World War II German Spy Rings: The United KIngdom


Figure 1.--.

The Germans before the War set up several spy rings in Britain. Both the Abwehr and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) were active. After the War began, MI-5 rapidy apprehended the German agents. Some turned themselves in to authorities. After the War began, the British very effectively ferreted out the ones that remained at large. The spies were given the choice of turning or bring tried and shot. This was MI-5's Double Cross system. The Germans were not aware of their failure because the turned agents kept reporting to Germany as if nothing had happened. The Germans kept tying to insert new agents after the War began. Some were apprehended near the beaches where they had landed by boat or U-boat. Many were arrested when they tried to contact agents the British had already arrested or turned. The Germans used various methods: parachutes, submarines, and travel through neutral countries. The neutral country route was the most important. It was facilitated by the fact that there so many refugees from the many different countries the Germans or Soviets had invaded seeking santuary in Britain at the time. One German spy was the Elyesa Bazna, the valet of the British ambassador to Turkey, Hughe Knatchbull-Huggessen. He worked under the codename Cicero. He was a British NAZI. He simply saw an opportunity to make money. He had no training in espionage. He sold the Germans the minutes from the 1943 Casablanca conference, in which the Allied demand for unconditional German surrender was first demanded. Anbassador Van Papen made use of the information in dealing with the Turkish Government. Both Ribbentrop and OKW, however, concluded that the documents were to good to be true and never accepted them as genuine. The Abwehr paid Bazna off in mostly forged money. The SS forced Jewish prisoners at the NAZI Sansanhausen concentration camp to forge the notes--Opperastion Bernhard. They were virtually undectable from real notes. The British finally determined who Cicero was (1944). There was nothing that could be done, Spying on the British was not a crime in Turkey. Bazna did get his comeupance when it was found that almost all the £300,000 he received was forged notes.

Internment of Enemy Alienes

Millions of Europeans were displaced by World War II. This began well before the War when Jews and political disidents were forced to fleethe country. Thus at the outbreak of the War (September 1939), there were substantial numbers of German citizens in Brtain, many of them were Jews and anti-NAZIs. The British detained 28,000 Germans (including Austrians). The pro- and anti-NAZIs were at first interned together in the same facilities. And as some of the Kinder Transport children began to turn 18, they were also interned. The British proceeded to intern all German nationals, regardless of their political orinentation or religion. Authorities did the same when Italy declated war (June 1940). The internment camps were on the Isle of Man. This was a location isolated from the British mainland and had holiday accommodation that becuse of the War could not be used. (The English Channel was no longer alace to take vacations.) The British classified these individuals as "Alien Civilians", the same term as used in World War I. The Government at first moved to move these alien civilians. The Government when a German invasion seemed eminent decided to move them to Canada nd Australia where they would not pose a danger. The 'Arandora Star' carrying German and Italian aliens was torpedoed and sunk (July 1940). The result was 743 deaths, including prisoners, crew, and guards aboard the vessels. There were 813 enemy aliens who survived. They were subsequently included in the 2,500 aliens men transported aboard 'HMT Dunera' for internment in Australia. There were a small number of German spies and saboteurs that the Germans had inserted or recruited. A few more were inserted during the War. The British MI-5 very quickly rounded up the German agents. We do not have details on how the British questioned the German agents. We do know there were a number of executions which was acceptable under internsaional law. The Brtish used he Tower of London during both World Wars for executions. Captured German spies were shot there. German Corporal Josef Jakobs was shot for espionage (August 15, 1941). Threatened with execution, MI-5 managed to turn several of the agents who were useful in transmitting disinformation to the Abwehr.

German Spy Rings

The Germans set up several spy rings in Britain or more accurately tried to do so. Both the Abwehr and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) were active. We do not have much information on German activity before the War. The British were suspious from an early point. A visiting Hitler Youth group was treated with some suspision. The Germans kept tying to insert new agents after the War began, especially after the fallmof Frabce (June 1940). Control of the French coast as well as large numbers of refugees pouring into the country created all kinds of opportunities for the Germans. And the Wehrmacht which thought it would be fighting an extended cmpaign in France, tuned its victorious forces toward Britain. Now inteligence on Britain was of huge importance. The Wehrmacht held a conference in Kiel (July 1940). The Germans used various methods: parachutes, submarines, and travel through neutral countries. [Macintyre, pp. 34-37.] The neutral country route was the most important. It was facilitated by the fact that there so many refugees from the many different countries the Germans or Soviets had invaded seeking santuary in Britain at the time. As far as we know, the German spy rings reported back no really valuable information to the Germans. This was, however, not the public perception in Britain.

