[zerooneinfinity]

Some of them seemed relieved the war was going to be over. It was also interesting they weren't that interested in winning.

HEISENBERG: One can't say that. One could equally well say "That's the quickest way of ending the war.” HAHN: That's what consoles me

WEIZSÄCKER: I believe the reason we didn't do it was because all the physicists didn't want to do it, on principle. If we had all wanted Germany to win the war we would have succeeded.

[meowface]

I'm skeptical that very many of them shared that view. And in fact, Hahn's immediate reply:

HAHN: I don't believe that but I am thankful we didn't succeed.

Hahn sounds fairly authoritative throughout this transcript, so I'm more inclined to believe him.

And later:

BAGGE: I think it is absurd for WEIZSÄCKER to say he did not want the thing to succeed. That may be so in his case, but not for all of us.

[whoopdedo]

Might they have known or suspected that they were being recorded? Their words may have been chosen to make them sound good were they to be brought before a tribunal.

[meowface]

Especially considering they were very familiar with an oppressive regime known for its secret police and intelligence gathering from various agencies.

[tptacek]

Another point made repeatedly in the transcript is the worry that if they'd gotten anywhere close to a nuclear weapon, British assassins would have killed them.