“So what’s so goddamned important that you wake me up like that, Walter?”
“Sir, if you’ll grant me a moment please.”
Eisenhower took his place at the front of the hastily arranged chairs and took alternate swigs and puffs, clearly extremely unhappy at being rousted out on what was rostered as a day off for him.
Bradley, in Frankfurt to enjoy a relaxing day’s golf with his commander in chief, looked glummer than usual as he clattered through one of the doorways, almost tripping on the recently installed carpet where it terminated in a metal strip.
“Where’s the goddamned fire, Walter? Morning, Sir.”
Eisenhower indicated the chair next to him and Bedell-Smith found himself under the glaring eyes of two unhappy men as he gathered the last elements of his briefing.
Eisenhower had, in his half-asleep state, approved Bedell-Smith’s request that every two star and above in the headquarters be pulled in for the briefing, and pretty soon senior officers of all shapes, sizes, and nationalities drifted in.
Von Vietinghoff walked in with precise movements looking like he had just spent hours on his uniform and grooming, causing Ike and Bradley to share a look of exasperation, given their own delicate states.
Eisenhower spotted Patton amongst a group at the back and decided to let it ride, not wishing to cause a scene by ordering the General without portfolio from the room, or more accurately, not feeling up to the confrontation.
It had been a long night and the lack of sleep was taking its toll.
Colonel Hood, looking as tired as Ike felt, slipped in through one of the side doors and passed Bedell-Smith a piece of paper.
The briefing could commence.
Some of the language used was difficult for the translators to get right, and they had several attempts at some of the names used.
Okunoshima.
Sovetskaya Gavan.
Lewisite.
Mustard Gas.
Bubonic Plague.
Anthrax.
Cholera.
That the Japanese had released fleas carrying the plague in China and in the initial stages of the new war was already known, but the full extent of the activities of facilities like Units 100, 516, 731, and 1644 were suddenly laid bare before them, as the recently discovered information was revealed in all its horrible glory.
The listening officers started to shift more uneasily as the evidence that much of the Japanese research, and probably considerable amounts of the product of it, had been willingly handed to the Soviet forces.
Hand in hand came the suspicions about the Sen-Tokus, and the possible progress of a Soviet nuclear arms programme.
Again the translators were challenged by the briefing.
Centrifuge was not a common word in Portuguese, Spanish, or any of the other languages being whispered around the room.
All in all, it was a lot for the listeners to take in.
Whilst the briefing was eye opening, most of the assembled officers understood it was also as much about what was not known, and the glaring holes in Allied understanding became more and more apparent when Bedell-Smith took questions.
There were a lot fewer answers than questions, and the feeling of concern mounted the more times Bedell-Smith conceded a hole in Allied understanding.
Eisenhower eventually stood and held his hands out to calm the growing volume of discontent.
“Gentlemen, please! The purpose of the briefing is clear. Share what we know and highlight what we don’t know. We keep all of this under wraps, but now you all know what the issues are, and will be on the lookout for any clue… any piece of information that may help us in finding out exactly what is going on… and there is something going on, and that something may threaten our future more than it’s been threatened before.”
The throng had fallen silent.
Eisenhower moved to the pedestal, ceded to him by his CoS.
“Gentlemen, like most of you, I was unprepared for this briefing. I anticipated one later this morning, but it was brought forward, given the nature of the new information received this morning. Some of this stuff we knew already, but the totality of it all is such that I feel I must act.”
He exchanged a look with Bedell-Smith, who understood what his commander was about to say.
“The political masters will have their say in the matter, but I’m in charge of the Allied Forces in Europe, and I’m now ordering an increase in our readiness state. All absences will be reduced to an absolute minimum and units will be kept at fully operational levels, effective immediately.”
That meant a lot of people were going to be extremely unhappy.
“I want all commands to furnish this headquarters with complete readiness reports before 1500 today.”
He looked at Tedder and Cunningham who were sat together nodded.
“Naval and air patrols will be increased across the board. We’re not going to be taken by surprise by anything. New rules of engagement will be issued as soon as possible, but anything that crosses a line is to be taken down immediately. If the Soviets have these… these… terror weapons, then we’ll take no chances whatsoever. Remember what happened at Hofbieber. An unauthorised use, which explanation we’ve accepted, but none the less some of our communist opponents have already demonstrated their willingness to use such awful weapons and they’ll not get a chance to again… not on my watch!”
He swivelled to speak to his CoS.
“Anything to add, Walter?”
“No, Sir.”
Turning back, Eisenhower lifted his voice to ensure that the passion of his words carried to those at the furthest corners of the room.
“Gentlemen, we’ve no real proof that the Soviet Union is intending to attack us, but then… neither did we before December 7th 1941, not until the nips bombers came out of the morning and caught us with our trousers round our ankles. It must not… no… it will not happen again!”
The rumble of voices told Ike that he was fully understood.
“Remain vigilant, make sure your G-2s are all over everything that could possibly give us a clue to intentions… miss nothing… spare nobody… report anything at all suspicious to headquarters as per normal but also separately to the group under General Strong. I want nothing going astray here. I’m depending on each and every one of you. Good luck, gentlemen.”
Chairs scraped as, to a man, the room came to its feet and returned the salute.
In short order, the room was clear, all save Ike and his CoS.
“Anything else came in I should know about?”
“No, Sir. The additional information from the Pacific arrived in the early hours. I considered it prudent to integrate it with the intended briefing and give it all in one go, rather than roust you from your bed, Sir.”
“Thank you for that, Walter. I wish I was still there now… head under the blankets… not knowing what I now know.”
“Amen to that, Sir.”
An orderly brought in coffee and both officers sat in silence, drinking in the hot liquid and the atmosphere now percolating throughout the headquarters building.
An atmosphere that spoke of danger; of fear, and of urgency.
The world had moved closer to renewed war with a few well-chosen words, but Eisenhower had no other choice.
“Right, Walter. I guess I’d better let the President know that we may be back in a shooting war in the near future.”
“Level shot, play it up, or play it down, Sir?”
“He’ll have the same intel we have. He’ll see it all from a political angle. Me… I see it as a soldier. I’ll just tell it how it is.”
Ike affected an official voice.
“Mr President, the world just got a whole lot more complicated.”
Bedell-Smith angled his mug in acknowledgement at the black humour.