Determined to escape the oppressive Socialist regime in the German Democratic Republic, chemical engineer Bernd Böttger decided that his best chance to reach the West would be to do so by sea. He trained as a diver and worked on developing a vehicle to aid his endeavour in his automotive workshop in Dresden. Taking the two-stroke engine from a motorcycle, Böttger attached a propeller to its driveshaft and sealed the unit inside a fibreglass mat using polyester resin. He then added a fibreglass petrol tank and handles, intending to use his home-made torpedo to drag him through the water.