KV 2/103 Wichmann and Dierks
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KV 2/103 on Herbert Christian Oscar (Oskar?) Otto Wichmann During most of WW II he was the Ast-X Leiter in Hamburg My re-approaching, however, is being triggered by our continuing endeavour around the Drueke-Vera-Waelti drama Actually, being mainly interested in Vera’s alleged husband Dierks, alias von Wedel, or whatever names he might have used. Herbert Wichmann was actually in charge of Major Nikolaus Ritter; I therefore would like to approach this file, and searching for traces on them too. On the one hand, I have no idea what to expect, on the other hand, there is no other way than to continue by this means. It proved, however, astonishingly: that Dierks’ name appears quite often within the context of this document. All sections selected are my choices; transcripts being sometimes added with my comments and corrections. Though, all being clearly recognisable, by the application of blue, red and seldomly green colours. As always in these KV 2/… series, its purpose is for study only; therefore: do not multiply it, as some still obeys to Crown Copyright. By Arthur O. Bauer 2 KV 2/103 Wichmann, Herbert Christian Oscar Otto PF 600782 3 KV 2/103-1, page 5 + 6 Not necessarily true 4 1934 Returned from the Argentine as a retired naval officer and was re-employed by the Abwehr. (Nonsense) 1938 Wichmann is reported as being a Secret Service agent by Waldberg (www.cdvandt.org/seeloewe-espionage.htm) the Secret Service agent executed at Pentonville Prison in Dec.1940. … 1939 Chief of the Espionage Defence Section at Hamburg, and knows England well. Aug. 1940 Believed to be in charge of Ast Hamburg Oct.19th 1940 Visited Paris from Hamburg, during which time there was a big one-day rehearsal in Paris of the wireless “Spiel-Plan” in which Wohldorf (suburb of Hamburg), the W/T station of Ast-Hamburg and Stahnsdorf (Berlin) were to cooperate. 1942 General chief of the Nazi Secret Service in Hamburg where he has title “Ast Leiter”. 1942 Chief of the Seewarte, the Naval meteorological station in Hamburg. 1942 Believed to be identical with a man described by O’Neil, James, German agent, as a “three-Ringer in the German navy” and a “big shot” in the Abwehr in Hamburg where O’Neil often saw him. 1941 Kapitänleutnant (Sdf) Obladen (an interesting person!) was seconded from Ast. Hbg. for special intelligence duties in Greece under general direction of Kapt.z.See Menzel of the Naval Intelligence Section, and under the immediate control of Freg.Kapt. Wichmann, the Astleiter at Hamburg. … 1944 Chief of Abwehrstelle Hamburg, General Knochenhauerstrasse. No Nazi. 1944 A distance relation of Pheiffer and after the latter’s departure was given the title of I.M. although Gartmann is the actual representative. He has a business in Hamburg and only went when necessary, to Berlin. May 45 Among the arrests reported by 21st A.G. (Army Group) of persons who have SHAEF Pink Cards is Wichmann, Herbert Christian Oskar Otto. ↓ 5 Please click at the drawing as to open it in PDF format Please compare the line series within this map with the numbers in top-left of the next RSS document ↓ ↓ 6 KV 2/103-1, page 18 RSS intercepts selected on the connection with Wichmann. The in red writing criterium was the highest security level possible. Please digest these RSS intercepts yourself 7 KV 2/103-1, page 19 RSS ↓ 8 KV 2/103-1, page 20 RSS ↓ 9 KV 2/103-1, page 21 RSS ↓ 10 KV 2/103-1, page 22 RSS ↓ 11 KV 2/103-1, page 23 RSS ↓ 12 KV 2/103-1, page 24 RSS ↓ 13 KV 2/103-1, page 25 RSS Please notice: ISK meant decrypts based upon machine-codes (Bletchley Park); thus: Enigma message decodes, whereas formerly, and still maintained, ISOS were based upon manual coded decrypts. These can be distinguished by the value of the numbers. ISOS were larger (more frequent), than Enigma-ISK decrypts; as these were so far less frequently encountered, and thus broken. ISK numbers reached, in May 1945, just over 150,000. 14 KV 2/103-1, page 26 RSS ↓ 15 KV 2/103-1, page 27 RSS ↓ 16 KV 2/103-1, page 28 RSS ↓ 17 KV 2/103-1, page 29 RSS ↓ 18 KV 2/103-1, page 30 RSS ↓ 19 KV 2/103-1, page 31 RSS ANAPA was a naval base at the Blacksea front (Caucasus) ↓ 20 KV 2/103-1, page 32 RSS ↓ 21 KV 2/103-1, page 33 RSS ↓ 22 KV 2/103-1, page 34 RSS ↓ 23 KV 2/103-1, page 35 RSS When you do not understand the RSS decrypted intercepts: Do not hesitate to contact us: Please type in what you read. ↓ 24 KV 2/103-1, page 37 Home Office, Aliens Dept. 10 Old Bailey, (Court) London, E.C.4. ”Herbert” Wichmann is identical with Werner Wichmann who was brought to the United Kingdom as a Category A case on 22.6.45. D.I. Vesey, Major 29th November 1945. 