armored buses that were the only means of transport to Ben-Shemen
village, which was set amid Arab villages and towns that were grow-
ing increasingly more hostile. Through his agricultural studies, he be-
came an expert horse trainer, which later helped him to create his so-
cial status as a “German” in Egypt. Besides German, Lotz was fluent
in English, Hebrew, and Arabic.
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Lotz volunteered for
the British Army. Because of his military training in the Haganah and
his linguistic skills, the British considered him a great asset. He was
sent to Egypt, where he served throughout the war. His main occupa-
tion was interrogation of German prisoners of war. Soon after his re-
turn to Palestine, he became involved in arms smuggling for the Ha-
ganah. After the State of Israel was declared in May 1948, Lotz
served as a lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), taking part
in some of the fiercest fighting of the War of Independence in the La-
trun area. During the 1956 Sinai Campaign, as a major, he com-
manded an infantry brigade.
Sometime after the Sinai Campaign, Military Intelligence(MI)
approached Lotz with a suggestion that he work for them. Lotz, then
35 years old, tall with fair hair and blue eyes, was in no way Israeli-
looking. He was also courageous and willing to risk his life. Because he
was not circumcised, it was easier for him to work under the cover of a
non-Jewish German. Lotz was aware of the intensive and exhausting
nature of the training for such service, but accepted the challenge ea-
gerly. In Israel he underwent several months’ intensive training in the
tradecraft of espionage. He took courses in Egyptian history, politics,
and culture. By the beginning of 1957, it was decided in MI to dispatch
Lotz to Egypt, with two main goals. First, Israel needed information on
the Soviet arms being supplied to Gamal Abdel Nasser’s government.
Second, Israel needed a secret agent in Egypt to keep track of the grow-
ing influence of German consultants invited there by Nasser. Many of
them were former Nazis—scientists, engineers, doctors, police ex-
perts—who went to occupy key roles in running the country. Although
Lotz was recruited by MI, the Mossadwas likewise interested in ob-
taining Lotz’s services. The Mossad was especially concerned with
obtaining as much information as possible about German scientists ad-
vancing Egypt’s surface-to-surface missile capabilities. Lotz was even-
tually to provide it.162 • LOTZ, WOLFGANG06-102 (03) H-P.qxd 3/24/06 7:24 AM Page 162