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Abstract
This article addresses the intricate and previously untold story of a German attempt in 1944 to have an agent, the Latvian Voldemar Blankenfelds, dispatched by boat, via Sweden, to South America where a German intelligence network was being established. Shortly after his arrival in Sweden in June 1944, however, Blankenfelds got in touch with the British diplomatic mission in Stockholm, told them of his assignment and became a double agent, maintaining contacts with the Germans while continually providing information to the British, who in turn kept the Swedish police informed. Blankenfelds was later arrested and interrogated by the Swedes and, when released, agreed to provide them with information as well. He thereby significantly contributed to the arrest and extradition of a German agent in Sweden – the Head of the German tourist agency in Sweden, Baron Bernd von Gossler. Blankenfelds’ assignment to America was repeatedly delayed throughout the autumn of 1944 and by late October, Berlin ordered the mission to be called off altogether. In the meantime, the Germans had tried to have Blankenfelds engage in intelligence activities in Sweden aimed at the Baltic refugee community. Blankenfelds refused however to cooperate. Newly declassified Soviet encrypted cables, together with archival material from Blankenfelds’ file in the archive of Swedish security police, reveal striking similarities between German and Soviet intelligence objectives regarding the Baltic refugees in Sweden.
Notes
1 Letter from Minister of Justice, Thorwald Bergquist, to the Aliens Appeals Board, November 17, 1944 in Statens utlänningskommission (SUK), kanslibyrån, F1AC:7799, von Gossler.
2 “Myndigheterna och fallet Gossler,” Ny dag, November 24, 1944. The idea here, as voiced by Ny dag, was that the Swedish government was part of a common frontier with Nazi-Germany whereby a new world order ‘neue Weltordnung’, (as formulated by Hitler in his speech of January 30, 1941), was to be established, and (implicitly) that this frontier was oriented against the USSR.
3 On Soviet pressure regarding Sidorenko, see for example Assarsson’s report in RA. UD. HP 1 Er, nr. 156, November 25, 1943.
4 RA. UD. P 40 R, November 18, 1944.
5 Curt Ekholm, Balt och tyskutlämningen 1945–1946, Part one; ankomsten och interneringen, and Part two; Utlämningen och efterspelet (Uppsala, acta universitatis upsaliensis), 1984.
6 Narodny kommissariat innostrannykh del, NKID.
7 One such example is Alexander N. Abramov’s (the Head of the Soviet foreign ministry’s Scandinavian Department) March 1946 memo to Deputy foreign minister Kirill N. Novikov regarding Soviet policy towards Sweden, filed in the archive of the Russian Federation’s Foreign Ministry (AVPRF), f. 0140, op. 31, d. 5, p. 133, l. 13, March 1, 1946. This memo summarizes the content of an encrypted cable from the Soviet envoy to Sweden, Il’ia Chernyshev (filed in AVPRF, f. 059, op. 16, p. 73, d. 458, nr. 280–281, February 22, 1946). Approximately 3000 encrypted cables were decrypted through the work of the American and British cryptologists of the Venona project. See Robert L. Benson, The Venona Story, 14, http://www.nsa.gov/about/_files/cryptologic_heritage/publications/coldwar/venona_story.pdf (accessed January 15, 2014).
8 The findings pertaining to Wallenberg from my review of the cables is presented in Johan Matz, “Cables in Cipher, the Raoul Wallenberg Case and Swedish-Soviet Diplomatic Communication 1944–47,” Scandinavian Journal of History 38, no. 3 (2013): 344–66.
9 On different classifications of the cables, see Matz, “Cables in Cipher,” 356–7.
10 See Benson, The Venona Story,. 3. For an in-depth discussion on internal Soviet foreign policy communication, see Niels Erik Rosenfeldt, The ‘Special’ World: Stalin’s Power Apparatus and the Soviet System’s Secret Structures of Communication (Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, University of Copenhagen, 2009), 363–86.
11 AVPRF, f. 059, op. 16, p. 73, d. 460, nr. 632, May 18, 1946.
12 One of the few examples of cables on matters of espionage concerns the activities in 1947 of Soviet deputy defense attaché Vassilii Konnov. See Matz, “Cables in Cipher,” 357.
13 Lev F. Sotskov, Pribalitka i geopolitika 1935–1945 gg. Rassekrechennye dokumenty sluzhby vneshnei razvedki Rossiiskoi Federatsii (Moskva: Ripol klassik, 2010), 437–42.
