On the evening of May 10, 1941, Rudolf Hess climbed into a twin-engine fighter-bomber and took off alone. He was Hitler's deputy, the third-ranking man in the Nazi state. He was flying to Scotland, without permission, to make peace. Hess believed visions and supernatural forces had chosen him to stop his country fighting a war on two fronts. The plane had been fitted with extra fuel tanks for the long trip. To save weight, he carried no ammunition. Before leaving, he left a letter for Hitler, and an adjutant delivered it the next morning. This is the story of the strangest peace mission of the war, and of what happened when the Deputy Führer arrived. Would the British listen to a Nazi who dropped out of the sky?
Rudolf Hess Flies to Scotland
On May 10, 1941, Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess bailed out over Eaglesham, Scotland, after a solo flight of nearly 1,000 miles to seek peace.
Chapter 1
A Deputy Takes Off
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rudolf Hess fly to Scotland in 1941?
Hess, Hitler's deputy, wanted to make peace with Britain so that Germany would not have to fight a war on two fronts. He believed visions and supernatural forces had chosen him for the task. He hoped the Duke of Hamilton would carry his proposal to people who could accept it.
What did Hitler do when he learned of the flight?
Hitler was reportedly in an animal-like fury. On May 12, 1941, the government declared Hess a victim of delusions and hallucinations. Hitler stripped him of all party and state offices and ordered him shot on sight if he ever returned to Germany.
Was the prisoner in Spandau really Rudolf Hess?
Yes. A 2019 DNA study led by Jan Cemper-Kiesslich compared a blood sample taken from the prisoner in 1982 with DNA from a living Hess relative. It found a 99.99% probability of a biological match, ending the body double theory.
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