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6 - The War is Lost

from Part I - The Bomb

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2024

Mark Walker
Affiliation:
Union College, New York
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Summary

By the time Walther Gerlach took over the uranium project in late 1943, it was clear that Germany could not build atomic bombs before the end of the war, which was now going very badly for Germany. Work continued under Paul Harteck on isotope separation and heavy water production. Small but steady improvements were made with the centrifuges, but only very small samples with low levels of uranium 235 enrichment were ever achieved. Heavy water production failed, despite great efforts. The work on model nuclear reactors continued, culminating in a final experiment using a lattice of uranium cubes immersed in heavy water. This came close but fell short of achieving a self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction. During this period the scientists were focused first and foremost on the survival of themselves and their families. Both Gerlach and Werner Heisenberg sought to facilitate this by continuing to suggest to powerful members of the Nazi elite that their research might lead to an unexpected breakthrough and win the war.

Type
Chapter
Information
Hitler's Atomic Bomb
History, Legend, and the Twin Legacies of Auschwitz and Hiroshima
, pp. 109 - 144
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • The War is Lost
  • Mark Walker, Union College, New York
  • Book: Hitler's Atomic Bomb
  • Online publication: 18 July 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009479264.009
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  • The War is Lost
  • Mark Walker, Union College, New York
  • Book: Hitler's Atomic Bomb
  • Online publication: 18 July 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009479264.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The War is Lost
  • Mark Walker, Union College, New York
  • Book: Hitler's Atomic Bomb
  • Online publication: 18 July 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009479264.009
Available formats
×