ank el ' s ▁and ▁an ▁ar dent ▁supp orter ▁of ▁his ▁techn ological ▁endeav ors ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁He ▁now ▁helped ▁W ank el ▁to ▁get ▁state ▁contract s ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁W ank els ▁Vers uchs ▁Werk st ätten ▁in ▁Lind au . ▁W ank el ▁tried ▁to ▁re join ▁the ▁NS D AP ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁but ▁was ▁turned ▁down . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁Ke pp ler , ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁SS ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁in ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Ober st ur mb ann führ er . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁his ▁membership ▁was ▁rev oked ▁for ▁reasons ▁unknown . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁W ank el ▁developed ▁se als ▁and ▁rot ary ▁val ves ▁for ▁German ▁air ▁force ▁aircraft ▁and ▁n avy ▁tor ped o es , ▁for ▁B MW ▁and ▁Da im ler - B enz . ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁he ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁by ▁France ▁for ▁some ▁months ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁his ▁labor atory ▁was ▁closed ▁by ▁French ▁occupation ▁troops . ▁W ank el ' s ▁work ▁was ▁conf isc ated ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁doing ▁more ▁work . ▁However , ▁by ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁he ▁got ▁fund ing ▁from ▁the ▁Go et ze ▁AG ▁company ▁to ▁furn ish ▁the ▁new ▁Techn ical ▁Development ▁Center ▁in ▁his ▁private ▁house ▁in ▁Lind au ▁on ▁Lake ▁Const ance . ▁