Cars and Polish military intelligence in the Free City of Danzig (1920–1939)

Cars in the interwar became a popular means of communication. Therefore, also benefited from it in intelligence work. Mainly it was just that their exploitation was cheaper than rail travel. On the other hand, gave it the ability to travel freely and quickly, and also perform some espionage tasks . At the same time we had to be careful, because foreign intelligence quickly versed in the ways of movement of Polish officers in Gdansk. The development of the automotive industry caused a lot of interest in new models, including rapid and sports. Therefore, sometimes the variety of brands became an indispensable element of Gdańsk streets, where there had place also collisions and accidents. Having a car also scheduled between social status, and so the more expensive and nicer car had the individual, the more significant was his position in society Gdansk. Gdańsk policymakers drove expensive cars, imported from abroad. In this image also entered the Polish intelligence chief, Maj. Jan Henryk Żychoń who loved, next to glamorous parties, expensive cars. And this led to accusations him by officers working in an easterly direction, to cooperate with foreign intelligence, because there seen the source of his finances. Żychoń had no worries about false allegations, the transparency of the work of subordinate officers stations, seemed numerous instructions, even for drivers of company vehicles. This had a big impact on the streamlining of information. Cars were also cause other problems, “ace Polish intelligence” that exacerbated the dispute with his former opponents.