Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory (65 page)
Authors: Ben Macintyre
Tags: #General, #Psychology, #Europe, #History, #Great Britain, #20th Century, #Political Freedom & Security, #Intelligence, #Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence, #Political Science, #Espionage, #Modern, #World War, #1939-1945, #Military, #Italy, #Naval, #World War II, #Secret service, #Sicily (Italy), #Deception, #Military - World War II, #War, #History - Military, #Military - Naval, #Military - 20th century, #World War; 1939-1945, #Deception - Spain - Atlantic Coast - History - 20th century, #Naval History - World War II, #Ewen, #Military - Intelligence, #World War; 1939-1945 - Secret service - Great Britain, #Sicily (Italy) - History; Military - 20th century, #1939-1945 - Secret service - Great Britain, #Atlantic Coast (Spain), #1939-1945 - Spain - Atlantic Coast, #1939-1945 - Campaigns - Italy - Sicily, #Intelligence Operations, #Deception - Great Britain - History - 20th century, #Atlantic Coast (Spain) - History, #Montagu, #Atlantic Coast (Spain) - History; Military - 20th century, #Sicily (Italy) - History, #World War; 1939-1945 - Campaigns - Italy - Sicily, #Operation Mincemeat, #Montagu; Ewen, #World War; 1939-1945 - Spain - Atlantic Coast
31
“accurate information regarding”: Ibid.
32
“either because they were afraid”: Ibid.
33
“Either because of the junior rank”: Ibid.
34
“forwarded, unopened”: ABW 2282/43 CAB 154/101.
35
“only scanty information”: J. H. Bevan, memo, May 3, 1943, TNA, CAB 154/67.
36
“Mincemeat was found by”: Ibid.
37
“We sweat away, 11 of us”: Ewen Montagu to “Ginger,” July 6, 1943, Montagu Papers.
38
“It is requested that I may”: Undated note, Montagu Papers.
39
“I always was a selfish shit”: Ewen Montagu to “Ginger,” July 6, 1943, Montagu Papers.
40
“I have never been able”: Ibid.
41
“If I had made a slip in the preparation”: Ibid.
42
“Official procedure is always”: NA [naval attaché] to Department of Naval Intelligence, May 5, 1943, 1823, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.
43
“informed that they had not”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.
44
“Again they failed”: Ibid.
45
“an official of the [Cádiz] Marine”: ABW 2282/43, CAB 154/101.
46
“did not dare approach”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.
47
“an assiduous worker for the Germans”: Ibid.
48
“that he had heard about the body”: Ibid.
49
“many privileges and facilities”: Ibid.
50
“unable to obtain any fresh”: Ibid.
51
“certain high officials in the police”: Ibid.
52
“Great interest was aroused”: Ibid.
53
“Groizar fostered this interest”: Ibid.
54
“One can’t imagine”: Stanley G. Payne,
Franco and Hitler: Spain, Germany and World War II
(London, 2008), p. 150.
55
“in the hope that he will come to Spain”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.
56
“approaches were made by the Germans”: Ibid.
Chapter Seventeen: Kühlenthal’s Coup
1
“Red Indians”: Macintyre,
For Your Eyes Only
, p. 32.
2
“a Spanish Staff Officer”: Abw Telegram Nr 2282/43, Spain to FHW, May 15, 1943, TNA, CAB 154/101, p. 203.
3
“with whom we have been in contact”: “Appendix to Operation Mincemeat,” TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 459.
4
“my Spanish agent in the General Staff”: Ian Colvin,
The Unknown Courier
(London, 1953), p. 95.
5
“case officer”: Abw Telegram Nr 2282/43, Spain to FHW, May 15, 1943, TNA, CAB 154/101, p. 203.
6
“Those seals held the envelopes”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 453.
7
“It was possible to extract”: Report of Special Examiners, May 21, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #5.
8
“The Spaniards had, very intelligently”: “Appendix to Operation Mincemeat,” TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 459.
9
“They seemed to me to be”: Colvin,
Unknown Courier
, p. 95.
10
“A short white-haired man”: Ibid., p. 34.
11
“These letters mentioned”: Ibid., p. 95.
12
“the strategic considerations”: Ibid.
13
“I took them to the basement”: Ibid.
14
“there was no trace whatever”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 453.
15
“the importance attached to them”: Colvin,
Unknown Courier
, p. 96.
16
“left Madrid hurriedly for Berlin”: Most Secret Source message, April 7, 1943, TNA, KV2/102.
17
“all the effects and papers”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 453.
