Thread by @DrHelenFry

Operation Valkyrie was the 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb concealed in a briefcase.

In the clandestine corners of Lisbon’s nocturnal streets, Agent Rita Winsor and defector Otto John covertly strategised the daring attack.

The mission, however, did not succeed:
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Newly declassified files unveil riveting details of a sophisticated MI6 operation in Lisbon, centring on Agent Rita Winsor, defector Otto John—an MI6 asset—and the bold July 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Otto John, a lawyer employed by Lufthansa, leveraged his role to travel to Lisbon and beyond, meeting covertly with British handlers Rita Winsor and Graham Maingot without arousing suspicion.

Codenamed Whiskey, John had held twelve clandestine meetings with them in the two years preceding Operation Valkyrie.

He is believed to have served as a crucial link between Colonel Georg Hansen, head of the German resistance, and MI6.

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On a quiet night in 1944, within the shadowy backstreets of Lisbon, MI6 agent Rita Winsor, tasked with handling German defectors, rendezvoused with Otto John and drove him through the dimly lit avenues of the Portuguese capital.

In hushed tones, John revealed details of a daring plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, set for July 1944.

He confided in Winsor about the swelling ranks of prominent anti-Nazi figures in Germany orchestrating Operation Valkyrie, a meticulously planned strike to take place during Hitler’s meeting at the Wolf’s Lair, his Eastern Front headquarters near Görlitz (now in Poland).

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At the heart of the conspiracy was Count Claus von Stauffenberg, who aimed to establish a new government following Hitler’s assassination.

With General Ludwig Beck poised to lead Germany and Field Marshal Erwin Witzleben appointed to command the armed forces, they planned to negotiate a peace settlement with the Allies.

Rita Winsor swiftly relayed this critical intelligence to Claude Dansey, Assistant Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (ACSS), widely known as MI6.

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On 20 July 1944, Count Claus von Stauffenberg executed a daring plan, detonating a bomb concealed within a briefcase placed beneath the table where Adolf Hitler was speaking.

Tragically, an unsuspecting German officer moved the briefcase, inadvertently sparing the Führer’s life.

The failed assassination unleashed devastating consequences for the conspirators, with many, alongside their families, facing execution.

In the aftermath, Otto John sought to escape Germany and defect to the West.

Rita Winsor orchestrated intricate arrangements to covertly smuggle him to Britain, securing his safety as a defector.

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The wonderful espionage historian Nigel West has concluded:

‘Based on this astonishing new evidence, it is completely inconceivable that the British did not know, have an opinion on, nor participate in such a momentous plot. We now know that Otto John was an MI6 asset, and has a large MI6 file… If this can be released, it will show the British involvement in Valkyrie and the role of Otto John as the missing link.’

Lisbon remained a pivotal hub of global espionage throughout the Second World War, serving as a thriving neutral capital. From here, MI6, in collaboration with MI5, masterfully orchestrated the Double Cross System, managing an intricate network of double agents.

Stay tuned for a future thread on this topic!

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I hope you’ve gained fresh insights into the daring Operation Valkyrie.

For more captivating Second World War history, follow me @DrHelenFry.

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