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Operations Pastorius: Eight Nazi Spies Against America
Operation Pastorius, originally published in 1959 as Eight Spies Against America, recounts the World War II story of the landing by submarine of eight Nazi spies on beaches on Long Island and Florida, equipped with explosives and a large amount of U.S. dollars. Their mission was to disrupt and destroy vital war manufacturing plants located in the Tennessee Valley and elsewhere in the United States. The book's author, and leader of the group that landed in New York, George J. Dasch, provides a first-hand account of his life, the training for the operation in Germany, and his subsequent capture, trial, and years-long, unsuccessful (and somewhat delusional) fight to clear his name.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1959
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 6, 2022
On June 12, 1942, George Dasch and three other German nationals landed on a Long Island beach as part of Operation Pastorius, a Nazi plan to sabotage power grids and foment public dissension. Within a week, Dasch walked into an FBI office and confessed the entire plan - including information about a second team landed in Florida - and surrendered the $84,000 in cash he'd been given to carry out the mission.
According to the F.B.I., Dasch got cold feet at the last minute.
According to Dasch, he was a victim of circumstance sucked into a mission he morally opposed and which he intended from the first to scuttle by any means necessary.
Eight Spies Against America - the original 1959 edition of Operation Pastorius, which is what I read and is as far as I can tell is identical other than lacking the introduction - is Dasch's version of how he came to be on that beach on Long Island, the deal he made with the U.S. Government, and the years of his life he lost when they reneged. Most of his story is coincidental enough to be plausible, and Lord knows you don't have to go very far to convince me Hoover's F.B.I. was up to some real fuckery, but it's clearly a narrative by a man desperate to clear his name. Were his intentions always good? Or were they simply subject to a case of nerves? I'm inclined to believe that, as with many complicated stories, the truth lies somewhere in between.
I picked this up for the Florida history angle, but there's precious little to be gleaned about that, and though Dasch does spend a fair amount of time talking about the training both groups received he doesn't have much to say about most of his fellow would-be-saboteurs. Still, it's a compelling story - and a fairly compelling argument - from a man who in the end died a very long way from home.
According to the F.B.I., Dasch got cold feet at the last minute.
According to Dasch, he was a victim of circumstance sucked into a mission he morally opposed and which he intended from the first to scuttle by any means necessary.
Eight Spies Against America - the original 1959 edition of Operation Pastorius, which is what I read and is as far as I can tell is identical other than lacking the introduction - is Dasch's version of how he came to be on that beach on Long Island, the deal he made with the U.S. Government, and the years of his life he lost when they reneged. Most of his story is coincidental enough to be plausible, and Lord knows you don't have to go very far to convince me Hoover's F.B.I. was up to some real fuckery, but it's clearly a narrative by a man desperate to clear his name. Were his intentions always good? Or were they simply subject to a case of nerves? I'm inclined to believe that, as with many complicated stories, the truth lies somewhere in between.
I picked this up for the Florida history angle, but there's precious little to be gleaned about that, and though Dasch does spend a fair amount of time talking about the training both groups received he doesn't have much to say about most of his fellow would-be-saboteurs. Still, it's a compelling story - and a fairly compelling argument - from a man who in the end died a very long way from home.
October 29, 2021
The truth is out there …
Operation Pastorius was an insidious little affair that in the light of history seems far-fetched and almost a joke, but it was deadly serious at the time.
In it, from American standards, George Dasch is either a villainous saboteur caught red-handed or an heroic pro- American anti-Nazi let down by the America he tried so hard to serve.
George Dasch wrote this book. It is either self-serving drivel or a painful tragedy of an heroic and wronged man.
The truth perhaps went to his grave or is buried in documents the government still holds tightly.
It is interesting to note, though, that Dasch was acknowledged as the leader of the eight alleged saboteurs, yet got the lightest sentence while six others were executed. Why?
If nothing else, Dasch’s version of events, told in this book, is fascinating.
Operation Pastorius was an insidious little affair that in the light of history seems far-fetched and almost a joke, but it was deadly serious at the time.
In it, from American standards, George Dasch is either a villainous saboteur caught red-handed or an heroic pro- American anti-Nazi let down by the America he tried so hard to serve.
George Dasch wrote this book. It is either self-serving drivel or a painful tragedy of an heroic and wronged man.
The truth perhaps went to his grave or is buried in documents the government still holds tightly.
It is interesting to note, though, that Dasch was acknowledged as the leader of the eight alleged saboteurs, yet got the lightest sentence while six others were executed. Why?
If nothing else, Dasch’s version of events, told in this book, is fascinating.
September 21, 2020
It was A good read however it would’ve been a better read if there hadn’t been so much dedicated to self-serving hyperbole. If a pardon is in fact ever in the offing it’ll come from Justice Dept or the President and not from the
court of public opinion.
court of public opinion.
June 25, 2020
Very informative, easy and interesting reading
I highly recommend this book. It provides historical facts I did know about prior to reading the book on my Kindle reader
I highly recommend this book. It provides historical facts I did know about prior to reading the book on my Kindle reader
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews