THE STORY OF BRIXMIS AND THE SECRET COLD WAR: Intelligence Gathering Operations Behind Enemy Lines in East Germany

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Details British intelligence operations in Cold War East Germany, revealing Soviet and East German military secrets from 1946 to 1990. Discusses how BRIXMIS, the British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany, was able to provide intelligence on the East German police state.

Thanks to an obscure 1946 agreement between the British and Soviets that established 'liaison missions' in their respective zones of occupation, the British were able to send highly qualified military 'observers' into East Germany to roam relatively freely and keep an eye on what was going on. What started as 'liaison', a point of contact between the British and Soviet occupation forces, developed into a very sophisticated intelligence gathering operation, sending 'tours' out every day of the year, between 1946 and when the Mission closed in 1990. Contains 40 mono illustrations.

These tours were undertaken in high-performance, highly modified marked vehicles, with personnel in uniform and unarmed, apart from professional photographic equipment and occasionally some top-secret gadgets from the boffins back in the UK. They joined their French and American colleagues in snooping around the opposition, photographing military bases, equipment, and maneuvers, and trying to evade capture by the secret police and counterintelligence units. They faced danger and violence daily, but thanks to their bravery and professionalism, the West had accurate and up to date information on what was happening in East Germany which helped keep the peace.