In Pyatigorsk, I couldn’t find Müller. The soldier on guard thought he must have gone to the AOK, but he wasn’t sure; I thought about waiting for him, then decided to leave: might as well report the incident directly to Bierkamp. I went to the sanatorium to get my things and sent my driver to scare up some gasoline at the AOK. It wasn’t very polite to leave without saying goodbye; but I had no desire to say goodbye to these people. In Mineralnye Vody, the road passed close to the factory, which lay behind the railroad, at the foot of the mountain; I didn’t stop. Back in Vorshilovsk, I wrote my report, confining myself mostly to the technical and organizational aspects of the action. But I also inserted a sentence about “certain deplorable excesses on the part of officers supposed to set an example.” I knew that would be enough. The next day, in fact, Thielecke came to my office to let me know that Bierkamp wanted to see me. Prill, after reading my report, had already asked some questions: I had refused to answer him, telling him it concerned no one but the Kommandant. Bierkamp received me politely, had me sit down, and asked what had happened; Thielecke was also present at the discussion. I related the incident to them as neutrally as possible. “And what do you think should be done?” Thielecke asked when I had finished.—“I think, Sturmbannführer, that it’s a case for the
