Hans Otto Mauksch Materials
name: label: Collection Donor
content: Baer, Ralph H., 1922-2014
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ralph H. Baer Papers
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1944 - 1964
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0854, Series 3
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This series consists primarily of textual documents and photographs describing the military intelligence group activities during World War II in Europe. Hans Otto Mauksch (1917-1993) and Ralph Baer were assigned to the Military Intelligence Training team (12th Reinforcement Depot) during World War II in Europe. Baer met Mauksch on the Mata Roa, a British freighter while traveling from New York to Liverpool in 1944.

Hans O. Mauksch was the leader of the military intelligence group in England and was the first to conceive of the idea of a military intelligence team to train troops on enemy subjects. Sent to Europe in February 1944, Mauksch led an effort to amass enemy weapons for the purposes of establishing a museum in Tidworth, England, to train officers and enlisted men to handle enemy weapons and to learn quickly their characteristics and capabilities. Ultimately, a small arms museum was established in France and then arms were shipped to the United States to establish small arms exhibits, particularly at Ft. Riley, Kansas.