Hiroshi Ōshima (April 19, 1886 – June 6, 1975) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, Japanese ambassador to Nazi Germany before and during World War II. Ōshima’s close relationship with Hitler and Ribbentrop gave him unparalleled access for a foreigner to German war plans and national policy.
By the time the Americans began intercepting and decoding Axis signals, they had already cracked the Japanese diplomatic codes in 1940. When Oshima returned to Berlin at the end of the year, they were already able to read his messages. Oshimas took the time to research thoroughly, collected pages of detailed information and sent it home. His diligence now became the tools of his country’s enemies. One of the first crucial pieces of information came in the summer of 1941. By reading Oshima’s messages, American intelligence officers learned that Germany was preparing an extraordinary action. The attack on its then ally, the Soviet Union. Stalin ignored the information provided by Oshima through the Americans and was surprised by the German invasion in June. and the Nazi Party enabled him to research incredible details. Thanks to his intelligence, the Allies knew exactly what their own jet fighter engineers were competing with.
Oshima’s reconnaissance work became particularly important in the period before D-Day. He repeatedly sent home his findings about the German defences on the northern French coast. From his reports on the talks with Hitler, it is clear that the Führer knew about the Allied counterespionage measures but had no idea where the planned landing would actually take place.
On 4 September 1944, Oshima had his last meeting with Hitler. Here the German leader revealed that he was planning a major counterattack in the west. His troops would assemble and the attack would begin no earlier than the end of November, when bad weather would hamper Allied air reconnaissance. Hitler had revealed his plans for the Battle of the Bulge.
On 14 April 1945 Ōshima left Berlin to Bad Gastein, a mountain resort in Austria. Less than a month later Germany surrendered and Ōshima and his staff were taken into custody and brought to the United States. It is said he flushed all his diaries and confidential memories down the toilet, while beeing in a Hotel in New York.
part 1 collecting, Tokyo 2016
