Operation Mainau

Operation Mainau (German: Unternehmen „Mainau“) was a German espionage mission during the Second World War. It was sanctioned and planned by the German secret service (Abwehr) and executed successfully in May 1940. The mission plan involved inserting Abwehr agent Hermann Görtz into Ireland by parachute.

Görtz successfully landed and established contact with his IRA contact "V-Held" (Agent Hero in German), real name Seamus 'Jim' O'Donovan.

Hermann Görtz was an Abwehr agent with a colourful past. He had already been detained on suspicion of espionage in Britain following his arrest on 8 November 1935. He was sentenced to prison in 1936 and released in February 1939. In Britain he had become notorious as "The Flying Spy" in the British media although his notoriety did not prevent his recall to service on 1 August 1939 during the German call up for World War II as a reserve second lieutenant. He had a number of functions in the German military before being assigned to the Lehr Regiment Brandenburg on 19 January 1940 under the command of Abwehr II.

Despite all the bad publicity he had generated for the Third Reich, Görtz somehow convinced his superiors that he would be qualified to infiltrate Ireland by parachute, establish contact with the IRA in Britain, and possibly start a "revolt" in Northern Ireland. A decision was taken by the Abwehr to send Görtz not to Britain, but to Ireland.

Abwehr knowledge about the political situation in Ireland was very sketchy. In preparation for his mission, Görtz did try to do some fact finding on Ireland via the office of Dr. Franz Fromme. He is known to have contacted Francis Stuart and Nora O'Mara, with Stuart being described as "very helpful". He also claims to have established contact with expats from Northern Ireland living in Italy calling them the "Independent Group". As far as is known, the only Irish contact names Görtz carried to Ireland were Seamus O'Donovan and that of Francis Stuart's wife, Isuelt.

Captain Wilhelm Kaupert, a reserve officer was adjutant at the operational airfield at Fritzlar near Cassell. His primary role was as photographic interpretation officer in the Commander in Chief's Reconnaissance Group but he was asked to organise Görtz's flight.

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