blending special operations with intelligence gathering, 21
Coordinator of Information as forerunner of, 8–14
covert marine bases in Aegean, 59–60
cultural awareness and, 63n
disbanding of, 232
recruitment of Taylor, 2
training grounds in Washington area, 18
Ohio Chemical and Manufacturing Company, 27, 29, 37, 39
Olterra (tanker), 119
Operational Swimmer Group I, Underwater Demolition Team program and, 135
Operational Swimmer Group II, reconnaissance in Burma and, 141–143
Operational Swimmer Group III, in Pacific, 146
Operational Swimmer Groups, 73
deployment of, 78–79
Kelly plan and, 124
recruitment for, 74
training in Bahamas, 74–78
Operation Audrey, 82–86
Operation Betty, 132
Operation Cincinnati, 75–78
Operation Ossining 1, 125–126
Operation Ossining 3, 127–128
Operation Ossining 4, 128
Operation Ossining 5, 128
Operation Picnic I, 109–113
Operation Sugarloaf 2, 146
OSS. See Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
OSS-METO, 124
Otter, Richard, 227n
Ourtland, Henry, 34
P-568, 86, 197
P-583, 128
P-584, 86, 197
Pacific area of operations, 76
combat swimmers in, 134–146
Maritime Unit and, 226–228
Operational Swimmer Group III in, 146
Packard mission, 129–130
Paddleboards, 35
Parachute insertion, Maritime Unit and, 69
Parachute training, Taylor and, 154
Pat Harrison (American Liberty ship), 119
Peleliu (Southwest Pacific)
preparation for invasion of, 138–139
reconnaissance on, 134–135
Perkins (Austrian DV)
Dupont mission and, 153, 158, 161, 164
escape from Nazis, 221
in Gestapo custody, 171
as prisoner of war, 202
Peterson, George, 31–32
Philippines, invasion of, 140–141
PIA mission, 216
“Pinpoint,” 109
Pirelli, 24n
Pissouri (Cyprus) (“Cincinnati”), 59
Po River, Lupo mission and, 180
Potomac River
Maritime Unit training on, 16–17
training on, 39
See also Area D
Pound, Ezra, 120
Prellberg, Hans, 206, 209
Prisoners of war
British, 162–163
Taylor as, 169–173, 201–203, 205–214, 219–224, 229–230
Prize crew operations, 146
Psychological Operations, 11, 12
PT boats, Taylor’s request for, 55
PTSD, Taylor and, 235, 240
Quayle, Anthony, 95
R&A. See Research and Analysis (R&A)
Rabat David Airport (Haifa, Palestine), 154
Ramree Island, invasion of, 144, 145
Ras el Kenayis (Egypt), 54–55
Rathburne (destroyer), 138–139
R&D. See Research and Development (R&D)
Rebreathing device
designing, 23–30
MU training and, 136
See also Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU)
Red Cross, at Mauthausen, 220–221
Research and Analysis (R&A), 12
Research and Development (R&D), 12, 43
Roeder, Howard, 137–138
Rommel, Erwin, 47
Romney, Lionel, 208
Roosevelt, Franklin D.
