Great Spies of the 20th Century by Patrick Pesnot

Author:Patrick Pesnot
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2020-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

Eisenberg, Dan and Landau74

One evening when they [Frauenknecht and his Israeli colleagues] were dining together, the Swiss engineer noticed a strange tattoo on the forearm of one of his companions. ‘What’s that?’ he asked.

‘It’s a souvenir from my forced stay in Dachau’, the Israeli replied.

Frauenknecht was embarrassed and confused. On his next trip to Germany he made a symbolic visit to the concentration camp’s memorial. The sudden embargo imposed by President de Gaulle in 1967 was a shock not only to the Israelis, but to Frauenknecht as well. He was better placed than anyone to know about Paris’ refusal to send vital spare parts for the Mirage planes, meaning the entire Israeli Air Force would be grounded during the protracted war.

Like many Swiss, Frauenknecht had received a rather strict upbringing. His moral principles meant that he was revolted by the cynicism with which the French had ‘stabbed Israel in the back at the precise moment when they needed help’, in the middle of a war that threatened their existence. He also thought it unforgivable that de Gaulle had refused to deliver the fifty Mirage aircraft that Israel had already ordered and paid for.

The Swiss engineer decided that moral outrage alone was not enough: he, Alfred Frauenknecht, was going to do something to help the Jews. It was the most impressive decision he had ever made and once the plan was established, he proceeded to work with complete efficiency and inspiration.

One day, Frauenknecht asked for a meeting with his boss: he had found a new, bright idea of how to save the company money - something a boss always wants to hear! Frauenknecht spoke to him about the Mirage plans and in particular the reactors. He pointed out that the documents, which were stored in cases, were taking up too much space.The company was entirely committed to manufacturing the planes and even had to rent warehouses to store its equipment. Frauenknecht suggested microfilming the plans and burning the originals, thus saving the company time and money.

His boss immediately agreed. However, Frauenknecht, who had thought of everything, added that the burning of the original top secret documents should be done in controlled conditions. He advised his boss to approach a specialised company, who were under the control of the Swiss intelligence bureau: there would clearly be a very strict protocol surrounding the operation. Firstly, a single photograph would be taken of each document, which would take place in the presence of a military police officer and in an isolated room. The boxes would then be transported to the municipal incinerator, a fifteen-minute drive from the factory. Two armed guards would be on hand to monitor the loading and unloading.

Frauenknecht offered to personally oversee the meticulous operation, although he pointed out that there were still risks during the transportation. Consequently, he volunteered someone he trusted, his cousin, to act as the driver. This was a risky move: at the time he was on the verge of committing treason. However, his offer was accepted with no reservation.

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