The terms
Red Three, and
Red Orchestra respectively, were invented by the
Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA), the counter-espionage arm of the
SS. As an essential part of the
Red Orchestra, the
Red Three (radio stations) (de: die
Roten Drei (Funkstellen)) were outside the reach of German security forces, located in Switzerland. It was headed by
Alexander Radó (code name: DORA), a Hungarian émigré, Communist, and
geographer. The
Red Three was founded in 1936, when
Radó arrived in
Geneva. By April 1942, the organization had been established with
Radó as group leader, and also had three subgroup leaders:
Rachel Dübendorfer (code name: SISSY),
Georges Blun (code name: LONG), and
Otto Pünter (code name: PAKBO). After the imprisonment of
Leopold Trepper (code name: GRAND CHEF) by the
Gestapo in 1942, ''Radó's
group became the most effective part of the Red Orchestra
espionage network. It collected useful information in Switzerland and had some contacts inside Germany. Perhaps most importantly, Radó
was also in touch with the Lucy spy ring, which had very valuable contacts inside Germany, and was linked to British intelligence. Some people have speculated that the Lucy ring'' was used by
British intelligence to pass
Ultra information to
Soviet intelligence without revealing the codebreaking operation that was its source, but most historians do not agree with this theory. In 1944–1945,
Radó was recalled to the USSR and charged with spying for Britain and the U.S. He was imprisoned for eight years, but was released and rehabilitated after
Stalin's death. ==See also==