I posted this to the Realism forum first, but I think I might get more help here.
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I'm writing a semi-spy novel. It's set in the late 50s, early 60s. What kind of intelligence technology did they have then? Radios, code, cipher machines, etc. How would my one character get information to another character? I'm focusing on Germany and Russia specifically. Also, what kind of networks were set up? How did they operate? Revolutionary cells, committees, lone operating field agents with handlers back home, so on?
If you knew any reference books I could look up for some quick research - or better, some websites - I would really appreciate it! Thanks so much for your help!
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Nov 4, 2009 - 04 19
You could try googling SOE and OSS for specilaised spying equipment - lots of ingenious ideas were generated during WW2 which saw service during the Cold War.
A popular method of information gathering and transmission was microdot - google this one - but the principle is simple - photograph document, reduce to tiny size, fix to letter or something similar as a punctuation mark, send. then await money, Order of Lenin or whatever.
Cruder methods include leaving messages in dummy stones at drop points.
Burst transmission for radio was readily available but if it's Germany/Russia then take the U-Bahn from West to East Berlin and meet up with fellow agent, controller or whoever - much easier than crawling through sewers!
As far as orgaisation and cell size goes you can take your pick, depending on the sophistication of the spooky types involved.
If I can help again get back to me