14 Ibid., 443–456. On the date of this document, one may note that its author writes that ‘lately a particularly large stream of German agents has flooded Sweden’ (456). It seems reasonable to assume that this depicts the situation in late 1944 or possibly early 1945.
15 Ibid., 456.
16 Ibid., 450.
17 Ibid., 446–7. Voldemars Salnais was Latvia’s envoy to Sweden 1937–1940. He remained in Sweden after the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940.
18 See “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Voldemar Blankenfelds,” November 1–3, 1944. See also “Sammanställning av ärendet Voldemars Blankenfelds,” undated memo of November 1944, 10, and Report, British Legation, October 12, 1944, 2, all in P 4555.
19 On problems of historical methodology and Sotskov’s book, see Olaf Mertelsmann’s review in Journal of Baltic Studies 42, no. 4 (2011): 563–4.
20 Allmänna säkerhetstjänsten, established in accordance with a governmental decree of 1938 and in operation between 1939 and 1946, was aimed at linking together various intelligence-oriented police activities within Sweden, such as the interception of postal, telephone and telegram communications and the surveillance of foreign citizens in Sweden. See Wilhelm Agrell, Venona (Lund, Historiska media, 2003): 30–6. The surveillance and interrogations of Blankenfelds were carried out by regular police officers of the Criminal police working (also) for the Allmänna säkerhetstjänsten. The activities of Allmänna säkerhetstjänsten, which were secret even to the Parliament (at least until 1943), were presented in great detail in the report of the so-called Sandler Commission in 1948 (See Betänkande angående säkerhetstjänstens verksamhet, SOU 1948:7, Stockholm, Norstedts, 1948)
21 All police documentation on Blankenfelds is filed in P 4555, in Riksarkivet (RA) vol. 1292. The documents of the Aliens Appeals Board are filed in Statens utlänningskommission (SUK), kanslibyrån, F1ABC:14 Voldemar Blankenfelds.
22 Report, City of Södertälje Police, June 23, 1944 in SUK.
23 See memo by ‘M’ of June 27, 1944 and memo by Th. Söderström, July 12, 1944, in P 4555.
24 In all there are 14 such reports, see July 26 (incorrect date, should be July 28), July 31, August 17, August 28, September 4, September 6, September 8, September 16, October 4, October 12, November 1, November 6, November 11, December 1, 1944. All are filed in P 4555.
25 Von Gossler was interrogated in November 1944. All police documentation on von Gossler is filed in P 1121, RA, vol. 360–362.
26 Finke was interrogated in January 1946. See “Protokoll vid förhör den 29/1 i Algades skola i Köpenhamn med tyske medborgaren August Finke,” January 29, 1946, in P 4555. Amt IV of the RSHA (i.e. department six) – the foreign intelligence service. The Scandinavian countries belonged to the so-called ‘Referat III’ or ‘Schwedenreferat’ of Landesgruppe D (USA, England, Scandinavia and South America). See “Schwedenreferat inom Amt VI av Reichsicherheitshauptamt,” interrogation with Döhring, Akershus, Oslo, March 15, 1946, in P 4485.
27 “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Valdemar Blankenfelds,” September 21–26, 1944, and “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Voldemar Blankenfelds,” November 1–3, 1944, both in P 4555.
28 Utdrag ur överståthållarämbetets protokoll, fört vid förhör […] vid kronohäktesavdelningen vid centralfängelset på Långholmen den, April 5, 1946, 4, in SUK.
29 On Loellgen, see Timothy Naftali, Richard Breitman and Robert Wolfe “Analysis of the Name File of Heinrich Mueller” in Record Group 263: Records of the Central Intelligence Agency. Records of the Directorate of Operations, http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified-records/rg-263-cia-records/rg-263-mueller.html (accessed January 15, 2014).
30 “Protokoll över förhör [med] Blankenfelds,” September 21–26, 2, in P 4555.
31 Ibid., 5.
32 Ibid.
33 Ibid., 5–7.
34 Utdrag ur överståthållarämbetets protokoll…, April 5, 1946, 4, in SUK.
35 See “Protokoll över förhör [med] Blankenfelds,” September 21–26, and November 1–3, 1944, in P 4555, and Utdrag ur överståthållarämbetets protokoll…, April 5, 1946, in SUK.
36 “Protokoll vid förhör den 29/1 i Algades skola i Köpenhamn med tyske medborgaren August Finke,” January 29, 1946, in P 4555
37 “Pm ang. Blankenfelds,” by Holm, July 21, 1944, and “Pm till granskarna,” by Holm, July 25, 1944 in P 4555.
