Vincent Kraft facts for kids

Vincent Kraft (born 1888) was a secret agent from Germany during World War I. He worked in South-East Asia and became a double agent, meaning he secretly worked for both sides. He helped the British government by sharing information about a secret plan called the Hindu–German Conspiracy. This plan involved Germany trying to help Indian revolutionaries fight against British rule.

A Secret Agent's Story

Kraft was sent to South-East Asia by the German army during the war. His mission was part of the larger Indo-German Conspiracy. But in 1915, in Singapore, he started working for the British as a double agent.

Kraft was a German planter, someone who owned a farm, from a place called Batavia (which is now Jakarta, Indonesia). When World War I began, he joined the Imperial German Army and fought in France.

Why Kraft Became a Double Agent

Something serious happened to Kraft in France. Some reports say he was hurt in battle. Others suggest he got into big trouble because of his actions there. He was given a choice: face a very serious punishment or go back to Batavia. His new mission would be to help organize secret shipments of weapons. These weapons were meant for Indian revolutionaries who wanted to fight for independence. This plan was agreed upon by the Ghadar Party, the Berlin Committee, and the German Foreign Office.

Kraft chose to return to Batavia. He was supposed to work with Knipping, a German official. But at the same time, he secretly contacted the British.

Uncovering Secret Plans

The information Kraft shared was very important. Another agent, known as Oren, also provided key details. Together, their information helped the British uncover parts of the Hindu–German Conspiracy.

For example, they revealed plans to send weapons to India on two ships, the SS Maverick and the Henry S, in June 1915. Kraft also told the British about the secret places on the coast of the Bay of Bengal where the weapons were supposed to be delivered. He shared details about how Jatindranath Mukherjee's agent, Narendranath Bhattacharya, was working with German officials in South-East Asia. Kraft even revealed Jatin Mukherjee's plans for a big uprising in Bengal in August 1915.

Stopping More Attacks

Kraft also leaked details about a plan by the German official in Shanghai, Knipping. This plan was to attack the prison colony on the Andaman Islands on Christmas Day 1915. The idea was to gather a force there and then attack towns on the Indian coast, like Madras and Calcutta.

Kraft even created his own fake plans for this attack and shared them with the British. However, because the German plans kept failing, the idea for these attacks was eventually dropped. Both the Berlin Committee and Knipping recommended stopping them.

Vincent Kraft also gave the British detailed information about the Berlin Committee. This included what they were doing in places like Washington D.C., Siam (now Thailand), the Dutch East Indies, and Persia (now Iran).

Kraft's Later Life

After his work as a double agent, Kraft escaped through Mexico and went to Japan. He was last known to be there at the end of the war.

Like Oren, Vincent Kraft was not identified by his real name in the secret intelligence reports. He was only known by the codename "Agent X". His true identity was a secret until the 1950s. That's when old government files from India were made public, or "declassified," and his name was finally revealed.