SNAKES and

GESTAPO

A Single Player Role-Playing game Campaign

 Name: Friedrich Beck
Character Sheet Wehrmatch: XIX Panzerkorps
Rank: Leutnant
Rules

Status: Wounded
CHARACTERISTICS Recommendation: Iron Cross
STR STRENGTH + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 Transferred on June 3 1941 under
the order of Reinhard Heydrich
(RSHA) Photo
DEXTERITY + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5
DEX
Beck
CONSTITUTION + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 EXPERIENCE
DETERMINATION + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5

INTELLIGENCE + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5

PRESENCE + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5
EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT:_________________ EQUIPMENT:_________________
- 2ON + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5
PERCEPTI SPECIAL:_________________ SPECIAL:_________________
FAI FAITH + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 EQUIPMENT:_________________ EQUIPMENT:_________________
If the result of 3D10 is: SPECIAL:_________________ SPECIAL:_________________
30 3
+1 point of adrenaline -1 point of mental integrity
+1 point of experience
EQUIPMENT:_________________ EQUIPMENT:_________________
INTEGRITY LEVELS SPECIAL:_________________ SPECIAL:_________________
PHYSICAL INTEGRITY
(STRENGTH+DEX.+DETER.)

MENTAL INTEGRITY
(DETER.+INTEL.+FAITH)

ADRENALINE +5 bonus before the roll

(DETER.+FAITH)
+1 bonus after the roll

COMPETENCIES WEAPONS
ASSAULT 0 + 5 + 8 +10 TACTIC/
STRATEGY 0 + 5 + 8 +10 WEAPON:____
P38 ____________

HAND-TO-HAND 0 + 5 + 8 +10 PRECISION

TYPE:____
Handgun____________
0 + 5 + 8 +10
SHOOTING SPECIAL:____
-------____________
DISCRETION/
0 + 5 + 8 +10
CAMOUFLAGE ____________ 0 + 5 + 8 +10 WEAPON:________________
INFLUENCE/
PERSUASION 0 + 5 + 8 +10 ____________ 0 + 5 + 8 +10
TYPE:________________
QUESTIONING/
SPECIAL:________________
INTIMIDATION 0 + 5 + 8 +10 0 + 5 + 8 +10
____________
MECHANIC/
WEAPON:________________
OPERATION 0 + 5 + 8 +10 0 + 5 + 8 +10 TYPE:________________
____________
MEDECINE/
0 + 5 + 8 +10 SPECIAL:________________
FIRST AID
____________ 0 + 5 + 8 +10
COMPETENCIES DISTINCTIVENESS ALLIES
SPECIAL:_________________________________________________ ALLIED:_________________
SPECIAL:_________________________________________________ ALLIED:_________________
SPECIAL:_________________________________________________ ALLIED:_________________
SPECIAL:_________________________________________________ ALLIED:_________________
SPECIAL:_________________________________________________
ALLIED:_________________

Here is an example of a pre-filled character sheet. You can create a character or else transcribe this
character on a blank sheet.

2
 Play the Game, or Not

Rules
Even though this book was designed as a one-player role-play campaign, it is quite possible for any reader
to simply read the story and make choices that seem the most interesting, without worrying about the
rules. None of the choices lead to instant death. Therefore, all branches follow one another and have a
logical conclusion. If this is what you would like to do, skip the following pages and go directly to page 11.
Another option is available to you. The first chapters of each act are in order and read like a novel. You can
thus simply enjoy the story written by Patrick Boulanger. The choice is yours.

Rules of Engagement Probability table with

3D10 results
All game rules have to be simple, easy to assimilate and above all else
be intuitive, particularly for a one-player role-play campaign, which

Probability in %
has no game master to make decisions.

average in %
Cumulative
This book’s game system aims at being simple, but also complex
enough to allow for a realistic representation of the physical and

Result
mental state of a character. If you constantly have to go back to the
rule book to determine whether or not your decisions are legal, we
have failed.
3 0.10 100
4 0.30 99.90

The odds of getting exactly 20 with 3D10 are of 6.30 %, whereas

A System with 3D10 5 0.60 99.60
Why 3 10-sided dice? For a better distribution of probabilities. All role- 6 1.00 99.00
play game systems seek to control probabilities. The harder an action 7 1.50 98.00
is deemed, less likely is the player to succeed. When a character has 8 2.10 96.50

the odds of getting 20 and more are of 28.30 %.