18
“They are all there”: NA [naval attaché] Madrid to Department of Naval Intelligence, Telegram 111925, May 12, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #1.
19
“From his manner it was obvious”: Ibid.
20
“It is obvious [that the] contents of [the] bag”: Ibid.
21
“While I do not believe”: Ibid.
22
“If you concur I will ask”: Ibid.
23
“the genuineness of the report”: Rick Atkinson,
The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy 1943–1945
(London, 2007), p. 6.
24
“He is absolutely sick of the generals”: Ibid.
25
“Behind his rimless spectacles”: David Kahn,
Hitler’s Spies: German Military Intelligence in World War II
(New York, 2000), p. 424.
26
“The Germans studied each phrase”: Ewen Montagu, “Draft Proposal for Compiler of MI5 History,” July 24, 1945, IWM 97/45/1, folder #1.
27
“Discovery of the English Courier”: TNA, CAB 154/101, p. 200.
28
“On the corpse of an English courier”: Ibid.
29
“an experienced specialist”: Ibid.
30
“Large scale amphibious operations”: Ibid.
31
“A jocular remark in this letter”: Ibid.
32
“The proposed cover operation”: Ibid.
33
“operation could be mounted”: Ibid.
34
“still in action”: Ibid.
35
“must first be rested”: Ibid.
36
“at least two or three weeks”: Ibid.
37
“It is known to the British Staff”: Ibid.
38
“It is, therefore, to be hoped”: Ibid.
39
“initiate a misleading plan”: Ibid.
40
“News of this discovery will”: Ibid.
41
“The circumstances of the discovery”: Ibid.
42
“unless these were clearly”: Thaddeus Holt,
The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War
(London, 2004), p. 102.
43
“wishfulness”: John Godfrey, “Afterthoughts,” TNA, ADM 223/619, p. 10.
Chapter Eighteen: Mincemeat Digested
1
“Hitler had implicit faith”: David Alan Johnson,
Righteous Deception: German Officers Against Hitler
(Westport, Conn., 2001), p. 77.
2
“the Western allies would protest”: Ibid.
3
“exactly what Hitler wanted to hear”: Ibid.
4
“Hitler was greatly impressed”: Ibid.
5
“It was his mission to produce”: Ibid. p. 78.
6
“an intellectual but”: David Kahn,
Hitler’s Spies: German Military Intelligence in World War II
(New York, 2000), p. 426.
7
“because of their origins”: Ibid.
8
“if Germany should give in to”: Thaddeus Holt,
The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War
(London, 2004), p. 101.
9
“his way of fighting the Nazi war”: Johnson,
Righteous Deception
, p.
10
“In a moment now I shall be going”: Cited in Albert Edward Day,
Dialogue and Destiny
(New York, 1981), p. 91.
11
“absolutely convincing proof”: TNA, CAB 154/101, p. 200.
12
“resounding Abwehr success”: Ibid.
13
“frousty, peevish and petulant”: John Godfrey, “Afterthoughts,” TNA, ADM 223/619, p. 63.
14
“he had to duck each time he had”: TNA, ADM 223/792.
15
“surprising that we only have five”: Ibid.
16
“an enemy landing on a large scale”: Most Secret Source report 2571/ T4, TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 456.
17
“a source which may be regarded”: Ibid.
18
“It is very unusual for an intelligence”: Naval Intelligence Department 12 report, September 2, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.
19
“So far as I can recollect”: Ibid.
20
“Everyone jumped up and down”: Pat Davies, interview with the author, October 4, 2009.
21
“almost certain”: Most Secret Source report 2571/T4, TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 456.
22
“similar details from the letter”: Ibid.
23
“the Germans were reinforcing”: Unpublished note in Montagu Papers, October 7, 1976, IWM 97/45/1, folder #4.
24
“wonderful days”: Ibid.
25
“the right people and from best”: Michael Howard,
Grand Strategy
(London, 1972), p. 370.
26
“You will be pleased to learn”: Ewen Montagu,
The Man Who Never
Was
(Oxford, 1996), p. 176.
27
“Friday was almost too good”: Ewen Montagu to Iris Montagu, May 16, 1943, Montagu Letters.
28
“proved that we had convinced them”: Ewen Montagu, unpublished, undated account, October 7, 1976, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.
29
“According to information”: F. W. Deakin,
The Brutal Friendship: Mussolini, Hitler and the Fall of Italian Fascism
(London, 1962), p. 376.
30
“in strict confidence”: Ibid., p. 377.
31
“Jordana begged me not to”: Ibid.