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JUNE, 1943
Philadelphia Naval Yard
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
The second of two massive 75-kilovolt generators was being carefully lowered to the deck of the U.S.S. Eldridge, a 1,240 ton destroyer escort, by the land based crane. The first generator had been set in place without incident earlier this morning and was now being secured to the deck of the Eldridge by a crew of eight seamen, who scurried around and over the generator, bolting it to the ship’s deck. The weight of the generator set on the port side of the deck caused the ship to list a few degrees. Now, with only a few feet remaining before the second generator touched down onto the starboard deck of the destroyer escort, all hands were silent.
The entire 306 foot length of the Eldridge had already been braided with thousands of feet of copper wire during its construction. Three Radio Frequency transmitters and three thousand 6L6 power vacuum tubes had been installed into a lead coated panel mounted to the super structure of the destroyer escort.
Four enormous coils of copper wire that would take the electricity produced by the generators, convert it from direct current to alternating current, and step up the power, were secured ahead of the generators delivery. In theory, the steady current of electricity produced via the generators, spun through the cooper coils and then stepped up, would create a harmonic magnetic field that here-to-fore had been unknown.
“Easy down,” the seaman shouted to another crewman, who repeated the order to another, until the chain of voice commands reached the crane operator. “Easy. Easy,” he repeated, and the entire command chain followed.
The crane’s motor revved and strained as the generator was slowly moved into place, hovering above the steel reinforced and cross-braced deck pad, where, once in place, it would be bolted and then welded to become one with the Eldridge.
“Eighteen inches...twelve inches...six inches. Easy now,” the seaman shouted, as he quickly laid himself down onto the deck of the ship. He raised his body up slightly, supporting himself by his toes and fingers, as he eyed the distance between the pad and the generator.
Several other seamen, in sweat soaked and greased stained t-shirts, took hold of the cables and guided the generator over the seven-inch bolts protruding from the hull of the ship’s superstructure. They pushed and turned the massive machine slowly, until the holes in the base of the generator aligned with the bolts in the ship.
“We’re there,” a seaman said, waving his hands flat against the deck. An echo of the command continued for several seconds until it reached the crane operator.
The ship tilted slightly to the starboard side as it absorbed the weight of the second generator, then slowly righted. The tilting and then leveling of the ship created a small wake that crashed into the sea wall, splashing white foaming water onto concrete walls and rocks. Most on deck took no notice of the movement of the ship as it continued a slight sway from side to side.
Albert did.
He steadied himself, placing one foot to the side of the other, spreading his legs, and reached for an iron ladder rung. He had not been on a ship for many years; the last time was a great crossing over the Atlantic. He wasn’t fond of the ship’s movements then, and he was even less fond of them now. He took a firmer grip on the rung of the ladder running up the side of the ship’s tower.
The crane powered down and the cable relaxed as a crew of seamen, electricians, and midshipmen swarmed the machinery, securing it in place.
“Are you holding up?” Lieutenant Hamilton asked, noting that Albert was still supporting himself with the ladder.
“Yes. Yes, just fine,” Albert said, his German accent punctuating each word.
“We’ll be on our way by nightfall,” Lieutenant Hamilton said and checked his watch, silently calculating. “Your quarters are ready for you below.”
“Very good. I should like to go there now and prepare for the experiment.” Albert took his hands from the ladder, pausing momentarily, then took a step, his sea legs returning.
“Corporal Jennings?” Lieutenant Hamilton called out to the young man.
“Yes sir, Lieutenant?”
“Kindly show our guest to his quarters.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask,” Lieutenant Hamilton said, giving an informal salute. “And, Mister Einstein? It is an honor to have you aboard.”
Legend: A tale told when truth is too dangerous.