Strategic Services Unit

The Strategic Services Unit was an intelligence agency of the United States government which existed in the immediate post-World War II period. It was created from the Secret Intelligence and Counterespionage branches of the wartime Office of Strategic Services.

Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy was instrumental in preserving the two branches of the the OSS as a going-concern with a view to forming a permanent peace-time intelligence agency. The unit was established on October 1st, 1945 through Executive Order 9621 which simultaneously abolished the OSS. [cite web
url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/96unclass/salvage-and-liquidation.html
title=Salvage and Liquidation: The Creation of the Central Intelligence Group
author=Michael Warner]

In January 1946, a new National Intelligence Authority was established along with a small Central Intelligence Group. On April 2nd, the Strategic Services Unit was transferred to the new group as the Office of Special Operations and a transfer of personnel began immediately.

In 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency was established under the 1947 National Security Act, incorporating the Central Intelligence Group. In 1952, the Office of Special Operations was combined with the Office of Policy Coordination to form the Directorate of Plans, later the Clandestine Service.

References