greater competency in a field, he/she is more likely to have a successful 9 2.80 94.40
action in this field. 10 3.60 91.60
Also, when a player roles the dice and gets an extreme on a probability 11 4.50 88.00
scale, he/she tends to consider the throw as exceptionally good or bad. 12 5.50 83.50
For example, in a system that uses a percentage die, getting 100 %
13 6.30 78.00
or 1 % is considered a feat and the player expects the appropriate
14 6.90 71.70
advantages or consequences for his character.
15 7.30 64.80
However, when one thinks about it, the odds of getting 100 % or
16 7.50 57.50
1 % on a 100-sided die are equal. From a mathematical point of view,
getting 48 is just as extraordinary. When using 3 ten-sided dice, one 17 7.50 50.00
evens out the odds of having an average result and the odds of getting 18 7.30 42.50
an extreme (30 or 3) are much more rare. 19 6.90 35.20
20 6.30 28.30
21 5.50 22.00
22 4.50 16.50
If the result of 3D10 is: 23 3.60 12.00
30 3 24 2.80 8.40
+1 point of adrenaline -1 point of mental integrity 25 2.10 5.60
+1 point of experience 26 1.50 3.50
27 1.00 2.00
“That which does not kill us,
28 0.60 1.00
makes us stronger.”
Friedrich Nietzche 29 0.30 0.40
30 0.10 0.10
3
 Basic Rules
Rules

All role-play games require mathematics of games. The player must evaluate his chances of success
according to the situation and his character’s abilities.
There are 3 elements to consider: the characteristics, the level of integrity as well as the character’s
competencies. These elements are described further, but a player who has limited knowledge of role-play
games will understand quickly the situation. Basically, to have a successful action, a character must roll.

Here is how one calculates a roll

Blue
asso boxes
c a
A re iated re alw
ader to g ay A roll is calculated thus:
read who ame s
100 t he wis rule
% of story hes to s.
the the can onl
b
grap lue bo infor ignore y
h x m
marg ic ele es. Mo ation CHARACTERISTIC 1 CHARACTERISTIC 2 COMPETENCY PENALITY OR
ins ment reov in
T he
y ar are al s in t er, OR BONUS
part e, f ways he CHARACTERISTIC 3
, o
or a histo r the option
u r m al.
team thor’s ical r ost “... at the discretion of the game.”
’s n a n efer
otes d/or
+3D10
text ence
is a in red . Unde concep s
r t
rela refere indica lined
ted nce tes
to t in th
he t the m ere
ext. argi
n Success Failure
20+ 19-
Symbol and descriptive
of a passive choice Example of a roll Symbol and descriptive of a roll
(Refer to the character’s sheet)

CHARACTERISTIC 1
+
CHARACTERISTIC 2
+
Question this strange teammate on the COMPETENCY
crimes committed in Leizig. -
PENALTY
Start the conversation +
with more benign
questions... 5 3D10
PRECENCE INTELLIGENCE INFLUENCE/ PENALITY
PERSUASION

“This Gestapo officer suppresses all of

the world’s anger.”

Explanation
Success Failure for the bonus
027 or penalty

002 098

Immediately If the result is If the result is

go to chapter 027. 20+, go to 19-, go to
No roll is necessary. chapter 002. chapter 098.

4
 Characteristics and Competencies

Rules
Characteristics represent physical and mental abilities which are innate to the character. Whereas
competencies reflect what has been acquired by the character. They are generally acquired through
experience, training or simply during training courses.
Each characteristic and competency is represented by a unique symbol. Visually, a player will be able to
spot rapidly the required characteristics and competencies for a roll. It is important to indicate that even
if a competency gives a bonus of 0 (zero), the player can roll based on this competency; with a bonus of 0
(zero).

