Page 85 - La Grande Guerra dei Carabinieri

85
Carabinieri a cavallo e in bicicletta scortano una colonna di
prigionieri catturati sul Col di Lana.
Mounted Carabinieri and on bicycle escort a column of
prisoners captured on Col di Lana.

Italian Regia Marina

counterintelligence
counterintelligence activities

he so-called “Zurich Coup” represents one of the most significant successes for the Italian counter-infor-
mation office during the First World War. Following the entry into the war, and the information gathering
T activities carried out in Italian territory by the Austrian Naval Evidenzbureau military intelligence office,
an effective and concrete activity had been initiated that intended to penetrate the security network that defend-
ed the installations and communications of the Italian Royal Navy. As was the practice at that time, the head
of the Bureau, Frigate Captain Rudolf Mayer, began to contact Italian exiles living in Switzerland, where the
Bureau had relocated in order to operate from a neutral country and reduce the chances of being discovered,
with the aim of identifying possible collaborators hostile to war, to the monarchy or to the political situation in
Italy. Despite various attempts, success was limited. A key figure in this story was an Italian exile who fled to
Switzerland to avoid arrest. He was recruited first by the Austro-Hungarians, and later convinced to collabo-
rate with the Italian Royal Navy. The Italians were able, despite multiple difficulties, to organize and conduct
careful counter-espionage activities that permitted the penetration of the main operating centres of the Austri-
an espionage service to be achieved, and subsequently the opening of safes and the emptying of them complete-
ly of their contents. On 24 February 1917, the Information Office of the Italian Royal Navy was in possession
of the official documentation that her opponent had collected in order to organize and initiate spying and sabo-
tage activities in the national territory. As admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel later recalled of this operation, “it was
really worth more than a battle won”.