“I will do my best, Herr Admiral.”
“That will be all, gentlemen,” Canaris said, dismissing them.
Though no one had told him anything specifically, Boltitz had quickly come to understand that making himself useful to both von Ribbentrop and von und zu Waching consisted primarily of carrying messages between von Ribbentrop and Canaris without anyone in the Foreign Ministry knowing about it. But he additionally made mental notes recording everyone in the Nazi hierarchy who called on von Ribbentrop, and passed this information in person to von und zu Waching in a daily report.
Most of his time, however, was occupied with planning the escape from Argentina of the two hundred–odd German officers interned there and bringing them back to Germany. Since he knew absolutely nothing about Argentina or about planning a covert operation, he at first imagined the assignment was intended (as Canaris had said) to be a learning experience and nothing more.
But in time he came to understand it was more than that. For reasons he couldn’t imagine, Canaris and von und zu Waching wanted him to acquire extensive knowledge of Argentina. And in doing this, he found he had an unexpected ally in Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop himself, who ordered that he be given access to the files in the Argentine Section of the Foreign Ministry.
All of these loose strands came together in January 1943 at what had been announced as a small dinner party at von und zu Waching’s home in Potsdam to celebrate Karl’s promotion to Korvettenkapitän. He had expected neither the promotion nor the party.
The presence of some of the people at the von und zu Waching villa doubly surprised him—first because they were there at all, and second because they had come almost surreptitiously, in ordinary cars, rather than in the enormous and glistening Mercedeses and Horch limousines almost invariably used by the upper echelons of the Nazi hierarchy.
Martin Bormann was there, and Heinrich Himmler and Admiral Dönitz and Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop, and of course, Admiral Canaris. Only Canaris stayed for dinner, the others having wanted only to see for themselves the young Naval Intelligence officer whom Canaris wished to involve in Operation Phoenix.
Two SS officers, Oberführer Freiherr Manfred von Deitzberg, Himmler’s adjutant, and von Deitzberg’s deputy, Sturmbannführer Erich Raschner, appeared ten minutes after Himmler left. Over dinner, Boltitz’s role in Operation Phoenix—essentially liaison between the Navy, von Ribbentrop’s office, Himmler’s office, and the Abwehr—was discussed at some length.
“I think I should tell you, von Deitzberg,” Canaris said, “with the exception, of course, that we will be using the Océano Pacífico and not a submarine, that the plan to repatriate the Graf Spee officers is Boltitz’s. He has become our Argentine expert.”
“Then perhaps we should send him over there. Or is that what you’re suggesting?”
“I discussed that with both Himmler and Dönitz. We are agreed that he will be more valuable here. In case something goes wrong.”
“Are you suggesting that something will go wrong?”
“Did you ever hear the phrase, my dear von Deitzberg, ‘the best laid schemes of mice and men,’ et cetera?”
“There is no room in Operation Phoenix for error,” von Deitzberg said.
“Even the more reason to expect the unexpected, my friend,” Canaris said.
And now it was 0930 on the twenty-eighth of April, and the unexpected had happened. The Graf Spee officers would not be repatriated aboard the Océano Pacífico, the special cargo had not been landed, the two officers in charge of the operation had been shot to death on the beach of Samborom-bón Bay, and Admiral Canaris had summoned Karl Boltitz to his office.
“The Reichsführer-SS,” Canaris was saying, “has just about convinced himself that there is a traitor in Buenos Aires. He may well be right, and he may have information in that regard that he has not seen fit to share with me. The possibility exists, however, that the Argentines—knowing absolutely nothing about Operation Phoenix—are responsible for the deaths of Oberst Grüner and Standartenführer Goltz. Ordering the elimination of Oberst Frade may well turn out to have been very ill-advised in this connection alone, not to mention the damage it did to our relations with the Argentine officer corps.”
Karl Boltitz nodded but said nothing. He had long before learned that Admiral Canaris had no time to listen to verbal agreements. If there was no objection, he presumed full agreement with him.
“I have no doubt that a means will be found to land the special cargo in Argentina, and that Operation Phoenix, supported as it is at all echelons, will ultimately go forward. But I consider, and so does the Führer, that the repatriation of the Graf Spee officers is also very important to ultimate victory.”
He glanced at Boltitz as if looking for an indication that Boltitz understood him.
“I have the feeling that the Führer will wish to see the reports from Spain and Buenos Aires. Read them himself, rather than trust a synopsis. The Führer does not like reports that offer ambiguities. So the report that you and whoever the Reichsführer-SS sends with you to Spain should contain no ambiguities. If there is any disagreement as to what the report to Himmler should contain, defer to the SS.”
Now a reply was expected, and Boltitz gave it. “Jawohl, Herr Admiral.”
“I would, of course, be interested in anything you
develop there, or in Buenos Aires, that Himmler’s man does not feel is worthy of the attention of either the Reichsführer-SS or of the Führer.”
The translation of that is that I am to report to him, unofficially, anything in the report to Himmler I don’t agree with, as well as anything I think—or suspect—he should know.
“I understand, Herr Admiral.”
“If you can find the time, Boltitz, perhaps you could meet the Condor from Buenos Aires when it lands in Lisbon.”
“Jawohl, Herr Admiral.”
Admiral Canaris smiled at Boltitz, then signaled with his hand that their little chat was over.