It was the home of many famous industrialists, bankers, and service members, who traveled back and forth to Pittsburgh, Pa. on a daily basis. The Ligonier Express was part of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road System, which connected with the Pennsylvania Rail Road System in Latrobe, Pa., a distance of about 10 miles. Together the two railroad companies provided train service from the Ligonier Valley to Pittsburgh and to Harrisburg Pa, capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. and to Washington, D.C.

The agents chose to sit comfortably in the middle of the Doodlebug, fondly called the ‘Liggie’ by the local residents, on the first leg of their trip to Pittsburgh. They had ridden on the ‘Liggie’ on several other occasions and were familiar with the remarkable little railroad car.

The Doodlebug itself was a single car passenger train. It was gasoline-powered, self-propelled, and painted a medium brown with a dark brown trim on the outside. The gasoline engine connected to a generator that powered two traction motors mounted beneath the car. Invented and manufactured by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, the Doodlebug was the first gas-electric car designed to function like a streetcar but without the overhead power lines. It carried its own electrical power supply. Rising high above the surrounding valleys, the steepness of the Allegheny mountain range required the single train tracks of the Doodlebug to be cut and set deeply into the side of each mountain. The car traveled up and down various steep and shallow grades running alongside a deep chasm, the Loyalhannah Gorge, which resembled a wide mountainous canyon, on its journey to Latrobe, Pa. Upon arriving at the Latrobe station, passengers could transfer to a steam locomotive train to continue their trip to Pittsburgh or to other cities.

The seats in the Doodlebug car were well padded. A beautifully embroidered, heavy green fabric trimmed with amber red cording, covered the seats. A rich, dark mahogany wood with overlaid molding enclosed the inside of the car. It was quite stylish and resembled the parlor in a country home. A large picture window in the middle section of the car had offered the best view of the Loyalhannah Gorge and the wide creek that cascaded through it, as it splashed across large, sand colored boulders spraying water and ice crystals into the air. The opulence of the car reminded them of oil paintings they had seen of carriages in the service of European royalty. They both enjoyed the spectacular view of the snow-capped mountains and valleys on these trips. When they occasionally spoke to each other, their conversation was limited to comments about skiing, football and other sports, the weather, and the constantly changing scenery, so as not to accidentally reveal classified information to other passengers. Today was an exception, however.

Harmon Senko had earned a degree in structural engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) before attending graduate school at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He was a short man with broad shoulders and wavy brown hair. A compulsive smile and a great sense of humor attracted friends and strangers alike. Weston Speicher, on the other hand, was very tall, played basketball at Pitt, and majored in physics with a minor in chemistry. He had also been accepted into the graduate engineering program at Carnegie Tech. He had closely cropped black hair and deep set, dark green eyes. The nickname ‘Spike’ fit him very well. Harm and Spike had become close friends in high school and college and were dubbed ‘Mutt and Jeff’ by their friends. Following graduation, they both enrolled in the U.S. Navy. Because of their engineering backgrounds, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) immediately drafted them into their service. The Office of Naval Intelligence was located near the future site of the Westinghouse Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. During their first year in the Navy, they worked with other naval engineers to replicate fuel generation systems for navy submarines, including alternate energy products. Special funding for these projects came from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commanders the following year, they accepted assignment to a new, top-secret command posting within the OSS, the American Secret Intelligence Agency. Having worked closely with Captain Jim Bendel, Chief of ASIA, during their first year of service, they individually exhibited the necessary talents and expertise Bendel was looking for to involve both of them in counter-intelligence activities. Working together, it was apparent to Bendel that they could do things involving ‘side issues’, issues involving social, political and economic trends that could be presented only to a select group of government officials and their staff members. He also knew that only certain members of government defense committees would agree to covert operations involving ASIA, and that they would not leak these operations to politicians or to the public at large. Harmon and Spike had the ability to discern or recognize complicated situations and to determine the root cause of complex issues. Both agents were fascinated with the opportunity to work together on a new assignment that would allow them to investigate unusual occurrences that could have a direct bearing on possible espionage activities carried out by Nazi spies.

Earlier in the week on Tuesday morning, the Office of Strategic Services held an emergency general staff meeting at the