Post by Diarist on Feb 21, 2017 1:56:30 GMT 1
I entered Winston's office at 21:15 which means it is 22:15 in Germany. The Prime Minister had arrived just before I did. "Glad you are here, Bob. Let's go to our Operations Room." There were already a couple of dozen people there. On a table was a large map of western Germany.
"The 1st MID is located here," showing the border area opposite Saarbrücken, "and the 80th Infantry Regiment is located here. It's objectives are the towns of Pirmasens and Zweibrücken. Both are outside of Saarland but within 10 miles of the French border. In the north the Belgian 1st Division is to advance as far as Düren here while the 2nd Division occupies Aachen. Finally the Dutch 5th Infantry Division advances from Eindhoven to Krefeld and Mönchengladbach here."
Winston was called to the telephone again. It was Daladier.
After a while he handed the phone to me. "I believe they are moving."
"Bob Carter here, sir."
He explained that they reports of multiple passenger trains passing through railway stations in 2 minute intervals. "Prime Minister, their vanguards are using the rail network and they are moving fast." I looked to the PM for instructions. "The Germans are on the move, sir." He said that we must respond. "Prime Minister. Stanley Baldwin recommends that we respond now. I concur with that assessment, sir. I understand Condition Red. PM Baldwin agrees. Sir, the 1st MID has to go in making so much noise that they can hear you in Berlin. No sneaking into Germany. Have the troops singing La Marseillaise. Sir, can you call the Belgians while we call the Dutch. Yes, sir."
"They are responding. And if it's a false alarm?" The PM asked.
"Then France is about to violate Articles 1 and 2 of the Locarno Treaties. One of you two need to call PM and DM Colijn while I call LG Winkelmann."
"I'll call him," Winston replied.
I asked for a telephone number in Eindhoven. "Henri, this is Bob Carter. PM Daladier has called Condition Red. The Germans are travelling in trains. Advance with a lot of noise. The leadership in Berlin has to know that their surprise move has failed. Do you copy that? Yes. Good hunting."
"Hendrikus Colijn has confirmed that they are on Condition Red. So what's next?"
"The waiting game again. Hopefully we shall receive a telephone call from Berlin soon."
"The 1st MID is located here," showing the border area opposite Saarbrücken, "and the 80th Infantry Regiment is located here. It's objectives are the towns of Pirmasens and Zweibrücken. Both are outside of Saarland but within 10 miles of the French border. In the north the Belgian 1st Division is to advance as far as Düren here while the 2nd Division occupies Aachen. Finally the Dutch 5th Infantry Division advances from Eindhoven to Krefeld and Mönchengladbach here."
Winston was called to the telephone again. It was Daladier.
After a while he handed the phone to me. "I believe they are moving."
"Bob Carter here, sir."
He explained that they reports of multiple passenger trains passing through railway stations in 2 minute intervals. "Prime Minister, their vanguards are using the rail network and they are moving fast." I looked to the PM for instructions. "The Germans are on the move, sir." He said that we must respond. "Prime Minister. Stanley Baldwin recommends that we respond now. I concur with that assessment, sir. I understand Condition Red. PM Baldwin agrees. Sir, the 1st MID has to go in making so much noise that they can hear you in Berlin. No sneaking into Germany. Have the troops singing La Marseillaise. Sir, can you call the Belgians while we call the Dutch. Yes, sir."
"They are responding. And if it's a false alarm?" The PM asked.
"Then France is about to violate Articles 1 and 2 of the Locarno Treaties. One of you two need to call PM and DM Colijn while I call LG Winkelmann."
"I'll call him," Winston replied.
I asked for a telephone number in Eindhoven. "Henri, this is Bob Carter. PM Daladier has called Condition Red. The Germans are travelling in trains. Advance with a lot of noise. The leadership in Berlin has to know that their surprise move has failed. Do you copy that? Yes. Good hunting."
"Hendrikus Colijn has confirmed that they are on Condition Red. So what's next?"
"The waiting game again. Hopefully we shall receive a telephone call from Berlin soon."