The Oath by Stephen Robert Stein

Author:Stephen Robert Stein
Format: epub

“…According to the law of medicine, but to none others…”

24

January 4, 1945

Berlin

Hans was tired from the long train ride from Auschwitz to Berlin. That night, after checking in at the visiting SS officers’ quarters, he had stopped at a local tavern, surprised it was still open. The bar was tended by an old man, perhaps seventy-five years of age, who talked constantly and showed little restraint in voicing his feelings.

“Say, Doktor, did you hear about the weekly executions of high-ranking German officers that occur on the Führer’s orders? They hang the bodies just out there, in front of my bar, to scare others from questioning the Führer’s plans.”

Hans swallowed hard and remained silent; he didn’t want to encourage any further conversation. “And I see them,” the man continued,” officers like yourself, fleeing in staff cars, just like rats—scared shitless.”

Hans left shortly after his first drink and returned to his room.

I can’t dwell on defeat.

Besides, it was time to get ready for the next day.

Luftwaffe headquarters had been moved to a set of bombproof offices three stories underground. At the time Hitler’s expanded Chancellery quarters were built, Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe officials lobbied hard and were given a similar deep, protected shelter to continue work if aerial attacks did strike Berlin. The effectiveness of this planning paid off when, during the daring British bombing of the city on August 4, 1940, the Wehrmacht headquarters suffered no damage.

The main offices of The Luftwaffe Medical experimental programs had previously been situated in Munich on Blumenstraße, but all records and necessary personnel were moved north to Berlin in November 1944, where the final defense of Germany was being prepared. Six feet of steel-reinforced concrete protected this series of bunkers from any bombs the Americans or British might drop.

The next morning, Hans approached the Luftwaffe headquarters and noted that the top two levels of the four-story structure had been heavily damaged by the air raids. He entered.

“What can I do for you, Herr Doktor?” asked the sentry, as he studied the insignias on Hans’ lapel and the identification card he handed him.

“I am here to meet with Geraloberstabsarzt Oskar Schroeder. He is expecting me, as I have important information for him.”

The sentry directed Hans to a passage leading down three flights of stairs to a dimly lit hallway. Here, another SS guard took his identification card, compared it with his face, and opened a heavy metal door.

The usually confident Hans was quite nervous; this was his first opportunity to share his experimental data directly with the Chief of Staff of the Inspectorate of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe (Chef de Stabes, Inspekteur des Luftwaffe-Sanitätswesen). Hans had last seen Doctor Schroeder eighteen months ago, when he’d presided at a general meeting of officers involved in experimental studies for the Luftwaffe, and seized the opportunity to propose his study to this committee. His research plan was approved, and a modest sum of 2,500 Deutschmarks was authorized for his research program.

Because of his interest in the effects of

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