Abstract
In order to see in the right perspective some of the adventures and scientific activities of Fritz Houtermans in those years, I feel it necessary to summarize very briefly the effort made in Germany during the war for developing the utilization of nuclear energy.
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References
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This was done in particular by O. Frisch and R. Peierls in Great Britain.
G.B. Pegram (1876-1958).
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Paul Harteck.
The full text of this letter is given in the book by General Groves, Ref. [5] of Chapter 16.
Abraham Esau was a leading authority on high-frequency electronics. He was politically active and had followed the rising star of nationalism in Germany.
Josef Mattauch.
According to D. Irving, who reports at this conference the beginning of Chapter 2 of his book, Ref. [8] of Chapter 16. The participants were: Esau (chairman), Joos, Houle, Geiger, Mattauch, Bothe and Hoffmann, and the Ministry’s representative, Dr. Dames.
I use here a memo by S. Flügge, slightly longer than one typewritten page and dated: Göttingen, 3rd October 1945. He had sent a copy of it to Charlotte Riefenstahl, first wife of F.G. Houtermans, who years later passed it to E. Amaldi on occasion of one of his visits to her (see the Preface). Flügge’s publication had also an epilogue: probably in autumn 1941. At that time Diebner, Wirtz and Stetter tried to obtain from Flügge a declaration that he had already worked in connection with the Heereswaffenamt before his publication. They were trying to attribute to him a “priority” with respect to the French group. To this remark that such a declaration was not true, it was answered that, this was his “patriotic duty”. Flügge’s argument that the French group had published before him initially was not believed. Only later, when he presented the published papers, they renounced to get the declaration from Flügge.
C.F. von Weizsäcker.
Walther Wilhelm George Bothe.
Wolfang Gentner, Hans Meier Leibniz.
S.A. means “Sturm Abteilung”. It was the name of the paramilitary corp of Hitler’s party.“Obergruppenführer” was a high rank officer of the S.A.
Gauleiter was the highest authority of Hitler’s party in a province.
H.E. Süss.
J.H. Jensen.
Walter Gerlach.
The ten German scientists detained in Great Britain (at Farm Hall) were: Dr. Eric Bagge, Dr. Kurt Diebner, Prof. Walter Gerlach, Prof. Otto Haber, Prof. Paul Harteck, Prof. Werner Heisenberg, Dr. Horst Korseling, Prof. Max von Laue, Prof. Karl-Friedrich von Weizsächer, and Dr. Karl Wirtz.
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J.P. Lash: “Eleanor and Franklin, based on Eleanor Roosvelt’s private papers”, W.W. Norton & Co. Inc. New York. For this episode see p. 704-705. Houtermans’ message is discussed also by: F. Herneck: “Eine alarmierende Botschaft”, Spektrum 7 (1976) 32-34.
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Amaldi, E. (2013). An Outline of the Early Development of Applied Nuclear Energy in Germany. In: Braccini, S., Ereditato, A., Scampoli, P. (eds) The Adventurous Life of Friedrich Georg Houtermans, Physicist (1903-1966). SpringerBriefs in Physics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32855-8_16
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