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Spy Secrets of the CIA
March, 2001
The agency's secret museum is a spymaster's dream. You can't get in for a
tour but we did.
By Hank Schlesinger
Photography By John B. Carnett
At the end of an ordinary tree-lined road in Langley, Virginia, beyond
multiple security checkpoints, is the George Bush Center for Intelligence,
headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. This is the nexus of
America's expansive intelligence network. Information transmitted to the
facility here is poured over and analyzed by agency officials. Given the
necessarily secretive nature of the agency, it's surprising to find a museum
on the premises. Not surprisingly, the museum is not open to the general
public, but Popular Science got a sneak peek inside-under escort, of course.
Right now the museum is presenting two exhibits. One comes from H. Keith
Melton, a private collector of espionage artifacts and author of The
Ultimate Spy. The second exhibit traces the agency's history from its
beginnings as the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in the second World War
through the Cold War.
"We're an organization that is 50 years old," says exhibit center curator
Toni Hiley. "We have young people coming onboard and, like a lot of young
people, they may not know their history from 50 years ago."
Perhaps just as important, the museum displays the agency's technological
legacy as well as that of its allies and enemies. The fictional gadgets of
007 are entertaining and perhaps even offer inspiration to the secret-gadget
makers, but the real thing has to be field-tested, as an agent's life may
depend on it. Here is a sampling of what really worked.
U-2 Spy Flights
On May 1, 1960, U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers took off from an air base in
Pakistan in his high-flying U-2B spy plane on a mission that would have
carried him across nearly 3,000 miles of the Soviet Union to a landing in
Norway. He never got there. Downed by a Soviet missile, he was captured and
convicted on spying charges by a Soviet court.
Initiated in the mid-1950s and built by Lockheed's Skunk Works, the first
generation of U-2 spy planes was said to have a top altitude of more than
70,000 feet. Because of the extreme altitude, U-2 pilots wore
first-generation pressure suits. The suit, film, and helmet exhibited are
similar to what Powers wore on his ill-fated mission.
A World War II American pilot on a vital mission has been shot down behind
enemy lines. At that time, the United States could build planes faster than
pilots could be trained, so it was essential that any downed pilot try to
evade capture and that any captured pilot try to escape. To assist them, the
OSS created several covert compasses and maps. Compasses were hidden in
buttons, belt buckles, and even a pencil clip. Maps were concealed inside
playing cards and even on garments. A map printed on silk not only provided
accurate readings for escaping aviators but also could also be folded and
unfolded silently.
Spy Shopper
With American ingenuity turning out an ever more expanding array of
specialized cameras, weaponry, and concealment devices, intelligence
officers were finally able to pick the right tool for any specific job. But
the organization needed to keep intelligence officers-particularly those
thousands of miles from Washington-up to date on the latest advances. The
OSS looked to the Sears & Roebuck model of shopping, creating a catalog of
the latest gear for the well-equipped spy. The first catalog was issued in
July 1944, and included pictures, descriptions, and instructions for each
item.
Microdots
A favorite device of classic espionage movies and books, microdots did in
fact exist and were perhaps one of the most insidious means of transporting
stolen information. Vast quantities of data could be shrunk down to
virtually undetectable size.
Microdots were used during the Cold War on both sides, as this miniature
camera attests. The camera itself was small enough to be easily hidden. Two
favorite locations for hiding a microdot were behind postage stamps or
between the narrow layers of a postcard. In this way, ordinary mail became a
favored, nearly foolproof means of transporting the most secret of messages.
Hidden Camera
The KGB surveillance workhorse for the Cold War was the famed F-21 camera.
Originally introduced into service in 1948, the F-21 was in wide use by the
2nd and 7th Directorates of the KGB until the 1980s. The F-21 used a
spring-driven motor to advance the film after each shot. Measuring
approximately 3 inches by 2 inches and featuring a 28mm lens, the camera
could shoot as many as 100 frames by utilizing special ultrathin film. Its
size made it ideal for covert photo-graphy. By using a body harness and a
remote handheld control to snap pictures and set F-stops, the KGB managed to
conceal the F-21 in a huge assortment of everyday utilitarian objects.
During the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the F-21 was fitted into an Olympic Seal
belt buckle. As a fashion accessory, the Olympic multiringed logo was
ubiquitous and attracted no attention.
Dead Drops
As a Cold War spy, the two most dangerous parts of your job are gathering
information and then passing it along to your case officer. Direct contact
with a known intelligence officer can blow your cover. Hence, the need for
dead drops is vital. The term "dead drop" simply means that either the
information or other valuables are left unattended in a set location for
prearranged pickup. The requirements for a dead drop device were its ability
to remain unobtrusive while protecting whatever was held within it from both
the elements and curious passersby. Sometimes dead drop spikes were inserted
into the ground; other devices were constructed to look like old bolts and
were secured into fences or buildings.
Milkmaid Mementos
Virginia Hall was one of the great unsung heroes of the Allied effort in
World War II. Despite having lost her left leg below the knee in a hunting
accident prior to the war, Hall nevertheless worked effectively. When France
fell to the Germans, Hall operated behind enemy lines in France undercover
as a simple milkmaid. Her efforts and expertise with a radio assisted in the
preparation for the Allied invasion. After the war, she became one of the
agency's first female operations officers. Her memorabilia are on loan from
her niece, Lorna Catling.
The Thing
On July 4, 1945, in recognition of Independence Day, a group of USSR
schoolchildren presented the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union a
beautifully hand-carved United States Seal. The gift was hung above the
ambassador's desk. "The Thing" was concealed in a hollowed-out portion of
the seal, and for seven years, it transmitted every word said in the
Ambassador's office. When the device was eventually uncovered in 1952, the
CIA couldn't figure out how it worked, hence the ambiguous nickname, the
Thing.
England's MI5 security service finally realized the Thing was the world's
first passive cavity resonator. A small hole in the Great Seal located in
the beak of the eagle allowed sound to enter the device through several
holes at its cylindrical top. The sound vibrations inside the cavity changed
the charge on the long antenna at its bottom. When a high-frequency radio
wave, administered by an operative in a nearby building, struck the antenna,
its signal was reflected back. The modulations in the reflected radio beam
were then converted back to sound. The device displayed at the museum is a
detailed replica of the original.
Tracking Scents
You leave your East German apartment at the height of the Cold War on a
perfectly normal spring day. And while you may suspect that you are being
followed, surely your circuitous route through the city's crowded streets
has thrown off whoever is following you. Don't count on it.
The technology that keeps someone on your tail needn't be a sophisticated
device that employs a microtransmitter. The East German Ministerium f�r
Staatischerheit (Ministry for State Security)-also known as Stasi-sometimes
relied on what you could call a bio-tracking device: female dog hormones.
Taken from female German Shepherds, the hormones were covertly sprayed on
the doormat of a suspect's home, a bicycle tire, or even directly on the
suspect. Agents using male German Shepherds could then track the subject's
movements around a city for days. The Stasi eventually developed 10
different variations of the scent so that multiple subjects could be tracked
simultaneously.
Covert Transmitters
A heavily armed enemy convoy transporting weapons and ammunition rumbles
down a dirt road on a moonless night. Miles away, the activity is recorded
by a remote listening station. In the 1970s, these covert seismic intruder
devices were designed to blend in with the local terrain. Resembling stones,
dried mud, or dung, they could detect movement of pedestrians or vehicles
within 300 meters and then relay the information through coded impulses via
a built-in dipole antenna. Powered by a trio of mercury cells, they could be
planted along strategic areas without arousing suspicion.
Mini Motorcycle
Imagine parachuting behind enemy lines: You can bet that a fast getaway
would be among your highest concerns. So why not take a motorcycle along
with you? Designed for use by British Special Operations Executive during WW
II, the collapsible Welbike motorcycle measured just 15 inches high and 51
inches long. When folded, the 70-pound vehicle easily fit into a standard-
issue torpedo-shaped parachute container. Once on the ground, the agent
could crank up the 98cc two-cycle Villiers engine and cruise away from the
drop zone at a top speed of 30 mph. With a modest cruising range of 90
miles, the Welbike allowed agents to make a relatively speedy departure.
After the war, the bikes were marketed to the general public with little
success.
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