Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs

The Unknown Story of the Men and Women of World War II's OSS

Patrick K. O'Donnell

• Publisher: Free Press
• Year: 2004
• Print ISBN: 9780743235747
• eBook ISBN: 9780743258340
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military Biographies
• Index: History

The first-ever full story of American sabotage operations in World War II, based on hundreds of revealing interviews. The battles of World War II were won not only by the soldiers on the front lines, and not only by the generals and admirals, but also by the shadow warriors whose work is captured for the first time in Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs. Thanks to the interviews and narrative skills of Patrick O'Donnell and to recent declassifications, an entire chapter of history can now be revealed. A hidden war—a war of espionage, intrigue, and sabotage—played out across the occupied territories of Europe, deep inside enemy lines. Supply lines were disrupted; crucial intelligence was obtained and relayed back to the Allies; resistance movements were organized. Sometimes, impromptu combat erupted; more often, the killing was silent and targeted. The full story of the Office of Strategic Services—OSS, precursor to the CIA—is a dramatic final chapter on one of history's most important conflicts.In a world made unrecognizable by the restrictions placed on the CIA today, OSS played fast and loose. Legendary chief "Wild Bill" Donovan created a formidable organization in short order, recruiting not only the best and brightest, but also the most fearless. His agents, both men and women, relied on guile, sex appeal, brains, and sheer guts to operate behind the lines, often in disguise, always in secret.Patrick O'Donnell has made it his life's mission to capture untold stories of World War II before the last of its veterans passes away. He has succeeded in extracting stories from the toughest of men, the most elite of soldiers, and, now, the most secretive of all: the men and women of OSS. From former CIA director William Colby, who parachuted into Norway to sever rail lines, to Virginia Hall, who disguised herself as a milkmaid, joined the French Resistance, and became one of Germany's most wanted figures, the stories of OSS are worthy of great fiction. Yet the stories in this book are all true, carefully verified by O'Donnell's painstaking research.The agents of OSS did not earn public acclaim. There were no highly publicized medal ceremonies. But the full story of OSS reveals crucial work in espionage and sabotage, work that paved the way for the Allied invasions and disrupted the Axis defenses. Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs proves that the hidden war was among the most dramatic and important elements of World War II.

Index

Abraham Lincoln Brigade

Abwehr

Adrian, Leon

African Americans

Afrika Korps, German

Air Crew Rescue Unit

Albania

Alexander, Sidney

“Alfred” (aka E. F. Floege); Algeria/Algerians: courier service through; and French operations; and North Africa operations; and X-2

Allied Forces Headquarters

Alum (OSS team)

Amazon (OSS team)

Ammonia (Jed team)

Amt IV

Amt VI

Andartes

Andersen, Odd

Angaur/Anguar Island

Angelos, Mike

“Anick” (aka Helene Deschamps)

Anzio

Applegate, Rex

Area B

Area F

Army Group B, U.S.

Athens, John

Athens-Salonika railway

atomic bomb/research

Audrey, Operation

“Aunt Jemima,”

Austria

Aztec (OG team)

Badoglio, Pietro

Bahamas

Baker, Kenneth

Balkans: potential German surrender in. See also Albania; Yugoslavia

Ball, John

ball bearings

Ballists

“Baltic Fishing Fleet,”

Banana operations

Barrault, Louis

Battalion de Choc (France)

Battle of the Bulge

Bazna, Elyesa (aka “Cicero”)

BBC

Beck, Ludwig

“Beetroot” mission

Belgium/Belgians

Benson, Melvin

Benucci (OG leader)

Berg, Moe

Berger, Heinrich

Berlin, Jacob

Berlin, Germany: Allied bombing of; and approaching the Reich; OSS agents in; and overthrow of Hitler; and penetrating the Reich; Russians in

Bertani, Maura

Betty, Operation

Bickford, Jim

Biological Warfare Committee

“Birch” (aka Hennings Jessen- Schmidt)

Black, Robert

“black bag” operations

Blathwayt, C. G.

Bletchley Park, England

Blonttrock, Alphonse

Blum, Paul

Blumenson, Martin

“Bobby” (aka Anton Schrader)

“Bobby” (Allied turncoat)

Bodine, Les

Bonal (double agent)

Bonnier de la Chapelle, Fernand

Booth, John

Booth, Waller

“Boston Series” reports

Bouchardon, André “Narcisse”

Bourgoin, André

Brac Island

Bradley, Omar

“Breakers,”

Brenner Pass

Britain/British: American Embassy in; and approaching the Reich; in Balkans; in Corsica; in Czechoslovakia; EOU in; estimates of German tank production by; in France; German agents in; German Communists in exile in; and German secret weapons program; Germans counterfeit money of; in Greece; Italian navy surrender to; in Italy on Jedburgh teams; and Maritime Units; and Olterra freighter; OSS candidate training by; and Overlord; Poles in exile in; and psych ops; sinking of ships belonging to; in Turkey; in Yugoslavia. See also British intelligence; specific person or organization

British Air Force

British intelligence: code-breaking efforts of; codes of; counterespionage of; in Czechoslovakia; and direct penetration of Germany; “Dogwood” as agent for; and Finnish intelligence; and German resistance; Kolbe as agent for; limits on U.S. activities of; in North Africa; Pack as agent for; and penetrating the Reich; Philby as mole in; SIS branch of; and Swedish operation...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Colophon
• Also by Patrick K. O’Donnell
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Prologue
• One: Spy School
• Two: R&D and “The Campus”
• Three: Intrigue in North Africa and Iberia
• Four: Up the Boot
• Five: On Hitler’s Doorstep The OSS in Switzerland
• Six: Into the Balkans Yugoslavia and Albania
• Seven: “Smashem” Greece
• Eight: From Frogmen to SEALs The OSS Maritime Unit (MU)
• Nine: Infiltrating France
• Ten: Paving the Way for Overlord
• Eleven: Dragoon
• Twelve: X-2 Counterespionage
• Thirteen: Approaching the Reich
• Fourteen: Catastrophe in Czechoslovakia
• Fifteen: Psych Ops Morale Operations (MO) and Origins of Psychological Warfare
• Sixteen: Penetrating the Reich
• Seventeen: Backroom Negotiations Sweden and Norway
• Eighteen: Northern Italy
• Nineteen: Final Missions and Conclusion
• Notes
• Glossary
• Selected Bibliography
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About the Author