Captain Franz Dagobert Johannes von Rintelen (19 August 1878 – 30 May 1949) was a member of the

German nobility The German nobility (german: deutscher Adel) and royalty were status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the German-speaking area, until the begi ...

and a veteran

field agent In espionage, a field agent is an agent who works in the field as opposed to one who operates at the office or headquarters. A field agent can work alone or in a group but usually has a case officer who is in charge. Field agents can be undercover ...

in the intelligence wing of the

German Imperial Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Kaiser ...

, who operated covertly in the still neutral

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Biography

Captain von Rintelen came from a banking family with good connections in American banking, having served with ''

Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...

'' as well as acting as U.S. representative for ''

Disconto-Gesellschaft The Disconto-Gesellschaft (full name: Direktion der Disconto-Gesellschaft), with headquarters in Berlin, was founded in 1851. It was, until its 1929 merger into Deutsche Bank, one of the largest German banking organizations. History It was fou ...

'', then Germany's number-two bank, beginning in 1906. He also spoke excellent English.Tuchman, p.64. He was sent by his superiors in the

Nachrichten-Abteilung The ''Nachrichten-Abteilung'', also known as N, was the naval intelligence department of the German Imperial Admiralty Staff or ''Admiralstab'' between 1901–1919. It focused its efforts on France, the United States and above all the United Kingd ...

, the

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arm of the

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, to the still neutral United States in 1915, at age 38, on a false

Swiss passport A Swiss passport is the passport issued to citizens of Switzerland to facilitate international travel. Beside serving as proof of Swiss citizenship, they facilitate the process of securing assistance from Swiss consular officials abroad. The ...

under the name of Emil V. Gasche (the surname appropriated from his brother-in-law). Arriving on 3 April 1915, Captain von Rintelen operated independently of the

spymaster A spymaster is the person that leads a spy ring, or a secret service (such as an intelligence agency). Historical spymasters See also *List of American spies *List of British spies * List of German spies *List of fictional spymasters This is ...

s under

German Foreign Office , logo = DEgov-AA-Logo en.svg , logo_width = 260 px , image = Auswaertiges Amt Berlin Eingang.jpg , picture_width = 300px , image_caption = Entrance to the Foreign Office building , headquarters = Werderscher Mark ...

cover. He received both his funds and orders directly from the Admiralty in Berlin.Tuchman, p.78. His mission was to prevent American corporations from selling or shipping military supplies to the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

by any means necessary. Arriving in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, he posed as businessman Frederick Hansen and with

Heinrich Albert Heinrich Friedrich Albert (12 February 1874 to 1 November 1960) was a German civil servant, diplomat, politician, businessman and lawyer who served as minister for reconstruction and the Treasury in the government of Wilhelm Cuno in 1922/1923. ...

, who from 1914–17, served as ''Handelsattaché'' (commercial

attaché In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accor ...

) at the German

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

set up a

dummy corporation A dummy corporation, dummy company, or false company is an entity created to serve as a front or cover for one or more companies. It can have the appearance of being real (logo, website, and sometimes employing actual staff), but lacks the capacity ...

called Bridgeport Projectile Company, through which they made large purchases of gunpowder, which was then destroyed.Tuchman, p.72. The goal was to create shortages and drive up the price of

smokeless powder Finnish smokeless powderSmokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to gunpowder ("black powder"). The combustion products are mainly gaseous, compared to a ...

, which would further disrupt Allied purchases of munitions. With the covert financial backing of the Austro-Hungarian ''

Evidenzbureau The k.u.k. Evidenzbureau (modernized spelling ''Evidenzbüro'') was the directorate of military intelligence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, headquartered in Vienna, Austria. Foundation Founded in 1850 as the first permanent military intell ...

'', Captain von Rintelen also set up another shell company, Transatlantic Trust Company at 57 William Street in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, into which he deposited a large sum of money on his arrival from Germany.Open Source Book

oclc 349392
/ref> He also attempted a

hostile takeover In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to ...

of the du Pont Chemical Company, but without success. Captain von Rintelen worked with a chemist, Dr. Walter Scheele, to develop time-delayed incendiary devices known as cigar bombs, which were then placed in the holds of munitions ships to cause fires in the ships' holds. Several were planted successfully. Captain von Rintelen and his agents would slip the bombs onto ships carrying munitions bound for the Allies. The incendiary device ignited cargos when ships were far at sea. It was estimated later that they had successfully destroyed $10 million (USD $ million in ) worth of war materiel on 36 ships. When the longshoremen recruited by Captain von Rintelen also attempted to plant bombs on the passenger

mail boat Mail boats or postal boats are a boat or ship used for the delivery of mail and sometimes transportation of goods, people and vehicles in communities where bodies of water commonly separate or separated settlements, towns or cities often where b ...

