Anyone have reliable sources of info on the actual logistics of those trips? How many were there? Was there a specific strategy or type of relic they favored? Did they have a defined budget or scope? Were there archaeologists or military folks leading these trips, etc. It seems like even if you were a true believer, it would have required some kind of defined planning and not just "here's a wad of cash and a passport, come back with something cool..."

BONUS QUESTION - do we have any evidence of other modern-era countries doing anything similar? We often hear how "Hitler was nuts for the occult" but were there other leaders like Stalin or Mao who might have ordered similar missions?