An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
This book is an original publication of Penguin Random House LLC.
Copyright 2016 by Larry Loftis.
All rights reserved.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
BERKLEY CALIBER and its colophon are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
For more information, visit penguin.com.
eBook ISBN: 9780698197664
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Loftis, Larry, author.
Title: Into the lions mouth : the true story of Dusko Popov : World War II
spy, patriot, and the real-life inspiration for James Bond / by Larry Loftis.
Other titles: True story of Dusko Popov, World War II spy, patriot, and the real-life inspiration for James Bond
Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Berkley Caliber, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015039212 | ISBN 9780425281819
Subjects: LCSH: Popov, Dusko. | World War, 19391945Secret serviceGreat
Britain. | World War, 19391945Secret serviceGermany. | SpiesGreat
BritainBiography. | SpiesGermanyBiography. |
EspionageGermanyHistory20th century. | EspionageGreat
BritainHistory20th century.
Classification: LCC D810.S8 P6 2016 | DDC 940.54/8641092dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2015039212
First edition: June 2016
Jacket design by Daniela Medina.
Front jacket photograph of man Michael Dos Santos/Gallery Stock.
Illustration of swirl Miloje / Shutterstock Images.
While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the author nor the publisher is responsible for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Version_1
[H]e had the steel within, the ruthlessness and the cold-blooded courage that enabled him to go back to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon and Madrid time and time again, when it was likely that he was blown; it was like putting his head into the lions mouth.
LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER EWEN MONTAGU
British Double-Cross Committee (19401945)
My own life is much less important to me than that of my family.... I hope to continue to be useful to our common cause and to be able to help within my modest means to bring the victory which alone will bring me happiness.
DUSKO POPOV
Letter to Major Tar Robertson, August 9, 1941
CONTENTS
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
TRICYCLE NETWORK DOUBLE AGENTS
Marquis Frano de Bona FREAK (Popovs radio operator; German, GUTTMANN)
Friedl Gaertner GELATINE (German, IVONNE)
Johann Jebsen ARTIST
Dickie Metcalfe BALLOON (German, IVAN II)
Dusko Popov TRICYCLE, SKOOT (German, IVAN)
Ivo Popov DREADNOUGHT (German, PAULA)
Hans Ruser JUNIOR
Eugen Sostaric METEOR
Stefan Zeis THE WORM
MI5 (SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE) STAFF
Guy Liddell Section B chief
William Luke Dusko Popov case officer (initial)
John Marriott Assistant to Colonel Tar Robertson
Colonel T. A. Tar Robertson Section B1A (Double Agents) chief
Ian Wilson Dusko Popov case officer
MI6 (SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE) STAFF AND AGENTS
Kenneth Benton Agent, Madrid
Major Desmond Bristow Agent, Lisbon
Colonel Felix Cowgill Section V (Counterintelligence) chief
Major Frank Foley Section V (Counterintelligence)
Cecil Gledhill Lisbon station chief following Colonel Ralph Jarvis
Major Peter Hope Agent, Paris
Colonel Ralph Jarvis Lisbon station chief
Major-General Stewart Menzies Director; C
Major Walter Wren Trinidad station chief (and part of Popovs New York support team)
DOUBLE-CROSS COMMITTEE
Rear Admiral John Godfrey Director of Naval Intelligence (boss of Montagu and Ian Fleming)
Professor J. C. Masterman Chairman, Double-Cross Committee; Oxford don
Lieutenant-Commander Ewen Montagu Naval Intelligence (working closely with Popov)
BRITISH SECURITY COORDINATION (NEW YORK)
Colonel C. H. Dick Ellis Assistant to Director Stephenson (transfer from MI6)
Captain H. Montgomery Hyde MI6 Security Officer, Bermuda Censorship
William Stephenson Director (code name, INTREPID)
ABWEHR STAFF
Abwehr I Foreign Intelligence (I H = Army)
Abwehr III Counterespionage
Admiral Wilhelm Canaris Director
Albrecht Engels Agent, Rio de Janeiro station (code name, ALFREDO)
Colonel Georg Hansen Replaced Pieckenbrock as head of Abwehr I
Oberstleutnant Hans Kammler I H West, Berlin, Spain, Portugal
Major Albert (Ludovico) von Karsthoff Lisbon station chief
Lieutenant Fritz Kramer Abwehr III, Lisbon
Colonel Gustav Papa Lenz Madrid station chief
Colonel Ernst Munzinger I H East chief, Balkans
Colonel Hans Pieckenbrock Head of Abwehr I
Elisabeth Sahrbach Secretary/mistress of Major von Karsthoff
Major Aloys Schreiber Head of Abwehr I H West, Anglo-American Section
Lieutenant Colonel Martin Tppen Financial supervisor
Major Helmut Wiegand Paris station chief
SD AND GESTAPO STAFF
Major Adolf Nassenstein SD agent, Lisbon
General Major Walter Schellenberg Nazi Foreign Intelligence chief, head of SD
Major Erich Schroeder SD agent, Lisbon chief following von Karsthoff
SDSicherheitsdienst (Nazi Security Service, branch of the Gestapo)
Dr. Warnecke Gestapo specialist
FBI STAFF
E. J. Connelley Assistant Director, New York (initial Popov supervisor)