The Secret War

1933—Albert Einstein—the World’s leading physicist— flees Europe for America. January 1939—German physicist Otto Hahn achieves 1 st stage of nuclear fission. The first step in the creation of an atomic bomb.

August 2, 1939—Leo Szilard and Einstein write FDR warning him about the power of an atomic bomb. A year later FDR sets up a board of scientists to study the possibility of creating an atomic weapon.

August 1939—Germans set up a board of scientists to study the atomic weapon. They were the best in the world despite losing many great Jewish scientists to immigration. Hitler didn’t fund the program heavily.

Hitler felt the War would be over before an atomic bomb was made. Hitler concentrated on funding for the rocket program.

Neither side was sure if a bomb were created, that it would even work. The cost was high for no assurance of success.

May 1941—FDR creates the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Headed by Vannevar Bush—13 months later goes ahead with bomb project.

Two months later the Manhattan Engineering District was established. Headed by brigadier General Leslie R. Groves.

Immediately Groves acquired all of the world’s uranium which was need for the project. Uranium 235—fissionable part of uranium need for the explosion. Groves selected Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as scientific director. Leslie Groves with Oppenheimer

Germans created the bomb first but had no uranium Instead Hitler decided to focus on the creation of rockets. “V” Weapons (Vengeance) V-1 Rocket V-2 Rocket

Project was headed by German scientist Werner Von Braun. The German scientists were way ahead of the world in rocket research.

Germans created the first intermediate range ballistic missile the V-1 Followed this up with the deadlier V-2—liquid fueled with a 1 ton warhead. 8,000 are launched against Britain but only 1/5 of those hit any targets. More a weapon of terror due to the inconsistent guidance controls.

The V-1 and V-2 rockets killed 2,500 civilians and injured 30,000 more in England.

The Germans also created the world’s first jet aircraft—the Me 262. Due to Hitler’s obsession with bombing London—the Me 262 came to late. If used in 1944—the Me262 would have made a dramatic difference.

British created one of the world’s first computers that helped decode German encryption. Gave the Allies valuable information which helped in the fight against the Nazis Enigma Code Breaker The same system was used in the Pacific providing valuable information about Japanese plans.

Device created that used radio beams which reflect off planes, subs, ships, etc. Bounced back to the sender to reveal an object.

Used most effectively by the British (won the Battle of Britain)—and then the U.S. Axis radar was never up to the standards, and the Japanese radar was very poor.

The proximity fuse was an explosive shell which detonated near or on a target. Used in fighter planes, and with artillery shells. Greatly increased effectiveness for the Allies.

The Norden Bombsight—was an optical device that used automatic pilot for precision bombing. Was pinpoint accurate when clear, a little less effective in overcast conditions.

The Allies also introduced—Jet Aircraft, atomic bombs, ballistic missiles, and the hand held rocket (Bazookas)

Made for much more efficient killing during the war. After the war, these inventions would lead to spin-offs in science and technology.

Albert EinsteinOtto Hahn Leo SlizardOffice of Scientific Leslie GrovesResearch and Development The Manhattan ProjectJ. Robert Oppenheimer Uranium 235“V” weapons Werner Von BraunV-1 V-2Me 262 RADARProximity Fuse Norden Bombsight