Liveblogging World War II: October 18, 1941
Russian spy Richard Sorge arrested in Tokyo.
Wikipedia:
Richard Sorge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Sorge transmitted information toward the end of September 1941 that Japan was not going to attack the Soviet Union in the East.
This information made possible the transfer of Soviet divisions from the Far East, although the presence of the Kwantung Army in Manchuria necessitated the Soviet Union's keeping a large number of troops on the eastern borders...[21]
Various writers have speculated that this information allowed the release of Siberian divisions for the Battle of Moscow, where the German army suffered its first tactical defeat in the war. To this end, Sorge's information might have been the most important spy work in World War II. At Khimki, a place at the Moscow city border en route to Sheremetyevo International Airport, there is still a memorial plaque reminding visitors of this defining point of modern history….
[D]ue to the increasing volume of radio traffic from one-time pads (used by the Soviets), the Japanese began to suspect a spy ring operating. The Japanese secret service had already intercepted many of his messages and begun to close in. Ozaki was arrested on October 14, 1941, and interrogated. Sorge was arrested on October 18, 1941, in Tokyo….
Initially, the Japanese believed that, due to his Nazi party membership and German ties, Sorge was an Abwehr agent. However, the Abwehr denied that he was one of their agents. Even under torture, he denied all ties with the Soviets. The Japanese made three overtures to the Soviets, offering to trade Sorge for one of their own spies. However, the Soviets declined all the offers, maintaining that Sorge was unknown to them.[24] He was incarcerated in Sugamo Prison.
Richard Sorge was hanged on November 7, 1944, at 10:20 a.m. Tokyo time.
