Deal with the Devil: How the Nazis Gave the US the Atom Bomb

“We couldn’t have made either bomb, at least within the time we did, without U-234.”

On May 12, 1945, four days after VE day, the US Navy picked up a signal from the German U-Boat U-234 declaring that it was surrendering. Three days later, the USS Sutton intercepted U-234 and began escorting it to dock in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

From the moment U-234 arrived at Portsmouth, it was immediately clear there was something… special about U-234. The press noted the boat’s “unusual secrecy” as reporters were barred from entering the wharf. A declassified Navy memo reveals orders were given to US forces that the press was to be allowed to interview the POWs from any captured German submarine—except those aboard U-234. Specifically singling out U-234, the orders commanded US forces to “Maintain prisoners U-234 incommunicado and send them under Navy department representative to Washington for interrogation.”

The public rumor mill began spinning out of control.

Who was aboard U-234? What was its cargo?

What the public didn’t know was that the cargo aboard U-234 was about to change the world, forever.

Aboard U-234 were twelve high-value passengers bound for Tokyo in a last-ditch effort to continue development of the German weapons systems they carried on board, including Luftwaffe General Ulrich Kessler, infrared electronics expert (and future Paperclip Scientist/IEEE fellow) Dr.  Heinz Schlicke, a small team of German rocket scientists, and two Japanese officers. When the news of Germany’s surrender was announced to the crew, the Japanese officials committed suicide and were buried at sea before U-234 made it to port.