PROJECT EAGLE

PROJECT EAGLE

by John S. Micgiel.

This review came about after spotting the book online as a future release & subsequently contacting its US publisher Stackpole Books, who have been most accommodating. 

The book begins with a fascinating look at the period following the end of the first world war. Polish intelligence spent the majority of the 1920's & 1930's spying on its neighbours Russia & Germany. 

Called the 'Second Bureau', the Polish intelligence innovated radio communications, established a host of units within these neighbouring countries & as we now know, had early success in deciphering German codes & understanding their Enigma machines.

All this led to a huge amount of documentation which was stored in a variety of locations in Poland & abroad, often in Polish Embassies.

When the second world war broke out these documents were soon discovered by both the Russians & Germans, which led to the capture of many of Poland's agents. Some however managed to escape, eventually making it to Britain. 

As the war spread across Europe & North Africa it would be a rebuilt Polish intelligence that the Allied countries, including America, would turn to for intelligence information from within enemy & occupied countries. 

The author reveals that the Poles produced tens of thousands of reports throughout the war.

We now turn to the title of the book and the plan to drop agents behind German lines & more importantly, into Germany itself.

In 1944 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an intelligence agency of the United States, had attempted numerous times to get groups of agents into Germany. Nearly all had been captured or killed. The Allies knew that this would be an even harder task than dropping agents into France. There would be no friendly resistance to meet & assist the agents on the ground & there would be no safe houses. These agents would also need to speak German & be able to blend in as foreign labourers to move around under less suspicion. Such a list of requirements created a shortage of suitable men.

German POW's were immediately ruled out based on trust. Though later in other theatres this did change.

It would be forty volunteers from the Polish Armed Forces who would be finally selected. These had previously been POW's after being captured by Allied soldiers.

As young men, most had been forced into joining the German Wehrmacht following the Nazi invasion of Poland. After selection by Polish officers, they would now be sent to SOE training facilities in Scotland. 

With the Allied advances, time was precious so a much shorter training programme was adopted that included weapons training, fieldcraft, close combat techniques & how to operate radios. Followed by parachute training. 

I am always conscious of not giving too much away. Yet this is just the background to how Project Eagle came to be.

So was their various missions a success?

Well I shall leave the rest of the story for readers to learn, just as I did.

What I will say is that in the March & April of 1945, thirty-two teams operating in pairs, were finally dropped behind German lines. 

The book continues with the  post-war reports on what happened to each of the agents dispatched & this continues to make for fascinating reading. 

Amongst the book's Appendix more interesting facts are revealed. As Project Eagle was  an OSS led operation, the author's research led to documents revealing similar OSS operations in Holland & Austria. Those mission names are also listed .

They say never judge a book by its cover. Well here the cover most certainly led me to the book & I'm delighted it did!

If you are interested in  intelligence, SOE & escape & evasion stories then this is definitely one for you. 

I for one have thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book is out this month in the US & expected out in August here in the UK.

My thanks to Stackpole Books for this review copy. 

www.stackpolebooks.com