"Stirlitz in a skirt": a German intelligence officer who worked for the USSR

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

As you know, Stirlitz is a collective image, a symbol of Soviet intelligence, which worked in the name of the fight against fascism. In fact, a whole network of Soviet agents operated in Europe, which in the postwar years was called the "Red Chapel". The fate of many of her agents was tragic, a vivid example of this is history Ilse Stebe, a scout who collaborated with the USSR … She passed on information about the preparation of the "Barbarossa" plan, but was arrested by the Germans and survived the most terrible tortures, remaining silent. The heroine was awarded the Order of the Red Banner posthumously.

As you know, Stirlitz is a collective image, a symbol of Soviet intelligence, which worked in the name of the fight against fascism. In fact, a whole network of Soviet agents operated in Europe, which in the postwar years was called the "Red Chapel". The fate of many of her agents was tragic, a vivid example of this is the story of Ilse Stebe, an intelligence officer who collaborated with the USSR. She passed on information about the preparation of the "Barbarossa" plan, but was arrested by the Germans and survived the most terrible tortures, remaining silent. The heroine was awarded the Order of the Red Banner posthumously.

Ilse Stebe is German. She was educated at a trade college, and has since achieved significant success in the field of journalism. After completing the courses for stenographers, the girl went from an employee of the advertising department to the secretary of the editor-in-chief, and after that she became a correspondent and wrote from Czechoslovakia and Poland. Ilse has always been distinguished by anti-fascist views, which is why she subsequently began to work for the USSR.

Ilse was brought in by Rudolf Gernstadt, a Polish journalist colleague. The girl was an excellent specialist and after the Nazis came to power she was instructed to join the ranks of the NSDAP. At this time, Ilse worked under the pseudonym "Arnim", her task was to collect as many contacts as possible for subsequent recruitment. Stebe's press appearances were so convincing that Polish media insisted on banning her from entering the country because of Nazi propaganda.

One of the key agents recruited by Ilse was an employee of the German Foreign Ministry, Rudolf von Schelia. It was he who helped Ilse get a place in the press service of the Foreign Ministry. The intelligence cooperation continued for a long time, it was Shelia who transmitted information that Herman was preparing a plan for an attack on the Soviet Union. Through the efforts of Ilse, this information was transmitted to Moscow.

German counterintelligence made efforts to expose Soviet agents. In Brussels, the headquarters with radio transmitters was destroyed. Despite this, Ilse continued to lead the group of scouts and transmit information. She was arrested on September 12, 1942, on the day of her engagement to Karl Helfrich, another agent working for the USSR.

Ilse was tortured for 7 terrible and endlessly long weeks, but she did not say a word and did not betray any of her accomplices. During this time, von Shelia fell into the hands of the Gestapo. He gave out all the information about aiding the Soviet Union and working with Ilse. This forced her to confess in connection with von Shelia. True, no other information could be obtained. On December 14, Ilse Stebe was sentenced to death by guillotine. Her exploits, as well as the exploits of the entire "Red Chapel" became known only many years later. In 1969, materials about the participation of scouts in the Great Patriotic War were declassified, then Ilse and 31 other members of the reconnaissance group received high state awards. 29 people from the list of awardees received the Order of the Red Banner posthumously.

Richard Sorge - Another legendary intelligence officer who worked for the USSR.