Devils with Wings (17 page)

“I’ll organise it, see you this afternoon.”

Goring put the phone down and General Student immediately ordered a Feisler Storch, a small reconnaissance aircraft, to be warmed up. He would fly himself to the meeting in Berlin, ensuring he was there by the early afternoon.

He cleared his desk, picked up his leather briefcase, and grabbing his hat and coat as he left, headed down to the vehicle he knew would be expecting to take him to his waiting aircraft.

The plane was ready, engine warm, and strapping himself in he turned the plane towards the runway, his mind contemplating the purpose for his summons, and flew to Berlin.

He landed at Berlin’s airport, Tempelhof, just after one thirty and was collected by limousine and taken directly to the Chancellery, where the Commander of the Luftwaffe welcomed him, Field Marshall Herman Goring.

Kurt saluted and they shook hands.

“Good timing Kurt, come, I’ll take you straight through to the Map Room, the Fuhrer is keen to meet with you.”

“Have you any idea what it is about sir?” questioned Student.

“Even I’ve not been taken into the Fuhrer’s confidence on this occasion Kurt, you know as much as I do. How is the Division shaping up after Poland?”

They are disappointed that they didn’t get to see more action, why weren’t they given more to do?” The frustration was clear in the General’s voice.

The Fuhrer gave explicit instructions for your Fallschirmjager to be involved in only limited operations. Anyway, Wola-Gulowska was a success wasn’t it?”

“Yes sir, they did well. Particularly Hauptman Volkman and a young Leutnant Brand.”

“Yes, Oberst Baum made me personally aware and the Fuhrer himself authorised the awards for that action.”

They had arrived at the map room, where the secretary led Student inside, requesting the Field Marshall to remain outside.

Student followed her in through the large door and into the map room. Kurt had been here before and never ceased to be impressed by the magnificence of the walnut panelled room.

Hitler was stood, leaning with both hands on a large table that was strewn with various maps. He looked up when Student was escorted in, but didn’t move from his current position.

“I have a job for you General Student and I want to know if you can complete it? This Belgium fort here,” said Hitler pointing to the map. “Do you know it?”

Student walked over to the map, looking at the area where the Fuhrer was indicating, “Yes my Fuhrer, I know it well. It’s a very formidable emplacement.”

Hitler pointed to various aspects of the fort, highlighting structures, gun emplacements and the canal that ran alongside it. He pondered over the map for a few moments before saying, “I have an idea; I think you could land your assault gliders on top of Fort Eben Emael and storm the fortress for me.”

The Fuhrer looked him straight in the eye, “Is that possible General Student?”

The Fuhrer’s statement and his question stunned the General. The idea was both audacious and yet quite simple in its concept.

“I will need some time to think this through my Fuhrer. It would certainly be difficult to drop a stick of paratroops onto such a small target and the slow, noisy Junker 52s, would give ample warning of any attack.”

Student ticked the points off in his head, “Jumping from the minimum height of ninety metres,” mused Student, “they would be spread over a two hundred metre area. Then they would have to swiftly get to their weapons canisters before they could start the assault. There would also be some weighty explosives to carry to their targets. The gliders stealthy approach, on the other hand, would certainly be preferable. Yes, gliders would be a sensible option.”

“Well General Student let me have your full thoughts by tomorrow. We will meet first thing and I’ll share with you a few other surprises I have up my sleeve.”

Hitler called for his secretary and Student was led out of the map room.

On his way out, passing through the opulence of the Reich Chancellery, newly designed and built by Speer, he gave consideration to the conversation he had just had with Germany’s great leader.

What possible reason would the Fuhrer have for attacking a Belgian Fort? Does he want Belgium next, he thought. Was it part of something bigger? Surely not, they had only just finished a war with Poland and prior to that they had re-occupied the Rhineland, instigated the annexation of Austria and occupied the Sudetenland. Britain and France surely would strongly object to any further expansionist plans and act accordingly, with force.

After sleeping on it, Student called in to the Imperial Chancellery the next day, to give Hitler his reaction to the potential operation, although it seemed that the Fuhrer had already made up his mind.

Hitler was already convinced that the glider operation was the correct one and the undertaking would succeed.

He was again taken to the map room. This time Hitler seemed anxious and clearly not in a mood for a protracted conversation, hence Student quickly came to the point of the meeting, his affirmation that his paratroopers could indeed assault Eben Emael from the air.

“Well, can it be done?” questioned Hitler.

“Yes, my Fuhrer, it can be done, but there is a prerequisite if we are to have any chance of success,” pointed out Student.

“And that is?”

“The landings must be made in daylight, if not, at least during the twilight hours.”

“Excellent,” nodded Hitler, “then start making your plans.”

“Yes, my Fuhrer, will your orders be issued immediately?”

Hitler did not seem to hear the question and motioned Student to take a seat next to him and he proceeded to tell the General a story about World War 1.

The aim of the story was to impart information regarding the development of a new type of explosive, a hollow charge weapon.

“It can penetrate any structure,” Hitler conveyed, “whether it is steel or concrete.”

“If true my Fuhrer, it will take great pressure off the glider force, which would otherwise have to carry an excessive amount of high explosives. The paratroopers would also have to manhandle those explosives to the targets.”

“Oh it is true General Student, don’t doubt me.”

“I never doubt you my Fuhrer, do I have your order to take the Fort?”

“Yes, yes General Student, you have. Take that Fort for me! But, this plan must be devised and prepared for in utmost secrecy,” he whispered softly, pressing both hands, face down on the table, emphasising his point.

