Doctor Who_ Just War - Lance Parkin [113]
more men than were in the entire British Army. Soon the Wehrmacht had advanced one thousand miles into Russia, along a two-thousand-mile front. Joyfully, the radio announced success after success. Soon the propagandists had been forced to tone down reports of the victories because no one believed them.
And then, within sight of Moscow, the first snow fell, and the German army ground to a halt. The Russians, prepared for the conditions, fighting for their own land, drove the Germans back. Steinmann had been transferred from Guernsey at that time to shore up the Eastern Front. His Luftwaffe squadrons had managed to halt the advance of the Russian tanks, fortified and supplied strategic towns, blocked Russian supply routes. The Germans, though, had been forced to all but abandon bombing raids against the United Kingdom and all plans to invade England were shelved.
The character of the war changed at that moment, became defensive, vindictive. Suddenly, Berlin became worried. There were witch-hunts. A lot of good officers were punished, civilian dissidents were ruthlessly purged. No one could question a command now, however insane it seemed.
Any talk that Germany might be defeated was treason.
Where was the nobility in killing unarmed women and children, whatever race they might be?
And then the unthinkable happened. America entered the war, adding its massive resources to the British and Soviet efforts. Suddenly, it was Germany that stood alone. It was around that time that Steinmann had been called back to develop wunderwaffen here. He was working with many of the team that had assisted Hartung; they had pieced together what they could of his discoveries. But it was a hopeless task. 23/4/45 — Russians on outskirts of Berlin; 28/4/45 —
Mussolini executed; 30/4/45 — Suicide of —
‘Impressive, isn’t it, sir?’
Steinmann glanced over to the seventeen-year-old Unteroffizier. ‘It is a magnificent achievement, but won’t win us the war.’
‘It will strike terror into our enemies and —’
‘It is a psychological weapon, that is all. It is still a year and half from any practical application, and will never be able to carry the same explosive payload of even a light conventional bomber.’
‘That is defeatist talk, sir. This is our only hope of beating the British — you are saying that we will be defeated.’
‘Perhaps I am.’
‘Traitor!’ the soldier shouted.
‘We all have our part to play in history, soldier. But remember that we can’t all be on the winning side.’
The Unteroffizier turned away, disgusted by what he had heard. Steinmann stood for a minute in silence, staring at the vapour trail, remembering the future, remembering all the millions who would die. Then he too turned away.
Glossary
Banzai — Japanese battle-cry, literal meaning ‘ten thousand years’.
Chain Home — The British south coast radar stations.
Cromwell — The British code phrase signalling that a German invasion is under way.
Five — MI5.
Gefreiter — German army rank equivalent to corporal.
KdF — ( Kraft durch Freude; ‘Strength Through Joy’) — A state-run organization which raised morale among workers and soldiers by promoting heavily subsidized holidays and artistic performances.
Leutnant — German army rank equivalent to lieutenant.
Longbow — A (fictional) secret international intelligence organization, run by the League of Nations. It investigated unexplained phenomenon.
Luftwaffe zbV — The Luftwaffe were the German air force, the zbV ( zur besonderen Verwendung) were the ‘special assignment’ division.
Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei — The National Socialist