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History of British Military Intelligence

Put together thanks to the contributionsof the MIM's digital volunteer team. Click here to learn how you can join our volunteer team.

1899-1902: Boer War Intelligence

Ad Hoc to Doctrine

The Boer War's influence on the conduct of military intelligence

1916: The Battle of Jutland

The Admiralty, Room 40 and the failure to use intelligence

1917 Battle of Beersheba

A key battle in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I which a co-ordinated deception plan helped win

1917: The Zimmerman Telegram

The Royal Navy's Interception of a key German telegram which helped convince the United States to join the First World War

1924: The Zinoviev Letter

The 'Fake News' scandal which rocked the 1924 election

1939-45 MI9 and the Stool Pigeons

Escape, evasion and Prisoners of War

1939: The Oslo Report

A report by a German scientist containing some of the most spectacular leaks in intelligence history

1941-1980 Project Venona

The exploitation of Intercepted Russian spy agency communications

1941: The Sinking of the Bismarck

Signals Intelligence and the hunt for a German warship

1942: The Bruneval Raid

The First successful action by British paratroopers

1943 Operation Hydra

A bombing mission that helped delay Hitler's 'vengeance weapons' attacking the UK

1944 Operation Jedburgh

A Clandestine Operation whose operatives worked behind enemy lines under the motto 'Surprise, Kill, Vanish'

1966 The Firebar Incident

A Salvage Operation used to steal Soviet Secrets from a wrecked spyplane

1970s Four Square laundry

A daring Covert Surveillance operation in Northern Ireland

1971 OPERATION FOOT

One of the largest ever expulsions of foreign Intelligence Officers from one country

1982 The Falklands War

An Intelligence Failure or Surprise Attack?

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