Franz von Rintelen
| Franz von Rintelen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
19 August 1878 Frankfurt (Oder), Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 30 May 1949 (aged 70) London |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | primarily Espionage |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars |
 World War I -- Espionage in United States |
Captain Franz Dagobert Johannes von Rintelen (19 August 1878 – 30 May 1949) was a German Naval Intelligence officer in the United States during World War I.
He came from a banking family with good connections in American banking, having served with Deutsche Bank as well as acting as U.S. representative for Disconto-Gesellschaft, then Germany's number two bank, beginning in 1906. He also spoke excellent English.
He was sent to the neutral United States in 1915, at age 38, on a false Swiss passport in the name of Emil V. Gasche (the surname appropriated from his brother-in-law). Arriving on 3 April, Captain von Rintelen operated independently and received his funds and instructions directly from Berlin. His mission was to sabotage American ships carrying munitions and supplies to the Allies. Arriving in New York City, he posed as businessman Frederick Hansen and with Heinrich Albert, set up a dummy corporation called Bridgeport Projectile Company, through which he purchased gunpowder, which he then destroyed. The goal was to create shortages of smokeless powder on the American market which was to prevent the Entente from purchasing munitions. He also set up another company, the Austrian-subsidized Transatlantic Trust Company at 57 William Street in Manhattan, where he had deposited a large amount of money on his arrival from Germany. He also attempted to buy the du Pont powder factory, without success.
Von Rintelen worked with a chemist, Dr. Scheele, to develop time-delayed incendiary devices known as pencil bombs, which were then placed in the holds of merchant ships trading to Britain to cause fires in the ships' holds so that the crew would throw the munitions overboard. Several were planted successfully. He found enthusiastic support among Irish dock workers, who made much effort to sabotage British ships. However when they attempted to plant bombs on the passenger mail boat Ancona, von Rintelen looked for other supporters.
He also organized the Labor's National Peace Council to foster strikes and work slowdowns among munitions workers to inhibit American aid to the Allies. From offices at 55 Liberty Street in New York City (around the corner from Transatlantic Trust, where he was Hansen), he spent US$500,000 doing so, most of which went to his U.S. agent, David Lamar; known as the "Wolf of Wall Street", Lamar's reports of success were exaggerated.
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