25 KV 2/103-2, page 7 (Wichmann’s file series) Notice: that Dierks should have sent this agent to England and Ireland. ↓ 26 KV 2/103-2, page 10 Quoting partially: I also attaché a copy of the results obtained from Wichmann and from Pheiffer of Nest Bremen, in the case you are interested in them. … Dierks (I M), who according to both Wichmann and Pheiffer was the Hamburg official most active in running agents against this country (England) before the war, was unfortunately killed in a motor accident shortly after the outbreak of war. Ritter … (Dierks died in the evening of 2nd September 1940) (Ritter wasn’t dead either, and was later interrogated KV 2/85 – KV 2/88) ↓ 27 KV 2/103-2, page 13 Wichmann was only in Hamburg for one month in November/December 1935 to learn the organisation of an Abwehrstelle, and again from December 1936, becoming Leiter I.M. in spring 1937. He claims that any of these cases which had any particular reference to I M. were probably the pre-occupation of his predecessor Korv.Kapt. Burghardt, or that if they refer to the period when he was in charge, they would probably be handled by Dierks. Wichmann states that Dierks was very much an individualist and that he (Wichmann) used to allow him to get on with his work with a minimum of interference, especially as he found his administrative duties as Leiter enough to cope with it at the time. In consequence only the really important and more successful cases would receive his detailed attention, and these, as far as England was concerned, were very few indeed. Wichmann knew Dierks used post-boxes to receive information from various sources – he thinks that doubtless some of the names now quoted to him must have been those in question, but he maintains that he has no personal knowledge on them. KV 2/103-2, page 15 Case 14: Wichmann knows that Mrs. Jessie Jordan was handled by Dierks Case 17: Wichmann knows that R.W. Simon was operated by Hptm. Ritter I L before the war and by Dierks; early in the war up to the time when he was arrested in Eire. (Irland) ↓ 28 KV 2/103-2, page 33 Wichmann Herbert Christian Oscar Otto Born 18, 4, 1894, Hamburg The horizontal line, in the background of this photo, are typically for photographs taken at Camp 020 Permanent address: Hamburg-Wohldorf, Diestelstrasse 28 The horizontal split-line behind Wichmann’s head, is typically for Camp 020 photographs. ↓ 29 KV 2/103-2, page 34 Wichmann’s Personal Antecedents: 30 18.4.1894: Herbert Wichmann born on the 18th April 1894, at Hamburg. He was the sun of Oscar and Emma Wichmann 1900-03: He went to the Preparatory school O.G. Thomsen, Hamburg 1903-10 Attended the Realgymnasium des Johanneums, Hamburg 1910-12: Wichmann was apprenticed to Heidrich & Harbeck, Hamburg 1912-13: He then spent a year at the Höhere Maschinenbauschule, Kiel (Engineering School) 1913-14 He was at the Oberrealschule at Eppendorf, Hamburg 1.4.1914: Wichmann began as a midshipman in the Imperial German Navy, and so on to a succession of ships, first on the “Hansa”, then – 1914-15: On a battle ship “Grosser Kurfürst” 1914 Dec. Wichmann was promotet to Fähnrich zur See. 1915-16 He was on the „Elbing“, a light cruiser 1916 June: Wichmann was promoted to Leutenant zur See 1916-17: He was at the “Graudens” another light cruiser. 1918-19: He was Flag Lt. to a torpedo Flotilla leader. 1919 June: Wichmann was discharged as an Oberleutnant zur See, and went back to Heidenreich & Harbeck, at Hamburg. Wichmann was then employed in the following jobs:- 1919 Oct-Dec Schiess A.G. Düsseldorf, Factory for tool machines 1920 Jan- C. Heldman & Co Ex. & Importers, Hamburg (Director) 1925 1922: Marriage with Lulu Bieber, daughter of Theodor Bieber and Antonie. ↓ 31 KV 2/103-2, page 35 1923-24: South America, (Buenos Aires and Montevideo) 1927-27: Scharnack & Schmidt, Brokers, Hamburg, (Partner) 1928-32: Traun & Co, Hamburg-Carlshafen, Playwood Manufacturers and Dealers. (Department Chief) In June 1934, Wichmann rejoined the Navy and was posted to the OKM, in Berlin. From June - September, 1934: He was at the Naval Signal School Flensburg- (Mörwick?) 1935 – January to September: he was a Naval Signal Officer, Kiel, at the Wireless Station at Tannenberg 1935 – September Wichmann went to sea on the destroyer “Kondor” torpedo boat (destroyer flotilla). October 1935: He was Signal Officer, Kiel, at the Wireless Station Tannenberg (Kiel).