- [Announcer] This channel is part of the HistoryHit Network. Stick around to find out more. (musical sting) (dramatic music) - [Narrator] August, 1945, a pivotal point in the history of mankind, preparations for the
deployment of a weapon whose destructive power the
world had never seen before, American aircraft on their way to drop the first atomic bomb. On August 6th 1945, the
Japanese harbor city of Hiroshima was destroyed,
three days later, Nagasaki. More than 10,000 people
were killed outright. - The nuclear age really
began with the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the demonstration of how powerful these weapons could be, and how terrifying they could be. - [Narrator] The beginning of a new era, US scientists worked feverishly
on developing the bomb. They feared Hitler's Germany was about
to build it before them. Later, it was reported that
the Germans had abandoned their plans to build an atomic bomb, but new evidence and
documents, unknown until now, tell a different story. (Prof. Sacharow speaking foreign language) - [Translator] There's
an interesting report from Marshall Zhukov to Stalin
dated October 2nd, 1945. The subject is the German
atomic weapons program. New sources of the report
have been confirmed, but I think the most interesting aspect is Zhukov's statement that the Germans had already
built the atomic bomb. - [Narrator] According to
existing construction plans, the bomb might have looked like this. For the Allies, the idea was terrifying. (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] That's why
during the final months of the war, the Allies
concentrated all their efforts on defeating the German
Reich as quickly as possible. The clock was ticking, and
there was no time to lose. - [Narrator] Allied special units searched for Hitler's so-called wonder weapon. They discovered many
clandestine developments in the subterranean world of
the German armament industry. In late 1944, American special
units gave an all clear. The Germans had fallen far
behind in their development of the atom bomb, but then
they discovered locations, plans, and names that
were thus far unknown. Secret projects conducted
under the auspices of the SS at obscure locations in Hitler's Reich and in the occupied countries,
underground projects dedicated to the development
of weapons of mass destruction. Some of the trails led to places near the Austrian city of Linz. - Much of what we know about
the Third Reich and Nazism that we know is very important
that we know that now. We only know that because
other people pushed to do research, and to
find out about things when the authorities
didn't want them to know. - [Narrator] Spring 1945, the Allies had broken the
last German resistance. Arriving after the troops
fighting at the front, American special units followed, searching for German high tech weapons, among other things, jet fighters that were already in action, but there was evidence of further
dangerous secret projects. (Dr. Karlsch speaking foreign language) - [Translator] American
reports often spoke of weapons of desperation
that might have been deployed in the last weeks of the war. The fear of the Allies was well-founded. The Germans possessed highly
dangerous chemical weapons, and possibly, a significant
amount of nuclear explosives that could have had a devastating effect. - [Narrator] US troops
advanced into Thuringia. Near Nordhausen, they discovered a gigantic subterranean
factory for rockets and flying bombs. The victors were impressed. Then they discovered
concentration camp prisoners, and forced laborers. - [Announcer] HistoryHit
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timeline at checkout. - [Narrator] Thousands died
underground from exhaustion, hunger, and SS-inflicted torture. The American units wanted to
secure the captured weapons. They searched for those in charge. In captured documents and
intercepted radio transmissions, one name showed up
repeatedly, Hans Kammler. (compelling music) As a leading SS construction engineer, Kammler was partially
responsible for death camps like Auschwitz. Because of Allied air raids, he moved entire armament
factories underground. (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] Kammler
possessed a high degree of managerial talent. He was prepared to take great risks, and would stop at nothing
to achieve his goals. - [Narrator] Tens of thousands
died during the construction of the underground rocket
factory in Nordhausen, but Kammler carried out his
work with the greatest ambition. (compelling music) (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] Step by
step, Kammler received even more authority from Hitler and Himmler to develop secret weapons. Eventually, he became the central figure in this area of responsibility. - [Narrator] Hans Kammler,
Hitler's head of development for secret weapons. With ruthless efficiency, he moved ahead with the