Characteristics
Strength: Represents the character’s actual
strength, the strength of his muscles within a very
short period of time.
Dexterity: Represents the character’s pure ability,
his capacity to evolve in his environment with
precision. It is also the character’s capacity to
coordinate his limbs and his senses.
Constitution: Represents the character’s health,
his capacity to resist poisons, diseases and other
injuries. The constitution represents the character’s
immune system and his body’s capacity to fight and
survive injuries or exposure to extreme weather,
such as intense heat or cold.
Determination: It is the character’s will to meet
his/her life objectives or simply his/her will to live
one more second. It often represents the ability
to plan long term. Suffer and live poorly now, but
improve his/her situation sooner or later.
Intelligence: A character’s capacity for logic and
deduction comes from his/her intelligence. It is
therefore not his/her level of education, but his/her
I.Q., pure and simple.
Precence: Presence, or charisma, is the character’s
ability to distinguish him/herself from the others,
to be appreciated or inspire trust. It is the image he/
she shows to others with his/her general attitude. It
must not be confused with appearance. Someone
could have a very pleasing appearance, and not
necessarily inspire trust.
Perception: Represents the character’s ability to
see and hear. This characteristic also includes the
four other senses, such as taste, touch, smell and
direction (perception of up and down). It also
includes the character’s ability to understand his/
her senses.
Competencies
Assault: This competency is particularly useful to
assault a room or a building. A basic competency for
a soldier.
Hand-to-hand: The character has developed and/or
mastered close combat techniques.
Discretion and camouflage: As the name says it,
this competency is useful to move forward discreetly
without being seen. It also allows the character to
open doors or other locks discreetly.
Influence and persuasion: When one needs to
persuade without using violence, this competency
comes into play. Convincing an administrator to
reroute a transport train or encouraging a witness to
tell his/her story are but a few examples or what this
competency encompasses.
Questioning and Intimidation: Makes questioning
a character (prisoner or not) efficient so as to get as
much information as possible. This competency also
makes it possible to subdue an aggressive soldier
without using direct violence.
Mechanic and Operation: Repairing an engine,
operating a radio set, or yet designing a rudimentary
bridge are but a few examples related to this
competency.
Medicine and First Aid: When one needs to stitch
up an open wound or yet remove a bullet from an
abdomen, this is the competency used. It can also be
used to do a cursory analysis of a biological residue or
diagnose a disease.
Tactic and Strategy: This competency is particularly
useful when planning a quick attack on a guardroom
or to drive back an attack. It can also be useful in
combat situation to take advantage of the terrain and
determine strategic points.

Faith: Faith does not represent the capacity to
believe, or not, in a god. Here, faith represents a
character’s degree of humanity, his capacity to
distinguish right from wrong, what is moral from
what is immoral. Faith is the main anchor of a man’s
humanity in the face of the universe.
Precision Shooting: When one needs to shoot a
target from afar, this competency automatically
comes into play. It can also be used to evaluate the
best position for precision shooting and/or observing.

There are five other competencies a character can and will unlock during play. When the time comes, a blue box will offer all
necessary explanations concerning the competency and what symbol represents it.
5
 Integrity Levels and Adrenaline
Rules

Integrity levels are a mathematical view of the character’s physical and mental health. Contrary to
characteristics and competencies, they are not considered when calculating rolls. However, characteristics
are essential to determine integrity levels. For example, a character with a strong constitution will have a
higher than average physical integrity level. The closer an integrity level is to 0 (zero), the closer a character
is to death.
The maximum integrity levels are calculated by adding the associated characteristics. For example, the
maximum level of mental integrity is calculated by adding determination, intelligence and faith. If a
characteristic changes, the integrity level changes, the integrity level will increase or decrease as much.
Under no circumstances can the physical and mental integrity as well as the adrenaline exceed their
maximum level.
Physical Integrity Associated Symbol
(Strength + Constitution + Determination)
Represents the overall physical health level. Zero represents
imminent death. Whereas the addition of the three
characteristics represents the character’s overall and
maximum health level possible.

Mental Integrity
(Determination + Intelligence + Faith)
Represents the character’s mental health level. Zero
represents a state of pure madness when the character has
no contact with reality.

Adrenaline
(Determination + Faith)
A character’s adrenaline is his/her ultimate resource when
facing death and dangers of the Universe. At any moment,
each adrenaline point can be “burned” to add +5 before a
roll, or +1 after a roll. Adrenaline can also be used for other Use 1 adrenaline point for a:
means. The Game will let the player know in due time. There • +5 bonus before the roll
are no consequences to having zero adrenaline points. • +1 bonus after the roll

Symbols and Integrity Levels

Each integrity level is associated to a particular symbol. Unless otherwise specified by the game, to see one
of those symbols means the character loses one point from the integrity level associated to the symbol.
These symbols are mainly found in three places: at the beginning of a chapter or when it is time to make a
choice and/or a roll or at the end of a chapter.

