282 | John W. Warner IV down from the tailgate. Honestly… This is one trip for the books, said Bernie, astonished at it all. If we survive it. Bea put a hand on his shoulder. Well, no fanciful airship, old peanut, but they do have jolly good air support. Just look at the size of it, now thats the dogs bollocks. He sighed. Yessirree-bob./z«? what the hell is happening around here? On final approach looking like a giant condor, a massive Junkers Ju-290 cargo transport lowered its flaps as its four powerful BMW engines reduced power in the thin air, the long airstrip a necessity for one of the Luftwaffes biggest cargo planes. It was painted in desert camouflage livery with Turkish markings. Heavily-laden, it touched down with two dust storm vortices trailing off each twenty-one-meter-long wing, the sturdy landing gear sagging a bit from the internal tonnage. In the forward turret, twin 20 mm cannons stuck out like tusks amongst the stick-forest of radar antennas. In small script, Turkish Delight was painted in German on the nose with swirling flourish and confident braggadocio. When the giant plane halted, a Luftwaffe pilot stuck out his head and waved at the ground crew chocking the big, rough-field tires. Engine shut-down. Doors open. The band struck up a riveting Aus Warth Zur Sonne. Officers and men saluted with right arms thrust high. Boots sharply connected. Sneaks, said Alice. False flagging it, I see. Bea smiled, the aircraft magnificent, the exhaust smell pungent roses. The Turks are neutral but chummy with Jerry. Clever ruse. Alls fair in love and war, Drumm, alls fair. From an arriving command Kubel exited SS Generalmajor Theodor Poppel, the overall Commander, a tall, exceptionally lean man with sharp-cut cheekbones, a fashionable razor-thin moustache, long lips, and Italian tortoise sunglasses under his SS- rune pith helmet; his uniform pressed and clean unlike his dusty command. He barked sharp, quick orders with a high voice that could scare a trained guard shepherd. Schafer lazily saluted him; to all they seemed polar opposites in demeanor and ethos. They both walked to the rear of the plane where a large ramp came down with stairs. The pilot and copilot came down first, adhering to safety protocol on landing. Schafer shook hands and grabbed shoulders of the pilot, Oherstleutnant Kurt Baumann. A close friend and roommate from the University of Gottingen and one of the