20. Could Operation Pastorius have worked if Dasch hadn’t approached the FBI?
When Dasch decided to approach the FBI with the story of Operation Pastorius he had already been compromised. He was the only one of the eight saboteurs to have been seen clearly enough to later be identified. The Coast Guard notified the FBI of the discovered explosives and the German uniforms, buried in the sand. Through the use of a double agent, the FBI had successfully unraveled the Duquesne network of German espionage agents the year before, obtaining a total of 33 convictions. Its powers were formidable. Whether they could have discovered the extent of Pastorius in time to stop any bombings is speculative. But the German plans for a lengthy bombing campaign would likely have failed.
The apparent focus on the aluminum industry would have revealed itself, and security at all facilities involved would have been stepped up. Suspicion of German saboteurs would have brought all German-Americans under increased scrutiny. One of the reasons the FBI initially disbelieved Dasch was the bureau was already deluged with calls and letters denouncing German-Americans (and Italian and Japanese), and they created an office to sort through which were believable and which were not. Pastorius may have been able to create some damage and public shock at the beginning, but likely not in the grandiose manner desired by the Germans.