Intelligence Operations & Units During WW2

[Jerome]

And...another:

by Kirk Ford

Synopsis

During the Second World War few countries provided a more difficult challenge for Gen. "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of Strategic Services than did Yugoslavia. Working with its British counterpart, OSS sought to sustain the Yugoslav resistance in its struggle against the Axis occupiers. Unfortunately, OSS personnel, who first began entering the country in the late summer of 1943, found themselves caught up in a ruthless civil war between Draza Mihailovich's Nationalists or Chetniks and Josip Broz Tito's Partisans. OSS enjoyed some notable successes, ferrying badly needed supplies to Tito in the fall of 1943, assisting in the evacuation of hundreds of Allied airmen, and collecting valuable military and political intelligence. On the other hand, President Roosevelt's decision to allow Prime Minister Churchill to play the Allied hand in the Balkans meant that the agency would have almost no influence on Allied policy. Kirk Ford, Jr., has mined the recently declassified operational records of the OSS and conducted interviews or correspondence with more than sixty of the surviving participants of the events in Yugoslavia. His findings challenge the view of Mihailovich as collaborator and Tito as liberator while shedding new light on both the motives behind Allied policy decisions and the extent to which these decisions affected the internal balance of power in Yugoslavia. By telling the story of the dangers OSS operatives faced behind enemy lines and by tracing the relationship between the OSS and British intelligence, Ford reveals that intrigue, deception, and secrecy were not activities reserved exclusively for the enemy.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good post, thanks Jerome.

[Jerome]

Here's another upcoming release on a previously neglected topic:

Mussolini's Spies: Italian Military Espionage, 1940-1943

by Giuseppe Conti

Synopsis

Based on recently available archives this is the first in-depth scholarly study of Italian military espionage during World War II. Italy's ultimate demise in the course of the war becomes clear in reading this book that is filled with previously unknown data and shows how Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini managed and mismanaged Italy's war machine.

In spite of the erratic directives that were periodically handed down from the top, Italian military intelligence was able to produce valuable information that was not taken into account or misinterpreted by those in charge. The espionage and counterespionage sections that had been so effective during the pre-war period suddenly fell back in the contest with Italy's enemies. How did this happen and what were the decisions that led to fascist Italy's defeat are the questions answered in this work that fills a gap in the history of the Second World War and its vital military intelligence component.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Jerome I appreciate you highlighting this - add to my TBR.

[Jerome]

No problem, Geevee.

[carl]

Does look like an interesting one.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This book looks quite interesting and offers a details account of 'Operation Crossbow':


by Allan Williams
Description:
The story of the aerial reconnaissance operation at Medmenham in Buckinghamshire, also known as MI4, is one of the great lost stories of World War Two. As the great RV Jones, Chief Scientist, British Government 1945 said, 'We might possibly have won the war without Enigma but we couldn't have won it without the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.'

During the War nearly 300 million photographs, the majority stereoscopic, were taken by allied reconnaissance aircraft. At Medmenham's peak in 1944, nearly two thousand people were employed to interpret photographs and send out intelligence to front-line commanders in all the European theatres of war. Such was their skill and professionalism that it was said that an aircraft could land, the photographs be developed, plotted, interpreted and a brief be on the front-line commander's desk within two hours.

Their finest hour came in 1943 when a small team headed by the redoubtable Miss Constance Babington Smith found a strange and unknown line of buildings being constructed inland from the French Atlantic coast. She and her team under the code names Operation CROSSBOW and BODYLINE found the first V-1 on imagery, thus revealing the true extent of development of this 'Vengeance' (Strictly translated 'Reprisal') Weapon. Through their skill and dedication and the heroism of the allied pilots 92 of the 96 sites were found and destroyed in 1943, delaying the deployment of these weapons until after D-Day certainly saving many tens of thousands of lives, allowing the invasion of Europe to actually take place and as a consequence contributing significantly to the winning of the war.

This is a wonderful human story of derring-do. With access to hitherto unseen documentary and photographic sources at Medmenham, Allan Williams tells the real story for the first time.

