Alsos

Alsos was the codename for a scientific mission undertaken by the Alsos Mission, a joint American-British effort during World War II. The primary objective of Alsos was to investigate German nuclear research and development capabilities. Led by physicist Samuel Goudsmit, the mission aimed to assess the progress of the German atomic bomb project, locate German scientists involved, and secure any fissile materials or relevant documents.

The Alsos mission operated in Allied-occupied territories, particularly in France and Belgium, and later in Germany itself. Teams of scientists, military personnel, and intelligence officers were deployed to gather information, often by capturing key individuals and facilities. They successfully identified and apprehended many prominent German scientists, including Werner Heisenberg and Otto Hahn, and confiscated significant amounts of uranium. The findings of Alsos provided crucial intelligence to the Allied atomic bomb project, the Manhattan Project, regarding the extent and direction of German efforts. While the mission confirmed that Germany was far from developing a functional atomic weapon, it played a vital role in understanding the scientific landscape of the time and ensuring the Allies' own atomic research was on the right track.