The Splendid and the Vile
by Erik Larson
Contents
Chapter 97: Interloper
Overview
Rudolf Hess secretly flies alone from Germany toward Scotland, driven by mystical conviction and a private mission he conceals even from most of the Nazi leadership. Göring's frantic but ineffective attempt to stop him exposes the shock his disappearance causes in Berlin, while British radar and observers struggle to believe that a lone Me 110 has penetrated so far north. The chapter sets Hess's bizarre intrusion against a much larger immediate threat, as the RAF realizes a major German raid on London is forming at the same time.
Summary
On Saturday, May 10, Rudolf Hess prepares for a secret solo flight from Germany to Scotland. Hess believes the timing is favored not only by good weather and bright moonlight, but also by horoscopes, dreams, and what he sees as supernatural signs, including a dream reported by his mentor Karl Haushofer. Reflecting his extreme hypochondria, Hess packs an elaborate cache of medicines, stimulants, and homeopathic remedies before saying goodbye to his wife and son.
At Augsburg, Hess tells airfield officials he is flying to Norway, but his real target is a landing strip south of Glasgow. He gives his adjutant, Pintsch, a sealed envelope to open only after four hours, then takes off around six P.M. German time in an Me 110 and navigates northwest across Germany by landmarks and rail junctions. The secrecy of the mission is underscored when the envelope later proves to contain farewell and explanatory letters, including one addressed to Adolf Hitler.
As news of Hess's departure reaches Berlin, Hermann Göring panics and tries to have him stopped. After Pintsch requests a navigational beam toward Dungavel House, Göring orders fighter commander Adolf Galland to send up his entire wing to intercept an aircraft flying out of Germany. Galland judges the order nearly impossible to carry out in the darkness and, doubting Hess can survive the journey, makes only a token effort before reporting failure back to Göring.
Near the British coast, Hess drops his empty fuel tanks into the sea. At 10:10 P.M., Britain's radar and observer network detects a lone fast aircraft approaching from the North Sea and tracking north into Scotland. Multiple observers correctly identify it as an Me 110, but RAF and Fighter Command officials repeatedly dismiss the reports as impossible, assuming the witnesses must be mistaken. Even as the intruder races low across Scotland and evades pursuit, British radar operators farther south begin seeing a far greater danger: hundreds of German aircraft gathering over France for the massive raid on London.
Who Appears
- Rudolf HessDeputy Führer who secretly flies alone to Scotland, driven by mystical signs and a private mission.
- Hermann GöringAlarmed Nazi leader who learns of Hess's flight and orders fighters to bring him down.
- Adolf GallandFighter commander ordered to intercept Hess; he makes only a token effort and expects the flight to fail.
- PintschHess's adjutant, who receives sealed letters and requests a navigational beam toward Scotland.
- Karl HaushoferHess's mentor, whose dream reinforces Hess's belief that supernatural forces favor the mission.
- Major Graham DonaldRoyal Observer Corps officer who insists the intruding aircraft must be an Me 110.