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Extended Essay
Extended Essay
Abstract:
This extended essay explores the extent to which the clandestine activities of the
United States Office of Strategic Services in WWII were necessary in achieving the
agency’s objectives. The OSS was the American central intelligence agency during
WWII and conducted many operations behind enemy lines during the war. The agency
was created to answer the US’ need for a centralized intelligence office and had two
primary objectives; to conduct special operations behind enemy lines, and to collect and
analyze intelligence. The OSS, throughout their operations in Europe, Asia, and Africa,
completed these objectives through the use of a variety of tactics, some clandestine and
others not. In Burma the OSS conducted guerilla warfare, sabotage, and assassinations. In
the Balkans, more guerilla warfare, sabotage, and assassinations. In North Africa,
kidnapping, and infiltration. In Europe, the OSS infiltrated agents to both gather
intelligence and create subversion. This investigation comes to the final conclusion that
the clandestine activities of the OSS were necessary to a great extent in achieving the
aims of the OSS, but not entirely. Although the OSS conducted the majority of its
operations through the employment of clandestine and covert tactics, the OSS completed
its objectives through the use of overt and non-clandestine tactics as well.
Table of Contents:
Abstract 1
Contents 2
Chapter I: Introduction 3
Bibliography 20
Miller 3
Chapter I: Introduction
the Second World War. World War II changed the way wars are fought. By the end of the
War, every nation involved had a defensive intelligence agency as a part of its
government: Russia with the NKVD; the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs. The
Strategic Services (OSS); later the CIG1, then the CIA2. And the British with the SOE
(Special Operations Executive), and so on. From then on, espionage, subversion, and
covert operations became the way wars were fought and the American OSS was a key
player in that transformation. During its operations, the OSS used techniques of torture,
assassination, subversion, and other such covert and clandestine activities. The Office of
Strategic Services was the first government agency to openly employ such tactics. This
investigation explores the activities of the OSS in attempt to answer the following: To
what extent were the clandestine activities of the American OSS in WWII necessary
1
Central Intelligence Group. This agency directly replaced the OSS in 1946 and was also
the immediate predecessor to the CIA.
2
Central Intelligence Agency. This is the current foreign intelligence agency of the
United States.
Miller 4
On the 13th of June 1942, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the military
order to establish the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which would become America’s
of Information, July 11, 1941). Until then, US intelligence duties had been divided among
several agencies (Stevenson 120-121). Procurement and analysis of intelligence was done
by branches of the departments of War, State, Treasury, and Navy, while code breaking
was covered by the Army (Stevenson 120-121). To top off the assortment, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation was interested in extending its duties from spy catching into
foreign intelligence (Brown 6). However, having so many agencies with such similar
American intelligence agent who would later become the head of both the COI3 and the
Donovan stated:
It was with this in mind that President Roosevelt approved the creation of the COI
and later the OSS (Brown 10). Unfortunately, the COI was met with much political
hostility4 resulting in its replacement by the OSS in June of 1942 (Brown 12).
3
Coordinator of Information.
4
The political hostility that resulted from the creation of the COI was due primarily to the
nuance of the Office. As demonstrated, the COI was the first such agency of its kind and
Miller 5
Donovan’s Memorandum also began to set the parameters for the tasks of the
OSS. Upon its creation, the OSS was responsible for two main objectives as established
in Roosevelt’s Military Order Establishing the Office of Strategic Services of 1942. The
Order stated that the “Office of Strategic Services shall perform the following missions:
a) Collect and analyze such strategic information as may be required by the United States
Joint Chiefs of Staff; and b) Plan and operate such special services as may be directed by
the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff.” 5 The OSS, therefore, was formed around the two
main objectives of collecting and analyzing information, and planning and operating
special services.
As the war progressed, these aims began to expand (Brown 112, 234-240, 274).
Within almost a year of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the objective of collecting
and analyzing information had grown to include strategic planning as well as preparations
for the end of the war (Dunlop 39). The planning and operation of special services also
(Brown 111). Although the original functions of the OSS expanded, the objectives of the
agency remained the same throughout the war: to collect and analyze intelligence, and to
many politicians and members of the military simply did not know how to handle the
agency. This combined with the COI’s control over many of the smaller intelligence
agencies created the atmosphere of hostility that lead to its replacement (Smith 17).
5
These operations were frequently of a covert nature and were conducted on enemy soil.
Throughout the war, the Joint Chiefs of Staff used the OSS as a go-to, do-anything
agency (War Report of the OSS 42)
Miller 6
“Throw all you normal law abiding concepts out the window. There’s a chance to raise
merry hell.”
Of the two functions of the OSS, the conducting of covert operations was by far
Immediately following the United States’ entry into WWII, the OSS began to conduct
campaigns of guerilla warfare in South East Asia (Dunlop 69). During the summer of
1942, OSS Detachment 101 lead by Carl Eifler began operations behind Japanese lines in
an area mostly comprised of the country of Burma (Dunlop 71). The unit was one of the
first American forces to be present in what would become the China Burma India Theater
(Dunlop 63). The goal was to establish an American foothold in Asia, however, poor
political relations with the Chinese put an end to these desires and instead, Eifler began
the first American campaign of Guerilla Warfare in WWII (Dunlop 68). Beginning with
several paratroop jumps into the occupied jungles, DET 101 soon established several air-
supplied bases (Smith 23). Once a headquarters had been created, Eifler began to train
natives of the Kaichin ethnicity in the art of guerilla warfare (Dunlop 112). Within
months, the OSS had a large American-Kaichin army that began to wreak havoc upon the
Japanese forces (Dunlop 113-116). It soon became apparent that having the Kaichin as
their allies was a great advantage. The Kaichin were skilled in both moving through the
forest undetected as well as having a specific knowledge of the area. This provided for an
exceptional guerilla force, which was all the more beneficial as traditional warfare tactics
Miller 7
would be useless against the superior Japanese (Dunlop 114). Due to the superior force of
the Japanese, the forces of DET 101 were significantly out-gunned (Smith 26). The OSS
men knew that this would give Japanese a significant strategic advantage if engaged in a
traditional battle scenario (Dunlop 74). By the use of guerilla tactics though, DET 101
and the Kaichin guerillas were able to increase their strategic advantage (Dunlop 74). The
achieving the objectives of the OSS. While not only formidable in their tactical skill, the
guerillas were also exceptionally ruthless and had a general disregard for the standards of
who were unwilling to cooperate with the Eifler and DET 101 as Tom Moon describes in
his book The Grim and Savage Game. Moon was himself a member of DET 101 and
achieving the objectives of the OSS, they were very effective. By governing with such a
violent hand, DET 101 established a level of control that would be hard to match with
less clandestine techniques. This being in part due to the limited resources of DET 101 as
However, as effective as DET 101 was, a small portion of the US and British
militaries began to dislike the commando tactics of the unit. General Stilwell (the
commander of American forces in the China Burma India Theater) disparaged the unit’s
tactics of guerilla warfare as “irregular”, “illegal actions”, and “shadow boxing” (Smith
Miller 8
311). While DET 101 carried on with their “shadow boxing” in the Burmese jungles,
Operations in the Balkans had begun in September of 1942, when British SOE
(Special Operating Executive) agents airdropped into the mountains of Greece (Smith
180). At that time, the OSS had been busy establishing a base in Cairo, Egypt, from
which the majority of future airdrops departed (Smith 180). By August of 1943,
American OSS agents were being airdropped into Greece as well as Yugoslavia, forming
the SBS or Strategic Balkan Services (Moon 231). Throughout the Balkans, OSS agents
operated against the German and Pro-Axis forces with the aide of local Partisans (Moon
242). A large portion of these operations consisted of searching and rescuing downed
pilots from behind enemy lines, a duty the OSS had first taken up in Burma (Moon 239).
This duty was also one of the least covert or clandestine of all those assigned to different
OSS Operational Groups. The completion of this duty demonstrated the ability of the
The OSS also conducted more aggressive and clandestine acts of guerilla warfare
and sabotage as well (Smith 181-183). With the help of the Greek Resistance, the SBS
began to carry out numerous sabotage missions against the German railroads in order to
limit the Wehrmacht’s6 mobility (Moon 232). These sabotage missions were necessary to
slow German defensive capabilities while both the British and the Americans were
considering the possibility of a Southern invasion of Europe (War Report of the OSS
144). In the beginning of 1943, the Allies began discussion on how to move the
significant allied force in Northern Africa to the European theatre (Stevenson 84).
force throughout the Balkans and Italy (Stevenson 85). Therefore these sabotage attempts
were necessary in aiding the possibility of an Allied invasion of Southern Europe (Smith
185). Unfortunately, these missions were only slightly effective because both the
mountainous terrain of the Balkans, and the feuding between resistance groups, proved
Besides the sabotage mission and the frequent ambushes, assassinations were also
present in the Balkans, primarily in Greece. In their invasion of Greece, the Germans had
been particularly ruthless, so when the Greeks had the opportunity to retaliate they did so
with a vengeance (Moon 247). The Greek mutilated and tortured the German prisoners
and several Greek-American OSS agents allegedly were involved in killing captured SS
agents (Moon 248). However, the Greeks were not the only agents retaliating against the
SS.
To the West in Italy, violence had increased as well with the new OSS presence.
Infuriated by the sabotage conducted by the OSS in Northern Italy, the German SS began
to act with an intense savagery against the American and Italian resistance movements
(Smith 192). In December of 1943, Captain Howard Chappell of the OSS lead a large
sabotage mission in Northern Italy known as Mission Aztec (Moon 251). The mission
information to the Germans. Chappell’s mission left a long trail of German blood behind
it as the OSS and Italian resistance conducted numerous assassinations and sabotaged
many German targets (War Report of the OSS 150). When the Germans finally began
their retreat from Italy, Italian Partisans and OSS agents rallied up weapons and killed as
many SS troops as they could (Moon 253). In This Grim and Savage Game Moon
Miller 10
reported that, on one occasion, forty SS soldiers were killed and ninety were captured.
Among those captured were several infamous SS agents notorious for their savagery.
Chappell later reported that all had been shot trying to escape (Moon 254). Again, the
heavy use of clandestine and covert tactics by the OSS was effective in the achievement
necessity. On one hand, the objectives of silencing the German informants and
conducting sabotage against the German military were achieved. However, on the other
hand, the killing of POWs is unnecessarily violent and yielded no benefit to the
completion of the mission’s objectives. This is also true in the killing of POWs in Greece.
Shortly before Mission Aztec, one of the more unorthodox departments of the
OSS was being formed, the Department of Subversive Operations or SO (War Report of
the OSS 36). The SO was responsible for enlarging anti-Fascist movements in both Italy
and Germany (War Report of the OSS 37). Through this task, the Department of
and Italy through the spread of rumors and other such methods (War Report of the OSS
41). This was achieved through the use of agents infiltrated throughout Europe. In
September of 1944, Josef “Jupp” Kappius became the first OSS agent in Germany, after
parachuting from a British bomber (Smith 138). Kappius assumed the German identity of
Willhelme Leineweber and began to fulfill his orders (Moon 280). Kappius had been
tasked with promoting the anti-Nazi movement, sabotaging the German war effort, and to
cause subversion (Moon 280). As to his last task, Kappius was charged with not only
spreading subversion among the Wehrmacht (German Army), but also causing economic
panic, as well the possible surrender of the Third Reich7 (Moon 280). Operations of
7
The Department of Subversive Operations hoped that if Germany was subverted to a
Miller 11
subversion were frequently tasked by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (War Report of the OSS
17), creating a necessity for such clandestine activities as subversion and infiltration in
Although the OSS was heavily involved in conducting covert operations during
great-enough extent, the German government would simply surrender the war to attend to
the domestic unrest (Moon 281).