“I also want you to plan for the securing of the bridges at Canne, Vroenhoven and Veldwezelt.”

“What is the purpose of these assaults my Fuhrer?”

“The Albert Canal equips Belgium with an intimidating barrier blocking any invasion from Germany,” pointed out Hitler. “We need to overcome that barrier if we are to be successful in a Blitzkrieg attack on the West.”

“An attack on the West?” Student responded in surprise, “Is the Army ready to fight such a battle so soon my Fuhrer?”

“You let me worry about that Generalleutnant Student,” said Hitler dismissively. “I will show you.”

Hitler and Student poured over a number of photographs of the bridges crossing the canal and of the Fort Eben Emael. He had evidently studied all aspects of the strengths and weaknesses of the targets.

“If we are to successfully transit Belgium, in order to get to France, these bridges across the canal and the Eben Emael fort must be secured and held,” reiterated Hitler.

Hitler and Student discussed the involvement of the Fallschirmjager in the Norwegian and Polish campaigns. Although they hadn’t necessarily distinguished themselves, primarily as they had not had the opportunity, as they had not been heavily committed, Hitler was still pleased with what they had done.

They had only been involved in small-scale actions, so it was very difficult for the paratroopers, a new organisation and a new concept, to make its mark. They had in fact only completed one operation that involved a parachute drop, this being a small action to secure an airfield to enable reinforcements to be flown in by more conventional means.

Hitler assured Student, after he had made Hitler aware of the disappointment the Fallschirmjager felt at not being more extensively used in the Polish campaign, that they would certainly see some action in the West.

Hitler was a clear advocate of airborne troops and their use in future operations, particularly in his substantial plan for invading the West. Hitler made it clear to Student that the airborne and paratroopers were a new untested force that was very much a German secret weapon.

Hitler turned back to his maps, pondering his next moves. Student was clearly dismissed and he left the map room quietly.

The following day a courier arrived at Student’s Headquarters, with an important dispatch for the Generalleutnant.

Trettner knocked on Student’s door and entered his office.

“There’s an SS courier here to see you sir, he is insisting that he hand delivers the dispatch to you.”

“You had better show him in then Heinz.”

“He is from the Reich Chancellery General, is there something I should know?”

“All in good time Major, all in good time, now please escort the courier to my office.”

Trettner left the room and the courier entered the office minutes later. Taking the dispatch from his highly polished pouch, he handed it to Student, who in turn signed for it, and the SS courier left.

Kurt quickly opened the orders and scanned through them.

Student finally had his orders.

7 Flieger Division and 22
^nd
Infantry Division, under Student’s command, would take the Belgium Reduit Nationale, in the area of Ghent, from the air and hold this important line of fortifications until the arrival of the Army.

A detachment was to be tasked to destroy the fortress of Eben Emael and further detachments to secure the bridges over the Albert Canal, allowing the Sixth Army to cross the Maas and Albert Canal.

Granite, so the code-name for the assault on Fort Eben Emael was to be called ‘Granite’.

Although a quiet, modest man, when given the task of forming the Fallschirmjager Division, he had taken it up with gusto, he would apply a similar approach to the Fuhrer’s latest orders.

Now he had his orders from Hitler, Student didn’t squander any time in preparing his plan to carry out the mission he had been assigned.

He sat at his desk, considering whom best to lead this daring attack on the Belgian Fort.

He would also need someone in overall command as the Fuhrer had ordered him to secure three bridge crossing points over the Albert Canal. The people he would need for these four tasks would need to be special, very special.

He had discussed it with Oberst Baum, Commander of the First Fallschirmjager Regiment, FJR1, the previous day and it was agreed that a special assault force would be assembled and Hauptman Wilhelm Kaufmann, the Commander of a Company in FJR1, would assume command immediately.

Yes, he decided, it will be the young career officer, Hauptman Kaufmann. He was both a qualified Pilot and a born leader of men; Student had been tracking his career for some time.

He was just the person to see this bold stratagem through. Who could he give him as his number two, someone to back him up, mused Student, he will need a strong team around him.

His decision finally rested on Oberleutnant Joachim Faust, currently the Commander of the only engineer platoon in the Fallschirmjager. He knew him to be self-reliant and a competent officer, another potential rising star.

He called for Major Trettner.

“Heinz, I have decided on Kaufmann and Faust to lead the assaults.” Student had briefed Trettner earlier in the day on the possible choices and the Chief of Operations had pulled the files on all of the key officers of the Fallschirmjager for Student’s perusal.

“The perfect choice sir,” agreed Trettner, “could I also suggest you incorporate some of Oberleutnant Volkman’s Company? He’s about to be bumped up to Adjutant, so they will be looking for a new Company Commander.”

“Excellent idea, Leutnant Brand in particular proved himself during the action in Poland.”

Student pushed the personnel files aside and got up from his desk, walking round to the front and perched himself on the edge.

Thinking deeply, his right elbow supported by his left hand, stroking his chin with his right.

He looked at Trettner, “We could use Brand’s Platoon and incorporate it into Faust’s engineer platoon, and putting Faust in overall command, what do you think?”

“That would work sir; perhaps we could use other troopers from the Company? Have you considered who might command the glider force?” enquired Trettner.

“Krause, Heinz, Wilhelm Krause. I talked to General Kesselring yesterday and we are both in agreement that he is the right man for the job.”

Kesselring, the new Chief of Staff of the Air Corps was aware of Krause’s skills as a glider pilot and recommended him without hesitation.

“Where are they now?”

“Still in Poland, sir”

“Are they on any operations at the moment?”