Comments by "Steve Valley" (@stevevalley7835) on "The Drydock - Episode 219 (Part 1)" video.

  1. wrt the question about Naval espionage, you might like to read "Reilly, Ace Of Spies" by Robin Bruce Lockhart. There was a TV series, based on the book, produced in the early 1980s, which makes for interesting viewing. A couple of Reilly's operations: he was sent to infiltrate the B&V yard to obtain the drawings for a new model gun. He got himself hired in at the yard as a fireman, and persuaded the head of the yard fire department to gather keys for every building and office in the yard, in one place, which was accessible by the firemen. Reilly then pilfered the keys to the drafting office, and made off with the drawings. After losing most of their fleet to the Japanese, the Russians put out an RFP for a new fleet. Reilly got himself appointed the agent for B&V in Russia. Basil Zaharoff, as usual, represented Vickers. Reilly told his superiors in British intelligence, if B&V won the contract, he would forward copies of the B&V drawings to the British. The British then had an incentive to hobble Zaharoff's efforts on behalf of Vickers to obtain the intelligence. Of course, if B&V won the contract, Reilly would pocket a very large sales commission. This was not the first time the British questioned whose side Reilly was really on.
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