Read Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory Online

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

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory (65 page)

BOOK: Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
8.1Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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.

BOOK: Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
8.1Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

est by Adelaide Bry
A Philosophy of Walking by Frederic Gros
First Family by Joseph J. Ellis
Deadly Chase by Wendy Davy
Choices by Federici, Teresa
Murder in Mind by Lyndon Stacey
The Rat and the Serpent by Stephen Palmer
Opiniones de un payaso by Heinrich Böll
Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux