Operation Cornflakes
On February 5, 1945, the US began a secret operation to overthrow Hitler with postage stamps.
By the early months of 1945, the world had been at war for over three years. Germany appeared to be nearing defeat, but American casualties were mounting as its resources dwindled. An idea was hatched – a brilliant plan to bring down the Nazi government. The weapon chosen to defeat Hitler – postage stamps!
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) – an intelligence agency and forerunner of today’s CIA – was formed during World War II. Throughout the war, one of its most effective tools was propaganda aimed at demoralizing the German people, which OSS officials hoped would spark a revolt against the Nazis.
However, getting the propaganda into the hands of every day Germans was challenging. The OSS had dropped leaflets from the air, but wind, rain, and other factors often destroyed the materials before they reached the intended audience.
Then a bold plan developed – use Nazi government workers to distribute misinformation to their citizens via their own postal service. If effective, it would have a powerful psychological effect on the German people.
To launch the operation, OSS operatives quizzed German POWs who had been postal workers to learn even the smallest details about the mail service. Stamp samples, cancellations, mail sacks, and envelopes were studied. Two million mailing addresses were gathered and envelopes were created using legitimate businesses as return addresses. Propaganda pieces were printed and special bombs were produced to carry mailbags. A newspaper entitled Das Neue Deutschland, which claimed to be printed by an opposition group in Germany, was produced to urge fellow Germans to join the movement.
And most importantly, stamps had to be produced. The then-current 6pf and 12pf German stamps picturing Adolf Hitler were forged for use on covers. Another version of the 12pf stamp was also printed with an image of Hitler’s skull and the inscription “Futsches Reich” (Ruined Empire). These stamps were included in the envelopes along with other anti-Nazi propaganda pieces.
To smuggle the stamps into Germany, OSS officials planned to bomb mail trains and drop mailbags near the wreckage. By using the specially designed bombs, OSS operatives hoped to mimic realistic damage caused by bombs without destroying the propaganda pieces.
Because most mail was delivered very early in the morning, as Germans were sitting down for breakfast, the scheme was dubbed “Operation Cornflakes.” The operation launched on February 5, 1945. Allied planes dropped bombs on a mail train bound for Linz, Hitler’s childhood home. Bags filled with almost 3,000 propaganda pieces were then dropped into the wreckage, where they mixed with actual German mail sacks. They were later salvaged by German authorities and delivered as usual.
Over a three-month period, 20 missions were flown, with 320 fake mailbags dropped – about 96,000 propaganda pieces in all. But a mistake was made during the March 16 air raid. After the phony mail was collected from the wreckage, a German clerk noticed a misspelling in one of the return addresses. “Wiener Giro-und Kassenverein,” a central securities deposit, had been misspelled “Wiener Giro-und Cassenverein.” When the same error was found on several other pieces of mail, German officials opened the envelopes and discovered the propaganda.
Later questioned about the success of Operation Cornflakes, some 10,000 German deserters and POWs said they had been affected by the campaign. And we know the raids taxed the Nazi’s by burdening their postal service and destroying mail routes.
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Wow, this is very interesting. I have a rather extensive collection of German WWII stamps, as well as pre and post WWII. I never knew there were these forgeries out there. I am going to have to re-examine my collection to determine what I have. I have oodles of what I considered duplicates, but there may be these forgeries among them. Gosh this is a new hobby exercise for me. Thanks so much Mystic for this very interesting article.
As both a historian and stamp collector I never heard of this Operation before. Sehr interestant!!!
The comment that the US was running out of resources is a little far fetched – the war years started in Europe in 1939 and it was only the US that had been in the war for 3 years – facts, please.
The issues you mentioned stuck out to me as well. I tried to read it as if the “its” in “Germany appeared to be nearing defeat, but American casualties were mounting as its resources dwindled.” applied to the Germans, but it is completely ambiguous. And yes, the American-centric view of WW-II marches on…
Many of our resources had been supplied to our Allie’s before 12/7/41
Another great and informative article. You’re doing a great job.
One of the many stories that were hidden from the public during WW II. Fascinating that forged stamps were used to distribute propaganda. Another lesson in history that demonstrates the importance of stamp collecting as an educational tool.
Thanks Mystic, very interesting!
Fascinating. I have some WWII German postage stamps and will be on the look-out for forgeries from now on!!
I too have a fair amount of German stamps from that time!
As well a WWII Buff I never heard of this operation!
Wouldn’t it be great to find even1 of these forgeries!
A very interesting article indeed. Thanks Mystic!
Very interesting. Had never heard of this operation before. Thanks for sharing!
Interesting piece. My collection includes five of these stamps that have “Ukraine” in bold at bottom left centered above the word “Deutches.” Could they have been meant for use in the “cornflakes” operation? I’ve assumed they were printed for use in the Ukraine during German war time occupation.
Very interesting and appreciate your bringing these stories
to our attention. First time I heard of it. Thanks for the
service i receive from Mystic.
My grandfather tole about this a long time ago but It’s nice to have a more complete picture that what I remember! GREAT STORY!!
A few years ago I purchased some reproduction Hitler Skull stamps on Ebay. They were sold as reproductions. Be careful when purchasing these stamps, as very few exist, and real ones sre not cheap.
I am a not to serious collector but past yrs. Have been this is interesting but don’t quite understand! That’s ok cause staying with mystic I’m safe!
The same thing is happening today with China selling fakes in the US via internet sites
Fascinating – I knew the basic story but not most of the detail! I might have to look up some of the stamps!! THANKS FOR THE INFO!