German Saboteurs on American Soil

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After surrendering to U.S. authorities.

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FBI Agent digging for German equipment at the location of a cache given by a captured spy

Germany also attempted multiple times to have their own spy networks in the United States. As the United States ramped up its espionage operations the Germans got worse and worse results has time passed and the United States improved its anti-spy capabilities. In 1939 for example, a German agent was able to gain access to, then photograph extensively a war plant. Their secret to it? They just asked! (Russel, 50). The culture of the United States was more open than that of several years later, and so as the war progressed Abwehr spies got more and more desperate, as their networks in the United States were dismantled thanks to the FBI.

    The most famous case of Germans in the United States would be the one of A German U-Boat dropping off a team off the shore of New York. the team was discovered remarkable early, running into a coast guard patrol before finishing to bury their equipment. They would be caught by the United States government very soon after, with no acts of sabotage completed by the team. Part of the team would escape for a short time, but would be unable to perform any acts of sabotage. These members would be turned in by George Dasch, a member of the team who surrendered himself and others when he felt that the mission was hopeless. The almost instant loss of the team hugely demoralized Germany’s spy commanders, and no mission of such audacity would be started to the end of the war.