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.

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