FRONTISPIECE: Hitler on the terrace of his holiday retreat, the Berghof, at Obersalzberg in Bavaria, undated.
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Copyright © 2011 Simon Dunstan, Gerrard Williams, Spitfire Recovery Ltd.
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ISBN 978–1–4027–8139–1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978–1–4027–8933–5 (epub)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dunstan, Simon.
Grey wolf : the escape of Adolf Hitler / Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–1–4027–8139–1 (alk. paper) — ISBN 978–1–4027–8933–5 (e–book)
1. Hitler, Adolf, 1889–1945—Death and burial. 2. Hitler, Adolf, 1889–1945—Exile. 3. Heads of state—Germany—Biography. I. Williams, Gerrard. II. Title.
DD247.H5D76 2011
943.086092—dc22
2011014763
For information about custom editions, special sales, and premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales at 800–805–5489 or [email protected].
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
When we were first presented with the idea for Grey Wolf: The Escape of Adolf Hitler, our initial reaction was to dismiss it as just another conspiracy theory. Everyone knows that Hitler and Eva Braun took their lives in the bunker to escape the humiliation and certain execution that awaited them. However, we agreed to give it serious consideration due to the stellar reputations of the authors, Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams. We were also encouraged by the recent independent discovery that the remains recovered at the bunker were not those of Hitler or Eva Braun. Upon reading the proposal and challenging the authors over a period of several months, we were convinced that they had raised serious questions that called the conventional wisdom into question, and we therefore decided to publish the book.
The authors have spent the last five years researching this subject—traveling the globe, interviewing eyewitnesses, unearthing documents, and piecing together a mountain of evidence that has convinced them of a fact almost too horrible to contemplate: that Adolf Hitler escaped punishment and lived out his life in relative tranquility in Patagonia until his death in 1962.
This prospect is so despicable that we contemplated not publishing the book out of concern for those who would be offended by the mere prospect of Hitler’s escape, whether or not they found the argument credible. However, after much consideration, and a lengthy editorial process during which the authors were challenged to support their facts, we believe it is possible they may have uncovered the truth behind one of the greatest deceptions in history.
This book raises many intriguing questions, but it does not conclusively settle the issue. Perhaps this is a mystery that will never be solved, as with so many other moments in time. Or perhaps, once this issue is in the public arena, other facts will come to light that will bring us closer to a definitive answer. The authors wrote this book in a search for the truth, and they may have found it. Inevitably, you, the reader, will be the ultimate judge.
CONTENTS
Dramatis Personae
Treatment of Military Ranks
Abbreviations
List of Maps and Diagrams
Preface
Introduction
PART I: THE NAZIS TRIUMPHANT
1 Fueling the Beast
2 The Turning Tide
3 The Brown Eminence
4 The Rape of Europe
5 Nazi Gold
6 Eagle’s Flight and Land of Fire
PART II: THE HUNTERS
7 Red Indians and Private Armies
8 The Hunting Trail to Paris
9 Cash, Rockets, and Uranium
Photo Insert I
10 The Fog of War
11 Raiders of the Reich
12 Bormann, Dulles, and Operation Crossword
13 “Wo bist Adolf Hitler?”
PART III: THE ESCAPE
14 The Bunker
15 The Flight
16 Gruppe Seewolf
Photo Insert II
17 Argentina—Land of Silver
PART IV: THE GREY WOLF OF PATAGONIA
18 The U-Boat Landings
19 To Patagonia
20 Adolf Hitler’s Valley
21 Greedy Allies, Loyal Friends
22 Departures
23 Ghosts in the Shadows
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography and Other Sources
Picture Credits
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
This listing of significant characters who appear in this book omits unnecessary explanations of major historical figures such as Adolf Hitler, Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Winston Churchill. Its main purpose is to help readers keep track of less familiar personalities who recur in these pages. Capitalized names within entries refer to individuals who appear elsewhere in the dramatis personae.
GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN
ABS, HERMANN JOSEF: Chairman of the board of Deutsche Bank AG. (1957–67). Member of the board of directors (1938–45).
