Ivan Milorad POPOV, codenamed DREADNOUGHT, alias Mikhail POPOV, Dr Predreg IVANOVIC,...

Ivan Milorad POPOV, codenamed DREADNOUGHT, alias Mikhail POPOV, Dr Predreg IVANOVIC, Hans POHL, Hans POPER and Paula: Yugoslav. DREADNOUGHT, a native of Dubrovnik, was one of a close-knit group of Yugoslav double agents, including his brother TRICYCLE.A doctor by profession, he was recruited by the Abwehr in 1941 and was regarded as one of their best agents. In reality he was working against the Germans for the Mihailovitch resistance group and, indirectly, for British Intelligence. DREADNOUGHT's agent work involved sabotage, disinformation and the disruption of German economic and military plans and activities. Probably his most important contribution was to recruit, notionally for the Abwehr but actually for the British, a number of Yugoslavs who were sent abroad under German auspices and infiltrated into the UK and other target countries. In due course they became double agents and the operation, known as the 'slipping through operation', proved highly successful. DREADNOUGHT was twice interrogated by the Gestapo and was finally forced to escape to Italy. He made his way to the UK and was granted British citizenship. He subsequently pursued a business career mainly in France. He never returned to Yugoslavia or to his medical career

Topics

Europe and Russia

Conflict

Fascism

Nationality

Operations, battles and campaigns