Timeline of Horace Schmahl:

  1. Born 6/28/08
  2. Arrives in US 9/9/29
  3. Becomes citizen 7/37
  4. Works on Drukman investigation with wiretapper/investigator Broady 1936–8
  5. FBI espionage file on Schmahl (most info supplied by Military Intelligence) 1/40
  6. FBI mail cover on Schmahl: letters to Schmahl from Kunze and from US Attorney’s Office (SDNY) 3/40
  7. Army truck reported collecting typewriter at Kunze’s shop 6/25/40
  8. FBI observes Schmahl investigating Nazi sabotage at company producing navigational equipment for military 9/40 — presumably an undercover MI operation
  9. “Dismissed” (likely part of cover story; see #20 below) from Vollmer’s Military Dictionary Project as potential Nazi spy 2/41
  10. Works for law firm of General Donovan prior to 5/41
  11. Works for Donovan in COI (1941–2) according to Tom Moon’s This Grim and Savage Game
  12. Applies for commission as a captain in Military Intelligence 2/9/42
  13. Works on German–American Bund Case at Naturalization Control Unit (with Chankalian) as Army prepares exclusion cases against citizens of German descent 10/42 to 1/43
  14. Hearing Board recommends in report dated 1/26/43 excluding Kunze and wife from Eastern military area
  15. CIC runs afoul of FDR 3/43
  16. Schmahl works for FBIS 2/43 to 11/43; Senior Monitor (assigned to monitor Axis Sally, see #45 below)
  17. Volunteers for Army 11/43
  18. CIC vacates Zone of Interior, leaving behind special agents deemed essential (Schmahl among them) 12/43
  19. Schmahl joins OSS (Secret Intelligence branch) and trains 12/43–2/44
  20. Uses Vollmer (Military Intelligence Division, see #9 above) and Donovan as character references on Personal History Statement (PHS)
  21. OSS reviews INS files and commences “investigation” of Schmahl’s Nazi ties 2/18/44 (but see #54 below)
  22. Transfers to Army Air Corps 3/44
  23. Investigated by INS for denaturalization 2/23/44 to 2/16/45
  24. Trains at MITC (Camp Ritchie) 12/44 to 1/45
  25. Adam Kunze dies 1/7/45
  26. Schmahl is subject of scathing report from War Department (no mention of his MITC training on prior month) 2/16/45
  27. Hiss part of US delegation to Yalta 2/45
  28. OSS (wiretapper/investigator Bielaski, lockpick specialist George, and others) break into Amerasia Magazine’s office in NYC 3/11/45; Hiss considered a possible source
  29. Soviets send encrypted cable mentioning their agent at Yalta, “Ales” 3/30/45
  30. OSS removes papers from desks of suspected sources of Amerasia leaks at State Department as part of Amerasia investigation 3/45 or 4/45
  31. Chambers reinterviewed by State Department 3/45
  32. Chambers reinterviewed by FBI 5/10/45
  33. According to Drew Pearson, Donovan’s aide, George Bowden, warns State Department against advocating Hiss for Secretary General of the United Nations because OSS agents reports of communist connections 1945
  34. Schmahl honorably discharged from Army with commonplace awards 12/14/45. St. Louis records list him as special agent, Counter Intelligence Corps
  35. Applies for private investigator’s license in NY, reporting prior work in Army counterintelligence while working out of Broady’s office at 19 Rector Street 2/8/46
  36. Offers to help FBI with Communist Party matters 1947 (detailed in memo of 6/1/49 and again 7/6/49)
  37. Broady’s firm hired by Hiss Defense; contracts assignment out to Schmahl 10/48
  38. Schmahl moves out of Broady’s office to 62 William Street 11/48
  39. Chambers reverses his claim that Hiss committed no espionage and gave him no documents; retrieves envelope, surprised to find it plump and containing film and documents 11/17/48
  40. Chambers turns over typed documents (Baltimore Documents) 11/18/48
  41. Chambers turns over film evidence (Pumpkin Papers) 12/2/48
  42. Schmahl tells FBI he is working for Military Intelligence and will feed information from defense to prosecution through Chankalian 12/11/48
  43. Adds employees and branch offices 1948–9
  44. Hiss indicted 12/15/48
  45. Schmahl files complaint against “Axis Sally” (see #16 above) 1/31/49
  46. Hiss defense discharges Schmahl 3/49
  47. Broady involved in major wiretapping scandal 4/49
  48. FBI acknowledges receipt of information from Schmahl through office of Chankalian 9/22/49
  49. Hiss convicted 1/21/50
  50. Schmahl pays another expert for Hiss defense and provides information to FBI, requesting destruction of letter 11/22/50
  51. Supreme Court declines to review Hiss’s conviction 3/12/51
  52. Schmahl lunches with OSS chief, General Donovan 3/51
  53. Donovan recommends Schmahl to CIA (Office of Special Operations) — among others of great distinction — for his “creditable performance” in OSS 3/51
  54. Donovan touts Schmahl’s “excellent record” in OSS in a letter to be hand-carried by Schmahl to CIA 3/17/51
  55. Hiss enters prison 3/22/51
  56. After consulting Army on Governors Island, CIA expresses concern that Schmahl is “talking too much” 3/23/51
  57. Hiss’s motion for a new trial is denied 1/30/53
  58. Schmahl’s colleague in Hiss investigation (Bretnall) reports Schmahl was a double agent and faked trial evidence using Kunze as mechanic. 1960–3?
  59. Bretnall dies 8/23/63
  60. Schmahl tells interviewer he supervised Kunze in typewriter project and worked on orders from Donovan; however, also claims to have served in Navy not the Army, to have gone to Harvard Law School and other statements which are obviously false 8/73
  61. Evidence released under FOIA confirms that Schmahl was passing information to government 1975–6
  62. Weinstein publishes Perjury, characterizing Schmahl as an ordinary private detective 1978
  63. Hiss’s Coram Nobis petition mentioning Schmahl as a double agent is denied 7/15/82
  64. Schmahl dies 6/87
  65. Venona project is acknowledged and “Ales” cable is disclosed 7/95
  66. Hiss dies 11/15/96   the end