“That was why I allowed Raeder to move my battleships into the Mediterranean!” Hitler’s cheeks reddened as he said that, his tone just beneath the level of a shout. “Now look what he has done with them! I am told that Hindenburg and Bismarck will both need repairs, and Raeder is asking me to send the steel to Toulon. Where did the British get these new rocket weapons? Why is it we knew nothing of this development until they were firing them at our ships? Now I am told the British have tanks that are impervious to our finest guns. This is an outrage!”
“I agree, my Fuhrer, and I am certain we will quickly catch up with them. I have also seen the prototypes of our own new rocket designs, and they look very promising.”
“Yes? Well they will look much more promising to me when I hear they are firing at British ships.” Now Hitler leaned over the map table again, a sullen expression on his pallid features.
“I did not get here by chance, Paulus,” he said, a strange tone in his voice. “I was meant to be here. Yes, we will pour everything we have into research on these new weapons. And we will get newer and better tanks as well. The proposals are already on my desk, and we will soon show the British that two can play at this game. But now I must decide about the Russians. What you say is true. As long as the Soviets control the Black Sea, then we will be unable to ship the oil through from Orenburg. So that will now be my number one priority. Understand? We will build up strength here,” he pointed at the borders near Moldavia and the Ukraine.
“I will smash through and take the Crimea-take the bases the Soviet Black Sea fleet must use if they are to impede those oil shipments. Once I have the Bosporus, and the Crimea, then no further occupation of Turkish territory will be necessary. So why should I send more troops to North Africa when I can put them to good use here?” His fist came down hard on the Turkish frontier, but Paulus held his composure, waiting for the storm to abate.
“A wise strategy,” he said. “Unless the British reinforce Turkey, as you know they will as long as they remain a strong and viable force in the Middle East. If we do not support Rommel now, what will they do with all the troops they pull from East Africa? I can read a map as well, my Fuhrer. First they will put down this rebellion in Iraq that poses a threat to their own oil production. Then they will chase the Vichy French out of Syria, and after that, you will see British troops in Turkey and possibly even Iran to open a front against the southern borders of Volkov’s key oil production centers in the Caspian. There is only one way to prevent that-by keeping the British well occupied with a credible threat to Egypt. You must keep the pressure on them and force them to send troops into the Western Desert. Starve Rommel and he will just sit there swatting flies. Feed him and there is a chance we can push east again. This is a man you can rely on, in spite of recent setbacks. And there is another axis of attack that we can open against Egypt as well-Crete.”
“Crete?”
“Of course, my Fuhrer. Again you correctly point out that it must be taken to prevent the British from establishing strong air bases there. Now is the time for that-and this should be done before the Bosporus operation, and certainly before you contemplate any move on the Crimea. That means war with Soviet Russia, and do not think it can be confined to the southern region. The front will extend all the way to the Baltic, and once that begins it will suck in every division we have like a maelstrom. No. First Crete, then we have those bases to threaten Alexandria and the Suez, instead of British bombers over the oil fields of Ploesti. After Crete, we have the option of strongly reinforcing Syria, and stopping the British plan to support Turkey while also posing a direct threat to Palestine.”
“Syria? Palestine? And how do you propose I get the troops there with Hindenburg and Bismarck laid up in the repair yards at Toulon? The Italians took a sound beating and have withdrawn their navy to La Spezia. I cannot send troops to the Levant by sea with the British fleet still at Alexandria. Must I rely on the French Navy?”
