Allied intelligence reports on wartime German penicillin research and production

Abstract

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Chapter 5 Zones of Inhibition? The Transfer of Information Relating to Penicillin in Europe during World War II

“…This was indeed put to effect at a number of laboratories throughout Germany. These efforts first came to light in a series of intelligence reports that were mentioned above and are described in greater detail in Shama and Reinarz (2002). Previous to this particular study, German activities in the field of penicillin research had been described in work published in German an excellent example being (Pieroth, 1992).…”

“…This was the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) located in Baarn near Utrecht. Shama and Reinarz (2002) had previously speculated that the time when German scientists found out about penicillin was in the autumn of 1942. This date was arrived at from letters that were received at the CBS from Germany.…”

“…It may originally have done so, however, repeated subculturing since its deposition at the CBS probably just after 1911 for the purposes of maintenance would have meant that the trait would have not been preserved as it pre-dated even Fleming's work (R.H. Sansom, personal communication, 2001). Shama and Reinarz (2002) had previously stated that the CBS did not possess the strain at the time. However, new information has come to light that suggests that this assertion may have been incorrect.…”

“…Similar fears had led Florey to seek American industrial help in mass-producing penicillin simply because American plants would have been beyond the reach of the Luftwaffe. When finally the need for a coordinating committee was appreciated by German researchers and a meeting called in Berlin in October 1944, the stark realisation was made that it was already too late as the necessary raw materials and plant necessary would never be made available (Shama and Reinarz, 2002). The diverse and disparate attempts to isolate penicillin-producing moulds would almost certainly have led to the isolation of novel antibiotic compounds; an example being the work of von Kennel et al (1943).…”

Auntibiotics: the BBC, penicillin, and the second world war

“…One possible source was the mould culture collection in Baarn, the Netherlands, to which a number of German agencies addressed themselves, beginning in the autumn of 1942, with demands for cultures of Penicillium notatum. [2] Smuggled copies of journals from neutral countries also provided information and there is even an incident of leaflets dropped by the Royal Air Force that describe penicillin. [3] Added to these sources of information were foreign language broadcasts of the BBC.…”