American currency. He was also given a list of useful contacts in Haifa, Cairo and Alexandria, one of whom was alleged to be in touch with a high Egyptian government official. On 18 July the CHEESE wireless set received a signal that Levi âleaves for Istanbul at the end of the present month with sufficient moneyâ. This message was followed on27 July by an instruction to CHEESE to âtell GEORGE that Levi will arrive soon with fundsâ.
While in a hotel in Genoa awaiting his departure, Levi met Captain Alessi, a Regia Aeronautica Italiana pilot who claimed to have been sent by Major Rossettiâs secretary, Annabella. During some long conversations with Levi, Alessi declared himself to be an anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi who had resigned from the air force after an incident with a Fascist official, stating that he had been friendly with an American, Charles A. Livengood, the economic counsellor, at that US embassy in Rome, and intended to stay away from Italy for the remainder of the war if the opportunity arose. He asked Levi to exercise his influence with Rossetti to have him sent abroad, and begged him not to reveal his disaffection. In a telephone conversation with Annabella on 1 August she urged Levi to consider taking Alessi on his mission, but he demurred, saying he preferred to operate alone. Then, on 2 August, Levi was arrested at his hotel, taken to the Regina Coeli prison in Rome and accused of collaborating with British intelligence. The evidence against him was the assertion that his network in Cairo was now operating under British control. Naturally, Levi denied the allegation, suggesting that perhaps his subordinates had sold out to the enemy. Although his girlfriend was also taken into custody briefly, she said nothing to incriminate him.
Levi was questioned for two and a half months, but not by the notorious Special Tribunal and, having concluded that a case of treason had not been proved, was sentenced on 17 October to five yearsâ imprisonment on the island of Tremiti, a penal colony in the Adriatic, as a political prisoner, and a fine.
Meanwhile, of course, CHEESE had grown impatient about the Abwherâs failure to pay him, and on 25 September he was asked to inform them âif the money has arrivedâ. Then, on 16 October, he was assured that much money was
âen route
â¦
sur un autre cheminâ
.
On 20 October, Nicossof sent a critical signal:
Very important message. PIET is desperate for money. He visited us yesterday. According to him Wavell visited Cairo secretly yesterday having come from Tiflis. Auchinlek under pressure from Churchill has consented against his better judgment to send one armoured division and three infantry divisions to help the Russians in the Caucasus. Wavell is going back to Iraq immediately to make the necessary plans for their reception.
This signal had a profound impact on the Germans who appeared to accept the underlying implication that a weakened British army was in no condition to launch an imminent offensive. On 11 November, just a week before the CRUSADER campaign, the Akrika Korps advised that there âare no apparent signs of preparations for an attack on Cyrenaicaâ and in explanation directly referred to the Nicossof message:
Abwehr reports state that there are also differences of opinion between Generals Wavell and Auchinleck concerning strategy in the Middle East. Wavell advocates an attack into the Caucasus, but Auchinleck does not wish to move any more troops or equipment out of Egypt.
In a later assessment dated 6 January 1942, SIME reported in a telegram to MI5âs headquarters at Blenheim Palace, with the address âSnuff-box, Oxfordâ, that CHEESE / LAMBERT
was the main source by which successful deception recently achieved, resulting in complete strategic surprise at onset of Western Desert campaign. Without LAMBERT , main theme of the deception plan which was put over on 20/10 and 27/10 could not
While in a hotel in Genoa awaiting his departure, Levi met Captain Alessi, a Regia Aeronautica Italiana pilot who claimed to have been sent by Major Rossettiâs secretary, Annabella. During some long conversations with Levi, Alessi declared himself to be an anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi who had resigned from the air force after an incident with a Fascist official, stating that he had been friendly with an American, Charles A. Livengood, the economic counsellor, at that US embassy in Rome, and intended to stay away from Italy for the remainder of the war if the opportunity arose. He asked Levi to exercise his influence with Rossetti to have him sent abroad, and begged him not to reveal his disaffection. In a telephone conversation with Annabella on 1 August she urged Levi to consider taking Alessi on his mission, but he demurred, saying he preferred to operate alone. Then, on 2 August, Levi was arrested at his hotel, taken to the Regina Coeli prison in Rome and accused of collaborating with British intelligence. The evidence against him was the assertion that his network in Cairo was now operating under British control. Naturally, Levi denied the allegation, suggesting that perhaps his subordinates had sold out to the enemy. Although his girlfriend was also taken into custody briefly, she said nothing to incriminate him.
Levi was questioned for two and a half months, but not by the notorious Special Tribunal and, having concluded that a case of treason had not been proved, was sentenced on 17 October to five yearsâ imprisonment on the island of Tremiti, a penal colony in the Adriatic, as a political prisoner, and a fine.
Meanwhile, of course, CHEESE had grown impatient about the Abwherâs failure to pay him, and on 25 September he was asked to inform them âif the money has arrivedâ. Then, on 16 October, he was assured that much money was
âen route
â¦
sur un autre cheminâ
.
On 20 October, Nicossof sent a critical signal:
Very important message. PIET is desperate for money. He visited us yesterday. According to him Wavell visited Cairo secretly yesterday having come from Tiflis. Auchinlek under pressure from Churchill has consented against his better judgment to send one armoured division and three infantry divisions to help the Russians in the Caucasus. Wavell is going back to Iraq immediately to make the necessary plans for their reception.
This signal had a profound impact on the Germans who appeared to accept the underlying implication that a weakened British army was in no condition to launch an imminent offensive. On 11 November, just a week before the CRUSADER campaign, the Akrika Korps advised that there âare no apparent signs of preparations for an attack on Cyrenaicaâ and in explanation directly referred to the Nicossof message:
Abwehr reports state that there are also differences of opinion between Generals Wavell and Auchinleck concerning strategy in the Middle East. Wavell advocates an attack into the Caucasus, but Auchinleck does not wish to move any more troops or equipment out of Egypt.
In a later assessment dated 6 January 1942, SIME reported in a telegram to MI5âs headquarters at Blenheim Palace, with the address âSnuff-box, Oxfordâ, that CHEESE / LAMBERT
was the main source by which successful deception recently achieved, resulting in complete strategic surprise at onset of Western Desert campaign. Without LAMBERT , main theme of the deception plan which was put over on 20/10 and 27/10 could not
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