Operation Lobster I
Encyclopedia
Operation Lobster I was an Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...

 plan to infiltrate three German agents into Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, (the territory formerly known as the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...

), in July 1940. It is part of a wider series of missions carried out within the framework of Operation Lobster
Operation Lobster
In 1940 the Germans decided to send agents and saboteurs to infiltrate Britain from Norway and Northern France. This plan was given the codename Operation Lobster...

 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Infiltration of agents to Ireland

The first agent recruited for the mission was Christian Nissen
Christian Nissen
Christian Nissen aka Hein Mück was a German sailor and yachtsman, who served with the Abwehr and its special forces, the Brandenburgers in World War II.-Biography:...

, aka Hein Mueck. In June 1940 he had been called to the Sabotage School
Brandenburgers
The Brandenburgers were members of the Brandenburg German Special Forces unit during World War II.Units of Brandenburgers operated in almost all fronts - the invasion of Poland, Denmark and Norway, in the Battle of France, in Operation Barbarossa, in Finland, Greece and the invasion of Crete,...

 at Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

 and asked to find a boat suitable for transporting three agents to Ireland. Nissen had served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 aboard the Imperial German Navy full rigged ship Melpomene
Melpomene
Melpomene , initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots...

. Melpomene had been captured by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 100 miles (160.9 km) west of the port of Queenstown, now Cobh
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...

, in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

. He was interned first at Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....

 in Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....

, then in Oldcastle, County Meath
Oldcastle, County Meath
Oldcastle is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the north-west of the county near the border with Cavan, approximately 21 km from Kells. The R154 and R195 regional roads cross in the town's market square...

, and finally on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

. Therefore, Nissen was familiar with the area.

Nissen selected the "Soizic", a luxurious 36 feet (11 m) yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...

 from the harbour in Brest Bay for the voyage. The boat was fitted out like a French fishing vessel and had previously belonged to the French military attaché in Bern. On closer inspection Nissan saw that the "Soizic" was missing its propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...

 but decided that the vessel could make it to Ireland under sail alone.

The three men selected for the mission were two South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n Germans, Herbert Tributh, and Dieter Gärtner, and an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n national Henry Obéd. Their mission was to make their way to England to complete espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...

 activity.

Tributh and Gärtner were both students and neither spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 well. Obéd was to act as their guide and interpreter. Obéd passionately hated the British and had worked for the Abwehr before the invasion of Belgium after being recruited by Kurt Haller. He had not performed as expected in an aborted mission to sabotage Royal Navy ships stationed in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

.

None of the three agents had sailing experience and their espionage and spycraft
Spycraft
Spycraft is a d20 and OGL-based role-playing game dealing with superspies and modern action. Originally published by the Alderac Entertainment Group, it is currently published under licence by Crafty Games.-History:...

 training had been only cursory. It has been speculated that they were recruited on the basis of their passion to fight the British. A late addition to the crew was made on the day of departure when a Breton
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...

 fisherman appeared to aid Nissen in navigation.

The "Soizic" departed on 3 July 1940 bound for Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean and the most southerly point of Ireland. It lies southwest of Cape Clear Island and from County Cork on the Irish mainland...

, Baltimore
Baltimore, County Cork
Baltimore is located in western County Cork, Ireland. Baltimore is the principal village of the parish of Rath and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland...

 Bay, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

. The vessel flew the French tricolor. On the third day out, 45 miles (72.4 km) west of Fastnet Rock, two Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 cruisers, Southampton class, were spotted on the horizon. A British seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...

 patrolling the area buzzed the yacht, but the "Soizic" continued unmolested to Baltimore Bay where Nissen awaited nightfall.

Capture of agents

The three agents boarded a dinghy
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...

 and landed on the shore on 7 July 1940 without being challenged. The landing took place in the area of Traspaleen Sound, Castletownshend
Castletownshend
Castletownshend on Ireland's southwest coast, is a village about eight km from Skibbereen, in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. The village developed around a small 17th century castle built by Richard Townsend, whose descendents still reside there...

. They were carrying suitcases filled with Abwehr supplied equipment, and each was expected to split up immediately and attempt infiltration to Britain. They received no orders to contact resident German liaison to the IRA – Captain Hermann Görtz
Hermann Görtz
Hermann Görtz was a German spy in Britain and Ireland before and during World War II.-First trip to Broadstairs:Hermann Görtz arrived in Britain on the 29 August 1935 with a secretary, Marianne Emig. They spent a few weeks in Suffolk and eventually moved to Broadstairs and rented a house...

 – or the German Legation in Dublin.

Later that day the three men, still travelling as a group, had asked some locals for the fastest way to get to Dublin city. On being directed to Skibbereen
Skibbereen
Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...

 the three men took a bus there and then hitched a lift to Drimoleague. They were then apprehended by Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...

