Operation Foxley

Last updated

Operation Foxley was a code name of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. [1] At the height of World War II, one option to swiftly end the war was killing Hitler. The SOE developed two potential assassination modules, one was to poison, and the other, shooting with a special gun. Although detailed preparations were made, no attempt was made to carry out the plan. [2] The secret document, a 20-page dossier, was declassified in July 1998 by the British Public Record Office following the 30-year confidentiality limit. [3]

Contents

Prior plans

At the start of World War II in 1939, British secret services had thought of scheming assassination plans against Hitler. However, the propositions were never equivocally initiated. As Winston Churchill became the British Prime Minister in 1940, he had keen interest in various military tactics and authorised in 1941 to hatch plots for assassinations of Nazi leaders. [2] In one of the most successful high-ranking assassinations, name Operation Anthropoid, Czech soldiers, Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš shot Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Reich Security Main Office (including the Gestapo, Kripo, and SD) on 27 May 1942. Heydrich died of his injuries on 4 June. [4] Trainings and planning for the operatives were done by SOE. [5] [6] One of the first actual British plans to assassinate Hitler was to bomb the special train Amerika (in 1943 renamed Brandenburg) he travelled in; SOE had extensive experience of derailing trains using explosives. The plan was dropped because Hitler's schedule was too irregular and unpredictable: stations were informed of his arrival only a few minutes beforehand.

Background

In June 1944, an anonymous informer tipped the SOE office in Algiers, North Africa, there would be an opportunity to kill Hitler as he was to visit a chateau in Perpignan, southern France. [7] Although the SOE did not take any action upon the suggestion, the message inspired Major General Colin Gubbins, head of the SOE, to device more surreptitious plan. [3]

Plan

Uniform of Gebirgsjager (German mountain troops); the assassins would be disguised in dress like this. 1943 Handbook On German Military Forces Page 069 TM-E 30-451 Army (Wehrmacht ) continental uniforms mountain troops - no known copyright.jpg
Uniform of Gebirgsjäger (German mountain troops); the assassins would be disguised in dress like this.

Ultimately a sniper attack was considered to be the method most likely to succeed. In the summer of 1944, a German who had been part of Hitler's personal guard at the Berghof had been taken prisoner in Normandy. He revealed that at the Berghof, Hitler always took a 20-minute morning walk at around the same time (after 10:00). Hitler liked to be left alone during this walk, leaving him unprotected near some woods, where he was out of sight of sentry posts. When Hitler was at the Berghof, a Nazi flag visible from a cafe in the nearby town was flown.

The plan was to assassinate Hitler during his morning exercise, as he walked unprotected to the Teehaus on Mooslahnerkopf Hill from the Berghof residence. The scheme called for the SOE to parachute a German-speaking Pole and a British sniper into Austria. An "inside man" was recruited, the uncle of a prisoner of war named Dieser, who was a shopkeeper living in nearby (20 km) Salzburg, identified as "Heidentaler", who was vehemently anti-Nazi. [8] Heidentaler would shelter the agents and transport them to Berchtesgaden disguised as German mountain troops ( Gebirgsjäger ), from where they would make the approach to the vantage point for the attack. [9]

A sniper was recruited and briefed, and the plan was submitted. [10] The sniper practised by firing at moving dummy targets with an accurized Kar 98k with a Mauser telescopic sight, the standard rifle of the Wehrmacht, under conditions that simulated the planned attack. Additionally, a 9mm parabellum Luger pistol fitted with a British-made silencer was provided so that the sniper could quietly deal with any threats while approaching the target. The Luger is now on display at the Combined Military Services Museum in Maldon, Essex. [11]

Another plan was to put some tasteless but lethal poison in the drinking water supply on Hitler's train. However, this plan was considered too complicated because of the need for an inside man.

There was some opposition to the assassination plan among the British authorities, particularly from the Deputy Head of SOE's German Directorate, Lt. Col. Ronald Thornley. However, his superior, Sir Gerald Templer, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill supported it.[ citation needed ]

Hitler left the Berghof for the last time on 14 July 1944, never to return[ citation needed ]; six days later, anti-Nazi Wehrmacht officers attempted to assassinate him as part of the 20 July plot.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reinhard Heydrich</span> High ranking Nazi official (1904–1942)

Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich was a high-ranking German SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust.

