Germany launches an unprovoked attack on America in 1937

I am working on an alternate history story in which the Nazi plot a preemptive strike against America in 1937 using a WMD. Of course this did not happen, nor does it appear that the technology was available to create an atom-bomb (or a dirty-bomb). However, I would like to have the appearance that this is seems plausible.

Here is my what if:

Germany launches an unprovoked attack on the USA in 1937 by dropping a WMD on New York City.

Here is some background information:

December 1934

Hitler is well-aware of the events of WWI which transformed America into an emerging world power. The Great Depression in America provided a new and for a time persuasive rationale for the isolationist position towards Germany. Confronted by urgent domestic problems, the immediate impulse of the United States was to turn inward and to regard events outside its borders as distractions tending to impede the solution of problems at home. But how long before this would change? Hitler becomes very fearful of seeing America once again coming to the aid of Western nations. He feels Germany cannot prevail should America enter the war against them.

January 1935

Seventy-nine year-old Dr. Nikola Tesla enters New York Police Building near Penn Station claiming that private scientific documents have been stolen from him. A wonder-weapon that he designed could be used against America. Investigators dismiss the report and claim that Tesla is suffering from mental illness.

February 1935

A ultra-secret project is started by Reichpost minister Dr. Wilhelm Ohnesorge. Taking the designs stolen from Telsa, a team of scientists under the direction of Baron Manfred Von Ardenne begin development of a superweapon. German spies also steal information from noted scientists Leó Szilárd and Enrico Fermi.

June 1935

Hitler knows that the US neutrality legislation of the 1930s clearly reflects the isolationist contention that America went to war in 1917, and might do so again, not because its interests were threatened, but merely because its activities, particularly those relating to trade, produced incidents that blurred judgment and inflamed passions. However, the risk is still there and should America come in, it would make the likelihood of victory much more precarious. Hitler makes private visit to Von Ardenne and shown weapon project plan.

October 1935

Facility near Deutschneudorf, Germany becomes operational with a modified cyclotron based on the Lawrence/Livingston design and the research documents of Dr. Nikola Tesla.

May 1936

First production of Red Mercury is achieved at Deutschneudorf cyclotron facility. Bombarded with neutrons the ballotechnic material is so explosive that it can be used to trigger a fusion reaction in tritium or deuterium-tritium mixture.

August 1936

Hitler is stunned at the success of Jesse Owens in 1936 Olympics watching as Owens set multiple records. Other black American athletes do well and the USA comes away with the second highest medal count in the games behind Germany.

September 1936

Hitler again visits the Deutschneudorf facility and meets with Von Ardenne.

October 1936

Hitler calls for private meeting with Goering, Hess, Himmler, Von Ardenne and Ohnesorge. Discussed are potential plans for feasible method to launch a devastating attack against the USA. No decision is made and meeting adjourns.

January 1937

Second meeting occurs with tentative method and timetable. Detonation would occur over Manhattan island, New York on May 6, 1937. The first flight of the Hindenburg in 1937 would serve as the delivery vechicle. The intention is quite obvious: the destruction of the financial and business center of New York City. This alone would have an unparalleled military and psychological consequences on America. Such a blow would have been incalculable, demonstrating conclusively to the United States and Western Allies that Germany was more than capable of mounting significant attacks against the American mainland, at levels of destruction which were militarily, economically and psychologically devastating. All would capitulate to German might.

February 1937

An operational test would occur in Spain with a bombing raid conducted by the Condor Legion. Time and location were still to be determined.

March 1937

Condor Legion chief of staff Wolfram von Richthofen formulates plan for attack on Guernica and sends information to Goering. Special package is delivered to the Legion.

April 26, 1937

The bombing of Guernica, a small town in northern Spain by units of the German Condor Legion. Red Mercury device is successfully detonated in the bombing raid causing massive damage and loss of life.

May 3, 1937

Pineapple-sized Red Mercury bomb is placed in a Reichpost package and loaded with the rest of the mail on the Hindenburg. A single agent is the only one on board who is aware of the bomb--all crew and security remain unaware of the plot.

Hindenburg departs for America...

Hopefully this will provide enough information for some feedback and development.
 
It's a fun story you've written but it's difficult to know where to start as far as pointing out the implausibilities.

My advice would be forget about realism and just go for that 'over the top' approach. :)
 
It's a fun story you've written but it's difficult to know where to start as far as pointing out the implausibilities.

Certainly implausible. But I would like to get it right (as much as something like this could be) as I can. What can I do to make work better?

My advice would be forget about realism and just go for that 'over the top' approach. :)

I would like to have both!
 
You could have a bunch of Germans set a bunch of dynamite in several major buildings at once like the Empire state.
 
Certainly implausible. But I would like to get it right (as much as something like this could be) as I can. What can I do to make work better?
How about a chemical or biological weapon? There is zero chance of the Nazis developing a nuclear weapon in 1937. The basic underlying science hadn't even been discovered at that point.

We've been through this quite a few times and the usual feeling is that even a joint US/British/Canadian project with full political backing and no mistakes couldn't have had a bomb before 1942.
I would like to have both!
You want it to be plausible in its implausibility?;)
 
Although if you want a really big bang you could pack a freighter to the gunnels with high explosives and detonate that

totally implausible, but hey, so is the starting point! :D
 
Problem with a WMD attack of this sort, chemical or biological, in all likelihood could not be repeated once the first occured.

There would be an abvious initial shock, but the problem would be in the response.

I think it would trigger one of anger, and the United States would immediately mobilize. And we'd likely develop weapons capable of striking at Germany before they would at us.

Actually, the "implausible" WMD would be the most likely to cause widespread fear. The possibility of another attack (which to be honest, using a dirigible as a delivery system would not be much of a threat) might terrorize Americans.

Major problem though. You can't hypothesize an American response based on the current animal. It is likely we would have simply been angered into full mobilization and Germany would be the target of our wrath. Unless the Germans could demonstrate they could strike over and over with impunity, the only likely result is an America which would go on a war footing several years earlier than we actually did.

One other point was that the Allies showed more of a capability of penetrating Germany than their conterintelligence had in stopping us. How long would it take for us to at least understand what they used and begin reverse engineering it.

Actually, it would make more sense to use the weapon on the European enemies for a quick knock out (their politician showed a tendency to be more easily cowed). Imagine how fast they would back down assuming, let's say a Warsaw, got hit. Especially if Germany show a viable delivery system.

I think the whole plausibility of the scenerio stems upon a weapon that works, a viable delivery system that offers a high probability of success in delivering the weapon, and the perception the attacks can be duplicated at will.
 
Thank you for the responses. Interesting to hear the feedback.

I would like to revise the what if by changing the motive. What if the Germans set it up to appear that it was a Russian attack. Or at least a radical communist group bent on destroying capitalist pigs. Credible information is leaked which links the terrorists to Stalin's government. The Nazis attempt to gain American/Western support in retaliation against the Soviets.

For argument sake, assume the tech is there for the bomb.
 
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