Miller 12
the War, the agency’s other major focus was the collection and analysis of intelligence. A
large part of the many clandestine tactics used by OSS, therefore, were specifically
designed for this task. This objective can be broken down into two parts, the first being
the gathering of information. The second is not only the analysis of the information but
During the War, the OSS used several techniques for gathering information. The
primary technique was a direct result of the many covert guerilla operations operating in
both Europe and Asia. With so many operatives behind enemy lines, reconnaissance8 was
responsible for a significant amount of the intelligence that made it back to the military
(Moon 83-84). In Southeast Asia, for example, DET 101 built airfields from which they
could spot Japanese airfields (Moon 84). These locations were then relayed to Northern
Combat Area Command who would bomb the locations, effectively decreasing Japanese
air control (Moon 84). During the war, DET 101 was responsible for 90% of Northern
Combat Area Command’s intelligence (Moon 84). The use of reconnaissance was very
necessary in the completion of the objectives of the OSS. Other more covert techniques
such as infiltration were beneficial to some extent, but lacked the simplicity of
the Balkans, an agent would only need standard military field equipment and radio.
Reconnaissance operations could also be carried out in locations that would be pointless
8
Reconnaissance is the military practice of conducting covert surveys, or scouting
operations, for the purpose of gathering information. Typical OSS reconnaissance
missions involved sending agents equipped with radios across enemy line to report on
enemy movement (Moon 83)
Miller 13
The guerilla forces of the OSS also provided information through local informants
(Smith 154). A fair amount of the information provided by the OSS groups working in
Italy, the Balkans, and Egypt was procured through the locals who cooperated with the
OSS (Moon). However, at times this cooperation was hard to attain, and on occasion,
drastic measures were taken to solve this problem (as demonstrated by DET 101’s
informants in Italy). In Egypt and Northern Africa, the OSS found it necessary to deal
with uncooperative by the use of kidnapping (Moon 210). A group of OSS agents would
capture the oldest child of the most important man in the village. When the man came
pleading for his son’s return, the agents would task him with gathering intelligence on the
Germans and Italians. If the man procured useful information, his son would be returned
(Moon 211). Other informants were more willing to aide the Allies, many even becoming
active agents in their own countries. Several members of the Catholic Church, for
example, informed on German spies present in Liberia after the Allies took the country
from the Axis (Smith 163). As in Burma, the use of clandestine tactics was exceptionally
The other main way for gathering intelligence was through both infiltration and
espionage, both of which are clandestine in nature. Although there were few OSS agents
in Japan9, both Europe and the Middle East had a large number of active agents
9
The OSS found it exceptionally difficult to infiltrate Japan for a variety of reasons. Soon
after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the country went into a state of ethnic lockdown similar
to the reaction in the US. Just as America had locked away many Asian-American
citizens, Japan scrutinized all foreigners and non-Japanese. This public scrutiny made it
impossible for the OSS to successfully infiltrate an agent, instead forcing the agency to
rely on informants from within the country. These informants were typically Red Cross
workers, or missionaries who had been deemed unthreatening by the Japanese Empire.
Miller 14
throughout the war (Smith 131-134). Due to the variety of ethnicities present in 1940s
America, OSS agents were often of foreign descent and therefore well-adapted to the
infiltration of their native country (Brown 97). One example of this tactic was the
provided simple information on German life that was highly valuable to the OSS (Moon
282). Among his reports, Kappius informed his OSS supervisors on the quality of life in
Another influential set of spies used to covertly infiltrate the enemy were the five
members of Operation GREENUP (Smith 245). The team members were all either
team was based in Innsbruck and also focused on strengthening the anti-Nazi movement,
however several of their reports provided insight into the German Industrial
positions prior to the Allied invasion of Normandy (Smith 252). The operation was
surrounding Normandy. The agents then provided all locations of German defenses
(Smith 252-253). This type of operation was carried out frequently by the OSS, and the
agency was frequently involved in the strategic planning of military operations because
of it (War Report of the OSS 189). Operations of this kind were frequently covert, or
However due to the non-military nature of these informants, as well as their scarcity, the
information they provided typically lacked strategic value to the OSS (War Report of the
OSS 198).
Miller 15
clandestine nature but were also necessary in achieving the objectives of the OSS.