047
Above, when starting chapter 429, the player learns his/her character loses 1 point of mental integrity.
He deducts it immediately on his/her character sheet. When the time comes to make a choice, the player
ignores certain atrocities his/her character will discover.

122
Here, the player knows undoubtedly his/her character will lose 1 physical integrity point if he/she fails
the roll or if he/she specifically chooses this chapter. As soon as the player has made this choice or the
dice have decided for him/her, he/she lowers the corresponding integrity level on his/her character sheet
before moving on to the next chapter.
6
 Rules
I open fire on this monster.

I escape through the
window.
2
DEXTERITY PERCEPTION SNIPING PENALITY

“The creature was partially hidden by the

vehicle.”

On rarer occasions, such as the example above, the character immediately loses 2 mental integrity points
Réussi of the text, we have
before even making a choice. To avoid ruining the ambiance Échoué
placed the symbols at
411
the end. However, they represent all the horror described above and the irrevocable consequences on the
character’s psyche. 002 303
Recovery
It is possible to get back physical and mental integrity points. The game will inform the player when the
time is right. However, it is easier to recover from physical injuries than psychological traumas.

This symbol of a first aid kit means the character gets back 1 physical integrity point.
There are no symbols for getting back mental integrity points. When the need arises, the game
will specify it in a blue box. It is important to mention that getting back mental integrity points
is much rarer than getting back physical integrity points.

The Character’s Death

At any moment, if the physical or mental integrity level of the character drops to zero, he/she dies, or goes
completely insane, and the game is over. Keep in mind that your character will not have been the only one
to die, or go insane, during the Second World War.
Dropping to zero adrenaline points does not bring about the character’s death. However, it diminished
greatly his/her chances of survival in the following chapters.
The Second World War killed
between 60,000,000 and
80,000,000 people, that is to
say about 2.5 % of the world’s
population. Of those, about 60 %
were civilians.

Opposite, in Ivangorod (Russia) in 1942, a Jewish woman

is trying to save her child. We can see two other weapons
on the left pointed towards her. The odds she and her
child survived after this picture was taken are nil. On the
left, we can see men digging a grave.

7
 Starting Weapon Weapons and Equipments
Rules

As in any role-play games, it is important to make an inventory

Walther P38
of a character’s possessions. However, it would be impractical to
Weapon: P38
include each cartridge and characterize each piece of equipment
Type: Handgun
as it is done in several traditional role-play games. To simplify, each
Special: -------
weapon is associated to the following types: handgun, assault
weapon, precision weapon and close combat weapon. One weapon
can have more than one type. The game will give precision on the
weapons’ types when the player acquires them.
The type of a weapon (or piece of equipment) gives appreciable
bonuses when it comes time to roll. For example, launching an
Walther P38 attack in close combat without a weapon of that type could greatly
compromise the success of a roll and the physical integrity level of
the character.
Having good physical characteristics and a high
Example level in the close combat competency is the main
success factor for this type of attack. However, in
the example opposite, if the character has a close
combat weapon, the player can add an additional
bonus of 2 to his/her roll.
I am ready to pounce. It is important to remember that if the player fails,
his/her character will immediately lose 1 physical
2 integrity point. If the situation is critical and the
STRENGT DEXTERITY HAND-TO-HAND BONUS:
character’s physical integrity is at the lowest, the
(HAND-TO-HAND) player can consider taking 1 adrenaline point
to add a 5-point bonus to his/her roll. It gives a
“He moves ahead slowly, respectable bonus of 7.
suspicious of an ambush.”
The principle is the same for the equipment. A
precision sight will most likely give bonuses to
Success Failure a precision shot if the player has the weapon on
which to install it.
015 086 All equipment pieces available during the game
will be described when the time comes. A blue box
will describe clearly the game rules associated to
it. The only thing the player has to do is transcribe
the information in the appropriate section of
the character sheet. Descriptions in blue boxes
are kept to a minimum. Regularly, there will be
a short presentation in the margin to summarize
the weapon’s, the equipment’s or the presented
Karabiner 98k element’s history.
cht in
Adopted by the Wehrma
rf ul and
1935. A very powe Write down in the character sheet.
in e wi th
manoeuvrable carb
an easy design. It ha s an Karabiner 98k with a scope
of 50 0 m.
operational range Weapon: Kar98k
to 80 0 m.
It can easily go Type: Precision weapon
with a scope. Special: Scope
(+5 competency: precision shot)
8
 Acquiring and Allocating Experience The iron cross is the symbol which
represents all experience points.

