Operation Damocles
Encyclopedia
Operation Damocles was a covert campaign
of the Israel
i Mossad
in August 1962 targeting German scientists and technicians, formerly employed in Nazi Germany's rocket program, who were developing rockets for Egypt
at a military site known as Factory 333. According to Otto Joklik, an Austrian scientist involved with the project, the rockets being developed were programmed to use a radioactive waste.
The chief tactics were letter bombs and abduction. In March 1963, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
demanded the resignation of then chief of Mossad, Isser Harel
, over the operation, which effectively ended it. The operation and diplomatic pressure drove the scientists out of Egypt by the end of 1963.
to develop the V2 rocket and some had worked for France's rocket program in the aftermath of the war.
Egypt's rocket program came to the world's attention when it successfully test-fired a rocket in July 1962 and then paraded two new types of rocket through the streets of Cairo
, causing worldwide interest and shock. The flow of rocket expertise from West Germany to Egypt damaged the relations between Israel and West Germany, but did not stop the payment of reparations and the covert supply of arms to Israel by West Germany. Israel became increasingly concerned with the program after a disaffected Austrian scientist involved with it approached the Israeli secret service, and claimed the Egyptians were attempting to equip the missile with radioactive waste
as well as to procure nuclear warheads. In mid-August, the Mossad managed to obtain a document written by German scientist Wolfgang Pilz, detailing certain aspects of Factory 333 – the number of rockets being built (900), and additional, weaker evidence that there were plans to develop chemical, biological and gas-filled warheads for these rockets. To gain the support of the Israeli population, the head of Mossad planted stories about sinister weapons being developed by the German scientists in Egypt.
, but since it lacked an operational division at that time it mainly used units from the Shin Bet to carry out the attacks.
for threatening Heidi Goerke, daughter of a West German electronic guidance expert working at factory 333, Paul-Jens Goercke. They ordered her to persuade Goercke to return to Germany, threatening their safety if he did not comply. They were arrested for coercion and illegal operation on behalf of a foreign state. The Swiss investigations revealed that they were also involved in the abduction of Krug and the assassination attempt upon Kleinwachter. The arrests caused a public scandal for Israel. Israel publicly denied the claims, asserting that its agents only used methods of "peaceful persuasion".
The campaign ended when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
demanded that Mossad halt the attacks because he was worried about the consequences upon Germany–Israel relations. Then-Foreign Minister Golda Meir
and Israeli diplomats trying to build relations between West Germany and Israel were furious at the attacks. Harel was compelled to resign and Meir Amit
, his successor as chief of Mossad, claimed that Harel had overestimated the danger to Israel posed by Egypt's weapon programs. Yitzhak Shamir
and others resigned from the Mossad in protest at Harel's treatment. David Ben-Gurion
quit his post three months later.
The combination of the death threats and diplomatic pressure successfully drove the scientists away from Egypt by the end of 1963. By 1967 Egypt's rocket program had come to a standstill and Egypt turned to the Soviet Union for supplies, who supplied Egypt with Scud B rockets.
Covert operation
A covert operation is a military, intelligence or law enforcement operation that is carried clandestinely and, often, outside of official channels. Covert operations aim to fulfill their mission objectives without any parties knowing who sponsored or carried out the operation...
of the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
in August 1962 targeting German scientists and technicians, formerly employed in Nazi Germany's rocket program, who were developing rockets for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
at a military site known as Factory 333. According to Otto Joklik, an Austrian scientist involved with the project, the rockets being developed were programmed to use a radioactive waste.
The chief tactics were letter bombs and abduction. In March 1963, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
demanded the resignation of then chief of Mossad, Isser Harel
Isser Harel
Isser Harel was spymaster of the intelligence and the security services of Israel and the Director of the Mossad . In his capacity as Mossad director he oversaw the abduction, and secret transport to Israel, of Holocaust organizer Adolph Eichmann....
, over the operation, which effectively ended it. The operation and diplomatic pressure drove the scientists out of Egypt by the end of 1963.
