219:
colloquium .... Couldn’t you have the airplane come some other time?". Walther
Gerlach expected respect for the "plenipotentiary for nuclear physics" in Germany; he was shocked when he asked for a glass of water and was told by the guard to "look for an empty can in the trash barrel". Harteck joked with the British officer when he saw the plane taking them to England that if an "accident" was planned they would have used an older plane.
452:
187:, was tasked with closely following the Western Allied invading forces to locate and seize individuals, documents, and materials related to the German Atomic Bomb program. By November 1944, the evidence gathered was sufficient to convince Goudsmit that there was no German Atomic Bomb under development. Despite this, many individuals, particularly in America, remained skeptical.
466:
33:
314:, while others more sympathetic to the Nazi party (Diebner and Gerlach) were dismayed at having failed. Otto Hahn, one of those who were grateful that Germany had not built a bomb, chided those who had worked on the German project, saying "If the Americans have a uranium bomb then you're all second-raters."
306:
that an atomic bomb would require or consciously overstated it, and that the German project was at best in a very early, theoretical stage of thinking about how atomic bombs would work; in fact, it is estimated that they would have never been able to produce the amount they needed in the four years
218:
The scientists captured in
Germany by the Alsos Mission were flown to England. Harteck said in a 1967 interview that some scientists had not adjusted to losing their German elite status. When Max von Laue was told they were to fly to England the next day, he said, "Impossible .... tomorrow is my
209:
proposed that Farm Hall in
England, owned by the Secret Service, would be suitable to accommodate the captured individuals. He also recommended installing microphones there before their arrival. This practice had become standard with high-ranking prisoners of war since it had been observed that
297:
on August 6, 1945. Some first doubted that the report was genuine. They were told initially of an official announcement that an "atomic bomb" had been dropped on
Hiroshima, with no mention of uranium or nuclear fission. Harteck said that he would have understood the words "uranium" or "nuclear
332:, led by Major T. H. Rittner, was responsible for eavesdropping, recording, copying and translating. Only relevant technical or political information, about ten percent of all words heard, was recorded, transcribed and translated. The recordings were made with six to eight machines on
298:(fission) bomb", but he had worked with atomic hydrogen and atomic oxygen and thought that American scientists might have succeeded in stabilising a high concentration of (separate) atoms; such a bomb would have had a tenfold increase over a conventional bomb.
336:-coated metal discs. After the selective transcriptions had been made, the discs and recordings were destroyed. The transcripts were sent as reports to London and the American consulate, and were then forwarded to General
301:
The scientists then contemplated how the
American bomb was made and why Germany did not produce one. The transcripts seem to indicate that the physicists, in particular Heisenberg, had either overestimated the amount of
190:
The mission continued with a similar objective, primarily for intelligence purposes. Goudsmit hand-picked ten individuals who were apprehended, mostly in
Hechingen, by a joint Anglo-American raiding party led by Colonel
317:
All were physicists except for Hahn and
Harteck, who were chemists, and all except Max von Laue had participated in the German nuclear project. During his incarceration in Farm Hall, Hahn was awarded the 1944
307:
they wanted to create an atomic bomb. Heisenberg specifically thought that the amount of
Uranium 235 needed at critical mass was about a thousand times more than what would make an atomic bomb explode.
385:, based on the original transcripts, received its first reading as part of the Catalyst Collaborative at MIT (Boston) in 2008, followed by a workshop reading in New York in 2010, directed by
250:). He also recommended to Menzies, the head of M.I.6, that the house be fitted with microphones to gauge the physicists' reactions to Allied progress with the dropping of the bomb.
934:
947:
1016:
246:
that German nuclear physicists then held in France at an
American internment camp known as "Dustbin" (partly because he was told that an American general had said that
500:
374:
The events at Farm Hall were dramatised on BBC Radio 4 on 15 June 2010, in "Nuclear
Reactions", written by Adam Ganz, son of one of the interpreters, Peter Ganz.
393:(Sarasota, Florida). Prior to its world premiere production in early 2013 with the Nora Theatre Company at Central Square Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts).
