TRICYCLE

Dusko Popov was a double agent during the Second World War. Popov was a wealthy young Yugoslav business man who led an international playboy lifestyle when he was recruited to spy for Germany by an anti-Hitler faction in German intelligence. He was sent to London, made contact with the British and became a double-agent per their plan. His code name was Tricycle.

Popov was given assignments by the Germans which gave the Allies insight into their future plans. He was always able to pass enough information to Germany to maintain their confidence in him.

In 1941, he was sent to New York to find out American plans but secretly made contact with the FBI to tell them that the Japanese were planning to attack Pearl Harbor. FBI Chief, J. Edgar Hoover, did not trust Popov and did not act on the information that he gave him. Hoover hated Popov's lifestyle and threatened to arrest him if he did not leave the country. Popov was a noted ladies man and gambler who always stayed in the best hotels and went first class everywhere he went.

In 1944, he was part of the operation with the intent to deceive the Germans about the planned Normandy invasion. He fed Germany information that the main force of the Allied invasion would come at another place in France. This was one of the most critically important operations of the war.

Does Dusko Popov remind you of anyone? The person assigned by British Intelligence to keep track of him was none other than Ian Fleming.