◆ SpookStack

U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Washingron, D.C. 20535d March 12, 1985. DUQUESNE SPY RING On January 2, 1942, 33 members of a Nazi spy ring total'of'over 30o years in prison. They were brought to justice. after a lengthy espionage investigation by the FBi. William. Sebold, who had been recruited as a spy for Germany, was a. major factor'in the FBI's successful resolution of this case through his work as a double agent for the United States. A native of Germany, william Sebold served in the.. German army during World'War I. After leaving Germany in 1921, he worked in industrial and aircraft plants throughout the United States and South America. On February 10,~1936, he became a naturalized eitizen of the United States. Sebold returned to Germany in February, 1939, to visit his mother in Mulheim. Upon his arrival. in Hamburg, Germany, he was approached by a member of the Gestapo who said that Sebold would be contacted in the near future. Sebold proceeded to Mulheim where he obtained employment.. In September, 1939, a Dr. Gassner visited Sebold in Mulheim and interrogated him regarding military planes and equipment in the United States. He also asked Sebold to 'return to the United States as an espionage agent'for Germany. Subsequent visits by Dr. Gassner and a nDr. Renken," later identified as Major Nickolaus Ritter of the German Secret. Service, persuaded Sebold to cooperate with the. Reich because he feared reprisals against family members still living in Germany. Since Sebold's passport had been stolen shortly after his first visit from Dr. Gassner, Sebold went to the American Consulate. in Cologne, Germany, to obtain a.new one. While doing so, Sebold secretly told personnel of the American Consulate cooperate with the FBI upon his return to America. Sebold reported to Hamburg, Germany, swhere he was. instructed in such areas as preparing coded messages and microphotographs. Upon completion of training, he was given five microphotographs containing instructions for preparing a code and. detailing the type of information he was to transmit to Germany from the United States. Sebold was told to retain two of the mierophotographs and to deliver the other three to German. /il