Encore: The Spy Who Inspired 007 | Retribution | 4

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of The Spy Who ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

0:1430th of April, 1944. Eshteril, Portugal. Abwehr officer Johnny Yebsen enters a picturesque villa overlooking the sea that doubles as the German intelligence service's headquarters in Portugal. He feels on edge. But that's normal. Come in, Yebsen. It is good to see you. Good afternoon, Obersleutnant. Ever since he agreed to join his closest friend, Dusko Popov, in spying for the British, his days have been defined by fear and paranoia. And now he's been summoned here to meet his new commanding officer, Alois Schreiber. Schreiber is a 50-year-old bald Bavarian Nazi with a foreboding reputation. He's a doctor of chemistry and one of the Abwehr's most senior officers.

1:06As Jebsen greets him, he notices the scars on the backs of Schreiber's hands, evidence of an old accident involving a spilled beaker of acid. Congratulations on your recent commendation. Schreiber guides Jebsen into his office, then manoeuvres himself between Jebsen and the door. There were others more deserving, I am sure. Surely not. Though it was unfortunate you missed our recent meeting in Biarritz. I trust you had good reason. A flash of concern crosses Jebsen's face. Could Schreiber know about his recruitment to the Allied cause? Anyway, there's unwelcome news, Jebsen. Sir? I have orders to escort you to Berlin.

1:50Jebsen tenses in readiness as Schreiber reaches into his uniform and draws a Luger pistol. By any means necessary. Schreiber doesn't aim his pistol at Jebsen, but lets it hang at his side. But Jebsen's not fooled. His life's in danger, no matter how much the Germans do or do not know about what he's been doing for the British. He bolts for the door. Stop! Schreiber grabs Jebsen's jacket and pulls him backwards. Schreiber is taller and stronger, but Jebsen knows that this is his only chance to get away. Schreiber pins Jebsen to the floor. I hoped it wouldn't come to this. Schreiber reaches into the pocket of his uniform and draws out a syringe filled with clear liquid.

2:36Schreiber plunges the needle into Jebsen's arm and empties the syringe. Jebsen struggles on for a few moments, then his muscles start to relax. Finally, he falls limp. Schreiber stands, walks across the room and starts to drag a metal trunk toward Jebsen's motionless body. The trunk's large enough to hold a human and has been fitted with openings for ventilation.

3:07Yebsen stirs. He's alive, but it's dark and his body's cramped. He tries to move, but his limbs prove unresponsive. As he drifts in and out of consciousness, Yebsen tries to figure out the hows and whys of his arrest He thinks of his best friend Popov Wherever this car is headed, the person at the other end will want to know if Yebsen knows of any other German agents who work for the British Yebsen resolves to say nothing, no matter the cost

3:48Triple shot half-calf oat milk, two pumps, extra foam. Your coffee order might be getting a little complicated. Your toothpaste doesn't have to be. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Toothpaste keeps it simple, with a powerful ingredient that works hard for you, baking soda. That's why it's the number one dentist-recommended baking soda toothpaste. As you brush, the baking soda particles dissolve to help break down plaque and stains for a whiter smile, so your teeth can feel clean, look bright, and make brushing a no-brainer. Try Arm & Hammer Toothpaste. Simple, powerful, clean. Living your best life means being extra where it counts and skipping the extra where you don't need it.

4:24Like in your cleaning products. That's where 7th Generation comes in. Their bio-based cleaning power delivers a powerful clean with nothing extra in the bottle. Need a dish soap that cuts through the tough grease? A detergent that tackles the worst stains and odors? 7th Generation handles it all without any dyes or artificial fragrances. Real clean doesn't have to come with a long list of add-ons. Upgrade to a powerful clean without anything extra. Look for 7th generation dish soap and laundry detergent wherever you shop for your cleaning products.

5:02From Wondery, I'm Indira Farmer and this is The Spy Who. On the last episode, Dushko Popov returned to Europe and bluffed his way out of the Abwehr's doubts about his loyalty. Johnny Ebsen made powerful enemies in the Gestapo. And British intelligence launched Operation Fortitude, a campaign of misinformation designed to clear the way for the Allied invasion of Normandy. Now, Operation Fortitude needs to convince the Germans that the fake intel they've been getting about the Allied invasion is real. To do that, they need someone who can sell the lie under interrogation, and MI6 believes only one man is up to the job.

5:49Dusko Popov. This is The Spy Who Inspired 007. Episode 4. Retribution.

