Romanian intelligence and codebreaking

[daveh]

How effective were the Romanians at codebreaking?
Did they exchange any such material with the Germans and did they receive any information in return?

Did the Romanians have any form of spy networks in the Soviet Union?
Were any such networks established in those areas taken by the Soviets in 1940 prior to their occupation?

[inahurry]

here :
http://www.itcnet.ro/history/archive/mi199...rent10/mi36.htm

( in romanian only )

translating the last paragraph for you :

"Este greu sa tragem o concluzie definitiva privind eficienta activitatii Esalonului Mobil sau cu atât mai putin a Sectiei I informatii externe tinând cont de baza documentara precara care este accesibila în clipa de fata cercetatorului. Arhiva Frontului de Est a fost arsa imediat dupa 23 august 1944. Cei implicati au sustinut ca nu au dispus de surse importante în U.R.S.S. Si totusi, maiorul american Bishop, seful contrainformatiilor în cadrul misiunii O.S.S. sosite dupa 23 august 1944 la Bucuresti afirma ca dupa serviciul german de informatii, S.S.I. dispunea de cele mai bune date despre U.R.S.S., pe care le-a oferit americanilor si britanicilor. De aici însa, cel putin deocamdata, patrundem în teritoriul umbrelor."

"It is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion regarding the efficiency of Mobile Echelon and even more so regarding Section 1 - foreign intelligence based on the scarce accessible documents. The Eastern Front archive was burnt immediately after August 23, 1944. Those involved maintained there weren't important sources of information inside USSR. Still, american major Bishop, counter-intelligence chief of OSS mission, arrived after August 23, 1944 in Bucharest, said that SSI (Serviciul Special de Informatiuni - Special Intelligence Service) possessed the best information on USSR, second only to the german intelligence, information that was offered to the british and americans. From there on, at least for the moment, we enter the shadows territory."

The author of the article I mentioned above is not an authority in historical matters but maybe the information within can help you to start researching better sources. Bear in mind that a large part of romanian archives of all kinds was stolen by the russians. Still is.

[daveh]

thanks very much for your help inahurry.

The area of military intelligence is always one where sources are hard to come by. The fact that archive material has been destroyed or taken by the soviets is disappointing but not surprising.

I will see if I can follow up on Major Bishop's reports.