ALVENSLEBEN, GEN. LUDOLF VON: SS and police general, and wanted war criminal, later governor of Nazi settlement at Inalco, Río Negro province, Argentina.
ARENSTORFF, GERDA VON: Colleague of DIETRICH NIEBUHR at German embassy in Buenos Aires (1938–44), who recruited EVA DUARTÉ as an agent.
BARSCH, 1ST LT. FRANZ: Commander of submarine U-1235.
BAUMBACH, LT. COL. WERNER: Luftwaffe (air force) officer commanding special-duties wing Kampfgeschwader 200, who supervised flight of Hitler’s party from Travemünde, Germany, to Reus, Spain, on April 29, 1945.
BAUMGART, CAPT. PETER ERICH: South African-born Luftwaffe and SS officer, who flew Hitler’s party from Berlin to Tønder, Denmark, on April 28, 1945.
BETHE, HEINRICH: German sailor from warship Admiral Graf Spee, who became Hitler’s last servant.
BRAUN, WERNHER VON: Technical director of V-2 ballistic missile program; employed in America after the war.
CANARIS, ADM. WILHELM: Head of Abwehr military intelligence organization.
DOERGE, HEINRICH: Reichsbank official seconded to Argentina as aide to LUDWIG FREUDE, and financial adviser to Argentine government.
FAUPEL, GEN. WILHELM VON: Former military adviser to Argentine Army, and, in 1930s–40s, intelligence chief for Spain and South America as head of Ibero-American Institute.
FEGELEIN, GEN. HERMANN: Heinrich Himmler’s SS adjutant to Hitler’s headquarters, who became Hitler’s brother-in-law and a confidant of Martin Bormann.
FLICK, FRIEDRICH: Steel industry magnate and supporter of Nazi Party, a director of Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG (United Steelworks) (1933–45).
HOHENLOHE-LANGENBURG, PRINCE MAXIMILIAN EGON ZU: German aristocrat and intermediary between Heinrich Himmler and ALLEN DULLES.
HUDAL, BISHOP ALOIS: Martin Bormann’s main pro-Nazi contact in the Vatican, who helped organize escape of many war criminals to S
outh America.
HUMMEL, LT. COL. HANS HELMUT VON: SS adjutant to Martin Bormann, and Bormann’s intermediary to ALLEN DULLES.
HÖTTL, MAJ. WILHELM: SS officer, intermediary between SS GEN. KALTENBRUNNER and ALLEN DULLES.
KALTENBRUNNER, GEN. ERNST: SS and police general commanding Reich Main Security Office (RSHA), coordinating police, Gestapo (Secret Police), and SS intelligence and counterintelligence branch (SD).
KAY, CAPT. WALTER: Former first officer of warship Admiral Graf Spee, later energetic in Nazi intelligence activities in Argentina and Uruguay.
KOEHN, WILLI: Head of Latin America desk in German Foreign Office based in Madrid, and active intelligence agent.
LANTSCHNER, COL. FRIEDRICH: SS officer, later owner of construction business at San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro province, Argentina.
LEHMANN, OTTO (POSSIBLE PSEUDONYM): Medical officer at Nazi settlement at Inalco, Argentina, and later Hitler’s personal physician at his La Clara retreat.
MEYNEN, OTTO: Senior intelligence agent at German embassy in Buenos Aires (1939–44), replacing DIETRICH NIEBUHR.
MÜLLER, GEN. HEINRICH “GESTAPO”: SS and police general in command of the Gestapo.
NIEBUHR, CAPT. DIETRICH: Naval attaché at German embassy in Buenos Aires (1939–41), and intelligence agent for GEN. VON FAUPEL.
OFFERMANN, 1ST LT. HANS-WERNER: Commander of submarine U-518.
PUTTKAMER, ADM. KARL-JESCO VON: Hitler’s navy adjutant in the Führerbunker, who assisted Martin Bormann with secure radio communications.
ROSENBERG, ALFRED: Nazi Party artistic “commissar,” and head of ERR (Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg für die Besetzen Gebiete—Special Staff of National Leader Rosenberg for the Occupied Territories) organization in charge of looting artworks from occupied countries.