1006:
929:
925:
Transcript of Surreptitiously Taped Conversations among German Nuclear Physicists at Farm Hall (August 6-7, 1945), German History in Documents and Images
812:
1011:
294:
363:
based on the events at Farm Hall and examining the reasons for the failure of the German nuclear weapons program. The documentary was produced by
996:
861:
834:
798:
94:, from July 3, 1945, to January 3, 1946. The primary goal of the program was to determine how close Nazi Germany had been to constructing an
482:, a similarly bugged house where captured German generals were luxuriously housed during the war and their unguarded conversations monitored
991:
907:
881:
562:
826:
1001:
172:
perceived themselves as being in a competition with the Germans, who had a head start due to the discovery of nuclear fission by
151:
786:
790:
267:
60:
492:, similar facilities used to monitor other captured German officers during the war before transferring them to POW camps
322:
356:
248:
the best way of dealing with the post-war nuclear physics problem in Germany was to shoot all their nuclear physicists
986:
471:
429:
319:
310:
Some of the scientists indicated that they were happy that they had not been able to build a nuclear bomb for
778:
437:
390:
79:
389:
and produced by Ellen Berman. Brody and Sandberg subsequently developed the play in a 2011 workshop at the
413:
200:
48:
421:
409:
206:
203:, including an incomplete nuclear reactor pile that had been moved after being bombed out in Berlin.
940:
Programme for staged reading of the Farm Hall Transcripts, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 24 April 2009
495:
401:
368:
750:
489:
903:
886:
857:
830:
808:
794:
705:
678:
558:
259:
234:), had been used by M.I.6 and S.O.E for agents who were to be flown into occupied Europe from
169:
136:
924:
876:
270:
and had been seized as part of the Allied Alsos Mission, Diebner in Berlin and Heisenberg in
818:
735:
425:
344:
303:
853:
243:
227:
184:
141:
121:
939:
807:
Operation Big The Race to Stop Hitler's A-Bomb, Colin Brown, Amberley Publishing 2016,
457:
231:
95:
63:. The scientists were captured between May 1 and June 30, 1945, as part of the Allied
930:
Annotated bibliography for Farm Hall from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
645:
980:
872:
846:
505:
485:
417:
405:
386:
364:
337:
235:
223:
180:
106:
The following German scientists were captured and detained during Operation Epsilon:
83:
68:
64:
311:
263:
146:
131:
116:
52:
620:
Most Secret War: British Scientific Intelligence 1939–1945 (USA "The Wizard War'")
199:, located on the eastern edge of the Black Forest, was where the majority of the
210:
their private conversations could be more revealing than formal interrogations.
111:
935:
Archival entry for the original transcripts, includes notes on their provenance
751:"Farm Hall, Theatre Royal Haymarket review — country-house drama goes nuclear"
479:
447:
382:
329:
192:
156:
962:
949:
890:
709:
682:
412:
and the Theatre Royal, Bath in 2023, and as a tour of the same production at
615:
404:
on 21 September 2019. It was later revived as a full production directed by
239:
196:
173:
126:
87:
75:
32:
285:
Oh no, they're not as cute as all that. I don't think they know the real
44:
17:
697:
670:
258:
On July 6, the microphones picked up the following conversation between
885:. Vol. 48, no. 7 (published September 1992). pp. 32–40.
333:
286:
91:
56:
271:
31:
440:
in London with the original cast for a short run in August 2024.
400:
by Katherine M. Moar, was performed as a staged reading at the
278:
Diebner: I wonder whether there are microphones installed here?
293:
All of the scientists expressed shock when informed of the
914:(1967 interviews with Werner Heisenberg and Paul Harteck)
848:
Hitler's Uranium Club: The Secret recordings at Farm Hall
823:
Hitler's Uranium Club: The Secret Recordings at Farm Hall
340:
of the Manhattan Project in 24 reports, over 250 pages.
289:
methods; they're a bit old fashioned in that respect.
845:
323:"for his discovery of the fission of heavy nuclei"
501:Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre
276:
877:"Declassified files reopen "Nazi bomb" debate"
59:scientists who were thought to have worked on
557:. New York: Publicaffaris. pp. 229–230.
8:
783:Operation Epsilon: The Farm Hall Transcripts
622:. London: Hamish Hamilton. pp. 481–482.
900:Atomic Bomb Scientists: Memoirs, 1939–1945
785:. Bristol, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles:
548:
546:
544:
722:
632:
535:
523:
367:with dramatic reconstructions written by
27:Program of the Allies during World War II
1017:Science and technology in Cambridgeshire
355:On 24 February 1992 the BBC broadcast a
516:
902:. Westport, CT & London: Meckler.
656:
601:
343:In February 1992 the transcripts were
589:
577:
98:by listening to their conversations.
7:
698:"The Most Dangerous Possible German"
671:"The Most Dangerous Possible German"
195:, the key military figure of ALSOS.
71:sweep through southwestern Germany.
736:"The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1944"
328:A group of eight people, including
281:Heisenberg: Microphones installed?
