Und der noch:
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S E C R E T
HEADQUARTERS
AIR P/W INTERROGATION UNIT
United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe
A.P.W.I.U. (Ninth Air Force) 96/1945 APO 696, US Army
373.2 19 August 1945
SUBJECT: Energy Intelligence Summaries
TO : See Distribution
INVESTIGATIONS, RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENTS, AND
PRACTICAL USE OF THE GERMAN ATOMIC BOMB
THE FOLLOWING INTERROGATION WAS OBTAINED FROM FOUR
GERMAN SCIENTISTS: A CHEMIST, TWO PHYSICAL CHEMISTS,
AND A ROCKET SPECIALIST.
ALL FOUR MEN CONTRIBUTED A SHORT STORY AS TO WHAT
THEY KNEW OF THE ATOMIC BOMB DEVELOPMENT.
1. After the first atomic bomb was released over
Hiroshima recently, several Germans began talking
about whatever little they knew in this field of
German research. Out of the many stories received, the
following were selected.
[ ich gehe direkt zur Aussage von dem vierten
deutschen Techniker. Sein Name war ZINSSER und was er
sagte befindet sich am Ende vom
Dokument.]
47. A man named ZINSSER, a Flak rocket expert,
mentioned what he noticed one day: In the beginning of
Oct. 1944 I flew from Ludwigslust (South of Luebeck),
about 12 to 15 km from an atomic bomb test station,
when I noticed a strong, bright illumination of the
whole atmosphere, lasting about 2 seconds.
48. The clearly visible pressure wave escaped the
approaching and following cloud formed by the
explosion. This wave had a diameter of about 1 km when
it became visible and the color of the cloud changed
frequently. It became dotted after a short period of
darkness with all sorts of light spots, which were, in
contrast to normal explosions, of a pale blue color.
49. After about 10 seconds the sharp outlines of
the explosion cloud disappeared, then the cloud began
to take on a lighter color against the sky covered
with a grey overcast. The diameter of the still
visible pressure wave was at least 9000 meters while
remaining visible for at least 15 seconds.
50. Personal observation of the colors of the
explosion cloud found an almost blue-violet shade.
During this manifestation reddish-colored rims were to
be seen, changing to a dirty-like shade in very rapid
succession.
51. The combustion was lightly felt from my
observation plane in the form of pulling and pushing.
The appearance of atmospheric disturbance lasted about
10 seconds without noticeable climax.
52. About one hour later I started with an He 111
>from the A/D [Antonio: 'airfield'] at Ludwigslust
and flew in an easterly direction. Shortly after that
I passed through the almost complete overcast (between
3000 and 4000 meter altitude). A cloud shaped like a
mushroom with turbulent billowing sections (at about
7000 meter altitude) stood, without any seeming
connections, over the spot where the explosion took
place. Strong electrical disturbances and the
impossibility to continue radio communication as by
lightning, turned up.
53. Because of the P-38s operating in the area
Wittenberg-Merseburg I had to turn to the north but
observed a better visibility at the bottom of the
cloud where the explosion occured.
Note: It does not seem very clear to me why these
experiments took place in such crowded areas.
FOR THE COMMANDING OFFICER:
(Unterschrift)
HELENES T. FREIBERGER
DISTRIBUTION:
30 copies G-2, Hq, USFET, Att: Capt. E.L. Wing
10 " U S Army Air Forces in Washington, D.O.I.
12 " USSTAF (Main), A-2 Section
12 " USSTAF (Rear), A-2 Section
15 " Ninth Air Force, A-2 Section
usw.
usf.
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Mikrofilm Dokument aus dem United States Air Force
Historical Research Center (USAFHRC), Maxwell AFB,
Montgomery, Alabama.
Referenz: ROLL No.: A1007
DATE FILMED: 14 - 6 - 1973
OPERATOR: S.F.R.
LOCATION: Maxwell AFB, Ala.
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UNTERSUCHUNG: WIE GLAUBWUERDIG ist ZINSSER? (Zinsser
und William Leonard Laurence)
Der bekannte New York Times-Korrespondent W. L.
Laurence, schon lange vor dem Manhattan-Projekt mit
fuehrenden Atomphysikern befreundet und zweimaliger
Pulitzer-Preis Gewinner (in 1937 und 1946), wurde
erlaubt in einer der drei B-29 zu fliegen die an der
Bombardierung von Nagasaki teilnahmen. Sein
Augenzeugenbericht wurde erst am 9. September 1945
veroeffentlicht.
http://www.fas.org/nuke/trinity/hiroshim/laurenc1.htm
Schon einige Tage nach dem Abwurf der Hiroshima-Bombe
konnte man sehr kurze Beschreibungen von dem
Alamogordo-Test (vom 16. Juli 45) in der Presse lesen.