Casablanca Conference, 53–54
Donovan and, 10–11
establishment of Coordinator of Information, 9–11
mustard agent and, 88
on Operation Cincinnati, 78
rescue of American nurses in Albania, 96
Shoreham Hotel and, 1
Roth, Martin, 209
Royal Air Force, parachute training, 154
Royalists (Zogists), 95, 112–113
Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, 42
Russ, Martha, 201–202
Sagona (tanker), 7, 8
Sagu Island reconnaissance, 144–145
Saint Margarethen (Austria), 153
Saint Stephens Church (Virginia), 17
Samos
British Governor General and, 70
delivering medical supplies to, 59–62
evacuation of, 68
missions to, 59–62, 65
Samothrace (yacht), 55–56, 59
San Marco Battalion, 5
Eighth Army Detachment and, 186–189
following Italian surrender, 115–116
Kelly plan and, 120, 121–122
Operation Picnic I and, 111
operations under Kelly, 125–130
Santa Monica (California), test of Browne’s lung in, 31–32
Savoia (plane), 190
Schmeisser (prisoner of war), 202
Sciré (Italian submarine), 5, 8
SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus), 2, 24, 29
Scuchek, Louisa, 173
SDV. See SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV)
“Sea Elephant” (clandestine base), 1–2
SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV), 134
SEALs
beginnings of, 3
creation of, 237–238
Secret Intelligence (SI) agents in Albania, 95–96
Secret Intelligence (SI) branch, 12
in Mediterranean, 48
Operational Swimmer Group II and, 146
use of caïques, 56–57
Severn (submarine), 146
Shadow warfare, 11
Shark repellent, 75
Shoreham Hotel (Washington, DC), LARU demonstration at, 1
SI. See Secret Intelligence (SI)
Sicily, invasion of, 53, 54
Silvaldi, “Jumping Joe,” 52
Silver Springs (Florida), Underwater Swimmer Group training at, 43–44
Singapore Harbor, British raids on Japanese shipping in, 145–146
Slave laborers, at German concentration camps, 162, 206, 208–209
Sleeping Beauty submersibles, 38, 134, 142, 236
Smith, Lloyd
Brenner Assignment, 104
in Cairo, 51, 53
Donovan and, 101
in Italy, 70, 71
life after war, 248
rescue of nurses in Albania and, 94–97, 101–104
Yankee and, 81, 82
Smith, Walter Bedell, 247
Smith Point (Virginia), 17
SO. See Special Operations (SO)
SOE. See Special Operations Executive (SOE) (British)
Soltau, Gordon (“Gordy”)
life after war, 248–249
in Pacific area of operations, 146, 227
training in Thames, 1 31–132
Soltau, Nancy, 249
Sorgetti, Edmondo, 176
Southeast Wall, 160, 162
Southwest Wall, 152
Special Operations Executive (SOE) (British), 95, 112
Special operations (SO), 11
blending with intelligence gathering, 21
Special Operations (SO) agents
local language skills and, 142
protection by Maritime Unit operatives, 143–144
Special Operations (SO) branch, 12, 13
in Cairo, 48–49
Maritime School and, 13–14
Taylor and, 85
Speer, Albert, 233
Spence, John P.
death of, 249
in first Underwater Swimmer Group, 33, 36, 73
on Kauffman, 42
life after war, 249
as part of L-Unit, 79, 132
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use of wetsuit, 37–38
SS Schutzstaffel, recruitment for at Mauthausen, 214. See also Mauthausen concentration camp
Stanaway, John J., 124
Station S, 18
Station W, 18
Stella (agent), 191–193
Stipanovitch (Yugoslav partisan), 88–89, 99–100
Stransky, Milos, 221
Submersible Operations Platoon, 237
Sumatra, Operational Swimmer Group and, 146
Surface swimmers, San Marco Battalion, 122–123
Surfboard, inflatable, 37, 42, 43
Tamiami Champion (train), 41
Tarawa, battle at, 135
Tartugas (turtles), 123
Taylor, Jack Hendrick
air raid on Bari and, 89
as Area D instructor, 19, 20–21
caïques and, 56–57
in Cairo/Egypt, 47, 48–49, 53, 54–57
capture by Gestapo, 164–165
collection of evidence at Mauthausen, 231
death of, 238, 240
deployment overseas, 40
Dupont mission and, 152, 154, 155–164
health at Mauhausen, 212–213, 219
in Italy (Bari), 69–71, 81–82
Kelly plan and, 122
LARU demonstration at Shoreham Hotel, 1–3
Leros mission and, 65–67
liberation of Mauthausen and, 219–224, 229–230
life after war, 239–240
Maritime School and, 14
at Mauthausen, 205–214
Mauthausen-Gusen Camp Trials and, 232, 233–235
military structure of Maritime Unit and, 124
need for high-speed motorboats/equipment, 68–69
Operation Picnic, 109–113
parachute insertion and, 69
as prisoner of war, 169–173, 201–203, 205–214, 219–224, 229–230
race to catch up with Italians in underwater combat, 23
replaced in Yugoslav supply operations, 106
rescue of nurses in Albania and, 94–97, 102
return to States, 232, 235
Samos mission and, 59–60, 62–63
search for training mission boat and training site, 15–17, 19
search for vessels, 55–57
supplying Yugoslav partisans, 70, 83, 85
test of Browne’s diving mask, 25–26, 31–32
test of LARU, 32
training in Potomac, 39
transfer to Mauthausen, 202–203
Underwater Swimmer Group and, 33–37, 40
Terradura, Walkiria, 184, 241
Thiele, Alphonse P.
