- 1 -

Confidential

Report on the background and attitude of Heinrich Töller, Funker.

        While in sickbay on the Block Island, Toller revealed a considerable amount of information which will be found in his docket.  This report deals not with that, but with the peculiar circumstances which make him a most profitable subject for further investigation.

        Toller mentioned to a pharmacist mate that he had at one time been jailed for belonging to a Catholic Youth Orgainzation, called the Bund Deutscher Jugend.  He was later asked if he knew of a Prinz Hubertus von und zu Loewenstein, and answered with a delighted affirmative.  This opened up the possibility for a heart-to-heart talk with the prisoner of war officer, who, by a fortunate coincidence, is an occasional friend of zu Loewenstein.  When Toller learned this, his eyes lit up, and in the ensuing conversation with the prisoner of war officer, he told a good deal regarding the current status of the above named youth organization (which although outlawed years ago, still continues in Germany). 

        The aquaintance of Ensign Roland L. Warren, prisoner of war officer, with Prinz zu Loewenstein dates from early April, 1943, immediately before Ensign Warren went on active duty with the Naval Reserve.  At that time, he was associate professor of philosophy and sociology at Alfred University, in western New York, and Loewenstein came to the university for a period of two weeks or so in the capacity of visiting lecturer for the Carnegie Foundation.

- 2 -

Confidential

        Toller is definitely anti-Nazi, and it will not take much more effort to convince him of the desirability of an Allied victory, and to get from him every bit of information which he has that would be useful in anti-submarine warfare.  Although not a petty officer, he is a radio striker, and it is possible that his knowledge concerning the details of radio and possibly radar equipment might be helpful.  If he is not already fully won over to the Allied side (and there is some reason to believe that he is, especially after learning from the prisoner of war officer of the convictions and activities of zu Loewenstein), it is believed that a letter or a visit from zu Loewenstein would turn the trick completely.  From shipboard, one can hardly estimate whether or not this would be worth the effort, but if it is so decided, it is believed that zu Loewenstein would gladly comply, first, because he would do anything to facilitate an Allied victory, and second, because he is quite naturally interested in how the Catholic German

- 3 -

Confidential

        The general information concerning the situation on the home front in Germany, as gained from Töller, is as follows:

        1)  The underground is strong.  He even relates stories of sabotage by Germans to German U-boots at their bases.

        2)  Many of the more spitited members of the Bund Deutscher Jugend take part in this sabotage; most of the members are opposed to National Socialism.  At least some of the members have been taken to concentration camps, and Töller tells an interseting story, if true, of how he learned from a member of the Gestapo of the death of two of his comrades in a concentration camp.

        3)  Although in 1936 and 1937 (when Ensign Warren was in Germany) the Party was strong, and the workers were convinced of its cause, there has since that time been a definite disillusionment.  Most workers work now because they are forced to, but they have lost their spirit, and are ready to turn on Hitler.

        4)  The great mass of people are nevertheless behind the war effort, because they have been propagandized (Töller's word) into believing that it is a question of survival for Germany to win the war.  Nevertheless, many German workers

- 4 -

Confidential

        5)  THe bombings have two psychological effects.  First, they create a feeling of defiance toward the Allies; second, they create a feeling of hatred toward Hitler in the minds of many Germans, since he was responsible for getting them into the war.

        Finally, it should be added that Töller claimed that with one or two exceptions (one being Hardtke) the crew of U-801 is not particularly keen on national socialism, and that many of them hate it.  They make a distinction between being patriotic Germans and being Nazis.  They even jokingly vall Blechschmidt "Stalin."

                                                                               

                                                                               Ensign Roland L. Warren, USNR

                                                                               Prisoner of War Officer