THE ROTE KAPELLE: THE CIA'S HISTORY OF SOVIET INTELLIGENCE AND ESPIONAGE NETWORKS IN WESTERN EUROPE, 1936-1945

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340017-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: June 1, 1979
• Content Type: NSPR

rom a Pub:Lisher's Advertisement)
Approved For F @s2 05/01/13: CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340017-9
Kindly direct all orders and inquiries to:
INC
MERICA
.
,
UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS OF A
5630 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20015
56 (2 C-t- 0 1- 2-
c fAas ~(~S7o ~ r~
i acct -e. JU of 1023 ? Y
THE ROTE I(A.PELLE-
The CIA's History of Soviet Intelligence and Espionage 'networks in Western Europe, 1936-1945-
I 1 mbcrs of the Rote
n r
t
-1 he term "Rote Kapelle" ("Red Orchestra," "Red Band." Red
Choir.- or "Red Chapel") was a crvptonym coined by German
security officials to designate the Soviet intelligence and espi-
onage networks which were discovered in Western Europe after
the outbreak of the Russo-German war in 1941. The reports f rom
agents were transmitted primarily by radio: the "music""on the air
had its pianists (radio operators), a maestro in the field (the
"Grand Chef"). and its conductor in Moscow (the 1)ireetmci. Es-
tablished Throughout Europe as early as 1935-36, the Rote Ka-
pelle in its initial stage was composed of specially trained Red
Army intelligence officers whose mission was to determine the
extent of military aviation and heavy weapons development in
Western countries. Therefore in 1941, when the need arose, the
Soviets were able to turn against the Germans the most experi-
enced and firmly entrenched network of foreign spies and local
informants in Europe.
Taking advantage of anti-Nazi sentiment among certain
German military and intelligence leaders, the Rote Kapellc. the
present study concludes, "transmitted such a quantity of data
that the sheer bulk of the traffic became a hazard in itself." I n the
sense that itsagents had more high level German sources than any
other network. the Rote Kapelle was the most successful intelli-
gence operation of the war. Citing interviews, reports of interro-
gations, copies of messages. and its own investigation, the present
study identifies many of these sources for the first time. We learn
that the Rote Kapelle was given information by one of the highest
officials of the Ahwehr (at a time when the Abwehr% the priniar\
u
German intelligence unit, was i o _ r t t i
Kapelic). and that the Rote Kapelle had intormants at the top of
both the OKW (German Wehrmacht High Command) and the
OKH (German Army High Command). Whereas "Ultra." the
British system of decoding German communications, was limited
to the extent that it relied upon the German's use of communica-
tions. the Rote Kapelle could call on its sources to relay firsthand
reports of policy decisions.
Pic Rote Kapelle is by far- the most detailed study of Soviet
wartime espionage and intelligence. Written by the U.S. Central
Intelligence Agency. which made excellent use of its unparalleled
files on this topic, The Rote Aapelle gives us an almost unbe-
lievable ariount of information: identities of major and minor
agents. activities of agents before and alter the war, the founding
of the networks. their coyer and security. their finances, their
communications. their sources of inicilii_tetnec, their orders and
operations. their relations with 'Moscow, and the attempts of the
Ahwchr and the Gestapo to eliminate them. The agents and their
operations were wide-spread (over 100 agents were killed. many
more survived), they were of immcasurahle importance_and they
are at last being given their proper place in print.
ltrrellir;cvu'e
The Rote Aapelle: The CIA's Ilistorr of Soviet
anti i j'ionage Networks in it'c'sttm Europe, 1936-1945.
Price: 529.50 (410 pages).
ISI;A 0-1-'9093-20 .)-4.
I'uhiication date: April I9'79.
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340017-9