The work lasted for almost a year, with the final connections being made and the first recordings taking place in early 1955. The result was hundreds of metres of magnetic tape, so much so that by the time Operation Gold ended , it took nearly two years to decrypt all the amazing material.
The tunnel was built by the British but with the technical and financial assistance of the Americans. Based in Berlin, Blake acted as one of the architects of the construction. Once completed, this extraordinary operation went on for more than a year, involving the hacking of hundreds of Soviet telephone lines and providing the West with a wealth of information. But how reliable was this information? After all, Blake had not failed to inform his KGB case officer of this new way of spying by the British.
According to the official statement from Moscow, one day in April 1956, the Soviets discovered malfunctions on some of their telephone lines at their headquarters in Karlshorst...After carrying out several checks, they discovered the pot of gold: the tunnel and the listening devices that had been strapped onto their phone lines and causing the disruption. After following the tunnel, they realised that it led to the American zone and immediately decided to exploit their new discovery. The Soviets called a press conference and invited journalists to walk along the tunnel themselves. This was a major coup for Soviet propaganda, who had a field day denouncing the covert operations of the CIA!
Nevertheless, the presumed success of the Soviets was soon overturned by the journalists who attended the demonstration, as they could not help but highlight the technical feats achieved by the British and Americans, especially as no lives had been lost during the whole operation. The entrances to the tunnel were continuously monitored and as soon as any unusual activity was reported above the tunnel, they raised the alarm and helped evacuate those working inside. But if the Soviets knew about the tunnel, why did they not reveal it sooner?
One explanation is that the KGB had ‘neglected' to inform its military counterparts, the GRU. Many western analysts have given credence to this hypothesis, which worked in favour of the western secret services. Indeed, the Americans especially have always claimed that their information on Soviet forces had greatly increased from information gained through Operation Gold, in particular regarding staffing, weapons and strategies. But to make it all believable, an explanation is needed as to how they were able to gain so much important information, especially when Blake's betrayal was only revealed years later. Only the rivalry between East and West could support such a theory, particularly when it is always difficult to admit that one has been deceived.
It is therefore likely that the Soviets used the tunnel to provide misinformation from the start. However, the Russians knew they were playing with fire and one has to ask how far they were willing to go in this deception. The game was enticing, but not without risk: if the British or Americans suspected that they had been discovered, they could always remove Blake. It was rare for an intelligence agency to have an undercover agent within the enemy's citadel, so it was vital that Blake was never suspected. This is why the discovery of the tunnel had to appear accidental.
George Blake36
For my part, I naturally followed the developments that I knew would occur, with some anxiety. I watched for any indication from the SIS or CIA that they suspected the Soviets might have been informed. But the ‘discovery’ was staged with such skill that a joint investigation conducted shortly after the end of the operation by the SIS and CIA, led to the conclusion that it had been a purely technical fault, and there was no question of any ‘leakage’ of information. The KGB had waited for there to be a genuine technical failure. This meant that an inspection was required and so provided the perfect opportunity to discover the wiretapping. As the Americans were listening, they were also aware of the technical fault and so regarded the Soviet intervention as being perfectly logical.
George Blake slipped through the cracks and after the tunnel episode, continued to work as a double agent. He was eventually unmasked by a Polish defector who passed information to the CIA in 1961.
Blake was arrested and during his trial, made no secret of his life a double agent. On the contrary, as a dedicated Marxist, he said he had welcomed the opportunity to help the USSR. He was sentenced to forty-two years in prison and was to be held at Wormwood Scrubs, one of the most high-security prisons in Britain. However, it was often said that Blake had never been an ordinary man, and he managed to escape in 1967.He had apparently been assisted by former detainees who had allegedly belonged to the IRA. Nevertheless, it is possible to harbour doubts about this explanation. A convicted spy is often used as a bargaining chip