 (Irish police) trying to take a bus to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

. They were asked to allow their luggage to be inspected and who they were. The agents claimed they were sight-seeing students but were unable to verify their statements further. They were arrested and the arresting officers called Dublin for assistance. Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...

 officers, dispatched to interview the men, quickly established they were foreign agents. They did this, most likely, by searching their luggage which was found to contain:
  • Eight incendiary bombs- each eight ounces in weight, made of cylindrical paper tubes filled with thermite
    Thermite
    Thermite is a pyrotechnic composition of a metal powder and a metal oxide that produces an exothermic oxidation-reduction reaction known as a thermite reaction. If aluminium is the reducing agent it is called an aluminothermic reaction...

    .
  • Four tins of gun cotton (nitrocellulose
    Nitrocellulose
    Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...

    ) to a total of 102 ounces. Each tin was labelled 'Carres French Peas'.
  • Six No.8 detonator
    Detonator
    A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....

    s, concealed in wooden containers disguised as fishing reels.
  • Six lengths of safety fuse, two reels of insulating tape, and two cutting pliers.
  • Currency totalling £829.


Each of the men was sentenced to seven years hard labour.

The Abwehr II diary entry for 18 July 1940 recorded:
"Message received from Dr. Hempel [head of the German Legation in Dublin, Eduard Hempel
Eduard Hempel
Eduard Hempel was the Nazi German Minister to Ireland between 1937 and 1945 — in the build up to and during The Emergency...

] that agents landed in operation Lobster I have been arrested. Equipment provided incriminating evidence. By director's decision further sabotage acts against England are not to be made via Ireland but direct against England."


Hempel bitterly complained to his seniors about the botched operation. Firstly, he had been entirely unaware of it. Secondly, he was concerned about how it might affect fragile German-Irish Governmental relations. Hempel was right to be concerned, the operation had increased the fears of Irish Military Intelligence G2 Branch
G2 (Republic of Ireland)
G2 or G-2 is the national intelligence agency of Ireland. It is the military intelligence branch of the Irish Defence Forces, and also helps protect Ireland's national security. G2 is used in several western and NATO forces to refer to the Intelligence and Security branch of the staff function...

 and saw the beginning of co-operation between them and MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...

 throughout the rest of the war.

Upon his return to France, Nissen informed the Brest Amt (regional Abwehr office) that he had successfully completed his mission. He then went to north-western Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

 where he would wait until called on for his next mission to Ireland, Operation Lobster II.

IRA involvement

There was no known IRA involvement with or knowledge of Operation Lobster I at the time of the mission.

Notable Abwehr operations involving Ireland

  • Operation Lobster
    Operation Lobster
    In 1940 the Germans decided to send agents and saboteurs to infiltrate Britain from Norway and Northern France. This plan was given the codename Operation Lobster...

  • Operation Seagull (Ireland)
    Operation Seagull (Ireland)
    Operation Seagull was an Abwehr II/Brandenburger Regiment sanctioned mission launched in September 1940...

  • Operation Seagull I
    Operation Seagull I
    Operation Seagull I was an Abwehr II sanctioned mission devised in May 1942. The plan was the brainchild of Kurt Haller and an expert from Abwehr I-Wi...

  • Operation Seagull II
    Operation Seagull II
    Operation Seagull II was an Abwehr II. sanctioned mission planned in June 1942 as a refinement of Operation Seagull I...

  • Operation Whale
    Operation Whale
    Operation Whale was the name of two separate German Intelligence plans conceived in 1940.*" Unternehmen Walfisch" was an aborted plan to land a seaplane on a lake in Ireland...

  • Operation Dove (Ireland)
    Operation Dove (Ireland)
    Operation Dove also sometimes known as Operation Pigeon, was an Abwehr sanctioned mission devised in early 1940...

  • Operation Osprey
    Operation Osprey
    Operation Osprey was a plan conceived by the German Foreign Ministry and Abwehr II. mid 1942. The plan was an enlargement of Operation Whale...

  • Operation Sea Eagle
    Operation Sea Eagle
    Operation Sea Eagle sometimes referred to as Operation Dove II was a German Foreign Ministry plan conceived in May 1941 after the collapse of planning around Operation Whale .The operation was to involve landing a seaplane on a lake in Ireland to supply the Irish Republican...

  • Plan Kathleen
    Plan Kathleen
    Plan Kathleen, sometimes referred to as Artus Plan, was a military plan for the invasion of Northern Ireland sanctioned by Stephen Hayes, Acting Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff, in 1940...

  • Operation Mainau
    Operation Mainau
    Operation Mainau was a German espionage mission during the Second World War. It was sanctioned and planned by the German secret service and executed successfully on May 1940...

  • Operation Innkeeper
    Operation Innkeeper
    Operation Innkeeper was an aborted plan devised in Autumn 1941 to send two Irish Abwehr agents to London on a sabotage mission....


See also

  • Operation Green (Ireland)
    Operation Green (Ireland)
    Operation Green often also referred to as Case Green or Plan Green , was a full scale operations plan for a German invasion of Ireland in support of Operation Sea Lion . Despite its detailed nature, Green is thought to have been designed only as a credible threat, a feint, not an actual operation...

  • IRA Abwehr World War II - Main article on IRA Nazi links
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