There are many rumors and legends that Nazi Germany allegedly established a secret base in Antarctica under the number 211.
These stories became popular after the war and have become enriched with many details, including allegedly captured documents and testimonies from German submariners. According to rumors and urban legends, Hitler was interested in establishing such bases, and in late 1936 Reichsführer SS Himmler informed him of the discovery of ice-free areas in Antarctica, which served as the basis for the construction of ‘New Berlin’. According to this version, numerous expeditions with scientists and engineers were sent to Antarctica to build underground complexes.
However, historical data and scientific research do not confirm the existence of such a base. Neither Soviet nor American research expeditions have found any traces of Nazi presence in the region. Moreover, most of the documents on which these theories are based are either forged or misinterpreted. The popularization of the myth of Base 211 is linked to post-war rumors and ‘leaks’ from supposedly knowledgeable sources that have never been confirmed. These stories have resonated in popular culture, but remain part of fantastic speculation rather than real history.
According to urban legends, Hitler took a constant and keen interest in finding places to set up top-secret bases. In late 1936, however, this interest suddenly waned. It is quite difficult to believe that the Fuhrer could so easily abandon an idea that seemed promising to him. What lies behind the mystery of his sudden indifference to the issue? The answer to this question is not so mysterious: during this period, Reichsführer SS Himmler informed Hitler that several suitable locations for the construction of top-secret facilities have been found, and SS specialists are ready to begin construction. Some of them were planned to be located in remote mountainous areas of South America, which were virtually inaccessible due to the lack of roads and were out of sight from the air, because over them did not pass airlines.
However, Hitler's strongest interest was aroused by Himmler's report that the Reich Navy had discovered vast areas free of ice near Queen Maud Land in the Antarctic. Hitler immediately reacted to this by stating, ‘We have experience in building in ice, during World War I we in the Alps successfully fought in ice tunnels.’ Hitler considered this region more promising than bases in the South American Andes. Under conditions of strict secrecy, a special expedition was sent to Antarctica, and based on the results of the scientific report Himmler ordered to begin work on the creation of secret military facilities. Already since the end of 1937 in Antarctica from the ports of the Reich, Spain, Portugal and even Spanish Morocco began to send ships with expeditions, which included specialists in the construction of underground facilities. The work was carried out on a large scale, with the participation of experienced geologists, glaciologists, hydrobiologists and other specialists.
German cargo ships departing from different ports met at predetermined locations on the high seas, forming caravans that travelled under the protection of warships, aircraft and submarines. Large shipments of food, fuel, machine tools and building materials were constantly delivered. Soon began the creation of a huge underground base in Antarctica, code-named ‘New Berlin’ and number 211 in secret documents. Any leakage of information about the base was strictly forbidden, and anyone who made a mistake could pay with his life.
Before the outbreak of World War II, a system of underground complexes was established in Antarctica, where an SS garrison was stationed to work on the development of new weapons. The New Berlin secret base, also known as the Third Reich's ice cache number 211, was guarded by submarines ordered to sink any ships that crossed the route of German convoys travelling from South America to the shores of Queen Maud Land. According to the US Navy, in 1945 two German submarines, U-977 and U-530, commanded by Heinz Schaumfler and Otto Vermuta, were driven into an estuary off the coast of Argentina by American submarine hunters. This happened in April, when the outcome of the war was already clear and the crews preferred to surrender rather than destroy themselves or engage in a final battle.
From the testimonies of German submariners it became known about the existence of a secret base 211 in the Antarctic, which caused a real shock to the American command. The Allies had no idea of the existence of such a facility. It is not known whether this data was passed on to Soviet representatives, as there is no mention of it in open Soviet sources. When the information about ‘New Berlin’ became known, journalists turned for comments to the Institute of Arctic and Antarctic of the Russian Academy of Sciences. They were informed that the Soviet expeditions did not find any traces of Nazi presence in Antarctica, but they had not set such tasks for them.
After the surrender of Japan, the United States, encouraged by the victory, decided to carry out an operation code-named ‘The Great Leap’, the purpose of which was to destroy base number 211. In Antarctica under the command of Admiral Richard Baird sent a squadron of 13 warships with aircraft and about 4000 soldiers. In his diary, the admiral noted that on approaching the shore, which appeared to be virtually free of ice, he boarded the deck of an aircraft carrier and travelled with a radio operator in a C-47 aircraft to coordinate air operations. However, their aircraft was suddenly attacked by strange flying machines with a rotating underside that he found it difficult to describe in detail. These craft also attacked the American squadron, and the admiral's aircraft was forced to land.
They were met on the ground by three men in unmarked fur overalls who gestured for them to leave the aircraft and escorted them to an underground structure that resembled an aircraft hangar. There, in decent English with an accent, the admiral was given a message for the U.S. government warning against the use of nuclear weapons, which could lead to catastrophic consequences. After that, the admiral and his crew were released, and the squadron was forced to retreat.
Upon returning to the United States, Baird told of a mysterious Third Reich cache run by the SS, but few believed his story, especially after the mention of strange aircraft. Soon the admiral was no longer listened to even tabloid journalists, and he himself was probably quietly retired to forget about his unsuccessful campaign and his stories. The fate of Base 211 remains unknown. Perhaps it was destroyed by a natural cataclysm or the Nazis managed to move it to another continent, hiding all traces. The ice cache, created on Hitler's orders, remains one of the unsolved mysteries. What do you think?