design and construction of German rockets, an
engine for a V2 rocket. (rocket blasting) In early September, 1944,
the first V2s were deployed. These weapons of terror were
meant to intimidate and kill residents of London and Paris. The British were afraid that
the V2 warheads might be armed with weapons of mass destruction. Detonation sites were
examined with Geiger counters. Was it only a matter of time? (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] It was clear that conventional
explosives weren't powerful enough to fulfill their military purpose, so constructors tried to develop
either chemical warheads, or even new nuclear weapons. To achieve contamination
through radioactive substances, they considered attaching nuclear weapons to the rocket warheads. This was confirmed by many
Soviet intelligence reports. - [Narrator] But German
rockets weren't only supposed to become more deadly. They were also supposed to fly further. (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] We know
that there was a series of other projects following the V2. The goal was to increase the range and payloads of the rockets. The projects A9 and A10
were particularly important. Once combined, these two
rockets were supposed to have sufficient range to be able
to reach as far as the USA. - [Narrator] Hitler's rocket
man, Wernher von Braun. In the years following the
war, von Braun went on to build atomic rockets for the USA. After Germany's defeat,
he also spoke of a warhead with enormous destructive capability, one that was supposed to
be attached to a rocket. One newspaper reported
that was little doubt that this was indeed an atomic bomb, but how much of this
was an unfulfilled plan, and how much was reality? One thing is certain,
Heinrich Himmler's SS worked to develop this and similar technologies. - The SS during the last
two years of the war was very aggressively interested
in controlling as much of the science-based weapons
production as possible. They also were clearly interested in the nuclear weapons project and others. Scientists working under
the authority of the SS, or with the SS were trying
to make new sorts of weapons to the very end of the war. - [Narrator] But just how far
did the German scientists get? Soviet documents mention two atomic tests, both of which took place in Tyrrhenia. They're mentioned in Soviet
military secret service reports from the GRU, reports from the
Russian president's archives. (Prof. Sacharow speaking foreign language) - [Translator] The most
important GRU report is the one for March 23rd, 1945, just
before the end of the war, describing how the test was conducted. - [Narrator] Even
earlier, in November 1944, an agent reported on test preparations. - [Agent] The Germans are about
to test a new secret weapon, one with enormous destructive power. The already constructed
bomb has a diameter of one and a half meters, and consists of
interconnected hollow spheres. (vehicle motor humming) - [Narrator] This is approximately
how the bomb was supposed to look according to construction plans. (compelling music) The scientific director of
the Soviet atomic project, Kurchatov, received a further,
even more alarming report. He concluded that the German
plan would enable construction of a fission bomb according
to the implosion principle. According to the report. - [Agent] Our reliable
source in Germany says the Germans have conducted
two trial explosions with immense force in Tyrrhenia. (bomb exploding) Trees within a 600 meter
radius were flattened. Prisoners of war placed at the center of the explosion were vaporized, whereby often no traces of them remained. Additionally, a strong
radioactive effect was observed. (fires rumbling) (Prof. Sacharow speaking foreign language) - [Translator] That means
the agent was either present at the test, or had
access to inner circles, and was able to collect accurate
information about the test. (fires rumbling) (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] We know for
certain that the information came from a proven, reliable
source who had access to areas of the SS responsible for the
development of atomic bombs. - [Narrator] And yet in March
1945, Kurchatov reported to Stalin that due to
the relatively weak power of the explosion, he
wasn't entirely convinced that the Germans had
detonated an atomic bomb like the one in the construction plans, but rather a less potent test model. The Soviet atomic weapons
specialist Davidow examined the German bomb plans, and
concluded that they represented a well thought out concept for a bomb. (Sergej speaking foreign language) - [Translator] I was
impressed at how ingenious and qualified the contents
of the documents were. They couldn't possibly have
come from a normal agent, but rather from a specially trained person with the necessary knowledge. The details are described so