38 “Pm till granskarna,” by Holm, July 25, 1944 in P 4555.
39 “Pm ang. Voldemar Blankenfelds,” by Holm, August 11, 1944, in P 4555.
40 Ibid.
41 Report on Blankenfelds departure, “Pm” by Holm, July 27, 1944, in P 4555.
42 “Pm ang. övervakning av den lettiske medborgaren V. Blankenfelds,” July 27–31, 1944, in P 4555.
43 Report, British Legation, Stockholm, July 28, 1944.
44 “Pm angående övervakning av lettiske medborgare V. Blankenfelds,” July 27–31, 1944 in P 4555.
45 Report, British Legation, July 31, 1944.
46 “Pm” by Söderström, August 2, 1944, in P 4555.
47 “Pm” by Söderström, 31 July and “Pm”, Gun Eriksson, August 4, 1944, in P 4555.
48 See “Sammanställning av ärendet Voldermars Blankenfelds,” undated memo of November 1944, 2, in P 4555.
49 “Pm ang. övervakning av Voldemar Blankenfelds,” August 10–12, August 16, 1944, in P 4555.
50 “Pm angående övervakning av lettiske medborgaren V. Blankenfelds,” August 17, 1944, in P 4555.
51 Report, British Legation, August 17, 1944, 2, 5–6.
52 Ibid., 4, in P 4555.
53 “P.m. angående övervakningen av den lettiske medborgaren Woldemar Blankenfelds,” August 25, 1944 in P 4555.
54 Report, British Legation, August 26, 1944.
55 Police documentation on Pioch is filed in P 4485, RA, vol. 1271.
56 Police report, August 26, 1944, 8–10, in P 4485.
57 Ibid., 6.
58 Ibid., 27.
59 Ibid., 29–41.
60 Police documentation on Wigert is filed in P 1984, RA, vol. 562. See Wigert’s reports of 2, 5, 7 and 23 November 1942. On von Gossler’s contacts with Wigert, see also “PM rörande baron von Gossler” by Akrell, November 8, 1944, in P 1984.
61 Von Gossler met with Finke over lunch at restaurant Bellmansro on April 17, 1942. See “P.M. angående von Gossler,” September 18, 1942, 3 in P 1984.
62 “Schwedenreferat inom Amt VI av Reichsicherheitshauptamt,” interrogation with Döhring, Akershus, Oslo, March 15, 1946, in P 4485.
63 Report, British Legation, September 8, 1944.
64 Report, British Legation, September 4, 1944.
65 Ibid. See also Interrogation with Blankenfelds, September 21, 1944, in P 4555.
66 Report, British Legation, September 4, 1944.
67 Report, British Legation, September 6, 1944.
68 The meetings took place on 6, 7, 12 and 19 September. “P.M. ang. Sammanträffande mellan lettiske medborgaren Woldemar Blankenfelds, och tyske medborgaren Bernd von Gossler,” September 7, 1944. “P.M. ang. övervakningen av den lettiske medborgaren Woldemar Blankenfelds,” September 19, 1944. See also “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Valdemar Blankenfelds,” September 21–26, 1944, all in P 4555.
69 Report, British Legation, September 16, 1944.
70 “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Valdemar Blankenfelds,” September 21–26, 1944, p. 25, in P 4555.
71 Letter from Martin Lundqvist to the Secretary E. von Plomgren, Swedish foreign ministry, September 28, 1944, in P 4555.
72 “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Valdemar Blankenfelds,” September 21–26, 1944, in P 4555.
73 Ibid., 26.
74 “Sammanställning över ärendet V. Blankenfelds,” Memo Swedish police, 6, in P 4555.
75 Report by Holm, October 26, 1944. Blankenfelds later denied this. See “Protokoll över förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen med den lettiske medborgaren Valdemar Blankenfelds,” November 13, 1944, in P 4555.
76 Meetings on October 2, October 9 and October 26. See Report, British Legation, October 4, 1944, October 12, 1944, Swedish police reports October 4, October 10, and October 26.
77 Report, British Legation, October 4, 2.
78 Report, British Legation, October 12.
79 Report, British Legation, October 4, 1944, 2.
80 Report, British Legation, September 8, 1944.
81 Report, British Legation, October 12, 1944. “Protokoll over förhör, hållet å kriminalpolisavdelningen den November 1, 1944 med lettiske medborgaren Voldemar Blankenfelds”, 8, in P 4555.
