Operation Pastorius: Hitler’s Attempt to Blow Up America

History Revealed

There is a little-known but true sabotage incident in the United States that occurred during World War II. In June of 1942, the Nazis put a plan in motion to infiltrate and attack America via the East Coast beginning with two four-man teams. Codenamed Operation Pastorius by German military intelligence, the plan was ambitious from the get-go. However, what was initially designed to sabotage and disable key military targets turned into an embarrassing series of events.

What Was Operation Pastorius?

The primary goal of Operation Pastorius was to cripple the production of military equipment and supplies, which the U.S. had been furnishing to countries fighting the war against the Nazis. A German submarine would drop eight saboteurs off the coasts of New York and Florida under the cloak of night.

From there, the group planned to split up, and over the next two years, they would travel to major cities. Using their insight and familial contacts to fit in and remain undercover, they would hatch their plans to destroy a number of targets. The Nazis had carefully chosen these targets not only to impede the wartime production but to also instill chaos and fear within the American population.

Targets and Cities

Targets included the Horshoe Curve railroad pass and repair station at Altoona, Pennsylvania, aluminum plants in Illinois, Tennessee, and New York, train stations, hydroelectric plants, bridges, and other manufacturing plants.

Team One headed for Long Island, New York, while Team Two targeted Ponte Verda Beach, Florida. The two teams would land a few days apart but would rendezvous on July 4th in a Cincinnati hotel to properly coordinate their malicious mission.

Recruitment

The Nazis had scoured the records of the Ausland Institute to find their men. This German organization kept track of the political affiliations of its citizens who moved overseas and those who returned to Germany.

In this case, the Nazis were particularly interested in those who had lived in the United States. Many of the members were also in the German-American Bund, an American pro-Nazi-Fascist organization.

In an abstract twist, the Bund even once managed to amass twenty thousand followers at a rally in Madison Square Garden around this time period. The organization was radical and known to be violent.

Officially, the German Reich distanced themselves from it. However, as we know now, Nazi Germany actively recruited from their ranks.