No German scientist now holds a senior position in the missile development program being conducted in Egypt, it was confirmed here today by Dr. Alfred Seidel, attorney for the leader of the German teams of scientists and technicians working for Nasser since 1960.
Dr. Seidel confirmed earlier reports that the top German scientists among those who had worked for Nasser, Prof. Wolfgang Pilz, had refused to renew his contract, had left Egypt, and is now living “somewhere in Germany.” It was ascertained that Dr. Pilz, the last of the senior scientists employed by Nasser, left Cairo secretly more than a month ago, and that other German rocket experts still in Egypt would come home soon.
Cairo reports reaching here, however, showed that Nasser is still trying to recruit other Germans to replace the teams organized by Pilz. The latter is a rocket-design and propulsion expert who had helped Hitler develop the V-I rocket which terrorized Britain during the closing months of World War II. Later he worked for the French, helping to develop rockets. In Egypt, he was credited with having developed at least three types of rockets, all aimed at ultimate aggressive war against Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
