One of the limitations with utilizing leaflets during World War II was that mass numbers of leaflets needed to be dispersed to increase the probability that the leaflets would eventually reach their intended target audience. Even so, factors such as weather conditions and other variables decreased the chances that the leaflets would ever reach their intended target audience.
Another problem was that the Nazi's were well versed in the use of propaganda and leaflets. Therefore, if they became aware of a leaflet drop, every effort would be made to gather up and destroy the leaflets before they could be reached by their intended audience. Thus the idea was conceived for "Operation Cornflakes".
What if instead of dropping leaflets by chance, they could be delivered directly to their intended audience, right to their breakfast table (hence the name "Cornflakes")?
The idea was to bomb the German mail trains northward bound for the Reich with P-38 fighter bombers. After the bombers stopped the train with their bombing and strafing fire, they would drop mail bags filled with propaganda letters into the wreckage. The German would find the bags and mistakenly presume they came from the damaged train. They would then transfer the bags and deliver them as normal mail.
This project required a great deal of pre-planning. German POWs who had been postal clerks were questioned on regulations, details of postal cancellations and the correct methods for packing and labeling mail sacks.
Over two million names were chosen from the Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Vienna telephone books. Over 15,000 envelo0pes per week were were addressed by an army of clerks and typists using different typewriters and handwriting to avoid suspicion
The first mission was on February 5, 1945. A train on its way to Linz in Austria was attacked and the engine destroyed. Eight mail bags, each carrying 800 letters were dropped on the target. The destination for the mail which had been franked immediately prior to take off coincided with the towns along the route of the target train, thus easily mistakened to have come from the destroyed train.
The envelopes were sent to both military and civilians. The contents of the envelopes for varied. Among the items sent were : A newsletter "Der jager der Sudfront" (The South Front Hunter), was sent to troops on the Italian front. Forged military envelopes had a message from the "League of German Partisans", suggesting that there was a widespread peace movement within the Army. Perhaps the most low-handed of the letters was a letter from "The League of Lonely Women". This letter, which was sent to combat troops at the front, asked the service member
"When are you coming on leave? We are waiting for you in any strange town you may pass through. Cut off the League Symbol from the letter. Stick it on your glass when you are in any cafe, in any bar near a station. Soon a member will be with you, and all the traumas of fighting will disappear in the beauty of the night."
The catch of course came in the blow to the combat service member's morale when they read the final line of the letter which stated:
"Don't be shy. your wife, sister or loved one is also one of us."
A total of 120 mailbags were dropped on wrecked trains. Although it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of "Operations Cornflakes". Its method in using the enemy to deliver the message to the target audience remains today one of the most ingenious methods of propaganda media delivery.
