WesWorld

Bremen, Thursday, 30 March 1944, Early Morning

Since the suspect Richard Eilers had left his flat an hour ago Leutnant Gerhard Metzger and a team of agents had kept him under loose surveillance in the hope that he might lead them to his contact. They had done this every day for the last week without success - Metzger hoped for better luck today, and the early signs suggested that he might. The small park through which Eilers was walking was not quite empty, but those hearty souls who braved an early spring morning were few - a factor that kept Metzger and his men at a distance. Eilers walked with a purpose towards a small pond and stepped onto the dock; then he looked around. Seeing this Metzger changed his direction and walked on, hoping others of his team were in position to observe. Some distance away there was a bench, and Metzger sat down, pulled a newspaper from his pocket, and pretended to read it.

Fortunately, another Abwehr agent was in position to see what Eilers was doing. The suspect knelt down, and made as if to feed the first of the season's ducks. Then with one hand he drew out a small object and secreted it on the underside of the dock. Eilers then walked away, to be followed by some of Metzger's men. After Eilers departed the agent who had observed the drop reported the details to Metzger.

"Ach," said Metzger. "That is good; now we wait - for how long I do not know." He paused a moment. "Find a place where you can observe the dock without being seen. I will arrange for a relief. We will have to keep it under observation until someone comes along to collect it - if we follow the product, we can unravel the network."


Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Friday, 31 March 1944

In his semi-annual report to the Reichstag Minister of Transport Gottfried Treviranus provided a progress report on construction of the National Motorways System. Citing heavy snows over the winter months the minister advised that progress had fallen behind schedule. Nevertheless the motorway to the port of Kiel had been completed, with additional progress on the planned extension to the Danish frontier. Some other sections in northwestern Germany were also completed, but the motorways to Wilhelmshaven and Emden remain incomplete. The minister expressed his hope that better weather in the months ahead would allow work crews to overcome the delays of the winter and indicated that additional manpower would be made available for this purpose.