82 Report, Swedish police, October 26, 1944, in P 4555.
83 Ibid. See also “Utdrag av protokollet, hållet hos Överståthållarämbetet den November 15, 1944,” in SUK, von Gossler. Von Gossler left Sweden 1 day before the formal decision to have him deported was taken by the Cabinet (on November 17).
84 Report, British Legation, November 6, 1944.
85 Report, British Legation, November 11, 1944.
86 On Jenkins, see “P.M. ang. övervakningen av norska medb. Mary Jenkins,” September 15, 1944, in P 1984.
87 See police report, November 10, in P 1121.
88 “Utdrag ur protokollet, hållet år Stockholms stads rannsakningsfängelse den November 13, 1944” in Justitidepartementet, konseljakt, November 17, 1944, nr. 62, von Gossler in RA.
89 Wigert was recruited on July 16, 1942 through Lieutenant Thorsten Akrell. See the undated memo “Pm rörande sammanträffande med fru Sonja Wigert,” in P 1984.
90 By August 1944, the police considered that the most serious information on von Gossler had been provided by Wigert. See “P.M. sammanställning av vad som framkommit mot tyska medborgarna…,” August 26, 1944, in P 1121. Wigert’s role in the framing of von Gossler was reported on in the press; see “Hands up – dr. Gossler: hon som avslöjade tyske turistchefen,” Expressen, November 18, 1944, and “von Gossler avslöjad av känd aktris,” Stockholmstidningen, November 18, 1944.
91 Report, British Legation, December 1, 1944, in P 4555.
92 “Protokoll vid förhör den 29/1 i Algades skola i Köpenhamn med tyske medborgaren August Finke,” January 29, 1946, in P 4555.
93 As is evident from the Swedish police interrogations of September 1944, Blankenfelds held that he approached the US Legation because he wanted to share information on ‘secret matters that were of interest to the Americans’. He had also, as mentioned above, asked the staffers at the US Legation to help in having his family transferred to the US. There is thus no doubt at this point that when Blankenfelds spoke of America he meant the US. See “Protokoll över förhör [med] Blankenfelds ,” September 21–26, 20–2, in P 4555.
94 Utdrag ur överståthållarämbetets protokoll…, April 5, 1946, 2 in SUK.
95 On Branting, see Agrell, Venona, 271–8.
96 AVPRF, f. 059, op. 12, p. 49, d. 306, nr. 3637, November 5, 1944.
97 AVPRF, f. 059, op. 15, p. 66, d. 387, nr. 882, April 19, 1945.
98 “Priem shvedskogo poslannika Sederblioma,” April 25, 1945, in AVPRF, f. 012, op. 6, p. 89, d. 349, l. 10.
99 “Protokoll vid förhör,” April 17, 1945, in P 4555.
100 Utdrag ur överståthållarämbetets protokoll…, April 5, 1946, 5, in SUK. It was (more or less) a regular procedure that representatives the Soviet mission in Stockholm visited people who were about to return to the USSR. See for example letter of November 22, 1944 from the Soviet consul F. Chernov to the Swedish criminal police regarding the Estonian refugee Werner Kobli, in RA, SUK, hemliga arkivet, vol. F2A:78. Kontrolldossier Kobli, Verner.
101 Utdrag ur överståthållarämbetets protokoll…, April 5, 1946, 7, in SUK.
102 Craig G. McKay’s book, From Information to Intrigue: Studies in Secret Service based on the Swedish experience 1939–45 (London: Frank Cass, 1993) provides however an excellent example in this regard. The opening up former Soviet archives, like the encrypted cables, should however allow for further research here.
103 Sotskov, Pribalitka i geopolitika 1935–1945 gg, 449.
104 See encrypted cables in AVPRF, f. 059, op. 16, p. 73, d. 458, nr. 66, 16 January 1946, nr. 73, 17 January 1946, nr. 100, 20 January 1946.
105 On Stockholm as a center of intelligence, see McKay, From Information to Intrigue, 1–40.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Johan Matz
Dr. Johan Matz is a Ph.D. from Department of Government, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Nowadays he is Researcher at the Centre for Russian Studies, University of Uppsala. In 2012, he was granted access to Soviet encrypted cables between the Soviet Legation in Stockholm and the Soviet Foreign Ministry for the years 1944–1947. He has published in Journal of Cold War Studies, Scandinavian Journal of History and Journal of Baltic Studies.