NAZI ESPIONAGE IN SOUTH AMERICA232. DIETRICH NIEBUHR German naval attache in Argentina 1936-42; retired naval officer serving as frigate captain in World War I. He was involved in the sale of arms in Buenos Aires when recruited to head German naval espionage in Argentina and other South American countries. Among his activities, he was engaged in organizing the escape of officers and sailors of the "pocket battleship" Admiral Graf Spee scuttled near Montivideo in neutral Uruguay in late 1939. Excellent collection regarding his efforts to organize the escape of Graf Spee internees. Collection of five documents comprising: two Argentine official DsS, 3pp, 8¾"x12½", Buenos Aires, Jan 1942; and two signed by Neibuhr as Commander; plus one unsigned. Stamped Germany Embassy, Naval Attaché and Navy Secretary General Archive, Jan 23: A note listing the names of five Germans, one underlined in pencil, stating: "There is requested the movement of the following internee sailors of ex-armoured ' Admiral Graf Spee ' to the Island Martin García:," and to be archived. On Republic of Argentina Navy Ministry letterhead, Jan 26, Navy Captain FRANCISCO R. RENTA signs a memo with attachment that the document is to be archived with related material. In the attached letter, a naval official writes to the Minister of the Interior, Jan 27: "The Naval Attaché to the Embassy of Germany, Captain of Ship Dietrich Niebuhr, has gone to this Department requesting your mediation in order to obtain the movement to the Isle Martin Garcia of eight crew members of ex-armoured ' Admiral Graf Spee ' that are detailed in the attached..." Neibuhr had inferred that the detainees housed at Cordoba and Mendoza cause continued disciplinary problems and believes their removal to the island under military command would be appropriate, to which his office agrees. However, as mentioned in his previous note to the Minister of Nov 28, 1941, the island is now totally overwhelmed and ill-equipped and can provide only minimal comfort. He suggests that eight crewmen be allowed into the capital for good behavior and asks the Minister's response to Captain Niebuhr. The letter is stamped as a copy. Both documents evidence light general toning; right edge wear with small nicks and tears with negligible paper loss; old staple; paperclip stain. Also present are DsS by Neibuhr: Sep 29, 1942, partially in German titled "3. Holiday turn from the 1st to the 4.10.42." Listed are 32 German internees signed by him as Commander in pencil adding "29/9/42." Lastly, on Republic of Argentina Navy Minister letterhead, 8¾"x4½", May 1942, in German, untranslated. A partly printed pass in German: "Herewith I bind by my word of honor about 31 May in 1942 about 12:o'clock to return in the Isla Martin Garcia..." Signed on the Island Martin Garcia "May 28, 1942, 11 o'clock ." The text is completed in a different hand, identifying Neibuhr as "Captain of Frigate..." Notated in Spanish as a control list agreement. Edgewear; couple file punch holes; else VG with strong signatures and manuscript portions. In 1942 Neibuhr was at the height of his South American espionage activities. In most other Latin American nations, pressure from the United States succeeded in eliminating the most dangerous German agents by mid-1942. However there was continued toleration of active German espionage on the part of Argentina and Chile. In both countries Axis agents drew their support from large resident German colonies with strong local connections, with the continuance of diplomatic relations until a relatively late date, and from the complaisance of local officials. After the breakup of the Brazilian Nazi espionage groups, the organization in Argentina became the most important in South America. Between January 1942 and the spring of 1945 the German espionage network in Argentina went through a number of changes, some of them forced by the arrest or exposure of its agents, but was always able to maintain a nucleus from which to build anew and to continue forwarding information to Germany. Capt. Niebuhr had two principal assistants Hans Napp and Ottomar Mueller, and also enlisted the services of certain individuals who had escaped from Brazil at the time of the their arrests there. In the early months of World War II, Argentine authorities briefly incarcerated crewmen from the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee, scuttled off Montevideo in December 1939. Neibuhr was charged with bringing 1000 of the detainees from Montevideo to Buenos Aires. From Jan 1940 to Jan 1943, some 200 crewmen of the 1000 interned were returned to Germany, many from Argentine and Chilean ports. His activities were exposed in a note handed the Argentine Government by the United States Ambassador late in 1942. As a result, Neiburh was deported back to Germany in Jan 1943. Many of the internees remaining in Argentina formed a large community there after the war ended. Those remaining in Uruguay were repatriated in 1946. Est: $100-350

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