[happy]

I just finished Douglas Waller's

While not totally contained in World War II, more than half the book is the tale of the OSS creation and operations

my thoughts

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Charles]

Geevee wrote: "Aye Mike I got it from knowing your knowledge on WWII etc plus your your clue being "huh?" and wanted to help with the right title for others. Sorry if it came across otherwise.

They are lazy an..."

Saw the ad for Ricky Gervais' Extras on Dave the other night with Ross Kemp saying SAS stood for "Super Army Soldiers"...

:lol:

[Tomi]

While searching for a map of the Eastern Front to help me understand the book I'm reading, I came across this site with excellent pictures of the battles in Russia:

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/20...

Hope this is the right way to post this!

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Tomi wrote: "While searching for a map of the Eastern Front to help me understand the book I'm reading, I came across this site with excellent pictures of the battles in Russia:.."

The right way indeed. Great collection of photos.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Tomi it was :)

[Jerome]

This comes out next month:

by Troy J Sacquety

Synopsis

“One could not choose a worse place for fighting the Japanese,” said Winston Churchill of North Burma, deeming it “the most forbidding fighting country imaginable.” But it was here that the fledgling Office of Strategic Services conducted its most successful combat operations of World War II. Troy Sacquety takes readers into Burma’s steaming jungles in the first book to fully cover the exploits and contributions of the OSS’s Detachment 101 against the Japanese Imperial Army.

Functioning independently of both the U.S. Army and OSS headquarters—and with no operational or organizational model to follow—Detachment 101 was given enormous latitude in terms of developing its mission and methods. It grew from an inexperienced and poorly supported group of 21 agents training on the job in a lethal environment to a powerful force encompassing 10,000 guerrillas (spread across as many as 8 battalions), 60 long-range agents, and 400 short-range agents. By April 1945, it remained the only American ground force in North Burma while simultaneously conducting daring amphibious operations that contributed to the liberation of Rangoon.

With unrivalled access to OSS archives, Sacquety vividly recounts the 101’s story with a depth of detail that makes the disease-plagued and monsoon-drenched Burmese theater come unnervingly alive. He describes the organizational evolution of Detachment 101 and shows how the unit’s flexibility allowed it to evolve to meet the changing battlefield environment. He depicts the Detachment’s two sharply contrasting field commanders: headstrong Colonel Carl Eifler, who pushed the unit beyond its capabilities, and the more measured Colonel William Peers, who molded it into a model special operations force. He also highlights the heroic Kachin tribesmen, fierce fighters defending their tribal homeland and instrumental in acclimating the Americans to terrain, weather, and cultures in ways that were vital to the success of the Detachment’s operations.

While veterans’ memoirs have discussed OSS activities in Burma, this is the first book to describe in detail how it achieved its success—portraying an operational unit that can be seen as a prototype for today’s Special Forces. Featuring dozens of illustrations, The OSS in Burma rescues from oblivion the daring exploits of a key intelligence and military unit in Japan’s defeat in World War II and tells a gripping story that will satisfy scholars and buffs alike.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks Jerome.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Another new title that sounds quite interesting:


by Bernard O'Connor
Description:
Over 70 female agents were sent out by Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. These women - as well as others from clandestine Allied organisations - were flown out and parachuted or landed into occupied Europe on vital and highly dangerous missions: their job was to work with resistance movements both before and after D-Day. Bernard O'Connor relates the experiences of these agents of by drawing on a range of sources, including many of the women's accounts of their wartime service. There are stories of rigorous training, thrilling undercover operations evading capture by the Gestapo in Nazi-occupied France, tragic betrayals and extraordinary courage.

[Jerome]

An older book:

by David Kahn

Synopsis

A German patrol wiggles through Russian lines to return with details of Soviet defenses. An expert Luftwaffe interrogator teases secret information from downed Allied airmen. Two spies steal ashore in Maine and make their way into New York City. Filled with episodes of intrigue and adventure, Hitler's Spies reveals the workings of German intelligence—the famed Abwehr, the dreaded SD, the codebreakers, the spies, and the intelligence gatherers of the Foreign Office—and explains its failure to best the Allies. Draws on original documents and extensive interviews.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good add to the list Jerome, thanks.

