Ernst Peter Burger
Encyclopedia
Ernst Peter Burger was a German
spy
and saboteur
who landed on American
soil during World War II
. He was captured but escaped execution. He was deported to Germany in 1948.
, Burger was a machinist by trade. He had lived in the United States for some years, even serving in the National Guard. Despite his history as a survivor of a Nazi internment camp and harassment of his wife by Nazi party members, Burger was recruited by the Abwehr
, Nazi Germany
's intelligence organization. He took part in Operation Pastorius
, a plan by which eight German saboteurs were to be transported by U-Boat
to the United States. Burger and the others landed with the intention of damaging United States economic targets.
, another saboteur, almost immediately lost his nerve and betrayed his comrades. He surrendered and told the FBI of Burger's location. FBI agents followed Burger to two other saboteurs, before arresting him. When all eight agents had been apprehended, the saboteurs were tried and convicted of treason
and espionage
. All were sentenced to execution by electrocution: however, Burger's sentence was commuted
by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
to life in prison and Dasch's to thirty years because of their cooperation.
After the war, both Burger and Dasch were released by President Harry S. Truman
and were deported to Germany in 1948. Burger and Dasch had been led to believe they would receive pardons because of their cooperation, but both men died without ever receiving any.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
and saboteur
Saboteur
A saboteur is someone who commits sabotage.It may also refer to:*Morituri , a 1965 film also known as The Saboteur*Saboteur , a card game by Frederic Moyersoen, published in 2004...
who landed on American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soil during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was captured but escaped execution. He was deported to Germany in 1948.
Operation Pastorius
Born in AugsburgAugsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Burger was a machinist by trade. He had lived in the United States for some years, even serving in the National Guard. Despite his history as a survivor of a Nazi internment camp and harassment of his wife by Nazi party members, Burger was recruited by the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
, Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's intelligence organization. He took part in Operation Pastorius
Operation Pastorius
Operation Pastorius was a failed plan for sabotage via a series of attacks by Nazi German agents inside the United States. The operation was staged in June 1942 and was to be directed against strategic U.S. economic targets...
, a plan by which eight German saboteurs were to be transported by U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
to the United States. Burger and the others landed with the intention of damaging United States economic targets.
Apprehension and trial
George John DaschGeorge John Dasch
George John Dasch was a German spy and saboteur who landed on American soil during World War II. He helped to destroy Nazi Germany’s espionage program in the United States by defecting to the American cause, but was tried and convicted of treason and espionage.-Early life:Georg Johann Dasch was...
, another saboteur, almost immediately lost his nerve and betrayed his comrades. He surrendered and told the FBI of Burger's location. FBI agents followed Burger to two other saboteurs, before arresting him. When all eight agents had been apprehended, the saboteurs were tried and convicted of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. All were sentenced to execution by electrocution: however, Burger's sentence was commuted
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to life in prison and Dasch's to thirty years because of their cooperation.
After the war, both Burger and Dasch were released by President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and were deported to Germany in 1948. Burger and Dasch had been led to believe they would receive pardons because of their cooperation, but both men died without ever receiving any.
External links
- The Keystone Kommandos
- Entry on German language Wikipedia