Walter Schellenberg Head of German intelligence Date of Birth: 16.01.1910 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Walter Schellenberg
2. The First Encounter
3. An Unexpected Turn
4. A Near-Disaster
5. The Plot Unravels
6. Legacy

Biography of Walter Schellenberg

Walter Schellenberg was the head of the foreign intelligence division of the Security Service (SD) and a brigadeführer in the SS. Born on January 16, 1910, in Saarbrücken, Germany, Schellenberg played a crucial role in Nazi Germany's intelligence operations during World War II.

The First Encounter

The second World War had just begun when, on October 21, 1939, a meeting took place in the Dutch city of Zutphen. Sigismund Best, a reliable and respectable-looking man, was waiting in his Buick limousine. Suddenly, another car pulled up next to his, and a man got out and sat in the passenger seat. Little did Best know that this man, who introduced himself as Captain Schemel, was actually Walter Schellenberg, the head of German foreign intelligence.

An Unexpected Turn

Best, an agent of the independent intelligence organization within the British Secret Intelligence Service, was trying to organize a resistance movement among Germans opposed to the Nazi regime. Schellenberg, pretending to be an anti-fascist willing to cooperate, had his own plans to infiltrate the British intelligence agency and gather information on their operations.

A Near-Disaster

During a meeting in Arnhem, Schellenberg and his colleagues were unexpectedly detained by Dutch police. In a moment of panic, Schellenberg swallowed a package of aspirin, labeled with the emblem of the SS. Luckily, the overdose did not harm his health, and he, along with his companions, was released.

The Plot Unravels

Schellenberg continued to establish contact with Best's group, communicating through radios and attending scheduled meetings. However, their next encounter in Venlo turned into a disaster when German SS soldiers attacked, resulting in the death of one of Best's colleagues. Schellenberg was captured by the SS and sent to a concentration camp. The German intelligence operation had successfully obtained valuable information about the British intelligence network and had eliminated a major threat to Nazi Germany.

Legacy

Walter Schellenberg's role in German intelligence during World War II had a significant impact on the course of the war. His infiltration and deception techniques allowed him to gather crucial information, which ultimately contributed to the downfall of Nazi Germany. Despite his capture, Schellenberg's legacy as a skilled intelligence officer remains.