exactly as though they came from the inventor of the bomb himself. - [Narrator] Soviet physicists recognized highly advanced elements in
the German construction plans, such as a high voltage discharge tube, the kind used later in
more modern weapons. (bomb exploding) Sergej Lev Davidow had even
tested Soviet atomic weapons himself, and drew an
astounding comparison. (Sergej speaking foreign language) - [Translator] It's like a
copy of one of our bombs, or our bomb is the copy. - [Narrator] After the war,
Stalin had one question, how far did the Germans get? In autumn 1945, Marshall Zhukov reported. - [Zhukov] The Germans
achieved good results in the theoretical and practical research and application of atomic energy, which resulted in the
construction of an atomic bomb. (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] Based on
information collected by the Red Army, in the Soviet
occupation zone in Germany, the Zhukov report attempted to establish the level of knowledge achieved
by German atomic scientists. According to the collected
information, it concluded that the Germans had indeed
developed an atomic weapon. - [Narrator] But where
had the weapon been built? Where did the weapons-grade
uranium come from? Available sources provide no information, and yet there were reports of tests. (Dr. Karlsch speaking foreign language) - Reports on the testing of a newly constructed German weapon in Tyrrhenia hadn't only
reached the Soviet general staff by the end of March '45, but also the Supreme Commander
of the American forces, General Eisenhower. He received a report from a German officer who witnessed the test. Eisenhower then sent air
reconnaissance to the test area, but nothing was discovered. - [Narrator] A French
intelligence document from April 1945 described the test as that of a so-called electro-atomic bomb. During the test, which had
a limited effective radius, Russian and Polish POWs
had been incinerated, and the report concluded
that the test represented a technical revolution. (compelling music) Mid April 1945, US troops reached the military training area
Hillersleben near Montebourg. (compelling music) A technical unit from American military
intelligence examined the area. It made startling discoveries that caused the unit's commander Colonel Keck to make an immediate report to Washington. - [Col. Keck] Here it was
learned that the Germans had gone far in the development of atomic bombs. (compelling music) And nevertheless, their
progress was considerable, and indicated that they were coming very close to the solution of the problem. (Dr. Karlsch speaking foreign language) - [Translator] We can't establish exactly what the Americans found on the basis of this document. There was talk of the
development of an atomic bomb. We don't know, however,
whether or not actual documents or other materials were found. It's an indication, though, that certain developments
took place in Hillersleben about which we had no previous knowledge. - [Narrator] An American special unit named Alsos was looking for proof that the Germans were
developing atomic weapons, looking for reactors or
centrifuges that could be used to produce weapons-grade
fissile materials. In the southern German town of Haigerloch, they made a discovery. - Werner Heisenberg's
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics had been evacuated
from Berlin to Haigerloch, and there, Heisenberg and
other scientists built what they called a uranium machine, a nuclear reactor experiment. It was cubes of metal uranium suspended in a tub of heavy water. And this experiment almost, but not quite reached
criticality, that is, it was able to achieve a self-sustained new nuclear reaction. - [Narrator] Nobel prize
winner, Werner Heisenberg, Germany's most prominent physicist, was a controversial figure. He later maintained that
he wanted to prevent Hitler from constructing an atomic bomb, but others say Heisenberg
simply lacked the means and the know-how to build
the bomb for Hitler himself. Yet another trail, the testing grounds of German army ordnance in
Kummersdorf near Berlin. Here as well, there was
an experimental reactor that broke down, probably
due to an accident. This is where physicist
Kurt Diebner performed his research. Documents strongly suggest
Diebner wanted to proceed from experiments straight
to the construction of an atomic bomb. But in Kummersdorf as well, the Germans were unable to
produce the fissile material necessary to build the bomb. (compelling music) At the Haigerloch testing
grounds, the Americans found references to a group of prominent
German explosives experts led by Eric Schumann. In order to build an atom
bomb, the group fell back on a tried and tested concept,
that of a hollow charge, the principle used in
rocket-propelled grenades. (weapon firing and exploding) The hollow charge directs explosive energy to a single point,
