August 8, 1942

In the early summer of 1942, a group of eight German saboteurs embarked on a mission known as Operation Pastorius. Named after the founder of the first German settlement in America, this operation aimed to sabotage key economic targets across the United States. The team was meticulously trained in Germany and supplied with explosives, counterfeit documents, and nearly $175,000 in cash.

On June 13, 1942, the first group landed on Long Island, New York, while the second group arrived in Florida a few days later. Their mission was to destroy hydroelectric plants, aluminum factories, and other critical infrastructure to disrupt the American war effort. However, the operation began to unravel almost immediately.

George John Dasch, the leader of the first team, soon had second thoughts. He confided in his teammate, Ernest Peter Burger, expressing his desire to defect. On June 15, Dasch called the FBI and revealed the entire plot. Despite initial skepticism, Dasch's detailed knowledge and the large sum of money he handed over convinced the authorities. Over the next few weeks, all eight saboteurs were arrested.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that the captured saboteurs would be tried by a military tribunal, a decision backed by the Supreme Court in Ex parte Quirin. The trial began on July 8, 1942, and ended on August 1. The tribunal found all eight men guilty. However, due to their cooperation, Dasch and Burger's sentences were commuted to imprisonment. The other six—Herbert Hans Haupt, Heinrich Heinck, Edward John Kerling, Hermann Otto Neubauer, Richard Quirin, and Werner Thiel—were sentenced to death.

On August 8, 1942, the six condemned saboteurs were executed by electric chair in the District of Columbia jail. Their bodies were buried in a potter's field, marking the end of Operation Pastorius.

The failure of Operation Pastorius led to a significant blow to Nazi sabotage efforts in the United States. Hitler rebuked Admiral Canaris, and no similar operations were attempted again. The story of these saboteurs serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced on the home front during World War II.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman granted executive clemency to Dasch and Burger, allowing them to return to Germany. They were viewed as traitors by their homeland for their betrayal. Dasch lived until 1991, and Burger died in 1975.