Operation Paperclip By: Klaus-Peter Mr. Michael Battey

Mission:  U.S. effort to capture German material and personnel related to Nazi research conducted during WWII.  Mainly involved the V-1 and V-2 rocket programs but also : Chemical weapons Atomic weapons Jet engines and many other things….

V-1 Flying Bomb  Robert Lusser – Developer of the V-1 with the Fieseler company – Initial test flight at Peenemünde in 1941 – First attack launch in June of 1944

V-2 Rocket  Since the 1930’s Dr. Wernher von Braun and the Spaceflight Society had been studying liquid- fueled rockets. – Initial test launch in October of – First attack launch in 1944 at Paris.

Peenemünde/Nordhasen  Research facilities during WWII – Housed the V-1, V-2 programs  Massive bombing raids by the British caused the scientists to move to underground locations.

Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp  Production Facilities for the V-2 program  10,500 forced laborers  Many died due to the conditions: cold and heavy labor

Vengeance Weapons  V-1’s were launched to attack targets in England – 30,000 were manufactured, 10,000 fired, and 7,000 hit England. – In London about 5,000 people died because of the attacks.  V-2’s were fired at targets in Paris, London, Antwerp, The Hague – 3,000 V-2’s were fired before the end of the war. – 1,115 hit England – 2,700 people died

Overcast  Originally called Operation Overcast  Began when important Nazi scientists turned themselves over to American forces.  Allied forces were eager to find as much information before the Soviets could.  Allen Dulles an American intelligence officer working in Germany towards the end of the war and was the chief recruiter.

Collection  German bases/research facilities were found by American troops, materials were collected and the bases were blown with explosives to keep the Soviets from getting anything.  Scientists were found and transferred, hundreds of train cars of materials were moved to America.  President Truman ordered that only non-Nazi’s may be allowed to enter the country – but many files were “rewritten” to clean up their histories.  700 Nazi’s were brought over to the US, some were still Nazi supporters.  It was renamed Paperclip because all Germans approved for transfer had paperclips clipped to their folders.

Wernher Von Braun  Of all the scientists involved Dr. Braun was the main asset.  Personally led development of V-2 program.  Member of the Nazi party and held a SS rank.  Guided a group of 200 of his own staff to find the Americans

Other Key Figures  Robert Lusser – The V-1 Flying Bomb  Arthur Rudolph – Developed the V-2 with Dr. Braun  Hans von Ohain – Jet Engines  Alexander Lippisch – Developer of the Messerschmitt Me 163  Kurt Blome – Chemical weapons expert  Reinhard Gehlen – Chief military expert on the Soviet Union

In America  Personnel were secretly brought over to the U.S.  Scientist’s were deployed to White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico and Fort Bliss, Texas and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.  They did not qualify for visas, Passports, green cards, or any identification.  They considered themselves “Prisoners of Peace”

Projects  First ICBM’s built using V-2 technology – Redstone Rocket – Jupiter – Jupiter-C – Atlas – Titan  Most scientists were given U.S. citizenship during this period.

NASA  NASA was established on July 29, 1958  Wernher von Braun and Arthur Rudolph  Saturn V Rocket  Apollo Program

Continuing Research  Wernher von Braun – In charge of the Marshall Space Flight Center – Left NASA after Saturn V went to Fairchild Industries. – Encouraged non-space based weapons.  Robert Lusser – Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Navy.  Alexander Lippisch – Helped with new jet aircraft designs for the Air Force  Arthur Rudolph – Director of Saturn V project thought out the space program.

Cold War And Other Nazi’s  Reinhard Gehlen – Continued to work for the Americans during the Cold War years against the Soviets – He ran an intelligence network against the Soviets that included 2,000 of his former Nazi comrades. – This network was extremely important to the U.S. so when Reinhard Gehlen helped some of his old Nazi friends get out of Europe the CIA turned the other way.  Klaus Barbie – Known as the “Butcher of Lyons” for his direct involvement in the execution of French Resistance forces during the war. – Helped the Americans with “policing duties” in the occupied territories.

Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act  In 1994 congress became aware of the Nazi's and US research after the war.  Petitions of classified information was denied on several occasions.  Finally, in 1998 the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act was enacted and the CIA began to release about one million pages of text concerning the Nazi’s after WWII.  As of 2005 the CIA is still declassifying reports.

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