Sicherheitsdienst, full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence organization and the Gestapo was considered its sister organization through the integration of SS members and operational procedures. The SD was administered as an independent SS office between 1933 and 1939. That year, the SD was transferred over to the Reich Security Main Office, as one of its seven departments. Its first director, Reinhard Heydrich, intended for the SD to bring every single individual within the Third Reich's reach under "continuous supervision".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lidice massacre</span> 1942 Nazi destruction of Czech village

The Lidice massacre was the complete destruction of the village of Lidice in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which is now a part of the Czech Republic, in June 1942 on orders from Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and acting Reichsprotektor Kurt Daluege, successor to Reinhard Heydrich. It has gained historical attention as one of the most documented instances of German war crimes during the Second World War, particularly given the deliberate killing of children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20 July plot</span> Attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, 1944

The 20 July plot was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and subsequently to overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German resistance, mainly composed of Wehrmacht officers. The leader of the conspiracy, Claus von Stauffenberg, planned to kill Hitler by detonating an explosive hidden in a briefcase. However, due to the location of the bomb at the time of detonation, the blast only dealt Hitler minor injuries. The planners' subsequent coup attempt also failed and resulted in a purge of the Wehrmacht.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berghof (residence)</span> Adolf Hitlers Bavarian residence

The Berghof was Adolf Hitler's holiday home in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. Other than the Wolfsschanze, his headquarters in East Prussia for the invasion of the Soviet Union, he spent more time here than anywhere else during his time as the Führer of Nazi Germany. It was also one of the most widely known of his headquarters, which were located throughout Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich</span> 1942 assassination in Prague

Reinhard Heydrich, the commander of the German Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), the acting governor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and a principal architect of the Holocaust, was assassinated during the Second World War in a coordinated operation by the Czechoslovak resistance. The assassination attempt, code-named Operation Anthropoid, was carried out by resistance operatives Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš on 27 May 1942. Heydrich was wounded in the attack and died of his injuries on 4 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Nebe</span> German SS functionary and Holocaust perpetrator (1894–1945)

Arthur Nebe was a German SS functionary who held key positions in the security and police apparatus of Nazi Germany and was, from 1941, a major perpetrator of the Holocaust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Kubiš</span> Czech soldier that killed Reinhard Heydrich

Jan Kubiš was a Czech soldier, one of a team of Czechoslovak British-trained paratroopers sent to eliminate acting Reichsprotektor (Realm-Protector) of Bohemia and Moravia, SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, in 1942 as part of Operation Anthropoid. During the assassination attempt, Kubiš threw a makeshift grenade that mortally wounded Heydrich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jozef Gabčík</span> Slovak soldier who took part in assassinating Reinhard Heydrich

Jozef Gabčík was a Slovak soldier in the Czechoslovak Army involved in the Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of acting Reichsprotektor (Realm-Protector) of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ležáky</span> Czechoslovak village razed by Nazis in 1942

Ležáky, in the Miřetice municipality, was a village in Czechoslovakia. During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, it was razed by Nazi forces as reprisal for Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich's assassination in late spring 1942.

Operation Spark was the code name for the planned assassination of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler by the anti-Nazi conspiracy of German Army officers and political conservatives, known as the Schwarze Kapelle during World War II. The name was coined by Major General Henning von Tresckow in 1941. He believed that because of Hitler's many successes up to that time, his personal charisma, and the oath of personal loyalty to him sworn by all German army officers, it would be impossible to overthrow Hitler and the Nazis with Hitler still alive. Hitler's death, however, would be a "spark"—a signal that it was time to launch an internal coup d'état to overthrow the Nazi regime and end the war.

<i>Operation Daybreak</i> 1975 film

Operation Daybreak is a 1975 war film based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich in Prague. Starring Anthony Andrews, Timothy Bottoms and Martin Shaw, the film was directed by Lewis Gilbert and shot mostly on location in Prague. It is adapted from the book Seven Men at Daybreak by Alan Burgess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karel Čurda</span> Czech Nazi collaborator

Karel Čurda was a Czech Nazi collaborator during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oster conspiracy</span> Proposed plan to overthrow Adolf Hitler

The Oster Conspiracy of 1938 was a proposed plan to overthrow German Führer Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime if Germany went to war with Czechoslovakia over the Sudetenland. It was led by Generalmajor Hans Oster, deputy head of the Abwehr and other high-ranking conservatives within the Wehrmacht who opposed the regime for behavior that was threatening to bring Germany into a war that they believed it was not ready to fight. They planned to overthrow Hitler and the Nazi regime through a storming of the Reich Chancellery by forces loyal to the plot to take control of the government, who would either arrest or assassinate Hitler, and restore the Monarchy under Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, the grandson of Wilhelm II.

