Upfall

"Ja, Herr General" said Reder, mimicking his super-ior‘s enthusiasm.

"You are absolutely sure about this, yes?"

"Yes sir. It was definitely Samsonov. The signal was slightly garbled—some mistakes in the Morse—but they are usually drunk. Quite typical actually."

Globocnik ruminated over this for a moment. "The other problem with informants, besides drunkenness, is that they are turncoats in the first instance. We must be cautious."

"Certainly sir, but Samsonov is not an ideologue" said Reder confidently. "He will follow whoever offers him the better deal. A doubt a fleeing band of bandits could offer more than we do. In any case" concluded Reder "it makes sense that the enemy commandos would turn north back to their own drop zones. It's what I would do."

Globocnik could not argue with the man‘s logic. The enemy commandos were obviously British or in British employ. They were on the run, and the way out was to the north, where they could at least resupply, or perhaps escape by submarine through the Baltic Sea. Globocnik called in his aide and told him to place a call to Heydrich in Prague.

It was several hours before Heydrich called him back, just as Globo was preparing for dinner with his Polish mistress. The General shuffled back into his office, happy at least that he had not begun drinking yet. Globo briefed Heydrich on Reder's report, repeating the intelligence officer's conclusion that the raiders had likely turned north, back to their presumed drop zone. Heydrich had no reason to doubt this assessment, brrt too much was at stake for him to bet the farm on it. He agreed that the search efforts should shift northward and ambushes established at the known British drop sites.

"Has Wirth set off for Belzac?" asked Heydrich.

"Yes General" said Globocnik impatiently "this morning with a detachment of engineers and several hundred Jewish laborers. It will take several weeks, but when the expansion of Belzac is complete it should be capable of processing up to 10,000 a day."

"Good. It is vital that the camp remain in operation. Reports indicate a general increase in partisan activity throughout the General Government, including within the ghettos."

"I am aware of this" sighed Globocnik a little disinterestedly. His dinner and mistress would be getting cold.

"Have you initiated reprisals for the latest outrage?"

"No sir" said Globocnik carefully. "The reprisal following the Sobibor raid seems to have done little good. The Polish population does not generally oppose our anti-Jewish actions. Attacking Polish gentiles is counter-productive. And there is not much more we can do to the Jews..."

"Enough of that" broke in Heydrich with irritation, mostly because he knew that Globocnik was right. He changed the subject. "As far as these raiders are concerned" continued Heydrich immodestly "I‘ve secured for you the services of a full regiment of Waffen SS, as well as a security division."

This did impress Globo. Waflen SS regiments were jewels in the Nazi crown, hoarded by Himmler and the Fuehrer himself, and desperately needed on the Russian front. "May I ask what unit Herr General?"

It was a breach of security to speak of specific deployments over an open phone line, but Heydrich was in a particularly boastful mood.

"A regiment of Das Reich — just returned from the east a few months ago. Veterans and capable of doing whatever is required. A courier will deliver detailed orders as to the employment of the units tomorrow. You are to follow them to the letter."

"Yes General" answered Globocnik enthusiastically. No surprise, thought Globocnik, that he would have little discretion in the employment of the regiment. Nonetheless, it would be a feather in his cap even to have nominal control of such a unit. The Fuehrer himself would probably keep tabs on it. Globocnik settled the phone in its cradle threw on his hat and happily hurried out to this dinner date.

Heydrich's orders arrived by courier the following morning, the SS motorcyclist, complete with leather duster, delivering the envelope to Globocnik personally, while Captain Reder looked on. The first orders concerned the deployment of the 207 Security Division, a lightly armed unit of modest quality that had extra police and Gestapo attached, as well as a detachment of Russian Cossack cavalry. Globocnik would deploy its regiments to cover rail lines, bridges and other key sites, while its secret police elements and the Cossacks tracked and destroyed the emergent partisan bands.