Egypt's rocket program
The Egyptian President Gamal Nasser did not want to rely upon the West or the Soviet Union for rockets, since such an arrangement would be inconsistent with Egypt's policy of Cold War non-alignment. An indigenous rocket program was thus the only way Egypt could match the military technology of Egypt's long-time enemy, Israel. At the time, rocket technology was scarce in the Middle East, so Egypt had to look to European countries for material and expertise. Hassan Sayed Kamil, an Egyptian-Swiss arms dealer, provided Egypt with material and recruits from West Germany and Switzerland, despite both countries possessing official laws prohibiting the provision of weapons to Middle Eastern countries. Many of the West German scientists had previously been involved in Nazi Germany's rocket program during World War 2, working at PeenemundePeenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
to develop the V2 rocket and some had worked for France's rocket program in the aftermath of the war.
Egypt's rocket program came to the world's attention when it successfully test-fired a rocket in July 1962 and then paraded two new types of rocket through the streets of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, causing worldwide interest and shock. The flow of rocket expertise from West Germany to Egypt damaged the relations between Israel and West Germany, but did not stop the payment of reparations and the covert supply of arms to Israel by West Germany. Israel became increasingly concerned with the program after a disaffected Austrian scientist involved with it approached the Israeli secret service, and claimed the Egyptians were attempting to equip the missile with radioactive waste
Dirty bomb
A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....
as well as to procure nuclear warheads. In mid-August, the Mossad managed to obtain a document written by German scientist Wolfgang Pilz, detailing certain aspects of Factory 333 – the number of rockets being built (900), and additional, weaker evidence that there were plans to develop chemical, biological and gas-filled warheads for these rockets. To gain the support of the Israeli population, the head of Mossad planted stories about sinister weapons being developed by the German scientists in Egypt.
Attacks on German scientists
The main tactics employed by Israel against the scientists were letter bombs and abductions. Their families were threatened with violence to persuade the scientists to return to Europe. Mossad provided a small operational unit, headed by future Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak ShamirYitzhak Shamir
' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
, but since it lacked an operational division at that time it mainly used units from the Shin Bet to carry out the attacks.
- A parcel sent to rocket scientist Wolfgang Pilz exploded in his office when opened on 27 November 1962, injuring his secretary.
- A parcel sent to the Heliopolis rocket factory killed 5 Egyptian workers.
- A pistol was fired at a West German professor in the town of LörrachLörrachLörrach is a city in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss border. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. The biggest industry is the chocolate factory Milka...
who was researching electronics for Egypt. The bullet missed and the gunman escaped by car. - Heinz Krug, 49, the chief of a Munich company supplying military hardware to Egypt disappeared in September 1962 and is believed to have been murdered. Krug was director of an Egyptian dummy company operating out of Munich that was involved in a building missiles in Egypt.
- Hans Kleinwachter, a rocket scientist who worked on the V2 project was targeted in February 1963, but the assassination attempt failed due to a weapon malfunction.
Public exposure of the operation
Two Mossad agents, Joseph Ben-Gal, an Israeli, and Otto Joklik, Austrian, were arrested in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
for threatening Heidi Goerke, daughter of a West German electronic guidance expert working at factory 333, Paul-Jens Goercke. They ordered her to persuade Goercke to return to Germany, threatening their safety if he did not comply. They were arrested for coercion and illegal operation on behalf of a foreign state. The Swiss investigations revealed that they were also involved in the abduction of Krug and the assassination attempt upon Kleinwachter. The arrests caused a public scandal for Israel. Israel publicly denied the claims, asserting that its agents only used methods of "peaceful persuasion".
Resignation of Isser Harel
Following the capture of Adolf Eichmann, Isser Harel became preoccupied by the Holocaust which hardened his attitude towards the German scientists. He said when challenged about the operation, "There are people who are marked to die".The campaign ended when Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
demanded that Mossad halt the attacks because he was worried about the consequences upon Germany–Israel relations. Then-Foreign Minister Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
and Israeli diplomats trying to build relations between West Germany and Israel were furious at the attacks. Harel was compelled to resign and Meir Amit
Meir Amit
Meir Amit was an Israeli politician and general. He served as Director of the Mossad from 1963 to 1968 before entering politics and holding two ministerial positions.-Biography:...
, his successor as chief of Mossad, claimed that Harel had overestimated the danger to Israel posed by Egypt's weapon programs. Yitzhak Shamir
Yitzhak Shamir
' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
and others resigned from the Mossad in protest at Harel's treatment. David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
quit his post three months later.
The combination of the death threats and diplomatic pressure successfully drove the scientists away from Egypt by the end of 1963. By 1967 Egypt's rocket program had come to a standstill and Egypt turned to the Soviet Union for supplies, who supplied Egypt with Scud B rockets.