Hatz

MI6, which had sneaked two agents into southwestern Hungary in November, also kept an eye on Hatz and wanted in on the secret conferences the OSS was having with him.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Hatz, who had been in Budapest when the German divisions entered, returned to Turkey on March 28, but showed no interest in talking to Schwarz any longer about Hungary leaving the Axis.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Schwarz gave his courier a radio set with an OSS cipher for sending coded messages, which he passed to Hatz.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Otherwise, Hatz dropped suspiciously out of sight.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Macfarland, however, insisted Hatz was an honest broker “not in sympathy with Nazi ideals,” he wrote Donovan.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Donovan cabled Macfarland on January 7: Hatz “is working under orders to double-cross you.”

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

The colonel then told Trillium to tell Schwarz that the Hungarian General Staff was willing to slip intelligence to the OSS on the German army and that Prime Minister Kallay had personally instructed Hatz to report that Hungary was willing to join the Allies.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Hatz, who had been in Budapest when the German divisions entered, returned to Turkey on March 28, but showed no interest in talking to Schwarz any longer about Hungary leaving the Axis.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Hatz also had a number of mistresses in Istanbul, Kolbe claimed, as well as a currency smuggling operation on the side because he was always personally short of cash.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011

Donovan monitored the Hatz meetings closely from Washington.

Wild Bill Donovan Douglas Waller 2011