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1916-October-12-19
We had passed almost unnoticed through the Russian lines, as it was obvious there was a clear lack of discipline within the Russian army. This was nothing new, as it had already been evident from the organizational problems their officers were facing.
Once we crossed the first Russian lines, it was practically a walk, just moving along the roads.
''And what did the Soviet say, comrade'' Ferdinand asked, speaking with a group of Russians we encountered along the way.
''About what'' the soldier from the other squad replied.
''About whether we are to fight the German advance or not'' Ferdinand said, turning and pointing toward the battlefield not far away.
''Nothing for now… we are not to fight… especially now that they have reinstated the death penalty. We must continue refusing to fight until those servants of the counterrevolution are removed from power'' the soldier said with clear annoyance.
''I understand… have a good day'' Ferdinand replied, signaling for us to follow, and we moved behind him.
Since he spoke Russian best, Ferdinand was the obvious choice to lead and speak, posing as the officer of the squad we were imitating.
They were a group of soldiers who had been captured not long ago and later sent on reconnaissance. We had taken their place, as I doubted anyone would know much about a specific unit.
After speaking and seeing that we had not raised suspicion among the Russian soldiers, we continued walking. It would take several days to reach Saint Petersburg, and we avoided drawing attention from soldiers or civilians alike.
As we moved along the roads toward our objective, we found that the rear lines of the front were practically in chaos.
The soldiers were completely undisciplined. We encountered drunk men, drinking vodka, gambling, and on several occasions looting civilians.
''What are you looking at, idiot'' one of the soldiers said as he stripped the boots from a dead man who appeared to have been killed inside his own home.
''Do not waste time on criminals'' Ferdinand said, signaling us to keep walking and ignore the situation, even as screams could be heard from inside the house.
''Go to hell… You should just kill your officer… those do not hesitate to order hangings… all those with rank are damn counterrevolutionaries'' the soldier said aggressively.
Ferdinand kept walking, ignoring him, and we followed.
''Meh… dogs on a leash'' the soldier muttered as he finished removing the boots.
We kept moving and only stopped to eat. We had to rely on Russian rations, as carrying German canned food would raise too much suspicion. Russia had not won a single battle in months, so having captured German supplies would be extremely rare.
When night fell, we camped. We were looking for a way to move faster, but stealing a truck or horses would be difficult, as they were heavily guarded.
When we passed what was supposed to be a Russian military camp, despite its lack of organization, trucks and horses were kept in the center, meaning we would have to pass through several checkpoints just to attempt to acquire them.
So we chose something simpler and less risky.
We arrived at a town connected to the railway near Pskov. The place was chaotic, with nervous civilians.
''Ten tickets to Saint Petersburg'' Ferdinand said, paying in rubles.
''Do you have permission from your commanding officer to leave'' one of the station officials asked.
''Yes, we have been withdrawn from the front for a week after serving as volunteer scouts… here, take a look'' Ferdinand said, showing his booklet with Russian authorizations and stamps that we had obtained through our spies.
''Ah… yes, everything is in order…'' the Russian official said. ''Here is your change, the train will depart shortly'' he added, handing over the tickets.
We sat down, adjusting our packs while there was heavy troop movement in the area.
While waiting, a fight broke out between soldiers, and they were lynching an officer because he had apparently requested the death penalty for some of his men. That, of course, was once again triggering attempts to kill officers trying to restore discipline in the army.
Finally, the train arrived, and we boarded, taking our seats and preparing for the journey to the Russian capital.
We watched as the train filled with troops in situations similar to our cover story, rotating to rear lines to rest after time at the front.
The train began to move while we tried to remain neutral. It was packed with soldiers trying to return.
Beyond that, and how cramped it was, the train was the fastest way we had to move through Russia.
Several hours passed, with the train stopping at different stations, where many soldiers disembarked to enjoy their free time, while we continued our mission toward the Tsar's palace.
Throughout the journey, we did not exchange a single word among ourselves. We did not want to speak unless addressed first. We simply looked at each other and nodded when our eyes met. Everyone knew the operation, and if anyone was wounded to the point they could not be carried, they knew what had to be done.
In return, I would pay them a fortune when it was over, but for that we had to succeed.
By sunset, we had arrived in Saint Petersburg, and the situation in the city was more chaotic than expected. As soon as we got off the train, there were already protests by workers and soldiers. Garrisons loyal to the government were still trying to contain the situation, while crowds protested rationing.
And the long working hours everyone was forced to endure to sustain the Russian war effort.