Without conducting such clandestine operations as infiltration, the OSS would be unable
ineffective.10
information’s analysis as well as strategic planning based off that analysis. This was a
duty of the OSS since Operation TORCH, the American invasion of Morocco in 1942
(War Report of the OSS 56). Prior to the invasion, Donovan had dispatched several agents
to analyze the best possible landing spots for the Allied Troops. The agents reconnoitered
the coast, and assessed German weak points throughout Northern Africa with the purpose
of determining the best strategic location for the landing of the Allied invasion (War
Report of the OSS 56). However, strategic planning also included preparation for the end
When the OSS trained its first few agents, each agent was given a standing order
Japan (Moon 23). The OSS even developed specific strategies to fight off both German
and Japanese forces from US soil (Moon 24). The OSS also developed end of war plans
implemented in a new government (Brown 13-14). Although these plans did call for the
future use of sabotage, assassination, guerilla warfare, and other such covert activities,
10
Besides on the ground intelligence gathering, several attempts had been made to
effectively observe German military targets through the use of modified planes. The
British used several modified Spitfire and Mosquito aircraft for this use to some effect.
Although the aircraft did manage to capture an extensive quantity of photographs, the
images were infrequently of any value. That combined with the risk of getting shot down
by the ever-patrolling Luftwaffe (German Air Force) resulted in the risks greatly
outweighing the benefits (Stevenson 140).
Miller 16
they did not employ such tactics at that time, therefore demonstrating another occasion in
which the OSS did not use clandestine tactics in the completion of its goals.
Throughout its operations in World War II, the Office of Strategic Services used a
variety of clandestine and covert tactics in the completion of its objectives. In completing
it’s first objective, the conducting of special services behind enemy lines, the OSS used
many clandestine tactics, some of which were necessary in achieving the objective, some
of which were not, and some of which were not clandestine but still as effective. In
Burma, the OSS Operational Group, DET 101, found it necessary to employ guerilla
Miller 17
warfare in order to successfully engage with the superior Japanese military. This was also
true for the OSS operatives in the Balkans who faced a similar situation with the German
Army. By using clandestine tactics, the OSS was able to engage and defeat superior
enemy forces. DET 101 also used ruthless and clandestine tactics when dealing with the
locals in order to compensate for the small size and power of the operational group.
Without such violent tactics, the unit would have been unable to control the local people.
However, some of the clandestine activities were not so necessary. For example in
both Greece and Italy, OSS agents murdered prisoner German SS officers. These murders
were undoubtedly clandestine in nature, however they were hardly beneficial to the
Other tactics and activities were not-clandestine in nature, but just as necessary in
achieving the objectives of the OSS. For instance, in both Burma and the Balkans the
OSS was responsible for rescuing downed fighter pilots from behind enemy lines, an
activity necessary to the goal of conducting special operations behind enemy lines, while
As for the completion of the second goal, the gathering and analyzing of
intelligence, the OSS also employed a variety of clandestine tactics. In Burma, North
Africa, the Balkans, and almost all other operational theaters of the OSS, agents
employed both clandestine, and more respectful tactics. The OSS used the clandestine
and often times urban, territories where other more respectful tactics could otherwise be
employed.
11
As in agent-gathered information as opposed to informant-gathered.
Miller 18
In Burma and North Africa OSS operatives forced locals into being informants.
DET 101 assassinated non-compliant local as examples to the other potential informants.
In North Africa, agents persuaded informants by the use of kidnapping. Both of these
clandestine tactics were only employed once deemed necessary after the failure of less-
clandestine tactics. However, the OSS did have some success with volunteer informants.
The OSS did employ one non-clandestine tactic to great use and effect, though.
throughout the course of the war. In several theaters, reconnaissance was necessary in
achieving the collection and analysis of information, often times being more effective and
by the OSS, this investigation concludes that these tactics were necessary to a great
extent, but not entirely. Although these tactics were used to great effect to accomplish
these goals, other tactics of a more open and overt nature were also used in the
Bibliography:
Brown, Anthony Cave. The Secret War Report of the OSS. New York, NY: Berkley
1941. Print.
Dunlop, Richard Harris. Behind Japanese Lines: With the OSS in Burma. USA: Rand
Moon,Tom. The Grim and Savage Game: The OSS and U.S. Covert Operations in World
Roosevelt, Franklin D. White House. Military Order Establishing the Office of Strategic
Roosevelt, Kermit. U.S. Department of War. War Report of the OSS. New York: Walker,
1976. Print.
Smith, Richard Harris. OSS: The Secret History of America's First Central Intelligence
Stevenson, William. A Man Called Intrepid . Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 1976. Print.