Franz von Rintelen

Who was Franz von Rintelen?

Captain Franz Dagobert Johannes von Rintelen 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 still-neutral United States in 1915, at age 38, on a false Swiss passport in the name of Emil V. Gasche. 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.