Files on Hans Kammler (SS General) (born 26 August 1901-?) Special weapons and research programs during and after WW2 (National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access)

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We have received your request and will respond within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Notice to NARA Researchers and FOIA Requesters

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference or FOIA request or appeal. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

Dear Tino Von Struckmann,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information Act request for records in the
custody of the National Archives and Records Administration. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, we are not able to process FOIA requests according to
our normal procedures. We have assigned your request the temporary tracking
number RF-099. When we resume normal operations, we will log requests into
our system in the order they were received. At that time, we will provide
you with a new FOIA tracking number and a more substantive response. We
apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and
patience.

Sincerely,
Brigitte Flynn
Special Access & FOIA Staff

[20-38919] Freedom of Information Act Request - Tino Von Struckmann

July 13, 2020

requests@muckrock.com

Tino Von Struckmann

MuckRock News

DEPT MR 97273

411A Highland Ave

Somerville, MA 02144-2516

Dear Mr. von Struckmann,

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds permanently
valuable records of the United States Government. Agencies transfer their
records to us when those records are no longer necessary for the conduct of
agency business. NARA maintains the files of each agency within a Record
Group and keeps the files arranged in the filing schemes used by the
transferring agency. While some files were indexed before they were
transferred to NARA, many were not.

We conducted a search of the finding aids available to us. Your request
could include information in any one of the following record groups. These
record groups contain over 94 million pages.

1. Record Group 242 (National Archives Collection of Foreign Records
Seized) (3.219%)374,569 textual scans online, 11,636,357 estimated total
textual pages in this Record Group.

2. Record Group 260 (Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II)
(4.468%)1,429,702 textual scans online, 31,996,682 estimated total textual
pages in this Record Group.

3. Record Group 331(Record Group 331 - Records of Allied Operational and
Occupation Headquarters, World War II) (.012%)6,384 textual scans online
52,216,415 estimated total textual pages in this Record Group.

We also searched the National Archives Catalog, available at
https://catalog.archives.gov/. Using the search terms “Hans Kammler” and
your other search terms produced a limited number of references to textual
records at Archives II. Below you will find the number of search results
related to each keyword search, as well as selected files that may be most
relevant to your topic. National Archives Identifiers (NAID) are provided
so that you may directly review the associated catalog descriptions.

1. Operation Paper Clip, 136 results

-

Otto Cerny, CERNY, Otto F.From RG: 330 Foreign Scientist Case Files
[NAID#18529999]
-

Nobel Dynamit AG, Sch 17i Österreichische Stickstoffwerke AG: Balance
Sheets and Inventories From RG: 260 Reports on Trusteeships 4. Other claims
a)[NAID#165139495].

2. Skoda Werks, 94 RESULTS.

-

Ronald Richter, From RG: 330 -Foreign Scientist Case Files
[NAID#18531017] and
-

21. Country Files: 4. Argentina: g. Richter, Ronald from RG: 59 General
Records Relating to Atomic Energy Matters
[NAID#2860248].
-

Jakob Sporrenberg, 100-547 - Sporrenberg, Jakob (SS) - Lithuania and
Poland) From RG: 153 Persons and Places Dossier Files [NAID#1753090].

3. Rudolf Schuster, 566 results.

4. Kurt Debus, 84 results.

5. Thorium, 171 results.

-

Samuel Goudsmit,44 results including his papers
[NAID# 17408870].

6. Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (CIOS),
547 results.

7. Arthur Rudolph, 73 results.

Records in the Archives II Textual Reference are primarily in paper format;
with a limited number of digitized documents. Searches involve page by page
reading of relevant finding aids; consultation with archivists; and page by
page reading of records. In other words, archival research is labor
intensive and time consuming. Searches such as you have described in your
inquiry involve an iterative process. There is no single file that can be
searched for a given search term. Rather, numerous different files must be
searched for each one. Some of the different topics and types of records
that can be searched include (but are not limited to): place names,
materials and organizations.

The three main types of systems used are subject-alphabetic, chronologic,
and specialized military filing systems. The latter vary over time and are
covered by filing manuals, copies of most of which we have in our custody.

We make reasonable efforts to assist researchers with their work. As a
matter of policy, the National Archives is staffed to assist researchers
with their work, including but not limited to pointing researchers to
helpful finding aids to begin their research. However, given the
limitations on staff resources, we do not generally conduct substantive
research in response to requests filed under the Freedom of Information
Act, except in circumstances where documents are easily locatable.

It is important to note that all NARA Research Rooms were closed effective
end of business on March 13, 2020 as public health precaution due to the
coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Under standard circumstances, we would
welcome you to visit our research room so you or your representative can
examine and select documents relevant to your research. You could also hire
a researcher to conduct research on your behalf. However, visiting is not
an option at this time. For updates on the status of Research Rooms, please
visit https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus.

