Free In Danger's Path by W. E. B. Griffin Page A

noncooperation.”
    â€œAnd you are going to tell me why the Gobi Desert is important to the war effort? And how this affects the OSS?”
    â€œSo far as the Army Air Corps is concerned, it is of great importance because of their plans to bomb the Japanese home islands. Once they get the B-29 operational, of course, and once they’ve found someplace to base them. To conduct long range bombing operations, they need weather information.”
    The Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” (first flown in 1942) was a high-altitude bomber powered by four 2,200—hp Wright R-3350 radial engines. It had a takeoff weight of 70 tons; a range of 4,100 miles at 340 mph; was capable of carrying 10 tons of bombs; and was armed with ten .50-caliber machine guns.
    â€œWhat’s that got to do with the Gobi Desert? More important, what’s that got to do with us?”
    â€œThe weather data has to come from that part of the world. It has something to do with cold air masses moving down from the Arctic Circle across Russia, Mongolia, China, Korea, the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Japanese islands, and into the Pacific.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI have no idea, except that was the one thing on which the Air Corps and the Navy could reach agreement today. I would suspect that it is necessary for both short-and long-range planning.”
    â€œWhy is the Navy concerned?”
    â€œThey need the information for the same reasons the Air Corps does, and they insist they need it now and can’t wait for the Air Corps.”
    â€œWait for the Air Corps to do what?”
    â€œArmy Air Corps planning has always counted on cooperation from our Russian allies. Even before we got into the war—which frankly surprised me—the Air Corps was thinking about the need for a weather station in that area, first choice Russia. As soon as we got in the war, they formed a weather station unit and asked for permission to send it to Russia. They are still waiting.”
    He saw that he now had the DDA’s attention.
    â€œRepresentations,” the DDO went on, “as they say, have been made at the highest diplomatic levels, but so far problems of an unspecified nature have kept Uncle Joe Stalin from granting the necessary permission.”
    â€œGod!”
    â€œThe Navy, which is always interested in weather information, was informed that just as soon as the Air Corps weather station was up and running, they would be provided with any information it produced, and they should not trouble themselves worrying about it.”
    The DDO pushed himself out of the green leather armchair and walked to a credenza.
    â€œThank you, Charley, I will have a cup of coffee,” he said, and poured himself a cup from a stainless-steel thermos.
    â€œOkay. Where was I?” he asked, rhetorically, as he slumped back into the armchair. “Right. The Navy, in effect, was told to butt out, the Air Corps had the situation in hand. The Navy, however, apparently did not share the Air Corps’ faith in our Russian allies’ willingness to fully cooperate with us in every possible way. But what to do?”
    â€œWhat, indeed?” the DDA asked impatiently.
    The DDO saw that he had succeeded in annoying the DDA and was pleased. “Furthermore,” he went on, “the Navy has a card in the hole—if not an ace, then say a jack, or maybe even a queen—which, from their perspective, entitles them to preeminence vis-à-vis weather stations in the Gobi Desert.”
    â€œWhich is?”
    â€œIt has come to the attention of Naval Intelligence…”
    â€œNaval Intelligence, overt?” the DDA broke in. “Or that Office of Management Analysis covert intelligence outfit Frank Knox operates?”
    â€œSecretary of the Navy Knox was represented at the meeting by his Administrative Officer—he does for Knox what you do for Wild Bill—Captain David W. Haughton, USN.”
    As intended,