enabling it to penetrate even thick steel armor. (weapon firing and exploding) - It's not quite clear what it was. The new type of weapon, nuclear weapon that these army ordnance
scientists were working on toward the end of the
war was designed to use high pressure to possibly
produce nuclear fusion reactions. - [Narrator] Whether or not this actually could have
worked is debatable. After the war, Schumann
called it an unproven concept for an atomic bomb. This alternative concept
is in sharp contrast to the German bomb described
in the Soviet GRU report. (ominous music) - Now, it's not, again, it's
not clear that it worked, but it would've been
more than a dirty bomb. A dirty bomb simply takes
radioactive materials you already have, and distributes them. This would actually have produced
new radioactive material. - [Narrator] But aside from fusion matter, even this bomb would've
required a small amount of highly enriched material. - I'm skeptical that they
could possibly have succeeded, but I should add that it's not just about a Hiroshima style
bomb, because we know that at least one group was working on other sorts of designs. - [Narrator] In order to
build bombs like the kind later dropped on Japan, the
USA expended enormous effort, employing hundreds of scientists, and creating an entire industry. It was necessary in order to produce several kilos of plutonium, and several dozen kilos of
highly-enriched uranium. The White Sands testing
grounds in New Mexico, a prototype of the bomb that
was later dropped on Nagasaki. This is where the first detonation of a weapon of mass destruction in the history of mankind took place. (dramatic music) (explosion) Uncontrolled nuclear fission
released incredible energy equaling around 20,000 tons of TNT. - This simply isn't something you can do under very difficult
conditions within a few months at the end of the war. That does not, however, mean that people were not trying to do that, and I want to make this
distinction very clear. There is no reason to doubt that people were attempting
to do these things. - [Narrator] But what evidence of this did the Nazi
leadership leave behind? There are protocols made during the visit of the Romanian head of
state in August 1944. (Dr. Karlsch speaking foreign language) - [Translator] When
Antonescu visited Hitler, Soviet troops were already
approaching the Romanian border. Antonescu desperately wanted
to get out of the war, but Hitler did everything
possible to keep him on his side. He informed Antonescu about the latest weapons developments. He spoke of a V3 rocket, and of a V4, supposedly able to
destroy every living thing within a three kilometer radius. This radius of destruction
meant it could only have been a nuclear weapon, or
a large coal dust bomb with incredible power. Germany was also working
to develop such a weapon. - [Narrator] But at what
locations, and with what means? What secrets were contained
within the enumerable minds and underworlds within Hitler's Reich? There are still many unexamined locations that might have been used
to develop new weapons. - In the last few years, more
and more information has come out about additional
underground facilities for scientific research or for production. - [Narrator] During the
final months of the war, the SS General Kammler
had more and more people and material relocated underground. He wanted to concentrate
his remaining resources (plane roaring) In daylight, these
transports might have fallen victim to air raids. (weapons firing repeatedly) The Americans also
searched Czech territory for secret weapons production sites and evidence of nuclear research, while the country's citizens
cheered them as liberators. Then there was a new buzzword circulating, Alpenfestung, the Alpine Redoubt. There was fear that the SS
had retreated to the mountains of Bavaria and Austria in
order to defend themselves with the latest weapons
developed by Hitler's engineers. Once more, there was talk of an atom bomb. Then the search continued. (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] The Alpine
Fortress was the last hope, a chimera of the Third Reich. It was here that the existing
secret weapons were supposed to be developed to deployability, and bring about a decisive
turnaround in the war. - [Narrator] As newly
discovered sources prove, the term Alpine Fortress
didn't only designate a defensive stronghold, but also a system of subterranean tunnels. Reichsführer-SS Himmler
wanted to locate the tunnels as deeply underground as
possible to protect them from the latest generation
of powerful Allied bombs. They were built mainly by forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners. (compelling music) (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] Kammler also
played a significant role in the relocation of weapons projects to subterranean locations. He was the man who concentrated
the necessary resources in order to make these
