Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Operation Ape (2)
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To capture the target Heydrich, the Central Intelligence Agency first made contact with Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.
Since the discussions were taking place at the government level, MI6's chief, Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, promised cooperation in a friendly manner.
"We'll help you make contact with our friends in Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia."
Jeong Gong-gu, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency's European branch who also served as the defense attaché to the UK, met with the Czechoslovak government-in-exile through arrangements made by British intelligence.
Defense Minister Sergei Ingr, representing the exile government, showed keen interest in Korea's proposal.
"So, you're saying Korea will provide weapons, funds, and training, and in return, we'll work together to catch the Butcher of Bohemia?"
"That's right, Minister."
"Take down Heydrich."
Sergei Ingr despised Heydrich to his very bones—the Butcher who tamed and broke the Czechs with whip and carrot alike.
Killing that monster was something he dreamed of night after night.
"Minister, for all our sakes, that monster must be erased from the face of the earth."
"You're right about that."
After much deliberation, the minister agreed to the plan.
He simply couldn't ignore the harsh reality that the funds Korea promised were desperately needed by the exile government.
Yugoslavia's partisan leader Tito also agreed to cooperate on the condition of receiving Korean funding.
Once the Central Intelligence Agency had finished laying the groundwork, they leaked information to the German authorities.
The content was utterly absurd.
"The Korean Central Intelligence Agency has made contact with coup forces inside the Empire. Pyongyang has approved the new regime's launch and promised to assist with mediation between Germany and the Soviet Union."
"The Korean Central Intelligence Agency is in touch with the Polish Home Army. They're planning to blow up the Warsaw rail marshaling yard, which could impact the German-Soviet front."
"Korean naval special forces are standing by in Spain to overthrow the Italian government. The target is to kidnap or assassinate Mussolini."
People only pretend to believe things that sound plausible; this nonsense wasn't even worth listening to.
Heydrich snorted at the intelligence reports.
"This is just the British or the Koreans playing games."
"Actually, there were even rumors of an assassination plot against you, Your Excellency."
"What could those Easterners possibly do?"
Among them was talk of a plot to assassinate Heydrich himself, but the blond beast didn't buy it.
Instead, he felt a strong urge to display his authority even more ostentatiously.
That way, he could give a piece of his mind to the Nazi high officials who were burying their heads in the sand over nonsense like assassinations.
Heydrich decided to carry on with his routine as usual.
Meanwhile, the Czech assassins based in Yugoslavia had entered the final training phase for the Reinhard operation.
"Lieutenant, this is too much. Can't we take a short break?"
"No time. Remember, we don't have enough time to prepare before the operation. Instead of complaining, shout some spirit! Understood!"
"Yes, sir!"
Because the Korean financiers had set a tight deadline, the Czech soldiers had to keep moving without a moment to catch their breath.
Jeong Gong-gu inspected the equipment to be provided with Major Cecil Clark of the British Army, who was in charge of weapons support from Gibraltar.
"The rifles will basically be German MP38s."
Using German weapons made it easy to procure ammunition locally, a sensible choice.
"For the bombs, we've selected German M24 stick grenades."
Considering how easy stick grenades were to throw, this wasn't a bad pick either.
After checking the weapons, Jeong Gong-gu discussed infiltration methods with František Moravec, the intelligence chief of the Czech exile government.
Moravec proposed the following.
"Let's go in by glider."
"Gl-glider?"
It was a method Jeong Gong-gu had never even considered.
In truth, Europe's night skies remained largely undefended due to limited experience with Anglo-German air battles.
If they exploited that gap for a night infiltration, success was very much possible.
After consulting with the RAF, Jeong Gong-gu concluded that the method was feasible.
Preparations to take out Heydrich were complete by April 20, 1942.
"Let's start the operation."
Korea had no intention of dragging out Heydrich's elimination.
They were wary of what his schemes might achieve if given more time, so they wanted him dealt with immediately.
"Time to make that bastard stop breathing."
Gloriously, the execution order had come directly from His Excellency.
"Let's move out."
With the go-ahead from their Korean backers, the assassination team departed from a makeshift airfield in Yugoslavia and crossed the night skies over Austria.
The German Luftwaffe, tasked with monitoring such incursions, didn't even realize something had passed overhead.
The night fighter units they did have were deployed in eastern Germany to intercept Soviet bombers targeting East Prussia and Berlin after taking off from the Soviet homeland, leaving them utterly unprepared to stop the assassins' gliders.
The team flew on past Austria and landed near Prague.
Once the glider touched down, the assassins' commander, Lieutenant Josef Gabčík, erased traces of their arrival along with Sergeant Karel Šváboda.
They quickly disassembled the glider and hid it in a barn.
It didn't take long.
To match Heydrich's known schedule, the assassins hurried onward.
Every day at 10:30 a.m., Heydrich left his home in Panenské Břežany for Prague Castle.
His security was lax.
Heydrich traveled with just one driver doubling as personal bodyguard—no special protection.
10:32 a.m.
As Heydrich's car appeared in the village of Lidice, the assassins exchanged glances.
"Get ready."
They waited for Heydrich's Mercedes-Benz W142 to approach, then drew the German submachine guns hidden under their thick coats.
"Wh-what the—"
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
The sudden burst of gunfire made Heydrich's driver swerve sharply.
Sergeant Karel Šváboda's team, waiting in position, lobbed a grenade.
Boom!
The Mercedes-Benz's seats were wrecked by the grenade's blast.
