American Airpower Comes of Age

PARIS AND GERMANY
Left hotel at 9:00 with Gen. Tobin, CG, Ind [Independent?]
Brigade of Antiaircraft for Hitler’s retreat. It is located up steep
mountain road at altitude of about 5,000 feet; village is about
1,500 feet; Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest at about 8,500 feet. The road,
retreat, tunnels (12 miles) under retreat, the Eagle’s Nest, elevator
shaft up 400 feet to Nest, power plant was four years’
work [1934–38] with 3,000 men. The road runs through several
tunnels and is for long distances cut through solid rock.
The elevator shaft and power plant room for the Eagle’s Nest
are cut through solid granite. The cost in dollars would be
almost beyond an estimate in the US. His retreat has a hotel,
SS guard barracks, house for Goering, one for Goebbels and
Hitler’s own house. The barracks, Hitler’s house and the
garage were a wreck due to bombing. It is very hard to visualize
interior due to fire. The tunnels beneath go down for the
equivalent of 4 stories. The Eagle’s Nest is intact except for
souvenir hunters who have taken away or broken off everything
that could be detached: door knobs, electric light fixtures,
locks on doors, house furnishings, they have even cut
off pieces of the rugs. The building is of stone with wonderful
views in all directions, large dining room to seat 20, all finished
in oak. Elevator man who ran elevator for Hitler still
there; elevator has trap door to lower compartment where SS
men rode, carries 10 people. Operator points out with pride
where Hitler, Eva Braun, etc., all sat in car. 27
From there we went to Konigsee 28 where we have taken over
6 hotels for recreation for enlisted men. Met Colonel Jones and
his secretary, a countess whose father was German Ambassador
to Argentina. She lost a husband and 2 sons in war; was
educated in England and US. 29 Very outspoken about Hitler,
thinks he was a curse to Germany, does not believe average
young German is willing to give up ideas of fighting in the
future as they are inbred in youth. Only hope would be to get
youths over to US (at German expense) to see what we do to
keep our youth busy and how our country operates as a
peaceful nation. She tried to give me a $400.00 watch, which
I promptly returned.
Had lunch with enlisted men, took a ride on lake in electric
launch, 8 horsepower, 12 miles per hour. Kaiser Wilhelm had
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