<i>Hitlers Madman</i> 1943 film

Hitler's Madman is a 1943 World War II drama directed by Douglas Sirk. It is a fictionalized account of the 1942 assassination of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich and the resulting Lidice massacre, which the Germans committed as revenge. The film stars Patricia Morison and Alan Curtis and features John Carradine as Reinhard Heydrich. Sirk intended the film to function more as a documentary, but after Louis B. Mayer acquired the film in February 1943, he required reshoots to increase the drama. According to TCM, “Added material included Heydrich's deathbed scene with "Himmler" and university scenes featuring M-G-M starlets, including Ava Gardner.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolf Hitler's bodyguard</span> Overview of Adolf Hitlers bodyguard units

Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany, initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939 and was central to the Holocaust. He was hated by his persecuted enemies and even by some of his own countrymen. Although attempts were made to assassinate him, none were successful. Hitler had numerous bodyguard units over the years which provided security.

<i>Anthropoid</i> (film) 2016 war film by Sean Ellis

Anthropoid is a 2016 war film directed by Sean Ellis and starring Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerová, Harry Lloyd, Toby Jones and Marcin Dorocinski, It was written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin. It depicts Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by exiled Czechoslovak soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš in World War II. It was released on 12 August 2016 in the United States and 9 September 2016 in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Man with the Iron Heart</i> (film) 2017 film

The Man with the Iron Heart is a 2017 biographical action-thriller film directed by Cédric Jimenez and written by David Farr, Audrey Diwan, and Jimenez. An English-language French-Belgian production, it is based on French writer Laurent Binet's 2010 novel HHhH, and focuses on Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helmuth Groscurth</span> German army officer (1898–1943)

Helmuth Groscurth was a German staff and Abwehr officer in the Wehrmacht and a member of the German resistance. As an intelligence officer he was an early proponent of the Brandenburgers, commanded unconventional warfare operations in the Sudetenland, and was an active conspirator against Hitler's agenda. He was later reassigned to the regular army following his criticism of war crimes committed by German forces in Poland. After commanding an infantry battalion in the invasion of France he assumed a variety of staff roles. He was involved in the events of the Bila Tserkva massacre where he attempted to avert the killing of Jewish children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berchtesgaden Chancellery Branch office</span>

The Berchtesgaden Chancellery Branch office in Bischofswiesener district Stanggaß was built between 1937 and 1945 after plans by Alois Degano as the second seat of government of Nazi Germany for the time of Adolf Hitler's presence on nearby Obersalzberg.

References

  1. ↑ Hoge, Warren (1998-07-24). "Britain Reveals Elaborate Plots to Kill Hitler as War Neared End". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  2. 1 2 Philpot, Robert (2022-08-19). "A sniper in the woods, a hypnotized insider: UK spooks' secret plans to kill Hitler". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  3. 1 2 Miller, Marjorie (1998-07-24). "Britain Reveals Plot to Kill Hitler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  4. ↑ Hauner, Milan (2007). "Terrorism and Heroism: The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich". World Policy Journal. 24 (2): 85–89. ISSN   0740-2775.
  5. ↑ Gretton, Robert (2004-06-12). "Rudolf Krzak". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  6. ↑ "Czech pride in Jan Kubis, killer of Reinhard Heydrich". BBC News. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  7. ↑ "As WWII waned, British considered killing Hitler". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  8. ↑ Russell, Shahan (6 January 2016). "Britain's Plan to Kill Hitler By Having a Sniper Shoot Him During His Daily Walk To The Tea House" . Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Operation Foxley: Kill Hitler!".
  10. ↑ Felton, Mark (4 August 2014). Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer. Pen and Sword. ISBN   9781473838383 . Retrieved 26 September 2018– via Google Books.
  11. ↑ Mustermann, Erik (2014-07-31). "Luger Pistol Meant for Hitler Assassination". WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Retrieved 2021-12-14.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.