Aber Mr. Laurences Artikel in der New York Times am
9.9.45 war eine absolute Weltsensation: dort wurde
der Oeffentlichkeit zum ersten Mal genau beschrieben
wie eine Atomexplosion wirklich war.
Zinsser wurde noch VOR dem 19. August 1945
vernommen und konnte also IN KEINEM FALL die Angaben
und Informationen von Laurences Artikel fuer seinen
eigenen Augenzeugenbericht benuetzt haben. Und noch
mehr: wenn man beide Beschreibungen vergleicht kann
man ueberrascht feststellen, dass Zinsser die
Explosion sogar noch ausfuehrlicher und besser
beschreibt als Laurence:
ZINSSER-1: '..., when I noticed a strong bright
illumination of the whole atmosphere, lasting about 2
seconds.'
LAURENCE-1: '(...) all of us became aware of a giant
flash that broke through the dark barrier of our ARC
welder's lenses and flooded our cabin with an intense
light.'
ZINSSER-2: '... and the colour of the cloud changed
frequently. It became dotted after a short period of
darkness with all sorts of light spots, which were, in
contrast to normal explosions, of pale blue color.'
LAURENCE-2: 'We removed our glasses after the first
flash but the light still lingered on, a bluish-green
light that illuminated the entire sky all around.'
ZINSSER-3: 'The combustion was lightly felt from my
observation plane in the form of pulling and pushing.'
LAURENCE-3: 'A tremendous blast wave struck our ship
and made it tremble from nose to tail.'
ZINSSER-4: 'The clearly visible pressure wave
escaped the approaching and following cloud formed by
the explosion.'
LAURENCE-4: 'Observers in the tail of our ship saw a
giant ball of fire rise.'
ZINSSER-5: 'Personal observations of the colours of
the explosion cloud found an almost blue-violet
shade.'
LAURENCE-5: 'By the time our ship had made another
turn in the direction of the atomic explosion. The
pillar of purple fire had reached the level of our
altitude.'
ZINSSER-6: 'During this manifestation
reddish-coloured rims were to be seen, changing to a
dirty-like shade in very rapid succession.'
LAURENCE-6: [Mr. Laurence hat nicht darueber
berichtet, aber die rote Faerbung wurde auch in der
Nagasaki-Explosion beobachtet. Veranwortlich dafuer
ist das Stickstoffoxid ("nitric oxide").]
ZINSSER-7: 'A cloud shaped like a mushroom with
turbulent, billowing sections (at about 7000 metre
altitude) stood, (...).'
LAURENCE-7: 'The mushroom top was even more alive
than the pillar, seething and boiling in a white fury
of creamy foam, (...).'
ZINSSER-8: 'About one hour later (...). A cloud
shaped like a mushroom (...) stood, (...), over the
spot where the explosion took place.'
LAURENCE-8: 'It (the mushroom) retained that shape
when we last gazed at it from a distance of about 200
miles.'
ZINSSER-9: 'Strong electrical disturbances and the
impossibility to continue radio communications as by
lightning, turned up.
LAURENCE-9: [Mr. Laurence hat diese sehr typische
Wirkung von jeder Atombombe nicht beschrieben, auch
wenn die Nagasaki-Bombe HOECHST WAHRSCHEINLICH auch
diese Stoerungen verursachte.]
Zinsser beschreibt die Faerbung der Wolke genauer,
gibt Zahlen ueber die Ausdehnung, Groesse und Dauer
der Explosion und sagt ausserdem, dass die Bombe
Radiostoerungen verursachte (eine unmoegliche
Erscheinung bei konventionellen Explosionen, die bei
Atomsprengungen so gut wie NIE fehlt). Sehr, aber
wirklich SEHR WENIGE Spezialisten kannten in August
1945 dieses Phaenomen; nur jemand der ein Radiogeraet
in der Naehe von einer Explosion benuetzen musste
(z.B. ein Pilot wie Zinsser) haette diese Sache
beobachten koennen. Der einzige Unterschied zwischen
diesen beiden Explosionen ist die Staerke:
W. L. Laurence hat genau eine 20 bis 25 Kilotonnen
Bombe beschrieben und Zinsser hat sehr genau einen
etwa 3 bis 5 Kt starken Test gesehen.
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