Research and Development Branch

In the United States, the Research and Development Branch (abbreviated as R&D; informally referred to as the Department of Dirty Tricks) was a branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), whose mission was to research and develop new technologies to aide Allied missions against the Axis powers during World War II. Operating in conjunction with the National Defense Research Committee to fulfill the special requests by OSS Headquarters, R&D was responsible for designing, testing, and procuring specialized equipment to support covert and clandestine operations, improve intelligence collection, and enable sabotage activities. R&D adapted and refined many clandestine issue items and supplied equipment primarily to the Secret Intelligence (SI) and Special Operations (SO) branches of OSS. The inventions of R&D were originated both by members of the US government, and by average US citizens who would submit their ideas – by the thousands – to the National Inventors Council. Most of these publicly originated ideas were nonsensical, and R&D would occasionally be forced to entertain them, especially if they were generated by high-ranking government officials, such as the infamous bat bomb and cat bomb experiments.

R&D produced suppressed and flashless pistols, deployable crossbows, assorted explosive devices, concealed cameras, and invisible inks and also worked with contractors to produce the low-cost single-shot 45-caliber “Liberator” pistol. R&D created forged documents, such as passports, currency, and postage stamps, and the methods to create forged documents in the field. It produced escape-and-evasion aids and covert tools, such as a cyanide “L” capsule intended to prevent forced disclosure, compact photographic gear disguised as commonplace objects, and folding lock-picking sets. R&D also experimented with brainwashing and devices to aid in psychological operations.

In order to effectively distribute items to US commanders, the OSS produced a mail order catalogue entitled OSS Weapons. The catalogue was distributed to all major US commands during the war for their respective commanders to select and field certain items. OSS Weapons also included inventions from the other US branches, to include the Air Force and the Navy.