6:03January 1944, four months before Johnny Yepsen's arrest. Dusko Popov and his MI5 handler, Tar Robertson, wander through the port of Dover on England's southern coast. Everywhere they look, they see hundreds of fake ships bobbing in the water. The vessels are made of rubber or canvas stretched tight over steel frames. From afar, they look just like a real armada. A fleet worthy of Nelson, wouldn't you agree, Dushko? It's convincing. Although I doubt you'll win many battles with this lot. They've come to the south coast to inspect the fake fleet. These boats are the latest ploy in Operation Fortitude.

6:48British intelligence's grand plan to fool the Nazis. For weeks, Popov's been providing his Abwehr spymasters with information that suggests Dover will be the place where the Allied invasion fleet will sail from. Now, German reconnaissance planes will inevitably photograph the phony armada massed at Dover, shoring up Popov's tall story. Popov lights a cigarette and scans the harbour. He needs to remember the sights, the smells, the sounds. every detail he can, so that when the Abwehr interrogates him, he can convince them he saw the Allied fleet with his own eyes. He turns to Robertson. You really think this will work?

7:36It takes more than firepower to defeat your enemy these days, Dushko. Anyway, take it all in. The more of this you can recall, the better the chance you'll convince anyone who asks about it. Take me through the details again. It's not complicated. Fortitude is the deception on which the success of D-Day rests. We need German high command to believe that Calais is the true focus of our invasionary efforts and to move their forces there. Popov takes a drag on his cigarette. It doesn't hurt to be reminded of the plan, nor of what is at stake. This phantom fleet will combine with fake wireless chatter and, of course, your own deception work to strengthen the mirage.

8:22A ruse of this scale requires the best efforts of many organisations. I don't want to alarm you, old chap, but if anything goes wrong, you'll have Churchill and Eisenhower on your case. If anything goes wrong, I probably won't be around to hear about it. Robertson glances at the ground. He knows Popov's life relies on the success of Operation Fortitude as much as that of any Allied infantryman. The two men gaze out across the English Channel, across which the real Allied fleet will soon set sail.

9:01Two months later. In his room at the Palazzo Hotel in Eshtorel, Popov sits in a chair and rolls up a shirt sleeve to reveal his upper arm. Nearby, a doctor hired by MI6 hunches over his bag and fills a syringe with clear liquid. Popov looks up at his close friend Johnny Yebson, who's standing over him. Tomorrow, Popov will meet his Nazi spymasters. It will be the most important interview of his career in espionage. He must convince the Abwehr that the fake intel they have is real. If he fails, the whole sham will fall apart and the chances of a successful Allied invasion will collapse. And that's why Yebson's volunteer to help him rehearse the interrogation.

9:52Johnny, are you sure about this drug? A vein full of serum and I start spilling secrets. It's not a magic potion. But they're obviously getting some results. Else, why would they be using it in interrogations? What say you, Doctor? 25 grams of sodium pentothal will cause a partial paralysis of the nervous system. Popov sits up. Hang on. I thought this stuff affected my capacity to deceive, not to walk. The doctor approaches, syringe at the ready. It's a fast-acting barbiturate. It slows the speed at which messages pass from your spinal cord to your brain. We don't know precisely how effective it is, but I've observed that subjects usually believe they have revealed too much, even if they have not.

10:37For someone in your situation, that kind of paranoia could prove fatal. Hold still, please. The doctor sinks the needle into Popov's arm and injects the clear liquid from the syringe. OK? He's had worse. The doctor picks up his bag. I'll be in the bar if anything goes wrong. Good luck. Dushko, I know you had your run-ins with Von Karsthoff, but he's a kitten compared to this new chap. Schreiber runs things here in Lisbon now and he's the Lord High Executioner of Berlin. It'll be him interrogating you, not von Karsthoff. Oh please! Schreiber plays with chemistry sets and paper clips. Beneath the uniform he's...

11:23Oh, it's already working. My tongue feels too big for my mouth. The Abwehr are banking on what you've gleaned in London. They trust you, but they'll want to be sure you haven't been played. Be on your toes. Come on then. Make like a Gestapo, man. Yebsen switches off the main lights. A single lamp angled toward Popov now provides the only illumination. Yebsen sits in a chair opposite Popov and rests a pile of notes on his lap. Do you dislike Germans? No. The Nazis? No. and yet when you were a student you made public speeches. Tell me again, where were you when you first learned about the British plan to invade France?

