Réseau AGIR

For the AGIR of Iran, see Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

Réseau AGIR
AGIR provided HUMINT on V-1 flying bomb "ski sites", e.g., some had launch ramps ("P", bottom), here Maisoncelle. In 1974, the "Maison-Ponthieu site" still had the treelines and ski-shaped buildings depicted in this diagram.
Active	began 1941
Country	Occupied France
Allegiance	Allies of World War II
Type	French Resistance
Role	Human intelligence (espionage)
Size	>100 informants, a few agents

The Réseau AGIR (English: ACT Network) was a World War II espionage group founded by French wartime resister Michel Hollard that provided human intelligence on V-1 flying bomb facilities.

Intelligence was collected every 3 weeks directly from volunteer informants

Hollard smuggled information to the British military attaché in Bern, Switzerland, from Occupied France making ninety-eight trips from 1941 through February 1944 when he was betrayed and arrested. After a September 7, 1943, Ultra intercept identified that an agent tasked with gathering V-weapon intelligence had been captured, Réseau AGIR member Olivier Giran was captured and executed in 1943.

On 5 February 1944, Michel Hollard and 4 other AGIR agents (including Henri Dujarier) were arrested during a cafe meeting on the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis (Hollard received the "bath treatment" (torture) by the Milice.)

V-1 espionage

An AGIR railway engineer at Rouen reported in 1943 unusual constructions in Upper Normandy, and Michel Hollard's report of September 1943 to the British Secret Intelligence Service identified six V-1 flying bomb facilities: "Bonnetot [sic] le Faubourg, Auffray [sic], Totes, Ribeaucourt, Maison Ponthieu and Bois Carre". A more detailed report in October about Bois Carré claimed it had "a concrete platform with centre axis pointing directly to London". AGIR reconnoitered 104 V-1 facilities and helped pinpointing the Watten bunker, the first V-2 launching site. AGIR also provided sketches of V-1 launching sites such as one by André Comps of Bois Carré (English: square woods) labeled "La position de Maisons" and B². Hollard had the site infiltrated by Comps, who copied "the blueprints"—a copy of the compass swinging building blueprint and the Bois Carré sketch were published in 1978.

Post-war

AGIR agents received various British and French military awards (including Hollard's DSO for V-1 espionage), and Hollard's biographies provide AGIR history. In 2009, Joseph Brocard was the last surviving AGIR participant.

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