Sniper Had Hitler in His CrossHairs!

OPERATION FOXLEY
Finally, a sniper attack was considered to be the method most likely to succeed. In summer 1944, a German who had been part of Hitler's personal guard at the Berghof had been taken POW in Normandy. He revealed that at the Berghof, Hitler always took a morning walk, around the same time (after 10.00 am) and for the same duration - about 20 minutes. In addition, Hitler liked to be left alone during this walk, leaving him unprotected near some woods, where he was out of sight of sentry posts. Finally, every time Hitler was at the Berghof, a Nazi flag was put up, which was visible from a cafe in the nearby town.

The basic plan was to assassinate Hitler during his morning exercise, as he walked unprotected to the tea house in the Berghof compound. The scheme called for the British to parachute a two-man killing team into the area surrounding the compound. The two soldiers were a German-speaking Pole and a sniper. Wearing German army uniform as a disguise, the men would infiltrate the Berghof compound before moving to a spot where they were concealed, were within effective sniper rifle range, and had a good view of the path used by Hitler on his morning walk.

Security around Hitler was considered limited at the Berghof.[citation needed] As a result, several attempts had been made to kill him, including one that took place during the planning of this operation by the German officer Claus von Stauffenberg (see July 20 plot). However, none of these were successful. Stauffenberg's attempt only injured Hitler. It did, however, have the effect that public appearances of Hitler were greatly reduced, to just one or two every year, thus limiting the opportunities for another assassination attempt.

A sniper was recruited and briefed and the plan was submitted. The sniper practiced by firing at moving dummy targets with an accurised Kar 98K (the standard Wehrmacht rifle) under conditions which simulated the actual assassination. An inside man was also found - Heidentaler, the uncle of a captured soldier, Dieser, who was vehemently anti-Nazi, lived in Salzburg, situated 20 kilometres from the Berghof. He regularly visited a shooting range 16 km from the Berghof with like-minded shopkeepers.

There had been some resistance to the assassination plan, particularly from the deputy head of SOE's German Directorate i.e. Lt Col Ronald Thornley. However, his superior, Sir Gerald Templer, was a supporter of the plan and Winston Churchill was also in favour. The sniper and a Polish companion who spoke German were to be dropped by plane and sheltered with Heidentaler, after which they could make the approach to the killing zone disguised as German mountain troops.

The plan was submitted in November 1944, but was never put into practice because controversy remained over whether it was actually a good idea to kill Hitler. Hitler was by then considered to be such a poor strategist that it was believed whoever replaced him would probably lead a better war-effort.[citation needed] Additionally, Thornley argued that Germany was almost defeated and if Hitler were assassinated, he would become a martyr to some, as well as causing speculation that perhaps Germany would have won if Hitler had survived. Since the idea was not only to defeat Germany but destroy Nazism in general, this would have been an unfortunate development. However, there were strong advocates on both sides and the plan was not put into practice because no actual decision was reached. By late November Hitler left the Berghof, never to return, as he committed suicide in Berlin on 30 April 1945 a few days before the war ended.

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[edit on 10-7-2008 by elevatedone]

[edit on 10-7-2008 by elevatedone]

Why the hell? The snipers did stop only because the CO told them not to fire because they thought Hitler would bring the end of the thir reich before they could. How? They also say Hitler was a poor strategist! He did have some bad situations, but that's what happens when you fight Americans! He is the one that created the blitzkreig, he is the one that has the final say in concentration camps! Even if it would only be a short period of time for grief for Germany, it would be a perfect time to throw on a huge offensive. They would not know what to do with out their head strategist. So why didn't they take the damn shot?

Good article, good find.

he would become a martyr to some, as well as causing speculation that perhaps Germany would have won if Hitler had survived. Since the idea was not only to defeat Germany but destroy Nazism in general, this would have been an unfortunate development

This is as good a reason as any, if Hitler was assassinated and Germany lost, the Nazi movement might still be a very strong underground force today.

but that's what happens when you fight Americans!

Why? WHY? no offense but its comments like this that cause the anti american sentiment in threads.

I've looked into this before and the sniper plan never got out of planning stage. It was a proposed possibility but was never implemented because it was thought Hitler's reich would 'implode' and that would be better in the long run than making him a martyr and having someone smarter (Himmler) take over. Don't forget that it's Hitler's drug-addled mind that won us the war in many regards; had he made the obviously right decisions at key points we would have been pushed back into the ocean at Normandy.

Well sorry dermo about the ultra-american comment. But if you live in the USA you should say they same stuff, because we are the best fighting force their is, no doubt.

Originally posted by SwiftFootedAchilles
Well sorry dermo about the ultra-american comment. But if you live in the USA you should say they same stuff, because we are the best fighting force their is, no doubt.

Maybe you are, maybe you are not and I'm beginning to lean to not.

I think the Chinese are taking over the lead, put that's just my opinion.

Futhermore please realise that if the Germans would have only fought the US during WWII they would have probably won.

But I'm very happy they didn't. I have deep respect for the sacrifices the US made and am very grateful for them liberating us.



[edit on 11/7/08 by Fastwalker81]

I saw this on a documentary years ago, it was very interesting as they showed the actually area they would have taken the shots at (suspected).

As far as it being the right descision not to take the shot... I believe so.

Things could have a went a whole different direction.

reply to post by SwiftFootedAchilles


1) Hitler pulled the general out of the field that created the Blitz. Hitler only duplicated the system.

2) By 1944 the person in the snipers view would have been one of Hitlers doubles as the man had already been assasinated!

Why do you think the body in the bunker at the end of the war was NOT Hitler.
Why the Russians claim the body is in some swamp.
Why the "German" (not Nazi) commanders (Rommel) that knew Hitler personally were executed.

The inside circle, true Nazi leaders, were busy moving the wealth of Germany to South America and Swiss accounts. Sense the Bush family (Prescot) and several others in the US had backed the Nazi's the last thing the ruling elite wanted was to loose out on getting the return from their investments, ie have the actor uncovered prior to transfering the wealth.

Just one of those times when truth is stranger than fiction.

The reason Adolf was kept druged up during the last year of the war was that he was an actor!

If anyone were to take the film of little Adolf and got a close up of his ear than match it with the ear of the actor after the winter of 1943 they would see it is another man.

Ears were used by scetches for crimminal identification prior to finger prints.

thanks man, i apperciate that, i never heard of that before. And Fastwalker 81, china is a good fighting force, but they put quantity over quality. China hasn't won very many wars either in the past few decades. We essentiallu fought them in the Korean War, since most OpFor soldiers were chinese. Quality does kill in this world, we do have a better system of intelligence, and better arms and armor. But they have more weapons though and thats why they are formidable foes. But in the next few decades coming, that Russia might have fiascos with China, and since they are armies over 1 million or more, it would be like World War 3 and 4.
It's your opinion though, and as long as you have good proof your good to go, unless we declare war on them to see who's right. But the US does have the best special forces with Delta and the SeALs. But the SAS does the same thing.

In 1944 it was in the interest of the Allies to keep Hitler alive and win the war in the classical way.

It does not matter if the real Hitler was already dead, the war needed to end with US+Russian troops in Berlin. So any premature death of Hitler would have put this objective in danger for the allies, like any truce or peace.

Germany wanted truce/peace by the time allies arrived at the german border, but it was too late, Russia and the allies wanted to occupy Germany. So the allies wanted the war to continue until they occupied Germany, the assassination of Hitler, any peace, etc. was rejected.