Kaganovich held a folder out, and it was greedily accepted by the Soviet Union’s leader.
The NKVD General knew better than to hand out any more folders, even though Beria held out a demanding hand.
Stalin looked different, his face coloured by shock or excitement.
“This is confirmed, Comrade General?”
“No doubt, Comrade General Secretary. Those numbers are from a very quick examination. I have asked for a fuller report as soon as possible, but there are other issues, as you can see.”
Stalin hadn’t.
“Other issues? What other issues?”
Kaganovich went from memory.
“Middle section on page four, Comrade General Secretary. Perhaps…”
He approached Stalin and leant to whisper.
“Perhaps Comrade Kurchatov or Comrade Polkovnik General Vannikov could assist you better than I, Comrade General Secretary?”
Whilst Stalin did not fully understand the specific section of the report, he understood the significance of the two names, which, of course, immediately added to his understanding of the report.
“Show me…”
Stalin moved to the huge map of Europe, a clean one, unencumbered by the normal plethora of military markings.
His eyes roved Austria, seeking the location of this incredible news.
The rest of the ensemble closed in around the Soviet leader, who waited expectantly for a clue as to where Sankt Georgen an der Gusen was.
The General Secretary puffed on his pipe, sending out a thick cloud that caused more than one of those nearby to cough.
His thick finger tapped the map roughly where he thought Sankt Georgen to be.
“Comrade Malinin,” he waited until the CoS of the Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe stepped forward, “Assure me this position is secure.”
Malinin, being Malinin the efficient, had brought details from Chuikov’s forces to the front of his folders the moment he saw the attention being given to the area around Linz.
“Where exactly is the location, Comrade General Secretary?”
Kaganovich helped Stalin out.
“Sankt Georgen an der Gusen, Comrade Polkovnik General.”
Malinin did some swift calculations, a soft snort betraying some slight amusement, a snort that drew unwarranted attention.
“Something funny, Comrade?”
“No more than a coincidence, Comrade General Secretary. The nearest enemy forces are roughly one hundred kilometres away…,” he leant forward to mark the spot with his finger, “As of 0800, Marshal Chuikov reports American forces here, at Sankt Georgen im Attergau.”
Despite the official view of religion within the Communist state, the importance of St George was not lost on any of those present.
He was, after all, the patron saint of Moscow, were they to acknowledge such things.
“Ensure that 1st Alpine preserves this location at all costs, Comrade Malinin.”
He stepped away from the map, moving people aside by his presence alone, puffing on his pipe and thinking aloud.
“We have an opportunity here, and we must seize it with both hands.”
He nodded at Kaganovich, indicating that he could distribute the files he was holding.
“From preliminary reports, there are a great deal of items to bring away… and much to be learned by studying certain other pieces in the caves.”
He sat down heavily, bringing an ominous sharp protest from the chair.
“There is no time to lose.”
Most people in the room were nose down in the file, either trying to understand the enormity of the find, or working out the logistics of transporting that many aircraft and missiles.
Only a few fully appreciated the real significance of the middle section on page four.
Nazarbayeva did, and moved closer to Stalin.
“Comrade General Secretary.”
“Speak, Comrade.”
“I am aware that Comrade Polkovnik General Serov is in Austria. Given his track record, perhaps he should be ordered to the location immediately?”
Beria almost hissed at the GRU General, but confined himself to volunteering more information on Serov, the man who had secured uranium oxide and scientists at the end of the German War, a man better placed than most to understand and recover the secrets contained within the caves at Sankt Georgen an der Gusen.
“Comrade Polkovnik General Serov is in Austria acting on new information discovered by my department,” both Nazarbayeva and Kaganovich looked at the NKVD Marshal, both knowing that he had just lied.
“Serov is at Lake Toplitz, controlling recovery operations. We have had reports that the Germans secreted items in the lake at the war’s end.”
Beria fished in his briefcase and brought out a report on the matter, one he had previously had no intention of producing in front of the GKO, until his hand was forced by the woman who, unknown to him, had made the discovery in the first place.
Some days beforehand, Nazarbayeva informed Kaganovich and, at his suggestion, had conceded that Serov was the best man for the job, and passed responsibility to Beria’s department, something her new relationship with the Deputy Head of the NKVD made much easier.
“And has Toplitz yielded anything of note, Comrade Marshal?”
Beria shrugged.
“So far, some office equipment, printed paper work, administrative records… some gold…”
“Send Serov to Sankt Georgen immediately. I want his first report on my desk by the morning.”
Stalin tapped his pipe out into his hand and disposed of the remnants, allowing Toplitz to move to the back of his mind in favour of Sankt Georgen, where luck had provided the Soviet Union with an opportunity not to be wasted.
The discussion on the new discovery was brief.
From initial reports, it seemed likely that an underground facility over a million square metres had existed under their noses for months.
The initial appraisal of the contents was mind-boggling.
…Factory equipment and jigs for producing some of the Reich’s finest technological miracles…
…High-octane fuel in the millions of litres…
…And Heinkel 162, the Salamander, or so-called People’s Fighter, most seemingly in flying condition…
…Dozens of V2 rockets… with pristine launcher vehicles and associated ephemera…
…And other rockets of all shapes and sizes, complete with blueprints and notes…
…And crates… even sealed rooms…
…Crates and sealed rooms bearing the markings of German scientific research on that most secret of developments…
A veritable Aladdin’s cave for a Motherland outclassed and outgunned in everything but fighting spirit.
Nazarbayeva’s small briefing on the latest intelligence developments included an unsubstantiated report that the British Field Marshal Montgomery was back on the active list, and that he had been seen in, of all places, Tehran.
Even though the ‘rumour’ was accompanied by credible reports of increased Allied naval and air activity in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Hormuz, nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the GKO and military men, and few attached any significance to the information, although Beria made a mental note to check his own reports to see if anything supported the woman’s claim.
The matter was set aside and the briefing moved on to the reports of Donitz’s ill health.
Stalin and Beria remained when the others had left, the politicians and military all clearly buoyed by the collapse of Ukrainian resistance, the political and military successes against the USA, and the wonderful news from Austria.
Sipping his tea, Stalin stared his NKVD chief into submission.
“So, Lavrentiy… Montgomery.”
Beria felt relief. He had expected a completely different question.