history
Spying for Russia on the Rock by Reg Reynolds
He was German by birth, grew up in South Africa, spied for Russia for 20 years and was quite probably responsible for British deaths during the Falklands War. Dieter Gerhardt twice visited Gibraltar in the months before the Argentine army invaded the Falkland Islands, indicating that the Russians were aware that General Galtieri was planning the invasion. It is known that Gerhardt observed submarine operations at Gibraltar and passed on secrets of the Royal Navy’s Polaris programme to the Soviets. Gerhardt was allowed to tour sensitive areas because at the time he held the rank of Commodore and was the commanding officer of South Africa’s strategic dockyard at Simon’s Town. The position gave him good reason to visit the Rock and pretend to have an interest in the dockyard while actually spying on naval operations. The fact that he was an acquaintance of South African President P.W. Botha would also have opened doors for him. Because of his high rank Dieter was able to use intelligence reports from South Africa’s top secret maritime station called Silvermines. Through this system he was able to track the movements of the Falkland Fleet and pass the information to the Soviets. It is believed that some of this information was passed to the Argentines and probably resulted in the deaths of Royal Navy sailors. Dieter Felix Gerhardt was born in Germany (1936) the son of an architect who moved to South Africa early in 1939. When World War II broke out Gerhardt’s father was considered a security risk and the family was interned in a detention camp for the duration. It is this action that Gerhardt claimed caused him to turn against his adopted country and the West. When he was 19 Gerhardt joined the South African navy. He graduated near the top of his class and was awarded the sword of honour from the Simon’s Town Naval Academy.
40
40-43JANUARY.indd 40
In the 1950s Gerhardt trained at the Royal Navy Mine School at Portsmouth and completed the Parachute Training Course at RAF Abingdon. It was during this time he met his first wife, British-born Janet Coggin. They married in 1958. It was in 1962 that Gerhardt turned to spying. He had been sent to England to train on new weapons at the Manadon Royal Naval Engineering College at Plymouth. One day he took leave and went to the Russian Embassy in London where he offered the Soviets his services as a spy. On the same day he met a KGB agent named Ruth Johr who would later become his second wife. Gerhardt grew wealthy from his spying. It is believed he earned as much as $250,000 for the valuable information on missile technology that he passed to the Russians. His large home in Cape Town was the envy of neighbours and contained expensive works of art and Persian rugs. When asked how he could afford to live like an Admiral on a Commodore’s salary Gerhardt claimed to have been given an inheritance by his
Gerhardt grew wealthy from his spying. It is believed he earned as much as $250,000 for the valuable information on missile technology that he passed to the Russians
mother and to have had remarkable luck gambling on the horses and playing the lottery. First wife Janet later told authorities that she became aware of her husband’s Cold War spying activities in 1966 but didn’t turn him in because she was afraid he would be executed. When he insisted she also become a spy she divorced him and moved with their children to Ireland where she lived in constant fear of retribution from the Soviets. In 1999 she wrote a book about her experiences titled The Spy’s Wife (Constable). Gerhardt was finally exposed by Soviet defector Vladimir Vetrov, who reported him to the American CIA. In 1983 Gerhardt was taking a degree in mathematics at New York University. The Federal Bureau of Intelligence set up a sting operation and caught him red handed. Gerhardt was deported and tried in camera at Cape Town. More stunning details of Gerhardt’s perfidy came to light during his interrogation. He admitted that during 1960-70 he interviewed Royal Navy recruits and claimed he persuaded many of them to work as Russian agents. At that time nuclear powered submarines were being built in South Africa for the Royal Navy. At his trial Gerhardt pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence for high treason while his wife Ruth was given a 10-year sentence for aiding and abetting. In the 1990s with changes in government in both the Soviet Union and South Africa in hard lines softened. In 1992 Presidents Boris Yeltsin of Russia and F.W. de Clerk of South Africa agreed to Gerhardt’s release. Ruth had been released before him. The treacherous couple retired to Switzerland where undoubtedly their earnings had gained considerable interest while resting in a secret Swiss Bank Account. n
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • January 2009
6/12/08 14:04:44