1007:Military history of Cambridgeshire
201:Kaiser Wilhelm Institut für Physik
25:
882:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
749:Hemming, Sarah (16 August 2024).
266:, both of whom had worked on the
183:, under scientific leadership of
464:
450:
1012:Nuclear program of Nazi Germany
787:Institute of Physics Publishing
898:Ermenc, Joseph J, ed. (1989).
791:University of California Press
222:Farm Hall, a country house in
61:Nazi Germany's nuclear program
1:
152:Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker
997:Intelligence of World War II
644:Atomic Heritage Foundation:
359:drama-documentary entitled
295:atomic bombing of Hiroshima
1033:
992:History of Huntingdonshire
852:(2nd ed.). New York:
844:Bernstein, Jeremy (2001).
351:Dramatisation of Farm Hall
472:Nuclear technology portal
320:Nobel Prize for Chemistry
176:in Germany in late 1938.
696:Valiunas, Algis (2019).
669:Valiunas, Algis (2019).
553:Williams, Susan (2016).
168:The participants of the
67:, mainly as part of its
36:Farm Hall, Godmanchester
1002:Intelligence operations
438:Theatre Royal Haymarket
391:Asolo Repertory Theatre
51:forces near the end of
414:Cambridge Arts Theatre
396:A further adaptation,
291:
268:German nuclear project
74:They were interned at
47:of a program in which
37:
422:Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
410:Jermyn Street Theatre
254:Farm Hall transcripts
35:
963:52.31583°N 0.17917°W
959: /
871:Goldberg, Stanley;
659:, pp. 124–125.
604:, pp. 125–127.
496:Operation Paperclip
436:transferred to the
402:Theatre Royal, Bath
214:Transfer to England
968:52.31583; -0.17917
875:(31 August 1992).
555:Spies in the Congo
490:Wilton Park Estate
102:List of scientists
38:
987:Operation Epsilon
863:978-0-387-95089-1
836:978-1-56396-258-5
819:Bernstein, Jeremy
813:978 1 4456 6467 5
800:978-0-520-08499-5
781:(November 1993).
646:The Alsos Mission
379:Operation Epsilon
260:Werner Heisenberg
170:Manhattan Project
137:Werner Heisenberg
41:Operation Epsilon
16:(Redirected from
1024:
974:
973:
971:
970:
969:
964:
960:
957:
956:
955:
952:
913:
894:
867:
851:
840:
804:
766:
765:
763:
761:
746:
740:
739:
732:
726:
720:
714:
713:
702:The New Atlantis
693:
687:
686:
675:The New Atlantis
666:
660:
654:
648:
642:
636:
630:
624:
623:
611:
605:
599:
593:
587:
581:
575:
569:
568:
550:
539:
533:
527:
521:
474:
469:
468:
467:
460:
455:
454:
453:
430:Richmond Theatre
426:Oxford Playhouse
304:enriched uranium
238:but was vacant.
21:
1032:
1031:
1027:
1026:
1025:
1023:
1022:
1021:
977:
976:
967:
965:
961:
958:
953:
950:
948:
946:
945:
921:
910:
897:
870:
864:
854:Springer-Verlag
843:
837:
829:. p. 457.
827:Springer-Verlag
817:
801:
793:. p. 313.
777:
774:
769:
759:
757:
755:Financial Times
748:
747:
743:
734:
733:
729:
721:
717:
695:
694:
690:
668:
667:
663:
655:
651:
643:
639:
631:
627:
614:
612:
608:
600:
596:
588:
584:
576:
572:
565:
552:
551:
542:
534:
530:
522:
518:
514:
470:
465:
463:
456:
451:
449:
446:
432:later in 2023.
353:
347:and published.
290:
279:
256:
244:Stewart Menzies
228:Huntingdonshire
216:
185:Samuel Goudsmit
166:
161:
142:Horst Korsching
122:Walther Gerlach
104:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1030:
1028:
1020:
1019:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
979:
978:
943:
942:
937:
932:
927:
920:
919:External links
917:
916:
915:
908:
895:
873:Powers, Thomas
868:
862:
841:
835:
815:
805:
799:
779:Frank, Charles
773:
770:
768:
767:
741:
727:
723:Bernstein 2001
715:
688:
661:
649:
637:
633:Bernstein 2001
625:
606:
594:
582:
570:
563:
540:
536:Bernstein 2001
528:
524:Bernstein 2001
515:
513:
510:
509:
508:
503:
498:
493:
483:
476:
475:
461:
458:Germany portal
445:
442:
377:A play titled
352:
349:
280:
277:
255:
252:
232:Cambridgeshire
215:
212:
165:
162:
160:
159:
154:
149:
144:
139:
134:
129:
124:
119:
114:
108:
103:
100:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1029:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
984:
982:
975:
972:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
922:
918:
911:
909:0-88736-267-2
905:
901:
896:
892:
888:
884:
883:
878:
874:
869:
865:
859:
855:
850:
849:
842:
838:
832:
828:
824:
820:
816:
814:
810:
806:
802:
796:
792:
788:
784:
780:
776:
775:
771:
756:
752:
745:
742:
737:
731:
728:
725:, p. 116
724:
719:
716:
711:
707:
704:(57): 36–74.
