Operation Kronstadt by Harry Ferguson

Author:Harry Ferguson [FERGUSON, HARRY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HIS000000, POL036000, HIS027090, HIS032000, HIS027150
ISBN: 9781468303148
Publisher: The Overlook Press
Published: 2012-04-20T16:00:00+00:00

11

Gefter

Paul lay in Michael Semashko’s tomb and took stock of his situation. He could hear the deep boom of naval gunfire somewhere out in the Gulf. Sadly, Paul knew nothing of the Ingrians’ life-or-death struggle at the Krasnaya Gorka fortress. In common with the rest of Petrograd he was convinced that this was British naval gunfire, not Russian, a sure sign that the British were actively supporting the drive of the White army along the Estonian coast towards Petrograd. That sound gave Paul hope. There was still a chance to win through if only he kept his nerve. The loss of all the counterfeit money from MI6 had been a blow, but the fact that he was in contact with the outside world again had changed everything. He could now let Cumming know how delicately events in Russia were balanced and how crucial British intervention could be at this time. Paul knew that his time as a spy in Russia must be limited, but he thought he could survive for one or possibly two more months. That should be enough for British and White Russian forces to arrive and remove the Bolsheviks.

His first task was to arrange a new identity. He could not go on creeping around the streets knowing that if he was stopped he would be arrested for lack of identity papers. Then he would have to get money. He could not count on MI6, so Paul decided that he would have to break a rule he had set for himself and contact the small British community still living in Petrograd. It was a considerable risk because the Cheka would be watching such people closely, but he had no other choice.

Then there was the question of how to hasten the end of the Bolsheviks. Paul was increasingly convinced that this could not be done from Petrograd. The centre of Bolshevik power was Moscow. After giving the matter considerable thought, he decided that he would continue to operate in Petrograd but would travel more frequently to Moscow. It might seem strange that until now Paul had chosen to remain in Petrograd rather than go to Moscow, but there were three reasons for his choice. First, Petrograd was the city most likely to fall to the White armies and, with the port of Kronstadt through which the Allies could pour men and supplies, it was probably the key to all of Russia. Second, it was the place where he had been able to infiltrate the Comintern, the Bolshevik organisation established to send secret emissaries abroad to spread world revolution. Naturally this was very high on the list of intelligence requirements for MI6. Finally, although the security situation in Petrograd was severe, it was the city Paul knew best having lived there for the past ten years. It was here that he had the most contacts and here that his chances of survival were greatest.

As well as a new identity, Paul needed a new safe house. Peter Sokolov had said that Paul could stay at his student flat.

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