Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs by Patrick K. O'Donnell

Author:Patrick K. O'Donnell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 2004-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Dragoon

“A violent blow broke two of my teeth and I was once again kicked to the ground. My mouth was full of blood and I was in pain. I was once again asked to reveal my identity and I kept on denying the name Frascati. They changed the system and I was made to lie down on a bench while one of the men took hold of a pick ax which was lying around. For three hours they held me there, while I endured the most violent lashing with this instrument. One blow cut my scalp open and I was drenched with blood. I thought they were going to kill me and I waited for the moment, saying to myself they could do anything they want, but they could not force me to talk. Arneux, who knew nothing, was beaten as hard as I was despite his age, but not one word escaped his lips. We were placed against the wall and threatened with being shot, at which time we decided that if we had to die we would die with courage.” 1

This is the nightmarish story of OSS agent Walter Lanz, who was captured by the Gestapo before he could complete his mission. * Lantz was one of hundreds of OSS agents who provided intelligence for the Allied invasion of the French Mediterranean coast. OSS was the deciding factor in making Operation Dragoon (initially code-named Anvil) one of the “best briefed” invasions of the war. 2

Operation Dragoon was spearheaded by the U.S. Seventh Army, which seized the key ports of Marseille and Toulon on August 15, 1944. Originally planned to coincide with the Normandy landings, Operation Dragoon was delayed by a lack of landing craft and by disputes at the highest levels of the Allied command. In the end, supply problems stemming from a lack of ports in northern France, and the desire to draw German units away from Normandy, compelled the Allies to move forward with the invasion. 3

OSS worked closely with the Seventh Army and G-2 AFHQ (Allied Force Headquarters), watching main rail and transportation hubs as well as principal ports in southern France for enemy troop movements, and reconstructing the German order of battle. The primary intelligence target was the German defenses in southern France, such as minefields, gun emplacements, road blocks, and supply lines. OSS generated over 8,000 intelligence reports prior to the invasion. 5

About 2,000 reports came from OSS’s most successful network, Penny Farthing. Penny Farthing reported troop movements, fortifications, and the transport of supplies and ammunition prior to the invasion. Penny Farthing agent Helene Deschamps, code-named “Anick,” covered the territory in and around Avignon, Montpellier, and Marseille.

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