We do not consider this a denial of your FOIA request. However, if you are
not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal and
dispute resolution are outlined in the attached enclosure. This concludes
the processing of your request.

Sincerely,

Robin Edward Cookson

Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)

National Archives at College Park, MD

FOIA Appeal and Dispute Resolution Options

You have the right to file an administrative appeal in writing via regular
U.S. mail or email. Your appeal should be received within ninety (90)
calendar days from the date of this letter and it should explain why you
believe this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act. Please address it to the Deputy Archivist of the United
States (ND), National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi
Road, College Park, Maryland 20740. Both the letter and the envelope
should be clearly marked “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.” You may also
submit your appeal to FOIA@nara.gov also addressed to the Deputy Archivist.
All correspondence should reference your internal case tracking number
20-38919.

In addition to your right to file an administrative appeal with the Deputy
Archivist, you may seek assistance from our FOIA Public Liaison, Michael
Marquis. Contact information for the FOIA Public Liaison at the National
Archives, Washington DC area is as follows:

Accessioned Executive Branch Agency Records - Washington, DC Area

FOIA requester Service Center telephone number: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Michael Marquis

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Telephone number: 301-837-3190

E-mail address: dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

Finally, the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) offers
mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to administrative appeals. Using
OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue an administrative
appeal. The contact information for OGIS is as follows:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

