strained. He was a Nobel Laureate, having won the prize for physics in 1932. He now headed the Physics Department at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin. He was exasperated at having to spend his valuable time meeting with a mere colonel, even though he’d received directions to do so from his superior, Albert Speer, and the new head of the OKW, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt.
As a result of Allied bomber attacks, much of the institute’s work had been scattered about the Berlin area, a fact that further aggravated Heisenberg. However necessary, coordinating efforts from multiple locations was extremely difficult and inefficient.
“Have a seat, Colonel, and please tell me how I can satisfy you and your leaders and then get back to my work.”
Varner smiled with what he hoped was a degree of geniality. There was no reason to aggravate the obviously exhausted little man. He’d dealt with scientists and academicians before and they’d all thought that whatever they were doing was the most important thing in the history of humanity. He’d been told that, this time, Heisenberg might be right.
“Field Marshal von Rundstedt wishes an assessment of the Reich’s true military potential. I emphasize the word true, since much of what has been disseminated or reported in the past has been absolute fiction and fairy tales involving weapons that don’t work and production levels that never happened. I need the plain, unvarnished truth, Dr. Heisenberg, and I don’t care who is insulted or made uncomfortable. I have been told that you are working on a wonder weapon and need to know if this is true and if the weapon is feasible.” He smiled tightly. “Does my candor bother you, Doctor?”
“We’ll see,” Heisenberg said. There was a hint of mischief in his eyes. “What do you know about the science of physics?”
“I believe I can spell it if I had to, but not much more, Doctor.”
Heisenberg blinked and then laughed. “Good God, you’re not a typical all-knowing OKW staff officer, are you?”
“Hardly. I much prefer commanding tanks and overrunning large countries like Poland or Russia. Now, please, what are you working on? I was told it was a very large bomb.”
“Colonel Varner, I will keep it very simple. Do you know what an atom is?”
“Somewhat. The smallest thing in the world, I believe.”
“What I am working on has the potential to be far more than that large bomb you referred to. My staff and I, along with a number of others in other countries, are working on the possibility that the energy inherent in the atom can be channeled and used as a bomb. And not just a large bomb, but a device with enormous explosive potential.”
“How enormous?”
“An estimated twenty-thousand tons of dynamite per bomb.”
Varner’s mind reeled. One bomb would be enough to effectively destroy most large cities, and cause extensive damage to the largest ones. On the battlefield, it would destroy at least one enemy division, perhaps a corps.
“Is that possible?”
“Theoretically, yes. Right now, if you wanted a twenty-thousand-ton bomb, you would have to accumulate twenty-thousand tons of dynamite, somehow transport it to the target, and then figure out how to detonate it all simultaneously. Our efforts will, hopefully, correct that and result in a bomb of that strength, but only weighing a couple of tons, not twenty-thousand.”
“You’ve used the word theoretical, Doctor, what are the difficulties?”
Heisenberg sighed. “Almost too numerous to mention, Colonel. First, I need scientists. Please recall that physics has often been referred to as a ‘Jewish science.’ Ergo, the brightest of the Jewish scientists fled Germany and other countries when Hitler either came to power or took over their countries. The people who remained behind are far too few and, in large part, second-rate. I need first-rate people and many more of them.
“Also, I need the equipment and resources. We need a substance
As a result of Allied bomber attacks, much of the institute’s work had been scattered about the Berlin area, a fact that further aggravated Heisenberg. However necessary, coordinating efforts from multiple locations was extremely difficult and inefficient.
“Have a seat, Colonel, and please tell me how I can satisfy you and your leaders and then get back to my work.”
Varner smiled with what he hoped was a degree of geniality. There was no reason to aggravate the obviously exhausted little man. He’d dealt with scientists and academicians before and they’d all thought that whatever they were doing was the most important thing in the history of humanity. He’d been told that, this time, Heisenberg might be right.
“Field Marshal von Rundstedt wishes an assessment of the Reich’s true military potential. I emphasize the word true, since much of what has been disseminated or reported in the past has been absolute fiction and fairy tales involving weapons that don’t work and production levels that never happened. I need the plain, unvarnished truth, Dr. Heisenberg, and I don’t care who is insulted or made uncomfortable. I have been told that you are working on a wonder weapon and need to know if this is true and if the weapon is feasible.” He smiled tightly. “Does my candor bother you, Doctor?”
“We’ll see,” Heisenberg said. There was a hint of mischief in his eyes. “What do you know about the science of physics?”
“I believe I can spell it if I had to, but not much more, Doctor.”
Heisenberg blinked and then laughed. “Good God, you’re not a typical all-knowing OKW staff officer, are you?”
“Hardly. I much prefer commanding tanks and overrunning large countries like Poland or Russia. Now, please, what are you working on? I was told it was a very large bomb.”
“Colonel Varner, I will keep it very simple. Do you know what an atom is?”
“Somewhat. The smallest thing in the world, I believe.”
“What I am working on has the potential to be far more than that large bomb you referred to. My staff and I, along with a number of others in other countries, are working on the possibility that the energy inherent in the atom can be channeled and used as a bomb. And not just a large bomb, but a device with enormous explosive potential.”
“How enormous?”
“An estimated twenty-thousand tons of dynamite per bomb.”
Varner’s mind reeled. One bomb would be enough to effectively destroy most large cities, and cause extensive damage to the largest ones. On the battlefield, it would destroy at least one enemy division, perhaps a corps.
“Is that possible?”
“Theoretically, yes. Right now, if you wanted a twenty-thousand-ton bomb, you would have to accumulate twenty-thousand tons of dynamite, somehow transport it to the target, and then figure out how to detonate it all simultaneously. Our efforts will, hopefully, correct that and result in a bomb of that strength, but only weighing a couple of tons, not twenty-thousand.”
“You’ve used the word theoretical, Doctor, what are the difficulties?”
Heisenberg sighed. “Almost too numerous to mention, Colonel. First, I need scientists. Please recall that physics has often been referred to as a ‘Jewish science.’ Ergo, the brightest of the Jewish scientists fled Germany and other countries when Hitler either came to power or took over their countries. The people who remained behind are far too few and, in large part, second-rate. I need first-rate people and many more of them.
“Also, I need the equipment and resources. We need a substance
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