Operation Scherhorn

Operation Scherhorn (in English sources) or Operation Berezino (original Soviet codename), Operation Beresino (in East German sources) was a secret deception operation performed by the NKVD against the Nazi secret services from August 1944 – May 1945. It was proposed by Joseph Stalin, drafted by Mikhail Maklyarsky and executed by Pavel Sudoplatov and his NKVD subordinates assisted by ethnic German antifascists and communists.

The main objective of Operation Berezino was to create an illusion of large numbers pro-German armed groups operating behind the front line in Soviet held territory, as counter-“partisans”, allegedly engaged in pro-German indigenous insurgency movement, that was purported to be attempting to disrupt the reestablishment of Soviet control of its western Soviet Socialist Republics (e.g., Belarus Ukraine, Moldova); that were being liberated by the Soviet Army, as the German Army was retreating westward. The plan was to deplete Nazi intelligence resources through capture and extermination of their field operatives sent to assist these nonexistent troops. The NKVD set up a fake German "resistance pocket" under "command" of Lieutenant-Colonel Heinrich Scherhorn, a real German prisoner of war forced to cooperate with the Soviets. The German response, Otto Skorzeny's Operation Freischütz (Operation Poacher in post-war English sources) developed according to Soviet expectations. The German commandos sent by Skorzeny were routinely arrested and forced to take part in the Soviet funkspiel. German support gradually faded but the German command maintained radio contact with "Group Scherhorn" until May 1945.