MUNINN

Fellgiebel and the 1944 Plot MUNINN Volume 2 (2013)Rommel were dashed when he was injured on July 17, just three daysbefore the assassination attempt on Hitler. 11 Rommel’s skull wasseverely injured and would not be on the Normandy front when theassassination attempt took place. 12 July 20 may have ended differentlyif the conspirators had Rommel that day.Despite the setbacks, Operation Valkyrie was executedaccording to the inspiration of the plan’s leader Tresckow “at any cost.”In his book, History of the German Resistance, Peter Hoffman wrotethat Colonel Kurt Hahn—General Fellgiebel’s chief of staff—began theevent by a telephone call to the military signal center in Zossen, justsouth of Berlin. Though there is some disagreement among historiansas to the exact time that the codeword was given, measures were takenfor a communications blackout before the assassination attempt to killHitler that day. Fellgiebel had positioned either conspirators or at leastthose he trusted across the communications network that day to keepthe blackout quiet before the bombing. As Hoffman points out: “TheGestapo never found out about this advance warning, Fellgiebel [andothers involved with communications] saved the lives of otherconspirators, by keeping their mouths shut.” 13 Fellgiebel, like many ofthose involved in the plot, was feeling tense on the morning of July 20.When Stauffenberg arrived at the signal corps bunker at the Wolf’s Lairto check on him, Fellgiebel laughed nervously. “Everyone is laughingtoday, General,” said Stauffenberg, “What a happy place.” A fewwords were exchanged. Each knew that there was not much left to besaid. After they shook hands and wished each other good luck,Stauffenberg soon left to go to the office of General Walter Buhle(1894-1959), the Chief of the Army Staff for OKW. 14 Good luck wasnot something the conspirators were going to have that day.What was Fellgiebel doing during those few minutes beforethe bomb exploded? It appears that around noon, Fellgiebel wasdiscussing communication affairs in the office of Lieutenant ColonelRudolf Gerhard Sander, a signals officer. 15 Fellgiebel and Sander thenwent to discuss radio issues with Colonel Heinz Waizenegger, a seniorstaff officer to OKW chief Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (1882-1946).Both Fellgiebel and Sander spotted Field Marshal Keitel and ColonelStauffenberg walking toward the bunker for the briefing session withHitler. After some time, Sander called into the conference room torequest that Stauffenberg come to Bunker 88, away from the bomb, totalk to Fellgiebel. Stauffenberg appeared and started talking to11Kenneth Macksey, Without Enigma (England: Ian Allan Publishing, 2000), 131-132.12Mannell and Fraenkel, 65.13Hoffmann, German Resistance, 338, 407.14Hoffmann, German Resistance, 107.15Hoffmann, German Resistance, 344. Hahn involved Sander in the resistance withSander tracking Hitler’s actions and movements for Fellgiebel .36