British used astrologer against Hitler

LONDON, March 4 (UPI) -- The British intelligence service used a self-proclaimed modern day Nostradamus to develop war strategies against Adolf Hitler, recently surfaced reports say.

Louis De Wohl, a German with an alleged penchant for cigars and cross-dressing, was an astrologer working for the British MI5 during the 1940s. He was courted by high-ranking intelligence officials to develop information on the date of the German invasion of London to the best dates for battle, the Independent said Tuesday.

De Wohl wrote a report in 1943 that said it was important to utilize astrology when developing strategies against Germany because Hitler allegedly employed seers and astrologers.

"It is entirely irrelevant whether we ourselves regard astrological advice as valuable and scientific or as useless nonsense. All that matters is that Hitler follows its rules," he wrote.

The newly surfaced documents say De Wohl calculated Nazi forces were vulnerable during Hitler's astrological sign -- Taurus with Libra rising -- and MI5 sent him to the United States to persuade Washington to take advantage of the opportunity by joining the war effort under that premise, the Times of London said.

De Wohl moved to England from Germany as a "enemy alien" in 1935.