[CW] Agent Radio Operation

[W4BIN]

On 8/1/21 5:16 PM, Jude DaShiell wrote:

 > What has me puzzled about agent radio equipment is why agents weren't
 > given separate transmitters and receivers. Had that been done maybe more
 > agents would have survived longer. The procedure would be receive in one
 > location and key message on a wire recorder. Then put the spool with the
 > message in the transmitter and be far away from the transmitter whenever
 > the transmitter sends. A timer in the transmitter and maybe some
 > explosive with a keypad in the transmitter where the keypad has a number
 > combination that has to be keyed in to prevent the transmitter from
 > blowing up could maybe have helped. If the enemy comes on the transmitter
 > and the keypad is concealed inside the unit where only if you know where
 > to look counter-intelligence could have been given several ruined days. I
 > don't know that keypads of that type were feasible then either. Termite
 > certainly could have been used as a self-destruct mechanism if quieter
 > results were desired.

I knew such an OSS agent. I attended his presentation at one of our 
clubs here.
   (I think he was of German extraction.)
   He was born in Idaho, took four years of German in high school, was 
in the US Army air-core (stationed at McDill AF base) when approached by 
the OSS.  He agreed and was sent to an OSS school where he was taught 
much German and the many German ways.

   He parachuted into central Germany 13 times.  He dropped with his 
suitcase (with a false bottom hiding his transmitter, receiver, 
batteries & crystals) hanging from his belt by a rope. He always jumped 
alone.  He monitored rotating frequencies for messages to him, on 
specific days and times.  (using the same set of quartz crystals)
   He supervised 13 other such agents.  Two (twins) Dutch agents were 
caught and killed, but all of the rest survived the war.  He was in for 
a month or so and out for six months or so.
   After he located a war manufacturing facility (or other target like a 
secluded air strip) he would travel a distance then secure lodging on 
the top, (second or third) floor of a tavern.  (a boarding house)
   He dropped half of the antenna out of the window, the other half he 
ran around the baseboard.  (two spools of thin stranded wire)
   He prefilled out his message on a pad of paper from a substitution 
code page book, late at night he transmitted his message with the serial 
number of the PAGE at the beginning and the end of the coded message. 
(four digits)  Once sent the page/s were burned.
(that substitution page only existed with one OSS field agent, and all 
receive sites)
   His transmitter had a 6G6 final with ~200 Volts. (and a 6AG7 oscillator)
   He had half a dozen quartz crystals and he changed frequencies about 
three times in each message transmission.
   I asked him about receive sites and he said: Every American base on 
earth (in almost every country) had operators that were listening for 
him (during his operating period) on all of his crystal frequencies.  He 
had a constantly changing time window for HIS transmission.  (that he 
could calculate)
   Various operators at various bases got parts of his transmission 
which had to be pieced together. (after a while an air strike resulted, 
by then he was long gone)
   His messages were like; “230 meters SSW of (German City) looking like 
a railway tunnel.”  (or a row of houses on a hill, or in clump of trees)
   He constantly wandered the country all day long carrying his 
clandestine equipment, and clothes, he was stopped and searched 
frequently, his stories worked.  If his gear were much heavier he would 
have been worn out, he was never separated from it, except for leaving 
it in his room when he went down for meals.
   He left the country escorting various civilians and downed US & 
British etc. troops) each time.  Always north to Switzerland as I recall.
   When the war was over (in Europe) he was reassigned to McDill AF base 
and his most beautiful girl friend, becoming his wife. (from: Ruskin, 
Florida)

He is /SK and in the:  Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame and a county 
park was named after him.  My idol.
-- 
Ron W4BIN - Understanding is much better than
knowing how.MX