projects successful. - [Narrator] The head of the
secret weapons programs was ray of hope for Hitler. (soldier speaking foreign language) (compelling music) The site located between Salzburg and Vienna is also equipped with reinforced buildings
and subterranean rooms. It's also known that there
was a rocket test stand there. (compelling music) According to US intelligence sources, highly dangerous substances like thorium and uranium compounds were handled in the lower lying tunnels. (Robert speaking foreign language) - [Translator] And because there were a great many different
metals and chemicals in the components that were listed, we can assume that they
were trying to take explosive substances like
TNT and somehow improve them. Whether we want to
designate these materials as super explosives or not is irrelevant. They certainly have nothing to do with conventional explosives. - [Narrator] Clear evidence
of new warfare agents, and there are other trails. (compelling music) St. Georgen Gusen near Linz. Within only 13 months here,
a giant underground factory with the name Bergkristal was constructed. Officially, the location was used solely for the assembly of
Messerschmitt jet aircraft. It was only eight kilometers long, and consisted of a single level structure. But this explanation has been
in doubt for some time now. (Rudolf speaking foreign language) - [Translator] For decades,
there has been speculation that a second level existed in the underground mine system
Bergkristal in St. Georgen. - [Narrator] Files from
an engineering firm that took part in the construction of the underground mine
system during the war. Here, photos and other documents
prove the site was built on several different levels. (Franz speaking in foreign language) - [Translator] The files on
the daily construction reports and descriptions suggest the
length of the mine system was around 16 kilometers. All this was achieved by a
single construction firm. The entire system was
built by several firms and several work groups. For this reason, we have reason to believe the subterranean site was much larger than it's assumed today. - [Narrator] Other documents also suggest the mine system was up
to 40 kilometers long. These photos were taken in tunnels outside the known Bergkristal site. Geoelectric measurements to
examine floor profiles revealed that there were indeed
several different levels. (Birgit speaking foreign language) - [Translator] We discovered
the Bergkristal structures. The tunnels are quite visible,
and beneath the Bergkristal, we found further structures. A short time later, a photo was discovered on which these different
levels could be recognized. (Manfred speaking foreign language) - [Translator] When you
access the main entrance, there were water basins located
in the tunnel to the left. This area was used as a gigantic hall. Some 20 meters after the water basins, there was an elevator. It was at ground level. There were two elevators
next to each other, and we lowered a torch for illumination. My brother told me he
knew of other levels, and that there were five
or six floors beneath us where other tunnels were located. - [Narrator] Highly increased levels of radiation have also been measured at the Bergkristal site. These increased levels posed a
question of whether they were of natural origin, or were
they remnants from times past? These matters will have
to be investigated. There's another interesting
location near St. Georgen. During the war, an octagonal
structure was erected there. Today, the octagon is covered
by a layer of concrete, which was partially removed in 2013. (construction vehicle rumbling) This object was discovered
during excavation work. Experts confirm that it's a component from a particle accelerator
used in nuclear research. The University of Arizona
Institute for Physics writes. - [Physicist] In our machine, there are components that
correspond to historical examples. - [Narrator] Geoelectrical
measurements were also conducted at the octagon. (Birgit speaking foreign language) - [Translator] Using this
method, we were able to identify other objects located
beneath the concrete. - [Narrator] What exactly is located beneath the octagonal structure? (Birgit speaking foreign language) - [Translator] I think
there's enough reason to conduct excavations. - [Narrator] Why is there
a letter in the archives of the engineer Jakob
from 1955, suggesting that two nuclear power
plants should be constructed at the location of the octagon? (Franz speaking foreign language) - [Translator] To this day, I have no idea how my father came upon the detailed idea of the nuclear power plant. He was a gifted construction engineer, but had no connection to
physics or nuclear physics. - [Narrator] But what were
these plans connected to? (Franz speaking foreign language) - [Translator] In his drawings, the plan's nuclear power