Rules
A single-player role-playong game campaign could not really be a role-play When you see one or two of these
game without an experience point system. For most of us (rolists), spending crosses, you immediately gain the
associated experience points.
experience points is as stimulating as acquiring them. During play, at certain
key moments, the game will give experience points. The player can allocate
them immediately or accumulate them. However, it is only in chapters where
he acquires experience that he/she can allocate the points as he/she pleases.
Allocating experience is as easy and classic as in any other role-play games.

• Increasing a characteristic costs 2 points.

• Increasing a competency costs 1 point.
• Gaining 1 adrenaline point costs 1 point.

Building a Character
A player can choose among the pre-built characters (see page-2 example) Creator’s Note
or disregard them and create his/her own character. The player takes a blank After analysing more closely
character sheet and allocates 20 points respecting the following parameters: the characteristics and their
potential, it has become appa-
• Increasing a characteristic costs 2 points. rent that the “determination”
• Increasing a competency costs 1 point. characteristic stands out since
it is taken into consideration
All characteristics start at +1 value whereas competencies start at 0 (zero)
during calculations for the
value. If a player allocates no points to a characteristic, it will have a +1 value.
physical and mental integri-
Competencies do not give any bonuses if the player does not invest at least ty as well as the adrenaline.
1 point in one. Increasing this characteristic
A player must allocate the total sum of points when he/she creates his/her by only one point allows the
character. He/She cannot accumulate starting points. player to increase as much the
integrity levels and the adre-
When all 20 points are allocated, the player calculates the physical and naline.
mental integrity levels as well as the adrenaline according to associated
To balance out the game, the
characteristics. The character is now ready to serve the Third Reich.
“determination” characteris-
tic will be much less present
in the rolls during the game.
Character Sheet Therefore, an informed player
must choose between survi-
During play, the blue boxes will award special bonuses, give important ving by attrition, or winning
information, or yet unlock new competencies which were not available with probabilities.
at the beginning. It is the player’s responsibility to transcribe onto the Experience teaches that it is a
character sheet what is noted in those boxes. If the character sheet has no character’s weaknesses which
room to write, one can take another sheet or use a notepad to write down kill him/her, and not his/her
the information. Remember that, all blue boxes are directly linked to the strengths. A judicious diversity
character sheet. with one (or two) speciality is
the key to success.
The characteristic and competencie symbols are the icones used by
the American army to represent different units on a military map.

Army Batallion Infantry Ordnance Artillery Supply

Division Company Glider Inf. Maintenance Heavy Quartermaster

Brigade Platoon Recon. Medic Survey

Regiment Section Signal HQ Antitank 9

 12 April 1932 The Treaty of Versailles, after the Great War, does not
Act 1

Friedrich Beck marries Elisabeth. The next
day, he enlists in the Reichwehr (the army).
Nine months later Heida is born.
30 January 1933
Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist
Party (Nazi), is democratically elected
Chancellor.
29 June 1934
1st Night of the Long Knives. Hitler
eliminates his political enemies within the
Nazi Party.
2 August 1934
Marshall Paul Von Hindenburg, president of
the Weimar Republic, dies.
allow Germany to have more than 100,000 men in its
army (the Reichwehr).
The word Reich does not translate into English,
but it refers to the Holy Roman Empire (the First
Reich). The Second Reich is the German Empire
from 1871 to 1918 (end of the Great War). Then
there is the Weimar Republic from 1918 to
1933. The Third Reich is the term used by Hitler
and his movement to refer to the future of
the German Empire after all German-speaking
people are united under one banner.

19 August 1934
Hitler is named President and Chancellor of
the Reich by referendum.
He becomes the Führer.
The Third Reich is officially born.
Birth of Nickolaus Beck.

21 May 1935
The Reichewehr is dissolved.
The Wehrmacht is born

The Wehrmacht (translated by:

Defence Force) is an attempt
at circumventing the 100,000
men restriction for the German
Leutnant Friedrich Beck, his wife
Army. In principle, the Treaty of Elisabeth, and his children Heida and
Versailles limits the Reichwehr. Nickolaus.
The Wehrmacht has therefore no 6 March 1940, Stuttgart.
limits…

2 February 1938
Friedrich Beck is promoted to Leutnant.
He is assigned to the 19th Panzer Division.
12 March 1938
Austria is annexed to Germany after a
referendum indicates it is favourable to the
people at 99 %.