[carl]

Award winning synopsis fer sure.

[Liam]

I know Jerome already mentioned , but I would like to second his recommendation. In addition, and are both excellent memoirs by men who were involved in the events covered in Bartholomew-Feis's book, and may also be of some interest, particularly to those of you who are more air war-oriented. Two other memoirs in this category which I would definitely recommend, although they cover much more than just WWII, are & ; General Singlaub & the late Director Colby both served with the O.S.S. during the war.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Liam - I wondered if this would be of interest as it is about Britsih Intelligence in the US during the war and Stpehenson has very close links to OSS and Wild Bill Donovan: The Quiet Canadian: The Secret Service Story Of Sir William Stephenson by H. Montgomery Hyde

My review if people are interested http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Rod]

Jerome wrote: "And...another:

by Kirk Ford

Synopsis

During the Second World War few countries provided a more difficult challenge for Gen. "Wild Bi..."

very Good Post Jerome look forward to reading this book thanks for the info

[Jerome]

Here's even more:

by Hal Vaughan

by Jonathan Walker

by Fredric Boyce

by Richard Collier

by Ian Valentine

by Oliver Hoare

[Liam]

Geevee wrote: "Thanks Liam - I wondered if this would be of interest as it is about Britsih Intelligence in the US during the war and Stpehenson has very close links to OSS and Wild Bill Donovan: The Quiet Canad..."

Looks interesting, Geevee... I remember reading A Man Called Intrepid & Intrepid's Last Case when I was a kid; I remember it was a fascinating story, and that Sir William Stephenson seemed like a remarkable individual.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

That's one of the things I like about this era Liam, as there are many people who served in the "background" in roles who have very interesting and event/strategy shaping involvement in the war.

[Jerome]

Another upcoming release:

Tigers Burning Bright: SOE Heroes in the Far East

by Alan Ogden

Synopsis

Alan Ogden brings to life the extraordinary story of SOE in the Far East as an organization battling against vested interests and competing Allied agencies and how over time it became a significant provider of strategic and tactical intelligence as well as carrying out countless dangerous missions behind enemy lines, some of which inflicted massive losses on the enemy. Behind this history lie the stories of some exceptional men who defied all odds in successfully prosecuting the war against a ruthless and efficient enemy in one of nature's toughest and most dangerous environments, the jungle. Ogden draws on both published and unpublished sources to tell their remarkable stories, always ensuring that the political context of their missions is fully explained.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good find Jerome, thanks for the details.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Jerome.

[Robert]

For those interested in the more technical aspects of intelligence in combat, I'd recommend Oscar Koch's G-2: Intelligence for Patton. It was published in 1971 and still is in print. (Fair disclosure: I was collaborator with Gen. Koch on this book, but it is his work.)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for that recommendation, it does sound like an interesting book and I am sure a few members will take time to check it out.

by Oscar W. Koch

[Tytti]

I came across this book, might be a bit difficult to find, though.
From Information to Intrigue: Studies in Secret Service Based on the Swedish Experience, 1939-1945

I found it after my friend just mentioned reading about Sonderkommando Nord (a plan during the Lapland War to organize a pro-German resistance movement in case of Soviet occupation). Unfortunately there is hardly anything else written about that either. Damn those intelligence people for being so secretive...

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Nice find Tytti, thnaks for the information.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Here is a possible intel operation early in the war:

http://fly.historicwings.com/2013/06/...

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for posting that link Mike, a very interesting story.

[Jerome]

An upcoming release:

by Peter F. Matthews

Synopsis
Communicating in the chaos of war is complicated, but vital. Signals intelligence makes it possible. In World War I, a vast network of signals rapidly expanded across the globe, spawning a new breed of spies and intelligence operatives to code, decode, and analyze thousands of messages. Signalers and cryptographers in the Admiralty's famous Room 40 paved the way for the code breakers of Bletchley Park during World War II. In the ensuing war years, the world battled against a web of signals intelligence that gave birth to ENIGMA and ULTRA, and saw agents from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, America, and Japan race to outwit each other through infinitely complex codes. For the first time, the secret history of global signals intelligence in the world wars is revealed.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Jerome I will look to get a copy.

