Show Blonde A Aviatrix Arranged Suicide Plane Project for German Victory I Hanna Reitsch's Plan Still Incomplete I When Zen Nazi Defeat Ended World J War II By PAULINE FREDERICK Foreign Correspondent GERMANY J- J i Never before in history has so much of how a war began and how it was fought come to light so quickly after that wars war's end ns as is happening today in Germany There is not alone DIone the incredible tale that Is unfolding in the green cur tamed courtroom here in But a thousand other chapters are being revealed all over this torn torn country that will eventually complete complete com corn the piece One of these Is the story of how the Germans toyed with the idea of developing suicide planes to repel re I pd pel an invasion fleet in 1943 when their dreams of world conquest had hadI come to an end in Russia This tale I has just come to light in intelligence intelli gence reports released at Frankfurt and the star of the piece is a blonde aviatrix named Hanna Reitsch Here is the Story By 1943 a lot of people in Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many including Reitsch had become become become be be- come convinced that only extraordinary extraordinary extraordinary extra extra- ordinary measures could bring the war to a successful end for Ger Ger- many They decided th that t if any plan for invasion of the continent could be destroyed at the beginning Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many could then be safe enough In I its continental fortress so that the Allies would be ready to make I peace Therefore a small group of ot otmen men banded together a suicide squadron who were willing to give their lives In some kind of a man- man propelled flying bomb that would destro destroy destro and sink at a ratio of one vessel per flying bomb all the larger naval craft that were so important important important im im- in protecting and covering an invasion force Reitsch from the beginning was to be the chief test pilot for such a craft In the death of a thousand of their number the squadron hoped to save the lives of many thousands But plans had not progressed very far when insuperable obstacles were encountered First Reitsch went to authorities and there was met with the impression that the idea was fantastic and the result of hallucinations of ot people eople tired of life who were looking for a martyrs martyr's end in the pages of German h history story She had no no- better success at the theair theair theair air ministry Then she took the matter matter matter mat mat- ter to the aeronautical research council After the experts examined the idea they decided it was feasible ble The plan was to install a 2000 pound torpedo bomb-torpedo in the nose of ot ofa ota a plane which would be steered into the water at a certain angle The I r c I r- r z DIDN'T DIUNT LIKE IT Adolf Hitler didn't like Hanna Danna ReUsch's Reitsch's idea for Cor suicide planes lie He thought it was un German but finally consented to have the plans developed impact with the water would kill the pilot instantly and allow the bomb to tear loose from the plane and continue under the keel of the vessel where it would explode with witha a time fuse that would be set In motion upon impact with the water Hitler Ditler Lukewarm to Plan PIan Then on February 28 1944 Reitsch had a three-hour three conference with Hitler at Berchtesgaden to convince him that he should accept the plan and name the proper leadership The aviatrix had long been convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced undoubtedly for personal as aswell as well as professional reasons that Goering was not the man for his Job to say nothing of this one Hitler didn't like the self-sacrificing self idea I II I r x 44 4 ww e 4 4 S s 's fi 4 4 t di 1 I k 9 4 1 4 Lj A IT WAS HIS FAULT Uanna Danna Reitsch ReUsch lays the failure of the suicide plane project to Hermann lIermann Goering The ex-chief ex of the luft ex waITe is shown here as he talked to Allied war correspondents in a detention detention tion camp His IUs facial expressions were dubbed his injured innocence act of the project because he thought it was un Also he refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to believe that Germanys Germany's situation situation situation situ situ- was so precarious and demanded demanded demanded de de- de- de such unusual measures Hitler Hiller finally did say that plans would be developed so that when he gave the order they could be put into operation but until such time as he chose to speak he didn't want to be bothered with the idea any more Meanwhile 70 or 80 men carefully carefully care care- fully selected had signed the pledge I hereby volunteer as a I pilot of the manned glider I Iam Iam am convinced that this action will end with my death 5 IY P b q Hanna Reitsch Hanna Keitsch 1 describes herself herself herself her her- self as follows Five feet 4 inches tall weighs about pounds has blonde hair with a permanent blue eyes white teeth and a small round face with witha a scar down the center of her nose a well-proportioned well figure 33 years old and not considered beautiful She was a test test- pilot of German military aircraft and flew the V V-I buzz bomb plane She holds records for flying gliders and other other other oth oth- er typeset planes But more than that she was in inthe the bunker under under un un- un der the with Hitler and his entourage during the last days of at Berlin and was slated to be a participant in the mass suicide plan worked out by Hitler Hiller to be put into effect when the Russians reached the bunker However In the early morning hours of April 30 1945 the Fuehrer ordered her and Lt Gen Ritter von Greim who had succeeded succeeded suc sue Goering as head of the to leave to accomplish two missions One was to get help to Berlin The other other oth oth- er was to prevent Heinrich Himmler Himmler Himm Himm- ler whom Hitler had just heard had contacted the Allies to make makepeace makepeace makepeace peace terms from succeeding him as Fuehrer Reitsch was Von Greims Greim's personal pilot As far as i i known at this time Hanna Reitsch flew fiew the the thelast last plane out of Berlin before it capitulated I Because of the conditions of the besieged city at the time she says it U is fantastic for anyone to believe be be- lieve that another plane could have safely spirited Hitler out so that t he might be living today |