E t r xposing thE hird Eich AmericAn WArriors Throughout the nation’s history, numerous men and women of all ranks and branches of the U.S. military have served their country with honor and distinction. During times of war and peace, there are individuals whose exemplary achievements embody the highest standards of the U.S. armed forces. The aim of the American War- riors series is to examine the unique historical contributions of these individuals, whose legacies serve as enduring examples for soldiers and citizens alike. The series will promote a deeper and more com- prehensive understanding of the U.S. armed forces. series editor: Roger Cirillo An AUsA Book Exposing thE Third rEich Colonel Truman Smith in Hitler’s Germany H G. G enry ole Copyright © 2013 by The University Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com 17 16 15 14 13 5 4 3 2 1 Maps by Dick Gilbreath, University of Kentucky Cartography Lab. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gole, Henry G., 1933- Exposing the Third Reich : Colonel Truman Smith in Hitler’s Germany / Henry G. Gole. p. cm. — (American warriors) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8131-4176-3 (hardcover : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-8131-4177-0 (epub) -- ISBN 978-0-8131-4178-7 (pdf) 1. Germany—History—1933-1945. 2. Smith, Truman, 1893-1970. 3. Military attaches—United States—Biography. 4. United States. Army—Officers— Biography. I. Title. DD256.5.G5944 2013 943.086—dc23 2013008901 This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials. Manufactured in the United States of America. Member of the Association of American University Presses To Irene and Henry Gole, who paid my high school tuition when the cupboard was bare contents Foreword by Edward M. Coffman ix Preface and Acknowledgments xi 1. Patrician Heritage 1 2. Over There 17 3. Deutschland and Yearning 32 4. Civil Affairs and Romance on the Rhine 43 5. Berlin, Munich, and Hitler in Weimar Germany 58 6. Years of Preparation 77 7. Marshall’s Men 87 8. Army War College and Command 103 9. Hitler Takes Power 122 10. Hitler’s Germany 130 11. Kay, Germany, and Ambassador Dodd 143 12. Hitler Arms, Smith Reports 165 13. Smith’s Trojan Horse 182 14. The Lindbergh-Smith Friendship 202 15. Hitler Is Ready 216 16. Welcome Home 231 17. Smith as “Strategicus” 248 18. Wartime Washington 268 19. The Road to German Rearmament 286 20. Politics, Travel, and Writing 302 21. Retrospective and a Graceful Exit 313 Appendixes A. Losses in Smith’s 4th Infantry, October 1918 329 B. Smith to His Sister on the Death of His Daughter, 1923 330 C. Marshall on Smith’s Berlin Reporting and Dignity 331 D. The German-British Bombing Pause, Christmas 1940 332 E. Marshall on Smith’s Assessment of the Balkans, 1943 334 F. Smith on the Situation in Europe, May 1944 337 G. Marshall Saves a German General 339 H. Smith on the German Army, 1963 341 I. Smith’s Letter to Brigitta von Schell, 1967 348 J. Smith to Marshall on Smith’s Retirement 351 K. Obituary, Katharine Alling Hollister Smith 353 A Note on Sources 355 Notes 359 Selected Bibliography 381 Index 395 Foreword During World War I, Truman Smith acquired a distinguished re- cord as an infantry officer commanding a company and later a bat- talion in combat. After the war he served in the occupation troops stationed in Coblenz. Then, in the twenty years between the world wars, he spent two four-year tours in Germany as an assistant mili- tary attaché and, then, as the military attaché. During the first tour in the 1920s, he became good friends with several of the German officers and was able to maintain those friendships after Hitler be- came dictator. Between these tours, he attended several of the army schools in the United States, and, at Fort Benning, he became one of the select group known as the Marshall Men. He also spent two years as a battalion commander in Hawaii. Although he developed diabetes, which in the army requires retirement, General George C. Marshall returned him to active duty. The chief of staff knew that he was the best American expert on the German army and, throughout the war, relied on him for his knowledge. After the war, the Smiths traveled extensively and kept up with friends, including Charles Lindbergh and Herbert Hoover. Truman Smith also stayed in touch with his German army friends, including Hans Speidel, a World War II general who became a NATO com- mander. Both of the Smiths wrote memoirs. Kay’s complemented Truman’s, since she offered accounts of several situations in his career that he merely mentioned. She outlived him by twenty-two years and was active until the last days of her life. Henry Gole is well qualified to write a biography of Truman Smith. In addition to the invaluable memoirs of Truman and Kay Smith, he had access to their correspondence and conducted ex- tensive research of relevant books and articles. His experience as a soldier has helped him understand Smith’s military career. He left college to fight in Korea as an infantryman and then finished col- lege, earned two graduate degrees, and taught high school. When he heard President Kennedy’s inaugural speech encouraging Amer- icans to ask what they could do for their country, he volunteered and took a sizable cut in his salary to become a second lieutenant. ix x Foreword Then he attended the Basic Infantry Officer Course at Fort Benning, Ranger training, and jump school and eventually joined Special Forces. He saw combat in Vietnam with that elite organization. Henry studied at Stanford under the noted historian Gordon Craig and spent a year in Germany. Later, he served there four years as the assistant military attaché. With this background, he was an excellent teacher at West Point and the Army War College. It was my good fortune to meet and become a good friend of Henry’s when we both arrived at West Point in the summer of 1977. Later, in another visiting professor year, we became reacquainted at the Army War College. After he retired, Henry continued to teach at the War College. He earned his doctorate under the distinguished historian Russell Weigley. This is the fourth book he has published since he retired from the army, and it is my hope that he will write more in the future. Edward M. Coffman