[Günther Ott]

In addition to my previous mail I have noticed that there is obviously some confusion regarding David Raziel's correct date of death since 20, 18 and 17 June 1941 are all given for that. By the way, more reliable sources than Wikipedia name a different target of his mission on behalf and by support of British Army. Attempting to assassinate or kidnap the Mufti of Jerusalem in Baghdad was not first priority. However, he had been released from a British prison in Palestine and brought to Habbaniyya in a RAF plane after having been approached by British intelligence. It was agreed that he and his fellow Irgun fighters were to destroy oil refineries and depots in the outskirts of Baghdad, in order to prevent that ressources from being used for refuelling Luftwaffe planes supporting the Iraqi uprising.

This plan was reportedly abandond while the sabotage team’s plane was still enroute to Habbaniyya. Upon arrival orders had been waived for undertaking an intelligence mission preparatory to a British sweep into Falluja as part of the final drive to retake Baghdad and thus to end the Iraqi uprising without destroying the oil ressources.

Recently released MI5 documents at NA Kew include a SIME report about David Raziel’s wartime service and death in Iraq at serial 327a in KV5/40.

There is reason to accept that the four Irgun fighters, along with a British officer, had set out by car from Habbaniyya towards Falluja on 17th May 1941 already. A plane attacked while their convoy was stopped at a river crossing, with Raziel and the British officer being killed in their car. This would match with the KTB entry of Sonderkommando Junck for 17th May that the He 111 of Oblt. Schmidt was on an armed reconnaisssance mission from Mosssul and had bombed a vehicle column parked West of Ramadi.