the best they could hope for was to stave off defeat until Decem-
ber, and that Germany could never regain air supremacy even
over a reduced Reich bounded by the Rhine and Vistula rivers.
Since Göring hesitated to introduce Kreipe to Hitler for
several weeks, the luckless General Koller continued to officiate
at the Wolf’s Lair. The Reichsmarschall emerged briefly for
Korten’s funeral at the Battle of Tannenberg Monument on July
, then vanished again. “Göring,” wrote Kreipe, “delivers a very
fine eulogy. Koller gives me the cold shoulder. Göring crumples
at the end and flies home sick to Carinhall.” Hurt and mis-
trustful, Koller misinterpreted the sudden exit. “The
Reichsmarschall didn’t talk to me,” he noted angrily in his own
papers, “although I am still acting chief, and need several deci-
sions from him.”
On the last day of the month, now confined to bed, Göring
again received General Kreipe:
Göring has an abscess in his throat and can’t speak.
He whispers to Brauchitsch, who repeats everything
out loud to me (odd situation). I’m to go to East
Prussia and start work at once. When I ask if Koller’s
been notified, he says no.... Göring hands me a note
saying he wants to introduce me to Führer himself as
soon as he’s better. Until then I am to let Koller or
Christian deputize for me at Führer conferences.“The present state of play,” wrote Koller that same day, dis-
gusted with what was happening, “is that L [Loerzer] and RM
[the Reichsmarschall] are at Carinhall, while I am holding the
fort at Goldap and directing the Luftwaffe alone with a skeleton
staff. RM can’t be spoken to is ill mustn’t be disturbed.”
In four days, it seemed likely, the Russians might well be in
East Prussia, so at Rominten élite troops of the Escort Regiment