▁& ▁Bis erta ) ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁W ern her ▁von ▁Braun ▁had ▁realized ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁that ▁things ▁were ▁going ▁wrong ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁was ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁the ▁General ▁Electric ▁Corporation ▁through ▁the ▁German ▁Emb ass y ▁in ▁Portugal , ▁with ▁a ▁view ▁to ▁coming ▁to ▁some ▁arrangement . ▁ ▁Post ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁In ▁mid - August ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁after ▁taking ▁part ▁in ▁Operation ▁Back fire , ▁D orn berger ▁was ▁esc orted ▁from ▁C ux h aven ▁to ▁London ▁for ▁inter rog ation ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁War ▁Cr imes ▁Investig ation ▁Unit ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁slave ▁labor ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁V - 2 ▁rock ets ; ▁he ▁was ▁subsequently ▁transferred ▁and ▁det ained ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁at ▁Br id g end ▁in ▁South ▁Wales . ▁ ▁Al ong ▁with ▁some ▁other ▁German ▁ro cket ▁scient ists , ▁D orn berger ▁was ▁released ▁and ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁Operation ▁Pap erc lip , ▁and ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁for ▁three ▁years , ▁developing ▁gu ided ▁miss iles . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Bell ▁A ircraft ▁Corporation ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁several ▁projects , ▁rising ▁to ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Vice - Pres ident . ▁He ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁X - 1 5 ▁aircraft ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁key ▁consult