Operation Paperclip

Operation Paperclip By: Klaus-PeterMr. 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 1942. • 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.

The End Bibliography: www.wikipedia.com www.wsmr.army.mil www.nasa.gov www.redstone.army.mil/history www.msfc.nasa.gov

Operation Paperclip