plant is octagonal. - [Narrator] Are the shape and the location complete coincidences? And what is hidden here underground, an already existing plant? (Franz speaking foreign language) - [Translator] In the sketches, there are five different levels. - [Narrator] Drillings, excavations, and measurements could clarify the purpose of the plans and artifacts. (camera shutter clicking) Another document presents
a further mystery, an expert report from the Austrian Society
for Atomic Energy from 1968. It deals with the question of whether or not deeper lying
tunnels would be suitable as nuclear waste storage facilities. The report even mentions areas that were demolished during the war. (Rudolf speaking foreign language) - [Translator] Gusen is
particularly interesting, because in 1943, the SS set up a major industrial park there. In 1943 as well, Hans Kammler
also had a hand in dealings there concerning several
different projects. In that very same year, top secret underground weapons programs
were also established in Gusen. - [Narrator] There were high
security wings belonging to the SS, to which even their marked generals
were denied access. (Rudolf speaking foreign language) - [Translator] There are very
important primary sources that have been preserved, namely, the so-called railroad
carriage control books from the St. Georgen Gusen Rail Station. It's remarkable that the engineer
Kammler himself is entered explicitly as a recipient of goods, as though they were
intended for him personally. - [Narrator] The consignors of the shipments are also mentioned. Next to everyday goods, such
as food and building materials, other items also arrived from
locations at which rockets and poisoned gas were being manufactured, and where nuclear
research also took place. (Robert speaking foreign language) - [Translator] The SS was very advanced in terms of research. They could also take ruthless action, had sufficient resources, and took full advantage
of those circumstances. When you consider the nature
of the materials delivered, together with the size of
the facility, you can't help but arrive at certain suspicions, mainly that they were trying to produce, examine, or test something
very extraordinary there. - [Narrator] There were other deliveries of technical equipment directly to the SS. Alongside special raw materials, there were also irradiation devices. The electrical installations
at the site were massive, electrical connections for
up to 6 million volt amperes. What purpose did this serve? This incredible current
strength is also mentioned in the Soviet secret service report on German atomic weapons. Was its purely a coincidence? (Dr. Uhl speaking foreign language) - [Translator] We assume that in Gusen, Kammler was trying to set up a center for the development of
German secret weapons. This was clearly demonstrated
by his efforts to concentrate rocket technology, atomic
weapons technology, and aircraft technology
at a single location under his own leadership. - [Narrator] And for this
purpose, he recruited well-trained researchers and technicians from among the POWs and
concentration camp prisoners. They came from many different countries. - The SS was much more
ruthless about using slave and forced labor, about pushing people for production, about threatening
scientists and engineers. - [Narrator] Some of the
specialists believed cooperating with the SS was their chance
to survive the ordeal. They couldn't have known
that their knowledge of the secret facility
would seal their fate. (suspenseful music) (Stanislaw speaking foreign language) - [Translator] In conversations
with other inmates and deportees, I found out that each one of them was involved in some kind of metal working profession. Automotive technology, electrotechnology, general technology, all of their professions were
concentrated in these areas. - [Narrator] A striking number
of international scientists and experts were working here. - Kammler saw his job as creating weapons for the Third Reich to
use against its enemies to win the war, and
nothing, no loss of life was too great a price to pay for that. - [Narrator] The families of
concentration camp survivors and forced laborers will never forget the ordeals of their relatives. (Stefan speaking foreign language) - [Translator] My mother worked
in the mines at St. Georgen. There were further mined tunnels beneath the area where she was located. She had contact to a
Hungarian graduate engineer who also worked there. The man told her they were
working on a weapon so powerful that if it were to be
constructed and deployed, it would enable Hitler to win the war. - [Narrator] Further documents prove that prisoners of the site involved in resistance movements
attempted to communicate details about the weapons
production to the Allies. Among them were members of the French resistance group Marco Polo. (Hervé speaking foreign language) - [Translator] The Marco