703:
699:
692:
689:
684:
680:
677:(57): 36–74.
676:
672:
665:
662:
658:
653:
650:
647:
641:
638:
634:
629:
626:
621:
617:
610:
607:
603:
598:
595:
591:
586:
583:
579:
574:
571:
566:
564:9781610396547
560:
556:
549:
547:
545:
541:
537:
532:
529:
525:
520:
517:
511:
507:
506:Russian Alsos
504:
502:
499:
497:
494:
491:
487:
486:Latimer House
484:
481:
478:
477:
473:
462:
459:
448:
443:
441:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
418:Perth Theatre
415:
411:
407:
406:Stephen Unwin
403:
399:
394:
392:
388:
387:Andy Sandberg
384:
380:
375:
372:
370:
366:
365:David Sington
362:
361:Hitler's Bomb
358:
350:
348:
346:
341:
339:
338:Leslie Groves
335:
331:
326:
324:
321:
315:
313:
308:
305:
299:
296:
288:
284:
275:
273:
269:
265:
261:
253:
251:
249:
245:
242:suggested to
241:
237:
236:RAF Tempsford
233:
229:
225:
224:Godmanchester
220:
213:
211:
208:
204:
202:
198:
194:
188:
186:
182:
181:ALSOS mission
179:In 1944, the
177:
175:
171:
163:
158:
155:
153:
150:
148:
145:
143:
140:
138:
135:
133:
130:
128:
125:
123:
120:
118:
115:
113:
110:
109:
107:
101:
99:
97:
93:
89:
85:
84:Godmanchester
81:
77:
72:
70:
69:Operation Big
66:
65:Alsos Mission
62:
58:
55:detained ten
54:
50:
46:
42:
34:
30:
19:
944:
899:
880:
847:
825:. New York:
822:
782:
758:. Retrieved
754:
744:
730:
718:
701:
691:
674:
664:
652:
640:
635:, p. 78
628:
619:
616:Jones, R. V.
609:
597:
585:
573:
554:
538:, p. 60
531:
526:, p. 63
519:
433:
397:
395:
378:
376:
373:
360:
354:
345:declassified
342:
327:
316:
312:Adolf Hitler
309:
300:
292:
282:
264:Kurt Diebner
257:
247:
221:
217:
205:
189:
178:
167:
147:Max von Laue
132:Paul Harteck
117:Kurt Diebner
105:
73:
53:World War II
40:
39:
29:
966: /
657:Ermenc 1989
602:Ermenc 1989
592:, p. 1
580:, p. 1
207:R. V. Jones
112:Erich Bagge
96:atomic bomb
981:Categories
951:52°18′57″N
772:References
590:Frank 1993
578:Frank 1993
480:Trent Park
383:Alan Brody
369:Nick Perry
330:Peter Ganz
283:(laughing)
193:Boris Pash
164:Background
157:Karl Wirtz
954:0°10′45″W
891:0096-3402
760:29 August
710:1543-1215
683:1543-1215
434:Farm Hall
398:Farm Hall
240:R V Jones
197:Hechingen
174:Otto Hahn
127:Otto Hahn
88:Cambridge
82:house in
76:Farm Hall
18:Farm Hall
821:(1995).
618:(1978).
444:See also
230:(now in
45:codename
43:was the
357:Horizon
334:shellac
287:Gestapo
92:England
86:, near
906:
889:
860:
833:
811:
797:
708:
681:
561:
272:Urfeld
80:bugged
57:German
49:Allied
512:Notes
904:ISBN
887:ISSN
858:ISBN
831:ISBN
809:ISBN
795:ISBN
789:and
762:2024
706:ISSN
679:ISSN
559:ISBN
488:and
428:and
262:and
78:, a
408:at
381:by
983::
879:.
856:.
753:.
700:.
673:.
543:^
424:,
420:,
416:,
371:.
325:.
274:,
226:,
90:,
912:.
893:.
866:.
839:.
803:.
764:.
738:.
712:.
685:.
613:*
567:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