deactivation of Maritime Unit and, 216
Eighth Army Detachment and, 183–184, 186, 190
life after war, 241
Thompson, P. R., 175–176, 177
Thunderball (film), 119n
“Tiger’s Claw,” 52
Tito, Josip Broz, 69
Tofte, Hans V.
as combat instructor, 51–53
death of, 248
in Italy, 70, 71
life after war, 247–248
replaced in Yugoslav supply operations, 106
supplying Yugoslav partisans, 57, 83, 85
Torpedoes, Decima MAS’s use of, 5–7
Toy, the, 38
Treasure Island (Bahamas), underwater training at, 74–78
Truman, Harry S, 172, 232
Turkey, black market in, 63, 65
2677th Regiment OSS, 124
UDT. See Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT)
UDT 10. See Underwater Demolition Team 10 (UDT 10)
Underwater combat swimmers
LARU demonstration and, 2–3
San Marco Battalion, 122
Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), 43, 236, 237
Underwater Demolition Team 10 (UDT 10)
invasion of Philippines and, 140–141
Peleliu reconnaissance, 134–135
preparation for invasion of Peleliu and Angaur and, 138–140
reconnaissance mission near Yap, 137–138
Underwater submersible craft, 35, 38
Underwater Swimmer Group L, 73n, 131–134
Underwater Swimmer Group (USG), 33–40
equipment, 37–39
Fort Pierce training, 41–43
increase in numbers, 73
Silver Springs training, 43–44
training schedule, 34
See also Operational Swimmer Groups
Underwood (Austrian DV)
capture and imprisonment by Gestapo, 164–165, 169
Dupont mission and, 158, 160, 163–165
escape from Nazis, 221
as prisoner of war, 202
selection for Dupont mission, 152–153
United States
desire to replicate Decima MAS, 8
lack of intelligence agency, 9, 10
U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets), 3n, 52, 142, 237
U.S. Naval Reserve, 42
U.S. Navy
creation of SEALs, 237–238
Maritime School and, 14
underwater combat troops after the war and, 235–238
Underwater Demolition Team program, 134–141
U.S. Navy SEALs
beginnings of, 3
creation of, 237–238
USG. See Underwater Swimmer Group (USG)
Valcagno, combat diving/sabotage school at, 117–118
Valdène, Jean de, 38
Vis, 97, 99, 128
Von Papen, Franz, 178
Voyage: A Novel of 1896 (Hayden), 241
Wadley, Frederick James
life after war, 247
L-Unit and, 79, 132, 133
test of Browne’s lung and, 31
training report on, 36
Underwater Swimmer Group and, 33, 73
Wallace, Henry A., 171–172
Wanderer (Hayden), 241
Washington Navy Yard
possibility of underwater swimming and, 23–24
test of Browne’s diving mask at, 25
Washington Yacht Club, 15–16
“Water Lilies,” 131
Wetsuits, 37–38
Wicker, Norman W.
assignment to Italy, 124
L-Unit and, 79
Underwater Swimmer Group, 33, 36, 73
Wiener Neustadt (Austria), 152
Wilson, Henry Maitland (“Jumbo”), 54
Wolff der Waffen, Karl, 217
Woolley, Herbert George Arthur (“H. G. A.”), 3
approval of Taylor’s request for overseas duty, 40
attempt to recruit Browne, 32–33
closing Maritime Unit, 232
Donovan’s choice of, 13
increase in swimmer groups, 73
inflatable surfboards and, 37
Legion of Merit awarded to, 243–247
life after war, 243–247
Morde and, 178
rebreathing device design and, 23–26, 28, 30
request for PT boats, 55
search for training boats and training site, 15, 16–17
study of enemy underwater combat operatives, 228
Taylor and, 14n
underwater submersible craft and, 38
X-2. See Counter-intelligence (X-2)
Yankee, 81–82, 89
rescue of American nurses in Albania and, 94–97
Yap (Southwest Pacific), mission near, 136–138
Yugoslavia area of operations, 84
Yugoslav partisans
Korcula and, 97–98
supplying, 57, 69–71, 82–86, 106–107, 128
on Vis, 99
Zog I, 95
Zogists, 95, 112–113
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First SEALs Page 26