In its 10.00 p.m. news bulletin on Monday 11 May 1941, Munich Radio broadcast the following statement:
It is officially announced by the National Socialist Party that Party Member Rudolf Hess, who, because he has been suffering from a progressive illness for several years, had been strictly forbidden by the Führer to engage in any further flying activity, was able, contrary to this command, to come into possession of an aircraft again.
On Saturday 10 May at about 6.00 p.m., Rudolf Hess set out on a flight from Augsburg from which he has not so far returned. A letter he left behind unfortunately shows by its distractedness traces of a mental disorder, and it is feared that he was a victim of hallucinations.
The Führer ordered the immediate arrest of the adjutants of Party Member Hess, who alone had any knowledge of the flight, and did nothing either to prevent or report it, in contravention of the Führer’s command, of which they were fully aware.
In the circumstances, it must be presumed that Party Member Hess either jumped out of his aircraft or has met with an accident.
At 11.23 p.m. the same evening, the following statement was issued by the Ministry of Information in Great Britain:
Rudolf Hess, the Deputy Führer of Germany and Party Leader of the National Socialist Party, has landed in Scotland in the following circumstances.
On the night of Saturday the 10th instant, a Messerschmitt 110 was reported by our patrols to have crossed the coast of Scotland and be flying in the direction of Glasgow.
Since an Me 110 would not have the fuel to return to Germany, this report was at first disbelieved.
However, later on, an Me 110 crashed near Glasgow, with its guns untouched. Shortly afterwards, a German officer who had baled out was found with his parachute in the neighbourhood suffering from a broken ankle.
He was taken to hospital in Glasgow, where he at first gave his name as Horn, but later on declared that he was Rudolf Hess. He brought with him various photographs of himself at different ages, apparently in order to establish his identity.
These photographs were deemed to be photographs of Hess by several people who knew him personally. Accordingly, an officer of the Foreign Office who was closely acquainted with Hess before the war has been sent up by aeroplane to see him in hospital.
Later that week, a second statement was issued by the German Government:
As far as it is possible to tell from papers left behind by Party Member Hess, it seems that he lived in a state of hallucination, as a result of which he felt he could bring about an understanding between England and Germany.
According to a report from London, it is established that Hess jumped from his aircraft near the town which he was trying to reach, and was found there, injured.
The National Socialist Party regrets that this idealist fell a victim of his hallucinations. This, however, will have no effect on the continuation of the war which has been forced upon Germany.
Dr Karl Haushofer, head of the Geopolitical Institute, Willi Messerschmitt, Frau Hess and others have been arrested.