RUDEL, COL. HANS-ULRICH: Stuka dive-bomber pilot who was most highly decorated officer in the German military, later active in Nazi community around San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.
SANDSTEDE, GOTTFRIED: Press attaché at German embassy in Buenos Aires (1939–41), senior intelligence agent for GENERAL VON FAUPEL, and executive of Delfino shipping line.
SCHACHT, HJALMAR: One-time president of Reichsbank and economics minister of Reich, and a principal director of Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland.
SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE, PRINCE STEPHAN ZU: Consular officer in Chile (1936–41), also active in affairs of Buenos Aires embassy.
SCHELLENBERG, GEN. WALTER: SS general commanding the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) intelligence agency, and would-be intermediary between Heinrich Himmler and ALLEN DULLES.
SCHMITZ, HERMANN: Chairman of the board of IG Farben conglomerate; funder and supporter of Nazi Party.
SCHÖTZAU, LT. CDR. GERHARD: Commander of submarine U-880.
SCHRÖDER, BARON KURT VON: Leading banker and supporter of Nazi Party.
THERMANN, BARON EDMUND VON: German ambassador to Argentina (1938–41).
THYSSEN, FRITZ: Steel industry magnate and supporter of Nazi Party; chairman of Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG (United Steelworks).
VOSS, ADM. HANS-ERICH: Naval liaison officer at the Führer’s headquarters.
WINTER, GUSTAV: Agent of the Abwehr, who established a secret intelligence base on Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.
WOLFF, GEN. KARL: SS military governor of northern Italy, who negotiated with ALLEN DULLES for surrender of German forces in Operation Sunrise.
AMERICAN
DONOVAN, GEN. WILLIAM J.: Director of Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) (1941) and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (1942–45).
DULLES, ALLEN WELSH: Corporate lawyer with extensive prewar contacts in Germany; from October 1941 head of operations of COI and then OSS station chief in Bern, Switzerland (1942–45); after the war, director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (1953–61).
FORD, HENRY: Automobile industry magnate, decorated by Nazi Party for his support.
GROVES, GEN. LESLIE R.: Director of Manhattan Project, and instigator of U.S. efforts to locate and neutralize German nuclear research.
LANSDALE JR., LT. COL. JOHN: Head of security for Manhattan Project, and second-in-command of Alsos Mission to neutralize Germany’s nuclear research program.
LESLIE, EDGEWORTH M.: OSS officer, intermediary between ALLEN DULLES and SS GEN. KALTENBRUNNER.
MORGENTHAU, HENRY J.: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1934–45).
PASH, COL. BORIS T.: Commander of Alsos Mission.
WALLACE, HENRY: Vice president of the United States (1941–45).
BRITISH
DALZEL-JOB, LT. CDR. PATRICK: Royal Navy officer commanding Team 4 of 30 Assault Unit (AU).
FLEMING, LT. CDR. IAN: Officer in Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and personal assistant to Admiral John Henry Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence; later, author of best-selling James Bond spy novels.
NORMAN, SIR MONTAGUE: Governor of Bank of England (1920–44), and a principal director of Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland.
ARGENTINE
EICHHORN, WALTER AND IDA: Leading supporters and fund-raisers for Nazi Party, friends of Hitler, and owners of Hotel Eden, La Falda, Córdoba province, Argentina.
FREUDE, LUDWIG: Banker and construction-industry millionaire, who acted as Nazis’ chief financial representative and agent of influence in Argentina.
FREUDE, RODOLFO: Son of LUDWIG, who became private secretary and intelligence coordinator to PRESIDENT PERÓN.
LEUTE, RICARDO VON: General manager of German-founded Lahusen trading conglomerate.
PAHLKE, MAX: German-born director of Mannesmann company’s Argentine subsidiary, and owner of Gran Hotel Viena clinic and spa, Miramar, Córdoba province.
PERÓN, COL. JUAN DOMINGO: Member of Grupo de Oficiales Unidos (GOU)—United Officers’ Group military junta, who became vice president, later president, of Argentina.
PERÓN, EVA “EVITA” DUARTÉ: Mistress, later wife, of COL. PERÓN, and agent of influence for Nazi intelligence.
