The OSS, or Office of Strategic Services, came into being on President Roosevelt’s order on June 13, 1942, during World War II. The agency’s responsibilities included consolidating the nation’s intelligence efforts, collecting and analyzing strategic information, and conducting clandestine operations.
Hiring the Right Man: Who Was “Wild Bill” Donavan?
With the OSS’s existence established, Roosevelt chose William “Wild Bill” Donovan, a decorated Great War Medal of Honor-winning veteran and very successful lawyer/banker. Roosevelt considered Donovan’s thinking similar to his own, and Donovan was determined and willing to consider the unorthodox. Donovan previously traveled around Europe and Asia before the December 7th invasion, meeting all kinds of leaders, including Mussolini and Hitler.
What Was the Mission?
Subordinate to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the OSS’s mission contained two parts. The primary mission was foreign intelligence. This involved collecting, analyzing, and spreading foreign intelligence. The OSS Research and Analysis branch played a crucial role, giving insights into enemy thinking. Such information then got passed along to where needed.
The OSS’s second and much more hazardous mission focused on unconventional warfare. Agents conducted secret operations behind enemy lines. Activities included helping resistance fighters, sabotage, and espionage, and could be lethal. More than a few agents faced execution or were killed in combat. The OSS also carried out propaganda and subversion operations.
When Was the First Covert Operation?
The OSS efforts to assist the war began almost immediately, starting with the November 1942 North Africa Invasion-Operation Torch. Vichy France’s North African colonies remained politically aligned with the France’s cooperationist government. American troops couldn’t hope for a friendly encounter.
In the months before the landings, OSS agents contacted resistance groups and mapped out defenses and troop locations. Others cut communications, waited near the invasion beaches as guides, and persuaded Vichy officers not to fight. All these efforts saved many Allied soldier’s lives.
Thanks, But No
Despite having a good reputation, not all liked the OSS.
McCarthur banned the group from his command areas, such as the Philippines. FBI Director Herbert Hoover got the OSS barred from South America, seeing this as his preserve hunting Nazis. Despite the dislikes or rivalries, the OSS conducted operations in most theaters and even neutral countries. The OSS brought in specialists and used new or experimental technology all the time. The group also worked with Allied intelligence services like Britain’s SOE on joint operations.
What Role Did the OSS Play in Europe?
In Europe, the OSS experienced solid success in espionage and combat. In mid-1942, the OSS established an office in Bern, Switzerland, under Allen Dulles. He became a spymaster, setting up agents or spy rings in Nazi-occupied countries and Germany. Dulles, later director of the OSS’s descendant, the CIA, through double agents, obtained critical Nazi information. One German agent, codenamed “George Wood,” provided numerous details high in the Foreign Ministry. Wood gave details about Japan’s Southeast Asia plans and, critically, German thoughts on locations for the D-Day invasion. By the war’s end, Wood passed along 1,600 documents.
To support the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings, the OSS and British trained small groups called Jedburgh Teams parachuted into France. Each team contained one American, British, and French agent. They linked up with French partisan groups for sabotage missions or operated independently. These agents provided invaluable intelligence, too, helping the Allied advance.
What Did the OSS Do in the Mediterranean?
Besides helping with the 1942 North African landings, the OSS went into Italy, the Balkans, and neutral Turkey. Here, OSS teams helped with intelligence, sabotage, and rescuing downed airmen. The last part resulted from heavy Allied bombing raids against Eastern European targets, especially Romanian oil production. Allied bombers flew over several countries to reach their targets, facing Luftwaffe fighters. OSS agents worked with Yugolasv partisans, helping airmen return to Italy.
What Activities Did the OSS Carry Out in Asia?
OSS activities in South East Asia and China went beyond spies and espionage. In 1943, the OSS worked with the U.S. Navy, the Chinese Nationalist government, and not-yet opponents like Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh to oppose the Japanese occupation.
The OSS started training different groups across the region. In Vietnam, OSS agents contacted Ho Chi Minh, working with him and other rebels. These groups attacked Japanese troops or blew up bridges and other mayhem to tie down Japanese divisions.
Burma-based OSS teams trained Chinese Nationalist troops for combat jumps, for example. They recruited 10,000 ethnic Karins to fight the Japanese occupation. These tough tribesmen also guided Allied troops after the 1944 invasion. The OSS monitored Japanese radio traffic, watched air and naval movements, and relayed the information. Teams also parachuted into Thailand to organize resistance.
