Opening Moves

Their purpose was already known through other means, but this was the first sniff of a possible French-run facility so far. Given the placement of the other three known symposium it seemed likely that the French would place theirs in Alsace, Franche-Comte, or Rhone-Alpes. If the French symposium followed the same rules on the national identity of attendees as the others did, then the most likely location for the travel convenience of US and UK officers would be Alsace. A list of castles and other similar structures in Alsace was attached, complete with suitability profiles where information had been available.

There was also more confirmation of the Western Allies ‘apparent belief that an attack would take place.’ Also of note was that there was no record of a 15th US Armored Division on the order of battle for the Western Allies, so either it was another unit masquerading as part of some sort of American ‘maskirova’ or it was a new formation. Given the appreciation within the report, it was felt most likely to be a new formation, and a poor one at that.

To round off the report a list of possible German officer candidates of Colonel rank or above known to be in French captivity was attached. Admittedly, the list ran to over two hundred names but Tatiana had asterisked seven who she considered the most likely candidates. Six of them were SS and number two on the list was a name of some considerable repute. Also attached was a copy of the French Military Intelligence request for information on a list of German officers. Some names appeared in both lists and Tatiana had cross-referenced them. There was also reference links to three other GRU files relating to numbers two, five, and six. Those were not to hand but the report indicated that copies had been urgently requested from the GRU department covering the former East Prussia. It was an excellent report and wholly accurate.

Pekunin placed it in his briefcase with the intention of reading it again on his flight to Moscow. If it was all that he thought it was, then it was about time Tatiana received her next step on the promotion ladder. In the meantime, instructions were issued to act upon its contents.

Chapter 24 – THE EXECUTIONS

How many things apparently impossible have nevertheless been performed by resolute men who had no alternative but death.

Napoleon Bonaparte

1210 hrs Friday, 27th July 1945, The Kremlin, Moscow, USSR.

There were always minor details to confront and review, even for the powerful and great.

As the date approached when Kingdom39 could go live, more problems presented themselves.

Rigidly, the GKO stuck to their requirement of the 3rd August,and faced down every request for delay from Zhukov and Vasilevsky.

The previous day GRU reports had been forwarded from all over the former Germany and landed on Pekunin’s desk in Gundorf. Nazarbayeva and her staff had collated the facts, and Pekunin was able to send specific instructions for his agents in Western Europe before he left his office to fly to Moscow.

Beria and Stalin had been celebrating the undoubted advantages that their plans had secured as a result of Churchill’s removal from power in the UK General Election, confirming Stalin’s view that such democracy undermined a country’s stability and welfare.

Their crowing was interrupted when Pekunin arrived bearing bad tidings.

The contents of that report had been discussed and they all now waited in the General Secretary’s office for the arrival of another.

The telephone rang and a brief message was relayed.

Stalin did not even acknowledge the caller and returned the handset to its proper place.

The doors opened and in strode Major-General Ivan Makarenko, commander of the 100th Guards Rifle Division ‘Svir’.

He stood before Stalin for the first time but, unlike many, he seemed unafraid.

“Comrade General, how is the planning for your task going?” Stalin obviously knew but he had chosen to approach this man differently.

“It is complete, Comrade General Secretary. Comrade General Pekunin was able to supply the last piece of the jigsaw two days ago.” That the last piece of the jigsaw was the precise location of Symposium Paderborn and the strength of its military presence went unsaid. For Pekunin it had been a close run thing and Beria had enjoyed watching him sweat for a day or two before he passed on the information his NKVD agents had acquired just in time.

“We now practice mock attacks upon targets chosen because of the similarities to the symposiums. In three days we will be ready Comrade General Secretary.”

Beria questioned the statement on behalf of all the listeners.

“Three days Comrade Makarenko? Surely you will need longer?”