Room 2510

8601 Adelphi Road

College Park, MD 20740-6001

E-mail: ogis@nara.gov

Telephone: 202-741-5770

Facsimile: 202-741-5769

Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448

>
> [20-39152] Freedom of Information Act Request - Tino Von Struckmann
>
> July 13, 2020
>
> requests@muckrock.com
>
> Tino Von Struckmann
>
> MuckRock News
>
> DEPT MR 97286
>
> 411A Highland Ave
>
> Somerville, MA 02144-2516
>
> Dear Mr. von Struckmann,
>
> This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act request dated July
> 6, 2020, where you have requested records pertaining information on United
> States Army Officer "Donald W. Richardson" and related Counter-Intelligence
> Corps (CIC) and German research topics.
>
> Your request was received by the Reference Branch (RR2RR) on July 6, 2020
> with the assigned tracking number 20-39152.
>
> Your request has also been forwarded to our National Personnel Records
> center for a seperate response concerning a Official Military Personnel
> File (OMPF) for Donald W. Richardson.
>
> The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds permanently
> valuable records of the United States Government. Agencies transfer their
> records to us when those records are no longer necessary for the conduct of
> agency business. NARA maintains the files of each agency within a Record
> Group and keeps the files arranged in the filing schemes used by the
> transferring agency. While some files were indexed before they were
> transferred to NARA, many were not.
>
> We conducted a search of the finding aids available to us. Your request
> could include information in any one of the following record groups. These
> record groups contain over 94 million pages.
>
> 1. Record Group 242 (National Archives Collection of Foreign Records
> Seized) (3.219%)374,569 textual scans online, 11,636,357 estimated total
> textual pages in this Record Group.
>
> 2. Record Group 260 (Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War
> II) (4.468%)1,429,702 textual scans online, 31,996,682 estimated total
> textual pages in this Record Group.
>
> 3. Record Group 331(Record Group 331 - Records of Allied Operational and
> Occupation Headquarters, World War II) (.012%)6,384 textual scans online
> 52,216,415 estimated total textual pages in this Record Group.
>
> We also searched the National Archives Catalog, available at
> https://catalog.archives.gov/. Using the search terms “Donald W.
> Richardson” and your other search terms produced a limited number of
> references to textual records at Archives II. Below you will find the
> number of search results related to each keyword search, as well as
> selected files that may be most relevant to your topic. National Archives
> Identifiers (NAID) are provided so that you may directly review the
> associated catalog descriptions.
>
> 1. Operation Paper Clip, 136 results in the Catalog.
>
> 2. Otto Cerny, CERNY, Otto F.From RG: 330 Foreign Scientist Case Files
> [NAID#18529999]
>
> 3. Nobel Dynamit AG, - Sch 17i Österreichische Stickstoffwerke AG:
> Balance Sheets and Inventories From RG: 260 Reports on Trusteeships 4.
> Other claims a)[NAID#165139495].
>
> 4. Skoda Werks, 94 RESULTS.
>
> 5. Ronald Richter, - From RG: 330 - Foreign Scientist Case Files
> [NAID#18531017]
>
> - 21. Country Files: 4. Argentina: g. Richter, Ronald from RG: 59 General
> Records Relating to Atomic Energy Matters [NAID#2860248].
>
> 6. Jakob Sporrenberg, 100-547 - Sporrenberg, Jakob (SS) -(Lithuania and
> Poland) From RG: 153 Persons and Places Dossier Files [NAID#1753090].
>
> 7. Rudolf Schuster, 566 results in the Catalog.
>
> 4. Kurt Debus, 84 results in the Catalog.
>
> 5. Thorium, 171 results in the Catalog.
>
> 6. Samuel Goudsmit, 44 results in the Catalog. (including his papers
> [NAID# 17408870]).
>
> 7. Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (CIOS), 547 results in
> the Catalog.
>
> 8. Arthur Rudolph, 73 results in the Catalog.
>
> 9. Counter Intelligence Corps, 600 results in the Catalog.
>
> Records in the Archives II Textual Reference are primarily in paper
> format; with a limited number of digitized documents. Searches involve page
> by page reading of relevant finding aids; consultation with archivists; and
> page by page reading of records. In other words, archival research is labor
> intensive and time consuming. Searches such as you have described in your
> inquiry involve an iterative process. There is no single file that can be
> searched for a given search term. Rather, numerous different files must be
> searched for each one. Some of the different topics and types of records
> that can be searched include (but are not limited to): place names,
> materials and organizations.
>
> The three main types of systems used are subject-alphabetic, chronologic,
> and specialized military filing systems. The latter vary over time and are
> covered by filing manuals, copies of most of which we have in our custody.
>
> We make reasonable efforts to assist researchers with their work. As a
> matter of policy, the National Archives is staffed to assist researchers
> with their work, including but not limited to pointing researchers to
> helpful finding aids to begin their research. However, given the
> limitations on staff resources, we do not generally conduct substantive
> research in response to requests filed under the Freedom of Information
> Act, except in circumstances where documents are easily locatable.
>
> It is important to note that all NARA Research Rooms were closed effective
> end of business on March 13, 2020 as public health precaution due to the
> coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Under standard circumstances, we would
> welcome you to visit our research room so you or your representative can
> examine and select documents relevant to your research. You could also hire
> a researcher to conduct research on your behalf. However, visiting is not
> an option at this time. For updates on the status of Research Rooms, please
> visit https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus.
>
> We do not consider this a denial of your FOIA request. However, if you are
> not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal and
> dispute resolution are outlined in the attached enclosure. This concludes
> the processing of your request.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Robin Edward Cookson
>
> Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)
>
> National Archives at College Park, MD
>
> FOIA Appeal and Dispute Resolution Options
>
> You have the right to file an administrative appeal in writing via regular
> U.S. mail or email. Your appeal should be received within ninety (90)
> calendar days from the date of this letter and it should explain why you
> believe this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of
> Information Act. Please address it to the Deputy Archivist of the United
> States (ND), National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi
> Road, College Park, Maryland 20740. Both the letter and the envelope
> should be clearly marked “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.” You may also
> submit your appeal to FOIA@nara.gov also addressed to the Deputy
> Archivist. All correspondence should reference your internal case tracking
> number 20-39152.
>
> In addition to your right to file an administrative appeal with the Deputy
> Archivist, you may seek assistance from our FOIA Public Liaison, Michael
> Marquis. Contact information for the FOIA Public Liaison at the National
> Archives, Washington DC area is as follows:
>
> Accessioned Executive Branch Agency Records - Washington, DC Area
>
> FOIA requester Service Center telephone number: 301-837-3190
>
> FOIA Public Liaison: Michael Marquis
>
> 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
>
> College Park, MD 20740-6001
>
> Telephone number: 301-837-3190
>
> E-mail address: dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov
>
> Finally, the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) offers
> mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
> agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to administrative appeals. Using
> OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue an administrative
> appeal. The contact information for OGIS is as follows:
>
> Office of Government Information Services
>
> National Archives and Records Administration
>
> Room 2510
>
> 8601 Adelphi Road
>
> College Park, MD 20740-6001
>
> E-mail: ogis@nara.gov
>
> Telephone: 202-741-5770
>
> Facsimile: 202-741-5769
>
> Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448
>
>
>
>
> requests@muckrock.com
>
>
> On Monday, July 6, 2020 at 10:14:35 AM UTC-4,
> requests@muckrock.com wrote:
>>
>>
>> National Archives And Records Administration – Archival Or Special Access
>> FOIA Office
>> Room 5500
>> 8601 Adelphi Road
>> College Park, MD 20740
>>
>> July 6, 2020
>>
>> To Whom It May Concern:
>>
>> Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the
>> following records:
>>
>> I am seeking a detailed record of Officer Donald W Richardson service
>> record from 1934 – 1960 his Military records. CIC, CID rapport made in
>> Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany and Austria on and around May 9 1945. His
>> involvement with SS general Hans Kammler, in the years after WW2.
>> Information on special access programs he was involved in during and after
>> the war, special research, weapons, witness protection, POW service,
>> interrogations conducted of German POWs, Operation Paper Clip, Special
>> briefs he may have made to the US presidents. And his post war posts and
>> assignments.
>> Key reference search words, names and locations are: SS, Officer,
>> Research. Secret, Top Secret, kriegsentscheidend, Forschung, Atom, Atom,
>> Waffen, Projekt, Bienenstock, Geheimnis, die Glocke, klassifiziert, Ertrag,
>> Krieg, Heeresversuchsanstalt, Heereswaffenamt, Hans kammler. Urainium,
>> Thorium. Emil Mazuw, SS-E-4, Otto Cerny, Kammlerstab, Nuclear, Atomic,
>> Thorium, Binenstock, Die Glocke, Krigsenchident, CIC, CIC rapport May 1945,
>> Xerum 525, Gandau, Furstenstein Castle, Walther Gerlach, Kurt Diebner,
>> Gandau airfield, Nobel Dynamit AG, Komplex Milkow, Melk, Bissingen,
>> Ludwikowice, Jonsthal, Pilsen, Prague, Skoda Werks, Ronald Richter,
>> Birkenau, IG Farben. Orhdruf Thuringia, Jakob Sporrenberg, Rudolf Schuster,
>> Donald W Richartson, CIC, FBI, CIA, Kurt Debus, Dr. W.O. Schumann, Project
>> Chronos, Chronos, Todt, Thorium, Forschung, Atom, Atom, Waffen, Projekt,
>> Bienenstock, Geheimnis, die Glocke, klassifiziert, Ertrag, Krieg,
>> Heeresversuchsanstalt, Heereswaffenamt, Ludwigslust-Parchim, Samuel
>> Goudsmit, CIOS, Oskar Packe, Arthur Rudolph, Major Morrisson, Oberleutnant
>> Burger.
>>
>> The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and
>> this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
>>
>> In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform
>> me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer
>> the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or
>> CD-ROM if not.
>>
>> Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I
>> look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business
>> days, as the statute requires.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Tino Von Struckmann
>>
>> Filed via MuckRock.com
>> E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com
>> Upload documents directly:
>> https://accounts.muckrock.com/accounts/login/?url_auth_token=AABJS2ncl51DRiDdn_9cXIvtgHo%3A1jsRsl%3AjKPX1h7biMAIWJ6R6sCo8v8EzzY&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Fnext%3D%252Faccounts%252Fagency_login%252Fnational-archives-and-records-administration-archival-or-special-access-15767%252Fdonald-w-richardson-us-army-19171997-oss-cic-special-agent-national-archives-and-records-administration-archival-or-special-access-97286%252F%253Femail%253Dspecialaccess_foia%252540nara.gov
>> Is this email coming to the wrong contact? Something else wrong? Use the
>> above link to let us know.
>>
>> For mailed responses, please address (see note):
>> MuckRock News
>> DEPT MR 97286
>> 411A Highland Ave
>> Somerville, MA 02144-2516
>>
>> PLEASE NOTE: This request is not filed by a MuckRock staff member, but is
>> being sent through MuckRock by the above in order to better track, share,
>> and manage public records requests. Also note that improperly addressed
>> (i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the
>> department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.
>>
>>