[Jerome]

My pleasure, as always, Geevee.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This book seems to have picked up some decent reviews lately:


by Sinclair McKay
Description:
This country house in the Buckinghamshire countryside was home to Britain’s most brilliant mathematical brains and the scene of immense advances in technology—indeed, the birth of modern computing. The military codes deciphered there were instrumental in turning both the Battle of the Atlantic and the war in North Africa. McKay's book is the first history for the general reader of life at Bletchley Park, and an amazing compendium of memories from people who were once its habitants—of skating on the frozen lake in the grounds, of the high jinks at nearby accommodation hostels—and of the implacable secrecy that meant girlfriend and boyfriend working in adjacent huts knew nothing about each other’s work.

The author has this illustrated companion volume due out soon as well:

by Sinclair McKay
Description:
The huge success of Sinclair's The Secret Life of Bletchley Park - a quarter of a million copies sold to date - has been symptomatic of a similarly dramatic increase in visitors to Bletchley Park itself, the Victorian mansion in Buckinghamshire now open as an engrossing museum of wartime codebreaking. Now, therefore, Aurum is publishing the first comprehensive illustrated history of this remarkable place, from its prewar heyday as a country estate under the Liberal MP Sir Herbert Leon, through its wartime requisition with the addition of the famous huts within the grounds, to become the place where modern computing was invented and the German Enigma code was cracked, its post-war dereliction and then rescue towards the end of the twentieth century as a museum whose visitor numbers have more than doubled in the last five years. Featuring over 200 photographs, some previously unseen, and text by Sinclair McKay, this will be an essential purchase for everyone interested in the place where codebreaking helped to win the war.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Another new and potentially interesting looking book:


by Giuseppe Conti
Description:
Based on recently available archives this is the first in-depth scholarly study of Italian military espionage during World War II. Italy's ultimate demise in the course of the war becomes clear in reading this book that is filled with previously unknown data and shows how Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini managed and mismanaged Italy's war machine.

In spite of the erratic directives that were periodically handed down from the top, Italian military intelligence was able to produce valuable information that was not taken into account or misinterpreted by those in charge. The espionage and counterespionage sections that had been so effective during the pre-war period suddenly fell back in the contest with Italy's enemies. How did this happen and what were the decisions that led to fascist Italy's defeat are the questions answered in this work that fills a gap in the history of the Second World War and its vital military intelligence component.

[Robert]

At the time of my collaboration with Gen. Oscar Koch (Gen. George S. Patton Jr.'s intelligence chief) on G-2: Intelligence for Patton, ULTRA was still secret. For a good many years after the book's publication in 1971 I regularly faced questions on Koch's use of ULTRA which I couldn't answer.

In my new book on Koch, Patton's Oracle, I go into the topic in detail. Oscar Koch's use of ULTRA was masterful. Instead of over-relying on it as many other intelligence officers did, Koch essentially added it to his established all-source intelligence collection system. In other words, he preferred to use ULTRA information as collaborating evidence to support that gained from other sources.

Over-reliance on ULTRA was a primary reason others missed the significance of the German build-up preceding the Battle of the Bulge because Hitler imposed radio silence. Koch, on the other hand, worked all of his sources, with heavy emphasis on POW interrogations and air reconnaissance, and issued detailed reports anticipating the coming German counter offensive. Patton was able to respond as rapidly and effectively as he did when the Germans attacked because of Koch's savvy intelligence gathering and interpretation.

