“Perhaps it is not the ship killer,” said Rudolph Hermann. “We are working on an exact model of the three stages for wind tunnel testing soon. This may be the anti-aircraft model—that is my suspicion.”
“The key will be to first replicate the solid fuel propellant,” said von Braun.
“We are only just beginning to understand its component chemistry,” said Dr. Mader. “We have identified acrylic acid, ammonium and potassium nitrates, perchlorates. The fuel is actually in granular form, embedded in a kind of rubber like asphalt, and these grains have a very specific shape to maximize burning characteristics.”
On and on it went, until the actual warhead itself became a central focus of German interest. They did not know exactly what they were looking at in the beginning. Every preconception they had would lead them in the wrong direction. When they actually removed it to make a closer inspection, they were stunned to see there appeared to be no explosive material there at all, no amatol, TNT, or anything else. What good was a rocket with no explosive warhead?
It was then that a man named Werner Heisenberg was brought in to take a closer look, who immediately sent a request for nuclear physicist Kurt Diebner, Paul Hartek, a nuclear chemist, an done Otto Hahn, who had pioneered the discovery of nuclear fission. When they finished their analysis and told the research team what they thought they had, there was hushed silence. Max and Moritz were no ordinary rockets, but highly advanced ballistic missiles that had been designed for high altitude flight paths, fast reentry, and they were delivering a lethal warhead that was based on the arcane principle of nuclear physics, and not simply chemical explosives. Germany had also been pursuing enrichment and nuclear physics at its Uranprojekt, with noted physicists from the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.
“Theoretically,” said Heisenberg, “The amount of fissile material in that warhead might be the equal of one or two kilotons of conventional explosives. But what is amazing here is that the mass of the fissile material is much smaller than I envisioned. I’ve been over calculating the critical mass required. This changes everything. Where in the world did you get these monsters? They certainly were not built here, of that I am certain.”
Now it was clear that these were not the naval rockets that had been the bane of the Kriegsmarine in recent months, but something much more sinister….
Weeks after Kapitan Heinrich delivered that cache of documents and magazines, and those remarkable missiles, both he and Kapitan Falkenrath were called to Gibraltar. There, in an office building overlooking the former Governor’s Parade, Admiral Raeder sat with a stony expression on his face.
“Gentlemen,” he began. “I have just received a report from Peenemünde. They are convinced that the weapons we delivered are not the naval rockets that have been used against us at sea.”
“Then what are they?” said Heinrich, clearly surprised.
“Ballistic missiles, and it appears that initial assessments believe they have a very long range, and a most unusual warhead. We now believe that what you may have stumbled upon in the South Atlantic was a secret American test project. Given the fact that such a weapon has not been used against us thus far in the war, we conclude that these two rockets are prototype designs—but very dangerous prototypes. I must therefore impress upon you the importance of secrecy in this matter. Nothing whatsoever must be disclosed about these weapons. Understand? As far as you are both concerned, they do not even exist. Furthermore, I want the names of each and every member of your crew who may have set eyes on those rockets. They are to report directly to me at once.”
“I understand,” said Heinrich.
“Detmers finally got through to Casablanca, and he had the ship in question with him as well. I have already had this conversation with him. As for the reports and other documents you have obtained from that ship… The conclusion they lead us to believe is clearly preposterous, but you are to say nothing of them either—not a single word to anyone. Even Hitler himself has not been fully briefed as to the nature and presumed capability of those rockets.”
“What about the radar sets and other equipment?” asked Falkenrath.
“They have been turned over to appropriate authorities for further testing and analysis. It is apparent that our enemies have developed a much higher level of technical proficiency than we believed. This little cache you discovered will prove absolutely invaluable, and for that…” The Admiral reached into his desk drawer, producing two small felt covered boxes, “you are both about to receive the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Congratulations! One day soon, the weapons and equipment your daring sortie delivered to the Reich will make a great difference in this war.”
Yes, thought Heinrich, a very great difference. But knowing these weapons were already in development in the United States was most disturbing. And there were so many things about that mission that remained utterly perplexing. After that meeting was over, Heinrich and Falkenrath had a little chat of their own.
“This is all so very strange,” said Falkenrath. “What happened to that aircraft carrier you hit with a 15-inch shell?”
“Should we be discussing this?” said Heinrich.
“What, you just want to take your medal and go back to business as usual? Look, Heinrich, this is just between the two of us. There’s something odd about this whole affair. Do you know that Raeder had all my ship’s logs confiscated?”
“Mine as well.”
“Well let me tell you what he will soon learn, if he doesn’t already know it. We lost contact with you right at the outset of that encounter with those ships down there. My watch logged it at 02:45.”
“The weather was miserable. Why is that surprising?”
“Because we took a good long while searching for you. I doubled the watch, had the radar sets working, everything, but there was no sign of your ship—for almost two hours….”
“Two hours?”
“Our log reported sighting Kaiser Wilhelm again at 04:10, nearly an hour and a half later, and we did not get positive recognition from your lamp signals until 04:18. Where in God’s name were you all that time?”
“That cannot be right,” said Heinrich. “I’ll admit that one gets pulled into the heat of the moment, and that contact was very sudden, but I am certain the whole incident took no more than five or ten minutes!”
“Two hours, Heinrich, or nearly so. We couldn’t use the wireless, but I was even considering launching a seaplane to get up and look for you. All we saw were those strange auroras, and the empty sea. Then there you were, but well off our original course.”
Heinrich narrowed his eyes. “Since you tell me this, I will say that those documents no one is supposed to know about tell quite a different story. Raeder has said I am not to ever speak a word of it again, and he’s taken the whole lot, every report and file we found on that ship. Detmers and his entire crew from the Kormoran have been pulled from that duty and sent somewhere. Something tells me that the men we send to Raeder will all end up being replaced.”
“What’s going on here?” said Falkenrath. “None of this adds up.”
“I think we had better not be too eager to do the math,” said Heinrich. “Can’t you see what has just happened? We are both senior officers—not so easy to get rid of without others in the fleet taking notice. So Raeder just called us in, pinned a nice shiny medal on our chest, and told us to keep our mouths shut. Frankly, I don’t know where we were all that time, Herr Kapitan, or where in the world that enemy aircraft carrier went, or why we should then find that American ship with these rockets, but not a living soul aboard. But I’ll tell you this—if the Allies have these weapons operational now, we are doomed, Germany is doomed. It would take us years to catch up, even with those prototypes.”