Marina Lee: Difference between revisions

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			{{Short description\|Russian ballerina and Nazi spy}}
	'''Marina Lee''', also known as, '''Marina Lie''', was a ] and ] ] during ].<ref></ref>		'''Marina Lee''', also known as '''Marina Lie''' (1902 – December 1976) was a ] and ] ] during ].<ref></ref>

	==Background==		==Background==
	Lee was born in ], ] then fled in 1917 when her parents were killed by the ]s. Lee settled in ] and ~~married a ] ]. Lee~~ trained as a ballerina before becoming a highly valued and experienced German agent. Lee's description was that of a lovely tall ] with a beautiful figure, refined and languid in manner. Lee reportedly spoke five languages.<ref></ref>		Lee was born in ], ] then fled in 1917 when her parents were killed by the ]s. Lee settled in ] and was trained as a ballerina.<ref></ref>

	==MI5 file==		==MI5 file==
	The ] on Lee is part of a cache of files from Britain's ], Britain's domestic spy agency, released on ~~August~~ 26, 2010, by ] in the ].<ref></ref>		The ] on Lee is part of a cache of files from Britain's ], Britain's domestic spy agency, released on 26 August 2010 by ] in the ].<ref></ref>

	==Espionage activities==		==Espionage activities==
	Lee began working for ] as early as 1937. Declassified government documents reflect that Lee stole battle plans, which led to the fall of ] to ] in 1940. ~~Lee~~ ~~had~~ ~~infiltrated~~ the ] of the ]s in Norway to ~~obtain~~ information about the plan drawn up by British commander Field Marshal ]. German commander, General ], who was holding the Norwegian port of ], was reportedly considering a withdrawal, but the disclosure of these details meant his forces could block the Auchinleck plan. ], ] and ] troops were later forced to withdraw from German controlled Norway.<ref></ref>		Lee began working for ] as early as 1937. Declassified government documents reflect that Lee stole battle plans, which led to the fall of ] to ] in 1940. Lee made good use of a Red Cross uniform in order to infiltrate the ] of the ]s in Norway, and made her way to information about the plan drawn up by British commander Field Marshal ]. German commander General ], who was holding the Norwegian port of ], was reportedly considering a withdrawal, but the disclosure of these details meant his forces could block the Auchinleck plan. ], ] and ] troops were later forced to withdraw from German controlled Norway.<ref></ref>

	==Detection==		==Detection==
	Lee's existence was discovered by the British in late 1940, when ] spies posing as ] were captured by the ] on an ] island. One spy, ], revealed Lee's identity and the key role that German intelligence believed she had played at Narvik. At least two more captured Germans later confirmed Finckenstein's revelations.<ref></ref>		Lee's existence was discovered by the British in late 1940, when ] spies posing as ]s were captured by the ] on an ] island. One spy, ], revealed Lee's identity and the key role that German intelligence believed she had played at Narvik. At least two more captured Germans later confirmed Finckenstein's revelations.<ref></ref>

	==Later years==		==Later years==
	In 1947 an alert warning ] and ]s that her arrival in ] should be reported to MI5 immediately. Lee disappeared for a period of time and was last spotted by MI5 in 1948 at the ] in ], ] travelling under a ] passport.<ref></ref> Lee's MI5 file contains no further reports and was closed in 1960.<ref></ref>		In 1947 an alert was issued, warning ] and ]s that her arrival in ] should be reported to MI5 immediately. Lee disappeared for a period of time and was last spotted by MI5 in 1948 at the ] in ], ] travelling under a ] passport.<ref></ref> Lee's MI5 file contains no further reports and was closed in 1960.<ref></ref>

	The last entry in Lee's MI5 file speculates that she might have transferred her allegiance to the ]. Despite the fate of her parents in the ], she had been a friend of ] and senior figures in ]. In fact, Lee's MI5 dossier noted she is "just the type to transfer her allegiance once they have had a taste of the game."<ref></ref>		The last entry in Lee's MI5 file speculates that she might have transferred her allegiance to the ]. Despite the fate of her parents in the ], she had been a friend of ] and senior figures in ]. In fact, Lee's MI5 dossier noted she is "just the type to transfer her allegiance once they have had a taste of the game."<ref></ref> She is widely believed to have died in Barcelona in 1976.

	==See also==		==See also==
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	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Marina}}
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Latest revision as of 21:59, 15 September 2024

Russian ballerina and Nazi spy

Marina Lee, also known as Marina Lie (1902 – December 1976) was a ballerina and Nazi spy during World War II.

Background

Lee was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia then fled in 1917 when her parents were killed by the Bolsheviks. Lee settled in Scandinavia and was trained as a ballerina.

MI5 file

The intelligence assessment on Lee is part of a cache of files from Britain's MI5, Britain's domestic spy agency, released on 26 August 2010 by The National Archives in the United Kingdom.

Espionage activities

Lee began working for Nazi Germany as early as 1937. Declassified government documents reflect that Lee stole battle plans, which led to the fall of Norway to Nazi Germany in 1940. Lee made good use of a Red Cross uniform in order to infiltrate the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Forces in Norway, and made her way to information about the plan drawn up by British commander Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck. German commander General Eduard Dietl, who was holding the Norwegian port of Narvik, was reportedly considering a withdrawal, but the disclosure of these details meant his forces could block the Auchinleck plan. British, French and Norwegian troops were later forced to withdraw from German controlled Norway.

Detection

Lee's existence was discovered by the British in late 1940, when German spies posing as meteorologists were captured by the Royal Navy on an Arctic island. One spy, Hans von Finckenstein, revealed Lee's identity and the key role that German intelligence believed she had played at Narvik. At least two more captured Germans later confirmed Finckenstein's revelations.

Later years

In 1947 an alert was issued, warning police and border guards that her arrival in Britain should be reported to MI5 immediately. Lee disappeared for a period of time and was last spotted by MI5 in 1948 at the Ritz Hotel in Madrid, Spain travelling under a Polish passport. Lee's MI5 file contains no further reports and was closed in 1960.

The last entry in Lee's MI5 file speculates that she might have transferred her allegiance to the KGB. Despite the fate of her parents in the Soviet Union, she had been a friend of Joseph Stalin and senior figures in Moscow. In fact, Lee's MI5 dossier noted she is "just the type to transfer her allegiance once they have had a taste of the game." She is widely believed to have died in Barcelona in 1976.

References

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