Operation Lobster I: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:16, 13 January 2007

Revision as of 04:42, 13 January 2007

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The first agent recruited for the mission was [[Christian Nissen]], aka Hein Mueck. In June 1940 he had been called to the Sabotage School at [[Brandenburg]] and asked to find a boat suitable for transporting three agents to Ireland. Nissen had served in [[World War I]] aboard the [[Imperial German Navy]] full rigged ship [[Melpomene]]. Melpomene had been captured by the [[Royal Navy]] 100 miles west of the port of Queenstown, now [[Cobh]], in [[County Cork]]. He was interned first at [[Templemore]] in [[Tipperary]], then in [[Oldcastle]], [[Meath]], and finally on the [[Isle of Man]]. Therefore, Nissen was familiar with the area.

Nissen selected the ''"Soizic"'', a luxurious 36ft.36 foot [[yacht]] from the harbour in [[Brest Bay]] for the voyage. The boat was fitted out like a French fishing vessel and had previously belonged to the French military attaché in [[Berne]]. On closer inspection Nissan saw that the ''"Soizic"'' was missing its [[propeller]] but decided that the vessel could make it to Ireland under sail alone.

The three men selected for the mission were the two [[South Africa|South]] Africann Germans;, [[Herbert Tributh]], and [[Dieter Gärtner]], as well asand an [[India|Indian]] national [[Henry Obéd]]. Their mission was to make their own way to England to complete [[espionage]] and [[spying]] activity.

Tributh and Gärtner were both students and neither spoke [[English language|English]] well. Obéd was to act as their guide and interpreter. Obéd passionately hated the British and had worked for the Abwehr before the invasion of Belgium after being recruited by [[Kurt Haller]]. He had not performed as expected in an aborted mission to sabotage BritishRoyal Navy ships stationed in [[Belgium]].

None of the three agents had sailing experience and their espionage and [[spycraft]] training had been only cursory. It has been speculated that they were recruited on the basis of their passion to [[fight]] the British{{fact}}. A late addition to the crew was made on the day of departure when a [[Breton]] fisherman appeared to aid Nissen in navigation.

The ''"Soizic"'' departed on [[3 July]] [[1940]] bound for [[Fastnet Rock]], [[Baltimore, County Cork|Baltimore]] Bay, [[County Cork]]. The vessel flew the French tricolor. On the third day out, 45 miles west of Fastnet Rock, two [[Royal Navy]] [[cruisers]], [[Southhampton class]], were spotted on the horizon. A British [[seaplane]] patrolling the area, buzzed the yacht, but the ''"Soizic"'' continued unmolested to Baltimore Bay where Nissen awaited nightfall.

==Capture of agents==

The three agents boarded a [[dinghy]] and landed on the shore on [[7 July]] [[1940]] without being challenged. The landing took place in the area of Traspaleen Sound, [[Castletownshend]]. EachThey were carrying suitcases filled with Abwehr supplied equipment., and Eacheach was expected to split up immediately and attempt infiltration to Britain. They received no orders to contact resident German liaison to the IRA – Captain [[Hermann Görtz]] – or the German Legation in Dublin which was had not been closed due to the neutrality of the Irish Government.

Later that day, as the three men, still travelling as a group, had asked some locals for the fastest way to get to Dublin city. On being directed to [[Skibbereen]] the three men took a bus there and then hitched a lift to Drimoleague. They were then apprehended by [[Garda Síochána]] (Irish police) trying to take a bus to [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. They were asked to allow their luggage to be inspected and who they were. The agents claimed they were sight-seeing students but were unable to verify their statements further. They were arrested and the arresting officers called [[Dublin]] for assistance. [[Special Branch]] officers, dispatched to interview the men, quickly established they were foreign agents. They did this, most likely, by searching their luggage which was found to contain:<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:39560643 frenchpeaslarge.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Evil]] [[Nazi]] [[bomb]] [[horde]].]] -->

*Eight incendiary bombs- each eight ounces in weight, made of cylindrical paper tubes filled with [[thermite]].

*Four tins of gun cotton (nitro-cellulose[[nitrocellulose]]) to a total of 102 ounces. Each tin was labelled 'Carres French Peas'.

*Six No.8 [[detonator]]s, concealed in wooden containers disguised as fishing reels.

*Six lengths of safety fuse, two reels of insulating tape, and two cutting pliers.

*Currency totalling £829.

Each of the men werewas sentenced to seven years hard labour.

The Abwehr II diary entry for [[18 July]] [[1940]] recorded:

<blockquote>"Message received from Dr. Hempel [head of the German Legation in Dublin, [[Eduard Hempel]]] that agents landed in operation Lobster I have been arrested. Equipment provided incriminating evidence. By director's decision further sabotage acts against England are not to be made via Ireland but direct against England."</blockquote>

Hempel bitterly complained to his seniors about the botched operation. Firstly, he had been entirely unaware of it. Secondly, he was concerned about how it might affect fragile German-Irish Governmental relations. Hempel was right to be concerned, the operation had increased the fears of Irish Military Intelligence [[G2 (Republic of Ireland|G2 Branch]] and saw the beginning of co-operation between them and [[MI5]] throughout the rest of the war.

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There was no IRA involvement with or knowledge of Operation Lobster I at the time of the mission.

==References==

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==Further reading==