We simply stepped off the train and tried to move into the city without drawing attention, navigating through the protests, avoiding them, taking detours, and listening to the unrest unfolding around us.
Many of the factories near the city's industrial belt were on strike, refusing to work, while government forces did everything they could to force them to resume operations.
There was not much we could do inside the city. The political chaos of Alexander Kerensky's government was obvious. He was still trying to cling to power, although his failed offensive had politically doomed his administration, as only loyal troops had taken part in the attacks and had been crushed by artillery and machine guns.
So we left the city at nightfall, before civilian presence on the streets decreased and someone began asking questions about a group of soldiers moving without apparent orders.
We departed Saint Petersburg and headed south, knowing the Tsar was in Tsarskoye Selo, where the palace holding him was located. That would be the place we would have to enter by force.
The journey took more than a night, so we left the main road and rested in an abandoned house in the area, spending the night there and keeping as quiet as possible.
The next day we put on the civilian clothes we had brought and moved through the town surrounding the Tsar's palace, trying to observe the area in detail. There was little agricultural work at that time of year, but plenty of activity within the nearby settlements.
We surveyed the surroundings, searching for security weaknesses we could exploit. We found abandoned buildings nearby that had once housed palace servants. After the fall of the monarchy, they were left empty and unguarded, making them the ideal place to establish our base of operations.
We only had general reports about the guards, nothing detailed, so we were forced to observe the palace constantly whenever possible.
We remained in the area, studying the town, its streets, possible escape routes, entry and exit points, and locations from which reinforcements could arrive if something went wrong.
After several days of observation, we found no security gaps. The guards were highly vigilant in keeping the Tsar under control, which left us with only one option, a forced entry.
Everything depended on getting in and out quickly.
So we finally took out the last uniforms from our packs, completely black clothing with some armor in vital areas, and after days of waiting and fruitless observation, we decided to move.
We had to reach the Alexander Palace, and the night would be our best cover.
Using our knowledge of the patrol routes in the area where we were staying, we dressed and prepared.
''All right, men… this is it… we made it… this may be the hardest part so far, so we move fast, kill without hesitation, and once it is done we get out immediately… may God help us if something goes wrong… remember, it is better to die than to be captured'' I said while preparing my suppressed pistols, as the others did the same.
''Once we reach the Tsar, what do we do'' Friedrich asked while adjusting his gear.
''Not far from the palace there is a housing area for interior servants… trucks arrive there, so as soon as we secure the Tsar's family, we load them and get out at full speed until we run out of fuel, then we move on foot'' I said, watching the palace in the distance.
''And after that'' Ferdinand asked, slightly nervous.
''I did not expect us to get this far… so we improvise… steal peasant clothes, hide the Tsar's family, cut their hair if necessary to make them look like civilians, and move them toward German lines'' I replied with a grimace.
''Well… that is better than I expected… I thought getting here without raising suspicion would be the hardest part, but here we are'' Ferdinand said as he inserted the magazine into his pistol.
With everything ready, we began moving. We left the abandoned building, calculating that the last patrol had passed recently, and at that hour there were almost no civilians outside.
As we advanced, we only encountered a drunk lying on the ground drinking. We ignored him and continued until we reached one of the palace's outer fences.
We quickly set up a ladder and covered the spikes with cloth. Within seconds, we were over the fence without being seen.
The area was dimly lit, illuminated only by gas lamps and guards carrying lanterns.
We removed the ladder and cloth to leave no trace and began moving.
As expected, the night guard was reduced.
We passed through the area near the Turkish baths, where there was minimal surveillance.
''What a pain… why did we get night duty'' one guard said, yawning. ''Guarding that dog's bath of all places''
''You forget you agreed when they killed our officer for trying to restore order'' the other replied.
''Ah…'' the first muttered.
On the opposite side of the bath entrance, I spotted one of my men. I signaled him to make a noise and draw the guards' attention.
''Who goes there'' one of the soldiers said, stopping mid-conversation.
''Probably just another cat'' the other replied as he approached.
With both looking in the opposite direction, I moved behind one of them, feeling someone following me.
I positioned myself behind him and saw Ferdinand doing the same with the other.
''If you scream, you are dead'' Ferdinand whispered, placing the barrel against the soldier's head. I did the same.
Both guards turned, eyes wide.
''Hands up'' Ferdinand said.
They obeyed immediately. We took their rifles, stuffed cloth into their mouths, gagged them, and tied them up.
Within moments, we stripped them and took their guard uniforms.
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