-~

TO:

J?ROM:

s -"~~iilll~llli?lilllliT I ~ w OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES

WASHINGTON, D. C.

April 23, 1943

Col. Chester H81l1Inond , White House Map Room

John Ma gruder, Brig . Gen.

SUBJECT: Reports Received in Of fice of Strategic Services, No. 18

Submi tted herewith are some addition al items received from our secret sources abroad.

Unless otherwise indicated, t he items of information submitted herewith are reports jus t as received from a gents and have not been evaluated as to de gree of reliability other t h an as stated.

~ ~~~··-4/ ~agruder, Brig . Gen. Deputy Director, OSS -- Intelligence Service

Enclosures

DECLASSIFIED By Au tbori ty of _____ _

CIS ~,•s7 By SR. Da te __ MAB 3 1975

German Portifications at Brenner are Completed

The OSS office in London sends the following reliable report:

1. With the completion of the last block­houses and fortresses accelerated, and with ( mrnnuni tion?) dumps being filled, the Brenner forti­fied zone is now in a state of p ractical defense .

2. This zone is being manned by Ger man units vmich were ordered b~ck after having crossed

the Brenner Pass on their way to Italy.

I j

(OSS Official Dispatch, # 20191, London, April 20, 1943)

DECLASSIFIED By Au t:1ori ty of

c.c ft_ ._aot.'t1 By sd(.. D;J. to MAR 3 ·197 5

..

Harsh al Mannerheim Reported in Switzerland

The OSS representative in Bern transmits the report that the Swiss Federal Council has informed the Swiss press t hat Man nerheim is at Lugano under orders of' his physician for a t l~ee week's convalescent stay.

(OSS Ofi'icial Dispatch # 76, Bern, April 19, 1 943)

D'ICLASSIFIED By Autho:ri ty of _____ _

I

Propaganda Use of the Polish Assassination Story ~

The OSS representative in Tangier cables that the story of the Russian assassination of 10,000 Polish prisoners of war has been very effective even upon our Spanish friends whose ever present fear that Communism in Europe will be the outcome of an Allied victory is augmented by this story.

(OSS Official Dispatch #4, Tangier, April 19, 1943)

r

DECLASSIFIED By Autbori ty of _____ _

By-~ .... ~=---D;.~ to __ M_A_R _3 1975

Italy: Fears and Hopes of the Resistance Groups

The OSS representative in Bern transmits the follo\nn~ information obtained from a reliable

"' source:

1. Italian resistance groups want a clari­fication of the war aims of the United Nations. Spe­cifically they wish to know if the principles of the Atlantic Charter will apply to the Italian people, as distinguished from the Fascist regime. ·

2. They also inquire whether the integrity of national Italian territory as it existed before the war (including Sardinia, Trieste, etc.) will be res­pected at the peace table. This query does not in­volve colonial ambitions or boundary teclmicalities.

3. The source recommends that the French should avoid mixing in Italian affairs, and remarks that the recent appeal of General Giraud had a poor psychological effect.

4. The source reports, further, that at a Fascist meeting recently, it uas disclosed that Italy and Germany had a secret agreement to render recipro­cal aid in the event of civil war. This confirms the recent seriou~ytrikes at various plants, among thefl the Fiat, in which - e workers 1vere p; rant ed their principal demands. ·

(OSS Official Dispatch, Nos. 279-281, Bern, April 21, 1943)

n•cLASSIFIED .B.y Authority of ____ _

By $ rt. Date MAR 3 1975

..

Germany: Threat of Gas warfare?

The OSS in London transmi ts a secret British report, secured indirectly from the Gerr.1an polic·e, to the effect that t h e Germans int end to use new weapons a gai nst Russia. In turn they expect the Russians to retaliate with g as, mru{ing necessary the completion of anti-gas weapons by early Spring . Gas was reported arriving in Riga in .March, during which month Stettin and Bremen had anti-gas demonstrations.

(OSS Of ficial Dispatch #22153, London, April 22, 1943)

DICLASSIFIED By Authority of ____ ----

{J,Jfl (11?(,,11

By $,( D ~~ t s MAR ;j 1975

(

Germany: Submarine Construction

OSS in London estimates the present German production at about 21 a month. They feel that the relative unimportance and remoteness of Stettin make improbable a Bern report that facilities in that port are to be transferred to Italy.

(OSS Official Dispatch #22172, London, April 22, 1943}

DECLASSIFIED By Authority of _____ _

By MAR

D ~:te ----3 1975

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