10
 1
St
Se
a rt
pt
of em
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e
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r 17 Se
pt 19
Ta S em 39
Le kin ep b
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na f o m
nt th b amp
Fr e B er a
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27 ric st-L 39 .
19 ign
W S h B ito
En ars ep eck vsk
d aw te
of s m is in Fort
th urr b ju re
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Se d
pt er 19 .
em s. 39
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5
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es t B 94
ta ec 1
po k
offi ti s
ce ran
in sfe
Be rre
rli d
n. to

police of the Nazi Party.

The Gestapo is the political
ACT 1

11
Consumed from the inside
Act 1
001

“Since the war started, we found in Leipzig a total of fifteen bodies that
appeared to have been treated in a strange way that mystified even the best
doctors of the Reich.”
12
 001 One of Hitler’s objectives was to
create a Jewish-blood free territory.

001
Berlin, June 5th 1941 Once they are in power, the Nazis
progressively increased sanctions
Panicked. That was how I felt as I was walking on Prince against the Jewish people. They
Albert Street, heading towards the Gestapo’s office in reached a first peak on 15 November
Berlin. I was called in on some unexplained business that, when they passed the Nuremberg
I was certain of it, was linked to my wife, Elisabeth. Laws which took away their civil
rights, and forbade them to marry or
Seeing how things were moving, I had decided, a few weeks
even have intermarital intercourse
earlier, to tamper with some files to suppress the blood with German-blood people. However,
ties that made my wife, due to her paternal grand-father, this law required a clear definition
one-quarter Jewish. of what was a Jewish person : “is an
individual who is descended from at
Yet, this meeting with the head of the Gestapo had least three grandparents who were Jews,
nothing to do with that. In this regard, I could rest but also the one who has two Jewish
easy. However, the pictures I was shown told me that grandparents members of the Jewish
religious community or is married to
something mysterious was eating away at the Reich from
a Jew”. The most ironic was that this
the inside, which is why I was summoned. I’m back on duty. law was the acknowledment of the
Since the war started, we found in Leipzig a total impossibility for the Nazi authority to
define “a racial Jew”; since they were
of fifteen bodies that appeared to have been treated irrevocably mixed into the German
in a strange way that mystified even the best doctors blood. Only bureaucratie and a birth
of the Reich. Their withered, gray skin, sometimes the certificate could differenciate a Jew
color of coal, crumbled to the touch like a thin layer from a German.
of limestone. Their hair were completely dull and their
entirely dried eyes showed a gray tint, as if someone had
emptied the sockets and dropped in them carefully polished
pebbles. Reinhard Heydrich, Director of the Reich Main
Security Office who, much to my surprise, also attended
the meeting, is convinced that this is the work of a
small cell of Jews. Though that belief is motivated by
the fact that none of the fifteen victims is Jewish, his
discourse makes it obvious that he did not really need
any tangible evidence to blame Jews. Consequently, I was In the night of 9 - 10 November
sent to Leipzig to end the slaughter of civilians and 1938, the Reichskristallnacht (Crystal
German soldiers as quickly as possible. The Director of Night) took place. Presented as a
the Office was clear: spontaneous reaction from the
population, it was actually planned
— Simply find the perpetrators of these crimes and and ordered by top Nazi officials. In
bring them to the justice of the Reich. We will determine all the Reich, hundreds of synagogues
were burned. Crystal Night is the
what witchcraft they used to harm the German nation. The
turning point of Jewish oppression in
other Jews of Leipzig will be dealt with soon. Nazi Germany.
There was, during the briefing, a good 2.1 meters high
mountain of a man standing at my left. Looking at the
pictures and listening to what Müller and Heydrich had
to tell me, I felt watched. I might have been approached
the same way had I been a suspect in this case. However,
after all the necessary information had been given me, I
was introduced to Oskar Hammerstein, the giant observing
me since my arrival and who turned out to be the Gestapo
agent that would accompany me on this mission. Aside from
being huge, this Hammerstein fellow had a bad burn on the In the days that followed, almost
right side of his face, which accentuated his brutish 30,000 Jews were deported to
and ruthless look. The blond, nearly bright hair showing concentration camps.
under his cap cut the somber traits of his visage. I also
noticed he was missing the little finger of his right
hand, and I wondered if it was due to a defect or the
13
 result of a war injury.
The colossus and I took each other’s measure and
001

