Siegfried Knemeyer was a German aeronautical engineer, aviator and the Head of Technical Development at the Reich Ministry of Aviation of Nazi Germany during World War II.
11 Facts About Siegfried Knemeyer
2.
In 1935 Siegfried Knemeyer was a flight instructor for the Reich Air Ministry, a civilian organisation at the disposal of the German military.
3.
Siegfried Knemeyer enlisted in the Luftwaffe after the outbreak of World War II, on 4 September 1939.
4.
Several months later Siegfried Knemeyer was promoted to Oberst and made Director of Research and Development of the Luftwaffe.
5.
Shortly after rising to his top-level technical appointment within the RLM, Siegfried Knemeyer became close with old colleague, General Werner Baumbach.
6.
Siegfried Knemeyer was included on a Special Committee of top-ranking Luftwaffe administrators in November 1943 for the purpose of advocating broad adoption of and investment in the Me-262.
7.
Familiar with the newest technologies, Siegfried Knemeyer conceived a plan to develop a long-range bomber that would drop a radioactive "dirty bomb" on New York City, in hopes of intimidating the United States out of the war.
8.
Siegfried Knemeyer was arrested in the British Zone of Occupation and was interned in Munster and then at the Latimer prison camp.
9.
Siegfried Knemeyer was part of Operation Paperclip and in June 1948 he was awarded a permanent contract of employment with the United States Air Force, Air Materiel Command.
10.
Siegfried Knemeyer's family was then able to join him in America.
11.
Siegfried Knemeyer began with the United States War Department on 1 July 1947.