Polo network was particularly interested in new
weapons, the V1s and V2s, and anything else considered
as weapons of mass destruction. They sent this information to the Allies. - [Narrator] In one particular document, the name of a man is stressed repeatedly, a man who was supposed to be freed from a concentration camp at all costs. (Rudolf speaking foreign language) - [Translator] The main argument
for the rescue action was that the French atomic
expert Jacques Bergier was supposedly among tens of
thousands of prisoners. (suspenseful music) - [Narrator] According
to his own statements, Bergier was forced by
the SS to collaborate, and was involved in
nuclear physics research. (Rudolf speaking foreign language) - [Translator] At the time
he was an accredited expert for nuclear fission, something
quite remarkable in the days when the world didn't officially know that something like an
atom bomb could even exist, a bomb based on splitting atomic nuclei. - [Narrator] In a further
protocol, Bergier stated for the record that in January 1945, he was forced to hold a
lecture for SS officers at the Gusen Mauthausen concentration camp on the topic of atomic energy. There was also a standing
order from the SS to eliminate unwanted witnesses in the
end, thousands of them. (bomb siren sounding) The prisoners were trained
by air raid alarm exercises to seek refuge in the tunnels
as quickly as possible. (dark music) (Martha speaking in foreign language) - [Translator] They
planned not only to murder all of the prisoners,
but also any witnesses from the general population as well. They sealed the prisoners
in the tunnels for two days and one night, and then ordered
the tunnels to be blown up. - [Narrator] This large scale
mass murder was averted, because the Allied liberators
were rapidly approaching. During these final days, Hitler
ordered his generals to hold the fronts at any cost to gain enough time to finish building the terrifying weapons that were supposed to bring
about the turnaround in the war. By the time the concentration
camps Mauthausen and Gusen were liberated,
Hitler was already dead. Here, US troops found prisoners who barely managed to survive the murderously strenuous slave labor in the underground tunnels. There were thousands of fatalities, people from many different
European nations, whose descendants still
mourn them to this day, and still ask why. (Stefan speaking in foreign language) - [Translator] My mother
was so traumatized by her experiences that I
could only get small bits of information from her about
what had actually happened. She always said that she
didn't want to discuss it. Towards the end of her life,
she even threw away photos in order to finally rid herself of the memories once and for all. - [Narrator] But what
became of the commanders of the murderous armament makers? According to witnesses, Hans Kammler died in different locations,
and in different ways. Trapped in a hopeless
situation in Bohemia, he allegedly took his
own life with a bullet, or with poison. In postwar Germany, his death
was confirmed by a court, but there are indications
that he survived. (dark music) (Dr. Karlsch speaking in foreign language) - [Translator] His body was never found, nor were any of his personal files. And the account of his suicide provided by his subordinates was
highly questionable. - [Narrator] Even source material
seems to refute the story. His alleged suicide contradicts reports of the US intelligence service CIC, according to which Kammler
was arrested on May 9th, 1945 by US troops, but then
escaped sometime later. (Dr. Karlsch speaking in foreign language) - [Translator] That was
an important source. The report that Kammler
was also able to escape sometime later should
probably be considered a false flag operation by the
intelligence service to hide the fact that he was really
in the hands of the Americans. - [Narrator] This man showed off the fact that he was changing sides. Rocket scientist Wernher von
Braun is setting out to build rockets for the victors. Hans Kammler once reportedly told German armaments minister Albert Speer that he would someday offer the Americans further weapons systems. But where could this man have ended up? The man who built death
factories and weapons of retaliation for Hitler, the son of a high ranking US
intelligence officer tells of his father's greatest secret. - My father communicated the fact that Obergruppenführer
Hans Kammler surrendered to the Americans, and
was brought to America. - [Narrator] OSS officer Donald Richardson and his son John, the intelligence service man
was under the direct command of US Supreme Forces
Commander General Eisenhower, and accompanied President Roosevelt to the most important
conferences of the Allies. He was responsible for preventing high-ranking German knowledge bearers from falling into Soviet hands. Was Hans Kammler brought