SANTANDER, SILVANO: Deputy for Entre Ríos province (1936–44), active and vocal opponent of Nazi links with Argentine government.
TABORDA, RAÚL DAMONTE: Chairman of Argentine congressional committee investigating Nazi activities.
OTHER
BRUGGMANN, CHARLES: Swiss ambassador to the United States (1939–45).
DODERO, ALBERTO: Uruguayan-Argentine millionaire shipping magnate and confederate of the Peróns.
MASSON, GENERAL ROGER: Director of the Swiss secret service (1939–45).
WALLENBERG, MARCUS: Swedish industrial and banking magnate.
TREATMENT OF MILITARY RANKS
Since this book is not primarily a work of military history, we have not distinguished between the different grades of generals and flag officers in any of the Axis and Allied armed forces.
We have translated German SS and navy ranks, as below, and have simplified the former. The complexity of the SS structure meant that general officer ranks held by individuals were often qualified by suffixes differentiating rank within the basic organization or Allgemeine-SS, the military branch or Waffen-SS, and parallel rank in the police. Apart from key individuals with dual titles, such as “SS and Police Gen. Kaltenbrunner,” we have felt it unnecessary to make most of these distinctions.
ABBREVIATIONS
AU Assault Unit
CAFT Consolidated Advance Field Team
CAO Civil Affairs Office
CIOS Combined Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee
COI Coordinator of Information
CU Commando Unit
EPES Enemy Personnel Exploitation Section
ERR Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg für die Besetzen Gebiete (Special Staff of National Leader Rosenberg for the Occupied Territories)
ETH Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule
FEA Federal Economic Administration
FFI French Forces of the Interior
LRDG Long Range Desert Group
MFA&A Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives
NID Naval Intelligence Division
NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers’ Party or Nazi Party)
OKW Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces)
OSS Office of Strategic Services
RAF Royal Air Force
RM Royal Marines
RN Royal Navy
RSHA Reich Main Security Office
SA Sturmabteilung (the Nazi Party’s uniformed part-time activists, the “brownshirts”)
SAS Special Air Service
SD Security Service (or Sicherheitsdienst)
SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
SS Schutzstaffel (literally, “protection squad”)
TICOM Target Intelligence Committee
USAAF United States Army Air Forces
LIST OF MAPS
AND DIAGRAMS
Allied Advance into Germany: April–May 1945
Reich Chancellery
Führerbunker
Junkers Ju 52
Berlin Underground: April 28, 1945
Flight from Berlin: April 28, 1945
Flight from Germany to Spain: April 29, 1945
Type IX U-Boat
Arrival in Argentina: July–August 1945
Postwar Argentina
PREFACE
WE NEVER WANTED THIS STORY TO BE TRUE. It was originally intended to be a quixotic but thought-provoking “conspiracy theory” television documentary. However, extensive research in Argentina, Poland, Germany, Great Britain, and the Canary Island of Fuerteventura produced a compelling dossier of details—backed up by the testimonies of many eyewitnesses—that told a completely different story from the accepted “history” of World War II. In the words of Winston S. Churchill, “History is written by the victors.” Never has this been more true than the untold account of Hitler’s escape from the ruins of the Third Reich in April 1945.
The horrifying reality, we believe, is that at the end of World War II the most evil man in the world, Adolf Hitler, escaped from Germany and lived out his life in Argentina—and that his deputy, Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, and Heinrich “Gestapo” Müller, a key figure in the planning of the Final Solution, also escaped justice and joined him there. Equally disturbing is the evidence that America and Britain facilitated the flight of hundreds of erstwhile Nazis, such as the rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and the sadistic torturer Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon. Both were employed by U.S. government agencies in the postwar years while others were allowed to avoid prosecution and flee to the far corners of the world. Even as this book goes to press in the summer of 2011, a ninety-one-year-old Ukrainian, Ivan “John” Demjanjuk, has been convicted as an accessory to the murder of 28,060 Jews in the Sobibor death camp in Poland some sixty-eight years after the event. For years he lived a comfortable life as an autoworker for the Ford Motor Company in Cleveland, Ohio, before being extradited to Germany in 2009 for trial as a war criminal.
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