...ROTE KAPELLE...
THE RED ORCHESTRA...
The above chart shows an approximation of the structure of the various groups that comprised the 'ROTE KAPPELLE'. One notable exception is the group based in Japan that was headed by Richard Sorge although Sorge's group was a formal cell organised and paid for by the Soviets. It is known that Sorge communicated with the group, particularly on the issue of BARBAROSSA.
ROTE KAPPELLE (Red Orchestra)
This was the name given by the German Abwehr to a network of Soviet espionage agents and anti-Nazi resistance groups that operated in Western Europe during World War II. The network consisted of several independent cells that transmitted military intelligence to the Soviet Union, printed and distributed anti-Nazi propaganda, and helped Jews and other persecuted people to escape. The network was not centrally directed by the Soviets, but rather connected through personal contacts and shared ideals.The German High Command created a special commission, Sonderkommando Rote Kapelle, in November 1942 to track down and eliminate the ROTE KAPPELLE agents. The commission was led by SS-Obersturmbannführer Friedrich Panzinger and Gestapo officer Karl Giering and consisted of a small team of investigators who operated clandestinely in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Italy. The commission used radio interception, surveillance, interrogation, torture, and deception to identify and arrest hundreds of ROTE KAPPELLE members.
Most of the ROTE KAPPELLE agents were executed by the Nazis after being sentenced by military or civilian courts. Some were able to escape or survive in concentration camps. The ROTE KAPPELLE network was largely unknown to the public until after the war when some of its members were recognized as heroes by the Soviet Union and East Germany, while others were ignored or denounced by Western intelligence and justice agencies. The history of the ROTE KAPPELLE remains incomplete and controversial, as many documents and testimonies are still missing or inaccessible.
Whilst the diagram at the head of this post shows some 19 groups were involved. it is believed that the true number could exceed 40 when you take into account that a 'group' was defined as a unit that had it's own radio set up.
Whilst the diagram at the head of this post shows some 19 groups were involved. it is believed that the true number could exceed 40 when you take into account that a 'group' was defined as a unit that had it's own radio set up.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Orchestra_%28espionage%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonderkommando_Rote_Kapelle
https://cslegion.com/east-front-iii/rados-radio-shack-1-rote-kapelle-spy-networks/
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp88-01350r000200340017-9
The radio installation you see here is the one found by Swiss Police when they eventually raided premises from which a Soviet spy ring was operating in WW2. It was found in a hidden room in the roof of the building. The ring was known as the LUCY spy ring.
Whilst there is an extraordinarily interesting, long and detailed story attached to the ring and its members, the purpose of this post is to look closely at the ciphers that were used by the group. For the record, this group contained some 400 agents.