12:13Obstleutnant Schreiber, it's been five hours. Please, can we take a break? It's 24 hours since Popov finished his practice run with Yebsen. He's now in a run-down villa in Eshteril close to his hotel and Alois Schreiber, the new boss of the Abwehr in Lisbon, has been questioning him for most of the day. Schreiber checks his notes. We are nearly done. This is all just precautionary, you understand. Entire armies may act on the intelligence you have provided. You are an outstanding agent, Popov, but even the best have their weaknesses. Isn't that right, von Karsthoff? In the corner of the room, Popov's former spymaster, von Karsthoff, watches on in uncomfortable silence.

13:00Schreiber leans forward So tell me again What precisely did you see at Dover? Hundreds of Royal Navy vessels Corvettes, destroyers, landing craft It's as if the entire British fleet has been redeployed ready to cross the Channel Schreiber makes a note and scrutinises Popov for a moment His manner is that of a psychiatrist not an inquisitor Popov suspects it's an approach designed to lull him into a false sense of security. But instead of asking another question, Schreiber smiles. Thank you, Herr Popov. Next time we meet, I am sure it will be in more relaxed circumstances. We appreciate your time and efforts.

13:44You may go. As Popov shakes hands with Schreiber, he notices the relief on the face of von Karsthoff. Popov wonders if his former commanding officer suspected him all along, but looked the other way to keep his masters happy. Popov appears to have passed the test.

14:05Four days later, London. In MI5 headquarters, a young officer bursts into the office of Popov's case officer, Tar Robertson. Sir, you need to see this. Robertson looks up from the papers on his desk. Spit it out, man. It's a signal from Berlin. And they have the false intel from Popov. And they seem to have bought it. They're only questioning the information they have about a single army formation now. They've swallowed everything else we fed them. Here it is in writing. The report confirms our own overall operational picture. The brilliant bastard. A smile cracks on Robertson's face. Popov's come through.

14:46The Nazis are now sold on the fictions spun by Operation Fortitude.

15:03It's April 1944, and in the casino Eshteril, Popov and Yebsen are at the roulette table. Popov pushes all his chips along a green-baize table. All on black. Yebsen grabs his arm. Slow down, Dushko. The night is still young. How do you think we'll pay to keep it going, Johnny? Have faith. The old friends lean forward as the croupier sends the ball rattling around the spinning roulette wheel. Tomorrow, Popov returns to Britain. With the Allied invasion of France imminent, he doesn't know when he'll next return. So tonight, they're enjoying one final hurrah. The wheel begins to slow. Oh, look out!

15:50Congratulations, sir. Your chips. The croupier slides Popov's winnings across the felt. Yebson shakes his head. It never runs out, does it? Your luck. We make our own, Johnny. You know that. The two men move to the bar. Popov orders. Scotch and soda, twice. What was he like? Who? The great Nazi of Lisbon, of course. You mean Schreiber? He was, um, gentler than expected. Polite, even. Then again, those are the ones you need to watch out for. A cruel son of a bitch beneath it all, I'm sure. He had acid burns across the back of his hands. So he is acquainted with pain. And no syringes. None. Although von Karsthoff looked like he could have used a squeeze of opium.

16:45They made him watch from the corner, stewing from the sidelines. Like I said, cruel son of a bitch. You did well. I was well rehearsed. The friends talk for hours, enjoying one another's company, as if they were students again. Then, as the last stragglers leave the casino, they call it a night. They stroll through the warm spring night until they reach Yebsen's villa. Yebsen smiles at Popov. Next time we meet, Europe should be free. Maybe thanks to you. A team effort. Auf Wiedersehen, old friend. Popov turns to leave. Dusko? Yes? Nothing. I just wanted to have a good look at you. We've... We've been through a lot, haven't we?

17:37I'm not coming in, Johnny. Go to bed.

17:45The two men embrace. thankful for a night of fun after so many years of war. Then Yebsen watches as Popov walks away into the night. Seventeen days later, Yebsen will wake up in the boot of Schreiber's car, heading to a destination unknown.

18:07With the Venture X business card from Capital One, you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase. Plus, big purchasing power means you can spend more and earn more. The Capital One Venture X business card. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com for details.

18:32It's a June evening in 1944. Dushko Popov is walking home through Knightsbridge, London. But as he nears his house, he sees a light shining through a carelessly drawn blackout curtain. Not that he's concerned. Popov's friends and lovers know he leaves the front door key on the right-hand window ledge and that his bar is always well-stocked, even if the refrigerator is empty. Inside, Popov finds his MI5 case officer, Tarr Robertson, waiting for him. Ah, it's you. I'd rather hoped it was someone better-looking waiting for me. Robertson rises awkwardly to his feet. Popov senses its unwelcome news.