Spy Mania

The British public at the time of World War II widely believed that the country was over run with large numbers of efficent and highly trained German spies. It was believed that they had throughly penetrated the country and well-integratedinto British society. Actually they were half-right. Britain had been penetrated by Sovit intelligence, but not by the Germans. And the Germans who had estblished themselves were not in important positions or very well trained. The difference was that that a substantial number of Britains had been indluenced by Socialist thought, incluing the labormovement and universities, and were this sympathetic to the Soviet Union. There was, however, little sympatthy for Hitler and the NAZIs. Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists had virtually no support among the great majority of British people. Churchill described it as 'spy-mania'.

Rounding-Up German Spies

After the War began, MI-5 rapidy apprehended the German agents. Some turned themselves in to authorities. After the War began, the British very effectively ferreted out the ones that remained at large. The German agents in contrast to the Soviet agents were apparently realtively easy to to spot because of their foreign extraction, poor training, and lack of sophistication. A key player in this proceess was Arthur Ownes (Snow), a Welsh nationalist, recruited by the Abwehr before the War. MI-5 turned him, but for good reason never trusted him. His Abwehr handlers did, They ordered agents they inserted by parachure jump and U-boats to get eation books and other forged ocuments from Owens. This was liked ordering them to register with MI-5. The process was made easier after Bletchly Park began cracking the German Enigma transmissions. The first decrypts were produced just as the Germans launched the invasion of Norway (April 1940). Within a year the the Blethy Park had cracked virtually akk the German networlks and were reading the messages in virtually real ime and regularly. After this, MI5 was actually receiving advanced warning of infiltration from the Germans themselves. A key player in the process wrote, by 1941 MI5 "actively ran and controlled the German espionage system in [the United Kingdom]." [Masterman, pp. 34-37.] German post-War sources confirm he was right. Not a single German agent escaped the British net. [Crowdy] Once arrested, the German spies were turned over to Captain Robert Stephens of MI-5 at Camp 020 (Latchmere house, Richmond). Stephens was a gifted interrogator, some used the adjetive 'notorious'. There MI-5 relentlessly picked apart their life history. After Stephns had what he needed, the agents were spirited away from Camp 020. Some were imprisoned while others were or executed. We are nor sure about the criteriin for decoding their fate. Therewas a third alternative. If Stephns detrminedthat they could used, they were offered the chance to turn double agent. [McIntypre, p. 4.] Thos might have been difficult had the Germans chosen committed NAZIs, buttghey did not. The British also aprehended new agents being inserted. Some were apprehended near the beaches where they had landed by boat or U-boat. Many were arrested when they tried to contact agents the British had already arrested or turned.

Double Cross

The German spies were given the choice of turning or bring tried and shot. This was MI-5's Double Cross system. The Germans were not aware of their failure because the turned agents kept reporting to Germany as if nothing had happened. At the sme time the SS began compiling lists of Brits for special treatment. The operations were run by MI-5's Twenty Committee chaired by John Cecil Masterman. MI-5 after the outbreak of the War quickly rounded up the German agents it what was called the Double Cross System. The British MI-5 very quickly rounded up the German agents early in the War. We do not have details on how the British questioned the German agents. Perhaps some of our readers will know something about this. We would guess that they were not treated like POWs with all the rights guaranteed by the Geneva Convention. We do know there were a number of executions which was acceptable under internsaional law. The Brtish used he Tower of London during both World Wars for executions. Captured German spies were shot there. German Corporal Josef Jakobs was shot for espionage (August 15, 1941). MI-5 appears to have apprehended all of the German agents placed during the War, possibly with the exception of one who committed suiside, although they did not know this until after the War. The Twenty Committee was named after the Roman numerals "XX". The Double Cross System was also called the XX System. It was MI-5s primary World War II anti-espionage and deception operation. Double Cross involved more than just finding the German agents. Threatened with execution, MI-5 managed to turn several of the agents who were useful in transmitting disinformation to the Abwehr. The initial MI-5 objective policy of MI5 during the war was initially to use the system for counter-espionage, tracking down foreign spies. Only as the War developed did MI-5 realize the possibility for deception. This was primarily after the British with American aid had begun to launch offensive operations. MI5 ran the "Double-cross" system to confuse and mislead the Germans. It was the most effective double operation of its kind during the War. One of the most important double-cross operatives was a Barcelona chicken farmer who walked in off the street. Juan Pujol was safe from the War in Spain, but decided to do what he could to opose the NAZIs. He had no training in espionage, but proved remarly able to tell lies and convince experienced inteligence agent. The Germans came to see him as one of their most valuable agents. The British at first did not take him seriously and then did not trust him. His code name was Garbo and he played a key role in comvincing the Germans that there as a million-man army in Kent preoparing to invade at the Pas de Calais. And as part of that deception he convinced the Germans that he ran a network of spies in Britain. [Talty] This was all part of the greatest Allied deception of the War, misleading the the Germans about the location of the D-Day landings. As the landings were launched from England, this was primarily, but not entirely a British achievement. Garbo was part of this and amazingly he managed to sustain the deception even after the Allies landed in Normandt (June 1944). As result, powerful German armored divisions remained north of the Seine while the dcisive battle for Normandy unfolded.

