"Of course, Herr Reichsfiihrer-SS," von Lowzer said, rendered the Nazi salute, and walked out of Himmler's office.
Himmler waited three minutes-long enough for von
Lowzer to have certainly left the outer office-and then pressed the lever on his interoffice communications device and ordered Frau Hassler to summon Oberfuhrer von
Deitzberg.
"The Reichsfiihrer-SS requests your presence immedi ately, Herr Oberfuhrer," Frau Hassler's voice announced metallically through the intercom device on von Deitz berg's desk.
Von Deitzberg had been sitting slumped in his high backed chair with his feet resting on an open drawer. He put his feet on the floor, leaned across his desk, pressed the TALK lever, and very politely said, "Thank you very much, Frau
Hassler."
He slumped back into his chair and smiled at his deputy,
SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Erich Raschner. "Raschner, I believe the Reichsfiihrer has just seen the telex from Warsaw," he said.
The telex had been laid on his desk by a Signals Oberschar fuhrer, the SS rank equivalent to technical sergeant, at 1120.
As Adjutant to the Reichsfiihrer-SS, von Deitzberg was charged with the administration of all correspondence-mail, teletype, or radio-that would come to Himmler's personal attention. That is to say, von Deitzburg was the gatekeeper for a good portion of the information flow to the Reichsfuhrer-SS.
He determined what was important enough for Himmler to see, what he himself could deal with, or what he could pass farther down the chain of command for action.
Next, he determined when the Reichsfiihrer-SS actually saw the correspondence that in von Deitzberg's view merited his attention. Very rare pieces would be important enough for von Deitzberg to personally carry to Himmler himself. Imme diately below that priority were messages that he would leave with Frau Hassler for delivery to Himmler the moment he was free. Below that priority were several categories: Some corre spondence was stamped IMMEDIATE ATTENTION and placed in the box on his desk reserved for the Reichsfiihrer SS; some was stamped IMPORTANT and then placed in the box; and some, finally, was simply placed in the Himmler box without a stamp.
At least once an hour, a Signals messenger (always an SS noncommissioned officer) would make deliveries to von
Deitzberg's In box and pick up the contents of the Out box.
The Reichsfiihrer-SS's correspondence would be immedi ately passed on to Frau Hassler, who would sort it (IMME DIATE ATTENTION material on top, IMPORTANT below that, and unstamped on the bottom), and then place it on
Himmler's desk at the first opportunity.
Reichsfiihrer-SS Heinrich Himmler's time was, of course, very valuable. Oberfiihrer von Deitzberg was a splendid manager-with the result that he was gatekeeper not only of
Himmler's correspondence but of his appointments. He was the final arbiter of who got to see the Reichsfiihrer-SS, when, and for how long.
Even senior government officials, like Deputy Foreign Minister von Lowzer, had to pass through von Deitzberg's "gates." When someone senior appeared unannounced to meet with
Himmler, the SS officer on duty in the lobby of the building would pass the official into the elevator, then immediately tele phone von Deitzberg. If von Deitzberg decided that the
Reichsfuhrer-SS had no time for the official, von Deitzberg would head him off in the corridor and explain that he was so very sorry, but the Reichsfuhrer-SS had just left, and could he be of some help?
Today, von Deitzberg had decided that von Lowzer could be passed into the office of the Reichsfiihrer. Whatever von
Lowzer's business, asking him about it, and then checking with Himmler about that, would be more trouble than sim ply passing von Lowzer in. Thus von Deitzberg was not aware of the reason for von Lowzer's visit with the Reichs fiihrer.
As for the teletype message from Warsaw announcing the
Jewish insurrection, ordinarily, on receiving a message of that importance, von Deitzberg would have immediately car ried it to Himmler and handed it to him personally. But today the Reichsfuhrer had been lunching with his wife at the Hotel
Adlon and hadn't been expected back until at least 2:30.
And besides, that message offered von Deitzberg a per sonal opportunity.
The only trouble with his job was that he was so good at it. That meant, in other words, that he had become indispen sable to the Reichsfuhrer-SS. And that meant Himmler always listened sympathetically to his requests for an assignment in the field, and more or less promised one at the earliest opportunity; but that never seemed to happen.
He didn't want to stay in the field, and wasn't asking for that. What -he wanted was a brief assignment in the field-ten, fifteen days, no more than a month-so it would appear on his record when he was being considered for pro motion. And besides, he had no doubt that he could clean up this Warsaw insurrection nonsense in ten days.
Moments after the teletype from Warsaw had reached- his desk, von Deitzberg had ordered Raschner to call the Luft waffe and order a Heinkel bomber flown to Templehof Air field, where it was to be prepared to fly "senior officers of the office of the Reichsfiihrer-SS" to Warsaw on twenty minutes' notice. Raschner had also reserved two compart ments on each of the next three trains departing for Warsaw, in case the weather should preclude travel by air. Von
Deitzberg's orderly had been instructed to pack luggage containing uniforms sufficient for a week in Warsaw.
Even before Himmler had ordered him to his office, as he had indeed just done, Von Deitzberg had the scenario clear in his mind: Himmler would summon him to ask him why he hadn't been immediately informed of the Warsaw affair, even if that meant interrupting his luncheon with his wife. Von
Deitzberg would explain that the Reichsfiihrer had left orders that he was not to be disturbed; and in any event, he had already done all that he felt the Reichsfiihrer-SS would have ordered. An airplane was waiting at Templehof, et cetera, et cetera.
At that point, Himmler would wonder if the insurrection of some Jews was worth his personal attention.
"I think I had better tend the store, Manfred," he would say. "Who else could we send?"
At which point, von Deitzberg would say, "It would have to be someone who could act for you, Herr Reichsfiihrer."
And then Himmler would say, "I hate to do this to you,
Manfred, but I think it would be best if you went there. You will be acting with my authority, of course."
"Good afternoon, Herr Reichsfuhrer. I trust you had a pleasant lunch?" von Deitzberg said as he entered Himmler's office.
"We have two problems on our hands, Manfred," Himmler said.
"Two, Herr Reichsfuhrer?" von Deitzberg asked, sur prised.
Obviously Lowzer brought the second one. Did I make a mistake in letting him in to see Himmler without knowing what he wanted?
"Deputy Foreign Minister von Lowzer was just here. To show me a message to von Ribbentrop from Buenos Aires,"
Himmler said. He paused and looked at von Deitzberg before going on, somewhat dramatically. "Goltz and Griiner are dead," he announced.
It took a moment for Oberfuhrer von Deitzberg to absorb what he had just been told. "Dead, Herr Reichsfuhrer?" he finally asked. "Murdered by person or persons unknown.
Their bodies are aboard the Oceano Pacifico… which, by the way, the Argentine government has ordered from
Argentine waters, on the grounds of attempted smuggling."
"And the cargo of the Oceano PacificoT von Deitzberg asked carefully.
"The Oceano Pacifico was not able to unload her cargo,"
Himmler said. "Von Lutzenberger was obviously reluctant to go into all the details in a cable, but he made that point quite clearly." Von Deitzberg nodded.
"And said more details were available," Himmler went on.
"Three people are familiar with them, in addition to the