Had Eisenhower and Bradley paid attention to Koch's reports as Patton did, the Bulge might have been an entrapment that snared the German forces and brought the war in Europe to a quicker conclusion. Their intelligence staffs, however, gaining little or no ULTRA information supporting Koch's position, paid it little heed. Bradley was among those who later admitted that their depending too much on ULTRA proved costly. Patton's Oracle: Gen. Oscar Koch, as I Knew Him G-2: Intelligence for Patton: Intelligence for Patton

[Jerome]

An upcoming book:

by Sophie Jackson

Description:
In 1940, the Nazis hoped to cripple the British war effort by blockading Swedish cargo ships containing ball bearings, steel, and tools vital for making arms and equipment. Out of desperation, the newly formed SOE was asked to rescue these badly needed supplies and a daring escapade was conjured up to sneak in under German noses and steal the ships. It was a dangerous mission and the 147 men involved knew there was a high chance they would not come home. The terrifying mission to rescue cargo of ball bearings in clunky transport ships, while trying to outrun the Luftwaffe and German navy had never been attempted before and was never successfully repeated. This is the story of a forgotten adventure that saved Britain and her troops from certain defeat, all because of brave men willing to sacrifice their lives for millions of small balls of steel.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Thanks for the details on that new book Jerome.

[Clare]

Paul wrote: "There is a giveaway on Goodreads for this book until March 4th:
The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Chri..."

Hi Paul, I have just joined the group - great to see my own book flagged up. Hope you had a read and enjoyed it? Clare

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Welcome to the group Clare - you are very welcome to post about your book on our Authors' page too.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Clare, welcome to the group and as per Geevee's excellent suggestion you can post details of your book in this thread for members if you like:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

[Clare]

Thank you both, will do! Clare

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This new book sounds like it may offer a fascinating story about the Warsaw Underground during WW2:


by Jan Rosinski
Description:
The German invasion of Poland in September 1939 abruptly ended author Jan Rosinski's student life, and propelled him into an activist if not leadership role in the Polish resistance organization, the Armia Krajowa or AK. In short order he became a talented forger of Nazi documents, especially travel papers that allowed many refugees to escape the city. His university studies in chemistry and physics created a role for him as an effective saboteur. Narrowly escaping death on more than one occasion, he was fearless in his pursuits.

Along with this title as well:

by Zbigniew Czajkowski
Description:
A tragic yet inspiring first-person account of the uprising of Polish fighters against their Nazi occupiers during World War II. Memorable episodes include the author's escape from a German execution squad while his mother was murdered in the next room. Captures the patriotism, courage, and determination of the Poles.

[Clare]

Thank you, looks very interesting. As does the translation of the Polish Hannah Krall's classic 'Chasing the King of Hearts', published by Peirene Press soon.

[Colin]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "This new book sounds like it may offer a fascinating story about the Warsaw Underground during WW2:


by Jan Rosinski
..."

I interviewed Standartenfuehrer Johannes Muehlenkamp, 5th SS Division commander during the uprising. Interesting chat, see our website for that future book at www.lewisheatonbooks.com

[Jerome]

Another on SOE:

by Heather Williams
Description:
Based on impressive research and new evidence, this history of the secret British wartime agency, the Special Operations Executive, in wartime Yugoslavia argues that SOE actions achieved little military advantage for the Allies and exacerbated the developing civil war among the forces of monarchist Drazha Mihailovic, Tito’s partisans, and other guerilla groups. Heather Williams tracks SOE relations with the British Foreign office, policy-makers, and military high command; the Yugoslav guerrilla movements and exiled Yugoslav government; other secret organizations, and the American Office of Strategic Services, examining how rivalries among these players influenced the future of Yugoslavia.

[Robert]

Very nice to hear this from a retired naval intelligence officer who now is a professor at the U.S Naval War College:

It has been my distinct pleasure to have just stumbled upon, and then "devouring," your book: "G-2: Intelligence for Patton." I want to sincerely thank you for such a wonderfully written and insightful book. I only wish I could have met BG Koch in person. . . . it is my intention to use this as a primary source/reading for several of my courses. . . . I simply wanted to thank you, and let you know, that the book not only maintains significant historical value, but also contains enduring principles that remain relevant today and for the foreseeable future.

"G-2: Intelligence for Patton" is a book by Gen. Oscar Koch on which I was collaborator. It was published in 1971, but (as is obvious from the above) is still in print.

The same man just informed me that his interest in "G-2" and Gen. Koch prompted him to order a copy of my most recent book, "Patton's Oracle: Gen. Oscar Koch, as I Knew Him." I hope he likes it as well as he likes "G-2."
Robert Hays