Operation Seagull I facts for kids

Operation Seagull I (also known as "Unternehmen Möwe I" in German) was a secret mission planned by a German intelligence group called the Abwehr during World War II. The idea for this mission came about in May 1942. The main goal was to use a secret agent to damage a power station in Fort William, Scotland.

The person chosen for Operation Seagull I was an Irish prisoner of war (POW). A POW is a soldier captured by the enemy during wartime. The plan was for this agent to parachute into Glasgow, Scotland. There, he would meet up with Irish friends living in the area. Together, they would form a small team to carry out the sabotage. Their targets were the electric power station in Fort William and a hydroelectric plant in Kinlochleven. Later, in June 1942, Operation Seagull I was planned to work closely with Operation Seagull II. Both missions were to be controlled by radio.

What Was the Plan?

This secret mission was designed by Kurt Haller and another expert from the Abwehr. They wanted to send an agent to Scotland to cause damage. The agent would target important power sources. These included the main power station in Fort William. They also planned to hit the hydroelectric facility in Kinlochleven. Hydroelectric means using water power to make electricity.

The idea was that the agent would parachute in secretly. Then, he would gather a small team. This team would be made up of his Irish friends already living in Scotland. Their job was to carry out the sabotage. The German Abwehr hoped this would disrupt Britain's war efforts.

Why Was This Mission Planned?

Planning for Operation Seagull I started after another German mission, Operation Innkeeper, failed. The Abwehr hoped that training Irish prisoners of war would lead to success. Many of these POWs had served in the British Army before being captured. The Germans thought these trained agents would be more effective.

Operation Seagull I was planned at the same time as Operation Seagull II. These missions were part of a bigger effort by the Abwehr. From 1940 to 1941, the Abwehr had recruited agents from Irish POWs. These prisoners were held at a camp called "Friesack Camp" in Germany. While the Abwehr usually focused on gathering information, local planners had a lot of freedom. This led to missions like the Seagull series. Looking back, these plans often had serious flaws.

The Agent Involved

The agent picked for Operation Seagull I was named Andrew Walsh. He was also known as "Agent Vickers." Walsh was from Fethard in County Tipperary, Ireland. He had been captured by the German Army sometime between 1940 and April 1941. He was likely part of the British Army fighting in France.

Walsh was held at Stalag XX A (301), which was the Friesack Camp. There, he met other Irishmen. It's possible he even met Frank Ryan, an Irish volunteer. Walsh was recruited by the Abwehr in early 1941. He was trained for the Seagull I mission. His training included an advanced radio course. This took place at an Abwehr school in Stettin, Germany.

Why the Mission Was Cancelled

After their training, Andrew Walsh (for Seagull I) and James Brady (for Seagull II) were ready. They were supposed to fly to occupied Norway. From there, they would take a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 'Condor' plane to their drop zone. But just before they took off from Germany, Kurt Haller got a call. Abwehr headquarters in Berlin ordered him to return immediately with both agents.

When they arrived in Berlin, the reason became clear. Before their flight to Norway, Walsh had told another POW, Thomas Cushing, that he planned to surrender to the police once he landed in Britain. Both Walsh and Cushing were arrested by the Gestapo. The Gestapo was the secret police of Nazi Germany. After this, Operation Seagull I was permanently called off.

Images for kids

• Friesack Camp.jpg

  Friesack Camp where Irish POWs were held.