Einsatzgruppen

German agencies after Hitler issued Führer Directive 16 began preparing for not only the invasion, but for occupying a subgegated Britin. This included setting up Eisatzgruppen. What we do not understand is why the Germans did not organize Einsatzgruppen for France, but did for Britain. And here the racial aspect further confuses the history. The SS decided there was only limited genetic material to be havested in France, but that the British were a kindred Aryan people. For what ever reason, the Germans decided that the subgegation of Britain required Einsatzgruppen. Walter Schellenberg, director of the counter espionage unit of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Head Office of Reich Security--RSHA) prepared a secret occupation handbook. (Schellenberg was recruited by SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich and would later become the top German intelligence officer after British agents shot Heydrich and Abwher head, Admiral Canaris was arrested.) His handbook would have been proven useful by occupation authorities. It offered detailed informtion on a wide range of topics concerning Britain and the Empire. There were detailed analyses of both the political and economic system. Individual chapters covered an impressive list of topics, everything from Parliament and public schools to freemasonry a prenial NAZI target. The book also discussed the Boy Scouts, probably because of the importance of the Hitler Youth in Germany. Schellenberg's book today provides modern historians insights into exactly how the Germans viewed Britain. Some of it is insightful. Other sections are largely projections of twisted NAZI ideology. The most chilling section was the Sonderfahndungsliste G.B.--Special Search List for Great Britin (black book). This is what the French avoided by surrendering to the Germans and collaborating. (Of course what would have happened after the Germans won the War does not seem to have occurred to the Vichy men.) The price of British resistance was to be high. Schellenberg's black book listed 2,820 individuals who the SS would take into 'protective custody'. The people were chosen by Schellenberg's counter espionage unit with input by sympathetic British Fascists although we do not know just how the selection process worked. The Sonderfahndungsliste was the British version of the Sonderfahndungsbuch Polen--Special Prosecution Book--Poland. The SS Einsatzgruppen in Poland summarily shot thousands of civilians on the list. Churchill was of course at the top of the list as was Chamberlain. And individuals they had scores to settle with, such as Col. Kenneth Strong, a former British military attache at the British Embassy in Berlin.

Neutral Countries

German agents in neutral countries also targeted the British. One of the most successful was an agent in Turkey. Elyesa Bazna was the valet of the British ambassador to Turkey, Hughe Knatchbull-Huggessen. He worked under the codename Cicero. He was a British NAZI. He simply saw an opportunity to make money. He had no training in espionage. He sold the Germans the minutes from the 1943 Casablanca conference, in which the Allied demand for unconditional German surrender was first demanded. Anbassador Van Papen made use of the information in dealing with the Turkish Government. Both Ribbentrop and OKW, however, concluded that the documents were to good to be true and never accepted them as genuine. The Abwehr paid Bazna off in mostly forged money. The SS forced Jewish prisoners at the NAZI Sansanhausen concentration camp to forge the notes--Opperastion Bernhard. They were virtually undectable from real notes. The British finally determined who Cicero was (1944). There was nothing that could be done, Spying on the British was not a crime in Turkey. Bazna did get his comeupance when it was found that almost all the £300,000 he received was forged notes.

Sources

Crowdy, Terry. Deceiving Hitler: Double-Cross and Deception in World War II (Osprey Publishing, 2011).

Macintyre, Ben. Double Cross: The True Story of The D-Day Spies (Bloomsbury Publishing: 2012).

Masterman, John C. The Double-Cross System in the War of 1939 to 1945 (Australian National University Press, 1972. Masteman would head the Double Cross Twenty Committee. He privateky compiled this account afterthe War (1945).






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Created: 7:49 AM 12/5/2010
Last updated: 11:32 PM 6/29/2015