''Ancona'', the Captain turned his attentions to different types of supporters. He also organized the Labor's National Peace Council to finance

labor union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

s, foster

strike action Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Labor (economics), work. A strike usually takes place in response to grievance (labour), employee grievance ...

and work stoppages among munitions factories, and further disrupt shipments of war materiel to the Allies. From his offices at 55 Liberty Street in New York City (around the corner from Transatlantic Trust, where he was known as Hansen), he spent US$500,000 doing so, most of which went to his U.S. agent,

David Lamar David Lamar (c. 1877 – January 12, 1934) was a con man known as the Wolf of Wall Street. Biography David Lamar was born circa 1877. (various birth dates can be found; his 1934 obituary reports he was 65 years old) Criminal career He appeare ...

, known as the "Wolf of Wall Street". Lamar's reports of success were exaggerated.Tuchman, p.71. During 1915, he negotiated with

Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 22 December 1854 – 13 January 1916) was a general in the Mexican Federal Army and 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero wit ...

for money to purchase weapons and

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

landings to provide support, as Germany was hoping to persuade Mexico to make war on the U.S. through the

Plan of San Diego The Plan of San Diego ( es, Plan de San Diego) was drafted in San Diego, Texas, in 1915 by a group of unidentified Mexican and Tejano rebels who hoped to secede Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas from the United States. "It is called f ...

, as this would divert the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

and all munitions supplies towards defending America's southern border. Their meetings, held at the Manhattan Hotel (as well as another New York hotel, "probably the Holland House" at Fifth Avenue and 30th Street)Tuchman, p.73. were observed by agents of the

U.S. Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...

, and von Rintelen's telephone conversations were bugged and recorded. It is also very likely that

Room 40 Room 40, also known as 40 O.B. (old building; officially part of NID25), was the cryptanalysis section of the British Admiralty during the First World War. The group, which was formed in October 1914, began when Rear-Admiral Henry Oliver, the ...

of the British Naval Intelligence Division, which could read at least two of the

cipher In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is ''encipherment''. To encipher or encode i ...

s he used, was also observing Captain von Rintelen's activities. His work was largely successful and he probably played some role in planning the

Black Tom explosion The Black Tom explosion was an act of sabotage by agents of the German Empire, to destroy U.S.-made munitions that were to be supplied to the Allies of World War I, Allies in World War I. The explosions, which occurred on July 30, 1916, in New Y ...

of 1916. Also in 1915 he bought ammunition and supplied money to the deposed Mexican

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...

Huerta and encouraged him to try to seize back power in Mexico. Other German spymasters under diplomatic cover in America were not all pleased with the Captain's activities.

Military Attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

and fellow

Franz von Papen Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen, Erbsälzer zu Werl und Neuwerk (; 29 October 18792 May 1969) was a German conservative politician, diplomat, Prussian nobleman and General Staff officer. He served as the chancellor of Germany i ...

(the future Chancellor of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

) sent a

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

complaining about Captain von Rintelen and may have revealed that his cover was blown. The telegram was intercepted and decrypted by Room 40. In response, Captain von Rintelen received a telegram summoning him to Berlin from the

(in a cypher Room 40 could read; it remains unclear if Room 40 forged the telegram, or merely intercepted it). Captain von Rintelen sailed back to Germany on 3 August, on the neutral

Holland America Holland America Line is an American-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. Holland America Line was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and from 1873 to 1989, it operated ...

liner ''Noordam''.Tuchman, p.77. After the liner was diverted to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

he was arrested at

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, but protested his innocence so skillfully that the Swiss Embassy and

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...

were both persuaded. During a further meeting, the head of Room 40, Admiral W. R. "Blinker" Hall, was not, and Captain von Rintelen cracked under interrogation and confessed; he was interned at

Donington Hall Donington Hall is a mansion house set in parkland near Castle Donington village, North West Leicestershire. The Hall and Estate was purchased in April 2021 by MotorSport Vision, which also operates the neighbouring Donington Park racing circu ...

for twenty-one months. He was then

extradited Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdi ...

to the United States, tried and found guilty in a Federal court in New York, and imprisoned in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia, for three years, after the U.S. entered the war. He returned to an impoverished and defeated

in 1920, a forgotten man. Later, Captain von Rintelen detested

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

and moved to Britain when the latter became Chancellor in 1933. According to some sources, Captain von Rintelen despised the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

so intensely that, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he willingly taught the

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...

how to construct and use all of his former bombs and incendiary devices. He was writing to British fascist Captain Robert Gordon-Canning 20.6.45 whilst Gordon-Canning was

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

(source declassified in 2002 MI5 papers on Capt Gordon-Canning). von Rintelen died on 30 May 1949.

Legacy

*Von Rintelen wrote ''The Dark Invader: War-Time Reminiscences Of A German Naval Intelligence Officer'' which was published in 1933.
The scanned version of the original Penguin Books 1933 edition is available on line at Project Gutenberg Australia

Sources

* * Tuchman, Barbara W. ''The Zimmermann Telegram''. New York: NEL Mentor, 1967.

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rintelen, Franz Von 1877 births 1949 deaths People from Frankfurt (Oder) People from the Province of Brandenburg German people imprisoned abroad Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I World War I spies for Germany