to the USA for this reason? - My father couldn't talk about it on a piece of paper for 50 years. I couldn't talk about it till he died. This is the opportunity now, 70 years later to tell the story. - [Narrator] But what did
Kammler have to offer? - My father helped import 136 pounds of weapons-grade uranium, probably from St. Georgen, Gusen, Bergkristal. Kammler was incarcerated in
a maximum security facility. My father and his team of
agents rung him like a rag, interrogated him. He lived for a short time in America. Most probably he died at his
own hand, understandably, and sometime in 1947. - [Narrator] No other
source has ever confirmed that Hans Kammler delivered
the basic material to construct an atom bomb to the US. The claim is difficult to
imagine and to corroborate, yet no other man knew better
about the secret weapons developed by the Nazis. Kammler was being sought
by all the Allies, not only the Americans. - It is certainly true that
in the last months of the war, Germany, and the
Americans, and the Soviets, and the British are flooded with rumors of dangerous resistance,
of new kinds of weapons that Hitler has been
holding this last weapon in his hand for the very last minute in order to win the war. - [Narrator] In late May 1945, a German submarine bound
for Japan surrendered to the Americans. Its lethal cargo was 560
kilograms of uranium oxide. Reportedly, the material was
later used by the US itself to build the first
atomic bomb, Little Boy. On board the submarine,
a bomb fuse expert, and a close friend of Hans Kammler. Back in St. Georgen Gusen,
documents that belonged to a spy tell of a further
secret weapons site. The entrance is supposedly located at a former SS shooting range. - If there's significant
evidence of a site from the second world war
that might have been used to develop new sorts
of weapons that was run by the SS that use forced or slave labor, and it can be researched that
it exists or documents exist, of course, scholars, scientists, others should be allowed to do so. - [Narrator] Excavations
at the shooting range in St. Georgen Gusen appear to confirm the spies' information. Three meters beneath the
surface, a reinforced structure made of granite and concrete appears. Steps lead downwards. But a short time later, the excavation is stopped
by the authorities. They say it's only part
of the shooting range. - I think that it's most likely that the authorities anticipate that what is found will be embarrassing. - [Narrator] The area
is immediately placed under a historic preservation order. For the present, excavations and
measurements are prohibited. - We should not assume that
authorities will give up information just because they
have it and we ask for it. In fact, you have to do what people have been doing for decades. When you find some evidence that something important
happened, you have to fight, and struggle, and get more. Perhaps there was something
important there, perhaps not, but you don't know until you find out. You don't know until
you have the evidence. We should not assume that all
it takes is that is to explain to authorities that something
important happened there. The information is probably available. Please help us get that information. That will never happen,
at least I don't think so. That's not an excuse, but
it's simply human nature. That's how my government works. That's how your government works. That's how the Nazi government worked. That's how government's work. - [Narrator] There are
still more files to examine on the protagonists and the technologies. Excavations and
measurements should be made in all those places
where hidden underworlds from the Nazi era still present mysteries. And what is the conclusion
about the search for the bomb? Hitler's weapons constructors
had progressed much further than anyone had suspected. There were far more
research groups involved than previously known. Many sources pointed to
construction of a German atom bomb. However, up to the present, there is no physical proof
of how far it had progressed. (Robert speaking in foreign language) - [Translator] You really have to think in all possible directions. We're not even close
to knowing everything, and all the archives
haven't been open for us. The problem is that all
the findings scattered around the world must be brought together. If that occurs, we would be
much closer to the truth. - [Narrator] The test
of a small atomic weapon during the Cold War, a
tactical atomic artillery piece for the battlefield developed
by the US in the early 1950s, a cannon for nuclear projectiles that put hollow charges to use. (dramatic music) One can only speculate
what nuclear weapons in the hands of the Nazi
regime would have meant. But it's a fact that
there were US plans to use atomic weapons against Germany
if the need had arisen. (bomb exploding) Germany's defeat came
just in the nick of time. (dramatic music)
