The Lost Eleven by Denise George

Author:Denise George
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-01-12T13:48:46+00:00

CHAPTER 61

THE PLAN

—BERLIN, GERMANY—

SEPTEMBER 1944

Hitler sits at his desk, thumbing through his twenty-year-old personal dog-eared copy of Mein Kampf. He feels exhausted, sick, and defeated. He worries his empire will soon lie in ruins. The Allies have liberated France and are now moving into Belgium. Not even his mistress, Eva Braun, can cheer him today. He knows he must do something drastic if he is to save the Fatherland. He stops and reads aloud:

“‘Strength lies not in defense but in attack.’”1

He wrote those words many years before.

His eyes widen, and his expression suddenly changes, a rush of adrenaline racing through his veins.

My words are as true today as they were then.

“Counterattack!” he shouts. “Germany’s final attempt to turn this war around in our favor.”

Quickly spreading a Belgian map out in front of him, he strains his eyes to find Antwerp.

What if . . .

He traces the Eifel region with his finger.

Our staging area!

He takes a pen, circling the port of Antwerp.

Our objective!

A battle plan begins to take shape in his mind. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” he says aloud.

We will strike through the Ardennes Forest area of southern Belgium and Luxembourg, break through American lines, cross the Meuse River into the open countryside, and capture the port of Antwerp.

He thinks about his success in 1940 when he surprised the Allies by crossing through the dense Ardennes Forest.

We will split Allied armies, just like in 1940, severing Allied supply lines and separating the British from the American forces. Then we’ll finish off the Brits.

He envisions his massive new Tiger II tanks and Panthers armed with the latest deadly weapons. “We are much better equipped now than we were in 1940! We shall destroy them!” he shouts, his face lighting up.

Then I will turn my attention to the east, astound them with my new weapons, and negotiate peace with the Soviets.

“A perfect plan! A surprise attack!” he says aloud. “Those fools didn’t expect an attack through the Ardennes in 1940, and they won’t expect one now. We will confuse, cripple, and defeat them!”

He licks his lips and spends the next few minutes in deep thought.

If we attack in mid-December, the inclement weather will give us the cover of heavy fog. It will also ground Allied planes, making it impossible for aerial observation and attack. The ground will be frozen, making it less difficult to move our tanks and troops through the forests. I will order strict radio silence as we amass our equipment to strike. The enemy will have no idea what we are doing until it is too late.

His plan set in stone, he contacts Hasso von Manteuffel, confiding the attack idea, but not the scheduled date.

“Hasso,” he says, “I am putting you in charge of a military buildup at the West Wall. Begin amassing troops, equipment, and weapons.”

“But, my Führer, soldiers and supplies are scarce. Where shall I find them?” Manteuffel asks.

“You speak as if you doubt me!” Hitler tells him. “We will begin immediately to produce a large volume of war materials in our underground factories.

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