The Career of a Naval Officer

[Major Major]

Fairfax, Virginia, December 24, 1954

Vice-Admiral Heydrich prepared to celebrate Weinachten with his family: Claire, and their children Reinhard II, Silke, and Marte. (The oldest son, Klaus, had been killed in a traffic accident. The driver of the car which had hit him had died not long thereafter in mysterious circumstances.)

Grandfather Ernest had been there, and after dinner had asked to speak to his son-in-law privately. When they were alone, he began:

“Reinhard, you’ve been a credit to the family and to the country. Have you considered what you will do after you retire?”

“Not particularly. I expected to die in battle.”

“That’s not likely anymore. The Reds have nukes, but their only plane is a copy of our B-29. The Air Force —” he scowled, “is building a detection system, like the Germans had during the war.

“We can prevent their maritime efforts with submarines. Our submarine force was successful in the Pacific, as I’m sure you’ll remember. And — keep this to yourself for now — West Germany will receive full sovereignty soon, and they have expertise.”

“As long as we don’t waste money and effort on nuclear propulsion,” Heydrich said. “I’ve tried to rein in that Rickover but it looks like he’ll get his first boat next year sometime. Conventional boats are cheaper so if one gets lost, it won’t matter so much.”

“But that’s because of politics,” King said. “You must know this. At the Naval War College I wrote a paper on government. I said:

“Historically ... it is traditional and habitual for us to be inadequately prepared. This is the combined result of a number factors, the character of which is only indicated: democracy, which tends to make everyone believe that he knows it all; the preponderance (inherent in democracy) of people whose real interest is in their own welfare as individuals; the glorification of our own victories in war and the corresponding ignorance of our defeats (and disgraces) and of their basic causes; the inability of the average individual (the man in the street) to understand the cause and effect not only in foreign but domestic affairs, as well as his lack of interest in such matters. Added to these elements is the manner in which our representative (republican) form of government has developed as to put a premium on mediocrity and to emphasise the defects of the electorate already mentioned.”

“And you think I can do something about this?”

“You have the reputation, you’re a younger man, full of energy.” King got up. “No need to do anything about this now, but think about it.”

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

Meeting with other officers, he repeated his assertion that the United States had damaged its relations with the Arab countries. “Egypt can control the Suez Canal. The countries of the Arabian Gulf can provide petroleum at a low price, and having it raised would damage the economy.”

As of 1947, the US was by far the world's largest oil producer and a net exporter. While some big US oil companies (Texaco, Chevron, Exxon, and Mobil) had interests in Arab oil, it was not then dominant force it became later. No one in the US considered it important to the US economy or worried about the Arabs raising the price.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

DesRon 67 aggressively patrolled off the course of the Levant. The destroyers stopped Israeli-flagged ships and searched them for contraband. They also inspected other ships. One destroyer stopped a ship with parts for Messerschmidt fighters, and under interrogation a cargo officer admitted that they were for the Israelis. Captain Heydrich declared them contraband and had them jettisoned over the side.

By whose orders is DesRon 69 operating in those waters? A destroyer squadron would be attached to a carrier task group. I can't see Com Sixth Fleet detaching them, unless specifically directed by Washington. Those orders would have to be approved by Truman. He was maneuvered by the State Department into maintaining the US passive embargo on arms, but would he approve active enforcement by US forces? US personnel boarding and searching Israeli ships? I doubt it.

 

[Major Major]

As of 1947, the US was by far the world's largest oil producer and a net exporter. While some big US oil companies (Texaco, Chevron, Exxon, and Mobil) had interests in Arab oil, it was not then dominant force it became later. No one in the US considered it important to the US economy or worried about the Arabs raising the price.

He was thinking ahead. It was desirable to keep oil prices low to make, for example, keeping the fleet's bunkers full and facilitate operations.

 

[Major Major]

By whose orders is DesRon 69 operating in those waters? A destroyer squadron would be attached to a carrier task group. I can't see Com Sixth Fleet detaching them, unless specifically directed by Washington. Those orders would have to be approved by Truman. He was maneuvered by the State Department into maintaining the US passive embargo on arms, but would he approve active enforcement by US forces? US personnel boarding and searching Israeli ships? I doubt it.

The Sixth Fleet commander ordered it, out of a desire to maintain order in the Eastern Med.

 

[Salvare7097]

He was thinking ahead. It was desirable to keep oil prices low to make, for example, keeping the fleet's bunkers full and facilitate operations.

On top of that major, the British were actually controlling Suez at that time. And if we hadn’t set that one out they would still.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

He was thinking ahead. It was desirable to keep oil prices low to make, for example, keeping the fleet's bunkers full and facilitate operations.

