X-2 Counter Espionage Branch - Wikipedia - Recent changes [en]

{{Infobox military unit

The head of the [[Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS), [[William Joseph Donovan|William Donovan]], created the '''X-2 Counter Espionage Branch''' in 1943 to provide liaison with and assist the British in its exploitation of the [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] program's intelligence during [[World War II]].<ref name="art7">{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/intelligence-history/oss/art07.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906071051/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/intelligence-history/oss/art07.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 6, 2015 | title=X-2 | work=Central Intelligence Agency | date=28 June 2008 | access-date=2017-11-25}}</ref> A few months before, Donovan had established a Counterintelligence Division within the Secret Intelligence Branch of the OSS but rescinded this order upon development of the X-2.<ref name=ch3a>{{cite web|title=Counterintelligence in the Office of Strategic Services|url=http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/ci/docs/ci2/2ch3_a.htm|work=Counterintelligence in World War II|publisher=National Counterintelligence Center|access-date=14 June 2013}}</ref> The X-2 was led by James Murphy, whose branch would have the power to veto operations of the [[Office of Strategic Services|Special Operations]] and [[Office of Strategic Services|Secret Intelligence Branches]] without explanation.<ref name="art7" /> Donovan modeled the Counter Espionage Branch on British Counter Espionage.<ref name="O'Donnell">{{cite book | title=Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of World War II's OSS | publisher=Citadel | last=O'Donnell | first=Patrick | year=2006 | pages=194–196 | isbn=978-0806527987}}</ref> With the creation of the X-2 Branch, the British insisted that it follow British security procedures to maintain the secrecy of Ultra.<ref name="art7" /> The X-2 established separate lines of communication for itself as a self-contained unit.<ref name="naftali">{{cite encyclopedia | title=ARTIFICE: James Angleton and X-2 Operations in Italy | encyclopedia=The Secrets War: The Office of Strategic Services in World War II | publisher=Natl Archives & Record Service | author=Naftali, Timothy J. | editor=Chalou, George C. | year=1992 | location=Washington, D.C. | pages=219–30}}</ref> By the end of World War II, the X-2 had discovered around 3,000 Axis agents.<ref name="mcintosh">{{cite book | title=Sisterhood of Spies: The Women of the OSS | publisher=Naval Institute Press | last=McIntosh | first=Elizabeth P. | year=1998 | pages=95, 143, 148–51, 168–9 | isbn=978-1591145141}}</ref>

| unit_name = X-2

| image = Office of Strategic Services Insignia.svg

| dates = 1943 – 1945

| country = United States

| branch = [[Office of Strategic Services]]

| type = [[Counterintelligence]] and [[counterespionage]]

| garrison = [[E Street Complex]]

| commander1 = [[George Hunter White]]

| commander1_label = Commander, counterintelligence (1942-1943)

| commander2 = James R. Murphy

| commander2_label = Commander, X-2 (1943-1945)

}}

The head of the [[Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS), [[William Joseph Donovan|William Donovan]], created the '''X-2 Counter Espionage Branch''' in 1943 to provide liaison with and assist the British in its exploitation of the [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] program's intelligence during [[World War II]].<ref name="art7">{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/intelligence-history/oss/art07.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906071051/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/intelligence-history/oss/art07.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 6, 2015 | title=X-2 | work=Central Intelligence Agency | date=28 June 2008 | access-date=2017-11-25}}</ref> A few months before, Donovan had established a Counterintelligence Division within the Secret Intelligence Branch of the OSS but rescinded this order upon development of the X-2.<ref name="ch3a">{{cite web|title=Counterintelligence in the Office of Strategic Services|url=http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/ci/docs/ci2/2ch3_a.htm|work=Counterintelligence in World War II|publisher=National Counterintelligence Center|access-date=14 June 2013}}</ref> The X-2 was led by [[James R. Murphy]], taking over command of OSS counterintelligence from [[George Hunter White]], who had been sent on a mission to Calcutta.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McWilliams |first=John C. |date=1991 |title=Covert Connections: The FBN, the OSS, and the CIA |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24448521 |journal=The Historian |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=657–678 |issn=0018-2370}}</ref> X-2 would have the power to veto operations of the [[Office of Strategic Services|Special Operations]] and [[Office of Strategic Services|Secret Intelligence Branches]] without explanation.<ref name="art7" /> Donovan modeled the Counter Espionage Branch on British Counter Espionage.<ref name="O'Donnell">{{cite book | title=Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of World War II's OSS | publisher=Citadel | last=O'Donnell | first=Patrick | year=2006 | pages=194–196 | isbn=978-0806527987}}</ref> With the creation of the X-2 Branch, the British insisted that it follow British security procedures to maintain the secrecy of Ultra.<ref name="art7" /> The X-2 established separate lines of communication for itself as a self-contained unit.<ref name="naftali">{{cite encyclopedia | title=ARTIFICE: James Angleton and X-2 Operations in Italy | encyclopedia=The Secrets War: The Office of Strategic Services in World War II | publisher=Natl Archives & Record Service | author=Naftali, Timothy J. | editor=Chalou, George C. | year=1992 | location=Washington, D.C. | pages=219–30}}</ref> By the end of World War II, the X-2 had discovered around 3,000 Axis agents.<ref name="mcintosh">{{cite book | title=Sisterhood of Spies: The Women of the OSS | publisher=Naval Institute Press | last=McIntosh | first=Elizabeth P. | year=1998 | pages=95, 143, 148–51, 168–9 | isbn=978-1591145141}}</ref>

==Overview==

==Overview==