Branko Vukelić

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branko_Vukeli%C4%87_(spy)

Branko Vukelić (1904 – January 1945) was a Yugoslav spy working for Richard Sorge's spy ring in Japan.

Vukelić was born in Osijek in 1904. His father Milivoj was a military officer in the Austrian army in Lika (a region in today's Croatia), and his mother Vilma was born to a Jewish parents from Osijek, Julius and Charlotta (née Weiss) Miskolczy.[1][2] The Vukelić family moved to Zagreb (capital of today's Croatia) where he attended secondary school.[3] He enrolled a college in Zagreb, but was forced to move to Paris because of his ties to Communism. Vukelić graduated Sorbonne University with a degree in law. After graduation, and because of the great global depression, he re-established contact with Communists as a way to find employment during the economic crisis.

n 1933. Vukelić was sent to Japan as a Soviet counter-intelligence agent after being recruited by a Comintern member by the name of Olga.[5] He worked along with Richard Sorge in a Soviet-backed spy network (known as Sorge ring), along with Max Clausen, Ozaki Hotsumi, and another Comintern agent, Miyagi Yotoku.[6] Vukelić was employed by the French newspaper Havas,[7] and Serbian daily Politika as a special correspondent.[8][9]

Vukelić arrived in Yokohama, Japan on February 11, 1933, and reported to Richard Sorge, the network leader reporting to the Soviet Intelligence. Although this was a Soviet operation, Vukelić was led to believe that he was serving the Communist International.[10]

Marriage between Branko, and his first wife, Edith dissolved in a series of affairs, and he married his Japanese language translator, Yoshiko Yamasaki.[11] This marriage was considered a risk to the operation, and Sorge did not approve of it. Vukelić decided to get married without notifying Sorge. The ring leader sought advice from the Centre in Moscow, but the instructions were that Vukelić should stay in Japan and continue working for the network.[12]

Vukelić's main activities in the network were primarily of gathering information. He gathered information from Japanese newspapers and magazines, as well as various embassy and journalist contacts.[13][14] and he was also in charge of the network's photographic work.[15]

At one point, Vukelić was also tasked with influencing foreign journalists, mostly through Joseph Newman, New York Herald Tribune journalist, in amplifying the perceived Japanese threat to the United States on Pacific, in an attempt to alleviate Japanese pressure on Soviet's East. Vukelić's success in his task resulted in a July 1, 1939 New York Herald Tribune article titled 'Japan Believed Still Aiming at South Sea Area', written by Newman.[16]

Sorge's spy ring was eventually broken in 1941. Although Sorge tried his best to diminish Vukelić's and Miyagi's involvement,[17] Vukelić was sentenced to life's imprisonment along with Clausen.[18] Branko was imprisoned in Sugamo, and was transferred to Abashiri (Hokkaido, Japan) in July 1944. Vukelić did not survive the cold winter, and Yoshiko was informed of his death on January 15, 1945.

Although the activities of Sorge ring members, including Branko Vukelić, were not recognized until the 1960s, Vukelić was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War (First Degree) on November 5, 1964 by decree of Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet.

• https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branko_Vukeli%C4%87_(%C5%A1pijun)

Branko Vukelić "Jugosloven" (Osijek, 1904 — Abaširi, januar 1945) je bio jugoslovenski špijun koji je radio u špijunskom krugu Riharda Zorge u Japanu.

Prema jednoj verziji, najaveći uspeh njegove grupe bio je što su saznali datum nemačkog napada na SSSR.

Rođen je u Osijeku 1904. godine. Njegov otac, Milivoj, je bio oficir u austrijskoj vojski u Lici, a majka Vilma je bila Jevrejka.

Vukelićeva porodica se preselila u Zagreb gde je pohađao srednju školi.[2] Bio je član marksističkog kluba u Zagrebu.[1] Prvi put uhapšen 1922., zbog sudelovanja u demonstracijama povodom osude Alije Alijagića na smrt.[1]

Krenuo je na fakultet u Zagrebu, ali je 1931. proteran iz zemlje kao agitator progresivnih ideja.[1] Nakon toga odlazi u Pariz gde je završio prava na Univerzitetu u Sorboni.

1932. se povezuje sa Kominternom.[1] Prema jednoj verziji, nakon diplomiranja, usled velike svetske depresije, uspostavio je kontakt sa komunizmom kao način da dobije posao tokom krize.

U 1933. godini Vukelić je poslat u Japan kao sovjetski agent nakon što ga je regrutovala članica Kominterne pod imenom Olga.[3] Doputovao je kao dopisnik "Politike" i pariškog časopisa "VU" u Japan, gde počinje obaveštajne aktivnosti pod rukovodstvom Riharda Zorgea.[1] Zadatak te grupe je bio da saznaje vojne planove Nemačke i Japana.

Radio je Rihardom Zorgom u tzv Zorgeovom prstenu, zajedno sa Maksom Klauzenom, Ozaki Hotsumi i Mijagi Jokotom.[4] Vukelič je bio zapošljen od strane francuskog lista Havas[5], i srpskoe novine Politika kao sprecijani dopisnik.[2][6]. U Jokohamu je stigao 11. februara 1933, i javio se Rihardu Zorgi, vođi sovjstske špijunske mreže. Iako je ovo bila sovjetska operacija, Vukelić je verovao da on služi Kominterni.[7]

Prvi brak sa Edit raspao se nakon serije afera, nakon čega je oženio Jošiko Jamasaki, svoju japansku prevoditeljicu[8]. Ovaj braj je smatran pretnjom za operaciju, pa ga Zorge nije odobrio, ali je Vukelić odlučio da se oženi bez odobrenja. Nakon ovog neslaganja centar u Moskvi je odlučio da se operacija nastavi a da Vukelić ostane u prstenu.[9] Vukelićeve glavne aktivnosti su bile skupljanje informacija. Skupljao je informacije iz japanskih novina i magazina, kao i iz ambasada i novinarskih kontakata[10][11] a bio je nadležani za fotografski posao.[12]

Prema jednoj verziji, najaveći uspesi Zorgea i drugova su u tome što su saznali datum nemačkog napada na SSSR, kao i to da je Japan odustao od otvaranja fronta prema SSSR-u čime je omogućeno prebacivanje sovjetskih trupa sa japanske granice na Moskovski front.[1]

Sorgeov špijunski prsten je probijen 1941. godine. Uhapšen od japanske policije 18. oktobra 1941 zajedno sa celom grupom Riharda Zorgea.[1] Iako je Zorge pokušao da opovrgne Vukelićevo i Mijagijevo učešće[13], Vukelić je osuđen na doživotnu robiju zajedno sa Klauzenom.[14] Bio je utamničen u Sugamo, a odatle je prebačen u Abaširi (Hokaido) u julu 1944. Umro u zatvoru "Abaširi". na krajnjem severu Japana, 13. januara 1945.[1]

Jošiko je informisana o njegovoj smrti 15. januara 1945.

ako aktivnosti Zorgeove grupe nisu bile priznavane do 1960ih, Vukelić je posthumno odlikovan Ordenom Otadžbinskog rata (prvog stepena), 5. novembra 1964. od strane Prezidijuma Sovjetskog Saveza.