At least two Nazi nuclear bombs are probably sitting in one of the many tunnels built by the Germans during World War II to hide Adolph Hitler's weapons, gold and other treasures, claims a retired engineer and amateur historian who says he used 3D modeling software to analyze the objects.
The supposed bombs are among five metal objects discovered by 70-year-old Peter Lohr in an underground chamber near the city of Chemnitz while using radar in 2012 to examine tunnels,
The Telegraph reported.
Lohr said based on recent 3D modeling he thinks at least two of them are nuclear weapons.
“The metal has been deposited in the soil for 71 years. Eventually, it will decompose, and we will have a second Chernobyl on our hands,” he told German newspaper
Bild.
Authorities haven't taken Lohr's claim seriously, The Telegraph noted, quoting Lohr as saying: "But the only result is that I’m not allowed to continue my research."
The tunnels in the Jonas Valley were built by slave laborers near the end of World War II, The Independent said. Their purpose isn't known.
The area was among the first to be liberated by U.S. troops in 1945. U.S. authorities removed technical equipment, destroyed the entrances to the tunnels and classified all documents relating to the labor camp for at least 100 years, the Independent said.
The tunnel system includes "thousands of caves, bunkers and storerooms," and some speculate that it was intended to hide Nazi leaders,
The Daily Mail reported.
Many believe the Nazis were close to building a nuclear weapon at the end of World War II, and the topic was the focus of a documentary called "The Search for Hitler's Atom Bomb."
Lohr's claim follows a different "Nazi discovery" last year by two amateur historians who said they found a train full of Nazi gold in a tunnel in Poland. Authorities followed up on the claims, but nothing was discovered,
The Local reported.