"T-terror!"
The unexpected gunfire and explosion threw everyone into chaos as they scrambled for cover.
In the ensuing pandemonium, with no one regaining their wits, the attackers reloaded.
Bang! Bang!
Heydrich spotted them, boldly drew his pistol, and fired back at the assassins.
His calm demeanor threw them off.
"Heydrich! Is the bastard hit?"
"Missed him."
Unfortunately for the assassins, Heydrich had only sustained a minor arm wound from the initial volley; otherwise, he was fine.
Heydrich kept shooting, holding off the assassins.
The situation was turning bad.
Soon, German soldiers on motorcycles were approaching.
"Germans incoming."
"Damn it, fall back."
The assassins grabbed their gear and fled.
At this point, they thought the attack had failed.
But Heydrich's body was riddled with grenade shrapnel.
Contrary to appearances, he had already suffered severe injuries.
"Me, Reinhard Heydrich, taken down by inferior Slavic scum?"
"Your Excellency! Stay with us!"
Upon arrival at the hospital, Heydrich lost consciousness. Despite mobilizing every doctor for treatment, he never rose again and met his end.
The unexpected Heydrich assassination ignited German fury.
"We will hold the Czech subversive elements accountable for this terrorist act."
Hitler ordered brutal reprisals.
For the Nazis, showing the Czechs an example was necessary for their own security.
Under the command of Kurt Daluege, chief of the Order Police, the SS unleashed merciless violence on the Czechs.
"Drag them all out."
Simply because it was the site of the attempted Heydrich assassination, 196 men from Lidice village were executed.
Women and children were sent to concentration camps, and the village was razed by bulldozers.
In Ležáky village, presumed to have been passed by the attackers, every resident was killed or shipped to camps.
In total, ten villages vanished, and 2,000 people were slaughtered.
Far worse than vengeance for Heydrich's assassination.
Italy joined in, launching a massive anti-guerrilla sweep in Yugoslavia.
The Czech exile government and partisans were horrified by this ruthless retaliation.
"If we'd known cooperating with you would lead to this, we never would have acted. Was sacrificing our people worth catching just one Heydrich?"
Even Jeong Gong-gu had nothing to say as things spiraled.
But he saw it as a necessary sacrifice.
The Central Intelligence Agency reported the Heydrich assassination to His Excellency.
His Excellency patted Lee Kyung-ho's shoulder upon hearing it.
"You. I knew you'd handle it splendidly."
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"And listen. I'd like some backstory to this incident—what do you think?"
Backstory?
"I'd like to know Your Excellency's intent."
"You—announce to the world that our Central Intelligence Agency orchestrated this."
Pardon?
Normally, you'd hide such operations, right?
But His Excellency thought differently.
"If they know it was us, won't that give us more face with our European friends after the war?"
His Excellency was right.
Considering the Empire's postwar position, advertising that Korea led such a major operation made sense.
Even if the Czechs and Yugoslavs complained, it didn't matter.
They weren't close to those Balkan types anyway.
"I'll carry it out."
His Excellency dismissed him with a gesture, saying nothing more.
A few days later, Lee Kyung-ho gathered foreign correspondents and dropped a bombshell.
"S-so, you're saying the Korean Empire ordered the assassination of Governor Heydrich?"
Lee Kyung-ho said calmly.
"I gave the order."
"Wh-what on earth."
As the Q&A revealed the masterminds behind the Heydrich hit, the foreign reporters were stunned.
"Isn't that unbecoming of a nation claiming great power status?"
Indeed, even in wartime, assassinating enemy officials was unheard of in European conventions of war.
Within a day, Germany's outraged response echoed worldwide.
"Korea is a nation of terrorists. They're not worthy of being called a state. Why does the world stay silent on the outrage committed by that blob of evil, a mongrel mix of inferior races—no, primitive mongrels?"
Frankly, not something the Nazis should say.
Racial massacres, cleansings, rapes, forced labor—they'd done every evil imaginable, yet whining about Korea? Ridiculous.
The Central Intelligence Agency decided to bludgeon the Nazis with blunt facts.
The moment the Nazis took the bait and stepped into the propaganda ring over Korea's provocation, they'd started a fight they couldn't win.
Yes, forced labor camps. Yes, extermination squads. Yes, baby factories.
The Agency hammered at the Nazis' dirty secrets they desperately wanted hidden.
"Lies, all red lies!"
"So, what rank are Jews in Germany?"
"Jews aren't Europeans, so it's not worth discussing."
"Over a million Poles dead already—is that proper governance?"
"We just relocated inferior Slavs to better places! Don't slander us!"
As time passed, Germany couldn't mount a proper response and was swept along by Korea's propaganda offensive.
Lee Kyung-ho sneered.
"Berlin turns retarded after losing one Heydrich."
In truth, looking beneath the surface, it was a foregone conclusion.
Admiral Canaris, head of the Abwehr, had always been anti-Nazi and uncooperative with the regime. The Foreign Ministry was full of haughty von aristocrats who marched to their own tune.
Heydrich, who had tried to corral those elements under the Reich Security Main Office, was gone—so Germany's diplomatic warfare capability turning to mush was only natural.
With Germany's diplomatic power crippled, their plots against Korea would have little effect going forward.
"His Excellency's decision to eliminate Heydrich has saved the nation once more."
Lee Kyung-ho reflected again on His Excellency's greatness.
Truly, His Excellency was the superhuman who had descended to save this country.