Winds Of War

Many exciting and uncommon things happened to the Henry family during the World War Two time period. As the story, written my Herman Wouk, begins in the early spring of 1939, Victor "Pug" Henry is given a new job assignment. He is to be the new navel attachй in Berlin, Germany. Warren, Pug and Rhoda's oldest son, is setting off to New York. He is visiting there with his executive officer who had just arrived in town. Byron is in Florence, Italy studying the fine arts. While in Italy, Byron decides that the fine arts is yet another thing that bores him. He leaves his studies and travels to Siena to meet Aaron Jastrow, the author of a famous book. He begins to work with his niece, Natalie, researching subjects for a new book. Madeline, their only daughter, is attending school. She is very independent, doesn't enjoy school very much and would rather go with Warren to New York. Rhoda, Pug's wife of twenty-five years, finished everything for the move to Berlin just has she had all those times before. All the bills had been paid, the house put up for rent, packed all their belonging and stored all the things they wouldn't be taking overseas.

The Bremen was Pug's transportation to Europe. They had been invited to the Captain's dinner one night while aboard the ship. Pug and Rhoda met a German sub officer by the name of Grobke, Alistair "Talky" Tudsbury, and his daughter Pamela. Pug and Rhoda had just arrived in Berlin when they were invited to meet Adolf Hitler at a very uncommon Chancellery reception. Rhoda immediately stressed about her appearance and wardrobe. She wore a pink suit when she met Hitler and impressed him with her fluent German. They discussed the availability of houses in the area, and he had known that they had just arrived. Rhoda soon found a very inexpensive house in Grunewald. It was a large, beautifully furnished home owned by a Jew by the name of Rosenthal. They leased it from him, and were soon very comfortable in Germany. Many social events were held to introduce Victor to many foreign diplomats, industrialists, artists, politicians, and also military officers. His job, as a Navel attachй was to collect useful intelligence and report back about what he found.

To Pug's surprise, Grobke had kept is promise from the Bremen about visiting the German navel facility, Swinemunde. Also as he promised, Tudsbury was invited. They toured the base and Pug saw first hand the German readiness for war. That night he typed a report on the combat readiness of Nazi Germany. He also made the bold prediction that Germany would make a pact with the Soviet Union.

Natalie had asked Byron to join her as she traveled to Warsaw after their work on the Palio was finished. She and Byron left Siena and traveled to Warsaw in the chaos caused by that pact. They made it to Warsaw but soon left to Cracow to meet Natalie's family in Medzice. Jochanan Berel Jastrow met them at the tiny airport. After a few days in Medzice, Byron was woken up to Berel telling him that the Germans were coming.

Madeline had traveled to New York, and in the new development in the war, she had walked into the CBS News office building looking for temporary work. Warren, also in New York, met a very wealthy, smart, beautiful woman by the name of Janice Lacouture, the daughter of a congressman.

Hitler's army invaded Poland; the war was starting. Aaron Jastrow wired Pug to ask his he knew the whereabouts of Natalie and Byron, saying that they had left for Warsaw before the pact had been made. Pug called him back telling him that he had no news of where they were. Victor attended a Reichstag speech, in the Kroll Opera House. He noted that Hitler looked almost ill and saw also Gцring. Pug then received word that he was wanted in Washington. He left that night.

Byron and Natalie were again heading to Warsaw. This time accompanied by Berel and a newly wedded couple. While changing a flat tired on the side of the rode, Byron was shot by the invading German's planes. The bullet grazed his ear and he was stitched up in the next town. Later, Polish officers took Byron's passport, and questioned him about his relations with the Jews in the car. Ignoring the fact that he was without his passport in a war area, he left the town and headed to Warsaw. Days later, they reached the embassy. France and Britain had by then declared war on Germany. Bombings were occurring all around Warsaw from the Germans. Fuel, water and food were all very low in quantity.

Victor Henry made it back to the United States. He was shocked to find out that he was wanted at the White House to meet the President. President Franklin Roosevelt had requested to meet with Henry to discus his report about the war. Roosevelt asked to stay in touch with Victor. A wire came through from Stole saying that Byron was in Warsaw once again. Pug visited the CBS News office and met Cleveland. He dined with Madeline at the Brooklyn Navy Yard with Digger Brown. He also met Janice and saw Warren, who had been in flight training, had made the top flight group, Squadron Five.

Leslie Stole became the new head of the Embassy in Warsaw. Byron had been very helpful searching all over the city for water and Natalie had been working at a hospital. Then, the Russians invaded Poland. A few days after, Byron, Stole, Natalie and the Swedish ambassador went to get information about a cease-fire and the evacuation of neutral refugees. Polish officers came to pick up the neutrals. They were left to walk through no man's land to the Germanys waiting on the other side. When they finally arrived they were treated very well. They were fed and separated into their home countries. After a conflict over the Jews in the U.S. group, they were sent on a train. When they stopped, Byron read the wire that he had gotten back at the German station. It was from his father telling him to come to Berlin.

From the very long and interesting story of Byron's life recently, Pug decided that it would be a good intelligence report. He also asked Byron to write about what he had encountered. At the farewell lunch for Kirby, Rhoda's lover, the announcement that Warsaw had fallen was made. In the beginning of October, Pug attended another Reichstag speech made by Hitler, with Byron. He wrote another intelligence report and asked Byron to write is views on the speech too.

In the northern tip of Scotland, a U-boat had sunk the British battleship Royal Oak. A reception was held to introduce Lieutenant Commander Prien to the military attachйs. There, Byron got the idea to become a submariner. Back at the Grunewald house after the days of touring shipyards and factories, Byron received a letter from Aaron saying Natalie was not there. Byron still decided to go back the Siena though. Madeline had written too. She had gotten