followed Müller to a table to the left of the room, which

seemed much too bright for the secrets that punctuated
the conversion. While we looked at the map covering the
table and on which was drawn what looked like a route
between Berlin and Leipzig, Director Heydrich announced
that he was leaving. But before leaving the room, he gave
us this encouragement, which could also, in context, be
A German Democratic Republic interpreted as a threat:
stamp with the phrase “Niemals
wieder Kristallnacht” — Men, Germany puts her trust in you, and I know that
(Crystal Night: Never Again) you will not dare fail her.
Müller pointed out the most secure route to Leipzig. He
explained that, since January 1940, attacks have targeted
Gestapo agents and Wehrmacht transports. He was telling
us that an ambush had cost the lives of two of his best
agents when I noticed that Hammerstein had, at the nape
of the neck, a partially hidden scar under his blond hair.
It seemed to look like the one I myself got during the
campaign in Poland, during the attack that also took my
left eye.
When the director judged we had all the necessary
information, he invited us to get to work as soon as
possible. A car would be waiting for us at 1430 hours
behind the Gestapo headquarters, which gave me a bit over
an hour to go home, pack my things and hug the kids. I
had no time to waste. Müller also gave us the address
of a place in Leipzig where we could stay during the
investigation. After a salute, he told me Hammerstein
could give me more details about the sites and times
where the bodies had been found. According to him, it was
definitely there that we should start our investigation.
At 1428 hours, in the Gestapo headquarters courtyard,
on Prince Albert Street, the front-wheel-drive Citroën’s
engine was already running and Hammerstein, who didn’t
bother to greet me, was already sitting on the passenger
Heinrich Müller side. Happy to take the wheel, as occasions had been few
In September 1939, Müller and sparse since the incident in Poland, I adjusted the
becomes chief of Department
IV (Gestapo) in the
seat and mirrors and we hit the road.
Reichssicherheitshauptamt The road between Berlin and Leipzig usually took three
(Reich Main Security hours, but the itinerary the Oberführer Müller had imposed
Office). He is under the
direct supervision of on us was much longer. I had a lot of time to think about
Heydrich. the unexpected situation in which I found myself. First,
what had truly happened to those fifteen victims, only
one of which was a woman? Second, why assign a one-eyed
lieutenant of the Wehrmacht to a Hauptsturmführer of the
SS for an investigation that is under the jurisdiction
of the Gestapo? And who was this dark faced man with
Aryan traits that is way too tall for this car? Third,
what makes this mission important enough to justify the
presence of the Gruppenführer Heydrich, who was, as far
as I knew, a man particularly busy with diverse duties and

14
 obligations within the Reich?
The Citroën had been throbbing for over an hour. We were closing in on

001
Erkner, and Hammerstein and I still hadn’t said a single word; his jaw seemed so
tight I wondered if he was even breathing. It looked like this Gestapo officer
held all the fury of the universe and it wasn’t hard imagining him committing all
those atrocities credited to the Secret State Police and whose echoes circulated
even within to the ranks of the Wehrmacht. However, despite this coldness that
closed on sadism, I had to get the conversation going. Indeed, Müller had
been clear on one point: Hammerstein knew more than I did on the object of our
investigation. So I now had to question this strange partner about the crimes
committed in Leipzig. At the same time, it would also be good to learn more about
this Hammerstein fellow, of whom I had never heard.

Question this strange partner about

the crimes committed in Leizig.

5
PRESENCE INTELLIGENCE INFLUENCE/ PENALITY
PERSUASION

“It looked like this Gestapo officer

held all the fury of the universe...”

Success Failure

002 065

ch
Heydrich l, Heydri
Reinhard Na zi s ta ke contro sd ie nst
In 1933,
when the Sicherheit
th e he ad of the is to un mask
y at ive master
is alread His object absolute
Service). rty. He is apo. He
(Security Na zi Pa e Ge st
ve rs ar ie s of the es pi on ag e and th be ing a
ad rces, ctive of
police fo t the obje g and
over all it sd ie ns r me as ur in
Sicherhe rument fo
gives the th e in st
the mind,
“Police of
ll in g thought.”
contro

15