19:15Sorry to disappoint you, Dushko. It's urgent, though. What? Have a seat. Just tell me. It's Johnny. He's been arrested. Popov feared he had news about Yebsen, but even so, the reality hits him like a bucket of freezing water. Bullshit. How? When? He was a no-show at his most recent MI6 appointment. I was with him just before that. There'll be a good reason. We checked his apartment. He's not been home in weeks. Our agent in the German embassy in Lisbon just got the story. Gestapo? Yes. They've taken him to Prinz Albrechtstraße. Popov slumps into a chair. He's heard of the place and what goes on there.

20:02A cascade of implications tumbles through his mind. His cover. Operation Fortitude. Jepson knows everything. He won't give me up. There's more at stake here than you cover, Dusko. Johnny has the keys to fortitude. Right now, he practically holds France's fate in his hands. He knows this. Johnny will hold out. I hope so. Um, he sent you a letter before they took him. We've read it, of course. Robertson hands pop off the letter. It's dated two days before his arrest. In it, Yebsen tells Popov about the guilt he feels about a recent decoration he received from the Nazis. Popov's eyes well up as he reads Yebsen's sign-off.

20:54I hope you will give my love to all you can give it to, without spoiling your, my, or anyone else's cover. To you, I can give my love unconditionally. Yours, as always, Johnny.

21:15June 1944. Hyde Park Hotel, London. Popov heads through the Hyde Park Hotel in London. This morning, the D-Day landings took place on the beaches of Normandy. Allied troops are now locked in battle on the other side of the English Channel. To mark the moment, Popov's been invited to a quiet dinner by his friends in British intelligence. He opens the door to the dining room and gasps. Instead of the intimate gathering he expected, he sees long tables dressed for a banquet. Top-ranking intelligence officers stand around discussing the day's events. His case officer, Tarr Robertson, rushes over to greet him.

21:58The man of the hour! Wilson said it was going to be a quiet affair. I'm not dressed for this. A harmless deception. We were worried you wouldn't show. Come, follow me. Robertson leads Popov to the seat of honour at the head of the table. Smiling heads in the room turn to face him. Popov looks confused and embarrassed. Robertson taps his glass and delivers a toast. A moment, gentlemen, to honour those brave individuals who are, as I speak, reclaiming Normandy. They have been helped, of course, by our guest of honour tonight, whose daring acts of deception have helped ensure that the enemy's forces were in the wrong place at the right time.

22:43Dushko, we have recommended you to the King for an order of chivalry. It will be well deserved. Undoubtedly, lives have been saved tonight because of the success of Operation Fortitude. A toast, gentlemen, to our combined efforts made manifest in this man. Dusko Popov. Dusko Popov. Robertson sits down next to Popov. Popov turns to him. This is all a bit premature, don't you think, Tar? Their boots are still wet with seawater. Not at all. Your mission was a success. What happens next is down to others. Any news on Johnny? Only what we can deduce from the success of today's events, that he didn't talk.

23:32Popov nods without smiling. His mission may have succeeded, but his friend remains in mortal danger.

23:43August 1944, four months after Yebson's abduction, Paris, France. Popov wanders the streets of the newly liberated French capital. War still rages across Europe, but Popov is now preoccupied with a personal mission, to locate his best friend, Johnny Yebsen. The trails brought him to the Rue de la Pompe in Paris. Popov's been told there's a German there named Frederick Hahn, and he may have a clue to Yebsen's whereabouts. Popov stands outside the door to Hahn's apartment and listens. The voices stop, but there is no response. Popov waits a moment, then tries again. Jacqueline Blanc, I know you're there.

24:31Please let me in. I'll only take a few moments of your time. There's no reply. Well then, I shall stay here until you come out. Or if you prefer to be discreet. The door creeps open with the chain lock still on. A woman in her mid-twenties with flowing brown hair peeks warily through the gap. Popov notices she's wearing a dressing gown. Monsieur, how can I help you? Mademoiselle Blanc, I'm looking for a friend of yours. Of mine too, for that matter. Frederick Hahn. Is this the place? A flash of anxiety crosses the woman's face before she quickly regains her composure. I'm sorry, he's not here.

25:13He left for Germany a month ago. May I come in? Don't fret. I am with the Liberators. Blanc opens the door a little further to get a better look at Popov. After a moment, she nods and steps aside so that he can enter. She motions to the sofa as she sinks into the armchair opposite. Would you care for a cigarette? I don't smoke. Popov spots a tray full of ash on the sideboard. She blushes and looks at the floor. Popov catches the scent of Balkan tobacco hanging in the air, but he decides to not force her hand prematurely. I'm trying to save a friend of mine who has been taken by the Nazis. I'm not interested in the nature of your arrangement with Herr Hahn.