The Steel Wave - Jeff Shaara [69]
As the infantry and engineers made their initial landings, they would be accompanied by armor, dozens of self-propelled amphibious tanks, odd contraptions that still inspired some skepticism, tanks surrounded by tall inflatable skirts to keep them afloat while a propeller drive pushed them to shore. The timetable of the landings had been designed carefully and methodically, additional waves of men and equipment pouring onto the beaches in a rhythm that would ensure that foot soldiers were supported immediately by additional manpower, as well as armor and artillery, allowing them to push inland as rapidly as possible.
Throughout the day at St. Paul’s School, the details poured forth to the assembled mass of officers and officials, most of it matter-of-fact and specific, with only occasional bursts of hyperbole. The king had spoken as well, an effective display of encouragement and temperament, more subdued than most of the military men, but a positive message of hope and optimism.
By the end of the day, the plans had been fully spelled out. Throughout it all, there were no cheers, only a few laughs, no applause, and no ceremony. At four-thirty in the afternoon, Eisenhower rose to speak again, the day complete, the nagging fear that had gripped him all day finally releasing itself.
“In one half hour, we shall have vacated this place. It is apparent to me that Hitler will have missed his one and only chance of destroying, with a single well-aimed bomb, the entire high command of the Allied forces.”
As the room emptied, the collective exhaustion kept the conversation to a minimum. Eisenhower knew that each man carried away from this extraordinary gathering much of the knowledge and planning of the others. The parts had given way to the whole. Late in the day, as the speakers completed their tasks, Churchill had come forward. His speech had been fiery and eloquent, with his usual flare for dramatic language. But Churchill had offered one brief phrase that had driven into Eisenhower with sharp meaning. For so many months there had been wrangling and argument, debate and disagreement, what Eisenhower believed were fundamental doubts among so many of his superiors, that Operation Overlord might not work at all.
Now Churchill looked directly at him. “I am hardening toward this enterprise.”
It wasn’t gratuitous, no mindless optimism, no political grandstanding or patriotic cheerleading. Eisenhower didn’t know if the prime minister had absorbed something new from the meeting itself, some clarity about pieces of the puzzle he hadn’t understood before. But it was perfectly clear to Eisenhower that, finally, after so much rancor and so many disagreements, Churchill was offering a message to the Americans and to the rest of the British high command. There was one goal now, one purpose: to devote themselves fully to the success of Operation Overlord.
* * *
12. ADAMS
* * *
BRAUNSTONE PARK, NEAR LEICESTER
MAY 28, 1944
“All leaves are canceled and, effective immediately, all officers and enlisted men are confined to base. MPs will be patrolling the perimeter of this compound and will be regulating all vehicle traffic both in and out of base.” Colonel Ekman looked up from the paper, seemed to dare a response. “Good. I don’t want to hear any griping about this. You have a problem, tell it to your sergeant. Should you feel that need, he has my permission to slap hell out of you.” He paused again, and Adams saw his eyes dart across the sea of faces. “This is the real thing, boys. There will be no further practice jumps. Those