Die Glocke "The Bell"

By S.E. Bolden

In the last year of World War II, most of Germany realized defeat was imminent. Facing the overwhelming power and equipment of the Allies, Hitler authorized the construction of Wunderwaffe (wonder weapons). This story offers an explanation of the focus on the "Die Glocke" project. There were other Wunderwaffe projects but "The Bell" was the one most-cloaked in secrecy. If its powers could be harnessed by the Nazis, it could be the bargaining chip to bring the Allies to the negotiating table and improve the surrender terms of the Third Reich. Its powers were believed to be so staggering that at the end of World War II, all of the scientists and laborers working on "Die Glocke" were murdered. The bell, General Hans Kammler (SS general in charge of the Die Glocke project), two Nazi U-boats, and many Nazi war criminals ended up missing. This work of fiction attempts to explain this mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781684563807

Book preview

Wenceslaus Mine, Poland, March 22, 1945, 9:17 am

A vast winter landscape of disappearing snow and a treeless, barren entrance to a massive underground mine complex. A convoy of five German military trucks are circling into position near the mine’s entrance. On a slight knoll near the mine entrance, a tall, uniformed German SS general surveys the situation. The general takes an American-made cigarette from a gold cigarette case and cups his hand to light it. He walks briskly towards the lead truck which is now backing into position at the mine entrance. He approaches the lead truck that is now in position in front of the mine entrance. The driver, a corporal, jumps out and pops a rigid salute while bellowing "Heil, Hitler. The general returns the salute and weakly speaks the repetitive words Heil, Hitler."

General Hans Kammler. Corporal, no more saluting or formalities. Load all of the peripheral equipment into this truck and the next two. The flatbed truck will receive the bell. Make certain it is tarped and secured. The final truck should have six drums of petrol to keep us fueled on the road. Any available space on the trucks will be loaded with personnel from Major Hauptmann’s list. Distribute your detail evenly in the trucks so that each has armed soldiers onboard. Nothing is to be dropped or damaged. Use the crane to load the bell. Almost everything else can be hand loaded. The trucks must be loaded and ready to roll by no later than 6:00 pm. Follow Major Hauptmann’s instructions to the letter.

Corporal Entmeir. Ya vol mein, General.

General Kammler. Major Hauptmann will get you some of the camp laborers to assist you as needed to assure the task is completed before dusk. I am holding you responsible for anything damaged. Do you understand, Corporal?

Corporal Entmeir. Ya vol mein, General.

With that, Corporal Entmeir began to snap a salute but stopped halfway and stood at attention as the general walked toward the mine entrance. Once the general disappeared into the mine, Corporal Entmeir began barking orders to all the other soldiers standing next to their trucks. The soldiers scrambled about as if they had just been ordered by the general himself. General Kammler enters the mine and walks briskly along the tracks, on his journey down the mine railway. As he walked, he passed crate after crate of staged equipment on flat rail cars. As he passed by, soldiers and laborers alike stop what they were doing momentarily, snapped to attention, and then returned to their tasks after he passed. He encounters Major Hauptmann at the last flatcar—on it sits the largest crate. It stands fifteen feet high and overlaps the rail car on both sides. The major faces the general.

General Kammler. Anything you need, Hauptmann?

Major Hauptmann. Everything is fine, sir. I have no demands—I mean—requests, Herr General.

General Kammler. I have talked to the corporal in charge of the truck detail. He is at your disposal. All must be loaded and ready to transport by 1800. Make it happen.

Major Hauptmann. Understood, General.

General Kammler. Once all trucks are loaded, return the laborers into the lower level. Tell them nothing. Give them food and drink, seal the door, and set the charges for one hour. We will be long gone by then, and the explosion will attract attention away from the convoy. The trucks will return by the same route that they came by. You will ride with me, Dr. Poroff and Dr. Dressler, in my car at the end of the convoy. Come and get me when we are ready to leave. I will be in my office. Any questions, Major?

Major Hauptmann. None, mein general. Oh yes, what of the remaining scientists and technicians? There must be fifty or so.

General Kammler. Key individuals will be leaving with us. The other technicians and scientists will be also placed in the lower level, but keep them separated from the laborers. Please offer our congratulations on the project. Tell them we will be supplying trucks to return them to Berlin.

Major Hauptmann. Ya vol, General. Heil, Hitler. (This was accompanied by a rigid salute and heel click.)

At dusk, five German transport trucks round a sharp turn one-by-one in a deep forest in the Polish countryside. The sun is quickly setting. The last vehicle is a Daimler-Benz road car. There are two officers and two scientists in the car. All heads turn back as a faraway muffled explosion is heard. Dr. Dressler puts his head in his hands as if to hide from what he knows has just occurred. He knows many of his fellow scientists and all the laborers have just been killed. On his lap and on the floorboard are stacks of notes and binders containing all the data concerning the Die Glocke project. He speaks.

Dr. Dressler. General, I’m sure there must’ve been another way to handle this. Such a waste. Many of those scientists cannot be replaced. The research, the knowledge, and the lives, gone!

Instead Major Hauptmann replies.

Major Hauptmann. Enough, Dressler. You are not the only one concerned for the lives lost. But ahead lies a larger picture. What we have done was to ultimately save the fatherland. We must keep our project safe from the allies until we can deploy it. We simply could not afford to have the secret compromised. Many I knew personally dreaded what we had to do. But I would and will give my life as well to save the fatherland. No more talk of this. What is done is done.

General Kammler. We must be at Kiel by 1:00 am. That gives us three to four hours to load the bell and equipment on the U-boats before sunrise. If we fail, the American or British airplanes will no doubt spot the U-boats before we can get underway, and all will be lost. We have but one chance to change the outcome of this war, though it may very well be over before we can deploy the device. Either way, the device must be secured from allied hands—even if it means we will end up in the bottom of the Atlantic with it. Dr. Dressler, Dr. Poroff, my condolences to those that lost their lives. However, we must move on.

Major Hauptmann. What of the men driving the trucks? How do we keep them from talking about the bell?

General Kammler. Once they have unloaded all the equipment, a team from U-977 will be waiting near the harbor entrance gate. I have notified the corporal to expect to be checked by harbor personnel as they leave. Unfortunately, they will give their lives for the fatherland as well. The U-boat team will return and leave with us. No one will be left behind to tell the story.

Major Hauptman. I understand, Mein General. It is what must be.

Dr. Dressler. It is madness! (The taillights of the caravan slowly disappear into the forest.)

Berlin, November 1944, five months earlier.

A conference room in an underground bunker. Six German staff officers are holding a meeting. Maps of Western Europe adorned the walls. Speaking is Reich Minister Heinrich Himmler.

Himmler. According to General Kammler, the trials are proceeding well. However, we are running out of time. Americans are massing to the