P.O. Box 1142 — The Secret Nazi Interrogation Camp Hidden in Virginia

Fort Hunt Park, Virginia

From 1942 to 1946, over 3,400 Nazi prisoners passed through a secret camp called P.O. Box 1142.

Army teams used gold standard methods to pull secrets from U-boat crews, rocket scientists, and Nazi general. The whole place was bugged, with listening devices in every room and cell.

Here’s how it worked,preserved at what’s now a peaceful park.

Jewish Interrogators With Personal Stakes

Many Fort Hunt interrogators were Jewish men who had escaped from Nazi Germany. The Army hired them because they spoke perfect German and understood German culture.

Most importantly, they were deeply motivated to help defeat Hitler. Many of them had loved one still trapped in Europe, or already lost them due to the Holocaust.

Non-Violent Interrogation Methods

Most Fort Hunt officers never beat or tortured prisoners. They went the good cop route instead, after they found that being friendly got them better results.

Many officers just chatted with prisoners about their hometown or family before asking about military matters. Some gave prisoners cigarettes, candy, or drinks to make them more relaxed and talkative.

The Good Cop, Bad Cop Tactic

Speaking of good cop, they had Russian-American soldiers dressed in Soviet uniforms playing the bad cops as well.

German prisoners were terrified of being sent to Russian prison camps because the Soviets were known for treating Nazi prisoners harshly.

Fort Hunt officers used this fear by offering a simple choice: talk freely and go to a nice prison camp, or stay silent and be sent to the Soviets.

Eavesdropping as a Tactic

Fort Hunt had hidden microphones everywhere and captured what prisoners said in bedrooms, dining halls, and even outside. They even had devices hidden in trees around the camp.

Stool Pigeons And Decoy Prisoners

The Americans planted fake prisoners among the real Germans, aka “stool pigeons” pretended to be captured German soldiers. These spies spoke perfect German and knew all about German military units and cities.

They became friends with real prisoners who refused to talk during official questioning. The real Germans often told these “fellow prisoners” military secrets they hid from American officers.

The Death Of U-Boat Commander Werner Henke

Commander Werner Henke led a German submarine until Americans captured him in April 1944.

At Fort Hunt, officers questioned him about advanced submarine technology while telling him that Britain wanted to try him for war crimes. On June 15, 1944, Henke walked straight toward the fence in broad daylight.

Guards ordered him to stop as he started climbing. When he kept climbing, they shot and killed him.

High-Value Nazi Scientists

Fort Hunt questioned over 500 German scientists captured near the end of the war. These sessions were part of Operation Paperclip, America’s plan to bring German scientific knowledge to the United States.

Wernher von Braun, Germany’s top rocket expert, was questioned here, and his rocket designs later helped America’s space program get to the moon. Heinz Schlicke, who invented infrared detection devices, also spent time at Fort Hunt.

Intelligence Research From Documents

A special team at Fort Hunt studied captured German papers, newspapers, and science journals. Military translators worked through piles of materials taken from submarines, bases, and research labs.

This research also gave officers background information before questioning prisoners, which made the prisoners more vulnerable to interrogation.

On top of that, the information helped map German military positions for planning the D-Day invasion in 1944. Analysts were able to identify enemy units based on insignia and command structures mentioned in the documents.

Operation Paperclip Connections

After Germany surrendered in 1945, Fort Hunt became key to Operation Paperclip. This secret program brought German scientists to America before the Russians could get them.

American officers checked scientists for both skills and Nazi connections. Many had troubling ties to Hitler’s party that military officials chose to ignore. Scientists from Fort Hunt later worked on American missiles, space travel, and weapons.

Von Braun eventually led NASA’s rocket program and built the Saturn V that took astronauts to the moon. Cold War fears made these scientists too valuable to lose, despite their Nazi past.

Records Destroyed At War’s End

When Japan surrendered in August 1945, the Pentagon ordered Fort Hunt staff to burn all records. Photos show soldiers burning thousands of papers in big fires. Every worker signed secrecy promises, vowing never to talk about “P.O. Box 1142.”

Many kept this promise for over 50 years, never telling even their wives or children about their war work. The program stayed secret until the 1990s when files were finally declassified.

Almost all buildings were torn down in 1946, erasing physical evidence of the secret operation. Park Service historians only learned the full story by talking to elderly veterans before they died.

Visiting Fort Hunt Park

You’ll find Fort Hunt Park at 8999 Fort Hunt Road in Alexandria, Virginia, just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The park is open daily from dawn to dusk with no entrance fee.

Look for the P.O. Box 1142 memorial near the flagpole when you arrive. This marks the spot where Nazi POWs were once interrogated. For the full history, stop at the small information kiosk with interpretive panels explaining the park’s secret past.

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