US Army Military Intelligence History: A Sourcebook - Fort Huachuca ...

U.S. Army Intelligence History: A SourcebookWARRACK WALLACE * Report on Assignment with ThirdUnited States Army, 15 August-18 September 1944, SpecialResearch History-108MissionThe writer was assigned to duty with Third United States Army on 15 August to assist [Major MelvinC.] Helfers in the duties of ULTRA recipient. He travelled by plane from Heston Field, London, to atemporary landing strip South of Cherbourg, and from there by plane to the Headquarters of 12th ArmyGroup Southeast of Coutances, arriving 15 August. After spending the evening and the following morningwith recipients Majors Murnane and Orr, studying the maps, files and procedure, and attending abriefing, he travelled by jeep to HQ Third United States Army, then about ten miles North of Le Mans,arriving 16 August in the evening and reporting forthwith to Major Helfers, recipient, and Colonel [OscarW.] Koch, G-2 of Third Army.Third Army HeadquartersHeadquarters was then under canvas, all tents being camouflaged and cover sought by hugging thehedge-rows. Major Helfers’ tent lay across a field from Colonel Koch’s tent and three hundred yards fromthe SLU [Special Liaison Unit, the British equivalent of the Special Security Officer] installation. One CPtent served as quarters and office for Major Helfers and the writer. The SLU unit, consisting of CaptainHutchinson (British), Lts. Hull and Brown (United States), and British enlisted men, was nicely fixed incaravans, wall tents and CP tents.At this time, Major Helfers was confronted with many difficulties. There was no telephone, no electriclight, and no transportation except what could be begged from a not-too-willing SLU unit or from overburdenedG-2 transportation. The one CP tent was inadequate for living quarters and office space for twoofficers. The necessity for frequent trips to the SLU unit, to Colonel Koch, and to the engineering section,each requiring a locking up of ULTRA maps and information, was a time-killer, and the traffic was thenat its peak, amounting to about ninety messages per diem. SLU was not entirely aware of its properfunction and needed a little enlightenment, which it thereafter received and accepted with good grace.Moreover, the night was as busy as the day.Division of DutiesUpon the writer’s arrival, duties were divided equally, Major Helfers being responsible for the mapping,digesting and briefing for one 24-hour period and the writer for the next period. This procedure wasadhered to throughout. The officer not responsible for the briefing used the day to acquire equipment andnew maps, to iron out the many physical and routine difficulties, to acquire information from other G-2personnel and from the G-3 section, and to assist in the briefing and work as circumstances demanded.At this time ULTRA had a bare toe-hold on the thoughts of the Commanding General and G-2 of ThirdArmy and was struggling for a permanent grip. It had proven its operational value at least once in a largeway when a division, on the strength of information supplied by our service alone, had been kept in placeto meet a Panzer attack designed to cut the Third’s life-line at Avranches, but it was not fully establishedas yet. The position of ULTRA in an Army intelligence section depends largely upon what the CG, Chiefof Staff, and G-2 think of its value and every effort was made by the recipients to sap the last ounce ofintelligence from the messages and to present each day at the briefing a carefully digested, logicallyorderedstatement, tied in to a careful and readable situation and information map.182