Hitler escapes to Japan in 1945?

The Nazis had enough sense-if you can call it that-to not invade Switzerland since they knew full well they'd have an ugly partisan war on their hands--one that would make Yugoslavia look trivial by comparison. And the Swiss, cynics that they were and are, would not want Hitler anyhow, since they know that would hurt their standing with the financial world. No, Spain probably represents the only plausible option: get within Franco's borders and hope for the best; i.e., that Franco doesn't turn coat and use him as some sort of bargaining chip for whatever he wants.

I could see Hitler living out what's left of his heroin-riddled life under glorified house arrest in some remote villa. Then comes the problem of what happens when he's gone: you don't want his remains-or his ashes-to come available such that they might be used as a Lenin-like icon. (There was a work of fiction about ten years ago wherein Hitler's ashes were discovered--and the American who discovered them summarily flushed them down a toilet.)
 
Why going to Japan in early 1945, when it already was clear Japan was loosing the war herself??? A more neutral state was more likely, preferably one with some ties and ideological simmilar more or less to the NSDAP of Germany. (So only Spain and perhaps Argentina or Uruguay were likely destinations, with Spain more or less out of the question, as it was closely watched by the Allies already, being within range of Germany by sea, or air.)

Alternative destinations, if possible at least by air (at night that is) were neutral Turkey and possibly Sweden as well. Sweden was not wanting anything and somewhat on the hands of the Allied cause, so is likely discounted, while Turkey was a non Arian State, possibly not even acceptable for Hitler himself. Switserland was a possibility, but was under monitoring eyes constantly of the Allies, so it was simply too dangereous for him to go there.
 
In theory, I suppose it would be possible, but it would entail a long and dangerous sea voyage, probably by submarine down around the tip of Africa and across the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific, which are crawling with British and American warships, which means that if word gets out that he's skipped the country and is headed for Japan, any submarine that carries him may as well have a target painted on its hull.

Can't he just board a plane in Norway and fly over the Arctic to South Sakhalin?
 
He could have flown to Japan from Northern Norway.

This was what the Allies feared might happen, and it's what the likes of famous Nazi pilot Hanna Reitsch wanted to do (right up until the last possible moment she wanted to fly him out of Berlin, either in a two-engined plane, or if necessary in her Fieseler Storch--and she could have done it, too.)

Getting the führer to NW Germany and thence to Norway would have been pretty easy. Flying him across the Arctic is another thing.

Cook said:
In the 1960s Albert Speer claimed that a Ju-390 flown by II/KG200 flew over the polar ice cap from Norway to Japan in 1944 but apart from Speer’s claim there has never been any other reference to such a flight or evidence to verify that it was made.

Yes, I don't think the Germans carried out any 'over the top' flights to Japan during the war, regardless of all the marvellous longrange aircraft they had at their disposal. In fact I distinctly remember reading a debunking of claims the Luftwaffe had flown longrange cross-continental missions from Stalingrad to Japanese-occupied Manchukuo in late autumn of '42.

Not saying it couldn't be done, just they didn't have any crews who'd done the flight under wartime conditions.

jakewilson said:
Japan would use him as a bargaining chip to try to secure a better settlement or Soviet non-intervention. I don't know if they would succeed, but that's what they would do.

Logically they would, yet their tardy response to the W/Alllied terms put to them from Potsdam (a conference Stalin attended) makes me think there's just as likely to be a complete lack of gamesmenship from Tokyo as there is any great diplomatic coup. Factions for using Hitler as a gambit, factions against it.

Anyway, if for some reason ASBs convince Adolf that fleeing to Nippon is a good idea I think the whole thing would be done in the utmost secrecy, with the Soviets and W/Allied intelligence not being able to get at the truth until Japan itself surrendered, if at all (Richard Sorge is dead by the end of 1944, he can't report any information or rumours back to Moscow, f'rinstance). Even then Hitler might finally kill himself and have his remains obliterated after V-J Day, with the truth never being unveiled.
 
Leaving aside the obvious tactical, political and logistical difficulties with this, I can see one obvious outcome - quicker Soviet involvement in the war against Japan.

Yeah, they wanted him bad enough to start a land war in Asia.

Mike Turcotte
 
I think Hitler residing in Southern Sakhalin or the Kurile Islands would be funnier. :D

I think it'd be funnier if he and a few other Nazis were ship wrecked on some uncharted island for life.

AH:"I hereby declare this the Fourth Reich! Goebbels, you are hereby Chancellor of Coconut Affairs. But not the brown coconuts!"
Goebbels:"They're all brown."

I could see a U-boat geting him to Japan. He ends up secure in a nice relatively un-bombed city called Hiroshima.
But, as this is a Hitler wank, he'd just turn into the Ubermensch Hulk.
 
How about New Swabia? People thought he went there. Come to think of it the Soviets didnt admit they had his remains for years and kept accusing the West of hiding him. Maybe just have them never admit it?
 
Top