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The confirmation that SOE was being formed in denial
It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local resistance movements. -
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Special Operations Executive ww2
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Special Operations Executive objectives
The main aim of the SOE was to conduct guirella warfare, sabotage and subversion missions behind enemy lines. SOE face three major problems in Europe: Confirming that worthwhile resistance movements existed, How to maintain contact with these movements once contact had been made and How to help these movements actually fight against the Germans. -
Head-queaters
In November 1940, as the Luftwaffe pounded central London SOE set up its first head-quarters in two family flats off Baker Street. From this unlikely location began to start recruiting men and women to fill their ranks. Being a clandestine organisation few people were actually aware of SOE, and to those who were they were known as the “Baker street irregulars.” -
Traing Bases
SOE's new head of training and operations, Colonel Colin Gubbins, began to requisition properties across the country to act as agent training bases. In mansions that stretched from the Highlands to the New Forest agents were taught how to kill with their bare hands; how to disguise themselves; how to derail a train; and even how to get out of a pair of handcuffs with a piece of thin wire and a diary pencil. If an agent survived these tests and a gruelling parachute course they were ready to go. -
Pessac power station.
SOE’s first headline success came in June 1941, when agents blew up a Pessac power station with a few well placed explosive charges. News of this triumph reverberated throughout Whitehall and put SOE firmly on the map. This operation led to hundreds more in Europe and the far East. -
The organisation of SOE
The organisation of SOE continually evolved and changed during the war. Initially, it consisted of three broad departments: SO1, which dealt with propaganda; SO2 (Operations); and SO3 (Research). SO3 was overloaded with pape and was merged into SO2. In August 1941, following quarrels between the Ministry of Economic Warfare and the Ministry of Information over their relative responsibilities, SO1 was removed from SOE and became an independent organisation, the Political Warfare Executive. -
The real intelligant part
To give agents an edge in combat, SOE created unique weapons of warfare such as “The single shot cigarette pistol.” And “The Sleeping Beauty” a submersible canoe. -
Operation Anthropoid
The assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. He was attacked in Prague in May 1942 and was confirmed dead shortly after on 4th June 1942. The German Authorities didn’t take the news of Heydrich’s death very well, and seeked revenge, with several respirals. -
Communications
One of the most vital SOE tools was a clandestine radio communications. A special wireless set weighing less than 40 lbs was developed. It looked like an ordinary suitcase. -
Operation Husky
Was a major campaign of ww2, in which Allies took Sicily from the axis (Italy and Germany). It was a large scale airborne and amphibious operation followed up by six weeks of land combat, Husky began on the eve 9th July 1943, and ended on the 17th of August. The allies drove all forces from the land, the Mediterranean Sea lanes were opened and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was toppled from power. It opened the way to the invasion of Italy. -
Unpredictable and Ruthless
By D-Day on 6 June, 1944 SOE had become a feared organisation that could strike the enemy anytime, anywhere.
Agent networks now stretched across Occupied Europe, linked to an army of resistance fighters. When the Allies landed, SOE struck with venom. -
Reputation
By D-Day on 6 June, 1944 SOE had become a feared organisation that could strike the enemy anytime, anywhere.
Agent networks now stretched across Occupied Europe, linked to an army of resistance fighters. When the Allies landed, SOE struck with venom. -
Operation Jedburgh
Operation Jedburgh represented the first real cooperation in Europe between SOE and the special operations branch of OSS. By this period in the war, SOE had insufficient resources to mount the huge operation on its own. General Eisenhower, the American Supreme Commander, ensured that the French would lead the operation and gave them command on 9 June, 1944 of the Jedburgh teams in France. -
Operation Foxley
Was a plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944, although detailed preparations were made, no attempt was made to carry out the plan. Historians believe that the “hit” would have been made on July 13th 1944, during one of Hitlers visits to the Berghof, Berghof was Adolf Hitlers home in the Bavarian Alps in Germany. Could the war have been ended sooner rather than later? -
Contributing Factor?
In May 1945 General Eisenhower wrote that 'the disruption of enemy rail communications, the harassing of German road moves and the continual and increasing strain placed on German security services throughout occupied Europe by the organised forces of Resistance, played a very considerable part in our complete and final victory.