Dear Tino Von Struckmann:

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
of July 1, 2020, for records in the custody of the National Archives and
Records Administration. Your request was received in this office on July 2,
2020, and assigned FOIA tracking number 64212, interim tracking number
RF-099.

You requested FBI case files related to Hans Kammler. We conducted a search
of all available indexes transferred to the National Archives for Hans
Kammler and were unable to identify any FBI case files responsive to your
request in our holdings.

Because we were unable to identify any case files pertinent to your subject
of interest, we are closing your request administratively. This concludes
the processing of your request.

If you have not done so already, you may wish to submit a FOIA request to
the FBI for a search of their indexes for files relating to your subject.
Information about how to submit a FOIA request with the FBI is available on
their website at:
https://www.fbi.gov/services/records-management/foipa/requesting-fbi-records
.

If you are not satisfied with our action on this request, you have the
right to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days
from the date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be
delivered by regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you
preserve your rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the
deciding agency with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider
its decision. If you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be
addressed to the Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National
Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly
marked “FOIA Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to
foia@nara.gov, addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA
Appeal” in the subject line. Please be certain to explain why you believe
this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information
Act. All communications concerning this request should reference your FOIA
tracking number.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss our response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Michael Marquis

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

If you are unable to resolve your dispute through our Public Liaison, the
Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is the federal FOIA
ombudsman. OGIS offers mediation services to help resolve disputes between
FOIA requesters and federal agencies. You may contact OGIS at the following
address:

Office of Government Information Services (OGIS)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 2510

College Park, MD 20740-6001

ogis@nara.gov

202-741-5770

1-877-684-6448 (toll-free)

If you have additional questions, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Coon
Archivist
Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

stephanie.coon@nara.gov

301-837-1604

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia