Operation Cornflakes

Operation Cornflakes was a measure of operational information that has been planned and carried out during the Second World War 1944-1945 by the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS ). The aim was to bring the imperial post in Nazi Germany by a ruse to unwittingly deliver German citizens anti-Nazi propaganda.

These special aircraft were instructed to throw bags of fake, but correctly addressed (with addresses from phone books ) Letters bombed near post moves. It was hoped that the imperial post the wrong program by mistake miteinsammeln in the cleanup near the impact site and would identify the addressee.

The corresponding letters often contained Expenditure propaganda magazine The New Germany, which has been published by the Allies in German language. Also contained the letters fake brands, which were provided in accordance with the standard stamp series Chancellor Adolf Hitler in the likeness of the "leader ", but on closer inspection showed distortions, such as Hitler's face as a skull. In addition, was on the stamps of the word ' Empire ' was replaced by ' putsch Empire '. A franking the actual letters with these brands would have a high probability of detection of the action.

The first mission of Operation Cornflakes took place on 5 February 1945, when a small train was bombed on the way to Linz. Bags with a total of 3800 propaganda letters were dropped over the destroyed train. These were collected as intended and the citizens served by the imperial post.