A Surprising Broadcast
On May 23, 1941, at 4:48 P.M., a mysterious and unexpected voice took over German airwaves. A man calling himself “Gustav Siegfried Eins” began speaking. Claiming to be a loyal Nazi and an old Prussian military veteran, he unleashed a torrent of profanity-laced criticism against Nazi leadership, something German listeners had never heard before. Every night, his broadcasts would start and end with seemingly coded messages.
A Hidden Operation
The voice belonged to Peter Seckelmann, a German exile living in England, working with the British Political Warfare Executive (PWE) to spread disinformation and confusion among the Nazis. Seckelmann, in collaboration with British intelligence, crafted scripts filled with false reports of corruption and incompetence among Nazi leaders. Despite the German effort to track him down, the broadcasts were sent from a secret studio in England.
The Power of Deception
The broadcasts, which lasted until 1943, successfully sowed distrust among German troops and leaders. At one point, American officials in Berlin even believed it was an authentic underground German resistance station. The operation, part of a broader British black propaganda effort, was so effective that it was studied after the war as an example of psychological warfare.
The Fake Nazi Radio That Fooled Hitler's German 📻
A Surprising Broadcast
On May 23, 1941, at 4:48 P.M., a mysterious and unexpected voice took over German airwaves. A man calling himself “Gustav Siegfried Eins” began speaking. Claiming to be a loyal Nazi and an old Prussian… pic.twitter.com/fLG4EOrRaM— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) September 30, 2024