A Voice That Shook the Reich
At 4:48 p.m. on May 23, 1941, a deep, furious voice crackled over Nazi radios: “Hier ist Gustav Siegfried Eins. Es spricht der Chef.” The Chief, claiming to be a loyal Nazi, unleashed a scathing, profanity-filled attack on party leaders. He mocked their cowardice, sexual scandals, and corruption, praising German soldiers while tearing into the elite. This broadcast, repeated hourly, became a mysterious nightly ritual across Germany.
Gestapo Hunts a Phantom
The Gestapo raced to identify the rogue broadcaster. The Chief ended each tirade with coded numbers—alleged secret meeting points. Nazi codebreakers worked frantically but never found him. Rumors spread: a secret military faction was rebelling. None of it was true. The entire operation was a British hoax.
Made in England
The voice belonged to Peter Seckelmann, a German exile in England. He operated from a secret studio at “The Rookery,” guided by British intelligence and Sefton Delmer’s Political Warfare Executive. With scripts based on real intelligence, Seckelmann impersonated a Nazi officer with chilling accuracy.
The Chief’s Final Broadcast
Broadcast number 700 aired on November 11, 1943. Gunfire erupted mid-speech. The Chief had been “killed” in a staged Gestapo raid. His voice never returned.
At 4:48 p.m. on May 23, 1941, a furious voice broke into Nazi radios: “Hier ist Gustav Siegfried Eins.” Claiming to be a loyal Nazi, the Chief mocked party leaders with insults and graphic rants. Broadcasts repeated hourly, drawing listeners across Germany…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/O1u1FPAn16
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