Operation Mainau - Insertion and Contact With IRA

Insertion and Contact With IRA

Görtz left Germany at 2100 hrs on 4 May 1940. He was piloted to Ireland aboard a He-111 medium bomber and he made the jump in bad weather from 1500 metres. According to his postwar statement he claimed to have landed in a farm outside Trim, but his actual location was Ballivor, County Meath. His radio was lost during the jump, as was the shovel he had planned to bury his parachute with. He was wearing his full Luftwaffe parade dress.

Görtz was actually eighty miles from the house of Isuelt Stuart in Laragh, County Wicklow. He marched the entire distance asking for directions along the way, including at a Garda station in Poulaphouca, despite wearing full Luftwaffe parade dress he was not detained. He reached Mrs. Stuart's house on 9 May. That night Görtz was collected by Seamus O'Donovan who took him to his house, 'Florenceville', in Shankill, County Dublin. He had successfully made contact with the IRA.

On 11 May he was moved by O'Donovan, Stephen Carroll Held, and Patrick McNeela to the home of J. J. O'Neill in Rathmines. During this he handed over $165,000 in American currency to the IRA and kept $10,000 for himself. Görtz stayed with the O'Neill's until at least 19 May when he was moved to Stephen Held's. Following this he was to meet with IRA supremo Stephen Hayes and remain on the loose in Ireland for a total of eighteen months.

Held's home was raided soon after the meeting with Hayes took place, (23 May). Papers and effects belonging to Görtz were seized including his parachute, various Luftwaffe identifying badges, German decorations from World War I, and data about Irish harbors and defence installations. Görtz was to remain at liberty, but the Abwehr once they were told of events by the head of the German Legation, Dr. Eduard Hempel, considered Mainau to have failed. The Abwehr war diary records for 25 May:

"According to a wireless report of the Stefani Agency (Italian news agency) and enemy broadcasts, 'Operation Mainau' has been unsuccessful. According to them "Gilk" appears to have reached his destination. The transmitter, some items of equipment and the money which he took with him were apparently seized in the house of an Irish agent, through the latter's stupidity. Unfortunately this Irishman also had in his possession plans for a rebellion which had no connection with 'Operation Mainau'. There is no information as to "Gilka's" whereabouts. Even if he is not arrested in the near future, his further activity is rendered impossible in consequence of the discovery of the transmitter and the money. If he should eventually be arrested Gilk is in a very difficult position in consequence of his equipment being found in the same place as the IRA plans. In consequence of the failure of 'Operation Mainau' proposals for the parachuting of further agents are for the future to be disregarded."

The "IRA plans" referred to were Plan Kathleen- the plan Stephen Hayes had sent to Germany. Görtz says that after this first botched contact with the IRA he:

"lived among people of my choice and never again under the protection of the IRA. I personally chose all the houses in which I hid or they were chosen for me by my friends. I carefully avoided any hide-out which had anything to do with the IRA. When I heard in one house that it had formerly been an IRA meeting place, I left it the same night. I realised that an agreement between the Irish government and the IRA was completely inopportune. The action against Held ruled out all hopes of bringing the IRA into association with the government. The Held episode had, however, a good side to it: I shook off the unwanted IRA protection. For the future, I was able to work with people whom I chose myself."