In 1948, the US produced 59% of the world's petroleum. The US also had effective control of the oil production of Venezuela and Mexico, while Middle Eastern production was still modest. Saudi production had barely started. The idea that the US Navy would ever need Arab oil was so far out of the picture that anyone talking about it would be written off as a loony. I would further note that

The premises for *Heydrich's argument are:

Sometime in the future, oil prices will increase substantially. As of 1948, oil prices had been stable or declining for a generation, and there was no sign that this would ever change. Oil prices did not rise significantly till the 1970s, a generation later,

Arab countries will become the largest oil exporters in the world. As of 1948, oil production in Arab countries was a small share of world production, and it was controlled by British, American, and Dutch corporations who dictated prices to the Arab rulers.

If the US is hostile to Israel now, then in the distant future grateful Arabs will keep oil prices down, foregoing revenue that would make them rich instead of poor. Would any country give up such wealth for such a reason? In the 1970s, all the oil-exporting countries raised prices, including close US allies such as Iran and Venezuela, and nations already hostile in 1948, such as the USSR. So there is no evidence that kissing up to the Arabs about Israel would have saved the US anything on oil costs.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

The Sixth Fleet commander ordered it, out of a desire to maintain order in the Eastern Med.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli war had essentially no maritime element, and there was no hazard to American shipping. Boarding and searching Israeli ships is intervention in the war, which a decision that is way above his pay grade.

 

[Salvare7097]

The Sixth Fleet commander ordered it, out of a desire to maintain order in the Eastern Med.

That would not be his call to make. That would be the presidents.

 

[Major Major]

Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, January 1, 1960

The New Year’s Party was breaking up. Tomorrow, Admiral Heydrich would be relieved as CINCPAC.

He had lost the struggle in naval politics. In spite of presiding over the launching of six supercarriers, with two more on the way, he had lost out. The nuclear-power expert Rickover (a name he thought of with revulsion) had prevailed, and there would be two nuclear-powered carriers.

The admiral looked out over the base. Not all his efforts had been in vain. The Japanese had a naval militia which rejoiced in the name of “Japanese Naval Self-Defense Force”. That damned constitution of theirs. They had no fleet carriers but were building a number of destroyers and destroyer escorts.

And what of a political career? He had looked into some self-proclaimed “Patriotic organizations”. The John Birch Society had turned out to be its founder’s plaything. Too many other groups were tainted with the Klan. Their racial theories were ill-conceived and they were ignorant rural people.

He would need a better-educated, better-organized organization to achieve Admiral King’s theory. As the Admiral’s heir, he thought he could take the important steps.

 

[Major Major]

Musikhaus, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 25, 1963

“A Communist! I’m not surprised!”

His guest, Congressman Robert A. Taft, Jr., looked startled. “Admiral Heydrich —” he began.

Heydrich stood there, a glass of cognac in one hand. “He was finally, finally learning. In a year, I know, he would have provoked a quarrel with Cuba and Moscow would have been shown up. Castro would have been shot and that beast Guevara taken out and beaten to death.

“They must have guessed it was coming. So they sent this creepy little defector to blow him away. Then that whoremonger got him — bad luck for us and good luck for them.”


Congressman Taft did not know that Admiral Heydrich had had a telephone call the day before. The admiral had been called to the telephone. A familiar voice was on the end of the line. “Ah have got to get them boys organ-ized!”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Ah wants you to take charge at Langley an’ clean up them good-fer-nothings! Ah hav got to go bury Jack, so take the time to be a’thinkin’ ‘bout it! Give me an answer by the beginnin’ of Dee-cember.”

“Thank you Mr. President. I have to arrange my affairs.”

“Cayn’t get start’d soon-enuff!”

The now-President had been deeply impressed with Heydrich when he had visited the LBJ Ranch. Johnson had taken him for a ride, then abruptly turned the car and driven into a lake. Heydrich had said, “Handles nicely, doesn’t it?” He had noted that the car was amphibious.

 

[Major Major]

CIA Headquarters, 1000 Colonial Farm Rd, Langley, Va, January 2, 1964

The new Director of Central Intelligence was sworn in. He began to issue orders immediately.

The assassination attempts against Fidel Castro were terminated. The Mafia members who had worked on them were set up for betrayal to the FBI. Instead, the CIA would seek to destabilize the Cuban economy. Infiltrators would destroy fuel distribution or establish themselves in industrial plants to prepare to sabotage the operations.

Heydrich was annoyed that the CIA had been constrained not to spy on Britain. He did increase recruitment of European agents. Other recruitment was stepped up in the Far East. Vietnamesre agents, though, were often set up for denunciation to the Communists.

He extended efforts to recruit agents in Arab countries. Many were sent into the Zionist entity for observation or even infrastructure degradation. Relationships with the Zionists were completely severed.

As time passed, Heydrich became disappointed with one area of investigation. The man who apparently had shot Kennedy was shown to have been uncooperative and disorganized. He would have been found out if he had ever worked with any other organization.

The Vietnamese situation declined. There were more Communist agents in the government, and removing them would have left the government unable to function. The President did not want to hear that South Vietnam could not be saved.

Then, the Chinese began to tear apart their government. Heydrich ordered recruiting, but in vain, since an official would be recruited and then purged. The country might disintegrate, and he was working with the Nationalist government to prepare for a return to the mainland.